04 Leviticus - Sin Offering
Notes
Transcript
04 Leviticus – Theme, Sin of the ______ (McGee)
The beginning of Chapter 4 brings with it a change in offerings. Up until this point the offerings we have discussed were freewill offerings.
· Offerings brought to God out of a thankful heart for His grace and mercy. Relationship
· Offerings brought to God out of thankful hearts for providing a means whereby the Israelite could enjoy a relationship with Him. Fellowship
· Offerings brought to God for His wonderful provisions. Peace
However, Chapter 4 introduces us to an entirely new set of reasons as to why an offering should be given. The Burnt Offering, Grain Offering, and the Peace Offering were all acts of worship. Recognizing God’s goodness.
The Sin Offering is brought to God for specific acts of sin whether intentional or unintentional. The change is immediate in verses 1-3 … (Lunsford, J. (2006). Leviticus 101 (p. 35).
Leviticus 4
“Sin offering” first appears in 4:3. From there is appears in chapters 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 23. I appears 60 times in 50 verses in the KJV Bible.
V 1-2 Sins of Ignorance – “If a soul” is all encompassing of the four categories of sinners listed.
Before, it was “if any”, “when any” make a freewill offering. Now it’s getting personal; “if a person sin…” Chapters 1-3 are about expressing thankfulness to God.
God. Chapter 4 is about discovering forgiveness from God.
· The Hebrew word for ‘sin’ means to miss the mark. I wonder how many of us feel we missed the mark with God when we sin. In other words, do we comprehend the severity of our actions?
· The sin we are discussing here is a sin committed out of ignorance. How often do you think that happens?
· “Sin whether it is committed intentionally or unintentionally is still sin! The Israelite did not live under an age of grace. The Israelite lived under the law. Because of that God made a way for the Israelite to find forgiveness from sin, even when it was committed without their knowledge.” (Leviticus 101).
·
V 3-12 Sins of the Priest
· V.3 “Sin offering” Is misleading, making us think something is morally wrong the person. Some scholars suggest that “purification offering” would be better. The sins are unintentional but still need to be atoned for.
o If we more fully understood Hebrew, and did an in depth word study of ‘sin’ or ca-tah, we would see that it more completely means to cleanse or to purify.
o Heiser suggest “decontamination offering” over “sin offering.” The blood is applied to the altar as a decontamination (think thieves).
· A young bullock, without blemish
· V.6 The blood is applied in the Holy Place, as the Priest represented the whole congregation.
· V.11-12 Consider Hebrews 13:10-14
V 13-14 Sins of the Congregation / The Nation
· A young bullock, (doesn’t mention w/out blemish)
· V.13 the blood is applied in the Holy Place
V 14-23 Sins of the Ruler
· A male goat, without blemish
· V.20 we see the word ‘atonement’. In this context, it doesn’t mean to cover but rather it means to cleanse or to wipe away – thus the decontamination analogy.
· It’s not so much being released from the quilt of the sin as it is being cleansed from the result of an inadvertent act. It’s not about a moral sin (adultery).
o Examples might include touching a dead body (someone died in your arm), or giving birth and thus you are unclean; where you didn’t mean to break God’s Law.
V.25 The blood is applied outside to the horns of the altar. This altar is located outside the Holy place in the courtyard.
V 27 Sins of the People, individuals
· A female goat, without blemish
· Lamb AND female only occurs twice in the Bible – Leviticus 4:32 & 5:6.
V.34 The blood never penetrates into the Holy Place, it’s applied outside to the horns of the altar. The blood only penetrates as far as the contamination. (Heiser podcast #66). The common person (even the ruler) could only go into the courtyard. The Priest, who represents the whole congregation could go into the Holy Place (and one priest once a year into the Holy of Holy).
V.35 The person is eventually forgiven for whatever contamination was brought upon the temple by their inadvertent sin.
The New Testament is focused on moral absolution. It’s about being made right with God regardless of the type of sin, intentional or unintentional. It’s about being put In Christ so that God sees the perfection of Jesus. The Book of Hebrews addresses this. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Hebrews 10:4. Might want to READ Hebrews 10:1-10.
Close with Psalm 19:12-13
The Law of the Sin Offering is in 6:24-25
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Sermon Starters/Study Notes
Missing the Mark
The sin offering was for the inadvertent sins of …
1) The Priest (vs. 1-12)
2) The Nation (vs. 13-21)
3) The Ruler (vs. 22-26)
4) The Common Man (vs. 22-26)
God provided a means of forgiveness to every class of people represented in the nation of Israel. The blood of Jesus Christ provides a once and forever sacrifice for all classes of people today.
1) A great deal of stress is placed upon the inadvertent sins of those in leadership positions. Why do you think that is? How would this compare to leadership positions in the local church today?
