Leviticus Chapter 4
Showing all 35 verses for Leviticus Chapter 4.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, "
"The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,"
Even these detailed instructions for handling sin came directly from God's own voice, showing His desire to guide His people through failure, not abandon them to it. Jesus calls you to trust that God is never silent or distant when you've messed up; He speaks into exactly those moments with a way forward.
"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: "
"Tell the Israelites: if someone unintentionally does something that violates one of the LORD's commands about things that must not be done,"
This law specifically addresses sins done unintentionally, showing God's justice takes into account what a person actually knew and intended, not just the outward act. Jesus calls you to receive the same fairness and understanding towards others - judging a person's heart and intent with grace, not only their mistakes.
"If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering. "
"If the anointed priest sins in a way that brings guilt on the people, he is to bring a young bull without defect to the LORD as a sin offering for his sin."
Even the anointed priest, the one meant to represent the people before God, could sin and needed atonement just like everyone else. Jesus calls you to let go of any pretence that leaders or "spiritual" people are above needing grace - every person, however high their calling, needs the same forgiveness.
"And he shall bring the bullock unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD; and shall lay his hand upon the bullock’s head, and kill the bullock before the LORD. "
"He is to bring the bull to the entrance of the tent of meeting, before the LORD, lay his hand on the bull's head, and kill it there before the LORD."
The priest, though he served others, still had to personally identify with his own offering for his own sin - no shortcuts, even for someone so central to the system. Jesus calls you to take personal responsibility for your own wrongs honestly, rather than assuming your role or reputation excuses you from that.
"And the priest that is anointed shall take of the bullock’s blood, and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation: "
"The anointed priest is to take some of the bull's blood and bring it into the tent of meeting."
The priest's own sin required careful, deliberate handling, brought right to the heart of the sanctuary. Jesus calls you to bring even your most serious failures honestly before God, trusting He is willing to deal with them fully rather than needing you to hide them.
"And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the LORD, before the vail of the sanctuary. "
"The priest is to dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, in front of the curtain of the sanctuary."
The sevenfold sprinkling before the veil pictures completeness - this atonement wasn't partial or half-done, but thorough. Jesus calls you to trust that His forgiveness for you is likewise complete, not partial or grudging.
"And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. "
"The priest is to put some of the blood on the horns of the incense altar before the LORD inside the tent of meeting, and pour out the rest of the bull's blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tent."
The blood reached both the altar of incense, associated with prayer, and the altar of burnt offering, associated with sacrifice, showing atonement touches every part of a person's relationship with God. Jesus calls you to trust that His sacrifice reaches into every corner of your life, not just the parts you're comfortable bringing to Him.
"And he shall take off from it all the fat of the bullock for the sin offering; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, "
"He is to remove all the fat of the bull for the sin offering: the fat covering the internal organs, and all the fat on the internal organs,"
Even in a sin offering, addressing failure, the richest part was still given fully to God - repentance doesn't mean giving God your leftovers either. Jesus calls you to bring your whole self to repentance, not a half-hearted, minimal admission of wrong.
"And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away, "
"And the two kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering over the liver, along with the kidneys - all this he is to remove,"
The same inward parts singled out again shows that dealing with sin isn't just about outward correction, but about the hidden motives that led there in the first place. Jesus calls you to look honestly at your inner motives when you've done wrong, not just fix the visible behaviour.
"As it was taken off from the bullock of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall burn them upon the altar of the burnt offering. "
"Just as it was removed from the bull of the peace offering, the priest is to burn them on the altar of burnt offering."
The same process used for peace offerings was reused here for sin offerings, showing how closely restored fellowship and dealing with failure are connected. Jesus calls you to see that confessing wrong and being at peace with God aren't separate journeys - one leads directly into the other.
"And the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his dung, "
"But the bull's skin, all its meat, its head, its legs, its internal organs, and its waste,"
What remained of the sin offering was carried completely outside the camp, removed far from the community, dealt with fully and finally. Jesus calls you to remember how He "suffered without the gate," carrying your sin far away so it wouldn't remain among you.
"Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt. "
"The entire bull is to be carried outside the camp to a clean place where the ashes are dumped, and burned there on a wood fire - burned at the ash-dumping site."
