Daily Devotion | Leviticus 4:13–35 | 2026 January 20

Scripture: Leviticus 4:13–35 (ESV)

Date: 2026 January 20

Speaker: Rev. John Chen

Transcribed, translated & edited by: Joseph Wang (Yufan)

Dear brothers and sisters, peace be with you. We thank God for His grace as He brings us into a new day to study our daily spiritual nourishment. The passage we are studying today is Leviticus chapter 4, verses 13 through 35. Let us pray.

We thank You, Lord, that You continue to show mercy to us. We ask that this morning You would grant us wisdom and understanding, so that we may comprehend the wonder of Your Word. In Your grace, please continue to strengthen us, that we may know and understand You. We pray in the name of Christ. Amen.

Today we continue to look at the sin offering. Comparatively speaking, we can clearly see that the sin offering is especially rich. Compared with the first three offerings, its description is much more detailed. It not only explains the manner of offering, but it also addresses different situations: what should be done if the whole congregation of Israel sins, what should be done if a leader sins, and what should be done if an ordinary individual among the people sins.

It also specifies that if the sin offering is brought from the flock, one must offer a female without blemish. These are very detailed regulations concerning the sin offering. That is, for personal sin, if one brings a sheep, it must be a female; if one brings a bull, it must be a bull without blemish; if the whole congregation sins, a bull is offered; and if a leader sins, a male goat is offered.

As for why these specific animals are prescribed—why it must be a male or a female, why a goat or a sheep—we do not have a clear explanation. Scripture itself does not explicitly tell us, and we also do not fully understand the reasons. Perhaps people in an agrarian and pastoral society would have been better able to infer the significance of these distinctions. But since we are not living in that kind of society, we are not entirely certain.

However, the main point here is not whether it is a male or female animal, or whether it is a sheep or a goat. I think the key point we need to focus on today is this: in order for sin to be cleansed, blood must be shed. This is the concept we especially need to address today.

For modern people, the ideas of atonement and bloodshed are extremely unfamiliar and distant. In our daily lives, we have no such concepts. Even in our education, the idea that atonement requires bloodshed is often presented as something superstitious, ancient, or even barbaric. This is likely one of the main reasons why we feel an inward resistance toward Leviticus.

When we talk about sacrifice, bloodshed, and killing animals, there is often a sense of discomfort within us. Especially in a modern context that emphasizes animal protection, we may ask: if animals should be protected, why should they be killed? As a result, reading Leviticus can feel very difficult for us, because there are many cultural barriers we must overcome.

The concept of atonement must be established. The concept of blood sacrifice must be established. And even the obstacle posed by modern animal-protection ideology must be addressed. This is why many modern people, including many Christians, feel that Leviticus and the Pentateuch are distant and unfamiliar. We do not like reading these passages, and when we do read them, we often skim through them quickly, thinking that the content is repetitive and confusing.

We may think, “In any case, Jesus Christ has accomplished everything. That is the core of the faith.” And while that statement is true, we must seriously reflect on why the sin offering exists at all, and why the concept of atonement is so important.

One way to understand this is that modern people are also deeply resistant to the idea that they themselves are sinful. In our time, people are inclined to affirm their own feelings as correct: “I am good. I am kind. The problem is usually with others.” If there is a problem, it simply needs improvement, not redemption. What is needed is not salvation, but self-betterment.

These modern assumptions are actually barriers to understanding the sin offering. In other words, Satan has given us many false ideas, and we have accepted them. In this age, hardly anyone is willing to admit that they are a sinner. Everyone believes that they are good, that through effort they can obtain what they want, that they simply need better education, better job opportunities, and more money. The concept of atonement is almost nonexistent.

This is why, when we read Leviticus, something inside us may react. But Scripture presents a completely different picture. The biblical picture is that all of us have sinned against God, and all of us are fallen in sin. Because of original sin and our own actual sins, we live in trespasses and iniquity. This is the biblical presupposition.

The well-known author C. S. Lewis once said that only when a person recognizes that they are a sinner, and only when they realize that they need redemption, does Christianity truly begin to speak. Theologically speaking, that statement may not be perfectly precise, but its general meaning is clear: if the concept of sin and the need for salvation are not established first, then the truths of Christianity are very difficult to communicate.

In the Old Testament, through the sacrificial system, God quickly placed His people in this position: you are a sinner, you need redemption, and this redemption is something you cannot accomplish yourself. Only Jesus Christ can accomplish it. Thus, you begin to reflect on salvation, and you begin to meditate deeply on the richness of the love of the Triune God.

If these presuppositions are absent, the idea of atonement leaves us living in a false sense of peace. We go on with our daily lives—working, eating, seeing news of sickness and death, hearing about famous people passing away—and these things feel like distant events, simply part of life’s routine. We continue moving steadily toward death without realizing it.

If we have not truly believed in Christ, then in many ways we are no different from the world. We live day by day, assuming that Jesus exists, that heaven awaits us, and that everything will be fine. We may imagine heaven as a peaceful place with no traffic or troubles, and we live in this illusion.

But this is not the picture Scripture gives us. Especially now, as we study the sin offering in Leviticus, we need to pause and ask: why must an animal die in our place? Why must we personally kill the animal? Why does every category—individuals, leaders, the whole congregation—require a sin offering? What is this system meant to communicate?

The sacrificial system brings us into a vivid, bloody scene so that we may feel the reality of biblical truth: we are all destined for destruction; we are immersed in sin; our end is death, condemnation, and judgment. This is a destiny from which we cannot escape on our own. Therefore, we need salvation.

