What is a Sin/Guilt Offering For?

Title: What is a Sin/Guilt Offering For?

Reference: Leviticus 4-7

Series: Life in the Presence of God

Introduction:

How do God’s people, who are still sinners, worship God despite their sin? How do they temporarily deal with a conscience of guilt when they’ve done something over which they cannot get past? Sin has to be dealt with, but how? A guilty conscience over sin has to be dealt with, but how? That is what Leviticus 4-7 is going to help us answer. 

Sin is like a weight, but not just any kind of weight, it is a weight that sometimes we don’t realize we have.

There are two stories that can help illustrate the point. In John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. The man Christian is in a conversation with the Interpreter, during which Christian speaks of a dream and says, “Now I saw in my dream, that the highway up which Christian was to go, was fenced on either side with a wall, and that wall was called Salvation. [Isa. 26:1] Up this way, therefore, did burdened Christian run, but not without great difficulty, because of the load on his back.”[1] Some of you feel the weight of sin like Christian describes. It is heavy.

Others are like this second story of Frodo in The Fellowship of the Rings. Frodo has this powerful ring that he must get from where he lives in the Shire to Mount Doom in Mordor. On his journey, they stop in the country of Rivendelle, where the Elrond the lord of that country makes this statement, “But it [the ring] is a heavy burden, so heavy that none could lay it on another.”

By this, Elrond is not saying that the ring is physically heavy but that there is a moral weight to the task that Frodo has.

The ring was powerful, but it was very dangerous.

App: Sin is more like the ring today. It is easy to overlook. It doesn’t appear to be very heavy, but it is powerful and it is dangerous. Some people feel the weight of it in their conscience. Others are oblivious to it, but it must be dealt with. How?  

The longer we hold on to it the worse it is for us, and the worse it is for those around us.

Body:

I. What is the sin/trespass offering?

The sin & guilt offerings were sacrifices offered for offenses against the holy LORD.

a. The sin/guilt offerings were for everyone regardless of office/Status. (Leviticus 4:3-35, 5:7-13)

i. Anointed Priest (v. 3-12)

Example: Golden Calf Exodus 32.

Aaron = New Adam NOT Pastors today.

App: Your present decisions have future and “others” implications.

ii.    Congregation Collectively (v. 13 – 21)

This is an unintentional sin.

Example in OT of this would be a generation of people who did not observe the Passover every year (II Chronicles 34 - Josiah)

iii.    Leader (v. 22-26)

They are leading according to what they believe is right, but then they realize that they were wrong.

App: Unintentional wrong is called sin. Call it what it is.

App: People who do not know the Word of God are more prone to be offended by matters that are not sinful.

iv.    Individuals (v. 27-35)

b. The sin/guilt offerings were for the ignorant and wayward

Hebrews 5:2 “He can deal gently with the ignorant and [on them that are out of the way] wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness [infirmity].”

i. Ignorant (4:2, 22, 27, 5:14-15)

Sin of Omission. Things you know you should do but you do not.

Example: Leviticus 5:1   

ii. Unintentional (5:17)

Sin of Commission

Example: If you visit another country and drive on the wrong side of the road, you are still guilty regardless of intention.    

c. The sin/guilt offerings included the whole worshipper (5:1-6)

i. Knowledge (head)

ii. Guilt (conscience)

iii. Confession (mouth)

iv. Compensation (body)

App: Dealing with sin requires the heart and body. You must know, and you must do.

d. The sin/guilt offerings were for particular offenses. (6:1-5)

i. Sins against brethren w/tongue

ii. Sins of using brethren for personal advancement

App: Honest tongue and honest gain

Summary (answer):

The sin & guilt offerings were sacrifices offered for sins committed by anyone or everyone against the holy LORD.     

II. What is the purpose of the sin and trespass offerings?

a. The sacrifice led forgiveness before the Lord. (4:20, 26, 31, 35, 5:10, 16, 5:18

i. Atonement towards Forgiveness

ii. Trespass [guilt] requires Forgiveness. (5:2-3, 6)

It means restitution or compensation.

Worshipper is in debt to Yahweh.

It is a weight the worshipper has to get rid of.

Ill: Ring Bearer – [Bilbo having to leave the ring for Frodo] The longer I have it the worse it is for me and for humanity.

App: The longer you hold the SIN; the worse it is for you and for those around you. [i.e. drunkenness; pornography; unbridled thought-life; unbridled pursuits of pleasure; love of money…etc.]

b. The sacrifice was designed to show forth the grace of the LORD (two-fold).

i. The gift of the Blood (Leviticus 4:5-7; 4:25; 7:1-2)  

Michael Morales says that if the killing of the animal represents death, the blood represents life. Thus, when the blood is taken in before the Lord on behalf of the worshipper saying, “My life is yours”. Thus, the blood represents life.

Secondly, the blood represents the consecrating work of washing or cleansing. Only life can cleanses the stain of death.

The Blood is provided to the Worshippers by the Lord. Leviticus 17:11.

App: I Peter 1:18-19 “18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”  

ii. The gift of forgiveness (Leviticus 4:20, 4:26, 5:10, 5:18)

Forgiveness means pardon, to be indulgent towards. Textually: a release of debt.

Not priestly rite

Passive verb = gift from God.

The work of the worshipper did not earn forgiveness. God forgives because He is faithful and just.

Ill: DVD Camcorder Stolen - hypothetically, someone returns the strap. Forgiveness is a gracious activity.  

Summary (answer):

The purpose of the sin/trespass offering was so that a person could be forgiven by grace through faith.

III. What must I believe/do because of the sin and trespass offerings?

a. Do something about your sin.

i. If you’ve not received Jesus, begin there.

ii. If you have received Jesus, kill sin! By God’s grace discipline yourselves against sin!

Worship by declaring war on particular sins:

Sins of omission relating to our brethren.

i. We should keep our word

ii. We should be willing to commit to the good of our brethren

Sins of Commission: Unjust gain through deception.

Ex: Corporate workers

Worship by taking conscience-comfort in our sinless High Priest Jesus. Hebrews 4:15.

Worship by mixing acknowledgement of sin with confession and action. Ephesians 4.

Worship the LORD by offering the kind of forgiveness to others that has been extended to you. Ephesians 4:32.     

Summary:

Because of the sacrifice of  Jesus’ our High Priest, we can and must live lives of confession of sin and obedience.

 Ill: The Greater Frodo