Leviticus 5:1-13 - Offering for Trespasses

 Leviticus 5:1-13

The Trespass Offering

1 ‘If a person sins in hearing the utterance of an oath, and is a witness, whether he has seen or known of the matter—if he does not tell it, he bears guilt.

2 ‘Or if a person touches any unclean thing, whether it is the carcass of an unclean beast, or the carcass of unclean livestock, or the carcass of unclean creeping things, and he is unaware of it, he also shall be unclean and guilty. 3 Or if he touches human uncleanness—whatever uncleanness with which a man may be defiled, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty.

4 ‘Or if a person swears, speaking thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, whatever it is that a man may pronounce by an oath, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty in any of these matters.

5 ‘And it shall be, when he is guilty in any of these matters, that he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing; 6 and he shall bring his trespass offering to the LORD for his sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin.

7 If he is not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring to the LORD, for his trespass which he has committed, two turtledoves or two young pigeons: one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. 8 And he shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin offering first, and wring off its head from its neck, but shall not divide it completely. 9 Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, and the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering. 10 And he shall offer the second as a burnt offering according to the prescribed manner. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him.

11 ‘But if he is not able to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he who sinned shall bring for his offering one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it, nor shall he put frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. 12 Then he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as a memorial portion, and burn it on the altar according to the offerings made by fire to the LORD. It is a sin offering. 13 The priest shall make atonement for him, for his sin that he has committed in any of these matters; and it shall be forgiven him. The rest shall be the priest’s as a grain offering.’”

Three trespasses are spoken of here that required confession for the offender’s guilt and a small sacrificial offering to cover the sin.  The first one was when someone hears a sin and keeps silent as a witness to the offender’s guilt, thus creating his or her own guilt in holding back by testifying to the authorities of the crime.  The second is when someone touches anything ceremonially unclean like dead unclean animals or livestock or unclean creatures that move along the ground.  Though the person may be unaware of it, he has become ceremonially unclean and is therefore guilty, needing atonement and cleansing from the sin.  The third situation is when a person flippantly swears a thoughtless oath to do good or bad, and is held accountable to keep it when it should not have been made in the first place.  All these situations required the sinner acknowledge their guilt and to confess the sin by making a sin offering to atone for their actions.  The priest would then offer the offering in the manner prescribed by the LORD to make the atonement on the behalf of the offender who was unable to make the sacrifice himself or herself.  Then the sin would be forgiven by God by the sin offering made by the priest on the sinner’s behalf.  This pattern is fulfilled by Christ as our true and eternal High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-15) making the ultimate sacrifice that covers all our sins (1 John 3:4-5) once for all time (Hebrews 7:27, 9:12, 14, 10:10) at the heavenly altar of God’s mercy through the sacrifice for sin of Jesus Christ Himself that atones for all our sins.  As our intercessory Priest and sin offering sacrificed for us, our trespasses against Him are covered and atoned for completely, not needing to be repeated over and over; only our confession of future ongoing sins is required for His forgiveness (1 John 1:9) to find peace with God (Romans 5:1) in the person and work of Jesus Christ, our atoning sacrifice of his lifeblood ministered for us as our Mediator which no man on earth can ever do such as the priests then and now.  This is our hope and peace for the trespass offerings in the grace in which we stand.