What does "the priest will make atonement" reveal about Old Testament sacrificial practices? Setting the Phrase in Context • The wording “the priest will make atonement” (e.g., Leviticus 4:20, 26, 31, 35; 5:6, 10) forms a refrain throughout the sacrificial laws. • Each occurrence follows a detailed description of an offering—sin, guilt, burnt, or Day-of-Atonement rites (Leviticus 16:30, 32). • The promise that “they will be forgiven” (Leviticus 4:20) attaches directly to the priest’s action, underscoring its necessity and effectiveness. What the Phrase Teaches About Sacrifice • Substitution: An innocent animal dies in place of the guilty worshiper (Leviticus 1:4; 17:11). • Mediation: Only an ordained priest may “make atonement,” standing between sinner and God (Exodus 28:1; Hebrews 5:1). • Blood centrality: “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22)—a truth rooted in Leviticus 17:11. • Divine provision: God Himself prescribed both priest and sacrifice; forgiveness is His gift, not human invention (Leviticus 1:1-2). • Completeness: Each declaration ends with assurance—“and he will be forgiven”—revealing that God accepts the sacrifice as fully sufficient in its Old-Covenant context. Step-by-Step Look at the Atonement Ritual (Leviticus 4:1-35) 1. Identification – sinner chooses the prescribed animal matching the offense. 2. Presentation – animal brought “to the LORD” at the tent of meeting. 3. Laying on of hands – guilt symbolically transferred (v. 15). 4. Slaughter – offerer kills the animal; priest catches the blood. 5. Blood application – priest sprinkles/incenses specific parts of the sanctuary. 6. Burning parts on the altar – creating “a pleasing aroma to the LORD” (v. 31). 7. Disposal of remains – outside the camp for sin offerings of leaders or the people (v. 12). 8. Pronouncement – “Thus the priest will make atonement… and they will be forgiven” (v. 20). Insights into the Priest’s Role • Representative: Bears Israel’s names on his garments (Exodus 28:12). • Holiness: Must first atone for himself (Leviticus 16:6) to serve others. • Continual ministry: Daily offerings (Numbers 28) show sin’s ongoing nature and the need for constant mediation. • Limitations: Atonement is real yet temporary, pointing beyond itself (Hebrews 10:1-4). Foreshadowing and Fulfillment • Isaiah 53:5 speaks of the Servant who is “pierced for our transgressions,” linking prophetic hope to sacrificial imagery. • Hebrews 9:11-14 contrasts repeated Levitical sacrifices with the once-for-all offering of Christ, the true High Priest. • The ritual vocabulary—priest, blood, atonement, forgiveness—finds ultimate completion at the cross (Romans 3:25). Takeaway “The priest will make atonement” spotlights God’s ordained way for sinners to approach Him: a substitutionary sacrifice administered by a divinely appointed mediator, effecting genuine forgiveness while foreshadowing the perfect atonement accomplished in Jesus Christ. |
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