Numbers 15:22

. Of the burnt-offering, vow-offering, peace-offering, drink-offering, etc., Num 15:6-12. All born in the country must perform these rites, Num 15:13, and the strangers also, Num 15:14-16. They shall offer unto the Lord a heave-offering of the first-fruits of the land, Num 15:17-21. Concerning omissions through ignorance, and the sacrifices to be offered on such occasions, Num 15:22-29. He who sins presumptuously shall be cut off, Num 15:30, Num 15:31. History of the person who gathered sticks on the Sabbath, Num 15:32. He is brought to Moses and Aaron, Num 15:33. They put him in confinement till the mind of the Lord should be known on the case, Num 15:34. The Lord commands him to be stoned, Num 15:35. He is stoned to death, Num 15:36. The Israelites are commanded to make fringes to the borders of their garments, Num 15:37, Num 15:38. The end for which these fringes were to be made, that they might remember the commandments of the Lord, that they might be holy, Num 15:39-41. Verse 2 When ye be come into the land - Some learned men are of opinion that several offerings prescribed by the law were not intended to be made in the wilderness, but in the promised land; the former not affording those conveniences which were necessary to the complete observance of the Divine worship in this and several other respects. Verse 3 And will make an offering - For the different kinds of offerings, sacrifices, etc., see Lev 1:2, Lev 1:7. Verse 5 The fourth part of a hin - The quantity of meal and flour was augmented in proportion to the size of the sacrifice with which it was offered. With a Lamb or a Kid were offered one tenth deal of flour, (the tenth part of an ephah, see on Exo 29:40 (note)), the fourth part of a hin of oil, and the fourth part of a hin of wine. With a Ram, two tenth deals of flour, a third part of a hin of oil, and a third part of a hin of wine. With a Bullock, three tenth deals of flour, half a hin of oil, and half a hin of wine. See Num 15:4-11. Verse 14 If a stranger sojourn - See the notes on Lev 19:33; Lev 22:9. When the case of the Jewish people is fairly considered, and their situation with respect to the surrounding idolatrous nations, we shall see the absolute necessity of having but one form of worship in the land. That alone was genuine which was prescribed by the Almighty, and no others could be tolerated, because they were idolatrous. All strangers - all that came to sojourn in the land, were required to conform to it; and it was right that those who did conform to it should have equal rights and privileges with the Hebrews themselves, which we find was the case. But under the Christian dispensation, as no particular form of worship is prescribed, the types and ceremonies of the Mosaic institution being all fulfilled, unlimited toleration should be allowed; and while the sacred writings are made the basis of the worship offered to God, every man should be allowed to worship according to his own conscience, for in this respect every one is "Lord of himself, accountable to none But to his conscience and his God alone." Verse 20 Ye shall offer - the first of your dough - Concerning the offerings of first-fruits, see the notes on Exo 22:29. Verse 24 If aught be committed by ignorance - See the notes on Lev 4:2, and Lev 5:17. The case here probably refers to the whole congregation; the cases above, to the sin of an individual. Verse 25 The priest shall make an atonement - Even sins committed through ignorance required an atonement; and God in his mercy has provided one for them. Verse 30 But the soul that doeth aught presumptuously - Bold daring acts of transgression against the fullest evidence, and in despite of the Divine authority, admitted of no atonement; the person was to be cut off - to be excluded from God's people, and from all their privileges and blessings. Probably the presumption mentioned here implied an utter contempt of the word and authority of God, springing from an idolatrous or atheistical mind. In such a case all repentance was precluded, because of the denial of the word and being of God. It is probably a case similar to that mentioned Heb 6:4-8 (note); Heb 10:26-31 (note); on which passages see the notes. Verse 32 They found a man that gathered sticks upon the Sabbath - This was in all likelihood a case of that kind supposed above: the man despised the word of the Lord, and therefore broke his commandment; see Num 15:31. On this ground he was punished with the utmost rigor of the law. Verse 36 Stoned him - See the note on Lev 24:23. Verse 38 Bid them - make them fringes - We learn from Num 15:39 that these fringes were emblematical of the various commands of God. That there was any analogy between a fringe and a precept, it would be bold to assert; but when a thing is appointed to represent another, no matter how different, that first object be comes the regular representative or sign of the other. There is no analogy between the term bread and the farinaceous nutritive substance thereby signified; but because this term is used to express and represent that thing, every person thus understands it; and when the word bread is seen or heard, a perfect knowledge, not of the letters which compose that word, but of the thing signified by it, is conveyed to the mind. So the fringes, being appointed by God to represent and bring to mind the commandments of God, Num 15:39, the mention or sight of them conveyed the intelligence intended. All the Jews wore these, and so probably did our Lord; see Mat 9:20, where the word κρασπε ον is rather to be understood of the fringe than of the hem of his garment. Introduction The rebellion of Korah and his company against Moses, Num 16:1-3. He directs them how to try, in the course of the next day, whom God had called to the priesthood, Num 16:4-11

