VI. A HANDFUL OF FINE FLOUR BURNED ON THE ALTAR, AS AN OFFERING OF JEHOVAH BY FIRE
Verse 11 tells us, “But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he shall bring his offering for that in which he has sinned, the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall not place oil upon it nor put frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering.” A handful of fine flour burned on the altar, as an offering of Jehovah by fire, indicates that the fine flour for the trespass offering for God to forgive our sins is based upon the shedding of blood on the altar (Heb. 9:22), and it signifies that the perfect Christ is our trespass offering based upon the shedding of His blood on the cross (Col. 1:20).
For propitiation there is the need of the shedding of blood, but in Leviticus 5:11 fine flour is used for a sin offering. This fine flour typifies the humanity of Jesus. Thus, the trespass offering not only includes the sin offering and the burnt offering, but it even refers to the humanity of Jesus.
We commit many sins not only because we have sin within us and not only because we are not absolute for God, but also because we do not have the humanity of Jesus. Jesus would never commit sins. He has no sin in Him, and He is absolute for God. His humanity has no part with the father of lies. His humanity would never touch anything of death or of the natural life. Furthermore, His humanity would never do or speak anything rashly, hastily, or recklessly. Rather, as John 7:3-8 illustrates, when He was on earth, He always spoke and acted with consideration.
Why do we have sin in us? Why are we not absolute for God? The reason we have sin in us and are not absolute for God is that we are lacking the humanity of Jesus.
The tenth part of an ephah of fine flour offered for a sin offering signifies that only a small portion of the humanity of Jesus is needed. This indicates how little we use the Lord’s humanity. We are what we are because we are short of the Lord’s humanity. Due to this shortage, we are full of lies, death, the natural life, and rashness. However, the humanity of Jesus is an all-inclusive dose to kill our germs, to heal our disease, and to supply our need. I believe that there would be a great change in our married life and in our relationship with the brothers and sisters in the church life if we had more of the humanity of Jesus.
VII. THE REMAINDER OF THE FINE FLOUR FOR THE TRESPASS OFFERING BEING THE PRIEST’S, LIKE THE MEAL OFFERING
Leviticus 5:13 says, “Thus the priest shall make propitiation for him concerning his sin which he has committed in any of these things, and he shall be forgiven; and the remainder shall be the priest’s, like the meal offering.” The remainder of the fine flour for the trespass offering being the priest’s signifies that the redeeming Christ is the serving one’s food.
VIII. A PERSON SINNING AGAINST THE HOLY THINGS OF JEHOVAH, AGAINST JEHOVAH, AND LYING TO, EXTORTING FROM, OR SWEARING FALSELY TO HIS FELLOW MAN
Leviticus 5:15, 17-18; 6:2-3, 6 speak of a person sinning against the holy things of Jehovah, or sinning, making error, against Jehovah, or a person sinning and acting unfaithfully against Jehovah, and lying to his fellow man in regard to a deposit or a security, or through robbery, or extorting from his fellow man, or finding what was lost and lying about it, and swearing falsely. Such a person needs a ram without blemish out of the flock, according to the valuation by the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering. This signifies that the Christ who is without sin and who measures up to the divine scale is qualified to be the trespass offering for our sins against the holy things of God, or against God, or against man in the above-listed trespasses.
IX. THE ONE SINNING AGAINST THE HOLY THINGS OF GOD AND THE ONE SINNING AGAINST MAN NEEDING TO MAKE RESTITUTION
The one sinning against the holy things of God needs to make restitution and add to it one-fifth more and give it to the priest (5:15-16). Likewise, the one sinning against man in any defrauding needs to make restitution for it in full, add to it one-fifth more, and give it to whom it belongs on the day he is found guilty (6:2-6). This signifies that the one offering the trespass offering should be righteous in material things according to the divine scale, standard, and measurement.
X. THE TRESPASS OFFERING BEING SLAUGHTERED WHERE THE BURNT OFFERING IS SLAUGHTERED
“In the place where they slaughter the burnt offering they shall slaughter the trespass offering” (7:2a). The trespass offering being slaughtered where the burnt offering is slaughtered indicates that the trespass offering is based upon the burnt offering, and it signifies that Christ is the trespass offering for us based upon His being the burnt offering.
The trespass offering is not simple. It includes dealing with the indwelling sin and with not being absolute for God. It also includes the liar Satan, the death among God’s congregation, the natural life with its uncleanness, and the presumption of doing things rashly before God without fear and consideration. Furthermore, the trespass offering includes robbing and defrauding our fellow man.
How can we experience the trespass offering? The experience of the trespass offering is the result of our enjoyment of Christ as the burnt offering, the meal offering, the peace offering, and the sin offering in the fellowship of God and in the divine light. The experience of the trespass offering is therefore the issue of the enjoyment of the Triune God. Our experience of the trespass offering implies our being absolute for God and our knowing that we have sin within us as the source of all kinds of trespasses toward God and man.
(Life-Study of Leviticus, Chapter 22, by Witness Lee)
