Leviticus 6:24-30: a reflection

24The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 25“Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘This is the law of the sin offering: in the place where the burnt offering is killed, the sin offering shall be killed before the LORD. It is most holy. 26The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. It shall be eaten in a holy place, in the court of the Tent of Meeting. 27Whatever shall touch its flesh shall be holy. When there is any of its blood sprinkled on a garment, you shall wash that on which it was sprinkled in a holy place. 28But the earthen vessel in which it is boiled shall be broken; and if it is boiled in a bronze vessel, it shall be scoured, and rinsed in water. 29Every male among the priests shall eat of it. It is most holy. 30No sin offering, of which any of the blood is brought into the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be eaten. It shall be burned with fire.

This law of the sin offering contains a striking instruction: the priest who offers it for sin shall eat it, in a holy place. The priest does not merely present the offering and step back; he takes it into himself, eats of the very sacrifice made for the people's sin. In some way, the one who makes atonement participates in the offering, bears it, carries it in his own body.

Notice how that points beyond itself. The whole system of priests and sin offerings was a shadow, preparing for something greater. And here is a hint of it: the priest does not stand apart from the sacrifice for sin; he is bound up with it, takes it into himself. When Christ came as our great High Priest, he did not merely offer a sacrifice for sin from a safe distance; he became the sacrifice, bore our sin in his own body on the tree, took the whole weight of it into himself.

That is the depth of what Christ did for you. He did not deal with your sin at arm's length, prescribing a remedy for you to apply. As both priest and offering, he took your sin into himself and bore it fully, so that you could be made clean. The ancient law, where the priest ate the sin offering, whispers of a priest who would do far more, carrying your sin in his own body. When you bring your sin to God, remember that Christ has already borne it himself. Rest in the priest who became the offering for you.

Lord Jesus, our great High Priest, you did not deal with my sin at arm's length but took it into yourself, bearing it fully in your own body. The ancient law, where the priest ate the sin offering, whispered of you. Thank you that you became both priest and offering for me. When I bring you my sin, let me rest in the One who has already borne it himself.