Leviticus
The Sin Sacrifice
27 “‘If any member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, when they realize their guilt 28 and the sin they have committed becomes known, they must bring as their offering for the sin they committed a female goat without defect. 29 They are to lay their hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering. 30 Then the priest is to take some of the blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 31 They shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. In this way the priest will make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven. Leviticus 4:27-31 NIV
Memory Verse:
And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Hebrews 10:10 NIV
Main Takeaway: Sin deserves death. Thankfully, Jesus died in our place.
Introduction:
Last week, we mentioned that as parents, we give our children certain rules in our homes that need to be followed. We related those rules to the Ten Commandments that God gave the Israelites. This week we are going to talk about what happens when these commandments are broken. In our home, we have punishments in place, ready to be enforced when our rules are broken. Some rules carry more weight than others, and the punishments have evolved as our kids have grown up. In their younger years, timeout or a spanking was the punishment for a broken rule. Now we are taking away phones or car keys as a form of discipline. The important part about this is that they know the punishment that awaits them if they break the rule beforehand. It has already been set. They know if they do “A” then punishment “B” is the result. There are no surprises. Now, do we ever offer grace to them, and cut them a break. Yes, we do, but that is not a given every time, so they need to make sure they act accordingly. These rules and punishments that we have set are not meant to make their lives miserable. They are in place to help shape and mold them into well-rounded adults that will contribute to society. They are also in place to show them how to honor God and hopefully grow closer to Him.
Along with the Ten Commandments and the Law that God gave the Israelites, He also laid out the punishments that would take place if His rules were broken. Quite literally that punishment was death. Over and over again, God said that when a commandment is broken, the offender shall be put to death (Ex. 22:20, Lev. 24:16, Ex. 31:15 just to name a few). However, despite that very harsh punishment, God gave His people a way to avoid the death sentence. He allowed them to bring an animal to the altar to offer as a sacrifice. This animal served as a substitutionary sacrifice. Instead, of the Israelite being put to death, an animal was put to death in their place to atone for the sin they committed. This was an offer of grace to His people, but it also served as a clear reminder that sin had a cost, and the payment was death. The punishment was clear. Death was the payment for sin. God did not set this punishment to try and scare the Israelites into being good. That would never work for them, just like it doesn’t work for us as parents. He had rules in place and a clearly defined punishment because He wanted to shape and mold them into becoming holy and pure. Sounds pretty similar to why we have rules and punishments as parents doesn’t it? Let’s go to the word of God to learn more about this substitutionary sacrifice.
Background and Context:
God is holy, perfect, and pure; therefore, He cannot be in the presence of sin. The Israelites (and us for that matter) were sinners (impure and unholy), but God still desired to have a relationship with them and to dwell with them. God had the Law in place but knew no one could keep it. This would ultimately lead to living outside of God’s presence and death. However, God desired to live with His special people, so God set up a sacrificial system of animals as a way for His people to pay the price for sin and still be able to dwell with Him.
Leviticus 4:27-31 explains the essence of this sacrificial system. It is referenced above, but essentially, when an Israelite realized their sin and their guilt, they were required to bring a female goat without defect to the altar of sacrifice in the Tabernacle. At the altar, a priest would be waiting for them. The Israelite would lay their hand on the goat, and the goat would be slaughtered. The laying on of the hand was a way to symbolize that the sin of the individual was now transferred to the animal. The animal would then be killed, and it’s blood spilled at the altar. An innocent animal was killed in the place of a guilty Israelite. Once this occurred, the Israelite would be forgiven of their sin, and their relationship with God restored.
Notice a few things here. The Israelite didn’t just drop the goat off and leave. He or she had to participate in the sacrifice of the animal. This was intentional. God wanted to remind the Israelites that sin had a cost, and I think by now you know what that cost was: death. Fortunately for them, the payment of death was provided by a substitute. Secondly, this wasn’t a one-time thing. They had to bring a sacrifice every time they sinned. It was perpetual. Finally, notice that the goat that the Israelites would have to bring was not just any goat. It had to be a “goat without defect” (v. 28). That means that the Israelites had to bring the best of the best. They couldn’t just bring any animal of the flock. It had to be perfect. Again, this served as a reminder of the great cost of sin, but also foreshadowed another future sacrifice.
This sacrificial system could not fully remove the sin from the people. As mentioned earlier, the sacrifice that was offered would forgive the Israelite of their sin and make them right with God. However, it would only make them right with God until their next sin. Then they would have to perform this ritual again. So, this system was not perfect, but God had in place to keep His people within His presence. More importantly, this system pointed to something greater, or better yet, someone greater that would permanently deal with this sin issue and put all people in right standing with God forever.
