In presenting this offering the donor must act entirely of his own free will; there was no element of extortion or force by the LORD. The one who made the offering placed his hands on the head of the animal as it was presented to the priest; this was to show that his guilt was to be transferred to the animal which he gave as a sacrifice for his sins. He was required to slay the animal himself, calling attention to the fact that his own sins were the reason for making the offering. The entire procedure of the sacrifice took place in the open, and in a reverent, orderly manner.
In many respects the Sin Offering was similar to the Burnt Offering. The animals used and the requirements for perfection and cleanliness were the same, and the purpose in both sacrifices was that of removing sin. One difference appears in the fact that the Burnt Offering was made for the entire assembly of Is'ra-el, and for sins in general, although it was sometimes offered by individuals; while the Sin Offering was almost always made by an individual for his own benefit.
The Sin Offering was also frequently made by a priest for his own sins, and in such cases the entire offering was burnt; while in offering it for others only a part of the animal was burnt, the remainder being given to the priests for food.
This offering covered every kind of sin: sins of which the donor was conscious, and for which he made a direct confession; and sins which had been committed through ignorance, or without knowing that they were wrong. The sacrifice was an example of the hatefulness of sin in the sight of God, and required the one who made it to prove his repentance by looking upon sin with the same loathing. Through this offering sin was blotted out, and the eating of a part of the animal by the priest was a symbol of God's complete reconciliation with the sinner.
In the Peace Offering, the donor brought to the priest some animal which had been selected because it was the best which he had. The sacrifice could be a bullock, a ram, a lamb, or a dove. Certain portions were offered to God in burnt sacrifices, while the remainder was eaten by the donor and the priest in a meal of thanksgiving and fellowship. Sometimes friends and relatives of the one who made the sacrifice were invited to take part in the feast. This offering was observed after the Burnt Offering and the Sin Offering, and could not properly be celebrated until peace had been made between God and man.
There were elements of both confession and consecration in this offering. A portion of the animal was burnt unto the LORD, the blood was sprinkled upon the burnt offering, the donor placed his hands upon the head of the animal, and slew it himself, as in the previous offerings. The outstanding features of this sacrifice, however, were thanksgiving, fellowship, and friendship; and the donor came to the altar in a spirit of joy and spiritual delight.
