The trespass offering eventually becomes the sin offering (Lev. 5:6-8, 11-12). This signifies that Christ’s redemption for our sin resolves the problem of sin in its two aspects-sin in our inward nature and sins in our outward conduct. These two aspects of sin make up the totality of sin. John 1:29 speaks of this totality: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” Although the word sin is in the singular, it does not refer merely to the sin in our nature; it denotes the totality of sin, comprising both inward sin and outward sins.
Leviticus 5:5-7 and 11 tell us that the trespass offering may be a female from the flock, a sheep or a goat, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, or the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour. This signifies that the trespass offering for our outward sins, for which even a little fine flour is sufficient, is lighter than the sin offering, which needs a bull, or at least a lamb (4:4, 32).
Leviticus 5:7 says, “But if he cannot afford a sheep, then he shall bring his trespass offering to Jehovah for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.” Here we see that two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, form the trespass offering. This signifies that a trespass is out of the inward sin and out of not living for God. The inward sin needs the sin offering. Not living for God needs the burnt offering. The two are a complete type of Christ as the trespass offering resolving our sins.
In 5:7 we can see the source of a trespass and also the reason for a trespass. From where does a trespass come? What is its source? The source of every trespass is the sin that is in our flesh. What is the reason for a trespass? The reason is our not living for God. Therefore, concerning trespasses we have a source with a reason.
We may say that the inward sin is like a man, a husband, and that not living for God is like a woman, a wife. The marriage of these two produces a child, and the name of the child is trespass.
We may also use a fruit tree to illustrate inward sin, not being for God, and trespasses. A fruit tree needs a proper atmosphere and environment in which to grow. When a fruit tree grows in such an atmosphere and environment, fruit is produced. In this illustration the inward sin is the fruit tree, not loving God and not living for Him make up the atmosphere and environment in which the tree grows, and trespasses and transgressions are the fruit.
Why do we make mistakes and do things that are wrong? We spontaneously and even unintentionally do such things because we have sin in our flesh and because we are not for God and do not love Him and live for Him.
If we are for God, we will be sincere, faithful, and careful. This can be proved by our experience. Whenever we are not for God, we become loose, and we may reason, murmur, and criticize others. In Philippians 2:12-14 Paul charges us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, doing all things without murmurings and reasonings. When we are for God, we do not murmur, reason, criticize, gossip, or debate. When we are not for God, we are careless in talking about others. But when we are for God, we are very careful about what we say.
The reason for our mistakes and transgressions is our not living for God. Because we are fallen, we are not for God absolutely. Since we were created by God, we should be absolutely for God, yet we are not. We may be for God to a great degree, but we are not for Him absolutely. Our not being absolutely for God indicates that we are still in a fallen situation. We are fallen, a fallen person is flesh, and this flesh is sin, which produces trespasses as the children, as the fruit.
According to 5:7, we need both the sin offering and the trespass offering. The sin offering takes care of the source; the trespass offering takes care of the “children,” or the “fruits,” produced from this source. From this we see that God is concerned about the source-the sin within us-and also about the fruit which is produced from this source-the outward trespasses. Therefore, we need both the sin offering and the trespass offering.
Home | First | Prev | Next