In the Old Testament there were several offerings but these offerings almost always dealt with the covering of sin and trespasses. There are several Bible verses that about Sin/ Guilt Offerings both in the Old Testament and New Testament.
What is Sin Offering?
Sin Offering are offerings offered to God for atonement of sin committed by the offender. A priest will take the sin offering and offered it to God on account of sinner.
Leviticus 4:20 “Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.” This is the last time “atonement” appears in reference to the sweet-savor offerings in Leviticus 1-3.
In Christianity, ATONEMENT refers to covering man’s sin before holy God. This reconciliation is possible through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, as expressed in Romans 3:25, Romans 5:11, and Romans 5:19.
In Leviticus Chapter 4, the Old Testament of Christian biblical canons provides Moses’ instructions from God regarding the purification offering and chapter 15 of the Book of Numbers partially repeats them.
Leviticus 4:3 it is written that “if it is the anointed priest who sins, thus bringing guilt on the people, then he shall offer for the sin that he has committed a bull from the herd without blemish to the Lord for a sin offering” but “If the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they do any one of the things that by the Lord’s commandments ought not to be done, and they realize their guilt”
Sins in the Old Testament That Attracts Sin Offerings
One will bring Sin Offering if he/she does the followings:
– partakes of sacrificial meat that was disqualified, because of an undesirable intent concerning time,
– slaughters a sacrificial animal outside the Temple Courtyard,
– offers a sacrifice outside the Temple Courtyard,
– one who prepares anointing oil like that used in the Temple,
– prepares incense like that used in the Temple
– serves a false deity by performing a deed,
– divines through an ov,
– performs a deed while divining with a yidoni,
– desecrates the Sabbath,
– eats chametz on Pesach,
– who partakes of fat,
– partakes of blood,
– gives his descendants to Molech,
– performs forbidden labor
– eats or drinks on Yom Kippur,
– partakes of sacrificial meat after the time for eating it passes,
– anoints himself with the anointing oil of the Temple.
Some Bible Verses about Sin Offering
Exodus 13:12
The firstborn of all clean, male animals (cattle, sheep, goats, etc.) were God’s, and they were to be sacrificed to Him. Amazingly, these animals appear to represent the Egyptian firstborn (verse 14), and thus represent a sin offering for us.
Exodus 29:10
The Aaronic priests were purified for service to God through the transferal of their sins to a bull. Similarly, when an Israelite presented a peace or a sin offering, he laid his hands upon the animal being offered, identifying himself with it and transferring his guilt to the animal. Thus, the animal was set apart by God through the laying on of hands.
Leviticus 4:3
if the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer to the LORD for his sin which he has sinned a young bull without blemish as a sin offering.
Leviticus 4:13-14
‘Now if the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally, and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done something against any of the commandments of the LORD in anything which should not be done, and are guilty; when the sin which they have committed becomes known, then the assembly shall offer a young bull for the sin, and bring it before the tabernacle of meeting.
Hebrews 10:4
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.
Hebrews 9:12-14
Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Leviticus 4:22-23
‘When a ruler has sinned, and done something unintentionally against any of the commandments of the LORD his God in anything which should not be done, and is guilty, or if his sin which he has committed comes to his knowledge, he shall bring as his offering a kid of the goats, a male without blemish.
Conclusion:
Sin is a temporary covering sin offering for the better and permanent sin offering which is Jesus Christ.
“For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man” (Romans 8:3)
The law could never make us right with God because sin weakened it’s power making it incapable of saving us. Our sin nature defeated us from the get go, so we never stood a chance of being able to fulfill the law by doing what it says.
Hebrews 10:1 “The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship.” 2 “If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.”
3 But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. 4 For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer. 6 You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin.
10 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.
11 Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. 12 But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 16 “This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.”
17 Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” 18 And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.