Bowing his head, he gave up his spirit. What's finished? We pay the price. The purification is done. And if we sin, we have an advocate with the Father.
Who is that?
Well, we know it's the Christ. The forgiveness of sins. There's never been anything laid back or ordinary about the forgiveness of sins. These words are blood red in this life. But in the next life, They're radiant gold.
This is Cross Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Leviticus. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross-reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. And now here's Pastor Rick in the book of Leviticus chapter 4 with today's edition of Cross-Reference Radio.
The blood is put on the horns of the altar. A symbol of power. For us, the only Blood that has any power is the blood of Jesus Christ. And we have songs that Speak about nothing but The blood of Jesus Christ. Why do we see Abraham and Lazarus?
In Sheol Broken into two compartments before the death of Christ, one side for the wicked, the other side for the righteous, and Abraham and Lazarus are on the side of the righteous. Why aren't they in heaven?
Well, because the blood of the animals could only cover the sins. but they could not remove them And The message to mankind is, no one gets to heaven without Christ. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me. And thus, in Ephesians, we read that he led captivity captive.
He took hold of the righteous, Abraham and all the others. And into heaven they went. And such Are the words to the thief on the cross? Today you will be with me in paradise. If that thief died before A day before he would have and if he had Been righteous, he would have gone to Sheol where Abraham was.
If he had remained unrighteous, as he was on the cross before Christ Got into his life? then he would have gone to the wicked side. Anyway? Um Why would these things be hard to believe? Everything we see with our eyes in the physical universe has a parallel.
Somewhere in the spiritual. Verse 11, but the Bull's hide and all its flesh with its head, its legs, and entrails. The whole bull shall be carried outside the camp to a clean place. Where the ashes are poured out. Burn Burning on wood with fire When the ashes are poured out, it shall be burned.
It shouldn't be boring reading when we start catching hold of Some of the meanings. Of course, the skin and the guts are That's what's talked about in verse 11: the hide and the entrails. Disposed in now. This disposal more than likely required cards. How do you take a carcass of a bull?
I mean, you just don't pick it up and put it on your show. Oh, I could. But I mean Most most ordinary people can. And so then the you know the ashes, the parts that aren't to be Burned in the fire, you gotta cart that literally cart it out. to another place.
One of the lessons behind this sin offering is that nothing of sin is to be salvaged. According to Hebrews chapter 13, verses 10 through 13, this pictures our Lord who died. Outside the city gate, outside the camp. as our sin offering. As I read from Isaiah 53, I read from Hebrews 13: therefore, Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood.
Outside the gate. This all connected to the imagery that's given to us in the sin offering.
Now it says where the ashes are poured out.
Now, here's something interesting about ashes that maybe might not, we know, but you might not think about it in the context of the sacrifice. You can stir embers into a flame. On the most situation circumstances. But ashes cannot be made to burn. Such is God's forgiveness.
The sin offering has turned it to ash. They're going to take this outside the camp. They're going to burn it to ash. In Christ, our guilt is as dead as the ashes of the sin offering. Man, I love how this stuff works out.
Psalm thirty two, I acknowledge my sin to you, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. C'lah. And I I believe the say law is a is a Q to the musicians. Hit it.
And while they're playing it, you're meditating on what you were just singing. Verse 13: Now, if the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally, and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done something against any of the commandments of the Lord, and anything which should not be done. and are guilty verse 14 When the sin which they have committed becomes known, then the assembly shall offer a young bull. But the sin And bring it before the tabernacle of meeting.
Now, this is the sin of the nation. Verse 4. Thirteen now addresses The nation not the priest directly. is where we find an example of the nation sinning Unintentionally.
Well, one place is in Joshua 9. There we find a lead or the leaders and the people both. Sinning unintentionally and the sin offering. is As an offering for both.
So God had commanded the Canaanites to be wiped out.
Now the Canaanites could have just left. They didn't have to stay and fight. Why did they have to kill him?
Well, they could have gone. They knew what happened to Jericho. They could have just said, you know, if they took out Jericho, we're next. I think I'm changing neighborhoods. I had a moving van at my house the next day.
Well, anyway, they didn't. They stayed to fight and, of course, were vanquished. But the Gibeonites they came up with an idea look, you know. Let's trick them. to make them think we're not Canaanites, but we're from somewhere else.
