What is the meaning of Numbers 15:27? Also “Also” connects this instruction to the broader passage about sacrifices for unintentional sins (Numbers 15:22-26). God’s mercy is extended not only to the congregation but to the individual. By adding this single-person case, the Lord shows His personal concern (Luke 15:4-7) and ensures no one is left without a means of restoration. if one person sins unintentionally God distinguishes between unintentional (ignorant, accidental) sin and deliberate rebellion (Numbers 15:30-31). • Unintentional sin still violates holiness (Leviticus 5:17) and requires atonement. • Provision for individuals highlights personal responsibility (Ezekiel 18:20). • Grace is available immediately when sin is acknowledged (1 John 1:9). Though unintentional, sin separates, and God lovingly provides a path back. he is to present a year-old female goat • “He is to present” signals personal initiative; no one else can bring the offering for him (Romans 14:12). • A “year-old” animal is in its prime—symbolizing the best offered to God (Malachi 1:14). • The choice of a “female goat” parallels Leviticus 4:27-28, emphasizing that value, not gender, satisfies the requirement; God is concerned with obedience rather than outward status (1 Samuel 15:22). This tangible sacrifice reminds the sinner of the cost of sin and of God’s ordained way of dealing with it. as a sin offering The sin offering (Leviticus 4) points forward: • Blood is shed because “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22). • The animal dies in the sinner’s place, foreshadowing Christ, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). • While Old Testament sacrifices were repeated (Hebrews 10:3-4), Jesus became the once-for-all sin offering (Hebrews 10:10). Thus the verse teaches substitutionary atonement and anticipates the complete sacrifice fulfilled at the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21). summary Numbers 15:27 reveals God’s personal, gracious provision for individual, unintentional sin. By requiring the sinner to bring a prime animal for a sin offering, the Lord underscores both the seriousness of sin and the certainty of forgiveness through a divinely appointed substitute—ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ. |
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