The Israelite had to bring a sin offering if he had done "something against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything which ought not to be done" (Lev 4:27). The following sacrificial act was a prerequisite for the forgiveness of sin:
- a female goat or sheep without blemish (Lev 4:28),
- the sacrificer had to place his hand on the head of the animal (Lev 4:29),
- he himself had to slaughter the innocent animal (Lev 4:29);
- the blood of the sacrificial animal had to be used in accordance with the regulations (Lev 4:30),
- the fat of the sacrificial animal was to be smoked on the altar (Lev 4:31)
"And the priest shall make atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him" (Lev 4:31). The sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary is the basis for the forgiveness of our sins: "... who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree" (1 Peter 2:24).
