One observed, “The heathen brings a sacrifice to his god; the Christian accepts a sacrifice from his God.”

Jesus is our sin offering (Leviticus 4:1–5:13; 8:14–17; 16:3–22) (substitute).

This was a mandatory atonement for specific unintentional sin and required a confession of sin. Its purpose was the forgiveness of sin and cleansing from defilement. It was employed to remove impurity from the sanctuary and those worshiping in it.

The required animal depended upon the station of the person or group making the sacrifice. For the high priest and congregation, a young bull was required; for a leader, a male goat; for a common person, a female goat or lamb; for the poor, a dove or pigeon; for the very poor, the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour.

In this offering we see an acknowledgment of sin. In the first three offerings, man came before God as a worshipper. In the last two, man comes before God as a sinner. The shedding of animal blood could not permanently take away sin (Hebrews 10:1–4), but God did promise that the sins of the worshiper were forgiven (Leviticus 4:20, 26, 31, 35; 5:10, 13, 16, 18; 6:7). He did this on the basis of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross (Hebrews 10:5–14).1

These sacrifices were not burned upon the brazen altar in the courtyard; they were carried and burned outside the camp. The victim was charged with the sin of the offerer, and the life of the animal was taken instead of that of the sinner. Jesus was made in the likeness of sinful flesh (Romans 8:3; cf. Numbers 21:9; John 3:14; Philippians 2:7) so He could be our sin-bearer and carry our sins outside the camp. The Spirit explained how this Old Testament ceremony was a preview (type) of God’s eternal plan of redemption:

For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without [outside] the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach (Hebrews 13:11–13).

These details might seem unimportant when reading through the Exodus and Leviticus. However, even the minor detail of taking the sin out of the camp prefigured Jesus dying outside the city of Jerusalem (Mark 15:20–24; John 19:17–18). The main point is that Jesus bore our guilt. He was made sin for us on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24). Jesus suffered for sin (in a collective sense) (2 Corinthians 5:21) and sins (of individuals) (1 Peter 3:18).

The sin offering taught man that God holds him accountable for sin. Sinners are spiritual criminals who have been tried, found guilty, and sentenced to death. We must not assume we are safe and right if we simply live up to our own conscience (cf. Acts 23:1). God has scales. He has standards. He has punishments assigned to violations of His law. Thus, to have any hope of heaven, a sacrifice is required.

Forgiveness is called “justification,” which is a judicial term (Romans 4:25). With sin, we are guilt-ridden (James 2:10). In forgiveness, Jesus’ blood removes our guilt and releases us from the penalty of sin (Romans 3:24, 26; 5:9; Hebrews 8:12; Ezekiel 18:20; Matthew 26:28). In the law’s eyes, the penalty has been paid.

–Allen Webster