The trespass-offering, Leviticus 5; 6:1-7, was similar to the sin-offering, "If a soul sin through ignorance," Leviticus 4:2, "when he knoweth of it, then shall he be guilty," Leviticus 5:3, "And it shall be when he shall be guilty in any of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing," verse 5. From Numbers 5:6-8, it appears that confession and restitution are necessary in all cases before the atonement could be made for the individual. "When a man or woman shall commit any sin that man commit, to do a trespass against the Lord, and that person be guilty," then they shall confess their sin which they have done, and he shall recompense his trespass with the principle thereof, and add unto it fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed." Then he or the elders (if it was for the congregation) brought the victim for the sin or trespass-offering to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation on the north side of the altar of burnt-offering in the court, Leviticus 4:24; 1:11; 17:1-7, there he (or the elders) laid his hand on its head and killed it, Leviticus 4:2-4, 13-15, 22-24, 27-29. Then, the victim being presented and slain, the priest that was anointed took some of the blood into the Holy, and with finger sprinkled it before the veil of the Sanctuary and put some of it upon the horns of the altar of incense, then poured the remainder of the blood at the bottom of the altar.
Thus he made an atonement for the individual, and his sin was forgiven , Leviticus 4:5-10, 16-20,25,26,30-35. The carcasses of the sin-offering were taken without the camp and burned "in a clean place," Leviticus 4:11,12,21. It should be distinctly remembered that the priest did not begin his duties till he obtained the blood of the victim, and that they were all performed in the court (the enclosure of the Sanctuary), and that the atonement thus made was only for the forgiveness of sins.
These points are expressly taught in this chapter and the following one on the trespass-offering. Here is an atonement, to make which, the priests only entered the Holy, and to make it they could enter that apartment "always" or "daily". "But into the second (the Holy of Holies) went the high priest alone once every year , not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people," (Laos, nation). This defines the yearly to be.
The National Atonement , of which the Lord "speaks particularly" in Leviticus 16: "And the Lord said unto Moses, speak unto Aaron, thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil, before the mercy-seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not : for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy-seat:" verse 2. For what purpose and when could he enter it? "To make an atonement for all Israel, (the whole nation,) for all their sins once a year" "on the tenth day of the seventh month," verses 34, 29.