Application:
Hebrews 10:1-10 is an awesome passage that addresses the issue of having to repeat these sacrifices over and over. I recommend you read the entire passage, but the author basically says the sacrifices offered on the altar could never fully deal with sin and make people right with God. Verse 4 says it plainly: “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” If the blood of animal sacrifices could never take away sins, then what was the point of the law or the sacrifices? I alluded to this earlier, but Hebrews 10:1 puts it like this: “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming.” The good things that are coming are found in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The “shadow” sacrifices of bulls and goats pointed ahead to Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross, the greatest selfless act of all time.
Jesus came to Earth and lived a perfect life. In other words, He was without defect (sound familiar). The sacrifice of bulls, lambs or goats without defect was a temporary fix to forgive sins and keep the Israelites in God’s holy presence. Jesus’s sacrifice was the permanent fix. Because He lived a sinless life and because He was God in the flesh, His sacrifice was sufficient enough to pay for the sins of the entire world for all time. There is now no need for any more sacrifices. Jesus paid the full price. He died so we don’t have to. He was our perfect substitute in a similar way to how an animal was a substitute for the Israelite.
Just as the old sacrificial system would allow the Israelites to remain in God’s presence. The sacrifice of Jesus ushers us into His presence as well. I said at the beginning that God is perfect, pure, and holy. Because of His nature He is unable to be in the presence of sin. Therefore, our sin should keep us out of God’s presence. However, because of the sacrifice of Jesus and our subsequent belief in Him, we are made righteous, holy, and pure, and therefore able to stand in the presence of God. Hebrews 10:10 says, “We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” No more sacrifices. No more bloodshed. Jesus paid it all forever! Thank you, Jesus, for this amazing gift that you have given all of us!
Questions and Further Exploration:
Discuss with your son or daughter about how God’s rules and commandments are not meant to restrict our life or make it mundane. They are given to us to show us how to live holy lives and not to burden us.
How does the fact that Jesus took on the price of sin for you make you feel? Grateful? Guilty?
Jesus died the death we deserved in order to make us right with God and bring us into His presence. How should knowing this fact change the way you live? In other words, what should our response be to the wonderous gift that God has given us?
Day of Atonement: Leviticus 16:1-34, Leviticus 23:26-32
Jesus and the Day of Atonement: Hebrews 9:1-28
Other verses of Jesus being perfect Sacrifice: Romans 6:23, 1 Peter 3:18, 1 Corinthians 15:3, Romans 5:8, 1 Peter 1:18-21, John 1:29
27 “‘If any member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, when they realize their guilt 28 and the sin they have committed becomes known, they must bring as their offering for the sin they committed a female goat without defect. 29 They are to lay their hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering. 30 Then the priest is to take some of the blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 31 They shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. In this way the priest will make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven. Leviticus 4:27-31 NIV
Memory Verse:
And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Hebrews 10:10 NIV
Main Takeaway: Sin deserves death. Thankfully, Jesus died in our place.
Introduction:
Last week, we mentioned that as parents, we give our children certain rules in our homes that need to be followed. We related those rules to the Ten Commandments that God gave the Israelites. This week we are going to talk about what happens when these commandments are broken. In our home, we have punishments in place, ready to be enforced when our rules are broken. Some rules carry more weight than others, and the punishments have evolved as our kids have grown up. In their younger years, timeout or a spanking was the punishment for a broken rule. Now we are taking away phones or car keys as a form of discipline. The important part about this is that they know the punishment that awaits them if they break the rule beforehand. It has already been set. They know if they do “A” then punishment “B” is the result. There are no surprises. Now, do we ever offer grace to them, and cut them a break. Yes, we do, but that is not a given every time, so they need to make sure they act accordingly. These rules and punishments that we have set are not meant to make their lives miserable. They are in place to help shape and mold them into well-rounded adults that will contribute to society. They are also in place to show them how to honor God and hopefully grow closer to Him.
Along with the Ten Commandments and the Law that God gave the Israelites, He also laid out the punishments that would take place if His rules were broken. Quite literally that punishment was death. Over and over again, God said that when a commandment is broken, the offender shall be put to death (Ex. 22:20, Lev. 24:16, Ex. 31:15 just to name a few). However, despite that very harsh punishment, God gave His people a way to avoid the death sentence. He allowed them to bring an animal to the altar to offer as a sacrifice. This animal served as a substitutionary sacrifice. Instead, of the Israelite being put to death, an animal was put to death in their place to atone for the sin they committed. This was an offer of grace to His people, but it also served as a clear reminder that sin had a cost, and the payment was death. The punishment was clear. Death was the payment for sin. God did not set this punishment to try and scare the Israelites into being good. That would never work for them, just like it doesn’t work for us as parents. He had rules in place and a clearly defined punishment because He wanted to shape and mold them into becoming holy and pure. Sounds pretty similar to why we have rules and punishments as parents doesn’t it? Let’s go to the word of God to learn more about this substitutionary sacrifice.