Even the disposal of what remained followed a clean, deliberate, appointed place - nothing about handling failure was left careless or shameful. Jesus calls you to trust that God deals with the aftermath of your wrongdoing with the same careful dignity, not with contempt.
"And if the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty; "
"If the whole community of Israel sins unintentionally, and the assembly doesn't realise it, but they've acted against one of the LORD's commands and are guilty,"
Communities, not just individuals, can drift into wrongdoing together without even realising it. Jesus calls you to stay humble about the group loyalties and assumptions you share with others, since a whole community can be mistaken together, not only single people.
"When the sin, which they have sinned against it, is known, then the congregation shall offer a young bullock for the sin, and bring him before the tabernacle of the congregation. "
"When the sin they've committed becomes known, the community is to offer a young bull for the sin and bring it to the tent of meeting."
Once the wrong became known, the community didn't ignore or excuse it - they addressed it together and brought it honestly before God. Jesus calls you to be part of a community that faces its mistakes honestly rather than covering for one another out of misplaced loyalty.
"And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the LORD: and the bullock shall be killed before the LORD. "
"The elders of the community are to place their hands on the bull's head before the LORD, and the bull is to be killed there before the LORD."
The elders acted on behalf of the whole community, showing that leaders carry real responsibility to represent and own the community's failures, not just its successes. Jesus calls leaders and anyone in a position of trust to take responsibility seriously, standing with people through failure and not only through triumph.
"And the priest that is anointed shall bring of the bullock’s blood to the tabernacle of the congregation: "
"The anointed priest is to bring some of the bull's blood into the tent of meeting."
The priest carried the responsibility of bringing the congregation's failure into God's presence himself, standing between the people and God. Jesus calls you to rest in Him as the one who now carries you into God's presence permanently, so you no longer need a human priest standing between you and God.
"And the priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, even before the vail. "
"The priest is to dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, in front of the curtain."
This same sevenfold sprinkling, done again for the whole congregation, shows the same thoroughness applied whether one person or many were involved. Jesus calls you to trust that when He deals with your sin, He deals with it fully and does not leave anything half-addressed.
"And he shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar which is before the LORD, that is in the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. "
"He is to put some of the blood on the horns of the altar before the LORD inside the tent of meeting, and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tent."
Every stage of this process was carried out in full, showing thoroughness even in caring for a whole nation's failure. Jesus calls you to trust that His care for you is thorough too, missing no detail of what needs to be made right.
"And he shall take all his fat from him, and burn it upon the altar. "
"He is to remove all its fat and burn it on the altar."
Even for the whole congregation's mistake, the richest part was still given fully to God, keeping the same standard regardless of scale. Jesus calls you to bring full sincerity to repentance whether the wrong is small and personal or large and shared.
"And he shall do with the bullock as he did with the bullock for a sin offering, so shall he do with this: and the priest shall make an atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them. "
"He is to deal with this bull just as he dealt with the bull for the other sin offering, and the priest will make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven."
The passage ends simply with forgiveness granted - not doubt, not lingering guilt, but a clear declaration that it is finished. Jesus calls you to receive His forgiveness the same way: fully, without clinging to guilt He has already dealt with.
"And he shall carry forth the bullock without the camp, and burn him as he burned the first bullock: it is a sin offering for the congregation. "
"He is to carry the bull outside the camp and burn it just as he burned the first bull; it is a sin offering for the community."
Once again, what remained was removed completely outside the camp, showing that dealing with communal sin was just as thorough as dealing with an individual's. Jesus calls you to trust He removes sin fully, whether it belongs to one person or an entire community.
"When a ruler hath sinned, and done somewhat through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD his God concerning things which should not be done, and is guilty; "
"When a leader sins, doing something unintentionally against one of the LORD his God's commands, and becomes guilty,"
Even a ruler, someone with power and authority, wasn't exempt from needing to make things right when he did wrong. Jesus calls you to remember that power and position never place anyone above accountability - everyone answers to the same standard of honesty and repentance.
"Or if his sin, wherein he hath sinned, come to his knowledge; he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a male without blemish: "
"Or when his sin becomes known to him, he is to bring his offering: a male goat without defect."
The moment the ruler became aware of his fault, he was expected to act, not wait or make excuses because of his position. Jesus calls you to respond quickly and honestly the moment you realise you've done wrong, rather than letting pride or status delay you.