And we'll enter into a covenant. We'll lie, we'll get into this covenant with them. And the covenant was b once the signature was on the paper, it was Regardless of how illegal it was and it it was binding.
So Joshua takes a look at their worn out sh shoes and Molded bread and says to himself, Avi clearly they're not from Canaan, they've been. trekking around the wilderness. We'll give him a break. We know what it's like to be. On the move like that.
And then come to find out, Joshua, you were tricked.
Well, the people were very upset with Joshua and the leaders, but the people were under that also. They were under that covenant unintentionally. Ignorantly. Sin offering Would have been required for them at the sanctuary. One other point.
The temple, as Moses is giving the law. was being given the law by God. The temple has just been finished, but they're still in the wilderness.
So many of these things again won't kick in until they go into, like, they couldn't have cities of refuge. until they claimed the territory. They couldn't do farming for the grain offerings. But they could bring sin offerings, they they but not just yet. Moses had to finish Leviticus.
Before he got there. And again, don't think that Everything God told them about the offerings has been put in print because, again, they're just. It shows up in other books. But it leaves questions sometimes. But you say to your, you know, well, Moses understood what was happening, they understood.
We don't have all the information. But we have what we need. Anyway, some of the blood from this sacrifice went into the sanctuary, therefore, could not be. eaten by the priest. Verse 15, and the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull.
Before Yahweh, then the bull shall be killed before Yahweh.
Well, the elders represent the nation. As the 24 elders in the book of Revelation represent the Old and New Testament saints. If I wanted to be thick-headed in commentary, I would say, well, I don't have any proof of that. Yeah, I do. There's twelve tribes of Israel, there's twelve apostles, there's twelve gates, there's twelve pearls.
I don't need to be a genius to figure out the significance that God is using with these numbers when the pattern is formed. Seven is the number of completion. It's just throughout scripture.
Well There were tribal elders. which would have been in that number. Just but they were also Well, I'm getting ahead of myself. There were also another 70 elders that were appointed.
So these would make up. the elders of Israel. For practical reasons, remember the nation at this point over two million people.
So they needed representation. You're not going to get too many people come and lay their hands on the beast, the elders, they would do it.
Now, I have some very good news for you. We're going to skip verses 16 through 19 because they're identical to verses 5 and 7 for the. priest offering they just now apply to uh the the nation. Verse 20. And he shall do with the bull as he did with the bull as the sin offering.
Thus he shall Do with it?
So the priests shall make atonement for them. and it shall be forgiven them.
Now I would I'm not asking, but if I said how many found that boring?
Well, you know, everybody might raise their hand. But what about the part that shall be forgiven? What's boring about that? That is incredible. Take that out of your Bible and Your toast.
We are, but it's in the Bible. And God is very careful to keep it in front of us. Verse twenty one, Then he shall carry the bull outside the camp, burn it as he burned the first bull. It is a sin offering for the assembly.
So this is for the nation, and the nation goes. Enters into sin unknowingly, unintentionally.
So the central purpose of the sin offering is atonement. All right, well it's a theological word. How about this one? Purification. It cleanses you from sin.
Uh you know As a pastor, it's a greeting line on on Sunday mornings I've Train myself, I hope sometimes I'm sure I mess up, not to let my hands touch my face. I'm shaking people's hands. I don't know where they've been. They don't know where I've been.
So, of course, first chance I get. I got soap and water.
Now I may use the gel, but I prefer the soap and water. Because I want to purify my hands. I hope they're doing the same thing. That purification in a very s mainly for the younger. Christians?
Purification is a big deal. It's one thing to purify yourself of. A virus or a bacteria But what about sin? And that's what these things are all about. The focus of the Old Testament sacrificial system is purification.
Christ is the New Testament's Perpetual. Finalization. of the Old Testament system. And so it's sort of God saying, look. Instead of just having Isaiah come up.
And tell you straight out what's going to happen, like he does in Isaiah 53. Instead of only doing that, I'm also going to paint some pictures for you. Of people going out of the temple. Bringing a bull and a ram, so you'll understand. What sin, how messy and ugly it is, and That is prophetic.
