A person or animal that acts in God's sight in a substitutionary capacity, to whom are transferred the sins of others, together with the corresponding penalty for those sins.
The principle of accountability necessitates a sin-bearer
All are held responsible for their own sin and its consequences
Leviticus 5:17 See also Leviticus 5:1, Leviticus 20:16–21, Leviticus 24:15–16; Ezekiel 18:19–20
If someone sins and violates any of the LORD’s commandments even though he was unaware, he is guilty and shall bear his punishment.
Individuals and nations come under God's judgment for their sin
Ezekiel 4:4–6 Ezekiel's behaviour foreshadowed God's judgment on the sin of Israel and Judah. See also Ezekiel 16:58, Ezekiel 18:4; Matthew 11:21–24 parallel Luke 10:12–15; Romans 1:18–32, Romans 6:23
Then lie down on your left side and place the iniquity of the house of Israel upon yourself. You are to bear their iniquity for the number of days you lie on your side. For I have assigned to you 390 days, according to the number of years of their iniquity. So you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. When you have completed these days, lie down again, but on your right side, and bear the iniquity of the house of Judah. I have assigned to you 40 days, a day for each year.
God's gracious provision of a sin-bearer in the OT
God takes away the sin of those who repent
Isaiah 44:22 See also 2 Samuel 12:13; Psalm 103:12; Zechariah 3:4
I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like a mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.
The sacrifice of an animal to remove sin
Leviticus 5:5–6 See also Leviticus 4:1–35, Leviticus 5:14–6:7
If someone incurs guilt in one of these ways, he must confess the sin he has committed, and he must bring his guilt offering to the LORD for the sin he has committed: a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering. And the priest will make atonement for him concerning his sin.
The Day of Atonement and the removal of sin
Leviticus 16:8–10 The sacrificial goat expiated the sins of the people in the sight of God; the driving away of the scapegoat into the desert symbolised the removal of the sin of the community. See also Leviticus 16:15–19 the sin offering; Leviticus 16:20–22 the scapegoat
After Aaron casts lots for the two goats, one for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat, he shall present the goat chosen by lot for the LORD and sacrifice it as a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement by sending it into the wilderness as the scapegoat.
The function of the priests in the sin-bearing process
The priests were responsible for the sanctuary
So the LORD said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your father’s house must bear the iniquity involving the sanctuary. And you and your sons alone must bear the iniquity involving your priesthood. But bring with you also your brothers from the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may join you and assist you and your sons before the Tent of the Testimony. And they shall attend to your duties and to all the duties of the Tent; but they must not come near to the furnishings of the sanctuary or the altar, or both they and you will die. They are to join you and attend to the duties of the Tent of Meeting, doing all the work at the Tent; but no outsider may come near you. And you shall attend to the duties of the sanctuary and of the altar, so that wrath may not fall on the Israelites again. Behold, I Myself have selected your fellow Levites from the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD to perform the service for the Tent of Meeting. But only you and your sons shall attend to your priesthood for everything concerning the altar and what is inside the veil, and you are to perform that service. I am giving you the work of the priesthood as a gift, but any outsider who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death.”
Strict regulations governed the performance of their service
Leviticus 22:9 See also Exodus 28:42–43, Exodus 30:17–21; Leviticus 16:3–4
The priests must keep My charge, lest they bear the guilt and die because they profane it. I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
The priests bore the sin of the people in a representative capacity
Exodus 28:36–38 See also Leviticus 10:17
You are to make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD. Fasten to it a blue cord to mount it on the turban; it shall be on the front of the turban. And it will be worn on Aaron’s forehead, so that he may bear the iniquity of the holy things that the sons of Israel consecrate with regard to all their holy gifts. It shall always be on his forehead, so that they may be acceptable before the LORD.
Jesus Christ as sin-bearer
Jesus Christ bore the sins of the world on the cross
Hebrews 9:28 See also Isaiah 53:4–6, Isaiah 53:10–12; John 1:29; Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 10:11–14; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 3:5
so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.
Jesus Christ's intercessory role as high priest
1 John 2:1 See also Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.