Leviticus 5:12
He is to bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful from it as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar atop the offerings made by fire to the LORD; it is a sin offering.
Then he is to bring it to the priest
In the ancient Israelite context, the priest served as a mediator between the people and God. The Hebrew word for priest, "kohen," signifies one who is set apart for sacred duties. This phrase underscores the importance of approaching God through the divinely appointed means, emphasizing the necessity of mediation in the sacrificial system. The act of bringing the offering to the priest symbolizes the sinner's acknowledgment of their need for atonement and the role of the priesthood in facilitating reconciliation with God.

who shall take a handful as the memorial portion
The "memorial portion" refers to a part of the offering that is set aside to be burned on the altar. The Hebrew term "azkarah" implies remembrance or a reminder. This act serves as a symbolic gesture to bring the offeror's sin before God, seeking His mercy and forgiveness. It highlights the concept of remembrance in worship, where the act of offering is a tangible reminder of one's sin and the need for divine grace.

and burn it on the altar
The altar, in Hebrew "mizbeach," is a sacred place where offerings are made to God. Burning the memorial portion signifies the complete surrender and consumption of the offering, representing the offeror's desire for purification and acceptance by God. The fire on the altar is a symbol of God's presence and His consuming holiness, which purifies and sanctifies the offering.

on top of the offerings made by fire to the LORD
This phrase indicates that the sin offering is placed upon other offerings, suggesting a hierarchy and order in the sacrificial system. The offerings made by fire, or "ishsheh," are those that ascend to God as a pleasing aroma. This layering of offerings signifies the comprehensive nature of worship and atonement, where each offering plays a role in restoring the relationship between the worshiper and God.

It is a sin offering
The term "sin offering," or "chatta'ah" in Hebrew, specifically denotes an offering made to atone for unintentional sins. This offering is a crucial aspect of the Levitical sacrificial system, highlighting the seriousness of sin and the provision God has made for its atonement. It points to the need for a substitute to bear the penalty of sin, foreshadowing the ultimate sacrifice of Christ, who fulfills the law and provides eternal atonement for humanity's sins. This offering underscores the gravity of sin and the grace of God in providing a means for reconciliation.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Offerer
The individual bringing the offering, acknowledging their sin and seeking atonement.

2. The Priest
The mediator who performs the ritual, symbolizing the intercession between God and man.

3. The Altar
The sacred place where offerings are made, representing God's presence and the place of atonement.

4. The Memorial Portion
A part of the offering that is burned, symbolizing the remembrance of the covenant and the seriousness of sin.

5. The LORD
The covenant God of Israel, who provides the means for atonement and forgiveness.
Teaching Points
The Seriousness of Sin
Sin requires atonement, and God provides a way through the sacrificial system.

The Role of the Priest
The priest acts as a mediator, pointing to the ultimate High Priest, Jesus Christ, who intercedes for us.

The Importance of Remembrance
The memorial portion serves as a reminder of God's covenant and the need for continual repentance.

God's Provision for Forgiveness
God, in His mercy, provides a means for forgiveness, demonstrating His desire for reconciliation with His people.

The Symbolism of the Altar
The altar represents God's presence and the place where sin is dealt with, foreshadowing the cross of Christ.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the role of the priest in Leviticus 5:12 foreshadow the work of Jesus Christ as our High Priest?

2. In what ways does the concept of a "memorial portion" help us understand the importance of remembering God's covenant and our need for repentance?

3. How can we apply the principle of bringing our sins before God today, in light of 1 John 1:9?

4. What does the burning of the offering on the altar teach us about the seriousness with which God views sin?

5. How does the sacrificial system in Leviticus point us to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, and how should this impact our daily walk with God?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Leviticus 4:35
This verse also discusses the sin offering, emphasizing the role of the priest and the altar in the atonement process.

Hebrews 9:22
This New Testament verse highlights the necessity of blood for the forgiveness of sins, connecting the Old Testament sacrificial system to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ.

