Leviticus 4

Leviticus 4
by Pastor David Groendyk

 

This next type of sacrifice is called the “sin offering”, sometimes referred to as the “purification offering”. The first thing to notice in this chapter is the way that it talks about sin. The sin offering is provided for those who sin “unintentionally” (vv. 2, 13, 22, 27). We can sin without realizing it! That may come as a surprise to some of you, but, given the testimony of Scripture, it shouldn’t. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Humanity is affected by sin to its very core. Sin is everyone’s natural tendency. Even if we don’t know the law, when we break it, it’s still sin. Ignorance is no excuse. Moreover, notice that it’s not just an individual person’s sin that this chapter discusses. The whole of the congregation together is able to sin unintentionally (v. 13). Sin is not limited to something that just an individual does. An entire community can be deceived and blinded without realizing it and need the forgiveness of God.

All of this adds up to the conclusion that we far guiltier than we think. Have you ever considered the fact that you can sin without thinking about it? Doesn’t that terrify you just a little bit? Even in the times when we feel like we have lived pretty holy lives, we need to be careful about deceiving ourselves into thinking that we’re all good. Our thoughts, desires, and instincts will naturally be sinful, and we will sometimes (more like “often”) miss it. How can we constantly be on guard against our sinful instincts, thoughts, and desires?

The good news is that God has provided a way to be forgiven even for those sins that we don’t realize. The symbolism of the sin offering is that by the blood of the sacrifice it makes clean the things that are unclean. This is why we see the blood being sprinkled all over the place (vv. 6, 17, 25, 30, 34). The blood of the sacrifice cleanses sinners from their impurity. In all of these different versions of the sin offering, notice the concluding remarks: “The priest shall make atonement for him for his sin, and he shall be forgiven” (vv. 26, 31, 35). It’s true that we are all much bigger sinners than we thought, but that should make God’s grace shine even more brightly. Grace is so much better than we thought! Especially if you are someone who tends to be “overwhelmed by excessive sorrow” because of your sin (2 Cor. 7), this chapter should be of great comfort to you. You should have assurance in the cleansing and purifying work of Christ’s sacrifice. You are no longer filthy, unclean, undeserving to come before God. The blood of Christ is perfectly effectual, far more than the blood of mere bulls and goats (Heb. 9:13–14).