“And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat is taken away from off the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour unto the Lord; and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.”
Leviticus 4 deals with the laws of sin offerings, and verse 31 specifically focuses on the procedures to be followed when an individual from the congregation sins unintentionally. The verse outlines the actions to be taken by the priest to bring about atonement and forgiveness for the person who has sinned.
In ancient Israel, sacrifices played a significant role in their worship and relationship with God. The sin offering was a specific type of sacrifice designed to address unintentional sins or offenses committed by the people. It provided a means for individuals to seek forgiveness and reconciliation with God and the community.
According to Leviticus 4:31, once the unintentional sin was identified, the priest would take the animal offered for the sin offering and remove all the fat from it. The fat was regarded as the choicest part of the animal and was considered sacred. By removing and burning it upon the altar, the priest demonstrated that it was solely dedicated to God.
The burning of the fat on the altar was described as a “sweet savour unto the Lord.” This phrase indicates that the offering was pleasing and acceptable to God. The act of burning the fat symbolized the complete surrender and devotion of the offering to God, acknowledging His authority and holiness.
Additionally, the priest’s role was to make an atonement for the individual who had sinned unintentionally. The act of atonement involved seeking reconciliation and restoring the broken relationship caused by sin. Through the sin offering, the priest acted as a mediator between the person and God, interceding on their behalf.
The outcome of this process was forgiveness. Once the sin offering had been made and the prescribed actions carried out, the person’s sins would be forgiven by God. The offering provided a way for the person to find spiritual restoration and renewed fellowship with God.
It’s important to note that the sacrificial system and its regulations, including the practices described in Leviticus, were specific to the Israelites under the Old Covenant. With the coming of Jesus Christ and His sacrificial death on the cross, a new covenant was established, rendering the Old Testament sacrificial system obsolete (Hebrews 10:1-18). As Christians, we believe in the forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross.
While we may no longer engage in the rituals of the Old Testament sacrificial system, studying these passages can still provide valuable insights into God’s holiness, the seriousness of sin, the need for forgiveness, and the importance of surrendering ourselves completely to God.
