Chapter 22

David Lin

THE Bible speaks of sins of ignorance, sins of human weakness, and sins of presumption or defiance. The first category is committed unintentionally, the second knowingly, and the third deliberately.

The sin offering described in Leviticus 4, as distinguished from that of Leviticus 16, is for sins of ignorance, but no specific offenses are cited. The trespass offering described in Leviticus 5 and 6 is for sins of human weakness, of which concrete cases of false oaths, theft, and deception are given. As for the third category, we read: But any person who sins deliberately, whether he is a native or a foreigner, is guilty of treating the Lord with contempt, and he shall be put to death, because he has rejected what the Lord said and has deliberately broken one of His commands. He is responsible for his own death. Numbers 15:30-31 TEV

Seventh-day Adventists may think that they cannot break the Decalogue ignorantly. That is not always so. We can break the Sabbath ignorantly as a result of failing to keep track of the days of the week when we are on vacation. Some are in the habit of using modified profanities,such as "Oh dear!" which comes from the French "Oh Dieu" (O God), and thus break the third commandment ignorantly. Catholics break the second commandment ignorantly when they bow down to images. Cannibals and headhunters break the sixth commandment without knowing it. These sins, committed in ignorance, are nonetheless true sins in God's sight, and He requires a sin offering, which varies according to the four ranks of sinners. These offerings are all types of Christ dying for a world of "ignorant" sinners.

When a person sins and acts unfaithfully against the Lord, and deceives his companion in regard to a deposit or a security entrusted to him, or through robbery, or if he has extorted from his companion, or has found what was lost and lied about it and sworn falsely, so that he sins in regard to any one of the things a man may do; then it shall be, when he sins and becomes guilty, that he shall restore what he took by robbery, or what he got by extortion, or the deposit which was entrusted to him, or the lost thing which he found, or anything about which he swore falsely; he shall make restitution for it in full, and add to it one-fifth more. . . . Then he shall bring to the priest his guilt offering to the Lord, a ram without defect from the flock. Leviticus 6:2-6 NASB. Note "trespass" is rendered "guilt."

The trespass offering covers sins involving the third, eighth, ninth and tenth commandments. They are not sins of ignorance, but of human weakness. All misappropriated property must be returned to the owner plus interest, and then a trespass offering must be brought to the priest. It is not a substitute for restitution, neither does restitution free the offender from the obligation to bring an offering.

Note in Leviticus 5 and 6 that apart from defilement by the carcasses of unclean men and animals, the sins listed are all manifestations of covetousness and other wrong acts prompted by it, such as lying and false swearing. Taking our cue from the truth that "the love of money is the root of all evil," (1 Timothy 6:10), we may proceed to discover the connection of this root with all the sins forbidden in the Decalogue.

Concerning the first and second commandments we read, "No man can serve two masters. . . . Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Matthew 6:24. "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth . . . covetousness, which is idolatry." Colossians 3:4

The third commandment is broken by the false oath, as stated in Leviticus 5--often in connection with money matters.

The fourth commandment is often broken knowingly by believers who feel they cannot make a living without working on Saturdays. In the last analysis, they would rather have an extra day's wages than God's Sabbath blessing. In principle they are little better than the man who betrayed the Lord for 30 pieces of silver.

In Matthew 15 Jesus pointed out the sin of them who instituted "Corban" to release men from their obligation to support their parents. Again it is that "root of all evil" at work. Murder and adultery are more or less related to the love of money, although it was not so in King David's case, which we shall study later.

In the light of the foregoing, I suggest we call the sins listed in Leviticus 5 and 6 "token" sins, because they are related to all other sins and therefore representative of them. They can be called "token" sins also on the force of the truth that "whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." James 2:10. There are also practical reasons for limiting the trespass offering to the offenses listed in Leviticus 5 and 6.

(1) These sins are never committed in ignorance, nor out of defiance to divine authority, but purely out of greed for material gain. So they best represent all sins committed from human weakness.

(2) Owing to the provision for restitution (plus interest) of ill-gotten gain, the trespass offering is guarded against abuse--from being regarded as a license for sinning, which would be the case if, for example, an offering were required for adultery.

(3) The Levitical code was at the same time a criminal and civil code under a theocratic system. The provision for restitution was actually a part of the criminal code, while the offering of the ram was the ceremonial requirement. But in the case of murder and adultery, the criminal code demanded the life of the offender, so no ceremonial performance was required. King David prayed, "For thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I give it; thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." Psalm 51:16, 17

Here we come to the question of David and the woman in John 8. Since adultery can be forgiven without an offering, what point is there in requiring an offering for false oaths, theft and deception? The answer would be, in light of what we have studied: adultery cannot be forgiven without an offering in reality. In the daily service of Levitical object lessons, this and other sins committed knowingly are betokened by the less heinous sins. We must keep in mind that the sin and trespass offerings are types of Christ's work of mediation in the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary, and He assures us that "All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men." Matthew 12:31

In actuality therefore, the real trespass offering, Jesus Christ, has been sacrificed to cover all sins committed knowingly and repented of sincerely, as did David and the woman of John 8. But in the figurative trespass offering, the token sins should be recognized as representing all other sins for which the life of the offender is demanded by the criminal law. If we do not recognize this fact and insist on strict correspondence of type with antitype, and say that Christ's blood is effectual for only the four sins mentioned, then the Levitical code would be incomplete--seriously deficient in failing to provide for the forgiveness of the grosser crimes.

