Levítico 5

Levítico 5

Morris - This is the fifth type of offering described in Leviticus, the others being the burnt offering, the meal offering, the peace offering and the sin offering, as described in chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4. The phrase in the KJV (against the LORD) emphasizes that a trespass against one's fellow man is also a trespass against the LORD! NLT = "guilty of an offense against the LORD." Guilty (0816)(asam - word study) Before the LORD (61x in 59v in Leviticus out of 259 total uses in OT) - Lev 1:3, 5, 11; 3:1, 7, 12; 4:4, 6f, 15, 17f, 24; 5:19; 6:7, 14, 25; 7:30; 8:26f, 29; 9:2, 4f, 21, 24; 10:1f, 15, 17, 19; 12:7; 14:11f, 16, 18, 23f, 27, 29, 31; 15:14f, 30; 16:7, 10, 12f, 18, 30; 19:22; 23:11, 20, 28, 40; 24:3f, 6, 8; TODAY IN THE WORD - Steve and Mike Lane had a gospel songwriter for a mother and a minister for a stepfather. 'We were two kids who grew up in church,' Steve says. Yet the stepfather kept a collection of pornographic magazines, which Steve and Mike found. As adults, they produced publications defending pornography and were set to enter the lucrative business themselves. Thirty thousand pornographic magazines had been printed and were stacked in a warehouse awaiting distribution. Then they watched an evangelistic television program and trusted Christ as Savior. Their lives changed, and their magazine investment was lost. Says Steve: 'What we have now is worth a lot more than money.' Steve and Mike could not sell their pornography magazine once Christ had entered their hearts. True repentance changes the heart and thus the actions. This same idea underlies the Old Testament guilt offering, the fourth sacrifice to be considered in this month's study. As in the sacrifices we've already studied, the guilt offering included true confession, blood atonement, and God's promise of forgiveness. One new feature is that this offering required restitution, when appropriate (Lev 5:16; 6:5). To show true repentance, a worshiper was required to pay back and add 20 percent (a double tithe). One type of sin requiring a guilt offering (also called a trespass offering) was the unintentional breaking of special commands regarding religious duties (Lev 5:15, 17). Examples included neglecting to tithe or eating the priest's portion of a sacrifice. The point, as summed up in today's verse, is that such sins were 'wrongdoing against the Lord' in a distinct way. TODAY ALONG THE WAY - We need to see our sins in the same way that God does. What does this mean? James Smith - THE TRESPASS-OFFERING. THE ADAPTATION OF CHRIST'S WORK TO THE SINNER'S NEED. Leviticus 5; 6:1-7.The voice of the trespass-offering to man is: "He hath certainly trespassed against the Lord" (Lev 5:19). In connection with this offering individual sins rather than persons are prominently dealt with. Let us look at— I. The need. "All we like sheep have gone astray." So a trespass -offering is needed. The sins mentioned here are cardinal ones, and prove that all have sinned. 1. THE SIN OF SILENCE when we ought to speak (Lev 5:1). Every privilege of witnessing for the truth that is neglected brings guilt. Silence may be sometimes golden, but it may also be criminal. Silence gives consent. How often do we Christians indulge in this guilty silence for Christ because of the fear of man? "I say unto you, Fear God." 2. THE SIN OF DEFILEMENT through unclean associations. "If a soul touch any unclean thing," &c. (vs. 2, 3). The hands and the feet may touch things unclean without incurring moral pollution, but not so with the soul. It is our fellowship with the unclean that corrupts the life. Even the touch of sympathy and desire will bring defilement and condemnation. 3. THE SIN OF IGNORANCE, in breaking the commands of the Lord. "If a soul commit any of these things which are forbidden, though he wist it not, yet is he guilty" (Lev 5:17). Neither our reason nor our conscience determine what is sin, but the Word of God. Inadvertence or negligence on our part to the revealed will of God is in itself sinful. Although Paul says he was forgiven because he did it ignorantly (1 Tim. 1:13), yet forgiveness was needed all the same. To say I am not conscious of sin does not imply that I am free from guilt (Psa. 19:12). 4. THE SIN OF DEFRAUDING our fellowmen (Lev 6:1, 2). All sin is against God. He holds the man guilty who deceives in any way his neighbour. The apostle realised this when he said, "I am debtor both to the Jew and to the Greek," &c. Defraud no man. How much owest thou? II. The provision. The variety of the offerings allowed, according to the poverty of the guilty offerers, reveals the adaptability and all-sufficiency of the sacrifice to the need of all. The expense of the offering was reduced to the "tenth part of an ephah of fine flour" (Lev 6:7-11). A handful of flour was within the reach of the poorest. The grace of God which bringeth salvation to all men hath appeared. No matter how poor the offerers may be, the full value and power of the sacrifice was imputed to them. Our faith may be weak, poor indeed, but it lays hold on a strong Redeemer, the mighty to save. We may have but a poor estimate of the worth of Christ as our trespass-offering, and yet be as perfectly forgiven as those who are rich in faith, giving glory to God. There are no degrees in our justification before Him. All these various offerings represent the one sacrifice for the trespasses of the people. Associated with it we have these thoughts— 1. SUBSTITUTION. In every case the offering was for the offerer. "Christ loved us, and gave Himself for us" (Eph. 5:2). He died for our sins. 2. RESTORATION (Lev 6:1, 2). Our Lord Jesus Christ, by the offering of Himself, has restored that which sin and unbelief had taken away. Surely if we are dependent upon the trespass-offering for our restoration unto God we shall willingly restore to our fellowmen what we have fraudulently taken away from them. Freely ye have received, freely give. 3. COMPENSATION. "He shall make amends, and add the fifth part" (Lev 5:16). We are to give compensation to our brother man for loss through our acts, because there is in this offering as a type of Christ, not only the payment of a debt, but in a deep, unfathomable sense, the full compensating of God for loss sustained through the ruin of man by sin. Hallelujah, what a Saviour! The death of Christ has made amends unto God for our guilt, and added the "fifth part" of a glorious Church to the eternal praise of His holy Name. III. The condition. The provision made by the trespass-offering availed nothing where there was no— 1. CONFESSION. "He shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing" (Lev 5:5). That thing implies that the confession must come down to particular things. The trespass-offering deals with these, and may have special reference to the sins of the backslider, which must be confessed in detail before restoration can come. Then there must be— 2. ACCEPTANCE. He must be willing to accept God's only way of deliverance from guilt, and be obedient to His Word. IV. The promise. "And it shall be forgiven him" (Lev 5:10). This verse contains a double promise, giving a double assurance. 1. ATONEMENT MADE FOR HIM. The priest shall make an atonement for him. This work is outside of the offerer. This Christ has done for us (Ro. 5:11). 2. FORGIVENESS EXTENDED TO HIM. Justified freely by His grace. "Through this Man (Christ) is offered unto you the forgiveness of sins" (Acts 13:38). (Handfuls on Purpose)