Numbers 5:5-10

B. RESTITUTION AND OFFERING FOR THEFT vv. 5-10
TEXT

Numbers 5:5. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 6. Speak unto the children of Israel, When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the Lord, and that person be guilty; 7. Then they shall confess their sin which they have done: and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed. 8. But if the man have no kinsman to recompense the trespass unto, let the trespass be recompensed unto the Lord, even to the priest; beside the ram of the atonement, whereby an atonement shall be made for him. 9. And every offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they bring unto the priest, shall be his. 10. And every man's hallowed things shall be his: whatsoever any man giveth the priest, it shall be his.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 5:5. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 6. Speak to the children of Israel, -When a man or a woman commits any sin that men commit, sinning against the Lord, and that person is guilty, 7. then he shall confess the sins which he has committed, and make restitution in full for the trespass, and shall add one-fifth to it, and give it to him who has been wronged. 8. But if the man has no kinsman to whom restitution may be made for the trespass, let the restitution which is made to the Lord be the priest'S, besides the ram of atonement, by which atonement is made for him. 9. And every offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they bring to the priest, shall be his. 10. And every man's holy things shall be his: whatever any man gives to the priest, it shall be his.-'

COMMENTARY

The law here supplements that of Leviticus 6:1-7 telling the proper procedure to follow in the event of the death of the original owner, who has left no kinsmen who might receive repayment. By no means is he exempted from restitution, since his offense is primarily against God. As David was later to say so well, Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, Psalms 51:4. Whether discovered or not, whether restitution in full is made to the wronged person in the event of robbery or any other crime, the essential thought is that all sin is first of all an assault upon the laws and will of God. PC, p. 36, cites the general principle that the priest was the visible representative of the invisible majesty, hence, the offender's recompense is given him. The offering, in this instance, is a ram, given as a heave offering (Exodus 29:28). Such offerings were not burned upon the altar, but were presented, after which they became the property of the Lord, and were passed to the priests.

Three steps are involved, then, in the process of righting a wrong: the guilty must acknowledge his sin, he must make full restitution, and, by some process, there must be an atonement. Under the Law, the atonement involved his heave offering; under the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God effects our pardon.

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

100.

What was a thief required to do if he was caught with stolen goods, and the victim was still alive? (See Leviticus 6:1-7).

101.

How is it justifiable for the priest to receive the ram brought him as an offering for any sin?

102.

Explain how all sins are essentially against God.

103.

What three steps have always been required by God in order that any man's sins may be forgiven?

104.

What great difference is there between the method of atonement in the Old Covenant, and in the New?

105.

Discuss whether or not you think stealing and similar crimes might be discouraged today if our laws required that thieves repay what was stolen with a substantial increase, as the Law required.