What other biblical instances involve offerings to atone for wrongdoing? Setting the scene “ ‘Five gold tumors and five gold rats—according to the number of the Philistine rulers—because the same plague has struck you and your rulers.’ ” (1 Samuel 6:4) The Philistines recognized their guilt for seizing the ark and sent a “guilt offering” (Hebrew: ’asham) to avert God’s judgment. Scripture records many other moments where an offering was required to cover, cleanse, or compensate for sin. Foundational sacrifices in the Law • Leviticus 4:27-31 — Sin Offering for unintentional wrongdoing. “Thus the priest will make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.” • Leviticus 5:14-16 — Guilt Offering for desecration of holy things. • Leviticus 6:6-7 — Restitution plus a ram: “The priest will make atonement… and he will be forgiven.” • Numbers 15:24-26 — Communal offering when the whole nation sinned unintentionally. • Leviticus 16:3-34 — Day of Atonement: blood sprinkled, scapegoat sent away. “For on this day atonement will be made for you… and you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD.” (v. 30) Examples in Israel’s history • Numbers 31:50 — Israel’s army brought golden articles “to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD.” • 1 Samuel 7:9-10 — Samuel “took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD… the LORD thundered with a loud voice against the Philistines.” • 2 Samuel 24:25 — After David’s census: “David built there an altar… and the LORD answered the prayers on behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.” • Ezra 8:35 — Returning exiles offered bulls, rams, and lambs “as a sin offering for all Israel.” • Job 1:5 — Job offered burnt offerings “Perhaps my sons have sinned… This was Job’s regular custom.” • Job 42:8-9 — God directed Eliphaz and friends: “Offer a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you.” • Jonah 1:15-16 — Sailors, spared from the storm, “offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to Him.” Prophetic reminders • Isaiah 53:10 — The suffering Servant becomes a “guilt offering.” • Micah 6:6-7 — The prophet rehearses sin-offering language to expose empty ritual without heartfelt repentance. The ultimate atoning offering • John 1:29 — “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” • Hebrews 9:12 — “He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.” • 1 Peter 3:18 — “Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” Takeaway From Leviticus’ detailed prescriptions to spontaneous sacrifices like David’s, Scripture consistently shows God accepting a substitutionary offering to remove guilt. Every instance anticipates the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ, the perfect fulfillment of every guilt and sin offering described in the Word. |
    |