~ The Sin
Offering (Leviticus 4of8) ~
Introduction
~ “Abundant Life Now” previously provided
a list of Biblical of examples of fearing / reverencing God (217 posts). In this current series we look at Biblical
accounts that demonstrate that we can fully trust God. Initially we posted seven general reasons for
trusting God. We are currently looking
at passages from all 66 books of Scripture which demonstrate a reason for
trusting our Creator.
Note ~ In
chapters 1—5 of the Book of Leviticus God establishes a detailed set of
sacrifices that enabled His people to worship Him. Following that He gave additional laws and
rules for His people to follow. God’s
directions to His people throughout the centuries have always been for the good
of His people. He is in complete control
and He cares for us, therefore we can trust Him!
Scripture
~ The entire chapter 4 of
Leviticus is about the sin Offering. Its
purpose was this not to atone for sins but to purify oneself before re-entering
the presence of God. The elements of this purification offering could be any of
the elements of the previous three types offerings, however unlike the Peace
Offering, the meal was not to be shared by the one offering the sacrifice.
“Now the Lord
spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, saying: “If a person
sins unintentionally against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything
which ought not to be done, and does any of them, if the anointed priest sins,
bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer to the Lord for his sin which
he has sinned a young bull without blemish as a sin offering. He shall bring the bull to the door of the
tabernacle of meeting before the Lord, lay his hand on the bull’s head, and
kill the bull before the Lord. Then the
anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and bring it to the
tabernacle of meeting. The priest shall
dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before
the Lord, in front of the veil of the sanctuary. And the priest shall put some of the blood on
the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord, which is in the
tabernacle of meeting; and he shall pour the remaining blood of the bull at the
base of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle
of meeting. He shall take from it all
the fat of the bull as the sin offering. The fat that covers the entrails and all the
fat which is on the entrails, the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by
the flanks, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys, he
shall remove, as it was taken from the bull of the sacrifice of the peace
offering; and the priest shall burn them on the altar of the burnt offering. But the bull's hide and all its flesh, with
its head and legs, its entrails and offal — the whole bull he shall carry
outside the camp to a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn it
on wood with fire; where the ashes are poured out it shall be burned.
“Now if the
whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally, and the thing is hidden from
the eyes of the assembly, and they have done something against any of the
commandments of the Lord in anything which should not be done, and are guilty;
when the sin which they have committed becomes known, then the assembly shall
offer a young bull for the sin, and bring it before the tabernacle of meeting. And the elders of the congregation shall lay
their hands on the head of the bull before the Lord. Then the bull shall be
killed before the Lord. The anointed
priest shall bring some of the bull’s blood to the tabernacle of meeting. Then the priest shall dip his finger in the
blood and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord, in front of the veil. And he shall put some of the blood on the
horns of the altar which is before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of
meeting; and he shall pour the remaining blood at the base of the altar of
burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. He shall take all the fat from it and burn it
on the altar. And he shall do with the
bull as he did with the bull as a sin offering; thus he shall do with it. So the priest shall make atonement for them,
and it shall be forgiven them. Then he
shall carry the bull outside the camp, and burn it as he burned the first bull.
It is a sin offering for the assembly.
“When a ruler
has sinned, and done something unintentionally against any of the commandments
of the Lord his God in anything which should not be done, and is guilty, or if
his sin which he has committed comes to his knowledge, he shall bring as his
offering a kid of the goats, a male without blemish. And he shall lay his hand on the head of the
goat, and kill it at the place where they kill the burnt offering before the
Lord. It is a sin offering. The priest
shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, put it on the
horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour its blood at the base of the
altar of burnt offering. And he shall
burn all its fat on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of the peace
offering. So the priest shall make
atonement for him concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.
“If anyone of
the common people sins unintentionally by doing something against any of the
commandments of the Lord in anything which ought not to be done, and is guilty,
or if his sin which he has committed comes to his knowledge, then he shall
bring as his offering a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin
which he has committed. And he shall lay
his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering at the
place of the burnt offering. Then the
priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, put it on the horns of the
altar of burnt offering, and pour all the remaining blood at the base of the
altar. He shall remove all its fat, as
fat is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offering; and the priest shall
burn it on the altar for a sweet aroma to the Lord. So the priest shall make atonement for him,
and it shall be forgiven him.
“If he brings
a lamb as his sin offering, he shall bring a female without blemish. Then he shall lay his hand on the head of the
sin offering, and kill it as a sin offering at the place where they kill the
burnt offering. The priest shall take
some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, put it on the horns of
the altar of burnt offering, and pour all the remaining blood at the base of the
altar. He shall remove all its fat, as
the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offering. Then the priest shall burn it on the altar,
according to the offerings made by fire to the Lord. So the priest shall make atonement for his
sin that he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him” (Leviticus 4).
Closing
Comment ~ The
importance of blood is a reoccurring theme in the Book of Leviticus. In Chapter 17 the sanctity of Blood is the
subject. Note for those wishing to look
deeper at the blood of Christ consider the eBook entitled: “CHRIST’S
BLOOD: 7+ Amazing Benefits”
(https://books2read.com/ChristsBlood)
by Robert Lloyd Russell.
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.
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