Leviticus - Sin Offering
Timeline: 1451 BC
Leviticus 4:1-35; Leviticus 5:1-4; Leviticus 6:24-30; Numbers 15:22, 27-31; Numbers 19:5-7, Numbers 29:11)
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Israelite Journeys Rameses |
Burnt-offerings, meat-offerings, and peace-offerings, had been voluntarily practiced before the giving of the law upon mount Sinai. The mandatory sin offering was a new thing introduced in the Mosaic law. The sin offering became the most important and significant among them. It provided atonement for unintentional sins committed by the anointed priest, the congregation, a ruler, or by any one of the common people. The sin-offering did not undo the sin, and any wrong which was done was left unchanged, but the guilt for the sin was removed. The sin offering made the offender against the holiness of God fit to receive the Divine forgiveness. However, a sinner who intentionally and deliberately rebelled against God was not eligible to receive forgiveness through the sin offering. He was "cut off from among his people", either by alienation or by death. There was no atonement available under the Old Covenant for the one whose heart was so defiantly turned against God in presumptuous sin. Leviticus 4 categorizes sinners into four main groups: the anointed priest, the whole Israelite community, a leader, and any ordinary person. This was the general law of sin offerings, regardless of the category: An unblemished animal had to be sacrificed and its blood shed and applied for atonement. Laying hands (leaning heavily with all their might) on the head the head of the animal was done as a confession of sin, consent to the plan of substitution, accepting that victim would die in the sinner's place. It was killed at the door of the tabernacle and blood was poured out at the base of the altar of the burnt offering. All the fat that was on the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, and the two kidneys with their fat, were burned on the altar. Sacrifices in Israel functioned very differently than sacrifices in pagan cultures. Pagan sacrifices were designed to get their gods to do what they wanted them to do. God required sacrifices to atone for sins, symbolically cleanse oneself from wrongdoing and seek reconciliation with God. The sin offering is unique to Israel. Leviticus 4:1-12 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. Unintentional Sins of Commission The term "unintentionally" indicates that the sin was not committed with premeditated intent. Those that were committed against things which God had commanded not to be done ("You shall not…") were to be atoned through the sin offering. Regulations for the sin offering varied depending on the person's status. The higher the social standing, the greater the accountability before God. The sin offering for the anointed priest held a more meaningful purpose than the rest. The priests were to model an exemplary lifestyle for the people to follow. They were responsible for upholding the community's religious practices. Although they were given significant power and influence within the community, they were human and subject to sin like everyone else. Sins of the priests brought guilt and condemnation on the people that he represented. Part of the ceremonial was the same for all the people however the most important part of the sacrifice for the priest was not executed before the people, but before the Lord. The sin offering for the anointed priest required a young bull without blemish, which was considered to be the most valuable animal, the best of what people could offer. The priest carried the blood of the animal into the holy place and sprinkled seven times before the veil separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place and some was put on the four horns of the altar of incense. The blood thus provided a covering—an atonement—for those areas of the anointed priest's service that God considered defiled through his sin. The remainder of the blood was poured at the base of the Brazen Altar outside the tent. In this offering, the priests received no portion of the sacrifice. When the sin is committed by the priest, he is the guilty party, and therefore is not allowed to eat any of the meat. The bodies of these animals were carried outside the camp and burned signifying that the sin had been removed from the priest as well as from the people.
Although the priest brings the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, the bodies are burned outside the camp where they dispose of the ashes from the altar which is ceremonially clean to be burnt in it's entirety, symbolizing the complete removal of sin. No sin offering may be eaten nor could the priests retain the hide as they were able to in other offerings. Leviticus 4:22-26 '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. A ruler may refer to either the head of a tribe, or the head of a division of a tribe. Rulers are held to a high standard because their actions influence others. If a ruler sinned in a way that made all the people sin, either from ignorant of the law, or he realized that he committed a sin, an offering must be brought to so that the whole congregation would not suffer consequences. But if his sin affected only himself, he is will follow the same procedure for the sin offering as individual. A ruler was to bring an unblemished young male goat, a lesser animal than that for the priest. The presentation, laying on of hands, and slaughtering, were the same as in the case of the other sacrifices. The fat and inwards are removed and burnt on the altar. However, in this case, the blood is not brought into the tent of meeting. It was placed on the horns of the Brazen Altar which stood outside in the court and the remainder was poured at its base. Nothing was taken outside the camp.
Leviticus 6:24-30 Also the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, 'This is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is killed, the sin offering shall be killed before the Lord. It is most holy. The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. In a holy place it shall be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of meeting. Everyone who touches its flesh must be holy. And when its blood is sprinkled on any garment, you shall wash that on which it was sprinkled, in a holy place. But the earthen vessel in which it is boiled shall be broken. And if it is boiled in a bronze pot, it shall be both scoured and rinsed in water. All the males among the priests may eat it. It is most holy. But no sin offering from which any of the blood is brought into the tabernacle of meeting, to make atonement in the holy place, shall be eaten. It shall be burned in the fire. Anyone involved in the sacrifice must be consecrated and ceremonially clean before beginning the ritual. After coming into contact with the sacrificial blood or animal parts, the priests involved were instructed to wash their clothes inside the tabernacle since the holy blood might not be carried out of the sanctuary and thereby be profaned. Earthen vessels, also known as clay pots or jars, are containers made from clay that have been shaped and hardened by heat. They were heat-resistant, used for cooking and for boiling clothes. The priests and their male family members were to eat a portion of the offering in the court of the tabernacle to symbolically make atonement for the people's sins, allowing their sins to be forgiven. The priest was the mediator between God and the offeror. Leviticus 4:13-21 '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. The fundamental truth is that ignorance before the law is no excuse. The Hebrew word for unintentionally is "shagah" which means to "cause to go astray or to make wander." In essence, the persons being led astray are not the ones doing the leading. If the sinful act brought guilt upon the entire congregation or if the congregation did something that they were not supposed to do but did not know it was unlawful, and then they discovered it was a transgression, a sin-offering was required for atonement. Like the priest's offering, the sin offering for the congregation was also a bullock. The elders of the congregation representing the twelve tribes, laid their hands on the bull's head signifying the transfer of the sin from the entire congregation. After that, the same procedures are followed as for the sin-offering for the anointed priest.
