14 September Leviticus 5

Unintentional Sin

Leviticus 5:14-19 (NIV) “The Lord said to Moses: “When anyone is unfaithful to the Lord by sinning unintentionally in regard to any of the Lord’s holy things, they are to bring to the Lord as a penalty a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value in silver, according to the sanctuary shekel. It is a guilt offering. They must make restitution for what they have failed to do in regard to the holy things, pay an additional penalty of a fifth of its value and give it all to the priest. The priest will make atonement for them with the ram as a guilt offering, and they will be forgiven. “If anyone sins and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, even though they do not know it, they are guilty and will be held responsible. They are to bring to the priest as a guilt offering a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the wrong they have committed unintentionally, and they will be forgiven. It is a guilt offering; they have been guilty of wrongdoing against the Lord.”

The trespass or guilt offering was needed when someone accidentally did something wrong with the Lord's holy things. "Holy things" usually meant things dedicated to the Lord, like parts of the sanctuary or offerings meant for the priests. It’s not explained how someone might do this by mistake, but it could be that a person forgot to keep a vow, made a mistake while trying to keep it, accidentally ate food meant for the priests, or mistakenly ate a firstborn animal from their flock.

To make things right, a sacrifice had to be made to God, and the person also had to make up for their wrongdoing to the other person involved. The trespass offering was a way to show both atonement and reconciliation with God through a sacrifice, but it also showed grace by allowing the person to make up for their mistake.

Albeit the sinner brought not only a ram without blemish, but they had to make restitution, a restoration of what he has done wrong. On top of the restoration, they are to add a fifth. In other words, 20% on top of the restoration. This would equal 120% restoration.

If someone sins against the Lord, he must bring a ram without blemish, an epitome of Jesus Christ. Therefore we must remind people today that sin is a serious matter, whether intentional or unintentional. 1 John 1:5-10 (NIV) “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

In conclusion, the passage underscores the seriousness of sin, even when committed unintentionally, and the need for atonement and restitution. The trespass or guilt offering required a sacrifice and a tangible restoration, highlighting the gravity of wrongdoing against God's holy things. This Old Testament practice foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who, as the unblemished Lamb, made atonement for our sins.

As believers today, we are reminded that sin, whether intentional or not, separates us from God. However, through Jesus Christ, we are offered forgiveness and purification. 1 John 1:5-10 reinforces this by calling us to walk in the light, acknowledging our sins, and relying on God's faithfulness to cleanse us. Confession and repentance are essential to maintaining a right relationship with God, who is just and merciful. Let us, therefore, take sin seriously, seek reconciliation with God, and trust in the redemptive power of Christ's sacrifice.