Leviticus 5:14-6:7 Guilt Offerings

Introduction

What we have seen so far in our study of Leviticus is that we are brought into relationship with God through the burnt offering that provides the basis for the peace offering joined with the meal offering symbolizing our fellowship with God over a meal. That was symbolic of ratifying the covenant with God. We saw that in the NT as being born again, through repentance and faith in Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross. The fellowship meal of the Lord’s supper. Then in chapters four and five to this point we looked at the sin offering. Which is the OT equivalent of . It is the dealing with sin though we are in relationship with God. That is the , aspect of the Christian life. Now we are looking at another side of the believers life in which he sins unintentionally by treating as common something that God has made holy.

While the sin offering was against the Lord and required a sacrifice, the guilt offering requires the sacrifice and restitution to be paid to the one offended.

We basically have three sections in this passage:

This is one guilt offering. That is the initial discussion leading off with the phrase that sets apart sections:

The guilt offering that is found out and restitution paid, v.15-16

The Lord spoke to Moses saying

The guilt offering for sin that is not certain, no restitution paid, v.17-19

The guilt offering for defrauding someone by using God’s name in vain, 6:1-7

Each one of these are a little bit different but essentially the same result is the purpose.

The guilt offering that is found out and restitution paid, v.15-16

To understand this offering we have to understand what is meant by a trespass. You notice also this is done through ignorance. The unintentional, or ‘through ignorance’ is the same we learned in chapter four.

“the one who sins through ignorance from the holy things of the Lord.”

The Hebrew for trespass maal. Here it is actually two words emphasizing the intensity/serious nature of the sin. It is timaal maal- The same word which means to be disloyal to a covenant that had been agreed upon.the idea of covering, as in a cloak, so to cover up what was done. or to act in secret. It is the thought of being unfaithful or treacherous, as in spouse’s unfaithfulness. In the inter mixing by marriage of Jews with Gentiles was considered an act of unfaithfulness to the Lord.

King Saul died because he did not keep the commands of the Lord, He committed a breach of faith, a trespass. What did he do? He consulted a medium rather than the Lord. One other example would be King Uzziah who treated the Lord with contempt when he offered incense on the altar of incense and was struck with Leprosy, . He was treacherous before the Lord in that he went where only the designated priest was to go. He showed contempt for the Lord in his disobedience. In other words it is an overstepping of the boundary between what is common and what is holy. It is to treat what God calls holy as though it is common. Thus, minimizing God, treating him as common. When someone treats our words or opinion as unimportant. We see it as them disrespecting our person.

The point is that this sin is an treacherous act of unfaithfulness to the covenant with the Lord. A violation of religious law. This is against God. It is an act of betrayal. Think of how you feel when someone betrays you. You thought they were a friend, but in the end they were found to be more concerned with self than with you.

The holy things are those things that are dedicated to the Lord for His use alone. This would be a violation of the commands/regulations that deal with holy things and how they are to be handled. As in Uzziah and the altar of incense or as in the parts of the food offerings that belong to the Lord or the priest. What might be in mind is that the offender inadvertantly ate part of what belonged to the priest or failed to give the priest the part of the offering that belonged to them.

“the one who sins through ignorance from the holy things of the Lord.”

The holy things are those things that are dedicated to the Lord for His use alone. This would be or violation of the commands/regulations that deal with holy things and how they are to be handled. As in Uzziah and the altar of incense or as in the parts of the food offerings that belong to the Lord or the priest.

The one who sins in this way is to bring a trespass/guilt offering (asem) it is the idea of compensation/restitution to pay for the offense. This is seen in . it is the idea of reparation, the repairing of a breach of covenant by the payment of a penalty. So that is the restitution part of this. Only when restitution has been satisfied is it appropriate to bring the guilt offering sacrifice of the ram.

The Ram is the normal payment to be valued according to the going rate of silver on the standard weight of the temple shekel, which was about 4oz. The way it would apparently work is you would purchase your ram for the going rate of silver.

Whereas for the sin offering there could be a number of different animals offered, in this it is only the Ram.

And the value of the ram is not the issue, the cost of which would generally be the same for any ram according to the temple shekel. But rather the priest would set the value not of the ram, but to fix the symbolical value of the trespass. While the sprinkling of blood was the prominent idea in the expiation of sin in the sin offering. it is restitution that is the prominent idea on the guilt offering, it was the restoration of rights or value. Payment was made in other words, with a value of 20% added.

v.16

How does christ sacrifice restore or pay restitution to God for treating Him in a common way, as we minimize what He calls holy or we use His name in vain, thus in both ways disrespecting God?

v.16

He would not only replace what was taken and treated as common, but he would also add 20% to it.

He would not only replace what was taken and treated as common, but he would also add 20% to it.

