Leviticus 4:1-12
All Sin Counts
We move the fourth practical sacrifice tonight, the Sin Offering. The
Sin Offering, like the Burnt and Peace Offerings, requires a blood
sacrifice so we are dealing with sin, salvation, and the Savior, but
this sacrifice takes in yet another direct. It mixes elements of the
Burnt Offering and the Peace Offering.
There are four truths I see from the Sin Offering.
I. \\#4\\ The Sin Offering taught that sin requires death.
A. This is not a new lesson, but it is the lesson that all of the
blood sacrifices taught.
B. It was being taught because an animal had to die.
C. Remember the similarities in the sacrifices:
1. All were killed at the door (north side of the altar).
2. The sinner laid his hands on the head of the sacrifice.
3. The sinner slew the sacrifice.
4. The guilty left while the innocent was slain.
II. The Sin Offering taught that all sin counted. I see that in
three different ways:
A. God’s requiring a sacrifice for an ignorant sin taught that all
sin counted.
Lev 4:2 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:
1. The phrase, "sin through ignorance," was repeated in
\\#Lev 4:13, 22. 27\\.
2. So this offering was to be offered when a sin was
ignorantly committed.
3. It seems that phrase could mean two things:
a. A person did something wrong that they had not been
taught was wrong.
b. A person did something that they knew was wrong but
did not realize they were doing it.
4. Let’s be honest.
a. We have all done both.
b. Even as a seasoned pastor, I still see new things
about sin and myself as I read the Scripture.
c. Often I realize just after I do something that slipped
up again!
d. These are the situations for which a Sin Offering was
offered.
5. Regardless of what we do not understand when we sin, this
sacrifice tells us that we are still guilty!
the important thing is that you were still guilty when
you did it.
a. Ignorance of the law has never been a defense, not
when it comes to man’s law and not when it comes to
God’s law.
b. Ignorance did not work in the Old Testament. It does
not work in this New Testament dispensation; and it
certainly won’t work when people stand before the
Great White Throne.
6. But God expected and demanded His people be in a perpetual
state of learning what sin was, especially their sin; and
that when they learned they had sinned, God expected a
Sin Offering from them.
B. \\#Lev 5:1-6\\ The examples of sin given taught that all sin
counted.
1. The examples of sin that God gave do not seem to be so
bad.
2. In the courtroom of sin, we might consider these
misdemeanors.
a. None of the examples given are moral sins (sins of
morality or wickedness).
b. This is not a case where you committed a crime like
murder, stealing, raping, or lying.
c. And in all of these sins, there was an element of
ignorance.
d. Yet, God said they were sin and demanded a Sin
Offering.
3. Of course there were more things you could do that were
wrong, but note the examples God gave.
a. \\#Lev 5:1\\ If you hear someone swear and you do not
tell about it.
Lev 5:1 And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of
swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen
or known of it; if he do not utter it, then he
shall bear his iniquity.
(1) Swearing in the Bible could be making a promise
or uttering a curse.
(2) I would suppose that the promise made was not
kept and so the victim was trying to recover
whatever he lost.
(a) Even if you didn’t know what was going on,
if you were a witness to the agreement and
did not step forward as a witness in the
case, you owed God a Sin Offering.
(b) Of if you witnessed someone curse another or
God Himself, and you did nothing about it;
you owed God a Sin Offering.
(3) Why was this a sin?
(a) Because being aware of injustice and
standing against it was and is the center
of every judicial system.
(b) If a wrong is being done and we do nothing,
it is a sin not just against whoever
suffered; but against God Himself who is
the Judge of all sins.
(c) We complain about the judicial system and
indeed, we no longer have much of one; but
the truth is no earthly judicial system can
work if the citizens won’t step forward to
tell and to testify of the wrongs done—and
even more, to investigate to make sure that
right is being done.
b. \\#Lev 5:2\\ If you unknowingly touched anything that
was unclean or a dead animal, you owed God a Sin
Offering.
Lev 5:2 Or if a soul touch any unclean thing,
whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast, or
a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of
unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from
him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty.
