Christ in all the scriptures The Trespass offering

 Christ in all the scriptures

The Trespass offering   Leviticus 5

We can best profit from this by noting the differences from the sin offering of chapter 4.  We begin to realise how offensive our sins are to God in many ways.  The sin offering deals, mainly with our sins of ignorance (errors-Psalm 19v12), refer Leviticus 4v2; 4v13; 4v22; 4v27.  The trespass offering removes presumptuous sins (Psalm 19v13), that is intentional sins, whether in full or partial knowledge of them.  Both need to be cleansed in approach to God.  Chapter 5v4 and 5v17 makes clear that ignorance does not absolve from guilt.  Wilful, intentional sins are an offence to God.  In the sin offering, when sin is committed in ignorance, they are "against the commandments of the Lord" (this is four times repeated in chapter 4, and requires the blood of cleansing).  In the trespass offering, there is additional offence, not just against His commandments but directly against the Lord (5v19), a wilful, rebellious action.  Various condemnations are uttered-v1 "he shall bear his iniquity"; v2 "he shall be unclean, and guilty"; v3 "he shall be defiled"; v4 "he shall be guilty".  Against this there are four assurances "it shall be forgiven him"-5v10, v13, v16, v18.  We must understand that wilful sin is a serious offence and a personal insult to God.  However, He is a gracious God, and He is compassionate and forgiving, by providing sanctification in Christ.  At this point we should underline that this is not referring to initial cleansing-such as "the washing of regeneration" as in Titus 3v5 and Ephesians 5v26, but to the ongoing need for cleansing in an already redeemed person's life, as detailed in 1st John 1/2.  We are cleansed, once for all through faith in Christ, but there is ongoing defilement that needs to be removed (John 13v8-10; 1st John 1v8-2v2).  

For all sins, both sins of ignorance, and wilful, presumptuous sins, Christ had to die and through the chapter it is emphasised that nothing less than the death of Christ was necessary to reconcile us to God.  We could intensify this by saying that nothing less than the death of Christ was necessary to remove my sins, yes, the same sins that still afflict me!  Note the language of the chapter: v6, "he shall bring his trespass offering for his sin, which he has sinned a female of the flock, a lamb or kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin..."; v15, "he shall bring for his trespass offering unto the Lord a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering" (similar wording in v18).  The reality is, in our modern world, we have become so conditioned to sin, we tend to treat it lightly, but there is no levity with God in the matter of sin, as the chapter clearly demonstrates.  We approach God with our own estimation of the problem, yet this must be  according to the shekel of the sanctuary.  The measure of the seriousness of sin is according to God's own estimate.  How does He estimate sin? by the standard of His holiness.  "He sent His own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh (Romans 8v3)

We might well ask, how do we estimate our sin?  Do we treat it lightly, with such as "to err is human", or, "nobody's perfect".  Do we even know what sin is in the sight of God?  The Bible is full of definitions of sin, both old and new testaments.  In this chapter some specific sins are mentioned that require forgiveness, which we can tabulate later; there are many sins defined in scripture, and the new testament lists many in different places.  Matthew 15v18-20; Mark 7v20-23; Romans 1v29-31; 1st Corinthians 6v9-10; Galatians 5v19-21; Ephesians 4v25-31; Ephesians 5v3-5; Colossians 3v5; Titus 3v3, and others.  God declares in His word what sin is, and how He feels about it.  He has also made provision for it in Christ.  These sacred verses proclaim the unalterable holiness of God in His revulsion against sin in all its forms.  They also proclaim the unparalleled grace of God in dealing with sin at infinite cost to Himself.  Only He can define it, only He could deal with it.  A few sins are mentioned in the chapter that require atonement, but we are surprised that none of the major sins are highlighted such as murder, adultery, stealing, lying etc.  Instead the Spirit cites what may be seen as "lesser sins", mostly what none of us would ever think of as sins.  This tells us that all sins, even minor ones, are such that only the sacrifice of Christ can take away.

There are five offences cited in the chapter that required a trespass offering, each beginning with the phrase, "if a soul..."-v1, v2, v4, v15, v17.  It is difficult to know how we can apply these to a modern situation, since they are in the context of Jewish religious and civil ritual.  However, we can apply the principle involved in each case.

v1 Silence in the knowledge of sin committed by others is constituted a trespass against the Lord.  Whether that knowledge is first hand or by hearsay, the point is, if he utters it not-fails to witness to the truth, he becomes guilty of the sin.  Sometimes, what passes for discretion, in the context of loyalty to others, is a sin against the Lord.  We can sin by not testifying what we know.  The Lord said in condemnation to the church at Thyatira, "Thou sufferest that wicked woman Jezebel...to seduce my servants revelation 2v20.  The word for sufferest is eao which is to leave alone, turn a blind eye to, to suffer without protest.  Failure to speak up when evil is committed is a sin.  We know that "love covers a multitude of sins" so we should not publicising people's wrongs, but there are times when it is in the public interest to speak up.

