unknowingly make us innocent. Frequently, we hear people pray that the sins we committed knowingly and unknowingly should be forgiven. We like to think that all our sins are unintentional and unknowing. We did not mean to sin in the first place and if we did sin, it was unintentional and therefore we are not guilty but this is not true by the Torah standards. Besides who would want to sin intentionally against YHWH ADONAI? That would be unthinkable.
If we lower our sight a little bit, we would not want to sin against any other human intentionally either with some margin to do so just in case it was necessary in different scenarios. Sometimes we are caught in situations where we cannot tell the truth for one reason or the other. We don’t want to lie either so we beat around the bush. White lies, a little bit of juicy gossip here and there not amounting to slander, a few shortcuts, cutting margins, and a little cheating, not helping others when we could have, and so forth. Would anyone else know if we did? We promise to pay up and help out but we don’t because now we can’t or have too many other payments to make and then we cannot help the helpless poor. Besides they cannot do anything about it except to go more into debt and poverty. Certainly, they cannot threaten us nor pressure us to do so. So, is it an intentional sin to not help the poor? Can this be the sin of defrauding our neighbor when we renege on our word?
UNINTENTIONAL SINS.
When anyone does something that violates the commands of YHWH unintentionally, He is guilty and had to bring an ‘purification offering’ (sin offering) for his purity to be restored from the defilement of sin. These are inadvertent and accidental sins and were forgiven. (Leviticus 4).
In Leviticus 5, the sins are a refusal to testify about something you know or have seen, touching something ceremonially unclean like the carcass of an animal or something that makes you unclean and when you have made a foolish vow, you have to admit your guilt. Then again a specified sacrifice will atone for your sin and you will be made right with YHWH.
The sins listed in Leviticus 6:1-7 are lying, cheating, and defrauding someone we know. Restitution of added value of 20% followed by confession and sacrifices would to find favor with YHWH again. Sacrifices are called ‘korban’ in Hebrew and mean ‘something which draws close’, and its purpose is to draw people close to Elohim. Sacrifices were expensive and an innocent blameless animal or bird without blemish had to bear the sin and brunt of one’s wrongdoing by paying with its’ life and blood to atone for the sin of the sinner. Chapters 4 to 6 in Leviticus speak about sins committed out of ignorance against any of the commands of the Lord, the person will be guilty. This means he strays into sin defiantly.
Sins Requiring a Guilt Offering. Leviticus 6:1-7. Numbers 5: 5-10.
1 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2“Suppose one of you sins against your associate and is unfaithful to the Lord. Suppose you cheat in a deal involving a security deposit, or you steal or commit fraud, 3 or you find lost property and lie about it, or you lie while swearing to tell the truth, or you commit any other such sin. 4 If you have sinned in any of these ways, you are guilty. You must give back whatever you stole, or the money you took by extortion, or the security deposit, or the lost property you found, 5 or anything obtained by swearing falsely. You must make restitution by paying the full price plus an additional 20 percent to the person you have harmed. On the same day you must present a guilt offering. 6 As a guilt offering to the Lord, you must bring to the priest your own ram with no defects, or you may buy one of equal value. 7 Through this process, the priest will purify you before the Lord, making you right with him, and you will be forgiven for any of these sins you have committed.” Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
This section includes a red flag statement that should put everyone on guard. It begins with YHWH ADONAI speaking to Moshe from the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle. Verse 2 says that the soul that sins / trespasses / is unfaithful / breaks trust with ELOHIM by doing something wrong against another human being. This is the principle that flows throughout the Torah. It tells us that we cannot mess with or ruin people’s lives without offending YHWH ELOHIM. When we sin against anybody, in truth we are sinning against YHWH Himself, whether it is lying or cheating or stealing. These are the smaller, less serious sins, but the serious issue is to be guilty of breaking trust with YHWH by not loving Him enough to do what is right and righteous. With the tabernacle set up the infant nation had to learn to walk justly “in His presence” at all times or incur ADONAI’S wrath. Many new behavior patterns had to be learned to differ from the surrounding idol-worshipping, violent, and lawless nations. To show through their different mannerisms, lifestyle choices, and worship practices that they had the ALMIGHTY GOD residing among them, who was to be obeyed, honored, and loved.
