WHEN YE COME. Numbers 15 There are two main themes in the next five chapters of the Book of Numbers. One relates to laws about the promised land, serving as both a warning and encouragement. One generation’s rebellion and failure cannot stop God's purposes. The other main theme involves stories about the failure of the nation's leadership, including Moses.
It was not the leaders of the tribes, the Levites, or Moses who would lead these people into the promised land. It was God Himself who would go before them and clear the path. We must remember that God works within us to accomplish His will and brings pleasure to Himself through us. It is also a fundamental truth: "The soul that sins will die.”
From a dark chapter in Israel's history, marked by disobedience that caused a whole generation to live thirty-eight years in the wilderness as punishment, comes a message of hope and promise. The failure of those who rejected God's word and will is contrasted with the faith of those who would enter the land of promise. God's promise would be fulfilled—"when ye come into the land of your habitations, which I give unto you." The future of Israel was assured in a few words spoken by the Lord. The sovereign grace of God brings the blessing of salvation and all its accompanying blessings because our God is full of mercy. If it weren't for that, how lost we all would be.
Chapter fifteen has three sections, each starting with the words, “The Lord said unto Moses.” The Israelites had just gone through a major setback because they disobeyed what the Lord specifically told them and, in doing so, showed contempt for God. One sin led to another in chapter fourteen, and judgment came upon them. Still, this did not cancel the promise of God to bring the nation into the land He had promised them. Those who would not enter were part of the older generation of disobedient people.
The first sixteen verses discuss the additional offering they would present when entering the land. The grain and drink offerings were to be the same for foreigners who converted as for native Israelites. Everyone came as individuals, and all they brought was for God. None of it was given to the priests. All of it was placed on the altar for God alone.
Verses sixteen through thirty-six address offerings for unintentional sins committed out of ignorance. Even if someone had good intentions, sin can result from actions or their outcomes, regardless of malicious intent. This does not mean there are no consequences if something is wrong. The Israelites could bring an offering to avoid the judgment their actions deserved. We cannot expect to undo the negative effects of something we may have done unintentionally without taking steps to address and correct the mistake and its consequences.
Israelites who sinned without regard for God and His commands but flagrantly did what was forbidden were to be “cut off.” That seems to mean in this context that they were actually put to death. “Presumptuously” means to willfully overstep the limits that God set, like the man who gathered sticks on the Sabbath day. Deliberate sin was committed as a challenge to God's law to see if He truly meant what He said. He definitely found out! He had defied God's laws, and in doing so, he had also defied God Himself.
The expected response to the Lord's blessings was sacrifices of praise and gratitude in the form of free will offerings. Their vows would be upheld, and blessings and joy would accompany sacrifices of righteousness and the wine of the kingdom. It would not only be a thankful response from the nation of Jews but also from the strangers living among them, who were of different nationalities. The citizens would be as one people in God's sight. There should be no schisms or divisions among God's people. When divisions occur, they are caused either by willful actions of men or, in some cases, by simple ignorance of men regarding God's mind and will.
The sins of ignorance usually come from those who are new to the family of God. In His grace, God has provided a way of acceptance even for acts committed in genuine ignorance. Still, such acts were not ignored. A price had to be paid—a sacrifice had to be made—even if the person did not realize what they did was wrong.
We truly don't learn anything if there is no cost for ignorance. Often, ignorance is ignored, and the person who made a mistake is excused. When someone has to pay a price for their ignorance, they and those around them learn a lesson that hopefully won't need to be repeated. Grace offers a way to address the sin of ignorance, and holiness requires that sin be judged and confessed. Making excuses for ignorance is not the same as not knowing an act was wrong. An excuse is not justified.
Why does ignorance exist in the first place? What causes a person not to know what is right or wrong? There aren't many reasons for ignorance. Childhood or mental incapacity are understandable causes. Willful ignorance to avoid discomfort or to shirk what is right is not an acceptable excuse for misbehavior. When we observe a practice that is unfamiliar to us, we are obliged to find out the reason behind it and to understand it through testing it with the Word of God. Then, we should act on the facts with sound judgment. Self-interest and indifference to the truth and righteousness are often linked. The Holy Spirit within a believer guides us and seeks to control the activities we engage in. "If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine..."
Disobedience and independence often go hand in hand, leading to what are called "presumptuous" sins. Such sins dishonor the Lord personally and show that the person performing them despises God's word. Rebellion and stubbornness directly oppose dependence and obedience. These traits are not consistent with the divine nature of a child of God. For example, the man who gathered sticks on the Sabbath while everyone else was resting sinned presumptuously; he challenged God's clearly stated law. In his pride, he walked out to where he could find the sticks he needed and then brought them back. That action was carried out to the full extent of the law. The phrase, "that soul shall be utterly cut off," meant that he was to be executed. It wasn't the sticks he gathered that caused him to lose his life; it was his presumptuous attitude against God and His word. The whole nation would have learned from that example not to defy the Lord.