What Is the Sin Offering in the Bible?
By Frederick Spieker ·
The sin offering addressed something the other offerings did not: the guilt and defilement of sin, including sins committed unintentionally. It taught Israel that sin is serious and that cleansing has a cost.
What Leviticus 4 Describes
The animal required depended on who had sinned, from a bull for the high priest to a goat or lamb for an ordinary person, and even birds or flour for the poor. Its blood was applied to the altar, because "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins" (Hebrews 9:22).
Why Blood?
Leviticus 17:11 says the life of the flesh is in the blood, given on the altar to make atonement. A life was given in place of the sinner's life. Sacrifice in its deepest form is substitution.
Jesus, the Final Sin Offering
"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). What the animals pictured year after year, Christ accomplished once for all (Hebrews 10:10-12).
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