One of our pre-adult children was moping around the house one day.  When asked what was wrong, she announced, “Now, I feel guilty for not feeling guilty!”  Wait, what now?

She had gone through a difficult situation at work.  Being young, on her first after school job; she blamed herself for the difficulty at work others were experiencing although there was nothing she did that caused the situation.  It just happened.  Her guilt was prompted by her compassion in watching others be guilty and held responsible for their actions.  We needed to pause and talk about the situation. 

She was only guilty of overthinking the circumstance, (which we all do at times), she decided that she was now guilty of not feeling guilty.  Yes, this discussion took more time in conversation so she could understand what real guilt is, how it manifests itself within, explaining the difference in empathy and guilt, along with how to rid herself of guilt when warranted by forgiving herself like God forgives her—completely!

God is now teaching the Israelites how to deal with guilt that manifests itself within a person who does not realize why guilt seeps into their being.  Unaware sins of not getting involved when someone needs help or wrongly accused, causes guilt and must be dealt with in God’s view.  His people will learn that they will be held responsible for not speaking up.

Leviticus 5

“‘If anyone sins because they do not speak up when they hear a public charge to testify regarding something they have seen or learned about, they will be held responsible.

² “‘If anyone becomes aware that they are guilty—if they unwittingly touch anything ceremonially unclean (whether the carcass of an unclean animal, wild or domestic, or of any unclean creature that moves along the ground) and they are unaware that they have become unclean, but then they come to realize their guilt; ³ or if they touch human uncleanness (anything that would make them unclean) even though they are unaware of it, but then they learn of it and realize their guilt; ⁴ or if anyone thoughtlessly takes an oath to do anything, whether good or evil (in any matter one might carelessly swear about) even though they are unaware of it, but then they learn of it and realize their guilt— ⁵ when anyone becomes aware that they are guilty in any of these matters, they must confess in what way they have sinned. ⁶ As a penalty for the sin they have committed, they must bring to the Lord a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for them for their sin.

⁷ “‘Anyone who cannot afford a lamb is to bring two doves or two young pigeons to the Lord as a penalty for their sin—one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. ⁸ They are to bring them to the priest, who shall first offer the one for the sin offering. He is to wring its head from its neck, not dividing it completely, ⁹ and is to splash some of the blood of the sin offering against the side of the altar; the rest of the blood must be drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering. ¹⁰ The priest shall then offer the other as a burnt offering in the prescribed way and make atonement for them for the sin they have committed, and they will be forgiven.

¹¹ “‘If, however, they cannot afford two doves or two young pigeons, they are to bring as an offering for their sin a tenth of an ephah of the finest flour for a sin offering. They must not put olive oil or incense on it, because it is a sin offering. ¹² They are to bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful of it as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar on top of the food offerings presented to the Lord. It is a sin offering. ¹³ In this way the priest will make atonement for them for any of these sins they have committed, and they will be forgiven. The rest of the offering will belong to the priest, as in the case of the grain offering.’”

The Guilt Offering

¹⁴ The Lord said to Moses: ¹⁵ “When anyone is unfaithful to the Lord by sinning unintentionally in regard to any of the Lord’s holy things, they are to bring to the Lord as a penalty a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value in silver, according to the sanctuary shekel. It is a guilt offering. ¹⁶ They must make restitution for what they have failed to do in regard to the holy things, pay an additional penalty of a fifth of its value and give it all to the priest. The priest will make atonement for them with the ram as a guilt offering, and they will be forgiven.

¹⁷ “If anyone sins and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, even though they do not know it, they are guilty and will be held responsible. ¹⁸ They are to bring to the priest as a guilt offering a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the wrong they have committed unintentionally, and they will be forgiven. ¹⁹ It is a guilt offering; they have been guilty of wrongdoing against the Lord.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“The trespass (or guilt) offering illustrates the solemn fact that it is a very costly thing for people to commit sin and for God to cleanse sin. Our sins hurt God and hurt others. True repentance will always bring with it a desire for restitution. We will want to make things right with God and with those we’ve sinned against. Forgiveness comes only because of the death of an innocent substitute. The passage in Isaiah 53:10 states clearly that when Jesus died on the cross, God made His Son an offering for sin. The penalty we should have paid, He paid for us!” –Warren Wiersbe, Wiersbe Study Bible

Jesus taught to pray, “Forgive us our sins (trespasses) as we forgive those who sin (trespass) against us.  To trespass as we know it today is to go where we do not belong and do what we should not do that makes life difficult for others.  To trespass on someone’s property with intent to do harm can cause the death of the trespasser in some states! 

So, there is no mistake in judgement of our own guilt; God, as promised by Jesus, sent us a Counselor to help us after Jesus ascended back to Heaven.  God sent a part of Himself to live within us—His Holy Spirit—as soon as we say yes to Jesus’ forgiveness of our repented sins.  God knew we would need help as we transform by His help from old habits of sin to new habits of living in God’s ways for our good and His glory.  As always, God provides all we need—we just need to listen to Him!

God’s Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, corrects us with God’s Word, comforts us when we need it, and then compels us to do what God’s says.  Guilt is resolved through repenting our sins to Jesus, who died in our place of punishment for them.  Our offering is willingly, graciously, and gratefully placing our lives in His hands, giving His Holy Spirit full reign of our hearts, minds, and souls.  THIS is what God requires of us—US!                        

Micah, the prophet, relayed God’s desire for us with these simple words; “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 We learn we are responsible for our behaviors.  We are commanded to tell and live the Truth.  We must stand in the gap for the innocent who are wrongly accused and show mercy to those who need it as this is walking humbly with God…putting the interests of others ahead of our own; if we desire to be like Jesus.  (Philippians 2) 

How must we respond?  Pause to pray and ask God for wisdom as each life is specifically purposed for our good and His glory!

Jesus preached many messages of love while demonstrating God’s love to the world. We really have no excuse for not knowing how to live in His ways.  As in this passage of Leviticus; God makes it known that how we treat each other is the same and is felt by our God! 

Jesus reiterated this Truth when He walked the earth doing what God told him to do;

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’  Matthew 25:35-40

Jesus also told of the consequences of ignoring people in need of love, mercy, and grace;  ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Friends, what Jesus says is a matter of life or death.  What we do in Jesus Name for His glory matters.  God never changes.  Life will always matter.  How we will respond?

Lord,

We begin a new calendar year tonight with wanting to please you in all we think, say, and do.  Help us to be more like you in every way.  Being with cleansing our hearts, renewing our minds, transforming our behaviors, refreshing our souls with your new tender mercies each day, while restoring the joy of your salvation at work within us.  We cannot do it without you.  Come, Holy Spirit.  Convict us with correction from your Word.  Comfort us with your wisdom, strength, and power.  Then compel us to go and tell, be helpers to others, while being a witness of Truth, to a dying world without you.

In Jesus Name, Amen—Yes!