It's an announcement. It's saying I got other plans. And now you know they've been fulfilled. John's Gospel chapter 19, verse 30.
So when Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, It is finished. and bowing his head he gave up his spirit. What's finished? We paid the price. The purification is done.
And if we sin, we have an advocate with the Father. Who is that?
Well, we know it's the Christ. The forgiveness of sins. There's never been anything laid back or ordinary about the forgiveness of sins. These words are blood red in this life, but in the next life, They're radiant gold. They're not red any more.
Revelation 4 Around the throne were twenty four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty four elders sitting clothed in white robes.
Now these represent it's not you're not it's not Peter sitting up there on the throne with crown on his head. It's a vision that John was receiving. I know somebody might really like that, but you're free to be wrong. You know that. Anyway.
It's a vision. He's representing the saints through the ages. And you cannot have your Old Testament Jewish twelve saints without having your anti Diluvian saints, the saints before the flood, your Enoch and Abel. They're in this number too. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones.
And on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed with white robes, and they had crowns of gold on their heads. That's the color of forgiveness in heaven. And of course, they're not worthy of those. They didn't earn their salvation. The one they that did is the lamb.
But Lord's, you know, and they throw your crowns down there. Lord, what am I going to do with those? Pick 'em up. I'm not picking those up. He's making a trip over them.
The human side of it. I thought it was cute. Anyway, verse 4, 22, verse 22. When a ruler has sinned And done something unintentionally against any of the commandments of Yahweh. His God.
In anything which should not be done and is guilty. We're going to pause there. When Paul writes, for instance, to the Thessalonians. He makes statements about and any other thing that is not right. Covering a lot of stuff for those people who want us.
Well, that's not written in the Bible. Yes, it is. And it's covered by such phrases as that. Anyway, anything which should not be done. And you know what it is.
And is guilty, verse 23. Or if his sin which he has committed comes to his knowledge, He shall bring his offering. As his offering, A kid of the goats? a male without blemish. Verse 24, and he shall lay his hand on the head of the goat and kill it at a place.
Where they kill a burnt offering before Yahweh. It is a sin offering.
Well, now it's to leaders. We've moved from The nation and the priest, now the leaders are up. These are civil leaders versus the priests who are the religious or spiritual leaders. Again, Joshua 9. Joshua as leader did not consult God.
And Ignorantly? hardened the Canaanites. Again, the total number of elders. Is unknown. We know the tribal leaders, that would be 12.
We know about the 70 from Exodus 24. But there may have been leaders of clans and other trustees and such that were. in that number two. Really doesn't matter, it just makes it interesting. Uh The offering of blood with this sacrifice does not make its way into the temple.
It stays outside the temple and the brazen altar, and therefore. Uh the meat of the offering was something that would likely, and see there's one of those obscure conclusions. Likely the priest could eat this one. When we get to Chapter 6, verse 38 will tell us if it's Been in the temple, they can't eat it. The identification with the substitution by putting the pressing the hand on the head, we covered.
Last session But it is imperative. that you identify with the victim. Or else what's the point? If you have someone that says, Well, I'm a Christian, but I don't believe Jesus died for me.
Well, you're not a Christian. There's no debate, it's automatic. You're not a Christian. And if you were to say, well, I'm a Christian, but I don't believe in the Bible, I don't know how you can get away with that. Maybe, you know, I you know, I don't you messed up.
Just pick sides. Choose you this day who you're going to serve. If it's going to be Christ, serve Christ. Otherwise, you're an Antichrist by default. It doesn't take any effort.
It takes a choice. Uh I want um to do my role. And um Be a partaker in Christ. Anyway, verse 25: the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger. Put it on the horns of the altar of the burnt offering.
That's the brazen altar, brass wood overlaid with brass, some parts. and pour its blood at the base of the altar. of burnt offering.
Well, I already commented on it. We can skip verse 26. We've already covered it, the peace offering protocol from the last chapter. Verse 27: If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally by doing something against any of the commandments of the Lord and anything of which they ought not to be done, And is guilty, verse 28. Or if his sin Which he has committed comes to his knowledge.
Pause there. See, that's the ignorance side. He didn't know. And that's been woven into all of this these sin offerings. Either unintentional, you know, oops.
Or huh? One of the two. That's what's being dealt with here.
