The Sin Offering (Leviticus 4)

What kinds of sin do we all commit that are unintentional? Why is the sacrifice for a priest and the whole congregation’s sins greater than a community leader and an individual common person’s sins? Why are these last two offerings mandatory and not voluntary like the first three? Let’s begin with the forgiveness of unintentional sin in Leviticus 4.

A Priest’s Sin

What if a priest sins unintentionally by doing what is forbidden?

The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands—If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the Lord a young bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed. He is to present the bull at the entrance to the tent of meeting before the Lord. He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it there before the Lord.’” (Leviticus 4:1-4 NIV)

Where was the priest to sprinkle the bull’s blood and pour what was left?

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. 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. (Leviticus 4:5-7 NKJV)

What was the priest to do with the fat of the bull? What are some examples where a priest could sin?

Then the priest must remove all the fat of the bull to be offered as a sin offering. This includes all the fat around the internal organs, the two kidneys and the fat around them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver. He must remove these along with the kidneys, just as he does with cattle offered as a peace offering, and burn them on the altar of burnt offerings. But he must take whatever is left of the bull—its hide, meat, head, legs, internal organs, and dung— and carry it away to a place outside the camp that is ceremonially clean, the place where the ashes are dumped. There, on the ash heap, he will burn it on a wood fire. (Leviticus 4:8-12 NLT)

The Congregation’s Sin

What if the whole congregation sins unintentionally by doing what is forbidden?

If the whole congregation of Israel sins, and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and are guilty; when the sin in which they have sinned is known, then the assembly shall offer a young bull for a sin offering, and bring it before the Tent of Meeting. The elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before Yahweh; and the bull shall be killed before Yahweh. The anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the bull to the Tent of Meeting. (Leviticus 4:13-16 WEB)

Where was the priest to sprinkle the bull’s blood and pour what was left?

The priest will dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord toward the inner curtain. Then he will put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before the Lord in the meeting tent. But he will pour all the rest of the blood out at the base of the altar of entirely burned offerings that is at the meeting tent’s entrance. (Leviticus 4:17-18 CEB)

What was the priest to do with the fat of the bull? What are some examples where a whole nation could sin?

After this, the priest will remove the fat from the bull and send it up in smoke on the altar. Finally, he will burn its remains outside the camp, just as he did with the other bull. By this sacrifice the sin of the whole nation will be forgiven. (Leviticus 4:19-21 CEV)

A Leader’s Sin

What if a community leader sins unintentionally by doing what is forbidden?

When a leader sins, doing unintentionally any one of all the things that by the commandments of the Lord his God ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt, or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering a goat, a male without blemish, and shall lay his hand on the head of the goat and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the Lord; it is a sin offering. (Leviticus 4:22-24 ESV)