“A trespass offering”
He shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD. —Leviticus 6:6
Read Leviticus 6:1-7
Leviticus 5 and 6 speak about the trespass offering. When we commit sin we stand guilty before God as well as our fellow man. Imagine that someone found a donkey that had escaped from a neighbour’s field and that he put it into his own stable. When the owner inquired about his donkey, the first person swears that he never saw the lost donkey. If the deceit of this individual was dis-covered, he might become sorry for his deed or he might be convicted of his theft, plus perjury.
In any event, Moses prescribed that the value of that which was stolen was to be restored plus another one fifth of its value. This rule is understandable – one must feel the loss of what he has stolen. But on top of this, a trespass offering had to be brought as well, for the sins of thievery and perjury had to be redeemed. This offering consisted of a healthy ram and two silver shekels.
This Scripture passage ought to make us reflect how we handle other peoples’ possessions. Do we easily borrow something from others without giving it back because we think they will not miss it anyway so we do not consider stealing? Maybe you have be-come sorry and returned a “borrowed” item. Perhaps you also experienced pain for the manner in which you misbehaved. But do not forget that sin is only forgiven when a trespass offering has been brought.
What is a trespass offering?