Leviticus 4:27-31 '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. The sin offerings for an individual and the leader are almost the same. The only difference is that the leader offers a male goat and the individual offers a female goat or sheep. The female was less valuable than the male, and thus more affordable by the common person. Nevertheless, a sin offering was required no matter what the economic ability or status of the person. The blood is not brought into the holy place and the priest receives the portion to eat in the holy place. The priest makes atonement for the unintentional sins of the individual.
Leviticus 4:32-35 '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.
Unintentional Sins of Omission
While the unintentional sin in Leviticus 4 describes things that were not supposed to be done ("you shall not..."), Leviticus 5 begins by describing sins of omission, things that were supposed to be done ("you shall...") but unintentionally neglected. Provision was made for the forgiveness of sins due to ignorance and oversight of God's commandments. God treated unintentional sins with some leniency. A combination of the burnt offering, grain offering and drink offering along with the sin offering had to be performed. The priest offered a bull for his sins, and then offered a goat for the sins of the people. Anyone living among them who respected God's laws and ways, were held to the same standards and shared both in their sin and in their forgiveness. Three specific sins addressed:
Leviticus 5:1 'If a person sins in hearing the utterance of an oath, and is a witness, whether he has seen or known of the matter—if he does not tell it, he bears guilt. The first sin was concealing the truth. When swearing in as a witness in a hearing, one must tell the truth and nothing but the truth. A person who refused to testify, or suppressed the truth, and did not testify of what he had seen or heard, was in violation which required a guilt offering. Perhaps the accused is a friend and the witness heard him swear an oath to another but does not testify, the witness is guilty. Maybe his enemy has threatened him and he is afraid to give testimony, the witness is also guilty. If a person hears or sees a crime, he is obliged to reveal it. It was the duty of every member of the community to aid the authorities in maintaining the integrity of the Divine law. When Jesus stood before the Sanhedrin, he remained quiet until they put Him under oath. He then had to admit that He was indeed Christ the Son of God. Leviticus 5:2-3 'Or if a person touches any unclean thing, whether it is the carcass of an unclean beast, or the carcass of unclean livestock, or the carcass of unclean creeping things, and he is unaware of it, he also shall be unclean and guilty. Or if he touches human uncleanness—whatever uncleanness with which a man may be defiled, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty. The second sin was contamination by touching a dead animal or man, an unclean leper, or a person with a discharge from his body. The word for "clean" may also be translated "pure," relating to the Levitical and sacrificial system of ancient Israel. Whenever a person came in contact with uncleanness, washing the clothes and bathing the body in water was required. But if a person neglected that purification through ignorance or forgetfulness and then found it out afterwards, a sin and trespass offerings were required to purify the worshiper before he could come near the sanctuary in worship. Purification always involved waiting a period of time (until evening for minor cases, eighty days for the birth of a daughter), and could also involve ritual washings symbolizing cleansing, atoning sacrifices, and priestly rituals. Babylonians were the first one to master the art of soap making. They made soap from fats boiled with ashes. Purification laws reminded the Israelites that they were distinct from other cultures. They usually used water and ashes of a red cow. The ceremony was administered in behalf of persons, places, and things. They were required to wash their clothes and bathe themselves, often needing to remain "unclean" until evening depending on the situation. Numbers 19 explains the Laws of Purification Uncleanliness disqualified him for worship even though he might be unconscious of his action because he was an offense to His holiness. Thus sin and trespass offerings were required to purify the worshiper before he could come near the sanctuary in worship. Leviticus 5:4 'Or if a person swears, speaking thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, whatever it is that a man may pronounce by an oath, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty in any of these matters. The third sin was a promise that was broken. If the Israelite took an oath, made a promise or a curse, in thoughtlessness or in passion, which he later forgot or chose not to fulfill, he was guilty of sin. In the case of threatening private revenge, or to do evil in any other way, the oath ought to be recalled, as being a thing in itself unlawful. This was failure in self-control. If the person made a promise, it had to be fulfilled as soon as he remembered and restitution for his transgression was required. Sins Committed Intentionally
Unintentional sins had provisions for atonement, but those who sinned against God's law, deliberately breaking His commandments faced stark consequences as outlined in the law. A person who sins defiantly is fully aware of what he is doing is well aware of the potential cost of doing it, and he deliberately sets his mind to do it. It is an act of rebellion, despite all he knows, to go ahead and do it anyway, the penalty for which is eternal death.
The Law of Moses reflects God's character and His desire for justice. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses emphasizes the seriousness of rejecting God and highlights the need for solid evidence or testimony before making a judgment against someone. |
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