Leviticus 4-5:13; 6:24-30 How to deal with Sin

Introduction

To this point we have been speaking mainly of voluntary offerings. The burnt offering which provided atonement for sin and was the main offering, then there was the grain offering and the fellowship offering. All three of these were covered in chapters 1-3. They provided the means for fellowship with God. The mantra: God is holy, we are not holy and deserve to die, but God has provided a means for Him to dwell in our midst. That is what the first three offerings were all about. The next two offerings: sin offering and guilt offerings are not voluntary, but mandatory to be offered when you become aware of your sin or trespass against God or your neighbor. The former, which we will look at today, is sin primarily against God. The latter is sin against your neighbor in which you would most likely require restitution of some sort.

One other note as we begin is to know that these deal with unintentional sins, not intentional. There is no offering for intentional sins. The word for ‘sins through ignorance’ is a word that means to stray or to make an error, not knowing that something was sinful. For example, you might be caught speeding but did not see the posted speed limit. You will probably still get the ticket. Or you know the law but didn’t intend to violate the law. As in killing someone accidently, as in . These would include sins of commission and omission, but they are unintentional.

Unintentional sins are different than high-handed ones. this is born out of unbelief and outright rejection of God. Thus, there is never atonement made for unbelief. That is the sin unto death, or the unforgivable sin. In fact, the person whose sin is intentional wouldn’t think of bringing a sin offering because they would not think they have sinned against God. Case in point, pharisees who thought themselves righteous, but whose sins were egregiously against God.

sin-chatah-miss the goal or way, miss the mark, In archery, or slinging of stones the idea is to not miss the target, , but in it refers to someone who is hasty and misses his turn, his way. It can refer to breach of civil law, . In other words, this is the idea of someone who fails to keep the law. Someone who fails to tell the truth in a court, as in 5:1 has missed the mark. The mark of course being telling the truth.

So we are talking about unintentionally missing the mark that God has set down for His people to follow. To know the law and intentionally cross the line is the kind of sin there is no forgiveness for. That is like the unbelief of the pharisees or anyone who rejects God’s law. Examples of this in the NT would be the rich ruler who came to Jesus and went away sad, in ; or Johns discussion in ,

As we read the introduction I want you to notice the implications: 1. We have a sin problem 2. god knows it and 3. He has provided a means of dealing with our sin. It is a universal problem, not simply an issue of class of persons.

In God’s mercy and grace He is sharing with us how to become pure, cleansed again after we sin. This is the OT counterpart to the NT .

Four classes of people who sin. All have to deal with their sin in the same way, though there are some differences in sacrifice, the principle is the same, there must be acknowledgment/confession, death of a sacrifice, blood and only then is their atonement and forgiveness.

I. The four classes,

a. High Priest - even someone who is to be holy as the high priest is susceptible to sin. AS a leader his sin is more serious as is any leaders sin, because of the high degree of influence he or she would have on those following him.

bring a perfect bull, laying on of hands, kill the bull at the door of the tabernacle,

blood ritual-with finger dip in blood and sprinkle 7x on the vail of the sanctuary. blood put on horns of altar of incense, there rest is poured out at altar of burnt offering

fat- offered on the altar of burnt offering

carcase- burned outside the camp in the designated clean place where the ashes are poured out.

It is burned outside the camp because the sin made the offer unclean, and to offer the offering inside the camp would defile the camp and tabernacle.

b. Whole congregation,

the assembly offers a bull,

the elders lay their hands on the bull, v.15,

the high priest takes the blood sprinkles it 7x before the veil, some on the horns of the altar of incense, v.18

the rest poured at the base of the altar of burnt offering

The fat burned on the altar of burnt offering,

then the carcase burned outside the camp on ash heap.

