READ LEVITICUS 4
Leviticus 4 discusses the responsibilities of the priest, the Israelites, a leader, and any member of the community when they commit a sin and need to make a sin offering. Moses was instructed by God in the tent of meeting regarding the offerings mentioned in Leviticus because only priests were permitted to enter the most sacred areas of the temple to offer a sacrifice during the Old Covenant. At that time, priests, also known as Levites, were able to enter the temple to make a sacrifice because God was separated from humanity due to sin. The sin originated from the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when they ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Understanding the root of our sin clarifies the laws that God gave Moses for the animal sacrifices, including the sin offering.
The first twelve verses of Leviticus 4 detail how a priest is to present an animal sacrifice as a sin offering before God. Priests also performed a separate cleansing ritual for their sins, highlighting the significant role of sacrifices in the temple. The Levitical priests held great accountability before the Lord and were judged by a stricter standard. The subsequent portion of the chapter addresses the "whole Israelite community." Their instructions for the sin offering were similar to those of a priest, but involved more participants in the sacrifice.
Both the priest and Israelites used a bull for their sin offerings, with the "anointed priest" overseeing the application of the bull's blood in both cases. The remaining section of Leviticus 4 elaborates on the procedures for a leader and any member of the community. For their sins, a goat was now used as the atonement. A male goat was designated for a leader's sin, while a female goat was prescribed for a person in the Israelite community. The distinction between the animals was not the key focus of this chapter; rather, it emphasized the atonement of sin for every individual through the blood of an animal. Every offering served as a foreshadowing of the goodness that was to come. What do you believe this goodness to be? Reflect closely on verse 3 and consider what the "young bull" symbolizes.
Viewing this passage through the lens of the Gospel, the "young bull" represents Jesus. Jesus is the awaited Savior of Israel, as He abolished the law and offered every sinner the opportunity for eternal life in Him by believing in His sacrificial death on the cross and resurrection. We receive the same gift of salvation by believing in Jesus' death and resurrection. The Levites and Israelites in Leviticus 4 lived many centuries before Jesus' arrival, and thus their only means of sanctification and salvation at the time was through animal sacrifices. When Jesus came to redeem both Jew and Gentile from their sins, He came as the perfect, holy, and sinless sacrifice. An animal sacrifice could never equate to the righteousness demonstrated by Jesus during His time on earth leading up to His crucifixion and resurrection.
In Leviticus 4, the sin offering offered temporary forgiveness for sins, but it was not until Jesus came that sins could be completely and eternally forgiven. The priest acted as the mediator between God and an Israelite in this account. This mediation was a result of the sin that originated in the Garden of Eden, as a sinless God could not coexist with sinful humanity. Leviticus 4 points towards the arrival of Jesus as the world's Savior who reconciled the Israelites to God without the need for a priest. The sin offering depicted in this passage illustrates the forgiveness extended by God to us and offers hope for the eternal salvation we have in Jesus as believers. Our eternal hope in Jesus is depicted in Leviticus 4 through Jesus serving as the mediator between our sin and a perfect God, inviting us to dwell in Heaven with Him for eternity.
QUESTIONS
1. How do you characterize the impact of Jesus on your life based on his presence in it?
2. Do you have faith that Jesus sacrificed Himself for your sins by dying on the cross and being resurrected?
3. If your response to the previous question was yes, how are you embracing a life liberated from the constraints of the law and enriched with the eternal life granted by Jesus? If not, what obstacles are preventing you from accepting and pursuing a relationship with Jesus?