Next chapter will be. Dealing with People that just outright liars, for example. Verse 28 continues: Then he shall bring the offering, kid of goats, a female without blemish. But the sin he has committed. The the cost of the offering is not as high now for the leader and for the citizen as it was for the priest and The nation Um Also, for the citizen, they could bring a goat or a lamb.
A kid of goats or a or a lamb, either one. Verse 29. and he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering. Kill the sin offering at the place of the burnt offering.
Well, a confession of guilt and identification again at the brazen altar. Otherwise, why bother? When we get to Romans 10, chapter 10, verses 9 and 10, Paul says, If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, which is to say, He can't be Lord if he's not the Savior. It's a packaged deal, it's a bundle. That's what's meant.
And it's an excellent verse to take somebody to if they want to receive Christ in their life. Say, well, let's turn. Let me turn to a place in the Bible. We can read, I'll read this out loud. And if you agree.
then um you are compliant. With God's plan of salvation. and therefore a recipient Of his mercy. Verse thirty: Then the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger. put it on the horns of the altar of the burnt offering, and pour the remaining blood at the base of the altar.
You know, that'd be a lot of blood. Put out a lot of blood.
So my point is is there's a visual here. If you are bringing that sacrifice to the temple, Even peripherally you would see that priest pouring that blood around that altar. It would be quite meaningful. There's nowhere else in Israel that this could take place. If you did it anywhere else, you'd be sinning.
It had to be at this altar. And with these priests. Of course. The nation Threw it all away. Eventually, You get it in phases.
in instalments. Verse thirty-one, He shall remove all its fat. As fat is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offering.
So that's. He's cutting off the fat around the organs. That's going to Go to the Lord. But none of the meat will be eaten in this animal because it's a sin offering and nothing is to be salvaged. is all to be turned to ash.
Brazen altar partly outside the camp. That was not an altar outside the camp, that was a fire pile. Buyer didn't care, it does the same job. converts whatever it's cooking into ash. And the priest shall burn it on the altar.
For a sweet aroma to the Lord.
So the priest shall make atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him. This is the first time we come to this phrase in a sin offering as a sweet aroma to the Lord. And it's for the common individual, right? For the citizen. It's absent from the trespass offering.
The trespass offerings premeditated sin. Even brazen sin, Very harmful to others. The fingerprint of Jesus Christ is on my salvation because, as we pointed out, the priests had a role to play. We are a royal priesthood. We have.
Our responsibility in coming to Christ, we receive him. We get the blood of Christ on us. Here the individual. The priest is again handling the blood, and the high priest. The fingerprint of Jesus Christ is on my salvation.
That's what I get from this. Finger in the blood thing. The fingerprint of Christ is on my salvation and no one else's. It's a big deal to dust for fingerprints in a crime scene, is it not? Because if your fingerprints are on the wrong thing at the crime scene.
Not only has it placed you there, but it could also. Point to other parts of your guilt.
Well, this puts Jesus Christ at the crime scene of my sin. As the solution.
Now we skip to verse thirty-five, but just the last sentence.
So the priest shall make atonement for his sin, that he has committed And it shall be forgiven him. It is likely that That closed this session with Moses and the Lord. And then Moses, when we pick up again. In chapter five. No, it actually seems to just keep going until chapter six.
If you can use that as a To measure the days, because God is not going to give all of this to Moses in one day. Very unlikely. You can't read Leviticus in one day.
So she imagine him writing.
So, anyway, that's it. The priest shall make atonement for his sin. Mm-hmm. that he has committed and it shall be forgiven him. Mm-hmm.
Thanks for tuning in to today's edition of Cross Reference Radio. Pastor Rick Gaston is currently going through the book of Leviticus. We're glad you joined us. We trust that you're gaining some valuable insights into God's Word as we go through this Old Testament book. Cross-Reference Radio comes to you from Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville, in Virginia.
If you'd like to subscribe to our podcast, you can do so by going to your favorite app store and downloading from there. For any additional information about this ministry, we invite you to visit our website, crossreference radio.com. Make sure to come back again for the upcoming edition in the book of Leviticus, as Pastor Rick has much more to share. We thank you for being with us right here on Cross Reference Radio. Yeah.
