Numbers 7:70

Analysis & Commentary

One kid of the goats for a sin offering—The chatta'th (חַטָּאת) addresses the fundamental problem separating humanity from God: sin's defilement. The male goat (se'ir, שְׂעִיר) served as the standard sin offering for leaders and rulers (Leviticus 4:22-24). Significantly, the sin offering always preceded the peace offering in the sacrificial sequence, establishing a theological principle: fellowship with God requires atonement, never bypassing it.

The Hebrew word chatta'th means both 'sin' and 'sin offering'—the sacrifice takes the name of what it removes. Similarly, Christ 'who knew no sin' was 'made sin for us' (2 Corinthians 5:21), absorbing our chatta'th so we might become God's righteousness. The sin offering's blood was applied to the altar's horns (Leviticus 4:25), symbolizing the power to atone. Hebrews 9:22 declares 'without shedding of blood is no remission'—no amount of good works, sincere intentions, or religious activity substitutes for blood atonement.

Historical Context

The sin offering system distinguished between unintentional sins (Leviticus 4:2, 13, 22, 27) and defiant, 'high-handed' sins (Numbers 15:30-31). Unintentional sins—failures of knowledge or weakness—received atonement through prescribed sacrifices. But presumptuous sins committed with full knowledge and willful rebellion had no sacrifice; they required cutting off from the community. This underscores sin's seriousness and God's hatred of deliberate rebellion.

Questions for Reflection

• How does the sin offering's required position (before peace offering) demonstrate that we cannot have communion with God while unrepentant sin remains unaddressed?
• What does the distinction between unintentional sins (with atonement) and high-handed sins (without sacrifice) teach about the danger of willful, persistent rebellion?
• In what ways does Christ's work fulfill and transcend the limited scope of the Old Testament sin offering system (Hebrews 10:1-4)?