Christ in all the scriptures The law of the trespass offering

 Christ in all the scriptures

The Law of the Trespass offering   Leviticus 7v1-10

The ritual details for the trespass offering are exactly the same as for the sin offering.  Leviticus 7v7 says this "As the sin offering, so is the trespass offering: there is one law for them...".  This fact, however raises an interesting matter; God distinguishes between sin and trespass, and we should investigate this distinction.  The New Testament confirms this in Ephesians 2v1, referring to our pre-conversion state, Paul writes, "And you hath He quickened (made alive) who were dead in trespasses and sins".  Again in Colossians 2v13 he says, "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses".  In both Old and New testaments the distinction is made.  The Divine answer to both is the same-the blood of sacrifice, pointing to Christ's death on the cross.  

In fact there are three words used repeatedly to describe the fallen condition of man before God...SINS, TRESPASSES, INIQUITIES.      Consider the following scriptures:

Exodus 34v7 "Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin..." Psalm 32v1-5 "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.  Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity...I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid.  I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.  Selah."                                                                            Psalm 51v1-3 "Have mercy upon me, O God, according unto thy lovingkindness: according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.  Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.  For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.  Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.  Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me".    

A cursory reading of these and other scriptures reveal that these terms are interchangeable describing the fallen condition of mankind.  Nevertheless, each has a specific meaning, and we should understand the distinctions.

Sins  Heb. chattath (296 times) Gr. hamartia (174 times)   It means to "miss the mark" as in archery.  Paul said it was to "come short" of the glory of God-Romans 3v23.  Obviously this is a high standard, the highest there is; yet man was made in the image of God (Genesis 1v26) and after the likeness of Divine beings.  We were created to display the glory of our Maker, and, because of sin we have come short.  We were made to be godly (god-like), but we are ungodly, failing to live up to the high standard of our creation.                    

Trespasses (transgressions)  Heb. pesha (93 times) Gr. paraptomah (23 times)  Trespasses or transgressions are actions which unlawfully cross boundaries that have been set; put another way, one is missing the mark, the other is overstepping the mark.  Sins are actions which come short; trespasses are actions which go beyond what is allowed.  Both can be intentional or unintentional.  The Divine law was only given at Sinai, where Leviticus was written, and so now the Divine standard has been set by which we can measure human behaviour.  The Decalogue given to Moses contained positive and negative instructions-"thou shalt...thou shalt not".  James stated in his epistle that even one violation of the law of God rendered us guilty of the whole (James 2v10).  Moses reminds us in Leviticus that ignorance of the law does not diminish our guilt.   

Iniquities  Heb. avon (230) times  Gr. anomia (15 times)  Iniquity is the force within us from our parents (ultimately from Adam and Eve) which naturally leads to acts of sin and transgression.  The word anomia literally means without law, lawlessness, the powerful trend within each of us of opposing God-1st John 3v4-5 "Whosoever committeth sin (practices sin) transgresses also the law: for sin is lawlessness (most versions).  And ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin".  Lawlessness (iniquity) is the opposite of righteousness, the standard required by God.  It is written in Psalm 45v7, and quoted again in Hebrews 1v9, "thou hast loved righteousness and hated lawlessness".  Iniquity is crookedness, perversion, that inward rebellion that will always militate against the will of God. 

This is God's definition of the human condition revealed in scripture.  Not only are we ungodly and unrighteous in thought and in deed, we are powerless to save ourselves.  We are utterly dependent on God to provide the answer, and provide it He has in full in Christ:

Isaiah 53v5-12 declares that He has comprehensively dealt with the sin question in all its aspects, sins, transgressions, and iniquities: "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with     His stripes we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all.  He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.  He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His generation? for He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was He stricken.  And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.  Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him: He hath put Him to grief: when thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see a seed, He shall prolong days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.  He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities.  Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He hath poured out His soul unto death: and He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors".

The section ends with the material benefits additionally given to to operating priests.  From the burnt offering the priest received the skin of the animal-Leviticus 7v8; from the grain offering he receives the residue to eat with his family and all the sons of Aron-7v9-10.  This is an illustration of the truth of Romans 8v32, "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not WITH HIM ALSO FREELY GIVE US ALL THINGS?"  He has done the greater thing in dealing with our sin; He will also do the lesser thing by proving for our needs in this life.  Does any one of us doubt it?  The God who gave His Son will give us anything we ask if He judges it is in our interest to give it.  Jesus said so, "Ask in my name and I will give you all things"-John 14v13-14.