The Sin Offering

“Speak to the children of Israel, saying: “If a person sins unintentionally against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything which ought not to be done, and does any of them, if the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer to the LORD for his sin which he has sinned a young bull without blemish as a sin offering” (Lev.4:2-3).

“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1Jn.2:1-2).

Note how the LORD is speaking to His children here and note the progress of the truth of salvation as we have proceeded through the offerings all to the end that, “we sin not.” Now we see sin is dealt with to the uttermost. This offering was mandatory and was offered by one who had sinned unintentionally or was for some reason unclean. The purpose of the offering was in order to regain purification, to atone for specific transgressions committed where no restitution was possible, “Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults” (Ps.19:12). These were not sins of omission, they were acts committed by a person who did not suppose at the time that his deliberate action was sin due to spiritual ignorance and blindness, but the LORD/Jehovah has instituted a sacrifice for those who have thus sinned. The sin offering made reparation (paid the debt in full) for the worshipper’s unintentional sins, weaknesses, failures, and uncleanness before the Lord. Unintentional sins could happen at any time and therefore the priests worked closely as mediators with God and His people. They were there to instruct the people as they sought the Lord. In case any sins were not brought before the Lord there were offerings for the nation and for the high priest which covered them all in a collective way. On the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) the high priest sprinkled blood on the mercy seat for his own sins and the sins of the nation. In this case, it is the high priest who has sinned, only he was anointed. He may have sinned in the course of executing his ministry in the tabernacle and thus brought sin upon the people, “causing the people to sin.” The continuing personal holiness of the high priest is provided for in this sacrifice of atonement by the imputation of sin to another in the form of a costly bullock, “Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and bring it to the tabernacle of meeting. The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the Lord, in front of the veil of the sanctuary” (4:5-6). The “seven times” intimates a perfect and complete action in dealing with sin. The blood is to be displayed before the vail, possibly sprinkled on the vail. The sprinkling of Christ’s blood would eventually rend the vail giving access to God’s presence, through the blood drenched flesh of Jesus, through His torn body sin is finally destroyed. The high priest now approached the altar of incense, “And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of meeting; and he shall pour the remaining blood of the bull at the base of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of meeting” (4:7). The alar had four horns, one on each corner and they were each shaped like a pyramid, they are first seen on the brazen altar at the entry to the tabernacle and they prevented large animals from slipping off the altar, we read, “Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar” (Ps.118:27). Jesus similarly was bound to the cross with nails. Coals from off the altar were taken to the altar of incense to enable the incense to burn and produce its aroma. The sprinkling of blood on the 4 horns of the altar links the altar with the sacrifice of Jesus, pointing to the fragrance of His sacrifice before God. The horns symbolise the strength and power of God and the incense the praise of His people rising to God, praising Him for His strong and complete victory over sin’s guilt and stain. The high priest now returns from out of the holy place to the brazen altar of sacrifice and there he pours out all the remaining blood at the foot of the altar. Thus, we see the tabernacle, the vail and the two altars bear testimony to a full atonement having been made for all sins.