In this episode we continue studying the Book of Leviticus. In this episode God through Moses, continues to address sins committed in ignorance.

But He started off with a warning to anyone who witnesses a crime. That if they fail to tell everything they know or saw, they are guilty of iniquity.

Then he addressed making oaths or swearing, to do good or evil. Oaths and vows are similar and are often coupled together.

As noted in Number chapter 30 verses 1 and 2. Here’s the text:

Numbers 30:1 And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded.

Numbers 30:2 If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.

Sometimes in ignorance and in moments of excitement, or desperation, people made vows and oaths but failed to fulfill them. This brought guilt upon them, especially a guilty conscience.

Jesus realized the strain that making vows and oaths brought upon the people, so He said it, was best not to make them.

Here’s the text: Matthew chapter 5 verses 33 through 37.

Matthew 5:33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:

Matthew 5:34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:

Matthew 5:35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

Matthew 5:36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

Matthew 5:37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

Jesus helped the people see swearing, or making promises to God or others was not a wise thing to do. Because the ability to pay their oaths or keep their promises was basically, out of their control, so it was best not to make oaths or promises.

The people were also told to confess their sin, when they brought a trespass offering.

Thayer’s says "confess" means to say the same thing as another, to agree with, assent, concede, not to refuse, not to deny, to admit or declare one’s self guilty of what one is accused of.

We have to come into agreement with God about our behavior. We have to see sin as God see’s it, and say the same thing He says about it.

Confession of sin is the beginning of sanctification. After we confess our sin God can begin to cleanse us from our unrighteousness.

1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The trespass offering also covered sins committed in ignorance or error against the “Holy Things.”

The holy things were the sacrifices and offerings as noted in Leviticus chapter 22 verse 6.

Here’s the text:


Leviticus 22:6 The soul which hath touched any such shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with water.

Once they realize they erred or had mistakenly sinned against the holy things they had to bring a trespass offering.

Strong’s notes that err means, to stray, that is sin, deceived, go astray, sin ignorantly.

We note that Jesus is God’s Most Holy Thing.

Jesus was and is God’s sacred and righteous sacrifice. Giving him as a sacrifice to take a way the sins of the world was the Most Holy Thing God could have done. It was a sacrifice, he personally made on our behalf, so the sins we commit in ignorance may be forgiven.

In many ways we have erred against God’s Most Holy Things. We’ve erred by not holding his written word and His Holy Living Word in high esteem.

God did not give his son as a trespass offering so we can keep on trespassing. Peter said, Christ bore our sins in His body and by His stripes we were healed.

Thayer’s says "heal" means to cure, to make whole, to free from errors and sins, to bring about one’s salvation.

Jesus came to heal the sin sick soul. And rescue sheep gone astray through error.

If we repent of our errors and sins of ignorance and resume following the Good Shepherd, we can be saved.

Peter ends 1 Peter chapter 2 believing we would return to Christ after having gone astray. Here’s the text:

1Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

1Peter 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.