The Sin-Offering; Or, God Just and Justifier
Lady Beaujolois Dent Leviticus 4:2-35 Speak to the children of Israel, saying… The most awful and terrible aspect of Jesus' death is presented in this type. In the burnt-offering He is seen as the "Delight" of the Father (Proverbs 8:30), the One in whom He is "well pleased" (Matthew 17:5), in the peace-offering we behold Him as the blessed Peacemaker (Matthew 5:9; Colossians 1:20). But in — I. THE SIN-OFFERING we are shown the heinousness, the awful nature of sin, that called for such a sacrifice. Atonement is its chief feature. The Blessed One "knew no sin," yet He hung upon the Cross as "an offering for sin" (Isaiah 53:10), the sin-bearer, the personation of that "abominable thing" that God hates (Jeremiah 44:4). Studying the details of sin-offering, we read — II. "IF A SOUL...SIN THROUGH IGNORANCE." All are sinners by nature (Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12), and ever prone to sin, by reason of the root of evil that dwells within. This root it is that is specially met in sin-offering (Romans 8:3; Hebrews 9:26), the sinful nature, more perhaps than the actions that spring therefrom, though these are included; but till God opens our eyes to see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and how the smallest sin separates from Him, and endangers our eternal safety, we are — so to speak — sinning ignorantly. Still, no sin — even when done in ignorance — can be passed over or forgiven by a holy God "without shedding of blood"; hence God, in His grace and mercy, has provided a complete, a perfect atonement, in the "precious blood" shed (Hebrews 9:22, 28; Hebrews 10:12; 1 Peter 1:19). Even after being "made nigh," how prone are we to sin! But see Psalm 37:24; Proverbs 24:16. To sin "through ignorance" signifies, not only through actual want of knowledge, but through weakness — failing to lay hold of the "power" to keep (1 Peter 1:5) — unintentionally offending, and not realising at the time the guilt; for, in truth, who can fully realise what is sin in the sight of a holy God? But He foresaw all, and provided a perfect Sacrifice sufficient to meet it all, whether the sin be committed by "anointed priest," "whole congregation," a "ruler," or "one of the common people." The variation in the offerings teaches how sin becomes deeper, according to the position or privileges of the sinning one. The more prominent were these, the greater the harm done by evil example. III. THE LAYING OF HANDS on the victim's head teaches much. 1. Sense of sin, and need of pardon (Psalm 51:4; Luke 18:13; 1 Timothy 1:15). "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23); hence I need a substitutionary sacrifice. "Who shall deliver me?" (Romans 7:24). 2. Transmission of guilt; truth of deepest importance. "The Lord hath laid..." (Isaiah 53:6). "Christ... suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust," &c. (1 Peter 3:18). The holy Jesus received "the wages of sin." "He put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself"; He overcame "through death" (Hebrews 2:14) the one who had introduced it into the world; and thus the Just One could — without the smallest sacrifice of His justice — exercise His prerogative of mercy, and be "the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Romans 3:24-26). 3. Faith in God's acceptance of a substitutionary sacrifice (Romans 4:25; Romans 5:1, 9). The offering was slain for the offerer; it was laden typically with his sins, as was the holy Jesus actually when He was "made a curse for us" (Galatians 3:10-13). As we meditate on these things we cannot wonder at another feature of the sin-offering. IV. NOT VOLUNTARY. There is nothing in this type — as in others — to show willingness on the part of the Holy One, and our Lord's words in Gethsemane plainly show how He shrank from being "made sin" — that hateful thing which would separate Him from His God and Father. Hence the prayer thrice repeated, with increasing earnestness (Matthew 26:39-44; Luke 22:42-45): which contrast with the willingness displayed in the words (Psalm 40:7, 8, with Hebrews 10.). V. THE ANIMALS sacrificed as sin-offerings varied (Leviticus 4:3, 14, 23, 28, 32), according to whether it was for the "priest," "whole congregation," "ruler," or "one of the common people." Also, as before observed, no one type could ever suffice to depict the glorious Antitype; therefore no doubt some different characteristic or aspect of the Blessed One, in His passion, is set forth in each of the animals sacrificed. (Lady Beaujolois Dent). Parallel Verses KJV: Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them: WEB: "Speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'If anyone sins unintentionally, in any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and does any one of them: