Yes, God had forbidden any of His Priests in Israel to own land, thus being able to farm, raising their own food.

These men were to live off the food brought to the Tabernacle! The remains of certain portions of the Offerings presented to God!

For example, concerning the meat (meal) offering here … “And the remainder thereof shall AARON and HIS SONS: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it.” Leviticus 6:16, though it must be eaten within the confines of the Tabernacle itself. With no leaven (a picture of sin) being involved!

God “feeding” His men!

(In fact, a chapter and a half, in several different paragraphs, discuss the specifics of these food portions! What the priests could eat! The last half of Leviticus 6 and a lot of Leviticus 7.)

Even including some of the “whole burnt offering” … “And the priest that offereth any man’s burnt offering, even the priest shall have to himself the SKIN of the burnt offering which he hath offered.” They can eat its skin! According to Leviticus 7:8, surprising!

And especially the “peace offering,” the priest enjoys much of it! “And the priest shall burn the fat upon the altar: but the BREAST shall be Aaron’s and his sons’.” But there’s more … “And the RIGHT SHOULDER shall ye give unto the PRIEST for an heave offering of the sacrifices of your peace offerings.” Leviticus 7:31-32

Priests’ food … but God’s idea, God’s bounty … provision for serving Him so faithfully!

Wow!

Read this too, a new truth I have learned this very morning!“For the WAVE breast and the HEAVE shoulder have I taken of the children of Israel from off the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them unto Aaron the priest and unto his sons by a statute for ever from among the children of Israel.” Leviticus 7:34

“Heave” is derived from a Hebrew verb meaning “to lift up!” Though the meat is the priests to eat … he must first lift it up to God, acknowledging the Source of these blessings, these provisions! God in Heaven. (Upward!)

And then “wave” means “swinging” (back and forth, horizontally) … acknowledging God’s Presence too … in the tabernacle, abiding/living all around these hungry men!

This is the Old Testament “equivalent” of us asking God to bless our food, of thanking God for our daily nourishment … each time we sit down to eat a meal!

Wow!

Paul later wrote, reflecting on the Principle we have studied here: “Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” 1 Corinthians 9:13-14

God cares for His servants!

Indeed, He feeds us well.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

This query too … Since Jesus is our great High Priest, does HE feed off the Offering of His Blood, His Body on Calvary? I say “YES!” He has been feasting off the results of his Sacrifice for centuries now!

The Cross (what happened there, including Redemption and Propitiation being provided for “whosoever will”) is pictured as a Feast time and time again in Scripture! Psalm 22:26 being one example: “The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.” In the immediate context of Jesus’ vicarious Death, the shedding of His incorruptible Blood.

Jesus … eternally satisfied!

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My thoughts today linger upon Jesus, the Real Trespass Offering!

In this sense particularly …

We as sinners are ALL indebted to God, a Holy God, THE Holy God.

For our unrighteousness, our wickedness and rebellion as an affront to God, as a “trespass” against God … see one little (but powerful, weighty) clause of the Lord’s Prayer!

“And forgive us our DEBTS, as we forgive our debtors.” Matthew’s Version, quoting Matthew 6:12. This Line (this whole prayer) is addressed to our Father in Heaven. To Whom, clearly here, we owe a debt! Against Whom, therefore, we have “trespassed!”To Whom we owe reparation!

Luke’s parallel Account of the Lord’s Prayer differs only slightly. “And forgive us our SINS; for we also forgive every one that is INDEBTED to us.” Luke 11:4, where our “sins” and our “indebtedness/trespasses” are equated.

And even several of Jesus’ Parables hint at our impoverished status before God, at our spiritual penury.

Our Lord is speaking/teaching: “Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which OWED HIM ten thousand talents.” Matthew 18:23-24, the beginning of an “earthly story” that also has a “heavenly meaning!”

Here again, in a different Gospel … God is the Creditor and (ultimately) a poor woman (sinner) is the debtor! “There was a certain CREDITOR which had two DEBTORS: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon (a Pharisee in whose home Jesus was eating) answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.”

“And he (Jesus) turned to the woman (a sinner, likely a prostitute), and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, HER SINS, which are MANY, are FORGIVEN; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” Luke 7:41-47, the whole illustration given in the context of “debts and repayment,” or lack thereof!

