The High Hand and the Hidden Fault: Text: Numbers 15:22-31
Introduction: Two Kinds of Sin
We live in a sentimental age, an age that has lost its nerve when it comes to sin. Modern man, when he is willing to speak of sin at all, wants to treat it as a regrettable mistake, a slip-up, an error in judgment. He wants to grade sin on a curve, and he wants to be the one holding the red pen. He imagines a God who is a celestial grandfather, patting him on the head and saying, "Boys will be boys." He has created a god in his own image, a god who is tolerant of everything except intolerance.
But the God of Scripture is not like this. He is holy, holy, holy. His eyes are too pure to look on evil. And because He is holy, He takes sin with deadly seriousness. Yet, because He is gracious, He makes a profound distinction in the law that He gives to His people. This distinction is not between "big" sins and "little" sins, as we might categorize them. It is not between murder and a white lie. The distinction God makes is between sins of ignorance and sins of defiance. It is the difference between stumbling in the dark and spitting in the face of the sun.
This passage in Numbers 15 is a crucial piece of Old Testament case law. It comes right after the rebellion of the spies and the subsequent judgment that the entire generation would die in the wilderness. God is re-establishing the terms of His covenant with the next generation, the one that will actually enter the land. And He wants them to understand the grammar of sin and grace. He provides a gracious remedy for sins done in error, but He provides a stark and final judgment for the one who sins "with a high hand."
This is not some dusty, irrelevant legal code. This passage gets to the very heart of the gospel. It teaches us about the nature of atonement, the character of God's justice, the posture of a rebellious heart, and the glorious provision of a sacrifice that can cover even the sins we are not aware of. It forces us to ask ourselves not just "what did I do?" but "what was the posture of my heart when I did it?" Was it a stumble, or was it a declaration of war?
The Text
‘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. 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.
‘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. 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. 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. 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.’
(Numbers 15:22-31 LSB)
Corporate Error and Corporate Atonement (vv. 22-26)
The first case deals with the entire congregation sinning unintentionally.
"‘But when you unintentionally fail and do not observe all these commandments... if it is done unintentionally, hidden from the sight of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one bull... and one male goat for a sin offering. Then the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation... and they will be pardoned..." (Numbers 15:22-25)
The first thing to notice is the corporate nature of this sin. "When you... fail." The whole community can be implicated in a sin that is "hidden from the sight of the congregation." This is a foreign concept to our radical individualism. We think of sin as a private affair between me and Jesus. But the Bible teaches that we are bound together. The sin of Achan brought defeat upon the whole nation. The sin of a church's leadership can bring judgment upon the entire body. We are in this together.
The sin described here is one of error, of unintentional failure. The Hebrew word implies straying, making a mistake, or acting in ignorance. This is not an excuse. Ignorance of the law is no excuse, but God, in His mercy, provides a different kind of remedy for it. Sin is still sin, and it still requires blood atonement. A bull and a goat must be offered. A life must be given. The wages of sin is death, even for sins we commit by accident. This shows us the profound holiness of God and the deadly nature of sin. Even our "oops" moments are lethal before a holy God.
But the provision is glorious. The priest makes atonement, and the people are pardoned. The sacrifice provides a covering. The relationship is restored. This points directly to the work of Christ. We are a people who have sinned corporately. We are all in Adam. His sin was our sin. And we have all sinned unintentionally, in ways we are not even aware of. As the psalmist says, "Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults" (Psalm 19:12). Christ is our great high priest, and His sacrifice is the great bull offered for the whole congregation. His blood covers not only the sins we confess but also the countless sins we have committed in our ignorance, the hidden faults that pollute our record before God.
Notice also that this provision extends to the "sojourner who sojourns among them" (v. 26). There is one law, one standard, and one atonement for both the native Israelite and the foreigner who has cast his lot with God's people. This is a clear foreshadowing of the gospel breaking the boundaries of ethnicity. In Christ, there is neither Jew nor Gentile; all who are in Him are covered by the same blood.
Individual Error and Individual Atonement (vv. 27-29)
The principle is now applied to the individual.
