Or, errs, makes a mistake. The sinning without intent here signifies the sin in our fallen nature, the indwelling sin that came through Adam into mankind from Satan (Rom. 5:12), which causes us to sin unintentionally (Rom. 7:19-20). This sin, personified in Rom. 7 (see note Rom. 7:8¹), is the evil nature of Satan, even Satan himself, who dwells in our fallen flesh (Rom. 7:17-18, 20, 23 and note Rom. 7:18²). Since our flesh is one with sin (Rom. 8:3), whatever we do out of our flesh, whether good or evil, is sin. Moreover, since the flesh denotes a fallen person (Gen. 6:3; Rom. 3:20), every fallen person is sin (2 Cor. 5:21 and note 2 Cor. 5:21^2a).

The sin offering could be a young bull, a male goat, a female goat, or a female lamb (vv. 3, 14, 23, 28, 32). This signifies that the realization, presentation, and application of Christ as the sin offering may differ in degree. Cf. note Lev. 1:14¹.

See note Lev. 3:1^3b. So for vv. 23, 28, and v. 32.

Or, concerning sin. So throughout the book (cf. Rom. 8:3; 2 Cor. 5:21).

The sin offering signifies Christ as the offering for the sin of God’s people. In the Bible sin refers to the indwelling sin in our nature, whereas sins refers to the sinful deeds, the fruit of the indwelling sin. Our sin was dealt with by Christ as our sin offering (Lev. 4; Rom. 8:3; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 9:26), and our sins, our trespasses, were borne by Christ as our trespass offering (Lev. 5; Isa. 53:5a; 1 Cor. 15:3; 1 Pet. 2:24; Heb. 9:28). As the Lamb of God, Christ took away sin in its totality — the inward sin and the outward sins (Isa. 53:10; John 1:29). See note 1 Pet. 3:18¹ and note 1 John 1:7⁶.

Through incarnation the Word, who is God, became flesh, in the likeness of the flesh of sin, i.e., the likeness of a fallen man (John 1:1, 14 and note John 1:14^2a, par. 1; Rom. 8:3 and note Rom. 8:3³). Christ was crucified in the flesh and died in the flesh (1 Pet. 3:18b). Although Christ was a fallen man only in likeness, when He was on the cross, God counted that likeness as real. Since sin, the old man, Satan, the world, and the ruler of the world are all one with the flesh, when Christ died in the flesh, sin was condemned (Rom. 8:3), the old man was crucified (Rom. 6:6), Satan was destroyed (Heb. 2:14), the world was judged, and the ruler of the world was cast out (John 12:31). Hence, through Christ’s death in the flesh all negative things were dealt with. This is the efficacy of the sin offering.

The sequence of the five offerings in 1:1—6:7 is a picture of the sequence in 1 John 1. The burnt offering, the meal offering, and the peace offering bring us into fellowship with God (1 John 1:3). Through our fellowship with God, who is light (1 John 1:5), we discover that we are sinful, that we have sin inwardly and sins outwardly. Hence, after our regeneration we still need to take Christ as our sin offering, as indicated in 1 John 1:8, and as our trespass offering, as indicated in 1 John 1:9. See note 1 John 1:7^3b.

The blood of the sin offering had four kinds of effects:
1) Some of the blood was brought into the Tent of Meeting and sprinkled seven times before Jehovah in front of the veil of the Holy of Holies (vv. 5-6, 16-17), signifying that the blood of Christ has been brought into the Holy of Holies in the heavens for our redemption (Heb. 9:12).
2) Some of the blood was put on the horns of the incense altar (Lev. 4:7*a, Lev. 4:18*a), signifying that the redemption by Christ’s blood is effective for us to contact God in prayer (Heb. 10:19).
3) Some of the blood was put on the horns of the altar of burnt offering (Lev. 4:25a, Lev. 4:30a, Lev. 4:34a), signifying that the blood of Christ is effective for our redemption (Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:18-19).
4) The rest of the blood was poured out at the base of the altar of burnt offering (Lev. 4:7b, Lev. 4:18b, Lev. 4:25b, Lev. 4:30b, Lev. 4:34b), signifying that the blood of Christ was poured out at the cross for the peace in our conscience, assuring us that we are redeemed and accepted by God (Heb. 9:14).

That the sin offering was slaughtered before Jehovah signifies that Christ as the sin offering was slaughtered before God, that He as the sin offering was recognized by God.

The laying of hands on the sin offering (vv. 4, 15, 24, 29, 33) signifies the union of the offerer with the offering (2 Cor. 5:14). See note Lev. 1:4¹.

This signifies that the elders of the church may represent the church to offer Christ as its sin offering.

I.e., of the burnt offering (v. 10). The ashes of the burnt offering signify God’s recognition and acceptance of the offerings. The ashes are also for the offerers’ assurance and peace in their hearts concerning God’s redemption accomplished for their sin.

The burning of the rest of the sin offering outside the camp (vv. 11-12, 21) signifies that Christ as the sin offering suffered reproach outside the Jewish religion as a human organization (Heb. 13:11-13). The clean place where the sin offering was burned (v. 12) signifies the place where Christ as the sin offering was rejected by man and where man’s sin is cleared.

For the two kinds of burning mentioned in v. 10 and v. 12, see note Exo. 29:13².

The burning of the fat and some of the inward parts of the sin offering on the altar of burnt offering (vv. 8-10, 19, 26, 31, 35) signifies that the inward parts of Christ as the tender and sweet part are offered to God for His satisfaction that He may be willing to forgive us. It signifies further that God’s acceptance of the sin offering is based on the burnt offering. Christ’s absoluteness for God as the burnt offering qualified Him to be the sin offering. See Lev. 6:25 and note Lev. 6:25¹.