Commentary - Leviticus 4:27-31

Bird's-eye view

Here in Leviticus, we are in the liturgical center of the Old Testament. God is teaching His people how to approach Him, and the central lesson is this: you cannot come near on your own terms. Sin is a real problem, a polluting agent, and it must be dealt with through blood. This chapter details the sin offering, and this particular section addresses the sins of the common man. This is not about high priests or tribal leaders, but about the ordinary Israelite. The sacrificial system is a glorious picture book of the gospel. Every detail is pregnant with meaning, pointing forward to the one final sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. God is holy, sin is deadly, and forgiveness is costly. That is the logic of Leviticus, and it is the logic of the cross.

Outline

Verse by Verse Commentary

27 ‘Now if anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and becomes guilty,

The law addresses "anyone of the common people." This is crucial. God's holiness and the demands of His law are not just for the elite, the priests, or the rulers. The standard applies to everyone, down to the last man. Sin is no respecter of persons, and neither is the law of God. The sin described here is "unintentional." This does not mean it was an accident with no moral culpability, like tripping on a rock. In the biblical sense, unintentional sin is contrasted with high-handed, defiant sin (Num. 15:30). This is the sin we commit out of weakness, ignorance, or carelessness, not out of a clenched fist of rebellion. But notice, even this kind of sin makes a person "guilty." Our modern sensibilities want to excuse sins of ignorance, but God does not. A violation of God's holy standard, whether you were aware of it at the moment or not, creates real, objective guilt. Sin pollutes, and it must be cleansed.

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

Often, our consciences are dull. We sin and are not immediately aware of it. This verse accounts for that reality. The guilt is present from the moment of the act, but the process of atonement begins when the sin is "made known to him." This can happen through the reading of the law, the rebuke of a brother, or the conviction of God's Spirit. When the light goes on and the man sees his sin for what it is, he is not to despair or try to hide. He is to act. He is to bring the prescribed offering. God is very specific: a female goat, without blemish. We do not get to invent our own methods of atonement. We cannot bring a blemished animal, or a different kind of animal, or just a heartfelt apology. Sin requires a perfect substitute, and we must come to God on His terms, not ours. This goat is brought "for his sin," directly linking the sacrifice to the transgression.

29 And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter the sin offering at the place of the burnt offering.

Here we have the doctrine of imputation acted out in living color. When the sinner lays his hand on the head of the goat, he is identifying with it. He is saying, in effect, "This animal is taking my place. Let my sin be counted against it, and let its innocence be counted for me." This is a profound theological act. The guilt is transferred from the man to the substitute. And immediately following this identification, the animal is slaughtered. Forgiveness is not a cheap transaction. The wages of sin is death, and this goat is collecting the sinner's wages. The penalty must be paid. Blood must be shed. This happens at "the place of the burnt offering," the designated place where God meets with man through sacrifice.

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

The priest, as the mediator, now handles the blood. The life of the flesh is in the blood (Lev. 17:11), and this lifeblood is the agent of atonement. He puts the blood on the horns of the altar. The horns of the altar represent its power and authority. By applying the blood here, the priest is applying the power of the atoning death to the very center of worship. The rest of the blood is poured out at the base. This signifies a complete and total death. The life of the substitute has been fully given. Nothing is held back. This is a graphic depiction of the totality of the payment required for sin.

31 Then he shall remove all its fat, just as the fat was removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar for a soothing aroma to Yahweh. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.

After the penalty is paid through the shedding of blood, another aspect of the sacrifice is presented. The fat, considered the richest and best part of the animal, is removed and offered up in smoke on the altar. This is described as a "soothing aroma to Yahweh." While the death appeases God's justice, this offering of the best part signifies His good pleasure and acceptance. The sacrifice is not just a payment of a debt; it is an offering that pleases God. The connection to the peace offering is significant; dealing with sin is the prerequisite for peace with God. And the verse concludes with the glorious result. The priest, the mediator, makes atonement. And the sinner "will be forgiven." This is a declarative statement. Forgiveness is not a feeling, but a verdict. Because the substitute has died and the offering has been accepted, God declares the sinner forgiven. The debt is paid. The slate is clean.

Application

The logic of this passage is the logic of the gospel. We are the common people, and we sin unintentionally every day. We are guilty before a holy God, whether we feel it or not. The Word of God makes our sin known to us, and we are called not to despair, but to look to our sacrifice. We do not bring a female goat. We bring nothing in our hands. We simply cling to the cross of the one who was our perfect substitute.

Jesus Christ is our sin offering, the Lamb of God "without blemish." By faith, we lay our hands on His head, confessing that our sin was imputed to Him on the cross. He was slaughtered in our place, at the true altar. His blood was not sprinkled on a bronze altar, but on the mercy seat in heaven itself, securing our forgiveness. His life, a perfect life of obedience, was a soothing aroma to the Father. And because our great High Priest has made this one final atonement, the verdict over every believer is this: "You will be forgiven." Therefore, we live not in fear of condemnation, but in the joyous freedom of a people whose sin has been dealt with, once and for all.