Two categories of sins are dealt with in the law of Moses: (1) willful sins, or those of an intentional, premeditated, or rebellious nature; and (2) inadvertent or unintentional sins, or those that are committed through ignorance or thoughtlessness. For example, if a man borrowed a tool from his neighbor and forgot to return it, that man has committed an unintentional sin. Or, if a person failed to properly enclose his ox and it gored a neighbor, then the ox’s owner has sinned through carelessness. The Lord’s laws regarding unintentional sins pertained to priests, the entire congregation of Israel, rulers, and individuals (see Lev. 4:1–35; 5:14–19; Num. 15:22–29). In these cases, atonement had to be made to maintain order in the community.
All sins—minor or major, willful or unintentional—separate sinners from God and His glory and excellence because all sins, even those that some individuals may deem inconsequential, represent an infraction of one of God’s laws. Therefore, an atonement must be made for both willful and unintentional sins. Temple sacrifices expressed means and ways of atoning for both types of sins.
We can look at these atonement sacrifices as a means of understanding Christ’s great and last sacrifice for our sins, recognizing that His Atonement paid the price for both our intentional sins and our unintentional sins.