Of the five Levitical offerings, the first three primarily focus on Jesus as the PERFECT Saviour! They teach the children of God (specifically the Jews in historical context) how to appreciate, honor and WORSHIP the Lord God.
The Burnt Offering … Jesus dedicating His ALL to the Father, His Father in Heaven.
The Meat Offering (which actually consisted of finely ground flour, grain) … Jesus as the Perfect Man, pleasing His Father in all His days here upon the earth. Yes, even prior tot he Cross!
The Peace Offering … Jesus offering Himself not only to commune with His Father, but also with His priests (which we are in New Testament vernacular) … inviting us into fellowship with the Godhead!
NONE OF THESE THREE DEAL WITH SIN! THEY ARE A MATTER OF SEEING JESUS IN A DEEPER WAY! BETTER UNDERSTANDING HIS LIFE AND DEATH, HIS PRESON AND WORK!
But next come the Sin Offering and the Trespass Offering … which do focus on sin (or sins) in the life of a believer, of a godly Jew.
1 John 2:1 beautifully captures this sequence … “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
“That ye sin not” … which is the goal of the Burnt and Meal and Peace Offerings, looking unto Jesus!
“And yet if any man sin” … which demands the detailed instructions of the Sin Offering and the Trespass Offering! (Providing atonement, forgiveness for our wrongdoings!)
Wow!
But even at that … the sins for which the last two offerings make atonement … are specifically said to be “sins of ignorance!”
Here is the second verse of the “Sin Offering” chapter, Leviticus 4: “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 …”
This “sins of ignorance” caveat applies also to the Trespass Offering! (Hint: “caveat” is from Latin, meaning “Let a person beware!”)
This means something like: “sins about which we did not pre-ponder our intent!” (Sins we did not commit deliberately, with forethought!)
Sins like are described in Psalm 139: 23-24 … “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Clearly, sins about which the offender had no knowledge!
Sins committed knowingly … called “presumptuous sins” in the King James Version (literally “high handed” sins) … are NOT covered by the Sin Offering, not at all!
May be this is one reason Hebrews 10:26 warns us so sternly: “For IF WE SIN WILFULLY after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.”
Wow!
Plus this, I can easily find where the first three Offerings are labeled as being of “sweet savour” unto our great God! Jesus being so pleasing to His Father!
But I cannot find a shred of evidence that the Sin Offering (or the Trespass Offering) is called “sweet savour!”
Why?
Because God takes no pleasure in sin whatsoever!
In fact, God hates sin!
Just some thoughts, introducing the Sin Offering … with more to come tomorrow.
JESUS BECAME SIN FOR US … THAT WE MIGHT ENJOY HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR ALL ETERNITY!
Read 2 Corinthians 5:21. (Well, here it is: “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.)
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
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