Leviticus Chapter 5
We could say that the book of Leviticus is a book of laws that is dialed in. I say this because there are so many ways in which a person can commit sin, but God made sure that the priests, as well as the people had exactly the right remedy for every type of situation. In this chapter three specific sins are brought to light that we might never have thought about until the situation would cause someone else pain. We will read about the trespass offering and the guilt offering which both can be very closely related.
Let's Reflect
1. A trespass offering was needed when someone heard an oath or a truth spoken by someone else and did not speak up when the time came for the hearer to be a witness in a judicial matter. This person has sinned because he did not speak up and bear witness to the truth that he heard spoken. The Bible says he shall bear his ________________.
“He shall suffer for his sinful silence; because he could, but would not, help the truth in necessity, but stand as if he were gagged by Satan.” [Trapp]
2. The second type of sin requiring a trespass offering was a sin to touch something unclean. This offering was required when a person knowingly or unknowingly touched something unclean but did nothing to ceremoniously clean himself. For example a man might have unknowingly touched the carcass of a dead animal and when he realized it he should clean himself and his clothes. If he failed to do so it was required that he present a trespass offering. The first thing he will do after realizing his guilt is to do what? See verse 5.
3. God even made it possible for the poor man to offer a sacrifice. What should the poor man bring as an offering if he could not afford a lamb?
4. Verse 11 further provides a means of redemption for the poorest of the poor. What were the very poor allowed to bring as offering for their sin?
5. The guilt offering was a sacrifice for sins committed against the holy things of the tabernacle. This included sins committed against the law of bringing the firstfruits, tithes, and vowed offerings. The person did not realize at first that they sinned in one of these areas, but once they realized their guilt they needed to make restitution. In fact, he would need to add additional amounts to the payment. According to verse 16 what was the amount he would need to add to it?
6. This was called a guilt offering because the person would recognize their guilt in the matter and need to make restitution. Forgetting or not knowing at first was not an excuse for committing sin. What do verses 18-19 teach us about the guilt of sin that was unintentional?
“If, again, the guilt of an action depended entirely upon a man’s knowledge, we should have no fixed standard at all by which to judge right and wrong: it would be variable according to the enlightenment of each man, and there would be no ultimate and infallible court of appeal…. The art of forgetting would be diligently studied, and ignorance would become an enviable inheritance.” [Spurgeon]
Devotionals
