Lev 5:15-16 | KingComments | STEP | The guilt offering provides for two forms of guilt, for guilt can arise in two ways: guilt toward God ( ) and guilt toward the neighbor ( ). Guilt toward God can also arise in two ways: by withholding from Him something that is due to Him ( ) and by doing something that He has forbidden ( ). When we become unfaithful to “the LORD’s holy things” we can think of taking away something that is set apart for Him – “holy” means “set apart for”. It may be something that He has set apart for Himself, or it may be something that we have set apart for Him. We are “bought with a price” ( ) and we were “purchased for God” ( ). We belong to God. He is entitled to our sacrifices of praise and thanks and to our material sacrifices ( ), yes, our whole life ( ). If we deny Him our thanks, our gifts, our lives, we are guilty. For example, we can be in the meetings and sing along, without really thanking Him from our heart. We can only spend our money for our own pleasure. We can spend our time on worthless things. In all those aspects, which should all be sanctified to the LORD, we can become unfaithful. It is assumed it happens “unintentionally”. Yet we can become guilty if we do not keep an eye on the fact that everything belongs to the Lord. If we become aware of this, we will have to offer a guilt offering and a further twenty percent. The prescribed animal as a guilt offering is a ram. There is no talk of any other kind of offering. This indicates that this offering is the same for everyone. The ram is the animal that speaks of the dedication of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus has always sanctified everything to God perfectly. Everything in Him is for God. His dedication has been to death. This death was necessary, also for my lack of sanctification of everything God is entitled to. I have to realize that again. I need to dedicate myself to Him again and with even more dedication, twenty percent more. The valuation of which is spoken is destined by Moses. The LORD speaks to him. Moses is the picture of the Lord Jesus as the great Teacher, Who speaks the Word of God with authority, the great Prophet, Who applies the Word of God to heart and conscience. The valuation in silver by shekels refers to the price the Lord Jesus paid on the cross. It is reminiscent of His blood. The valuation happens “in [terms of] the shekel of the sanctuary”. This brings us into contact with the sanctuary, the place where God dwells. We do not determine the valuation of the guilt offering. The Lord Jesus does, in the sanctuary, before God. The guilt must not only be confessed, but also paid back, with an additional amount of one fifth. If we confess our guilt before God and rededicate ourselves to Him, we will do so with greater zeal than before. This is because we have learned a little more about the grace of God and the work of the Lord Jesus. Peter is an example of this. He has denied the Lord three times. After his confession and restoration, he dedicates himself, in the knowledge of the grace that has been bestowed upon him, diligently to the work that the Lord has commissioned him to do ( ).

‏ Leviticus 5:15-16

Sin Against the Holy Things

The guilt offering provides for two forms of guilt, for guilt can arise in two ways: guilt toward God (Lev 5:14-19) and guilt toward the neighbor (Lev 6:1-7). Guilt toward God can also arise in two ways: by withholding from Him something that is due to Him (Lev 5:15-16) and by doing something that He has forbidden (Lev 5:17-19).

When we become unfaithful to “the LORD’s holy things” we can think of taking away something that is set apart for Him – “holy” means “set apart for”. It may be something that He has set apart for Himself, or it may be something that we have set apart for Him. We are “bought with a price” (1Cor 6:20) and we were “purchased for God” (Rev 5:9). We belong to God. He is entitled to our sacrifices of praise and thanks and to our material sacrifices (Heb 13:15-16), yes, our whole life (Rom 12:1).

If we deny Him our thanks, our gifts, our lives, we are guilty. For example, we can be in the meetings and sing along, without really thanking Him from our heart. We can only spend our money for our own pleasure. We can spend our time on worthless things. In all those aspects, which should all be sanctified to the LORD, we can become unfaithful.

It is assumed it happens “unintentionally”. Yet we can become guilty if we do not keep an eye on the fact that everything belongs to the Lord. If we become aware of this, we will have to offer a guilt offering and a further twenty percent. The prescribed animal as a guilt offering is a ram. There is no talk of any other kind of offering. This indicates that this offering is the same for everyone.

The ram is the animal that speaks of the dedication of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus has always sanctified everything to God perfectly. Everything in Him is for God. His dedication has been to death. This death was necessary, also for my lack of sanctification of everything God is entitled to. I have to realize that again. I need to dedicate myself to Him again and with even more dedication, twenty percent more.

The valuation of which is spoken is destined by Moses. The LORD speaks to him. Moses is the picture of the Lord Jesus as the great Teacher, Who speaks the Word of God with authority, the great Prophet, Who applies the Word of God to heart and conscience. The valuation in silver by shekels refers to the price the Lord Jesus paid on the cross. It is reminiscent of His blood. The valuation happens “in [terms of] the shekel of the sanctuary”. This brings us into contact with the sanctuary, the place where God dwells. We do not determine the valuation of the guilt offering. The Lord Jesus does, in the sanctuary, before God.

The guilt must not only be confessed, but also paid back, with an additional amount of one fifth. If we confess our guilt before God and rededicate ourselves to Him, we will do so with greater zeal than before. This is because we have learned a little more about the grace of God and the work of the Lord Jesus. Peter is an example of this. He has denied the Lord three times. After his confession and restoration, he dedicates himself, in the knowledge of the grace that has been bestowed upon him, diligently to the work that the Lord has commissioned him to do (2Pet 1:12-15).