What is the meaning of Leviticus 6:6? Then he must bring - “Then” ties the command to the moment a wrong has been acknowledged and restitution paid (Leviticus 6:4–5). The worshiper is not left guessing; God provides a clear next step. - Personal responsibility stands out. No proxy, no shortcut—“he must bring.” Compare Leviticus 5:14–16, where the offender personally presents the offering. - In every age, obedience is better than delay (1 Samuel 15:22). The New Testament echoes this urgency: “Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God” (Hebrews 13:15). to the priest - The priest is God’s appointed mediator (Leviticus 1:5). Approaching him underscores that sin fractures fellowship not only with God but within the covenant community. - Priestly ministry looks forward to our great High Priest: “We have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God” (Hebrews 4:14). - By coming to the priest, the sinner publicly affirms God’s order and receives assurance of atonement (Numbers 15:25). his guilt offering - “Guilt offering” (also called trespass offering) addresses both sin and the damages it causes (Leviticus 5:15). - It signals legal liability before a holy God and supplies a God-given remedy. - Isaiah prophetically applies the same term to Christ: “You make His life an offering for guilt” (Isaiah 53:10), showing the ultimate fulfillment. - Ephesians 5:2 reminds believers that Christ “gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” to the LORD - Though handed to the priest, the sacrifice is “to the LORD.” The real audience is God (Psalm 51:4). - Every offering teaches that reconciliation is vertical before it is horizontal (1 Samuel 2:17). - Hebrews 9:14 explains the parallel: Christ “offered Himself unblemished to God,” accomplishing what every guilt offering anticipated. an unblemished ram - “Unblemished” stresses purity (Exodus 12:5). God will not accept a flawed substitute. - The ram, strong and valuable, foreshadows the strength and sufficiency of Christ, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). - Believers are redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:19). of proper value - God assesses worth; the offerer does not bargain. The requirement guards against token gestures. - David captured the principle: “I will not offer to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24). - Malachi 1:8 rebukes cheap sacrifices; Romans 12:1 calls for living sacrifices that are “holy and pleasing to God.” from the flock - The animal comes out of the offerer’s own resources, marking genuine loss and personal involvement (Genesis 4:4). - It is readily available—God’s commands are doable, not unrealistic. - The Good Shepherd later says, “I know My sheep and My sheep know Me” (John 10:14), linking the flock to the Shepherd who would lay down His life. summary Leviticus 6:6 paints a vivid picture of restoration: a sinner personally approaches God’s appointed mediator with a flawless, costly sacrifice drawn from his own flock. The action is directed “to the LORD,” affirming that every offense is ultimately against Him and that only a perfect offering can bridge the gap. In requiring an unblemished ram of proper value, God upholds His holiness while graciously providing a path back into fellowship. The verse points forward to Jesus Christ, the sinless and supremely valuable offering who fulfills the guilt offering once for all, inviting every believer to experience full forgiveness and restored communion with God. |
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