And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: “If a person sins and commits a trespass against the LORD by lying to his neighbor about what was delivered to him for safekeeping, or about a pledge, or about a robbery, or if he has extorted from his neighbor, or if he has found what was lost and lies concerning it, and swears falsely—in any one of these things that a man may do in which he sins: Then it shall be, because he has sinned and is guilty, that he shall restore what he has stolen, or the thing which he has extorted, or what was delivered to him for safekeeping, or the lost thing which he found, or all that about which he has sworn falsely. He shall restore its full value, add one-fifth more to it, and give it to whomever it belongs, on the day of his trespass offering. And he shall bring his trespass offering to the LORD, a ram without blemish from the flock, with your valuation as a trespass offering to the priest. So the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD, and he shall be forgiven for any one of these things that he may have done in which he trespasses.” (vv.1-7)
In this passage, a person must bear full responsibility for personal acts of unfaithfulness. The sinful act against another person is a sin against God. Such a sin demands renewing the relationship with the other person as well as renewing the relationship with God – reparation. People may steal through simple robbery, or use deception to take what does not belong to them (lying to his neighbor about what was delivered to him for safekeeping, or about a pledge). There are many ways to steal but all of them are sins.
All this is founded on a basic idea clearly stated in Exodus 20:15: You shall not steal. Every command against stealing in the Bible is a recognition of the right to personal property; that God trusts people to manage property as delegated “owners” of that property. Since ultimately all things belong to God (Psalm 24:1), men only “own” things that are delegated to them by God. Yet, God expects humanity to respect His delegation of property, and other people or states are not permitted to take that property without due process of law. Therefore, economic or political systems that reject the principle of the private ownership of property – such as communist or socialist systems, which claim that all property belongs to the state or the collective – those systems by rejecting God’s wisdom are destined for failure.
Yet, under the law, atonement for deliberate sins was possible if; there was full restitution (v.5), a blood offering (v.6) and confession of sin (Numbers 5:6-8). However, it wasn’t enough to just return what was stolen. The thief also had to add 20% (one-fifth) to what was stolen as a penalty. In the New Testament, Ephesians 4:28 expresses another aspect of restitution when the thief repents of being a taker and becomes a giver: "Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need." Additionally, restitution (and the penalty that went with it) had to be made the same day of his trespass offering. This powerfully demonstrated that one could not get right with God without also making the wrong right with man. (See Matthew 5:23-24).
Unlike the days of Moses, Christians today can go directly to God through Christ, and simply ask for forgiveness. However, we need to remember that dealing with our sins may involve dealing with the person(s) against whom we have sinned as well. Making reparation is a healing thing to do, though desperately hard to begin. Failing to make reparation brings the body of Christ into disrepute and invites divine discipline. The true believer (through the Spirit) knows when he/she has wronged God and others and cannot honestly enter worship and service without trying to make things right.
Therefore, check your heart today for guidance through His Spirit for any reparation that you may need to make in your life.
The Truth: “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.” (Matthew 5:23-24)