Look at in the case of a food item that belonged to the priest, that was inadvertently eaten by the offerer, he would replace the food item and add 20% to it and give it to the priest who was offended. ().

The result will be that the sin is atoned for and forgiveness granted.

The violation or trespass of the Lord’s holy things shows the serious nature of not respecting God’s property. To not respect what belongs to Him is to show disrespect to Him.

Eli’s two sons violated this without repentance.

You can understand this when some doesn’t treat what belongs to you with respect, you view that them not respecting you. Those who don’t care about your things don’t care about you.

This is seen in NT when Paul speaks of our bodies belonging to God in , so don’t treat it with disrespect in terms of things like sexual immorality, abuse, etc.

It is Christ who pays the penalty for our breach. We could never pay the debt. It is always out of reach. But Christ restores what we have treated as common. Christ is seen as our trespass offering in that passage, we were bought with the blood of Christ.

Nevertheless, Christ is seen as our trespass offering in that passage, we were bought with the blood of Christ.

Nevertheless, Christ is seen as our trespass offering in that passage, we were bought with the blood of Christ.

II. The guilt offering for sin that is not certain, no restitution paid, v.17-19

This is a second category of guilt offering.

If the soul that sins does one from all the commands of the Lord,

which he is not to do

and does not know it

and he is guilty

and bear up iniquity (suffer his punishment)

This is different from the first in that he thinks he has sinned but doesn’t know exactly what he did, ‘he wist it not.’

Why would he think he might have sinned? How does he find out his guilt?

His conscience might be bothering him. He may be experiencing what appears to be consequences to his sin, as in failure in crops, bad experiences, barren wife and so on. He would then bring the ram as an offering and if the situation was corrected and his conscience eased he knows that it happened for his sin. If it doesn’t go away he knows that it is not because of his sin that the thing has happened. In either case, his conscience is eased and he is at peace.

Now, because he doesn’t know what he did for certain, he has no way of knowing the value of the offense so there is no way to value the reparation. Thus, it is to be estimated with a ram. So he assumes the worst and brings a ram for a guilt offering.

In this one, because he doesn’t know what he did for certain, he has no way of knowing the value of the offense so there is no way to value the reparation. Thus, it is to be estimated with a ram. So he assumes the worst and brings a ram for a guilt offering.

An illustration:

It could be that Elkanah and Hannah brought this sort of offering.

It could be that Elkanah and Hannah brought this sort of offering.

So then this person who feels guilty but doesn’t know what he did brings the offering and his sin is atoned for and he is forgiven.

His sin is atoned for and he is forgiven.

This shows that even an unknown sin is to be taken seriously, In other words, if your conscience is bothering you you should take it seriously. It can result in the Lord’s discipline because God is getting at your conscience to convict you of some sin.

Even today if your conscience bothers you and you don’t know what it is the same thing could be at work. God is trying to reveal some sinful word, thought, attitude or action. It may be that you have treated as common something God calls holy. Remember , . Paul could be speaking of this in regarding conscience and eating various foods. or When he reminds us to abstain from all appearance of evil in .

What God has called holy and wants treated as holy we are not to call or treat as common. As says, we are to hate even the garment stained by the flesh. Avoid sin at all costs.

III. The guilt offering for defrauding someone by using God’s name in vain, 6:1-7

the sin dealt with here is called a breach of faith against the Lord. same phrase used in v.15.

This deals with the misuse of the Lord’s name in swearing falsely.

This sin is against the Lord, v.2/21

This sin is against the Lord, v.2/21

This sin is against the Lord, v.2/21

‘the soul that sins, and deals treacherously against the Lord (maal maal as in 5:15). This is specifically against the Lord, though the actions are against people as it is spelled out in practical terms.

sin=chata-to miss the mark.

this is a trespass- maal- an act of unfaithfulness, a treacherous act. It is the breaking of a law or contract. We have what this looks like spelled out to us here.

neighbor = a person standing next to you in ; one another in ; In it refers to another person who is married. It is an associate, and it does not have to be someone you know.

He is has deceived his neighbor in a matter of deposit -The basic meaning is to exercise oversight over a subordinate, either in the form of inspecting or of taking action to cause a considerable change in the circumstances of the subordinate, either for the better or for the worse. If he denies to his neighbor the thing entrusted to him, lit. placed in his hand or by robbery or extortion or robbery of his neighbor.

or by robbery or extortion or robbery of his neighbor.

v.3

for example, in the past I have borrowed things from people and with Murphy’s law in play, the thing inevitably breaks. It was not my fault, it just breaks on my watch. But I fix it or have it fixed.

v.3

v.3

or found something, like a straying animal and has lied about it, swearing falsely, that he hadn’t found or seen it.

