The sin-offering was a putting away of sin: ashant being what a man is guilty of toward God Whom it offends, his trespass; khata is rather his sin viewed as error from the right way. But the victim was identified with the evil to be borne from the offerer, and put away out of God's sight by the vicarious work He was pleased to ordain and accept.
There is an effect from the sin-offering full of blessedness. It introduces us to God's presence as well as purges man's conscience. By Him Who suffered once for all for our sins we are brought to God. This had its fullest expression in the blood of the offering for sin put on the mercy-seat on the day of atonement. God was glorified thus in the Son of man on the tree, God in His nature, justice, holiness, love, truth, and majesty; and by the same blood we who believe are brought into His presence holily and righteously. The gold within means His righteousness in that we are brought into God's marvelous light, made meet for His presence; as the brass is His righteousness where we are as men in this world, though Christ to effect it was lifted up from the earth. They are both the righteousness of God which justifies the believer; but in the latter sin is righteously dealt with, in the former is shown the object of God's delight and rest: the one governmental righteousness as to sin, the other intrinsic righteousness according to the perfection of His nature, and we are accepted in the Beloved Who sits at His right hand. In the victim burnt without the camp we see God coming out of His place and taking vengeance on evil; yet this very victim's blood was carried within, so that in both ways God was glorified even as to sin and for our sins.
It may be noticed in detail that there are here four classes of sin and trespass offerings distinguished. The first we have seen in Lev. 4, whether of the high priest, or of the congregation as a whole, of a ruler, or of a private person. They were for sin where natural conscience was violated. The second goes down to verse 13 of chap. 5, and consists of sins against the ordinance of the Lord, some through inadvertency even, so that they stood midway between sin and trespass offerings, and hence designated by both names. Then from verse 14 to the end of the chapter we have the full character of trespass or guilt, in wrongs against the Lord in His holy things; and again in wrongs done to one's neighbor in a variety of forms, as we may read in Lev. 6:1-71And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the Lord, and lie unto his neighbor in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbor; 3Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein: 4Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found, 5Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering. 6And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: 7And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein. (Leviticus 6:1‑7). In the two last chapters of proper trespass, the law is enjoined for the desecration done, and the fifth part, or a two-fold tithe added to the reparation made as a fine before the Lord. It was not only the conscience defiled as in that which required a sin-offering: there was a positive offense against Jehovah Who demanded special satisfaction. It was a maal, a treachery or perfidy against Him, direct or indirect; for He avenges wrongs done, not to Himself only in His service, but in breaches of trust, truth and honesty, especially when a lie is sworn to. Sin and guilt here coalesce. God is not mocked. And “our God is a consuming fire.” Least of all in the believer will He be a consenting party to evil.
How distinct the testimony He renders to His people of His abhorrence of evil in every form! The nearer to Himself, or the more important in human eyes, the offender, the more serious the offering. On the other hand, as no wrong is overlooked, so nobody was too obscure to be passed over. Even if one knew not that it was a wrong, when it was committed, God took care to lay it on his conscience in His own way and time: “though he wist it not, yet was he guilty” and bound to offer, when he was forgiven as certainly as he had been declared guilty.