In support of this "token" idea, there is another text which apparently corroborates Leviticus 5 and 6 in citing theft and false swearing to betoken violation of both tables of the Decalogue. It reads:

I see a flying roll. . . . Then said he unto me, this is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it. I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof. Zechariah 5:2-4

Numbers 15 begins with a resum‚ of the sin offering covering sins of ignorance. Then it says explicitly that he who sins deliberately "shall be utterly cut off." In a word, no sacrifice can atone for sins of presumption, which is literally, "with a high hand" (rendered "defiantly" in the NIV and NASB, and "deliberately" in the TEV). We are reminded of this passage:

For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. Hebrews 10:26-27

Sin may be compared to a tree. Starting from the top down, the twigs and branches are sins of ignorance; the trunk represents sins of human weakness, and the root willful and deliberate sins. Leviticus 5 and 6 deal mainly with sins of human weakness, but also with sins of ignorance such as in Leviticus 5:15-19, which also call for trespass offerings. Some call these borderline cases "sin-trespass offerings." They teach us that unintentional sins can develop into sins of human weakness, and the latter may develop into sins of presumption. In the KJV, various forms of the Hebrew roots zed and zud are rendered "presumptuous," "presumptuously" 5 times, "proudly" 4 times, and "proud" 12 times. Here we come to where Satan started--the basic sin of rebellion against God.

All four commandments in the first table can be violated ignorantly, or knowingly, or deliberately. The token sin of swearing falsely refers only to the act of taking false oaths, which constitutes a knowing violation of the third commandment. A deliberate violation would be blasphemy, which receives the death sentence. An example is given in the youth stoned to death in Leviticus 24:10-16.

When we learn to regard sin as God regards it, we should be better able to examine ourselves. We will pray, "Keep back Thy servant also from presumptuous sins, let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression." Psalm 19:13

Many sincere Christians are apprehensive when they read Hebrews 10:26-27 (quoted above), for fear they have committed the unpardonable sin. The fact that they are worried proves that they are not yet in the frame of mind of a presumptuous, deliberate sinner. For whoever commits the unpardonable sin is so proud that he feels no need of forgiveness. Numbers gives two examples: the man who gathered sticks on the Sabbath, and the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. The first case indicates that the man probably left part of his manna uncooked on Friday and gathered sticks on the next day to let all know that he was going to cook on the Sabbath in defiance of God's instruction, "Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the Sabbath day." Exodus 35:2. God added this regulation because (1) in those days of no matches, kindling a fire was a laborious process, (2) God performed a miracle every week to keep the manna from spoiling overnight, so He told them to cook their Sabbath food on Friday, and (3) since daytime in the Sinai desert is always warm, they needed no fire. Now if the man who wanted a fire on Sabbath was not moved by contempt of God's law, he could have kept an extra supply of sticks on Friday to kindle a fire secretly in his tent on Sabbath. But no, he would gather sticks openly to make public his defiance. This defiance is the true nature of the case, which is quite different from the thoughtless misdemeanor some people imagine it to be.

Unless he is an apostate, the average Seventh-day Adventist will not commit sins of presumption, for which there is no forgiveness. But all of us commit sins sometimes unintentionally, and often knowingly, out of human weakness. We seldom if ever keep a perfect Sabbath. Our thoughts will sometimes wander into forbidden paths even when we are singing praises to God in church. The ancient rabbis used to say that as soon as Israel keeps one Sabbath perfectly, God will come to redeem His people. We may sometimes excuse ourselves for such failures, yet the sin and trespass offerings teach us that all unintentional as well as known sins are included in the words, "the wages of sin is death." These sins which we think are not so serious, when placed on our Sin-bearer, the Son of God, caused Him to feel the pangs of the second death. We need to be more careful to avoid these "minor" trespasses.

Professing Christians often sin knowingly like King David, while some will sin like King Saul. David was forgiven, but Saul was not. Why the difference? Judging by appearances, David's sin was more grievous, but his humble acceptance of Nathan's rebuke showed that he was capable of repentance, while Saul's lighter transgression was not truly repented of, due to a selfish, presumptuous heart. Even though he confessed, "I have sinned," yet he still thought of his personal honor, and said to Samuel, "yet honor me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord thy God." 1 Samuel 15:30. It was this pride in Saul's heart which belied his repentance, undermined the very basis for reconciliation with God, and led to his ultimate ruin.