All these commandments - Those now spoken of, which concern the outward service of God, or the rites or ceremonies belonging to it. And herein principally this law may seem to differ from that Lev 4:13, which speaks of some positive miscarriage, or doing that which ought not to have been done, about the holy things of God; whereas this speaks only of an omission of something which ought to have been done about holy ceremonies.

Sacrifices for Sins of Ignorance. ( b. c. 1490.) 22 And if ye have erred, and not observed all these commandments, which the Lord hath spoken unto Moses, 23 Even all that the Lord hath commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day that the Lord commanded Moses, and henceforward among your generations; 24 Then it shall be, if ought be committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour unto the Lord , with his meat offering, and his drink offering, according to the manner, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering. 25 And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them; for it is ignorance: and they shall bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord , and their sin offering before the Lord , for their ignorance: 26 And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of Israel, and the stranger that sojourneth among them; seeing all the people were in ignorance. 27 And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering. 28 And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the Lord , to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him. 29 Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them. We have here the laws concerning sacrifices for sins of ignorance; the Jews understand it of idolatry, or false worship, through the error of their teachers. The case here supposed is that they had not observed all these commandments, v. 22, 23 . If they had failed in the offerings of their acknowledgment, and had not brought them according to the law, then they must bring an offering of atonement, yea, though the omission had been through forgetfulness or mistake. If they failed in one part of the ceremony, they must make it up by the observance of another part, which was in the nature of a remedial law. 1. The case is put of a national sin, committed through ignorance, and become customary through a vulgar error ( v. 24 )— the congregation, that is, the body of the people, for so it is explained ( v. 25 ): All the congregation of the children of Israel. The ceremonial observances were so numerous, and so various, that, it might easily be supposed, some of them by degrees would be forgotten and disused, as particularly that immediately before concerning the heave-offering of their dough: now if, in process of time, upon consulting the law, there should appear to have been a general neglect of that or any other appointment, then a sacrifice must be offered for the whole congregation, and the oversight shall be forgiven ( v. 25, 26 ) and not punished, as it deserved, with some national judgment. The offering of the sacrifice according to the manner, or ordinance, plainly refers to a former statute, of which this is the repetition; and the same bullock which is there called a sin-offering ( Lev. iv. 13 , 21 ) is here called a burnt-offering ( v. 24 ), because it was wholly burnt, though not upon the altar, yet without the camp. And here is the addition of a kid of the goats for a sin-offering. According to this law, we find that Hezekiah made atonement for the errors of his father's reign, by seven bullocks, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven he-goats, which he offered as a sin-offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah ( 2 Chron. xxix. 21 ), and for all Israel, v. 24 . And we find the like done after the return out of captivity, Ezra viii. 35 . 2. It is likewise supposed to be the case of a particular person: If any soul sin through ignorance ( v. 27 ), neglecting any part of his duty, he must bring his offering, as was appointed, Lev. iv. 27 , &c. Thus atonement shall be made for the soul that sins, when he sins through ignorance, v. 28 . Observe, (1.) Sins committed ignorantly need to have atonement made for them; for, though ignorance will in a degree excuse, it will not justify those that might have known their Lord's will and did it not. David prayed to be cleansed from his secret faults, that is, those sins which he himself was not aware of, the errors he did not understand, Ps. xix. 12 . (2.) Sins committed ignorantly shall be forgiven, through Christ the great sacrifice, who, when he offered up himself once for all upon the cross, seemed to explain the intention of his offering in that prayer, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And Paul seems to allude to this law concerning sins of ignorance ( 1 Tim. i. 13 ), I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly and in unbelief. And it looked favourable upon the Gentiles that this law of atoning for sins of ignorance is expressly made to extend to those who were strangers to the commonwealth of Israel ( v. 29 ), but supposed to be proselytes of righteousness. Thus the blessing of Abraham comes upon the Gentiles.