Sins are often pictured as debts, trespasses against God!

And (thus) when Jesus died upon the Cross … to forgive us our sins … He (in our stead) REPAID God the Father the indebtedness we had incurred against His Righteousness, His Holiness, His Essence! We had so deeply offended and flagrantly ignored and rebelliously (though in ignorance, granted) robbed God of the Honor and Glory due His Ineffable Name! Violating His Word, His Commandments!

But, if Jesus is the Fulfillment of the Trespass Offering (and He indeed is) … He repaid God not only the total indebtedness we had incurred … but the principle PLUS one fifth, plus twenty percent, a “double tithe” one Expositor says!

Wow!

We know (without question) that Jesus is THE POINT, THE GOAL … of all these Offerings anyway. Jesus, our sin Bearer!

Now one more verse this morning … “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him (Jesus); he hath put him to grief (on Calvary): when thou shalt make his soul an OFFERING FOR SIN.” Isaiah 53:10 , where “offering for sin” translates “asham,” the very Hebrew noun that is elsewhere (in the King James Version) rendered as “trespass offering” 34 times!

Jesus IS the Trespass Offering!

How (precisely) He (the Son) repaid God (the Father) more than we owed is a deep mystery, but a fact! (As in Deuteronomy 29:29, maybe. “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God.”)

Wow!

I close for today. Jesus is our (all sufficient) Saviour … and so very much, much More!

(But maybe repayment of “more” in this area … Jesus was NOT ONLY the Trespass Offering, but also (on the Cross that Day) He was in addition the whole Burnt Offering, the Peace Offering and the Sin Offering as well! Not counting His being the Meat (Meal) Offering all the years of His Life prior to Calvary!

Yes, oh yes … MUCH MORE!

Praise His Name!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Every trespass was a sin, but not every sin was a trespass. Not every sin required a trespass offering, better said.

So … what kinds of sins did necessitate the trespass offering? (And this was NOT a voluntary act of worship, but mandatory!)

Leviticus 6, its first few verses supplies us a few typical situations needing a trespass offering. “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep …” Verses 1 and 2.

If an Israelite borrowed an item from his neighbor (or that neighbor just placed it in the Jew’s hands for safekeeping) … and, somehow, that item got lost or broken or died (if an animal) … and the trustee subsequently lied to the neighbor about what happened (out of embarrassment or greed, or whatever) … then the law of the trespass offering certainly would apply!

The person keeping the thing might have even sold it for profit! Then tried to “cover” his wrongdoing.

Anyway, a “trespass” has been committed and restitution must be paid! (To stay in good standing with Almighty God, anyway … not to mention the neighbor!)

Back to Leviticus 6 … “If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour … in a thing taken away by violence.” Still verse 2. (“Violence” translating “gazel,” meaning “robbery!”) In other words, when something was forcefully stolen! Seized or plundered! Reparation is in order! (Here it is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth … plus 20% more!)

Wow!

Then Leviticus 6:2, the end of the verse … “Or hath deceived his neighbor.” Where “hath deceived” is “ashaq,” meaning “to defraud of wages!” (Here’s a classic example: “Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the WAGES of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.” Leviticus 19:13) Do not fail to pay your employees! Or underpay them!

Maybe one more example … “Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely.” Leviticus 6:3, self explanatory. “Finders keepers,” does not apply! If the real owner comes around, or advertises the loss … and you have his possession … give it back to him! If not you have sinned, trespassed!

Then a summary statement: “In any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein: then 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, or 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.” Leviticus 6:3-5

God indeed wants us to “love one another!”

Another way of saying it: to be right with God, looks like one must also be right with his/her fellow human beings! (The New Testament idea of a “clear conscience” is probably inherent here.)

Remember yesterday’s Lesson too … Jesus is prefigured in this trespass offering. Jesus (the “Last Adam,” Paul says) Who on the Cross “repaid” more than Adam (the “first Adam”) ever stole, ever defrauded from humanity!

He, Christ Jesus … even more so, repaid Almighty God (the Father) more (a whole lot more) than Adam ever robbed from the God the Father as well!

What a View of Calvary!