1 John 1:9
This verse speaks to the confession and forgiveness of sins, showing the continuity of God's provision for sin from the Old Testament to the New Testament.
Cases of Concealment of Knowledge and Ceremonial UncleannessR.A. Redford Leviticus 5:1-13
Guilt RemovedS.R. Aldridge Leviticus 5:1-13
The Trespass OfferingJ.A. Macdonald Leviticus 5:1-13
Pardon Possible to AllW. Clarkson Leviticus 5:5-13
People
Ephah, Moses
Places
Teman
Topics
Altar, Bring, Burn, Burned, Fire, Fire-offerings, Fulness, Handful, Memorial, Memorial-part, Offer, Offering, Offerings, Perfume, Portion, Priest, Sign, Sin, Sin-offering, Smoke, Thereof
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Leviticus 5:1-13

     7444   sin offering

Leviticus 5:11-13

     7394   memorial

Leviticus 5:12-13

     7422   ritual

Library
An Unalterable Law
EVERYWHERE under the old figurative dispensation, blood was sure to greet your eyes. It was the one most prominent thing under the Jewish economy, scarcely a ceremony was observed without it. You could not enter into any part of the tabernacle, but you saw traces of the blood-sprinkling. Sometimes there were bowls of blood cast at the foot of the altar. The place looked so like a shambles, that to visit it must have been far from attractive to the natural taste, and to delight in it, a man had need
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 60: 1914

List of Abbreviations Used in Reference to Rabbinic Writings Quoted in this Work.
THE Mishnah is always quoted according to Tractate, Chapter (Pereq) and Paragraph (Mishnah), the Chapter being marked in Roman, the paragraph in ordinary Numerals. Thus Ber. ii. 4 means the Mishnic Tractate Berakhoth, second Chapter, fourth Paragraph. The Jerusalem Talmud is distinguished by the abbreviation Jer. before the name of the Tractate. Thus, Jer. Ber. is the Jer. Gemara, or Talmud, of the Tractate Berakhoth. The edition, from which quotations are made, is that commonly used, Krotoschin,
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Sanctification.
VI. Objections answered. I will consider those passages of scripture which are by some supposed to contradict the doctrine we have been considering. 1 Kings viii. 46: "If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near," etc. On this passage, I remark:-- 1. That this sentiment in nearly the same language, is repeated in 2 Chron. vi. 26, and in Eccl.
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

Entire Sanctification
By Dr. Adam Clarke The word "sanctify" has two meanings. 1. It signifies to consecrate, to separate from earth and common use, and to devote or dedicate to God and his service. 2. It signifies to make holy or pure. Many talk much, and indeed well, of what Christ has done for us: but how little is spoken of what he is to do in us! and yet all that he has done for us is in reference to what he is to do in us. He was incarnated, suffered, died, and rose again from the dead; ascended to heaven, and there
Adam Clarke—Entire Sanctification

Christ a Complete Saviour:
OR, THE INTERCESSION OF CHRIST, AND WHO ARE PRIVILEGED IN IT. BY JOHN BUNYAN Advertisement by the Editor. However strange it may appear, it is a solemn fact, that the heart of man, unless prepared by a sense of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, rejects Christ as a complete Saviour. The pride of human nature will not suffer it to fall, as helpless and utterly undone, into the arms of Divine mercy. Man prefers a partial Saviour; one who had done so much, that, with the sinner's aid, the work might be
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Second Stage of Jewish Trial. Jesus Condemned by Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin.
(Palace of Caiaphas. Friday.) ^A Matt. XXVI. 57, 59-68; ^B Mark XIV. 53, 55-65; ^C Luke XXII. 54, 63-65; ^D John XVIII. 24. ^d 24 Annas therefore sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest. [Foiled in his attempted examination of Jesus, Annas sends him to trial.] ^b and there come together with him all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. ^a 57 And they that had taken Jesus led him away to the house of Caiaphas the high priest, ^c and brought him into the high priest's house. ^a where
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Earliest Christian Preaching
1. THUS far we have confined ourselves to the words of Jesus. The divine necessity of His death, indicated in the Old Testament and forming the basis of all His teaching regarding it, is the primary truth; the nature of that necessity begins to be revealed as the death is set in relation to the ransoming of many, and to the institution of a new covenant -- that is, a new religion, having as its fundamental blessing the forgiveness of sins. I do not think this view of our Lord's mind as to His own
James Denney—The Death of Christ

Leviticus
The emphasis which modern criticism has very properly laid on the prophetic books and the prophetic element generally in the Old Testament, has had the effect of somewhat diverting popular attention from the priestly contributions to the literature and religion of Israel. From this neglect Leviticus has suffered most. Yet for many reasons it is worthy of close attention; it is the deliberate expression of the priestly mind of Israel at its best, and it thus forms a welcome foil to the unattractive
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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