A Guilt Offering For Causing Financial Loss To A Neighbour By Dishonesty (Leviticus 6:1-7).
‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,'
This introduction may suggest an additional revelation given at a different time, which is tacked on to the previous duo to make a threesome in accordance with the writer's general practise of putting things in threes.
‘If any one sin, and commit a trespass against Yahweh, and deal falsely with his neighbour in a matter of a deposit, or of bargaining, or of robbery, or have oppressed his neighbour, or have found that which was lost, and deal falsely with regard to it, and swear to a lie; in any of all these things that a man does, sinning in them,'
These sins too are against Yahweh, but not this time against the Sanctuary. They are sins against Yahweh's people which require compensation as well as atonement, for they have suffered loss. They are evidence of financial dishonesty and greed. This is a reminder that to take false advantage of God's people is to take false advantage of God. Here the command ‘you shall not covet' has been broken.
The sins in mind are those of dishonesty with respect to a deposit not repaid when it should have been, the making of a false or unfair bargain, a deliberate theft, the sin of oppressing or crowding a neighbour for financial gain, that of finding something that was lost and keeping it, or the making of a lie on oath. If someone has done any of these things and is now faced up with his sin, either by conscience, or by neighbour pressure, or pressure from someone in authority (they are ‘found guilty'), he must fall in line with the requirement that follows.
‘Then it shall be, if he has sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took by robbery, or the thing which he has obtained by oppression, or the deposit which was committed to him, or the lost thing which he found, or any thing about which he has sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in full, and shall add the fifth part more to it, to him to whom it belongs shall he give it, in the day of his being found guilty.'
The first thing that he must do is make full restoration, and on top must add one fifth as a kind of fine. It is possible that this signifies a double tithe (two tenths). The one who has suffered loss in this case receives the compensation. These rules would not apply in the case of farm stock where the compensation might be much higher (Exodus 22:1-4).
‘And he shall bring his guilt offering to Yahweh, a ram without blemish out of the flock, according to your estimation, for a guilt offering, to the priest: and the priest shall make atonement for him before Yahweh, and he shall be forgiven concerning whatever he does so as to be guilty by it'.
After restoring what was lost and paying one fifth compensation the person must now bring his guilt offering to Yahweh. It is to be an unblemished ram at a value estimated by Moses (‘your estimation') in relation to the amount that had been lost and is now being restored. This will then be offered by the priest who will make the necessary atonement. Thus will the person be forgiven for what they were guilty of.
These three instances should make many of us think. How often do we give less than we should to God's work. Will a man rob God?' asked Malachi, but many of us do. Or have we treated holy things lightly? The way some people dress to meet up with God is in itself a disgrace. Do we owe Him no honour? Or is our behaviour and attitude in church fully pleasing to God? Or are there ways in which financially we get one over on others? These are questions on which we should examine ourselves.
But the basic lesson that comes over here is that when we put right a financial wrong we should pay compensation at one fifth. Then only can we come to God to find forgiveness.