Leviticus 5 Particular Sins and the Sin Offerings
We are admonished in Scriptures to join the LORD in seeking justice for all. In the tribune of the LORD God of Israel, there were cases in which a death sentence was the verdict of the civil law. Without repentance, it is safe to say that the guilty person would also die in their sins and suffer the second death, after the Judgment. So each matter “must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. ... One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin.” (Deut 17:6; 19:15) “If a person sins in hearing the utterance of an oath [formula, as Numbers 5:20-22 and Matthew 26:63], and is a witness, whether he has seen or known of the matter—if he does not tell it, he bears guilt.’ (Lev 5:1) This places an obligation on citizen’s of Israel to speak the truth. “If he does not do so, and there is someone present (or aware of a trial) who knows the facts, but does not tell them, then he too is guilty.” (G. de Koning) It is “regarded as culpable as the suggestion of a falsehood. Since justice depends on evidence, concealment of evidence is indicative of a sympathy with injustice. This man shall ‘bear his iniquity.’… The iniquity which he shall bear is that which he screens from punishment by his silence. He has made himself a partaker of the crime.” (Whedon’s Commentary)
“Or if a person touches any unclean thing, whether it is the carcass of an unclean beast, or the carcass of unclean livestock, or the carcass of unclean creeping things, and he is unaware of it, he also shall be unclean and guilty.’ (Lev 5:2), not morally, for the conscience was not directly polluted by these things, Matthew 15:11; 18, but ceremonially. 'Or if he touches human uncleanness—whatever uncleanness with which a man may be defiled, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty.' (Lev 5:3)— not only ceremonially by that touch, but morally for his violation and contempt of God’s authority and command.” (Poole) The man is condemned because he fails to avail himself of the cleaning that is offered by the ashes of the red heifer (Numbers 20). We learn from the law pertaining to clean and unclean animals (Acts 10) that God distinguishes between clean and unclean. And He who cleanses the ceremonially unclean person, also cleanses the morally unclean one. “What God has cleansed you must not call common…. In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.” (Acts 10:15;34-35)
Death was such an enemy that even coming into contact with death or unclean animals made worshippers unclean. “He who touches the dead body of anyone shall be unclean seven days.” (Numbers 19:11) However, the LORD God gave Moses a ceremony whereby a man could be cleansed by evening. (Numbers 19) It involved water mixed with, among other things, the ashes of the red heifer slaughtered and destroyed outside the camp. Its ashes made a water for cleansing of the man who comes in contact with unclean things. “The Red heifer. The word ‘red’ used here (vs 2) is adom'. It is related to the words adam and ground (or earth) [ada'mah]… The heifer was to be totally consumed with nothing remaining but ashes. This typified the extent to which the second Adam would go. He offered Himself, both soul and body, as a sacrifice made by fire (2 Cor. 5:21; Isa. 9:18, Psa. 22:14). When Jesus spoke of His death, He never called it a sleep as in the first death. He spoke of it as it really was—eternal death, separation from the Father, the equivalent of what the Bible calls the second death. Hell is where both soul and body are destroyed (Matt. 10:28). This is the depth to which Christ went in order to save the world. He went to hell for us. He offered His soul for us (Isa. 53:12). The burning to ashes represents the total consumption and destruction of sin and sinners (Mal. 4:1, 3). This is the full extent covered in the infinite sacrifice to which Christ gave himself! He took our place as the Sin-bearer. Yea, more than this. He became sin itself in order that He might destroy him who had the power of sin and death (Heb. 2:14, 15). [inserted—Glad tidings children:] The ashes were sufficient for all the people. When a person or a family needed purification, a fresh heifer was not required to be sacrificed. One was sufficient for all, including the sojourning stranger (Num. 19:10). So the sacrifice of Christ is sufficient for everyone. It is everlastingly efficacious. There is enough virtue in His sacrifice for the sins of the world. (1 John 2:2). The ashes were stored for all future needs. So the sacrifice of Christ is laid up for us as an inexhaustible fountain of merit to which we have daily access for the purging of our consciences (Heb. 9:13, 14; Zech. 13:1).” (Significance of the Red Heifer: Christ Crucified Outside the Camp by Gerald L. Finneman)
“Or if a person swears, speaking thoughtlessly with his lips “‘to do evil’… As David did to slay Nabal… 1 Samuel 25:22… ‘Or to do good’… As the same David did to do good to Mephibosheth...” (Trapp) “’To do evil’— In the light of subsequent knowledge it is found that the performance of the vow would be evil. In this dilemma he must refrain from that evil deed. Nevertheless his broken vow must be accounted a fault to be atoned for by a trespass offering,— ‘Or to do good’ The good may have become impracticable by reason of circumstances hid from him when the vow was made, or because of neglect or procrastination till the opportunity has passed by. Keil extends the inadvertency in oaths to any thing affirmed with an oath without due reflection, and afterwards discovered to be a deviation from the truth.” (Whedon’s Commentary)— “’Whatever it is that a man may pronounce by an oath, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty in any of these matters.” (4) He too must offer a trespass offering for the sin. Jesus forbids oaths in Matthew 5:33-37. Any more than “yes”or “no” is from the evil one. We must allow room for the Holy Spirit to convict us that what we had intended to do- either positive or negative— was wrong.
