Leviticus 4 – Sin is serious and must be seriously dealt with

Leviticus 4 contains instructions on making an offering for sin that a person had committed. This whole chapter talks about how sin committed ought to be dealt with. Verses 3-12 deal with the sin committed by the high priest; verses 13-21 deal with sin offering for the community; verses 22-26 deal with the sin committed by the leader; and verses 27-35, the sin committed by any individual of the community. God is no respecter of man, whether one is a religious leader, a governmental leader or just an ordinary member of community, sin is sin and had to be atoned for.  So, the God of the community would call everyone from the priest to the ordinary member of His community into accounting for the sin he or she had committed.

This offering would be better referred to as a purification offering rather than sin offering. Why? It’s because Leviticus 8:15 prescribes this offering to be made in consecrating a newly constructed altar. Then again in Leviticus 12:6-8. God required this offering be made after a woman's childbirth and in Leviticus 15:25-30, it was also to be made for women that had an issue of bleeding. Hence it seems more apt to refer to this sin offering as the purification offering. Having said that, we must not minimize sin. Any sin committed is offensive to the Lord and an offering would be made to restore one's fellowship with Him.

There are a few things for us to note: Firstly, a bull would be required for the sin committed by the high priest. Verses 4-12 elaborate on how the offering had to be made. “He shall bring the bull to the doorway of the tent of meeting before the Lord and he shall lay his hand on the head of the bull and slay the bull before the Lord. Then the anointed priest is to take some of the blood of the bull and bring it to the tent of meeting, and 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. The priest shall also put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense which is before the Lord in the tent of meeting, and all the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of the burnt offering which is at the doorway of the tent of meeting. He shall remove from it all the fat of the bull of the sin offering: the fat that covers the entrails, and all the fat which is on the entrails, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys (just as it is removed from the ox of the sacrifice of peace offerings), and the priest is to offer them up in smoke on the altar of burnt offering. But the hide of the bull and all its flesh with its head and its legs and its entrails and its refuse, that is, all the rest of the bull, he is to bring out to a clean place outside the camp where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire; where the ashes are poured out it shall be burned.”

Secondly, for the sin of the whole congregation when it was discovered, the same offering prescribed for the high priest and how it had to be offered must be offered. Thirdly for a leader whose sin had been discovered, his sin offering would be a male goat without defect and finally, for the sin of an ordinary member of the community, that person must offer a female goat or lamb, but without defect. The prescription of the animal and how it was to be offered commensurate with the rank and responsibility of the person who made the offering. This is congruous with the principle that to whom much is given, much is also required. A person called into service in the temple and a leader would have a greater accountability to God and the people, hence when they faltered, they would be more culpable than those not in their position.

The whole exercise of the sin offering reminds us that God views sin as a grievous matter. He is not only concerned for the sin of an individual but also that of the community regardless of whether the offender is a pastor, a leader or an ordinary member.  The effect of sin is not just limited to the offender, it will affect and impact the whole community. It behooves us to be mindful that our wrongful act can affect others. Sin is a grievous matter that must be dealt with. Let us not trifle with sin and incur the wrath of God.