Bird's-eye view
In this crucial section of the law, God makes a foundational distinction between two kinds of sin: sins of error and sins of defiance. After the catastrophic rebellion of the spies and the subsequent judgment, the people of Israel needed to know how to live before a holy God in the wilderness. This passage provides the answer, outlining the sacrificial remedies for unintentional sins, whether committed by the entire congregation or by a single individual. The key is that a sacrifice is available for sins committed in weakness, ignorance, or error. However, for the one who sins "with a high hand," meaning with open, contemptuous rebellion against God and His Word, there is no sacrifice. There is only the sentence of being "cut off." This distinction is not merely a legal technicality for ancient Israel; it is a paradigm that reveals the nature of sin, the purpose of the atonement, and ultimately points us to the finality of the sacrifice of Christ and the solemn warning against apostasy.
The entire sacrificial system was designed to handle the problem of sin, but it was never designed to atone for a heart that had set itself in defiant opposition to God Himself. The blood of bulls and goats could cover sins of error, reminding the people of their constant need for grace, but it could not avail for the man who despised that grace. This passage, therefore, serves as a clear precursor to the New Testament's teaching on the unforgivable sin. It teaches us that God's mercy is vast and covers a multitude of failings, but it does not accommodate proud, unrepentant rebellion.
Outline
- 1. The Law of Unintentional and High-Handed Sin (Num 15:22-31)
- a. The Remedy for Corporate Unintentional Sin (Num 15:22-26)
- b. The Remedy for Individual Unintentional Sin (Num 15:27-29)
- c. The Verdict for High-Handed Sin (Num 15:30-31)
Context In Numbers
This passage doesn't appear in a vacuum. It comes directly on the heels of one of Israel's greatest failures: the rebellion at Kadesh Barnea (Numbers 13-14). The entire generation of fighting men has just been condemned to die in the wilderness for their unbelief. The mood must have been one of profound discouragement and failure. It is precisely into this context of failure that God speaks a word of grace and order. He gives them laws concerning offerings (15:1-21) and then this section on dealing with sin. This is not God kicking them when they are down. It is God providing a way for them to continue to live as His covenant people, even in their weakness and under judgment. He is teaching them that even though that generation will not enter the land, the covenant continues, the law is still in effect, and there is a way to deal with the ongoing problem of sin. It is a reminder that God's covenant faithfulness endures even when His people's faithfulness falters.
Key Issues
- The Distinction Between Unintentional and High-Handed Sin
- Corporate vs. Individual Guilt and Atonement
- The Nature and Efficacy of the Sin Offering
- The Meaning of Being "Cut Off"
- The Inclusion of the Sojourner
- The Relationship Between Law and Grace in the Mosaic Covenant
Sins of Error and Sins of Defiance
One of the central fallacies of our modern therapeutic age is the tendency to flatten all sins into the same category. Sins are "mistakes," "missteps," or "poor choices," all stemming from some kind of woundedness. The Bible, however, is far more discerning. It understands that a man can sin through ignorance or weakness, and it also understands that a man can sin with his fist raised in defiance against Heaven. This passage is the Old Testament's clearest articulation of that distinction. God makes a provision for the former, but not for the latter. This is not because some sins are "small" and others are "big" in some absolute sense; all sin is an offense against the infinite holiness of God. The distinction lies in the disposition of the sinner's heart. Is the sin an unfortunate stumble by one who desires to walk in God's ways, or is it the intentional stride of a rebel who has despised God's ways?
Verse by Verse Commentary
22-24 ‘But when you unintentionally fail and do not observe all these commandments, which Yahweh has spoken to Moses, even all that Yahweh has commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day when Yahweh commanded and onward throughout your generations, then it will be, if it is done unintentionally, hidden from the sight of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one bull from the herd for a burnt offering as a soothing aroma to Yahweh, with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the legal judgment, and one male goat for a sin offering.
The first case deals with corporate, unintentional sin. The whole community can go astray. This can happen when a particular sin becomes so commonplace that the collective conscience is dulled, or when the leadership teaches error that the people follow. The sin is "hidden from the sight of the congregation," meaning it is a corporate blind spot. Notice the scope: it applies to "all these commandments." The law is a unit. When the people realize their error, the remedy is significant. They must bring a bull for a burnt offering, which signifies consecration and worship, a "soothing aroma" to restore fellowship. But that is not all. They must also bring one male goat for a sin offering, which deals specifically with the guilt and pollution of the sin. This is a public, costly acknowledgment that the whole community has failed and needs atonement.