There was no authority chasing the guilty person. Instead, the day he realized his guilt, he would have to return what was stolen but would have to add 20 percent of the value to it. This kind of ‘sin’ would happen in the marketplace where selling and buying took place. Restitution tells us that saying sorry or asking for forgiveness from the offended party is not enough even today. Financial misappropriation sours relationships and gives the ‘sinner’ the reputation of a cheat. Therefore, he had to take the initiative and make good the loss while reconciling with his ‘victim’. Yeshua Messiah spoke about this when He was talking about a brother who you have offended, leave your gift at the altar, and go and reconcile with him. Matt 5: 23-24. Leaving the gift at the altar is a very difficult decision because the sacrifice is already on the altar. If it is a feast of the Lord, then there is a long line of men waiting for their turn for hours. Worse, if he did go through with this sacrifice, it would not be accepted by YHWH, and nor would he be forgiven and purified. It would be a futile exercise. Yeshua Messiah is the full and final sacrifice for all time but it does not negate restitution. This sacrifice provides a way of appeasing the guilty conscience of the ‘sinner’ and making peace within and with others but especially with ADONAI.
This is the guilt offering also known as the Asham or Reparation offering. ( Numbers 5:5-10). After the ‘sinner’ had reconciled with the aggrieved person and made the restitution, he would have to bring an innocent animal a ram without blemish for offering to the gate of the tabernacle where he would have lay his hand on its head and confess his sin. This would transfer his sin to the ram and it would become the Lord’s holy property. Then it would sacrificed according to the proper procedure laid down by YHWH, only then his sin would be atoned for and forgiven. Since the sinner was separated from the presence of ADONAI, he was not allowed to join in any tabernacle-related activities till his guilt was cleared. So ritual purity was very important to restore his relationship with YHWH. This was the goal of sacrifices instituted by YHWH to provide a legal recourse to be forgiven, return, and to come near to Him.
Therefore, obedience was a better choice than sacrifices and to hear YHWH’S commands and do accordingly was preferable to the fat of rams. YHWH wanted people to act righteously towards one another and prove their love and obedience to Him, rather than ‘sin’ or break the laws and end up making sacrifices to get right with Him. This would spare people of the expense of animals and prevent the sacrifice altogether. (1 Sam 15:22-23). In the Scripture to ‘shema’ is to hear and obey, to hear with reverence and honor YHWH by doing what He says. Obedience is of critical importance to our relationship with YHWH and is the deciding factor in our spiritual growth. It is to take up your cross daily and follow Yeshua. Yeshua set the example by being obedient even unto death on the cross and bearing the shame. (Philip 2:8). Obedience requires humans to replace their plans and dreams and do what YHWH tells them to do, most of which is written in the Scriptures. It requires ‘obedience of faith’ in ADONAI, knowing His greatness and covenant of endless love. ( Romans 1:5, Heb 13:13).
YHWH ELOHIM is offended and hurt by the trespass against us as well. Just like a parent hurts when their child is injured or insulted. Unless the offspring commits the case to the Heavenly Father by forgiving the offender, He cannot intervene. This is the reason why we must forgive those who have sinned against us. This is conditional upon how we forgive the offender. To fully forgive will bring full forgiveness for our sins as well. It takes faith in the justice of ADONAI to forgive and give up the opportunity to take revenge and vent our anger on the ‘sinner’ for our loss and grief. The Lord will bring justice into our situation and enact revenge way better than our human minds can comprehend. He knows the end from the beginning and He judges the intentions and motives of our hearts and thoughts and therefore His judgement is unbiased.
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are wilful, high-handed (a Hebraism), defiant, rebellious, and premeditated sins that cannot be atoned for. “But those who brazenly violate the LORD’S will whether native-born Israelites or foreigners, have blasphemed the LORD, and they must be cut off from the community. Since they have treated the LORD’S word with contempt and deliberately disobeyed His command, they must be completely cut off and suffer the punishment for their guilt”. Numbers 15:30,31. There was no legal recourse for intentional sins and no forgiveness either. They were under judgment and the curses of the Torah for their disobedience. They were to be excommunicated and put to death by stoning by the community, so that everyone knew the outcome of doing evil, disobeying ADONAI, and breaking His express commands.
