Other Sins That Need Sacrifices or Payments
April 4, 2021
Commentary
The Lord told Moses what the people must do when they commit other sins against the Lord (vv. 1-3). Some of they things would include robbing, cheating or keeping back money or valuables left in their care. If this happens, they must return what doesn’t belong to them (v.4) and pay the owner a fine of twenty percent (v. 5). In addition, they must either bring to the priest a ram that has nothing wrong with it or else pay him for one (vv. 6-7). The priest will then offer it as a sacrifice to make things right, and they will be forgiven for what they did wrong.
The Lord told Moses to tell Aaron and his sons how to offer the daily sacrifices that are sent up in smoke to please the Lord (vv. 8-9). They must put the animal for the sacrifice on the altar in the evening and let it stay there all night. But make sure the fire keeps burning. The next morning they will dress in their priestly clothes (v. 10). Then clean away the ashes left by the sacrifices and pile them beside the altar. Change into their everyday clothes, take the ashes outside the camp, and pile them in the special place (v. 11). The fire must never go out, so put wood on it each morning (v. 12). After this, they are to lay an animal on the altar next to the sacrifice used to ask for the blessing. Then send it all up in smoke to the Lord. The altar fire must always be kept burning and it must never go out (v. 13).
Application
Leviticus 6:1– 13 (NET)
1 (5:20) Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “When a person sins and commits a trespass against the Lord by deceiving his fellow citizen in regard to something held in trust, or a pledge, or something stolen, or by extorting something from his fellow citizen, 3 or has found something lost and denies it and swears falsely concerning any one of the things that someone might do to sin — 4 when it happens that he sins and he is found guilty then he must return whatever he had stolen, or whatever he had extorted, or the thing that he had held in trust, or the lost thing that he had found, 5 or anything about which he swears falsely. He must restore it in full and add one-fifth to it; he must give it to its owner when he is found guilty. 6 Then he must bring his guilt offering to the Lord, a flawless ram from the flock, convertible into silver shekels, for a guilt offering to the priest. 7 So the priest will make atonement on his behalf before the Lord and he will be forgiven for whatever he has done to become guilty.”
8 (6:1) Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 9 “Command Aaron and his sons, ‘This is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering is to remain on the hearth on the altar all night until morning, and the fire of the altar must be kept burning on it. 10 Then the priest must put on his linen robe and must put linen leggings over his bare flesh, and he must take up the fatty ashes of the burnt offering that the fire consumed on the altar, and he must place them beside the altar. 11 Then he must take off his clothes and put on other clothes, and he must bring the fatty ashes outside the camp to a ceremonially clean place, 12 but the fire which is on the altar must be kept burning on it. It must not be extinguished. So the priest must kindle wood on it morning by morning, and he must arrange the burnt offering on it and offer the fat of the peace offering up in smoke on it. 13 A continual fire must be kept burning on the altar. It must not be extinguished.