Yet even this concept of salvation is resisted by modern people. Modern thinking emphasizes improvement, not rescue. People want their problems solved; they do not believe they need to be saved. This is precisely why the sin offering stands before us so starkly, calling us to reflect deeply and to enter into the biblical narrative.

Only then can we understand Christian truth: we are sinners; we need salvation; and the salvation we need is something we cannot accomplish ourselves. The blood of bulls and goats cannot remove sin. Only the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ can do so.

There is only one way of redemption: the Father sent the Lord Jesus Christ, who became flesh, came among us, bore our debt of sin, and had to be crucified on the cross in order to redeem us. God then raised Jesus from the dead and sent the Holy Spirit, who regenerates and renews us from within, granting us faith so that we may lay hold of Christ’s salvation.

Is that the end of the process of salvation? No, it is not. When we come to Christ by faith, that faith must be expressed in our lives. We must obey God’s statutes and ordinances, live out the likeness of Jesus Christ, and walk a lifelong path of sanctification until the day we see the Lord face to face.

This is a condensed description, but the process is clear: we are unable to save ourselves; we are completely fallen; salvation comes from Jesus Christ, from the work of the Triune God; we are justified; and on the foundation of justification, we live a life of sanctification until we meet the Lord. This is the full expression of salvation.

But everything in this journey has a starting point. That starting point is the acknowledgment that you are a sinner and that you need salvation. Only then can the rest of the journey begin. This is why C. S. Lewis said that Christianity begins to speak only when a person recognizes their sin and need for redemption.

Brothers and sisters, as we come before the sin offering today, beyond understanding the details we discussed yesterday, we need to establish a worldview, a view of life, and a system of values. Before the sin offering, we must ask: what is our true condition? Only then can we truly sense our need for salvation and develop a deep love for the Lord Jesus Christ, who was crucified for us and who is both our High Priest and our sacrifice.

This High Priest is beneficial for us, because He has ascended to heaven and intercedes for us. As the sacrifice, He is perfect, having offered Himself once for all as an eternal sin offering. Therefore, we no longer need to bring bulls and sheep for atonement. The concept of atonement is given to us by Scripture itself.

My purpose in saying all this is to remind us that when we stand before the sin offering, we must renew our foundational assumptions. We are sinners, and being a sinner does not mean merely acknowledging a label. When you admit that you are a sinner, you realize that what you need is not improvement, but salvation.

Some theologians have attempted to weaken the concepts of sin and redemption, presenting Christianity as a way to achieve a better, more fulfilling life. This may not be outright prosperity theology, but it still shifts the focus away from the core of the gospel. When Christianity is reduced to wisdom, emotional peace, or personal improvement, the cross is effectively removed.

The cross is offensive precisely because of its bloody, sacrificial nature. This is why people do not like reading the Old Testament. Yet it is precisely these difficult passages that reveal the truth: we are sinners, and we need a substitute to die in our place in order to be saved.

These foundational truths are essential for building a genuine faith, for cultivating a deep love for Jesus Christ, and for following Him faithfully. Do not try to smooth away the offensiveness of the cross. The cross stands as a declaration to humanity that we are sinners in need of salvation—a salvation that can only be accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross.

This truth transforms our entire lives.

Finally, returning to the specific regulations: when the whole congregation of Israel sins, the elders offer the sin offering on behalf of the people. This shows that elders serve as representatives of the congregation. When a leader sins, he bears a distinct responsibility and must offer a male goat without blemish.

The method of offering is the same, but the sacrifice differs. This teaches us that those who represent the people and those who exercise authority bear a greater responsibility before God. For an ordinary person, the offering is a female goat or a female sheep without blemish.

This does not contradict the earlier instructions about offering a bull. Rather, Scripture allows flexibility: depending on one’s circumstances and the gravity of the sin, a person may offer a bull or a sheep. Although these animals cannot remove sin, the costly nature of the sacrifice teaches us that faith involves real cost.

Ultimately, the cost of sin is far beyond what we can pay. This realization deepens our longing for the redemption accomplished by Jesus Christ. When we recognize that no sacrifice we offer can earn God’s favor, we begin to cherish Christ’s salvation all the more.

This is not about creating an artificially dark backdrop. The reality is already dark: we have sinned, we are condemned, and nothing we can offer can remove our guilt. Only then do we begin to long for the true sacrifice.

This is why the New Testament writers—Paul, Peter, and others—express such profound gratitude for Christ’s atoning death and resurrection. They lived within the Old Testament narrative, which accurately describes the human condition. Only within that narrative does the gospel shine in its full glory.

This is why Paul, after encountering Christ on the road to Damascus, was completely transformed into a self-sacrificing missionary. His entire worldview was shaped by the Old Testament narrative, and this is crucial.

Brothers and sisters, what I have shared today is something you should listen to carefully. This Old Testament narrative forms the foundation of our thinking. Without it, reading the New Testament alone will leave you with only a shallow sense of salvation.

But when you return to these sacrificial regulations and realize that you cannot save yourself, your understanding of Christ’s redemption will deepen. Therefore, we thank the Lord for leading us to this passage on the sin offering.

Although the regulations may seem repetitive, they help us reflect deeply on the concept of atonement and its impact on our faith. This reflection is beneficial for building a firm and biblical faith.

That concludes today’s sharing. Thank you, everyone.