David was a man "after God's own heart" not because he sinned less than others, but because he sincerely repented of his sins and remained humble through the remaining years of his life. During Absalom's rebellion, when David was ascending the Mount of Olives, Shimei of the house of Saul came to curse him. When Abishai wanted to slay him, David said, "Behold, my son seeketh my life; how much more now may this Benjamite do it? Let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord hath bidden him. It may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction, and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day." 2 Samuel 16:11-12

This chapter in his experience, when, under cruelest wrong and insult he shows himself to be humble, unselfish, generous and submissive, is one of the noblest in his whole experience. Never was the ruler of Israel more truly great in the sight of heaven than at this hour of his deepest outward humiliation. Patriarchs and Prophets, 738

When we apply the truths learned from the sin and trespass offerings to the lives of these two kings of Israel, we realize that so long as one's heart is submissive to God's every reproof and correction, the most wicked sinner can hope to be forgiven, but if one refuses to bow in humble repentance, the smallest sin can bar his way to heaven.

"I Hate Divorce"

All who continue to sin knowingly are in danger of sliding into presumptuous sin, because they are in the habit of excusing their own weakness, and presume on God's grace. These words of reproof are all too true: "Thou hast made Me to serve with thy sins; thou hast wearied Me with thine iniquities." Isaiah 43:24

Malachi, the prophet who wrote the last book in the Old Testament, points out two conscious sins of God's people of his generation, which are being repeated in ours: This is another thing you do: You drown the Lord's altar with tears, weeping and wailing because He no longer accepts the offerings you bring Him. You ask why He no longer accepts them. It is because He knows you have broken your promise to the wife you married when you were young. She was your partner, and you have broken your promise to her, although you promised before God that you would be faithful to her. Didn't God make you one body and spirit with her? What was his purpose in this? It was that you should have children who are truly God's people. So make sure that none of you breaks his promise to his wife. "I hate divorce" says the Lord God of Israel. "I hate it when one of you does such a cruel thing to his wife. Make sure that you do not break your promise to be faithful to your wife." Malachi 2:13-16 TEV

These words of the prophet remind many Seventh-day Adventists that they have knowingly transgressed God's commandment, and God will not lightly regard it. Let all who are guilty examine themselves in the light of these words.

You, like your ancestors before you, have turned away from my Laws and have not kept them. Turn back to me, and I will turn to you. But you ask, "What must we do to turn back to you?" I ask you, is it right for a person to cheat God? Of course not, yet you are cheating me. "How?" you ask. In the matter of tithes and offerings. A curse is on you because the whole nation is cheating me. Bring the full amount of your tithes to the Temple, so that there will be plenty of food there. Put me to the test and you will see that I will open the windows of Heaven and pour out on you in abundance all kinds of good things. Malachi 3:6-10 TEV

Interestingly enough, these two sins mentioned by Malachi happen to be "token" sins mentioned in Leviticus 5 and 6--making false marriage vows and cheating God, which is far more serious than cheating man. Many Seventh-day Adventists commit these sins knowingly. How shall we stand in the judgment? Let every man examine himself.

There are Adventists in different parts of the world who believe the third angel's message, but fail to keep the Sabbath holy due to unfavorable circumstances. They quiet their consciences with various excuses, feeling that somehow God will forgive them. Will God indeed forgive? Well, they quote Christ's words to the disciples when they were dozing instead of praying: "The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak." True, the disciples were forgiven, but they also experienced a sad debacle when they might have stood the test if they had prayed.

But the weakness of the flesh will not always be forgiven. The hour of trial is near, when our human frailty, if untrained to lean on divine strength, will lead us to receive the mark of the beast. Those who exercise but little faith now, are in the greatest danger of falling under the power of satanic delusions and the decree to compel the conscience. And even if they endure the test they will be plunged into deeper distress and anguish in the time of trouble, because they have never made it a habit to trust in God. The lessons of faith which they have neglected they will be forced to learn under a terrible pressure of discouragement. The Great Controversy, 621

As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third angel's message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position and join the ranks of the opposition. By uniting with the world and partaking of its spirit, they have come to view matters in nearly the same light; and when the test is brought, they choose the easy, popular side. Ibid., 608

All who knowingly transgress God's law are in great peril. Repeated sinning dulls the conscience, giving one a feeling of false security--security in sin. Will the trespass offering always avail? No. "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine. . . ." To receive the mark in one's hand means to yield to the demands of the Sunday law only in deed, not in thought. And that is all the devil requires. It will not be willful rebellion, but it will be a conscious sin for which there will be no more forgiveness!

There is an end to God's forbearance toward our knowing violation of His holy day. When? When the beast begins to enforce his mark. When that day comes, even though you may believe with all your heart that the seventh day is the Sabbath and Jesus is your Saviour, if under pressure you violate His holy day ever so reluctantly and apologetically, you will surely perish. The third angel says so. Now is the time to prepare.

We should now acquaint ourselves with God by proving His promises. Angels record every prayer that is earnest and sincere. We should rather dispense with selfish gratifications than neglect communion with God. The deepest poverty, the greatest self-denial, with His approval, is better than riches, honors, ease, and friendship without it. We must take time to pray. If we allow our minds to be absorbed by worldly interests, the Lord may give us time by removing from us our idols of gold, of houses, or of fertile lands. Ibid., 621-622

David Lin

October 11, 1983

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