The concept of the trespass offering, as detailed in the Old Testament, serves as a profound illustration of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The trespass offering, or "guilt offering," is primarily outlined in Leviticus 5:14-6:7 and Leviticus 7:1-7. It was a specific type of sacrifice required for unintentional sins that involved a breach of faith against the Lord or harm against a neighbor, necessitating restitution.

Biblical Foundation

The trespass offering was distinct from the sin offering, focusing on the aspect of restitution and compensation for the wrong committed. Leviticus 5:16 states, "He must make restitution for the sin he has committed against the holy thing, adding a fifth of its value to it and giving it to the priest. The priest will then make atonement on his behalf with the ram of the guilt offering, and he will be forgiven."

Illustration of Christ's Sacrifice

1. Atonement and Restitution: The trespass offering required not only a sacrifice but also restitution, symbolizing the comprehensive nature of Christ's atonement. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was not only to atone for sin but also to restore what was lost through sin. Isaiah 53:10 prophetically speaks of Christ as a guilt offering: "Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer; and when His soul is made a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand."

2. Substitutionary Sacrifice: The ram offered in the trespass offering served as a substitute for the sinner, prefiguring Christ's substitutionary death. 1 Peter 2:24 affirms this, stating, "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His stripes you are healed."

3. Forgiveness and Restoration: The result of the trespass offering was forgiveness and restoration of the relationship between the offender and God. Similarly, through Christ's sacrifice, believers receive forgiveness and are reconciled to God. Colossians 1:14 declares, "In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

4. Holiness and Justice: The requirement of the trespass offering underscores God's holiness and justice, which are fully satisfied in Christ. Romans 3:25-26 explains, "God presented Him as the atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand. He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus."

Theological Significance

The trespass offering highlights the gravity of sin and the necessity of making amends, pointing to the ultimate fulfillment in Christ's work on the cross. It emphasizes the need for a perfect sacrifice to address both the offense against God and the harm done to others. Christ, as the perfect Lamb of God, fulfills the requirements of the trespass offering, providing complete atonement and restoration for humanity.

In summary, the trespass offering serves as a vivid illustration of Christ's redemptive work, encapsulating the themes of substitution, restitution, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Through His sacrifice, Jesus fulfills the law's demands and offers believers a restored relationship with God.Isaiah 53:10
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he has put him to grief: when you shall make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ezekiel 46:20
Then said he to me, This is the place where the priests shall boil the trespass offering and the sin offering, where they shall bake the meat offering; that they bear them not out into the utter court, to sanctify the people.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Story of the Baptist, from his Last Testimony to Jesus to his ...
... a few would offer daily trespass-offering for sins ... mending with the undressed cloth.'
Christ's was not ... of John, by which the illustrative teaching concerning ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxviii the story of.htm

Entire Sanctification
... is at once both correct and illustrative, namely, "We ... translated yecheta, "If a man
trespass;" which certainly ... of the great sacrificial offering: thy sentence ...
//christianbookshelf.org/clarke/entire sanctification/entire sanctification.htm

Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
... its services contained many types highly illustrative of the ... it in which they boiled
the trespass-offerings, and ... which they prepared the sin-offering for the ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/solomons temple spiritualized.htm

A Discourse Upon the Pharisee and the Publican
... TOGETHER WITH THE WAY AND METHOD OF GOD'S FREE GRACE IN PARDONING PENITENT SINNERS;
PROVING THAT HE JUSTIFIES THEM BY IMPUTING CHRIST'S RIGHTEOUSNESS TO THEM. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a discourse upon the pharisee.htm

Memoir of John Bunyan
... The poor profligate, swearing tinker became transformed into the most ardent preacher
of the love of Christ"the well-trained author of The Jerusalem Sinner ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/memoir of john bunyan.htm

What is a trespass in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What is a trespass offering / guilt offering? | GotQuestions.org

What were the various sacrifices in the Old Testament? | GotQuestions.org

Trespass: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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