VAYIKRA

And [He] called

The Trespass offering

...why should there be a trespass offering in addition to a sin offering, seeing that trespass is sin? The light gradually dawns.

We find they represent gradations of the same subject. All were for atonement, but atonement for different degrees of sin, as we might express it. There was a form of sin for which there was no atonement.

"The soul that doeth aught presumptuously . . . reproacheth the Lord: that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off: his iniquity shall be upon him" (that is, shall not be purged by sacrifice) (Num. 15:30-31).

But this was not a common case. The common case was sin not of presumption:

sin of natural state,

sin of ignorance,

and sin of weakness:

the first, the constitutional uncleanness that has come into the world by sin, which is "no more I, but sin that dwelleth in me" (Rom. 7:20): the second, where men do wrong without knowing it, as in" sin of ignorance": and third, acts of known disobedience, but not deliberate or intentional but the result of infirmity deplored. For these three phases of sin, the burnt offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering appear to have been provided, differing in methods and accessories according to the respective cases.

Law of Moses Ch 25

2 Or if a soul [nefesh] touch any unclean [tamei] thing, whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast [nivlat chayyah teme'ah], or a carcase of unclean cattle [nivlat behemah teme'ah (livestock)], or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean [tamei], and guilty

Brother Roberts answers:

"This touches a subject high, deep and wide. It calls attention to the origin of death in relation to man. and to the nature of life in relation to God. Both these subjects are liable to be skimmed over in this merely naturalistic age.

Men find death a universal law of the animal world, so far as they have experience of that

world upon earth: and they are apt to regard it as the inseparable corollary of The Law thus taught that a true worshipper should ever keep in mind the cause of death, and recognise that he is a sin-proned mortal" - Rom. 5:17-19.

6 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto Yahweh for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin.

Why, then, should there be a trespass offering as distinct from a sin offering? Because, while all trespass is sin, all sin is not trespass. There is what Paul calls "sin that dwelleth in me" (Rom. 7:17). There is sin of forgetfulness; sin of "unadvised" but unintentional words, in "the multitude of which", in an ordinary way, as Solomon says, "there wanteth not sin"; sin of omission; sin of thought--all of which cause a righteous man to exclaim with Paul, "O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me?" - but which do not constitute trespass. Trespass is an open and hurtful act, in disobedience of express statute, as when a man lies or steals.

The enumeration of the offences for which trespass offerings were to be provided shows this: the concealing of known and unrepented sin in others [v1]; the contraction of uncleanness [v2-3]; the utterance of an unlawful oath [v4]; the embezzlement of things committed in trust; treachery, violence, misrepresentation, false swearing, etc. (Lev. 6:1, 5). The fact that provision was made for such offences, when truly repented of, is an illustration of what Christ teaches:

"All manner of sin shall be forgiven unto men, except the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit".

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is rebellion against the authority of God, and is naturally in a different category from sins of weakness that are not conceived in the spirit of presumptuous disobedience. Even human law distinguishes between treason and breaches of recognized law: and "Shall mortal man be more just than God?" Treason is a capital offence, while breaches of common law' may be condoned by restitution or apology.

Law of Moses Ch 25.

19 It is a trespass offering: he hath certainly trespassed against Yahweh.

The combined effect of all these sacrificial provisions of the law is to give ground of hope to all men who fear God and submit to His appointments.

They may be erring and shortcoming, and a trouble to themselves because of their many imperfections: but if they are "humble and contrite of heart", and make confession of their sins in the name of Jesus, in whom all these sacrifices concentre as the end and substance foreshadowed, they may trust to be forgiven.

"If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared" (Psa. 130:3-4). May it not, then, be said to many a fearful one, "Lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way"? (Heb. 12:12-13).

Law of Moses Ch 25.