These verses in Leviticus 5, 6, and 7 are not easy to understand. The more you read them, the more puzzled you would be. For example, have you ever imagined or heard that the fine flour made of wheat could be a trespass offering? Even the trespass offering eventually becomes a sin offering. So what is the difference between the sin offering and the trespass offering if the trespass offering can eventually become the sin offering? Also, how could a tenth of an ephah of fine flour be a sin offering? This seems to contradict Hebrews 9:22 which says that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. How could the fine flour which has no blood to shed be a trespass offering and eventually a sin offering?
Leviticus 5:7 presents another puzzle: “And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring his trespass offering for that wherein he hath sinned; two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the Lord, one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering” (lit.). This offering is for a trespass, so it should be a trespass offering. How could it be that of the two pieces of the trespass offering, one becomes a sin offering and the other becomes a burnt offering? Have you noticed also that with every kind of trespass offering, there is the mentioning that it is the sin offering?
There are at least four or five kinds of trespass offerings mentioned in these chapters. The first kind is a lamb, which is bigger than a turtledove or a pigeon. The second kind is two birds, either two turtledoves or two pigeons. The third kind is the tenth of an ephah of fine flour. These three kinds of trespass offerings are for the trespass in ordinary, common things. Then from verse 14 you have the trespass offering for the trespass in the holy things such as sacrifices offered to God. For example, if you did something wrong in offering your tithe to God, then you have to offer a ram for your trespass offering. If you trespass in the things belonging to God, the holy things, you have to offer a ram. A ram is bigger than a lamb. There is no choice. The biggest trespass offering is a ram. The second biggest is the lamb. The third biggest is two pigeons or two turtledoves. The fourth is just one tenth of an ephah of fine flour.
What about these three puzzles? How could the vegetable life without blood be used for a trespass offering which eventually becomes the sin offering? Number two, how could the trespass offering eventually become the sin offering? The four kinds of trespass offerings mentioned here are eventually called sin offerings. Sin offerings are mentioned more times in this chapter than the trespass offerings. Number three, how could a part of the trespass offering become a burnt offering? Of the two pigeons or the two turtledoves for the trespass offering, one becomes the sin offering and the other becomes the burnt offering. How could this be? Another problem: this is concerning the trespass offering. All the trespass offerings are edible; they are good for the priests to eat. But the sin offering is different.
According to chapter four there is the sin offering for different people. Firstly, there is the sin offering for the priests, and secondly, there is the sin offering for the congregation of the people, for the nation. Thirdly, there is the sin offering for the ruler of the people, and fourthly, the sin offering for the common people.
The blood of the sin offering for the priests and for the congregation was brought into the holy place to be sprinkled before the veil seven times before God. Some of this blood was put upon the horns, or corners, of the altar of sweet incense. Then the rest of the blood was poured out at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering. But the sin offering for the ruler and the sin offering for the common people were different. The blood of these offerings was not brought into the holy place. This blood was sprinkled only on the horns, or corners, of the altar of burnt offering, and the rest was poured out at the bottom of the altar. This kind of sin offering was good for the priests to eat.
In the preceding message we pointed out that the sin offering is mainly for God’s satisfaction and that your enjoyment of the sin offering is just the sprinkled blood at the altar. When you see the blood, you have the peace. But actually you can have more enjoyment because a part of some of the sin offerings are good for the priests to eat, and all of the trespass offerings are good for the priests to eat. By checking with my experiences I realized that in our daily life when we enjoy Christ as our sin offering we enjoy more than just the satisfaction through His blood. We enjoy much more than that.
When we offer Christ to God as our sin offering and as our trespass offering, in our experience we surely realize such a Christ is good for eating. He is really good for eating! Also, at that time there are a lot of other senses and a lot of other realizations within you concerning Christ. Every day I am practicing what I fellowship with you. I offer Christ as my sin offering to begin my day and all the time during the day I offer Christ as my trespass offering. Oh! Spontaneously I have the deep sense that Christ is in me! The very Christ whom I offered to God as my sin offering and as my trespass offering is in me. He is in me supplying me and strengthening me. He is in me sustaining and supporting. Also there is a kind of satisfying sense within me. There is a sweet sense, a sweet feeling, within me. There is a comforting sense within me.
When we offer Christ as the sin offering every day and when we offer the trespass offering during the day, we surely have the sense that His blood solves all our problems. We have the full peace. But this is not all! We also have something of the offerings to eat and enjoy. We don’t just enjoy an objective blood that has been shed and poured out. But we enjoy something subjective to fill us up. Every day we can be satisfied.