Commentary - Leviticus 4:22-26

Bird's-eye view

In this section of Leviticus, God provides the specific remedy for the unintentional sin of a leader. This is not a trivial matter. Sin is an objective reality, and it defiles. Even when committed in ignorance, it creates guilt that must be dealt with. The law of God makes a distinction between high-handed, defiant sin and sins of weakness or ignorance, but it never treats any sin as a trifle. What is particularly noteworthy here is that there is a specific provision for leaders. A leader's sin has wider ramifications than the sin of a common person, and so the sacrifice required is distinct. The entire process, from the bringing of the male goat to the application of its blood by the priest, is a graphic, bloody picture of substitutionary atonement. It teaches Israel, and it teaches us, that sin is costly, leadership is a weighty responsibility, and forgiveness is only possible through the shedding of blood by a qualified substitute, a principle that finds its ultimate fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The structure of the passage is straightforward. First, the occasion is defined: a leader sins unintentionally. Second, the required action is specified: he must bring a male goat without blemish. Third, the ritual is detailed: the leader lays his hand on the goat, it is slaughtered, and the priest manipulates the blood and fat. Finally, the result is declared: the priest makes atonement, and the leader is forgiven. This is the pattern of the gospel in miniature. Sin is recognized, a substitute is provided, the penalty is paid in blood, and forgiveness is granted by a holy God through the work of a mediator. This is not just dusty ritual; it is the architecture of our salvation.

Outline

Context In Leviticus

Leviticus chapter 4 establishes the regulations for the sin offering, or chattath. This offering is distinct from the others (burnt, grain, peace, and guilt offerings) in that it deals specifically with purification from sin that defiles the sanctuary and the community. The chapter is structured according to a hierarchy of social standing, demonstrating that responsibility before God is not uniform. It begins with the sin of the anointed priest (4:1-12), then the sin of the whole congregation (4:13-21), followed by our text concerning a leader or ruler (4:22-26), and finally the sin of a common person (4:27-35). This descending order shows that the higher one's position in the covenant community, the more serious the consequences of their sin. The priest's sin requires a bull and blood brought inside the Holy Place. The congregation's sin also requires a bull. The leader's sin requires a male goat, and the common person's a female goat or lamb. This careful gradation underscores the biblical principle that to whom much is given, much is required. This chapter is central to understanding the Old Testament's theology of sin, sacrifice, and atonement, all of which serves as the necessary backdrop for the book of Hebrews' exposition of the superior sacrifice of Christ.

Key Issues

Objective Guilt, Objective Atonement

Our modern world is soaked in subjectivism. For us, guilt is primarily a feeling. If you don't feel guilty, then for all practical purposes, you aren't. But the Bible operates in a different universe of meaning. In Scripture, guilt is an objective legal state. It is a condition of liability before the judgment seat of God that exists whether you are aware of it or not. This passage is a prime example. The leader sins "unintentionally" and "becomes guilty." His ignorance does not negate his guilt. Sin is the transgression of God's law, and God's law is an objective standard. If you break it, you are a lawbreaker, even if you didn't know the law was there.

This is crucial because if guilt is objective, the remedy must also be objective. Atonement is not about making someone feel better; it is about actually dealing with the sin that created the guilt. The entire sacrificial system was designed to teach Israel this lesson. A real animal, a real death, real blood, a real priest, a real altar, these were all tangible, objective elements. God was showing His people that their sin was a real problem that required a real, bloody, costly solution. This is why the cross of Christ is not a mere symbol of God's love. It is the objective, historical event where God dealt with our objective, legal guilt. Christ's blood was not shed to make us feel forgiven; it was shed to make us forgivable. The forgiveness is a legal declaration based on a penalty actually paid.

Verse by Verse Commentary

22 ‘When a leader sins and unintentionally does any one of all the things which Yahweh his God has commanded not to be done, and he becomes guilty,

The subject here is a "leader," a chieftain or a ruler among the people. This refers to someone in a position of civil authority. Right away, the law establishes that no one is above it. The men who make and enforce the rules are themselves under the ultimate rule of God. His sin is described as "unintentional." This doesn't mean it was an accident in the modern sense, like tripping and falling. It means the sin was not committed in a spirit of high-handed defiance against God. It could be a sin of ignorance, weakness, or carelessness. Paul describes his own pre-conversion persecution of the church in this way, saying he "acted ignorantly in unbelief" (1 Tim. 1:13). But notice the result: "he becomes guilty." Ignorance is not innocence. The moment the law of God is broken, guilt is incurred. The debt is on the books, whether the debtor knows it or not.

