Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
Leviticus
Book: Leviticus
Chapter: 4
Overview:
The
Sin-Offering of ignorance for the
Priest.
(1-12) For the
whole
Congregation.
(13-21) For a ruler.
(22-26) For any of the
people.
(27-35)
1-12 Burnt-offerings, meat-offerings, and peace-offerings, had
been offered before the giving of the
Law upon
Mount Sinai; and
in these the patriarchs had respect to
Sin, to make
Atonement
for it. But the Jews were now
Put into a way of making
Atonement
for
Sin, more particularly
By Sacrifice, as a
Shadow of good
things to come; yet the substance is
Christ, and that one
Offering of himself,
By which he
Put away
Sin. The sins for
which the
Sin-offerings were appointed are supposed to be open
acts. They are supposed to be sins of commission, things which
ought not to have been done. Omissions are sins, and must come
into
Judgment: yet what had been omitted at one time, might be
done at another; but a
Sin committed was past recall. They are
supposed to be sins committed through ignorance. The
Law begins
with the case of the anointed
Priest. It is evident that
God
never had any infallible
Priest in his
Church upon
Earth, when
even the high
Priest was liable to fall into sins of ignorance.
All pretensions to act without error are sure marks of
Antichrist. The
Beast was to be carried without the
Camp, and
there burned to
Ashes. This was a sign of the duty of
Repentance, which is the putting away
Sin as a detestable thing,
which our soul hates. The
Sin-Offering is called
Sin. What they
did to that, we must do to our sins; the body of
Sin must be
destroyed, Ro 6:6. The
Apostle applies the carrying this
Sacrifice without the
Camp to
Christ, Heb 13:11-13.
13-21 If the leaders of the people, through mistake, caused
them to err, an
Offering must be brought, that wrath might not
come upon the whole
Congregation. When sacrifices were offered,
the persons,
On whose behalf they were devoted, were to lay
their hands
On the heads of the victims, and to confess their
sins. The elders were to do
So, when the sacrifices were offered
for the whole
Congregation. The load of
Sin was supposed then to
be borne
By the guiltless
Animal. When the
Offering is
completed, it is said,
Atonement is made, and the
Sin shall be
forgiven. The saving of churches and kingdoms from ruin, is
owing to the satisfaction and mediation of
Christ.
22-26 Those who have power to
Call others to account, are
themselves accountable to the Ruler of rulers. The
Sin of the
ruler, committed through ignorance, must come to his knowledge,
either
By the check of his own
Conscience, or
By the reproof of
his friends; both which even the best and greatest, not only
should submit to, but be thankful for. That which I see not,
teach thou me, and, Show me wherein I have erred, are prayers we
should
Put up to
God every
Day; that if, through ignorance, we
fall into
Sin, we may not through ignorance abide in it.
27-35 Here is the
Law of the
Sin-Offering for a common person.
To be able to plead, when charged with
Sin, that we did it
ignorantly, and through the surprise of
Temptation, will not
bring us off, if we have
No interest in that great plea,
Christ
hath died. The sins of ignorance committed
By a common person,
needed a
Sacrifice; the greatest are not above, the meanest are
not below Divine
Justice. None, if offenders, were overlooked.
Here rich and
Poor meet together; they are alike sinners, and
welcome to
Christ. From all these laws concerning the
Sin-offerings, we may learn to hate
Sin, and to watch against
it; and to value
Christ, the great and true
Sin-Offering, whose
Blood cleanses from all
Sin, which it was not possible that the
Blood of bulls and of goats should take away. For us to err,
with the
Bible in our hands, is the effect of pride, sloth, and
carelessness. We need to use frequent self-examination, with
serious study of the Scriptures, and
Earnest Prayer for the
convincing influences of
God the Holy
Spirit; that we may detect
our sins of ignorance, repent, and obtain forgiveness through
the
Blood of
Christ.