The Guilt Offering for Cheating or Stealing
Study note
This section covers sins committed on purpose against other people, such as lying, cheating, stealing, or keeping something that was entrusted to you. Before bringing a guilt offering, the person had to first make full repayment to the person they had wronged, plus an extra twenty percent. This teaches an important principle: you cannot be right with God while being wrong with your neighbor. Forgiveness from God required making things right with people too.
1 Then the Lord gave Moses another message. He said, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 "When someone sins against the Lord by being dishonest with a neighbor, that is a serious matter. Maybe they lied about something left in their care. Maybe they cheated in a business deal, stole outright, or took advantage of someone." If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;
3 "or finding something someone lost and lying about it. Or making a false promise. These are the kinds of wrongs people do." Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein:
4 "Once that person has sinned and is found guilty, everything must be returned. They must give back whatever was stolen or gained by cheating. They must return whatever was left in their care. They must give back whatever lost item was found." 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,
5 "Whatever the person lied about under oath must be repaid in full, plus an extra twenty percent added on top. This must be given to the rightful owner on the same day the guilt offering is brought." 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.
6 "The guilty person must also bring a guilt offering to the Lord. It must be a ram from the flock with nothing wrong with it, worth the right amount. He must give it to the priest." And 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:
7 "The priest will use it to make things right between the person and God. Then the person will be forgiven for whatever wrong action caused the guilt." And 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.
Rules for the Burnt Offering
Study note
Now God spoke directly to the priests about their daily duties. The fire on the altar was never to go out. Every morning the priest had to add wood and arrange the burnt offering. The never-ending fire represented God's constant presence among his people and their ongoing need for worship. The priest wore special linen clothes when removing ashes and changed into regular clothes to carry the ashes outside the camp.
8 Then the Lord gave Moses another message. He said, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
9 "Give these directions to Aaron and his sons: Here are the rules for the burnt offering. The burnt offering must stay on the altar fire through the whole night until morning. The fire on the altar must be kept burning the whole time." Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering: It is the burnt offering, because of the burning upon the altar all night unto the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be burning in it.
10 "The priest must get dressed in his linen robe with linen undergarments beneath it. He must scoop up the ashes left from the burnt offering on the altar and set them down beside the altar." And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh, and take up the ashes which the fire hath consumed with the burnt offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar.
11 "After that, he must change into different clothes. Then he must carry the ashes to a clean place outside the camp." And he shall put off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes without the camp unto a clean place.
12 "The altar fire must be kept blazing and never be allowed to die out. Each morning, the priest must add fresh wood, arrange the daily burnt offering on top, and burn the fat portions from the peace offerings." And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings.
13 "A fire must be burning on the altar at all times -- it must never go out." The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.
Rules for the Grain Offering
Study note
The priests were given specific instructions about how to handle the grain offering. After burning the memorial portion on the altar, the remaining flour belonged to the priests. It had to be eaten without yeast in the courtyard of the Tabernacle. This food was considered most holy, and anyone or anything that touched it became holy too, meaning it was set apart for God's purposes.
14 "Here are the rules for the grain offering: Aaron's sons must present it to the Lord at the front of the altar." And this is the law of the meat offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the LORD, before the altar.
15 "The priest must take out a handful of fine flour and oil from the grain offering, along with all the frankincense on it. He must burn that part on the altar as a reminder of the whole offering. Its smell brings pleasure to the Lord." And he shall take of it his handful, of the flour of the meat offering, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense which is upon the meat offering, and shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour, even the memorial of it, unto the LORD.
16 "Aaron and his sons get to eat whatever is left. It must be eaten without yeast, and it must be eaten in a sacred area -- specifically, in the courtyard of the Tabernacle." And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it.
17 "It must never be baked with yeast. I have assigned it to the priests as their portion from my fire offerings. It is most sacred, just like the sin offering and the guilt offering." It shall not be baken with leaven. I have given it unto them for their portion of my offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as is the sin offering, and as the trespass offering.
18 "Any male who comes from Aaron's family may eat from it. This is a lasting rule for every future generation about the Lord's fire offerings. Anything that touches these offerings becomes holy." All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations concerning the offerings of the LORD made by fire: every one that toucheth them shall be holy.
The Daily Offering of the High Priest
Study note
When a new high priest was anointed, he was to begin offering a daily grain offering, half in the morning and half in the evening. Unlike regular grain offerings where the priests ate the leftovers, this priestly grain offering was completely burned. The priest could not eat his own offering. This showed that the priests themselves needed to come before God with their own worship.
19 Then the Lord gave Moses another message. He said, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
20 "On the day Aaron is anointed as priest, he and his sons must bring this offering to the Lord. They will offer about two quarts of fine flour as a daily grain offering. Half goes in the morning. The other half goes in the evening." This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer unto the LORD in the day when he is anointed; the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meat offering perpetual, half of it in the morning, and half thereof at night.
21 "It must be prepared with oil on a flat griddle. Once it is thoroughly mixed, bring it in and present the broken pieces of the grain offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord." In a pan it shall be made with oil; and when it is baken, thou shalt bring it in: and the baken pieces of the meat offering shalt thou offer for a sweet savour unto the LORD.
22 "The son who succeeds Aaron as anointed priest must continue this same offering. This is a permanent requirement from the Lord. The entire offering must be completely burned up." And the priest of his sons that is anointed in his stead shall offer it: it is a statute for ever unto the LORD; it shall be wholly burnt.
23 "In fact, every grain offering that a priest brings must be completely burned. None of it may be eaten." For every meat offering for the priest shall be wholly burnt: it shall not be eaten.
Rules for the Sin Offering
Study note
The sin offering was considered most holy. It was to be killed in the same place as the burnt offering. The priest who performed the sacrifice ate it in the courtyard of the Tabernacle. Anything that touched its meat became holy. If blood splashed on clothing, it had to be washed in a sanctuary. A clay pot used to cook the meat had to be broken, while a bronze pot could be scrubbed and rinsed. However, any sin offering whose blood was brought inside the Tabernacle could not be eaten and had to be burned.
24 Then the Lord gave Moses another message. He said, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
25 "Pass along these instructions to Aaron and his sons: Here are the rules for the sin offering. The sin offering animal must be slaughtered in the same spot as the burnt offering, there in the Lord's presence. It is most sacred." Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the LORD: it is most holy.
26 "The priest who performs the sin offering gets to eat the meat. It must be eaten in a sacred area -- in the courtyard of the Tabernacle." The priest that offereth it for sin shall eat it: in the holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation.
27 "Anything that comes in contact with the sin offering meat becomes sacred. If any of the blood splatters on someone's clothing, the stained garment must be washed in a sacred area." Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy: and when there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any garment, thou shalt wash that whereon it was sprinkled in the holy place.
28 "If the meat was cooked in a clay pot, that pot must be shattered afterward. If it was cooked in a bronze pot, the pot must be thoroughly scrubbed and rinsed with water." But the earthen vessel wherein it is sodden shall be broken: and if it be sodden in a brasen pot, it shall be both scoured, and rinsed in water.
29 "Any male in the priestly family may eat from it. It is most sacred." All the males among the priests shall eat thereof: it is most holy.
30 "But no sin offering may be eaten if any of its blood was brought inside the Tabernacle for the cleansing ceremony in the sanctuary. That offering must be totally burned up." And no sin offering, whereof any of the blood is brought into the tabernacle of the congregation to reconcile withal in the holy place, shall be eaten: it shall be burnt in the fire.