Leviticus 5:8

And he shall bring them unto the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin offering first, and wring off his head from his neck, but shall not divide it asunder:

Leviticus 5:8 gives the rule for the poor man's sin offering of two birds, requiring the priest to offer the sin offering first by wringing off its head without dividing it asunder. The sinner first confessed his sin over the victim with his hand upon its head, transferring it in figure to the substitute, and the priest then made atonement with its blood, in this form of offering transferring the sin to the sanctuary by eating its flesh in the holy place rather than by carrying its blood into the holy place. The surrounding law grades the offering to what a man is able to bring, so that even the poorest who can bring only turtledoves or pigeons, or in extreme poverty a handful of flour, may be forgiven, mingling justice with mercy. Bringing the offering in faith in the coming Redeemer was the sinner's first step out of bondage, and upon confession, repentance, and the priest's atonement he was forgiven and free from that iniquity. The whole daily service to which it belongs was a divinely appointed pattern and shadow of Christ's priestly ministry in the heavenly sanctuary, teaching that God hates sin and that sin demands death, while each sacrifice reveals something of the work of Jesus Christ.

Sanctuary Ritual and Procedure

Leviticus 5:8 belongs to the divinely appointed service described in Leviticus 1 to 7, 16 and 23, which stood as the center of the worship of the true God. It was not written in vain or without purpose, but is part of Scripture profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness to make the man of God perfect. It was written for learning, that through patience and comfort of the Scriptures men might have hope.

The verse belongs to the instructions for individual sin and trespass offerings, which are similar to each other and provide forgiveness of sins. It is an example of the ceremonial law instituted because of sin. It belongs to the provision for a person who bears his iniquity until he brings and offers the prescribed sacrifice.

Before an individual atonement could be made the sinner had to confess and, where required, make restitution. He brought a clean victim without blemish to the door of the tabernacle, placed his hand upon its head confessing his sins and transferring them in figure to it while accepting it as his substitute, and shed its blood acknowledging that he himself was worthy of death. The victim was then slain, but the priest did not slay the offering. The priest offered that which was for the sin offering first and handled its blood to make atonement for the sinner in the sanctuary, after which the person was forgiven and free from that iniquity.

Through the victim and its blood the sin was represented as transferred from the sinner to the victim and, through its blood or the priest's person, to the sanctuary. In this kind of sin offering the blood was not carried into the holy place to be sprinkled before the altar of incense and put upon its horns, but the flesh was eaten in the holy place, and the sin was transferred to the sanctuary in that way. Such offerings, when made in faith as an expression of faith in the coming Redeemer, belonged to the daily ministry and the yearly round of offerings and priestly work, contributed to the daily sanctuary service, and kept remembrance of sin before the people. The forgiven sins were left there in figure until the yearly cleansing, whose yearly round typified Christ's ministry in the heavenly sanctuary accomplished once for all.

The surrounding provision grades the sin offering to what a man could bring, so that justice is mingled with mercy and its benefits reach even the poorest of the poor. The rich were required to bring the most costly animal, while a poor man could bring a calf, a kid, a lamb, a turtledove or a young pigeon, even wild turtle-doves caught by hand. In extreme poverty or feebleness he could bring a little meal or fine flour, a tenth part of an ephah, about three quarts, as a sufficient oblation for his soul. Yet every man must bring something because every man has sinned.

Typical Meaning and Application

The offerings described in Leviticus 1-7 declare that God hates sin and that sin requires a penalty, pointing forward to Jesus Christ. This law of sin offerings shows that a wrong act remains sin whether the one who did it recognizes it as such or not. Bringing the prescribed sin offering was the sinner's first move to throw off the yoke of bondage. It was made as an expression of faith in the coming Redeemer. It also belonged to the daily sanctuary service that kept the remembrance of sin continually before the people.

Once sin is recognized it must be confessed, repented of, and put away, without regard to the good intentions with which it may have been committed. The guilty one bears his iniquity until he brings and offers the appointed sacrifice. Then, after the victim is slain, the priest makes atonement with its blood, and the person is forgiven and set free from that iniquity. This instruction about worship, sacrifices, and how to obtain forgiveness of sin was joined with definite instruction about physical well-being, so that as God's chosen and holy people Israel might reflect God's glory both in holiness of character and in physical development.

The service to which this ordinance belongs was divinely appointed as the center of the worship of the true God, and it was written to be profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, and for learning, patience, comfort, and hope. It was a pattern and shadow and type and impressive object-lesson of the temple of God in heaven and of Christ's priestly service there as High Priest and Minister of the sanctuary, so that study of it gives understanding of the heavenly sanctuary and clearer views of the Saviour and His work for men. Its yearly round of offerings and priestly work typified Christ's ministry in the heavenly sanctuary, accomplished once for all. Each of its sacrifices contains something in type concerning the work of Jesus Christ.

The graded provision allowed one too poor to offer a lamb to bring two pigeons, even wild turtledoves caught by hand, and one too feeble even to capture the wild doves to bring a small portion of fine flour. The crushed grain presented by the priest is a type of the broken body of the Saviour. A handful of the flour is burned, corresponding to the burning of the fat, typifying the final destruction of sin, and the remainder is eaten by the priest, typifying the bearing of sins by the Saviour. The poor offerer's sin is forgiven, and he stands in just the same relation to God as one able to bring a bullock.

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