Leviticus 4

Leviticus 4:1-35

Leviticus 4:1-35 First. The Sin Offering (Leviticus 4:1-35) The Sin Offering is the last of the order in which God gave the ritual to Moses, although it is the first in the order of presentation on the part of man, for, as we have seen, viewed from Christ’ s side, the fitness of Christ to perform the redemptive work is the vital thing; whereas from man’ s side, sin must be put away before he can be well-pleasing to God. The Sin Offering stands absolutely for atonement and typifies our Lord Jesus Christ who was made sin for us. “ Him who knew no sin He made to be sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21, R.V.). The word used for sin and sin-offering is the same, showing how completely Christ identified Himself with sin. Christ took the sinner’ s place. That is the prominent thought in this offering which places the emphasis on the sinner more than on his sin. Expiation for sin is brought about by a substituted life only. In Isaiah 53:10 Christ is set forth as a Sin-Offering. This offering presents us with a wonderful picture of Christ on the cross as the great Sin Bearer. This offering was made when the conscience of the priests, the congregation, or the nation began to work and thus aroused these classes to the need of atonement (Leviticus 4:14; Leviticus 4:23; Leviticus 4:28). There is no eating of this offering either on the part of the priests or people. Certain parts of the offering were burned “ without the camp” by which is meant the place of the condemned; so Christ suffered “ without the camp” (cf. Hebrews 13:13). The lessons the believer may derive from the Sin-Offering are many. He learns that he must come before God in the person of a substitute. Such a substitute is absolutely imperative, as is also such an offering. Other offerings may be voluntary, but not this one. When conscience convicts one of sin there should be an immediate seeking of the cleansing blood of Christ. This is true not only of willful sins but also of sins of ignorance, sins that surprise us or are the result of inattention or neglect, for ignorance does not excuse the guilt of sin.

The sins referred to here are sins done unwittingly as contrasted with sins committed with a high hand, or, as David calls them, “ presumptuous sins” (Psalms 19:12-13). Sins of ignorance incur guilt and need the cleansing blood of Christ; for this reason there is no such thing as sinless perfection. On the matter of willful sin and the awful guilt incurred thereby see Numbers 15:30-31; Psalms 19:12-13; Hebrews 10:26-29. Possibly by willful sin in this connection is meant persistent, habitual, unrepentant sin, and describes an attitude, probably, rather than a specific act, for surely no sin, even a sin willfully committed, is beyond the pardoning grace of God (cf. Isaiah 1:18; 1 Timothy 1:15).