It is spelled out like this. A person gives you something to hold for them, an animal, some other valuables, a tool, and that comes up missing, or damaged or even dies. you are liable for that. or you find something that was lost and belongs to your neighbor. The fact that those things happen might not be sin on your part.

for example, in the past I have borrowed things from people and with Murphy’s law in play, the thing inevitably breaks. It was not my fault, it just breaks on my watch. But I fix it or have it fixed.

I remember as a boy of 8,9 finding money in the notch of a tree, pointed out by a grandson of my Grandma Aletha. I excitedly told her what I had found and she told me that her grandson had stole that from her. If I would have kept secret what I found that would have been sin.

The sin is in the lying about it, the swearing falsely, you see.

This is the picture of someone who is accused of wrongdoing and then lies about on oath. They have defrauded someone and then lied under oath. Thus, misusing the name of the Lord.

he will restore in kind for what was taken and he will add 20% to it and give it to the one who was offended.

This is the picture of someone who is accused of wrongdoing and then lies about on oath. They have defrauded someone and then lied under oath. Thus, misusing the name of the Lord.

swearing an oath by the name of the Lord was the normal way to maintain innocence, . By swearing an oath they would be inviting some trouble on themselves if they were guilty, or .

To swear falsely would be to treat the Lord with disdain or disrespect or as something common that can be used however you wish.

If per chance they got away with it what would prompt them to admit guilt?

when things started going wrong for them and they suffer guilty conscience or consequences of guilt and then confess their guilt.

“Be sure your sins will find you out.”

“Be sure your sins will find you out.” Think of Ananias and Sapphira .

When he is found out and confesses, and repents he will restore in kind for what was taken and he will add 20% to it and give it to the one who was offended. Now he will do this because he is repentant. It is possible that this would be merely ritual for being caught but as with Ananias and Sapphira it can create a fear of God that will prompt true repentance. Note also this is to be immediate, same day reparation, “in the day of his trespass” v.5.

he will restore in kind for what was taken and he will add 20% to it and give it to the one who was offended.

v.6

v.6

Then he will be able to bring his offering of a perfect ram for a trespass offering to the priest.

Atonement will be made and forgiveness granted.

The sacrifice of the ram was a covering of their sin and also a promise of future grace. this is a picture of Christ

this is a trespass- maal- an act of unfaithfulness, a treacherous act. It is the breaking of a law or contract. We have what this looks like spelled out to us here.

neighbor = a person standing next to you in ; one another in ; In it refers to another person who is married. It is an associate, and it does not have to be someone you know.

I think this is like what Jesus teaches when He said, If you are bringing your gift to the altar and you remember you have offended someone leave your gift and go and make reparation with the one you offended and then come and bring your gift. mat.5:23-24

He is has decieved his neighbor in a matter of deposit -The basic meaning is to exercise oversight over a subordinate, either in the form of inspecting or of taking action to cause a considerable change in the circumstances of the subordinate, either for the better or for the worse. If he denies to his neighbor the thing entrusted to him, lit. placed in his hand

or by robbery or extortion or robbery of his neighbor.

v.22/6: 3 or if he has found something that was lost and lied about it or swore upon a lie upon one from all which the man did to sin in it.

This is that false swearing refers to all the crimes flowing out of selfishness and greed. In reality he defrauds God.

v.23/6:4

True repentance goes beyond saying, ‘I’m sorry’; it extends to correcting the wrong as fully as possible (cf. ).1

then he will have sinned

and he will be guilty

and return stolen property which he robbed,

1 Sklar, J. (2013). Leviticus: An Introduction and Commentary. (D. G. Firth, Ed.) (Vol. 3, p. 125). Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press.

the extortion which he extorted

the deposit that had been entrusted to him

or that which had been lost which he found.

v.24/6:5

Or that which he swore falsely upon

We see that the typology in the guilt offering stresses the atonement for damages caused by our sin. Christ is our guilt offering as typified by the Ram. .

and he will make compensation for it in the head/first and add a fifth upon it for which to him he will give in the day of his guilt.

So there is restitution and it is not delayed,it is immediate.

v,6 bringing the ram was a covering of their sin, but also a promise of future grace. this is a picture of Christ

The sin here was a two-fold sin: against God by swearing falsely, and then against others by defrauding them. Restitution has to be made before bring the guilt offering of a ram.

The sin here was a two-fold sin: against God by swearing falsely, and then against others by defrauding them. Restitution has to be made before bring the guilt offering of a ram.

So we see that confession or acknowledgment of the sin and guilt has to be made, restitution paid to the offended party, then the sacrifice of a ram brought so atonement and forgiveness is had.

This is indication of true repentance and faith. I think of Zaccheus in Acts who said he would repay fourfold anyone he had defrauded. That was truly a heart change on his part because that would have cost him a bundle of money.

It is Christ in you that makes the difference. He is our guilt offering sacrifice. And when we truly come to faith in him we will be willing to do as He commands when it comes to paying restitution to those we have offended.