account of moral lapses. The same process may be observed in the views
of ancient Israel. Here, too, during the dominance of the priestly view
the gravest possible offense was one against the cult, a culpable act
entailing the death penalty--_asham_, or "doom" of the offender. We shudder
at the thought that the least violation of the hierarchical rules for the
sanctuary or even for the burning of incense should meet the penalty of
death. Yet such is the plain statement of the Mosaic law and such was the
actual practice of the people.(745)

The more the prophetic conception of the moral nature of the Deity
permeated the Jewish religion, the more the term sin came to mean an
offense against the holiness of God, the Guardian of morality. Hence the
great prophets upbraided the people for their moral, not their ceremonial
failings. They attacked scathingly transgressions of the laws of
righteousness and purity, the true sins against God, because these
originate in dullness of heart, unbridled passion, and overbearing pride,
all so hateful to Him. The only ritual offenses emphasized as sins against
God are idolatry, violation of the name of God and of the Sabbath, for
these express the sanctity of life.(746) Except for these points, the
prophets and psalmists insisted only on righteous conduct and integrity of
soul, and repudiated entirely the ritualism of the priesthood and the
formalism of the cult.(747) This view is anticipated by Samuel, the master
of the prophetic schools, when he says:

"Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to hearken than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,
And stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim."(748)

As soon as we realize that obedience to God's will means right conduct and
purity of soul, we see in sin the desecration of the divine image in man,
the violation of his heavenly patent of nobility.

6. Sin, then, is in its essence unfaithfulness to God and to our own
god-like nature. We see this thought expressed in Job:(749)

"If thou hast sinned, what doest thou against Him?
And if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto Him?
If thou be righteous, what givest thou unto Him?
Or what receiveth He of thy hand?
Thy wickedness concerneth a man as thou art;
And thy righteousness a son of man."

Thus the source of sin is the human heart, the origin of all our thinking
and planning. We know sin chiefl