(1) Put yourself in the place of a farmer or one who
owns livestock.
(a) How are you going to take care of the living
animals if you can’t touch the dead ones?
(b) Some animals must be slain and some just die
of themselves.
(c) Yet, whether you meant to or not, if you
touched a dead animal, you owed God a Sin
Offering.
(2) Why?
(a) Because death is the wages of sin.
(b) Death is what sin produces.
(c) The two are so closely bound together that
you do not have death unless you have sin.
(d) Because of their close association, handling
anything dead required a Sin Offering.
c. \\#Lev 5:3\\ If you—even unknowingly or accidentally—
touch something unclean from a person, a human being,
you owed God a Sin Offering.
Lev 5:3 Or if he touch the uncleanness of man,
whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man shall be
defiled withal, and it be hid from him; when he
knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty.
(1) This gets very tricky because anything that is
clean that touches something that is unclean
immediately becomes unclean.
(2) Uncleanness spreads with a mere touch.
(3) One would almost have to be a 24/7 detective to
never touch an unclean thing, but if you learned
you had touched an unclean thing; you owed God a
Sin Offering.
(4) There was no teaching or sacrifice for these
kinds of ceremonial things before the Sin
Offering, but now there is.
(5) Why was this sinful?
(a) Through the uncleanness of man God was
teaching us how much corruption and death
was in us.
i. The seepage of blood or bodily fluids
from a man or woman indicates that
we are corrupt and tainted by sin
through and through.
ii. Even our reproductive fluids are
unclean, passing the sin nature on to
our children.
(b) Through the spreading of uncleanness by
merely a touch, God was teaching us how
easily sin spreads.
i. Holiness and righteousness does not
spread through the touch.
ii. No. A costly and bloody sacrifice
must be made to retrieve those, but
sin spreads so easily that we may
not even be aware of it.
d. If made an oath, you owed God a Sin Offering.
Lev 5:4 Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his
lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be
that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it
be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he
shall be guilty in one of these.
(1) Notice that God specifically said that it did not
matter whether you swore to do something good or
bad.
(a) It was not the content of your oath that
made it sinful.
(b) It was the fact that you made an oath at all
was sinful.
(2) Christ actually explained this in the New
Testament.
Matt 5:33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been
said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear
thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine
oaths:
34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither
by heaven; for it is God’s throne:
35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool:
neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the
great King.
36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because
thou canst not make one hair white or black.
37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay,
nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of
evil.
(3) So why was taking an oath sinful?
(a) Because of man’s limitations.
(b) Whenever we are taking an oath to do
something, we are assuming God will give us
the ability to perform it.
(c) That is a pretty big assumption.
(d) God is saying to assume that is in itself a
sin.
(4) Some will not take an oath that what they have
seen or heard is true because of this teaching,
but I do not think that is what the Scripture
meant.
(5) Regardless, our word ought to be so renowned as
true that no additional oaths are required.
C. The addition of two new offerings (the Sin Offering and the
Trespass Offering) taught that all sin counted.
1. There were sacrifices BEFORE Leviticus.
a. Most feel that the Burnt Offering was the main
sacrifice offered by the followers of God before the
law was given, but it was just as likely that a form
of the Meat and Peace Offerings were offered as well.
b. The Bible tells us that those who worshipped God
offered sacrifices even before God gave the law.
(1) Noah
(2) Abraham
(3) Isaac
(4) Jacob
2. However, they could not have offered the Sin and the
Trespass Offerings before the law.
a. Mainly because there had to be a law before there
could be a violation of the law.
(1) Notice the reason God said to offer the Sin
Offering.
Lev 4:2 Speak unto the children of Israel,
saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance
against any of the commandments of the LORD….
(2) That phrase is repeated in \\#Lev 4:13, 22, 27\\.
(3) And the reason for the Trespass Offering was also
given:
Lev 5:17 And if a soul sin, and commit any of
these things which are forbidden to be done by
the commandments of the LORD; though he wist it
not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his
iniquity.
