Scripture: And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, When a man or woman commits any of the sins that people commit by breaking faith with the LORD, and that person realizes his guilt, he shall confess his sin that he has committed. And he shall make full restitution for his wrong, adding a fifth to it and giving it to him to whom he did the wrong. But if the man has no next of kin to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution for wrong shall go to the LORD for the priest, in addition to the ram of atonement with which atonement is made for him. And every contribution, all the holy donations of the people of Israel, which they bring to the priest, shall be his. Each one shall keep his holy donations: whatever anyone gives to the priest shall be his.”
Numbers 5:5-10 ESV
[Click here to read the entire chapter.]
Observation: Recapping Friday’s Daily Focus, Moses recounts Aaron’s sons and how Nadab and Abihu died because they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, leaving Eleazar and Ithamar as their successors. Moses then relays the Lord’s directives regarding Aaron and his sons (who guard the priesthood) and the three clans of Levi’s sons (Gershon, Kohath, and Merari) who guard the priests, the people, and the tabernacle with its furnishings (vv.8-10), for they are Yahweh’s firstborn possession (vv.11-13). Lastly, Moses, Aaron, and his sons (i.e., the priesthood) camp on the tabernacle’s east side and guard its sanctuary (i.e., the Holy of Holies) while the three clans of Levi flank its other sides.
For today’s reading, we skip passages previously addressed and revisited in chapters 3-5 nearly verbatim, which you may read by clicking the links below:
- An addendum to redeeming the firstborn of Israel that addresses the redemption price paid to Aaron and sons for those firstborns that exceeded the number of Levites—273 families who pay five shekels per head (3:40-51)
- A review of the duties of the Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites (4:1-48)
- A reminder of the protocol for unclean people (5:1-4)
The above passage reexamines the guilt offering (Leviticus 5:14 through 6:7). It reviews reparation (adding twenty percent to the value of the loss and presenting to the priest a ram for atonement to God), for they have broken faith in their Lord. Here, the Lord relays through Moses two nuances to the guilt offering. First, the violator must confess his sin. Secondly, if the injured party is now deceased and has no next of kin, then restitution is paid to the priest on behalf of Yahweh, for it is considered holy.
Takeaway: In some Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches, those who recognize their guilt are encouraged to seek confession and absolution, which is a “lesser sacrament” to holy communion and baptism. The priest does not forgive sins but pronounces forgiveness on behalf of God. Indeed, Jesus suggests this practice per his Lord’s Prayer:
- “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).
- “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12).
The second element, reparation, is well supported throughout Scripture. It is not a matter of penance that otherwise misses the mark in understanding our means of forgiveness, which alone is merited by grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8). That said, if those we have wronged are now deceased and without heirs, there is no carryover from this Mosaic law to the teachings Christ and his apostles to suggest we pay it forward to our church leaders.
Our takeaway? Confession and restitution are good for our souls, the church’s health, and the witness of our Gospel of grace. Granted, when we confess to the offended and offer remuneration, they may not applaud our sincerity and humility. They may even indignantly berate us and seek damages in court. But that should not stop us from doing the right thing.
Our part? Prayerfully seek the Lord’s direction and the wisdom of mature believers to guide our steps toward confession and restitution. While we should aim to glorify God and witness Christ’s grace through our words and actions, we also must consider, as Jesus instructed his disciples, whether we are casting pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6). Here, Jesus is referring to proclaiming his Gospel. Still, we may reasonably apply its principles to living out the Gospel.
As for paying forward restitution when there are no surviving relatives, we may voluntarily choose to make reparation to those who have suffered similarly, such as donating to nonprofits that care for their needs. Or, in some instances, like Georgetown University, whose trustees confessed their Jesuit founders used slaves to acquire their resources, we offer reparation to the ancestors of those we have wronged.
Indeed, confession and restitution are gifts from God that we must pay forward to restore our souls, grow his kingdom, and glorify his name.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son, who paid the full price to reconcile us to you. And we thank you for the Holy Spirit and the collective wisdom of godly church leaders who guide us in discerning how to make restitution to those we have harmed through admission of our wrongs and remuneration. So, please help us to avail godly guidance to exercise your gifts of confession and restitution to restore our souls, grow your kingdom, and glorify your name. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling