Sacrifices For The Sins of The Nation
December 3, 2020
Commentary
IV. THE SIN OFFERING – Chapter 4 The Lord told Moses to offer a sacrifice, asking for forgiveness when you sin by accidentally doing something I have told you not to do (vv. 1-2). When the high priest sins, he makes everyone else guilty (v.3). He must sacrifice a young bull that is perfect (v. 4). The priest will lead the bull to the entrance of the sacred tent, lay his hand on its head, and kill it there (v. 5). He will take a bowl of the blood inside the tent (v. 6), and sprinkle some of it seven times on the sacred chest behind the curtain (v. 7). Then he will put blood on the four corners of the incense altar, before pouring out the rest at the foot of the bronze altar. The priest will remove the fat from the bull. This includes the lower part of the liver and the two kidneys. He will then send it all up in smoke (vv. 8-10). The skin and flesh of the bull, together with its legs, insides, and the food still in its stomach, are to be taken outside the camp and burned on a wood fire near the ash heap (vv.11-12).
The Lord said: When the nation of Israel disobeys me without meaning to, the whole nation is still guilty (v. 13). Once you realize what has happened, you must sacrifice a young bull to ask my forgiveness (v. 14).
The nation must go through the same procedure as the high priest did when he sinned and the priest will respond in the same way (vv. 15-21). By this sacrifice the sin of the whole nation will be forgiven.
Application
I need to be sharing wherever I can how Jesus Christ became the ultimate sacrifice for our sin.
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.
Illustration: An Old Preacher Was Dying
An old preacher was dying. He sent a message for his Doctor and his Lawyer, both church members, to come to his home. When they arrived, they were ushered up to his bedroom. As they entered the room, the preacher held out his hands and motioned for them to sit on each side of the bed. The preacher grasped their hands, sighed contentedly, smiled and stared at the ceiling. For a time, no one said anything. Both the doctor and lawyer were touched and flattered that the old preacher would ask them to be with him during his final moment. They were also puzzled; the preacher had never given them any indication that he particularly liked either of them. They both remembered his many long, uncomfortable sermons about greed, covetousness and their sinful behavior that made them squirm in their seats. Finally the doctor said, “Preacher, why did you ask the two of us to come?” The old preacher mustered up some strength , then said weakly, “Jesus died between two thieves and that’s how I want to go too”. (Guy McGraw – Sermon Central)