"And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the LORD: it is a sin offering. "
"He is to place his hand on the goat's head and kill it in the place where the burnt offering is killed, before the LORD. It is a sin offering."
Even a ruler had to personally, physically identify with his offering in the same place as everyone else - no special treatment, no separate process. Jesus calls you to embrace the truth that before God, status changes nothing; everyone comes the same way, through honest identification with what was given for them.
"And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out his blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering. "
"The priest is to take some of the sin offering's blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, then pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar."
The ruler's atonement followed exactly the same procedure as everyone else's - no shortcuts granted because of rank. Jesus calls you to see how God's grace works the same way for the powerful and the powerless alike, with nobody receiving an easier path to forgiveness.
"And he shall burn all his fat upon the altar, as the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall make an atonement for him as concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him. "
"He is to burn all its fat on the altar, just as with the fat of the peace offering, and the priest will make atonement for him regarding his sin, and he will be forgiven."
The ruler received the same full forgiveness as anyone else once he brought his offering honestly. Jesus calls you to trust that no wrongdoing, however significant your role or reputation, places you beyond the reach of God's forgiveness.
"And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty; "
"If any ordinary person sins unintentionally, doing something against one of the LORD's commands, and becomes guilty,"
The law took just as much care over the ordinary, unnamed person as it did over priests and rulers - no one was too insignificant to matter to God. Jesus calls you to know that you matter to God exactly as much as anyone more prominent or powerful than you.
"Or if his sin, which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath sinned. "
"Or when his sin becomes known to him, he is to bring his offering, a female goat without defect, for the sin he has committed."
The same prompt, honest response was expected from the ordinary person as from the ruler - the standard didn't lower just because the person was less prominent. Jesus calls you to hold yourself to the same honest standard of quick repentance regardless of how visible or important your position is.
"And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering. "
"He is to place his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered."
Even the least prominent person in Israel had the same right and responsibility to personally identify with their offering as anyone else. Jesus calls you to know your access to God's grace is every bit as direct and personal as anyone else's, however ordinary your life may seem.
"And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar. "
"The priest is to take some of its blood with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour out all the rest of the blood at the base of the altar."
The same careful, complete process used for priest and ruler was carried out in full for the ordinary person's offering too. Jesus calls you to trust He deals with your failures with the same completeness and seriousness as anyone else's, however small your situation might feel.
"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. "
"He is to remove all its fat, just as the fat is removed from the peace offering, and the priest is to burn it on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the LORD; the priest will make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven."
The passage again ends in clear forgiveness - the ordinary person leaves just as clean and at peace as the ruler did. Jesus calls you to walk away from your own repentance with the same confidence: forgiven, not half-forgiven, and free to move forward.
"And if he bring a lamb for a sin offering, he shall bring it a female without blemish. "
"If he brings a lamb as a sin offering, it must be a female without defect."
Another acceptable option, a lamb, was given here, showing again how God provided different paths that all led to the same forgiveness. Jesus calls you not to worry about finding exactly the "right" way to come to Him - any honest approach, made in faith, reaches Him.
"And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering. "
"He is to place his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it as a sin offering at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered."
This repeated act shows how essential personal identification with the sacrifice was, no matter which animal or which person brought it. Jesus calls you to keep personally trusting in what He did for you, again and again, as the constant heart of your faith.
"And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar: "
"The priest is to take some of the sin offering's blood with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour out all the rest of the blood at the base of the altar."
This consistent, careful process repeated one final time shows how seriously and steadily God deals with sin - never inconsistent, never careless. Jesus calls you to trust in His unwavering consistency; He treats your failures with the same seriousness and care every single time.
"And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of the peace offerings; and the priest shall burn them upon the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: and the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him. "
"He is to remove all its fat, just as the fat of the lamb is removed from the peace offering, and the priest is to burn it on the altar, following the pattern of the fire offerings to the LORD; the priest will make atonement for his sin, and he will be forgiven."
The chapter closes as it has each time - fat wholly given, atonement made, forgiveness granted - a rhythm meant to reassure you that this is simply how God deals with human failure. Jesus calls you to trust this rhythm fully: honest confession met every time with real, complete forgiveness.