Leviticus 20 gives a list of sins that were to be given death by stoning by the community. This included sacrificing their children to Molech by burning and abortion is considered its equivalent now. This was a horrific sin that YHWH abhorred and was practiced widely in the land of Canaan causing the land to be polluted by the bloodshed. It was a serious offense of spiritual adultery. Consulting witches and wizards, cursing one’s parents, and wrong sexual relationships had a death sentence and were excommunicated from their people. It was the sure method to eliminate serious contagious sins from among the people of YHWH.
Other glaring examples detailed in the Torah are those of Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron for burning a strange fire before the Lord. (Leviticus 10: 1-2) Dathan, Abiram, and Korah’s rebellion is another classic example of going against the leadership installed by ADONAI Himself, in this case, they were Moses and Aaron. Numbers 16:26-32. Similarly, Miriam and Aaron were summoned by YHWH ELOHIM when He heard them whispering and complaining against Moses. He wanted to know why they were not afraid to speak against Moshe, when they knew that YHWH spoke to him face to face. Numbers 12:2, Deut 17:12. When YHWH honored Moshe so much as to entrust him with His covenant and leadership of His people because he was a righteous man, they too should honor him for who he was, even though he was younger than the two of them. However, Moshe as always interceded for Miriam knowing the mercy and loving kindness of YHWH and He healed her. Moshe had not taken offense at their grumbling but YHWH did. Miriam had to stay outside the camp for seven days and go through the full ritual of cleansing before she was allowed to re-enter the community. (Numbers 12:15). Her Tzarat was an external manifestation of what was in her heart and she was judged by YHWH for her attitude. It was YHWH judging every thought and intention.
In Numbers 15:32-36 there is also the curious case of a man collecting wood on the Sabbath and YHWH ruled that he should be stoned to death by the community and he was. On the surface, it seems like an innocent deed that did not require a death sentence. However, breaking the sabbath was punishable by death and everyone knew it. Exodus 31:14. It was blatant defiance against the commands of YHWH. Therefore, the stoning was done to set the precedence that laws broken with death sentences would be carried out and everyone should be careful to obey the laws of YHWH. Only then the Israelites would be extra careful to not break the laws and be obedient to YHWH. It is the case of all humanity, that the greater the punishment or fine the more likely people are going to follow the line.
These were presumptuous sins and had serious consequences for the judgment of YHWH. There were no sacrifices that could be offered to get right with ADONAI. All the commands, ordinances, and regulations were equally applicable to the Israelites, the aliens, and foreigners who dwelt among them. Numbers 15:30.
Similarly, YHWH does not tolerate mistreating widows, orphans, oppressing hired workers, and foreigners/ aliens/ migrants. If they cry out to YHWH, He will respond very angrily with swift revenge. (Exodus 22:22-24; Deut 27:19; Psalm 146: 9; Malachi 3:5;). This is the most disinvested and deprived group of people with no protection or source of provision. Therefore, whatever we do for them we do to ADONAI and it amounts to ‘pure religion’. It will also bring us great favor from Him if we do it out of obedience to his commands and because they cannot repay us.
When King David slept with Bathsheba while Uriah her husband was at war, he committed adultery. To cover up this sin, he had Uriah killed in the battle. He thought it was all taken care of till the Prophet Nathan arrived with YHWH’s indictment. David confessed his sin and repented before the Lord because his punishment was death by stoning and there were no sacrifices, he could bring to the LORD to atone for His sin. He came under the judgment of the LORD.
King David was in dilemma when he said,’ Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant from presumptuous sins; may they not rule over me”. Psalm 19:12-13.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. Psalm 51: 16.
The core of the Torah is holiness and how one can draw near to YHWH.
Finally, dear friends, let's be careful of sins. None are without consequences. Yeshua Messiah provided the sacrifice for all sins and covered them with his shed blood on the cross. We do not have to make animal sacrifices anymore. Through faith in Yeshua Messiah, we have forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
Shalom.
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