23 or if his sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring for his offering a goat, a male without blemish.

The obligation to act begins when the sin is "made known to him." Perhaps a prophet points it out, or he reads the law for himself, or his conscience is pricked. The moment he becomes aware of his transgression, he is responsible to seek God's prescribed remedy. He cannot shrug and say, "Oh well, I didn't mean to." The remedy is specific: a male goat. For the common person, a female goat would suffice, but for the leader, a male is required, signifying his greater responsibility. And it must be "without blemish." The substitute for the sinner must itself be perfect. This is a constant theme in the sacrificial laws, and it points directly to the Lord Jesus, the lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Pet. 1:19). A flawed sacrifice cannot atone for a flawed sinner.

24 Then he shall lay his hand on the head of the male goat and slaughter it in the place where they slaughter the burnt offering before Yahweh; it is a sin offering.

The laying on of the hand is a crucial symbolic act. This is the formal transfer of guilt. The leader, by this action, is identifying the goat as his substitute. He is saying, in effect, "This animal now stands in my place. Let the penalty that I deserve fall upon its head." This is the heart of substitutionary atonement. After this identification, the leader himself slaughters the animal. This was not a sanitized ritual performed by professionals at a distance. The sinner had to feel the warm blood on his own hands. He had to participate in the death that his sin required. The slaughter takes place "before Yahweh," in the sacred space of the tabernacle court. This is a transaction with God. It is a "sin offering," a sacrifice whose entire purpose is to deal with the problem of sin.

25 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering; and the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering.

Once the penalty is paid in the death of the substitute, the priest takes over. The priest is the mediator. He takes the evidence of the paid penalty, which is the blood, and presents it to God. The blood is daubed on the "horns of the altar." The horns of the altar were symbols of power and refuge. Applying the blood here signified that the power of the sin to condemn had been broken by the power of the atoning blood. The remainder of the blood, representing the fullness of the life that was given, is poured out at the altar's base. The entire altar, the place where God and man meet, is cleansed and consecrated by this blood. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins (Heb. 9:22), because the blood is the proof that a life has been forfeit.

26 And all its fat he shall offer up in smoke on the altar as in the case of the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him in regard to his sin, and he will be forgiven.

The fat was considered the richest part of the animal, and it was reserved for God alone. Burning the fat on the altar was an act of worship, sending up a "pleasing aroma" to the Lord. In the context of the sin offering, this signifies that once the penalty has been paid (the blood) and the guilt removed, fellowship with God is restored. The offering is now acceptable to Him. The verse concludes with the two great summary statements. First, "the priest shall make atonement for him." Atonement means to cover, to purge, to reconcile. The priest, through this ritual, applies the benefits of the substitutionary death to the sinner. And the result? "He will be forgiven." This is the divine verdict. Forgiveness is not a maybe. It is not a hope-so. When God's requirements for dealing with sin are met, forgiveness is the certain outcome. The debt is cancelled. The guilt is removed. The sinner is restored.

Application

This passage has direct application for us, particularly for those in positions of leadership, whether in the church, the home, or the state. Leadership magnifies sin. A leader's failure does not just affect him; it ripples out and harms those under his care. Therefore, leaders must be doubly vigilant and doubly quick to repent. When a sin is made known, the response should not be to cover it up, to spin it, or to blame someone else. The response should be to run to the cross.

We no longer bring a male goat. We have something infinitely better. The Lord Jesus Christ is our sin offering. He is the leader who was without sin, yet He stood in the place of sinful leaders. Our guilt was transferred to His head, not by the laying on of hands, but by the eternal decree of God. He was slaughtered, not in the tabernacle court, but on a hill outside Jerusalem. His blood was presented, not on a bronze altar, but in the heavenly sanctuary itself. Through His one-time sacrifice, He has made perfect and permanent atonement for all our sins, unintentional and otherwise.

The application, then, is simple. When your sin is made known to you, do not despair and do not delay. Acknowledge your objective guilt before God. By faith, lay your hand on the head of your true substitute, Jesus Christ. Plead His blood as the only payment for your sin. And rest in the glorious promise that when God's provision is embraced, the verdict is always the same: you "will be forgiven." This is not just a ritual from an ancient book; it is the living pattern of our daily walk with God.