Leviticus 4:22-35
The Leader's Sin
22When a leader sins unintentionally and does what is prohibited by any of the commandments of the LORD his God, he incurs guilt.
23When he becomes aware of the sin he has committed, he must bring an unblemished male goat as his offering.
24He is to lay his hand on the head of the goat and slaughter it at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered before the LORD. It is a sin offering.
25Then the priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.
26He must burn all its fat on the altar, like the fat of the peace offerings; thus the priest will make atonement for that man’s sin, and he will be forgiven.
27And if one of the common people sins unintentionally and does what is prohibited by any of the LORD’s commandments, he incurs guilt.
28When he becomes aware of the sin he has committed, he must bring an unblemished female goat as his offering for that sin.
29He is to lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering.
30Then the priest is to take some of its blood with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.
31Then he is to remove all the fat, just as it is removed from the peace offering, and the priest is to burn it on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. In this way the priest will make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.
32If, however, he brings a lamb as a sin offering, he must bring an unblemished female.
33And he is to lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it as a sin offering at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered.
34Then the priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar.
35And he shall remove all the fat, just as the fat of the lamb is removed from the peace offerings, and he shall burn it on the altar along with the food offerings to the LORD. In this way the priest will make atonement for him for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven.
Berean Standard Bible
When a leader sins unintentionally and becomes guilty, the required offering is a male goat without blemish. The leader brings it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, lays a hand on its head, and slaughters it where the burnt offering is slaughtered.
The priest puts some of the blood on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pours the rest at its base. The fat is removed and burned on the altar. When the priest makes atonement, the leader is forgiven.
The same provision is made for any member of the community. A female goat or a female lamb may be brought, and the worshiper lays a hand on its head. The priest handles the blood and fat as the instruction requires.
The difference in the animals does not mean that one person's sin matters to God and another's does not. The passage gives leaders a particular responsibility, while still providing a path for every person who recognizes guilt and comes for atonement.
Questions
1 What animal did a leader bring?
AnswerA leader brought a male goat without blemish as a sin offering.
2 Where was the animal slaughtered?
AnswerIt was slaughtered at the place where the burnt offering was slaughtered, before the LORD.
3 What did the priest do with the blood?
AnswerHe put some blood on the altar's horns and poured the rest at the base of the altar.
4 What happened after atonement was made?
AnswerThe leader or community member was forgiven after the priest made atonement for the sin.
What This Means for Us
The special instruction for a leader makes influence part of moral responsibility. A person's position can spread the effects of a mistake, so leaders should not expect private excuses to settle public harm.
At the same time, God provides forgiveness for ordinary members of the community. Bring guilt into the light, whether you have authority or little public influence, and let responsibility lead to restoration.
Prayer
Lord, make leaders humble and communities honest. Help us recognize how our choices affect others, confess without hiding behind status, and receive the forgiveness you provide. Amen.