Lev 4:33 | KingComments | STEP | The fourth category is sin committed by a common member of the people. In that case, such a person has the choice between a goat or a lamb. If such a person sins, he cannot hide behind ignorance or his own smallness. Sin, committed by whoever it may be, is an abomination to God. But the sinner, whoever he may be, is precious in God’s sight. That is why He has the right means for everyone to become clean before Him again. Every means speaks of the Lord Jesus. The distinction in offering represents the difference in insight that exists among the members of the people of God. It presupposes that every member has a certain insight. If it is a personal sin, the fellowship of the people with the LORD in general is not interrupted. There is no talk of putting blood on the altar of incense, as is the case in and , because these are situations where the fellowship of the whole people with God through sin is broken. The sin of the individual does not make the altar of incense unclean; it is not made unsuitable for use by the people. The individual who has sinned loses the enjoyment of the blessing that is embodied in being part of the congregation. Therefore, the blood of the sin offering is applied to the horns of the altar of burnt offering as the place of personal access to God. The fellowship of the church as a body of worshipers is not interrupted by the sin of the individual, although it is defective and impeded. The LORD sometimes punishes the whole assembly when the sin of the individual remains hidden, as we see with Achan ( ). A healthy state in which God is not saddened or offended is characterized by strength. When conscience is active and the heart is interested in the blessing of God’s people, this will lead to finding the cause if there is weakness and loss. When sin is discovered and judged, the blessing returns. There is another peculiarity with this sin offering that we do not have with the previous sin offerings. This is the fat which is sacrificed and which is a soothing aroma to the LORD. While every sin is awful in God’s eye, and the Lord Jesus, when made sin, is awful in God’s eye, all God’s pleasure rests upon Him at the same time. When we remember that God has been so dishonored by sin and that the Lord Jesus, through His work on the cross, has paid the price for it, then God is glorified in that same work. Through sin man has robbed the honor of God. The Lord Jesus has done everything – which the fat speaks of – to restore what He has not stolen, that is the honor of God ( ). Therefore, His work is a pleasant or soothing aroma.

‏ Leviticus 4:33

Sin of Anyone of the Common People

The fourth category is sin committed by a common member of the people. In that case, such a person has the choice between a goat or a lamb. If such a person sins, he cannot hide behind ignorance or his own smallness. Sin, committed by whoever it may be, is an abomination to God. But the sinner, whoever he may be, is precious in God’s sight. That is why He has the right means for everyone to become clean before Him again. Every means speaks of the Lord Jesus. The distinction in offering represents the difference in insight that exists among the members of the people of God. It presupposes that every member has a certain insight.

If it is a personal sin, the fellowship of the people with the LORD in general is not interrupted. There is no talk of putting blood on the altar of incense, as is the case in Lev 4:7 and Lev 4:18, because these are situations where the fellowship of the whole people with God through sin is broken. The sin of the individual does not make the altar of incense unclean; it is not made unsuitable for use by the people.

The individual who has sinned loses the enjoyment of the blessing that is embodied in being part of the congregation. Therefore, the blood of the sin offering is applied to the horns of the altar of burnt offering as the place of personal access to God.

The fellowship of the church as a body of worshipers is not interrupted by the sin of the individual, although it is defective and impeded. The LORD sometimes punishes the whole assembly when the sin of the individual remains hidden, as we see with Achan (Jos 7:1). A healthy state in which God is not saddened or offended is characterized by strength. When conscience is active and the heart is interested in the blessing of God’s people, this will lead to finding the cause if there is weakness and loss. When sin is discovered and judged, the blessing returns.

There is another peculiarity with this sin offering that we do not have with the previous sin offerings. This is the fat which is sacrificed and which is a soothing aroma to the LORD. While every sin is awful in God’s eye, and the Lord Jesus, when made sin, is awful in God’s eye, all God’s pleasure rests upon Him at the same time.

When we remember that God has been so dishonored by sin and that the Lord Jesus, through His work on the cross, has paid the price for it, then God is glorified in that same work. Through sin man has robbed the honor of God. The Lord Jesus has done everything – which the fat speaks of – to restore what He has not stolen, that is the honor of God (Psa 69:4b). Therefore, His work is a pleasant or soothing aroma.