The trespass offering (we find the details of it in Leviticus 5; 6:1-7; 7:1-10) is a compulsory, not voluntary, offering and can be rightly considered as a subdivision of the sin offering. Nevertheless, there are some distinguishable features belonging to the trespass offering that make it distinct and differentiate it from the sin offering. Knowing that the Word of God is never redundant, I shall try to explain some of the distinctive features of this offering, hopefully with some spiritual benefit to all of us. The sin offering has already been well explained in detail, so in connection with it I will only point out here that nothing can maintain in our hearts the right feeling of what sin is and what the holiness of God is than a real understanding of the meaning of the sin offering. We need to understand what took place at Calvary, when our Lord and Savior was made sin for us, bore our sins in His body on the tree and made full expiation for each and all of them.
The Government of God—The Holiness of God
When considering the sin offering, we see that specific acts are not mentioned, inasmuch as the main thought in that offering is the condemnation of that which is totally abhorrent to the holiness of God, and man is shown to be a sinner, as to his nature. But with the trespass offering specific offenses are enumerated, and man is regarded as a transgressor, as to his acts. This brings out a double effect of the sin and throws additional light on the difference between the sin offering and the trespass offering. First, because of our sin, we have not been able to reach the standard set by God: “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23), and this aspect is set forth in the sin offering. Second, because of the same sin, we not only failed to reach the standard of God, but we continued to alienate ourselves from Him more and more: “You, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works” (Col. 1:21); this aspect we find in the trespass offering. On the one hand, sin is a grave affront to God’s holiness, and, on the other hand, it is also a trespass, when committed against a known command. We can say that every trespass is a sin, but not every sin is a trespass. The trespass offering is thus connected with the government of God, rather than with God’s holiness.
Three Categories of Transgressions
As we can clearly see, reading through Leviticus 5-6, there are three major categories of transgressions presented: transgressions against the Lord (Lev. 5:1-13), transgressions against the Lord’s holy things (Lev. 5:14-19), and transgressions against one’s neighbor (Lev. 6:1-7). In all three cases, even when human claims were fully met, forgiveness and atonement could be obtained only through the death of a victim, “for without the shedding of blood is no remission” (Heb. 9:22). God Himself, by His Word, sets the standard for the judgment of sin, and this is a very important truth that we should never forget. We also notice the fact that ignorance in committing a trespass could not be pleaded as an excuse. We are all aware that the precursors of ignorance are, in most cases, negligence, spiritual laziness or indifference to God’s requirements.
Restitution
In some of the cases, there was also restitution involved in the trespass offering. Thus, restitution had to be made and the fifth part added. Not only was atonement made, but grace came in to enable one to make full reparation; what was due to God or one’s neighbor was fully rendered, and with a fifth part added. Moreover, not only was the one forgiven, who trespassed against God’s things or against his neighbor, but the one whose rights had been infringed was now richer than before. For example, even if, sadly, I have injured a brother in any way, I will both be restored and make restoration in full by bringing, so to say, the trespass offering according to the Lord’s valuation. Humbling myself and acknowledging my fault, whatever that might have been, may not only restore my relationship with the wronged one, but the display of grace that worked in my heart will also bring joy and spiritual benefit to the wronged one. Wonderful work of divine grace, which always rises above our sin!
But, most important, we have here a beautiful feature of Christ’s work on the cross: He restored more to God than the wrong of man’s sin took away, as we read in Psalm 69:4: “Then I restored that which I took not away.” We had robbed God of what was due to Him. The Lord Jesus, by becoming our trespass offering, made restitution to God for all the wrong we had done, and He added the fifth part. When His heart was broken by reproach, He committed His cause to Him that judges righteously and paid our debt in full. He also added the fifth part, and that is because His work on the cross has an infinite value, which not only made provision for the sins of all who would ever believe in Him, but fully glorified God for all eternity. The Lord Jesus Christ was able to carry out the will of God perfectly, so that God was glorified and man brought into blessing. As H. A. Ironside wrote: “The grace of God has been magnified in the great trespass offering of the cross in a way it never could have been known if sin had never come in at all.”
We see therefore that the trespass offering presents several important and distinctive lessons to us, unfolding a precious dimension of the work of Christ on the cross. Surely, appreciation of the fragrant perfections of His Person and work presented by it, as well as by the other offerings in Leviticus, arises as a sweet savor unto our God and Father.
Practical Teaching
Allow me here one further remark. Sometimes we hear Christians speaking of “practical truth.” The fact is that ALL truth involves that which is practical. There is not a single truth in the divine revelation that God did not intend to produce, here and now, a practical effect in the lives of His own. I mention this because the many types given in the Old Testament, in general, and the offerings from the book of Leviticus, in particular, seem to be rather obscure and difficult to understand and, consequently, of little, if any, interest to the vast majority of Christians. But God gave us all these various offerings in order that we may have a deeper and better grasp of the unique work of our Lord Jesus on the cross. That work is so vast, so blessed and so comprehensive that it took several types in the Book of Leviticus for it to be properly presented to us. May God give us the grace to consider prayerfully all of them and in this way to have a growing apprehension of the glory and blessedness of both the Person and the work of our Lord on the cross, so that we may value Him more and have an increased desire to please Him in our walk and conduct here.
E. Datcu