Background and Context:
God is holy, perfect, and pure; therefore, He cannot be in the presence of sin. The Israelites (and us for that matter) were sinners (impure and unholy), but God still desired to have a relationship with them and to dwell with them. God had the Law in place but knew no one could keep it. This would ultimately lead to living outside of God’s presence and death. However, God desired to live with His special people, so God set up a sacrificial system of animals as a way for His people to pay the price for sin and still be able to dwell with Him.
Leviticus 4:27-31 explains the essence of this sacrificial system. It is referenced above, but essentially, when an Israelite realized their sin and their guilt, they were required to bring a female goat without defect to the altar of sacrifice in the Tabernacle. At the altar, a priest would be waiting for them. The Israelite would lay their hand on the goat, and the goat would be slaughtered. The laying on of the hand was a way to symbolize that the sin of the individual was now transferred to the animal. The animal would then be killed, and it’s blood spilled at the altar. An innocent animal was killed in the place of a guilty Israelite. Once this occurred, the Israelite would be forgiven of their sin, and their relationship with God restored.
Notice a few things here. The Israelite didn’t just drop the goat off and leave. He or she had to participate in the sacrifice of the animal. This was intentional. God wanted to remind the Israelites that sin had a cost, and I think by now you know what that cost was: death. Fortunately for them, the payment of death was provided by a substitute. Secondly, this wasn’t a one-time thing. They had to bring a sacrifice every time they sinned. It was perpetual. Finally, notice that the goat that the Israelites would have to bring was not just any goat. It had to be a “goat without defect” (v. 28). That means that the Israelites had to bring the best of the best. They couldn’t just bring any animal of the flock. It had to be perfect. Again, this served as a reminder of the great cost of sin, but also foreshadowed another future sacrifice.
This sacrificial system could not fully remove the sin from the people. As mentioned earlier, the sacrifice that was offered would forgive the Israelite of their sin and make them right with God. However, it would only make them right with God until their next sin. Then they would have to perform this ritual again. So, this system was not perfect, but God had in place to keep His people within His presence. More importantly, this system pointed to something greater, or better yet, someone greater that would permanently deal with this sin issue and put all people in right standing with God forever.
Application:
Hebrews 10:1-10 is an awesome passage that addresses the issue of having to repeat these sacrifices over and over. I recommend you read the entire passage, but the author basically says the sacrifices offered on the altar could never fully deal with sin and make people right with God. Verse 4 says it plainly: “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” If the blood of animal sacrifices could never take away sins, then what was the point of the law or the sacrifices? I alluded to this earlier, but Hebrews 10:1 puts it like this: “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming.” The good things that are coming are found in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The “shadow” sacrifices of bulls and goats pointed ahead to Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross, the greatest selfless act of all time.
Jesus came to Earth and lived a perfect life. In other words, He was without defect (sound familiar). The sacrifice of bulls, lambs or goats without defect was a temporary fix to forgive sins and keep the Israelites in God’s holy presence. Jesus’s sacrifice was the permanent fix. Because He lived a sinless life and because He was God in the flesh, His sacrifice was sufficient enough to pay for the sins of the entire world for all time. There is now no need for any more sacrifices. Jesus paid the full price. He died so we don’t have to. He was our perfect substitute in a similar way to how an animal was a substitute for the Israelite.
Just as the old sacrificial system would allow the Israelites to remain in God’s presence. The sacrifice of Jesus ushers us into His presence as well. I said at the beginning that God is perfect, pure, and holy. Because of His nature He is unable to be in the presence of sin. Therefore, our sin should keep us out of God’s presence. However, because of the sacrifice of Jesus and our subsequent belief in Him, we are made righteous, holy, and pure, and therefore able to stand in the presence of God. Hebrews 10:10 says, “We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” No more sacrifices. No more bloodshed. Jesus paid it all forever! Thank you, Jesus, for this amazing gift that you have given all of us!
Questions and Further Exploration:
Discuss with your son or daughter about how God’s rules and commandments are not meant to restrict our life or make it mundane. They are given to us to show us how to live holy lives and not to burden us.
How does the fact that Jesus took on the price of sin for you make you feel? Grateful? Guilty?
Jesus died the death we deserved in order to make us right with God and bring us into His presence. How should knowing this fact change the way you live? In other words, what should our response be to the wonderous gift that God has given us?
Day of Atonement: Leviticus 16:1-34, Leviticus 23:26-32
Jesus and the Day of Atonement: Hebrews 9:1-28
Other verses of Jesus being perfect Sacrifice: Romans 6:23, 1 Peter 3:18, 1 Corinthians 15:3, Romans 5:8, 1 Peter 1:18-21, John 1:29