What a View of our Saviour!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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A whole catalogue of sins seems to be involved, both against God and against one’s neighbor, in obeying/observing the intricacies of the trespass offering. (Frankly, I am still studying this list! A bit confusing, on my part, but discernable for sure. Especially knowing that “all Scripture is profitable!” As Paul taught us in 2 Timothy 3:16.)

But today I want to notice with you another unique trait of the trespass offering that sets it apart from all the others (the burnt, meat, peace and even sin offerings).

“And he (the sinning, offending Jew, the worshipper) shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and SHALL ADD THE FIFTH PART THERETO, and give it unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him.” Leviticus 5:16

The clause “add the fifth part thereto” is unprecedented in Mosaic Law! When an thoughtless Jew had “wronged” a friend … like borrowing his axe and then losing it … he had to re-pay the full amount he cost his friend, essentially replacing the tool … plus a “double tithe” (20%) extra!

Wow!

Now, and here is the “thrilling” thing about this specification, this commandment … ALL THESE OFFERINGS PICTURE JESUS IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER!

Thus … Jesus, on the Cross, has become my “trespass offering!”

As I understand it, He repaid the “debt” I had incurred (all my sin, rebellion) against an Almighty God … “satisfying” the Righteousness of God in doing so! So much so that I am no longer spiritually bankrupt! No longer in bad standing with God! (Jesus took my sin, debt, offense … and washed it all away in His precious Blood … thereby making me a “friend” of God rather than an “enemy!”)

But …

There is more! He pleased His Father on Calvary, paying back the heavy debt of every sin in my heart (past and present and future) … plus even more!

He (somehow) more than atoned from my iniquity!

This too. He not only forgave us (who have been saved, trusted His vicarious Death on Calvary) … absolving us of the “sin” Adam bequeathed us! Jesus did even more!

I believe He on the Cross procured MORE for us old ex-sinners than Adam ever stole from us way back in Eden!

How much more?

Well, I’d say at least “one fifth” more!

In Isaiah 53, that great chapter about Jesus’ Death, verse 10 thunders: “Thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin.” God the Father is being addressed! “Thou (Father) shalt make his soul (Jesus’ Soul) an offering for sin.” And the Hebrew noun used to translate “offering for sin” is “asham!” Elsewhere in the King James Version … “trespass offering!” (A total of 34 times, to be exact!)

What a Saviour!

He has restored more than we lost! (Both Godward and man-ward this is certainly true.)

There’s much more to learn here, tomorrow, the Lord willing.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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“And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing: and he shall bring his TRESPASS OFFERING unto the LORD 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.” Leviticus 5:5-6

Yes, the fifth offering described in Leviticus is the “trespass offering.” And it is invariably translated so from the Hebrew noun “asham.” The verb of which means “to offend, to do injury, to be held guilty,” and once “to destroy.”

The emphasis seems to be on the “damage” done by our wrongs, our sins, our “trespasses.”

The verb idea of “trespass” (in English) is that one has “stepped across the line” and hurt another person. Its Latin etymology suggests “passing/crossing” over some boundary, thus incurring responsibility for wrongs committed.

Here (again) the King James Version of the Bible holds a major advantage (in accuracy) over the other so-called “modern” versions.

They (for the most part) say the “trespass offering” is a “compensation” offering. Or a “penalty” offering. Or a “reparation” offering.

To me “trespass” suggests even more … that my sin has “hurt” Almighty God! And most of the time also “hurt” my fellow man as well!

Wounding/defrauding to the extent that “restitution” must be involved, must be repaid!

In this sense, the trespass offering is different than any of the other four offerings we have studied.

It not only addresses God (which it certainly, if not foremostly does) … but also our peers, my brothers and sisters.

One Bible teacher of the past (long since in Heaven) says this offering “always has reference to an invasion of the rights of another, especially in respect of property.”

So … when I sin, I might not hurt just “myself,” though that truth is certainly evident in all of life.

So … when I sin I might just hurt Almighty God  as well! Thus He deserves a trespass offering.

So … when I sin I just might have hurt others as well, one or more! And they, under the law of this offering, deserve to be repaid for the wrong I have done to them, to their property.

More tomorrow, the Lord willing … about this unique (and fundamental) view of spiritual life.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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