This makes atonement and sins are forgiven. v.20

the idea of burning outside the camp shows the concept of defiling the camp with sin. It had to be burned outside in order that the whole camp not be defiled. It also reminded that the sins of the High Priest and teh whole congregation had defiled the whole camp. The sin offering was too holy to be burned in an unholy camp.

c.a leader, v.22-26

This offering is a goat, offering similar but not the same

offerer lays his hands on the goat and kills it.

the priest puts blood on the altar of burnt offering horns, then pours it out at the base of the altar,

the fat is burned on the altar, like peace offerings.

This is atonement and forgiveness. v.26

The differences pertain to the blood, and the burning of the carcase

d.common people, v.27-35

-a goat, offered same as for a leader, with one exception, this offering is a pleasing aroma to the Lord,

making atonement and forgiving of sins, v.31

-a lamb, must be female, slain and offered in similar fashion. With this proviso-the fat shall be burned on top of the Lord’s food offerings.

this makes atonement and sins forgiven. v.35

So you see the main emphasis is on the fact that this sin offering makes atonement for the offender, and he/she is forgiven.

This is the principle. God knows we have a sin issue despite the fact that we are in Him. That is we may be true believers and yet miss out on communion with Him because of our sin. He has graciously made provision for His people in this case.

The question is How would someone who sins unintentionally become aware of their sin?

-The nation might experience defeat in battle, as in the case of Joshua and Achan’s sin.

-They might experience crop failure and wonder why and then have it disclosed that nation had sinned.

-An individual might suffer some guilty consequences, like some nagging feeling in the inner man.

As for me, when I feel down or discouraged I begin to think what have I been doing, or thinking, or said. I begin to pray about this and usually, the Lord brings something to mind that when I confess it and deal with it properly the feeling goes away.

So then the true believer when confronted with their sin will be quick to confess, repent of it and seek to put it away from them. This is the , dynamic.

So we have the universal nature of sin and what to do about it.

II. More specific kinds of sins, 5:1-13

So we see several types of sin one might be guilty of and what to do about it.

THe sin list is v.1-4

failure to tell the truth at a hearing,

touching unclean thing

touching human uncleanness

making a rash oath,

then the response of repentance, confession and particular offering from v.5-13.

So the High priest and congregation had to bring a bull for their sin

the leader and regular citizen could bring a flock animal, either a goat or lamb (male for the leader, female for a citizen). We also note that if a person could not afford a lamb they could bring 2 turtledoves or 2 pigeons for their sin and burnt offering (5:7) or an offering of flour for a really poor person (5:11ff). The point is that anyone who sins, no matter who was to bring a sin offering in order to be cleansed from that sin and forgiven.

One other note The national sin offering was required on each day of all the annual festivals, but not with the daily, weekly or monthly burnt offerings.

The emphasis is definitely on the atonement and forgiveness granted the sinner who repents and confesses and makes the offering. v.6, 10, 13. For 7x in this section of sin offering the promise of atonement and forgiveness is made to those who bring their sin offering upon recognition of their sin.

Conclusion

Here is the point: only those who recognize they are sinners and repent receive forgiveness of sin. The man picking up sticks on the Sabbath in didn’t. The man with Jesus in didn’t see himself as a sinner and thus never recognized and believed in Jesus.

However, the man on the cross with Jesus did see himself as a sinner and believed. The 11 disciples did, Anyone who comes to Christ must first recognize their sinfulness and are deserving of death. Only then do they see faith in Jesus as good news.

These sin offerings emphasize that Christ’s death on the cross was completely satisfactory to atone for the sins of the offerer and result in forgiveness of sins, “In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace.

Hebrews 1:3 AV

Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Jesus is our sin offering who also died outside the camp.

“We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. 12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. 13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.”

let us then give thanks to the Lord for the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf. Let us then delight in obeying Him in communing with Him everyday.

Jesus was our sin offfering who also died outside the camp,

Let us warn and help others to see God is holy, they are not and are deserving of death, but God has provided a Lamb for us. Jesus Christ is really good news.