"‘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... that he may be pardoned." (Numbers 15:27-28 LSB)
The same logic applies. An individual who sins through ignorance or error is still guilty. He has still violated God's holy standard. He cannot simply say, "I didn't mean to," and walk away. Atonement must be made. A female goat, a valuable part of his livelihood, must be brought. The cost of sin is real.
The priest makes atonement for him, and he is pardoned. Again, we see the beautiful picture of Christ's mediation. We do not approach God on our own merits. We come through our priest, Jesus, who has offered the sacrifice for us. It is through His work that we are pardoned. The law is consistent: "You shall have one law for him who does anything unintentionally" (v. 29). God's grace is not arbitrary; it is administered according to His righteous law.
This should be a great comfort to the tender-conscienced Christian. We all sin in ways we do not intend. We speak a careless word, we harbor a fleeting thought, we fail to do a good we ought to have done. This passage assures us that for the heart that desires to follow God but stumbles in weakness or ignorance, there is a provision. There is a sacrifice. There is a priest. There is pardon.
The High Hand of Defiance (vv. 30-31)
Now the text turns, and the contrast is stark and terrifying.
"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." (Numbers 15:30 LSB)
To sin "with a high hand" is to sin presumptuously, defiantly, and with open contempt for God's authority. This is not a stumble. This is shaking your fist at heaven. This is not a sin of weakness but of willfulness. It is the posture of Pharaoh saying, "Who is Yahweh, that I should obey His voice?" It is the posture of the builders of Babel, seeking to make a name for themselves. The text says this kind of sin is tantamount to "blaspheming Yahweh." It is a direct assault on His character and His right to rule.
For this sin, there is no sacrifice. There is no provision for atonement. The only prescription is to be "cut off from among his people." This means excommunication in its most severe form, and in many cases, execution. This person has, by his own defiant act, placed himself outside the covenant community. He has rejected the terms of the covenant and therefore forfeits its protections and blessings.
Verse 31 gives the reason, and it is crucial: "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 issue is the disposition of the heart toward the Word of God. The high-handed sinner despises God's Word. He treats it with contempt. He sees it as a thing to be ignored, broken, and trampled upon. Therefore, his guilt remains upon him. He must bear it himself, because he has rejected the only provision for having it removed.
Despising the Word Today
This distinction is not left behind in the Old Testament. It is carried straight into the New. The author of Hebrews warns about this very thing. "For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries" (Hebrews 10:26-27). This is high-handed sin. It is a willful, persistent trampling of the Son of God underfoot.
This is the sin of apostasy. It is not about a true believer losing their salvation. It is about someone who was part of the covenant community, who heard the word, who saw the blessings, and then turned their back on it all with contempt. They despise the Word. Judas is the archetype. He walked with Jesus, but his heart was defiant. He was cut off, and his guilt was on him.
This is why church discipline is so important, and so neglected in our day. When a person in the church sins with a high hand, in open, unrepentant defiance of God's Word, the church is commanded to cut them off (1 Corinthians 5). This is not a vindictive act; it is a loving act. It is a final, loud warning shot, calling them to see that they have placed themselves outside the covenant. It is a picture of the final judgment, brought into the present in the hopes of averting it for that person. By treating the sin as seriously as God does, we show love for the sinner's soul, for the purity of the church, and for the honor of God's name.
So the question for us is this: what is our posture toward the Word of God? Do we receive it with humility, even when it convicts us? When we sin, is our response one of godly sorrow and a desire to be restored? Do we flee to the sacrifice God has provided? Or do we despise the Word? Do we stiffen our necks, harden our hearts, and insist on our own way? Do we treat God's commands as optional suggestions?
The cross of Jesus Christ is the ultimate provision for every unintentional sin and every hidden fault. His blood is sufficient. But that same cross is the ultimate stumbling block for the high-handed sinner. To the one who despises the Word, the cross is foolishness. But to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. Let us therefore come to God not with a high hand of defiance, but with the empty hands of faith, trusting in the one sacrifice that pardons every error and cleanses every stain.