18 And he shall bring a ram without blemish out
of the flock, with thy estimation, for a
trespass offering….
(4) Prior to the law, a person could know he was a
sinner because his own conscious might convict
him; but he could not know he had broken a
commandment of the Lord until the commandments
of the Lord were given.
(5) Instead, God gave some latitude concerning things
that offended Him.
Romans 5:13 (For until the law sin was in the
world: but sin is not imputed when there is no
law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to
Moses, even over them that had not sinned after
the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is
the figure of him that was to come.
Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God
winked at; but now commandeth all men every where
to repent:
(6) But with the law came new accountability. Now,
all sin counted.
b. Other things hint at the fact that these were new
sacrifices to the people.
(1) The fact that God had a Sin Offering for the
High Priest and the whole congregation.
(2) There were no Jewish high priests and there was
no Jewish nation until God delivered Israel out
of Egypt and made them His people at Mount
Sinai.
3. So the addition of two new offering raised the bar of
righteousness by adding God’s commands into the mix and
holding the Jews accountable to it.
a. Sin was no longer just what man’s conscience told him
sin was. but it was now also what God said was sin
was sin.
b. God expected His people to know what was right and
wrong and by faith in obedience to do what was right.
c. If they failed at doing what was right, God demanded
that they bring a sacrifice to atone for (or
temporarily hide) their sin, believing that God would
one day send a perfect Sacrifice to pay for and
completely remove their sin.
III. The Sin Offering taught that all sinners count.
A. The allowed sacrifices teach us that all sinners count.
1. God reduced the number of animals that could be offered
for a Peace Offering, but He increased what could be
offered for a Sin Offering.
a. \\#4:3, 14\\ The priest and the congregation had to
offer a bullock.
b. \\#4:24\\ The ruler had to offer a male kid from the
goats.
c. \\#4:28\\ The common man had to offer a female kid
from the goats.
d. But for the common person, there were some additions:
(1) \\#5:6\\ Added that they could also offer a
female lamb.
(2) \\#5:7\\ Added if they could not bring a goat or
a lamb, they could bring two turtledoves or two
young pigeons.
(3) \\#5:11\\ Added if they could not bring two
turtledoves or pigeons they could bring an ephah
of flour with no oil or frankincense.
2. What was God doing? Two things:
a. By bringing the quality of the Sin Offering DOWN for
the common person, God was removing the cost barrier.
(1) God wanted everyone to be forgiven and to have
fellowship Him so He lowered and lowered and
lowered the bar until it was not even a blood
sacrifice anymore!
(2) God was showing that you are not too poor to be
important to God!
(3) God loves the wealthy and knowledgeable, but He
loves the poor and ignorant too.
b. By bringing the quality of the Sin Offering UP for the
High Priest, the nation, and the Ruler, God was
showing that to whom much is given, much is required.
(1) The High Priest, because he was the High Priest,
should know the law and should be dedicated to
obeying it.
(2) The congregation had a High Priest whose sole
duty was to teach them and guide them to do
right. The nation should have never made a
decision without checking with their High Priest
to be certain it was a righteous decision.
(3) The ruler was not the High Priest nor did he have
a High Priest, but he should seek the council of
the priests and the prophets before making a
decision as well.
(4) But the common person had no written Word, had no
personal High Priest, and might be removed from
a priest that could give counsel.
We are not finished with these thoughts but we will stop here. If
God wanted the Jews to know these truths, do you not thin He would
want us to know them"
1. All sin kills.
2. All sin counts.
3. All sinners count.
https://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?seriesOnly=true&currSection=
sermonstopic&sourceid=edgertonprc&keyword=Old+Testament+Sacrifices&
keyworddesc=Old+Testament+Sacrifices
Rev. Douglas Kuiper
http://www.prca.org/show/itemlist/user/43-kuiperdouglas
(The sermons by Rev. Kuiper were invaluable in first opening my eyes
to the truths contained in these offerings and to encouraging me to
continue my study into them.)
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