v2-3  This has to do with ceremonial uncleanness, whether of touching a dead body, or contact with a person who is unclean.  It is difficult to apply this, but we are aware that we rub shoulders today with people whom God classes as "dead", and who certainly are unclean in His sight.  Inevitably we are defiled by association, and in communion with God, we should regularly examine ourselves and apply the necessary cleansing-1st John 1v9.

v4  Swearing a false oath.  Sinning with our words, the bible says our tongues are "an unruly evil"-James 3v8).  Swearing in scripture relates to the making of vows.  This was common practice in the Middle East.  It became too easy to utter vows on many things, without ever carrying them out.  This was a sin, because an oath was pronounced before God, and reference to Him demanded action.  However it became much easier to utter a vow for good or evil as a threat, without action.  This is what Jesus called "idle words"-Matthew 12v36.  In the western world we tend not to make oaths, but do utter strong opinions, whether for image or reality, without ever following up on our declarations.  These are just idle, and therefore, worthless words.  We will be held to account for every word spoken-(Matthew 12v37).  If we say something whether in oath or in bravado, we should do it.  Empty threats, and idle words are a sin against the Lord.

v15 Trespassing in the holy things of the Lord.  This is failure to commit to the Lord such things as giving of firstfruits, or tithing, or the mandatory annual half shekel of the sanctuary.  Coffman's commentaries suggests, "The careless neglect of paying tithes, or the inadvertent offering of an unsuitable animal for sacrifice, and other types of sins would fall under this category.  The penalty was next to the largest imposed by the sacrifices, a ram of the flock being a property of considerable value".  The work of the Lord requires commitment, and neglect will require extra, as in the "fifth added thereto"-v16.   What does this mean for us today, trespassing in the holy things"?  It could mean failing to pray as we ought (Luke 18v1), or praying amiss (James 4v3) or with the wrong attitude (1st Timothy 2v8); neglecting the study of scripture which we are encouraged to do (Proverbs 2v1-8); failing to carry out duties of office, such as a pastor failing to visit, and tending to the flock (Ezekiel 34); or  teachers failing to teach the word as they are commanded to do (1st Timothy 4v6-16, 2nd Timothy 2v15, 2nd Timothy 4v1-3); it could mean spiritual leaders failing to feed the flock, as their accepted position demands (Acts 20v28, 1st Peter 5v1-4).  It could mean failure to witness to others in the gospel, as we are all commissioned to do (Matthew 28v20, Mark 16v20, Acts 1v8, 2nd Corinthians 4v3-6). These are all examples of the "holy things of the Lord", and there is forgiveness in Christ for these also.  Forgiveness, however should not give way to familiarity and therefore continual trespass.

v17  The chapter finishes to include trespass against "any of the commandments of the Lord".  The commandments were set in the decalogue of Exodus 20 to be observed and propagated by Israel.  These were 1) No other gods  2) No likeness of anything in heaven or earth  3) No worship of idols  4) No taking the name of the Lord in vain  5) observe the Sabbath day  6) Honour father and mother  7) Do not kill  8) Do not commit adultery  9) Do not steal  10) Do not bear false witness.

Trespass against any of these constituted a major sin against the Lord.  The Lord Himself summed these up in two commands, each containing two groups of five-refer Matthew 22v36-40, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets".  In our rush, today, to rightly proclaim that God has now finished with the law, we miss the obvious point of the law.  That is, it reflected the character of God, and His attitude to human sin; we miss out on the beauty of the law, as Paul said "wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good"-Romans 7v12.  The law, said Paul, was our "schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith"-Galatians 3v24.  The preaching of the gospel requires we use the very useful schoolmaster to bring people to Christ.  Unless people know of their need they will never seek forgiveness.  The law of God cannot save, but it can highlight the need to be saved.  We cannot understand the gospel, or preach it unless we know and proclaim the demands of the law.  Such demands no one could keep, but they needed to be met, and they are in Christ! The commandments of the Lord proclaim the character of God, and this was fully met in Christ.  When we come to God through Him, all our trespasses and sins and failures are fulfilled in Him, and we stand perfect before Him the High and Holy Sovereign God of the universe.

"HE WAS WOUNDED FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS; HE WAS BRUISED FOR OUR INIQUITIES; THE CHASTISEMENT OF OUR PEACE WAS UPON HIM; AND BY HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED"       Isaiah 53v5