“The wandering eye may be recalled to observation; the slumbering eye may be aroused; but how can we gain the attention of an eye, over which the film of thick darkness has firmly formed? Sins committed in such darkness as this would properly be traced to ignorance as their root, and would be classed with the sins of the fifth chapter, requiring the sin (called trespass) offering as described (Lev 5:5-13).” (B. W. Newton) “Observe the gracious condescension of the Lord; if the offender was poor, and could not bring the prescribed victim, two doves or a little flour would be accepted. ” (Joseph Sutcliffe) “But none of us are exempted. We cannot come to the close of any day without kneeling to confess our sins and asking that we may be sprinkled from an evil conscience.” (F. B. Meyers)
Leviticus 5 Trespass Offerings with Restitution
14 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 15 “If a person commits a trespass, and sins unintentionally in regard to the holy things of the LORD, then he shall bring to the LORD as his trespass offering a ram without blemish from the flocks, with your valuation in shekels of silver according to the shekel of the sanctuary, as a trespass offering. 16 And he shall make restitution for the harm that he has done in regard to the holy thing, and shall add one-fifth to it and give it to the priest. So the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him.
"'The holy things of the LORD'-- These are such things as belong to him by requirement of his Law or by solemn dedication. Thus he claims half a shekel per head ransom money when the people are numbered (Exodus 30:11-16). He claims the firstborn or a redemption for it (Exodus 34:11, Exodus 34:20; Numbers 18:16). He claims the firstfruits of the harvest (Leviticus 23:10-14; Proverbs 3:9). He claims tithes (Leviticus 27:30-32). The treasures of the temple of whatever kind were also holy things. To withhold any of these dues, or to profane by eating that which belonged to the priests, was a sacrilege, and, if wittingly done, exposed the criminal to death (Leviticus 22:14-16; cp. Leviticus 22:9).
This was the crime of Achan. Joshua's adjuration devoted all the spoils taken at Jericho to the Lord (Joshua 6:17-19). Achan, therefore, not only incurred the curse of the adjuration, but was also guilty of sacrilege. He is, therefore, said to have "transgressed the covenant of the Lord" (Joshua 7:11, Joshua 7:15). His punishment was consequently signal. For his sake the children of Israel were smitten before the men of At, and the anger of the Lord. was only averted from the nation by their stoning and burning Achan, his family, and all pertaining to him (Joshua 7:24-26). [NOTE ALSO CHRISTIAN BRETHERN] This also was the crime of Ananias and Sapphira. Under the glorious influences of the Holy Spirit at the Pentecost, the Church agreed to have all things in common, to which Ananias and Sapphira were consenting parties. They accordingly sold a possession which had been thus devoted to God, but secretly reserved part of the price placing the balance only at the apostles' feet.
This crime was miraculously punished with death. The punishment evinced that the sprat of the Law is still in the gospel. Query: How does this bear upon those who have vowed that a proportion of their revenue should be sacred to God, but with increasing prosperity have become worldly, and withdrew the hand (see Malachi 3:8-12)?” (J. A.Macdonald)
“The whole tribe of Levi gave up their land; they had no lot but forty eight cities. Hence in fact, the people only cultivated the lands of the levites, while the levites, in return, devoted their lives to the instruction of the people: to rob the levites therefore was to rob the Lord. Malachi 3:8.” (Sutcliffe) “Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: ‘If a person commits a trespass, and sins unintentionally in regard to the holy things of the LORD, then he shall bring to the LORD as his trespass offering a ram without blemish from the flocks,’ The unblemished ram for a trespass offering tells of the Holy One who was ‘led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.’ Here was the Prince of the flock, the tall stately ram, submitting to death in order to atone for our guilt.” (H. A Ironside)— “‘with your valuation in shekels of silver according to the shekel of the sanctuary, as a trespass offering.’ “The amount of the injury, according to the priest’s valuation of it, is paid in shekels of the sanctuary to the injured person. The thought here is not that trespass is punished, but that the injured party is repaid the wrong. The payment was in shekels: these ‘shekels of the sanctuary’ were the appointed standard by which God’s rights were measured…Thus they represent the truest measure, God’s standard by which He weighs all things. By this standard the trespass is weighed, and then the value paid to the injured person.” (The Biblical Illustrator)
“‘And he shall make restitution for the harm that he has done in regard to the holy thing and shall add one-fifth to it and give it to the priest.’ (16a) Besides paying the principal, the fifth part of the value of the holy property thus restored is to be added to the original amount.” (C. J. Ellicott)— It is damages paid to the injured party for the wrong done.
17 “If a person sins, and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord, though he does not know it, yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity. 18 And he shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish from the flock, with your valuation, as a trespass offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him regarding his ignorance in which he erred and did not know it, and it shall be forgiven him. 19 It is a trespass offering; he has certainly trespassed against the Lord.”
“How solemn is the truth here taught us, that neither our conscience, nor our measure of light, nor our ability, but the truth of God, is the standard by which both sin and trespass are to be measured. ‘Though he wist it not, yet is he guilty; he hath certainly trespassed against the Lord.’” (The Biblical Illustrator) “This is what the Jews call ‘Asham Talui’, doubtful trespass offering.” (John Gill) The case described "differs from the preceding in the fact that this sin of ignorance never comes to knowledge, while there is ground for suspecting that the sin may have been committed.” (Whedon's Commentary) — “’yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity.’ (17b) that is, he is liable to the penalty of his fault.” (The Expositor's Bible Commentary)
Even if wrong- 'he has certainly trespassed against the LORD’ (19b) A kindred error is that a man does right when he obeys his conscience— does what his conscience tells him is right; in other words, does what he thinks is right. If this be true then Saul was right when he made havoc of the Church, for he verily thought he was doing God service. We are, no doubt, bound to do what we think is right; but we are under equal obligations to have our thinking in regard to duty correct. God has given us reason, moral powers, and revelation that we may know our duty and do it.” (The Biblical Illustrator) Join me in invoking the church liturgy in our cases: “Almighty God, unto whom all hearts be open, and from whom no secrets are hid, cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy name, through Christ our Lord. Amen."