2) According to scripture, what would constitute an inadvertent sin?
3) In what ways would the inadvertent sins of a leader affect the local congregation? Community?
4) In the rite of the sin offering we find a beautiful picture of Christ who became sin and suffered outside the gate. How might a Christian be considered as “suffering” for Christ?
Lunsford, J. (2006). Leviticus 101 (p. 42). Reformation Publishers.
THE SIN-OFFERING
christ our substitute
Leviticus 4:1–12
Sin, the sinner, and the sin-offering are all vividly before us in this chapter. Ruin and remedy might be written over it. “If a priest that is anointed do sin.” Yes, it is possible even for an anointedone to sin, but, blessed be God, provision is made for such (1 John 2:1). But when religious teachers sin, it is like the going wrong of the town clock. Others are apt to be led astray by their example. As Trapp says, “The sins of teachers are teachers of sin.” The way of life is a revelation from God. A ladder let down from Heaven. So this sin-offering may be mentioned here, because it is the lowest step of the ladder, and the first with which we as sinners have to do. Like every other sacrifice—
1. It must be blameless (v. 3). The smallest physical deformity unfitted the ox or the lamb for the altar. The Lord Jesus was perfectly blameless in the eyes of the heart-searching God. In all His close and continuous contact with men and earthly things He remained untainted by the corruptions of lust and of the world. He could touch the unclean and yet be untouched with uncleanness. He was holy, harmless, separate from sinners.
2. There had to be imputation and identification (v. 4). The offerer laid his hand on the head of the offering, identifying himself with the sins imputed to the sacrifice, and also with the sacrifice itself. The laying of our sins on Jesus is not our act, but Jehovah’s. “He laid on Him the iniquity of us all. It pleased Jehovah to bruise Him.” We confessour sins on Him, and by faith lay our hand of appropriation upon Him. He gave Himself for us.
3. The life must be taken. “Kill the bullock before the Lord” (v. 4). The death of the offering had to do with Jehovah. The death of Christ was not an accident, neither was it only an example to us of patience in suffering. It was a death demanded by God. So His life was offered to God as a substitute for others. He died before the Lord. He offered Himself without spot untoGod.
4. The fat was burnt on the altar (vs. 8–10). This fat was a sweet savour unto the Lord (v. 31). The fat is frequently referred to, and occupies a prominent place in connection with the sin-offering. It may represent the riches and preciousness of Christ as God sees it all yielded up as an offering to Him on the altarof the Cross, well pleasing.
5. The body was carried outside. The whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp and bum him (v. 12). Human reason of itself would never have suggested a change of procedure like this. Why should this offering be burnt outside the camp, and not on the altar like the others? Because it is typical of Him who was made a cursefor us, and who suffered without the gate (Heb. 13:11, 12), and from whom the Father’s face for a season had to be turned away (Matt. 27:46). God cannot look upon sin, but He looks with compassion on the sinner.
6. The blood must be sprinkled. “The priest shall sprinkle of the blood seven times before the Lord” (v. 6). The orderin which the blood was sprinkled is sublimely beautiful, and perfectly consistent with the way of salvation as taught in the New Testament. It was sprinkled—(1) Before the Lord. (2) Before the vail. (3) On the altar of incense. (4) Then all that was left was poured out at the bottom of the altar of burnt-offering. The priest sprinkled the blood on his way out, not as he was going in on this instance, teaching us that the way has been made from God out to sinful men. Salvation is of the Lord. But on our approach to God we meet the poured out blood, first of all at the altar, which maketh atonement for the soul. Typical of Him who poured out His soul unto death on the Cross of Calvary—
1. At the Altar of Sacrifice we have atonement.
2. At the Altar of Incense we have intercession.
3. The blood before the vail speaks of access.
4. The blood sprinkled seven times before the Lord indicates a perfect standing in His presence. Thus we have boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus. Let us draw near (Heb. 10:19–22).
7. The blessed results. The acceptance by God of the blood of the sin-offering brings within the reach of every believer—
1. The forgiveness of sin. As concerning his sin, it shall be forgiven him (v. 26). Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin (Rom. 4:7, 8). It is a blood-bought pardon.
2. The assurance of this forgiveness. “It shall.” This is the promise of Him who knows the full value of the Blood of His own beloved Son. We are saved by His Blood, and assured by His Word. In the blood-shedding and blood-sprinkling of God’s own Son there is provision made for the sins of ignorance (v. 2), as well as for the sins that come to our knowledge (v. 28). “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.”[1]
[1]Smith, J., & Lee, R. (1971). Handfuls on Purpose for Christian Workers and Bible Students, Series I–XIII(five-volume edition, Vol. 3, pp. 15–18). Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.