25-26 Then the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and they will be pardoned; for it was an error, and they have brought their offering, an offering by fire to Yahweh, and their sin offering before Yahweh, for their error. So all the congregation of the sons of Israel will be pardoned, with the sojourner who sojourns among them, for it happened to all the people through error.
The role of the priest is central. He is the mediator who "makes atonement." The result is pardon, forgiveness. The basis for this pardon is twofold: first, the nature of the sin ("for it was an error"), and second, the obedience of the people in bringing the prescribed sacrifice. They have acknowledged their sin and availed themselves of God's provision. Notice the inclusivity: the pardon extends to the "sojourner who sojourns among them." Anyone who throws his lot in with the covenant people is subject to the same laws and eligible for the same grace. There is one standard of justice and one fountain of mercy for all within the camp. This is a corporate reality. When the community sins together, it is atoned for together.
27-28 ‘Also if one person sins unintentionally, then he shall bring near a one year old female goat for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement before Yahweh for the person who goes astray when he sins unintentionally, making atonement for him that he may be pardoned.
Now the principle is applied to the individual. The structure is the same, but the scale is different. An individual who sins in error brings a female goat for a sin offering. Again, the priest acts as the mediator, making atonement for the person. The language is personal: "making atonement for him that he may be pardoned." God's grace is not just a corporate abstraction; it is applied to individuals in their specific need. The sin offering deals with the specific transgression and restores the individual to a right standing within the covenant community and before God.
29 You shall have one law for him who does anything unintentionally, for him who is native among the sons of Israel and for the sojourner who sojourns among them.
This verse reiterates the principle of equal justice under God's law. There are no separate standards. Whether born an Israelite or a Gentile who has joined himself to Israel, the same law applies. The same sins require the same atonement, and the same atonement provides the same pardon. This is a radical concept in the ancient world, and it establishes that covenant, not ethnicity, is the defining reality for God's people.
30 But the person who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native or a sojourner, that one is blaspheming Yahweh; and that person shall be cut off from among his people.
Here is the stark and terrifying contrast. To sin "with a high hand" is to sin with defiant arrogance. The Hebrew imagery is of a raised fist. This is not a sin of weakness or ignorance; it is a sin of rebellion. The text defines this action as "blaspheming Yahweh." It is a direct assault on the character and authority of God. For such a sin, there is no sacrifice. The consequence is not a trip to the Tabernacle with a goat; it is to be "cut off." This is covenantal excommunication. It means being expelled from the community of God's people, from the place of worship, protection, and life. In many cases, this would have been carried out through capital punishment.
31 Because he has despised the word of Yahweh and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt will be on him.’ ”
The reason for this severe judgment is made explicit. The high-handed sinner has "despised the word of Yahweh." The issue is not merely the external act, but the internal contempt for God's authority. He has treated God's command as worthless. Therefore, the verdict is absolute: "that person shall be completely cut off." And the final clause is crucial: his guilt will be on him. In the sin offering, the guilt is transferred to the animal substitute. Here, there is no substitute. The rebel bears his own guilt, and because the wages of sin is death, he must bear the full penalty himself.
Application
So what do we do with this? We are not under the Mosaic covenant; we do not bring bulls and goats to be sacrificed. But the principles here are eternal. The entire sacrificial system was a picture, a foreshadowing of the one true sacrifice of Jesus Christ. His blood is infinitely more powerful than the blood of goats and bulls. It is so powerful that it atones for every kind of sin, for the believer. For those who are in Christ, there is no sin so deep, so dark, or so defiant in our past that His blood cannot cover it.
The distinction between unintentional and high-handed sin finds its fulfillment in the New Testament distinction between the sins of a true believer and the apostasy of one who ultimately rejects Christ. A true Christian can and will sin, often grievously. But his fundamental disposition is one of love for God and sorrow for his sin. He runs back to the cross for forgiveness. The high-handed sinner, in New Covenant terms, is the apostate. He is the one who hears the gospel, understands its claims, and then willfully and contemptuously rejects Christ, despising the Word of the Lord (Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:26-31). For such a person, who tramples the Son of God underfoot and counts the blood of the covenant an unholy thing, there remains no more sacrifice for sins. His guilt remains on him.
This passage should drive us to our knees in gratitude. All of us have sinned with a high hand at some point before our conversion. We have all despised His word. But God, in His mercy, did not cut us off. He drew us to Himself and applied the blood of His Son to our account. And now, as believers, when we sin through weakness or error, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. We do not bring a goat; we bring our confession, trusting that He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.