The five offering Part 2
He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
As seen in part 1, the burnt offering, grain offering, and peace offering were free-will offerings and were intended as thanksgiving. The last two offerings were sin and guilt offerings, which were mandatory and intended to convey apologies.
Sin offering: Jesus forgives and cleanses
When people become aware of their sins, they lay their hands on a bull as a means of transferring the sin. It is noteworthy that the priests will burn the bull outside the camp, since Jesus was crucified outside the city, symbolizing Jesus's sacrifice for our sin. As Jesus has become our perfect sin offering, we no longer need to transfer our sin to an animal.
Guilt offering: Jesus restitutes
A sin offering deals with the person who committed the sin, while a guilt offering deals with the situation that needs to be fixed. They must make restitution in full. Leviticus 6:5 The keyword here is restitution, it means repay or pay back, return and restore something to its owner. For example, Zacchaeus tells Jesus that he will repay four times the amount he cheated.
However, some consequences cannot be rectified so people may feel guilty for not being able to make restitution. The good news is that Jesus can fix our mess by becoming our guilt offering. The Lord has the ability to forgive our sins while fixing the situation or people caused by our sins. Thus, we no longer have to bear guilt and can entrust the consequences to Him since He will make things right and restore them on our behalf.
Through Jesus' sacrifice, He has broken the bondage of sin and removed our guilt, allowing us to live a life of freedom. Thanks be to God for His sacrifice.
Blessing prayer: Jesus, forgiving us our sins and making things right on our behalf so that we no longer have to live in sin and guilt. You have healed all the brokenness in our lives, set us free, and brought us to your glory. In Jesus name, amen!
