Payment, Purity, and Purpose: The Meaning Behind OT Sacrifices
Leviticus 5:14–19 (NKJV)
Summary:
- The trespass offering in sacrilege
- and in sins of ignorance
5:14. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
5:15. “If a person commits a trespass, and sins unintentionally in regard to the holy things of the Lord, then he shall bring to the Lord as his trespass offering a ram without blemish from the flocks, with your valuation in shekels of silver according to the shekel of the sanctuary, as a trespass offering.
5:16. “And he shall make restitution for the harm that he has done in regard to the holy thing, and shall add one-fifth to it and give it to the priest. So the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him.5:17. “If a person sins, and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord, though he does not know it, yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity.
5:18. “And he shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish from the flock, with your valuation, as a trespass offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him regarding his ignorance in which he erred and did not know it, and it shall be forgiven him.
5:19. “It is a trespass offering; he has certainly trespassed against the Lord.”
Comments:
Sin requires payment. In Old Testament times, this payment was made with a ram, silver, and an extra fifth given to the priest. Through this sacrifice, the individual’s trespass was forgiven. The life of the ram was required to cover sin.
Today, we have the ultimate gift: Jesus Christ and the price He paid by laying down His life in our place.
In the Levitical law, the silver was used for temple service, while the extra percentage supported the priest. Even if a person does not realize an act is a sin, ignorance is no excuse—once the sin becomes known, the debt must still be paid. Fortunately, God is always ready to receive us back. Forgiveness is waiting; all we need to do is claim the sacrifice Jesus has already performed on our behalf.
While the ram serves as a substitute pointing forward to Jesus (a living sacrifice), silver was also required. Silver has no life in itself—it is valuable and common. As a sacrifice, it carries deep symbolic meaning: the ram points to Jesus, while the silver points to us.
Consider how silver reflects the believer’s journey:
- Raw State: Silver comes from the earth in an impure state. Similarly, we begin our journey in an impure, sinful condition.
- Refinement: Silver is refined and purified through heat. As believers, we are purified through our encounter with God’s Word and Spirit.
- Purpose & Value: Once purified, silver reveals its true value and usability. It can be shaped into practical items like cups, bowls, and utensils, or into beautiful objects like jewelry, coins, and artwork. Likewise, God refines believers so He can use us purposefully in His kingdom.
A true sacrifice carries a heavy cost, but it addresses the deficit created by our sin. By claiming Jesus’s sacrifice, we are made right with God and refined like silver—ready to be made into something valuable and useful for His glory.
Scripture Attribution:
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
