Sin Offerings Bring Forgiveness
April 12, 2021
Commentary
The Lord gave Moses instructions for the sin offering when someone sinned unintentionally by doing something God had commanded them not to do (vv. 1–2). Sin could happen without deliberate intention, but it still needed to be dealt with before God. When the high priest sinned, his sin affected the whole community (v. 3). He was to bring a young bull without blemish to the entrance of the sacred tent, lay his hand on its head, and kill it there (vv. 4–5).
The priest then took some of the bull’s blood into the tabernacle and sprinkled it seven times before the Lord, toward the veil of the sanctuary (v. 6). He also put some blood on the horns of the incense altar and poured the remaining blood at the base of the bronze altar (v. 7). The priest removed the fat, including the fat around the liver and the two kidneys, and burned these portions on the altar (vv. 8–10). The rest of the bull, including its skin, flesh, head, legs, and other parts, was taken outside the camp and burned in a clean place (vv. 11–12).
The Lord also explained what should happen when the whole nation of Israel sinned unintentionally (v. 13). Even though the people did not mean to disobey, their sin still made them guilty before God. Once they became aware of their sin, they were to bring a young bull as an offering for forgiveness (v. 14). The elders of the community would identify with the sacrifice by laying their hands on its head before it was killed (v. 15).
The priest would then follow the same procedure used for the high priest’s sin offering, applying the blood and burning the sacrifice according to God’s instructions (vv. 16–21). Through this sacrifice, God provided a way for the community to receive forgiveness. The sin offering reminds us that even unintentional sin matters to God and that forgiveness requires His gracious provision. It points us to Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice provides complete forgiveness for our sins.
Application
Am I willing to recognize my sin, even when I did not intend to do wrong? Do I take sin seriously, or do I make excuses for it? Am I thankful that Jesus provides complete forgiveness? Is there any sin I need to confess to God today? How can I respond to His forgiveness by choosing obedience and living more carefully?
Leviticus 4:1–21 (NET)
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Tell the Israelites, ‘When a person sins by straying unintentionally from any of the Lord’s commandments which must not be violated, and violates any one of them —
3 “‘If the high priest sins so that the people are guilty, on account of the sin he has committed he must present a flawless young bull to the Lord for a sin offering. 4 He must bring the bull to the entrance of the Meeting Tent before the Lord, lay his hand on the head of the bull, and slaughter the bull before the Lord. 5 Then that high priest must take some of the blood of the bull and bring it to the Meeting Tent. 6 The priest must dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the Lord toward the front of the special curtain of the sanctuary. 7 The priest must put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the Lord in the Meeting Tent, and all the rest of the bull’s blood he must pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the Meeting Tent.
8 “‘Then he must take up all the fat from the sin offering bull: the fat covering the entrails and all the fat surrounding the entrails, 9 the two kidneys with the fat on their sinews, and the protruding lobe on the liver (which he is to remove along with the kidneys) 10 —just as it is taken from the ox of the peace-offering sacrifice —and the priest must offer them up in smoke on the altar of burnt offering. 11 But the hide of the bull, all its flesh along with its head and its legs, its entrails, and its dung— 12 all the rest of the bull —he must bring outside the camp to a ceremonially clean place, to the fatty-ash pile, and he must burn it on a wood fire; it must be burned on the fatty-ash pile.
13 “‘If the whole congregation of Israel strays unintentionally and the matter is not noticed by the assembly, and they violate one of the Lord’s commandments, which must not be violated, so they become guilty, 14 the assembly must present a young bull for a sin offering when the sin they have committed becomes known. They must bring it before the Meeting Tent, 15 the elders of the congregation must lay their hands on the head of the bull before the Lord, and someone must slaughter the bull before the Lord. 16 Then the high priest must bring some of the blood of the bull to the Meeting Tent, 17 and that priest must dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the Lord toward the front of the curtain. 18 He must put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before the Lord in the Meeting Tent, and all the rest of the blood he must pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the Meeting Tent.
19 “‘Then the priest must take all its fat and offer the fat up in smoke on the altar. 20 He must do with the rest of the bull just as he did with the bull of the sin offering; this is what he must do with it. So the priest will make atonement on their behalf and they will be forgiven. 21 He must bring the rest of the bull outside the camp and burn it just as he burned the first bull—it is the sin offering of the assembly.
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