Sin Offering

Reading Portion

Lev. ch. 4

Lesson Content

1. The sin offering spea ks of Christ Who knew no sin becoming a sin offering for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (II Cor.5:21). This righteousness of God is the quality of knowing no sin.

2. After receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the children of God, do not commit sin wilfully. There is no remedy for such sins (Heb.10:26,27). The sin offering is offered to atone for the sins of the children of God, which they have committed in ignorance and the sins prevailing in the thought realm (Col.3:5) and in their habits (Rom.8:13).

3. The objects of sacrifice:

(i) If a priest commits sin, he must bring a young bullock without blemish (Lev.4:3). (ii) If the congregation commits sin also, a young bullock must be brought (Lev.4:13,14). (iii) If a ruler commits sin, he must bring a kid of the goats, a male without blemish (Lev.4:22,23). (iv) If any one of the common people commits sin, he must bring a kid of the goats, a female without blemish (Lev.4:27,28).

4. By the objects of the sacrifice which the y bring we can gather that the sin of the priest is equal to the sin of the whole congregation.

5. Three places in the tabernacle are defiled by the sin of the priest and the people of the congregation (Lev.4:6,7,17,18): (i) The veil (ii) the incense altar (iii) the brazen altar.

(i) The veil: This signifies the body of Christ. When a priest or people of the congregation commit sin, the church is profaned. The blood of the bullock is sprinkled seven times before the veil (Lev.4:17). The church must be sanctified by the blood till it is brought to the perfect standard of holiness (Heb.10:19,20). (ii) The incense altar: The incense altar speaks of a grateful heart and of the experience of pouring one’s life out in prayer. A grateful heart and a life of prayer are lost in the church due to the sin of one man. The horns of the altar show the ‘strength’ we receive through such a life of gratefulness and prayer. The blood being put on the horns of the altar (Lev.4:7), shows the power of the church being restored by sanctification. (iii) The brazen altar: The offering up of the Gentiles (Church) which is to be made acceptable being sanctified by the Holy Ghost is defiled through the sin of a Spirit-baptized person. Even as all the blood of the animal is poured o ut at the bottom of the altar and is spent (Lev.4:18), saints who bear the iniquity, have to spend all their blood, if the Church is to be restored to its former state.

6. The parts which must be burnt in the bullock — similar to the inner parts which are burnt in the peace offering (Lev.4:8-10).

(i) the fat that covereth the inwards, (ii) the fat that is upon it, (iii) two kidneys, (iv) the fat that is upon them, by the flanks,

(v) the caul above the liver, with the kidneys. The inner parts and the body of the bullock are burnt to show that the spirit, soul and body must be delivered from sin. The body of the bullock, its skin and all the remaining parts, being burnt outside the camp (Lev.4:11,12), speaks of experiencing reproaches and sufferings with Christ (Heb.13:12,13).

7. The offering is most holy (Lev.6:17).