Leviticus 5:14 opens the law of the trespass offering. That offering called for a tangible return to God, showing that under the Levitical arrangement property itself was regarded as set apart to holy use. The Lord kept His own claims first, attaching requirements to nearly every kind of possession so that Israel would be continually reminded of Him as the Giver.
What was required was measured by what had been bestowed, so that the greater the capital entrusted, the more valuable the gift expected in return. The trespass offering belonged to the systematic and regular donations demanded of all, each proportioned to what the giver possessed. Around it stood the tithe, sin offerings, thank offerings, ransom for the firstborn, firstfruits of flocks and harvest, gleanings and field corners left for the poor, provision for the needy in the sabbatical year, release of debts every seventh year, hospitalities, gifts to the poor, and assessments on property, in addition to special freewill offerings. Conscientious givers returned about one-third of their income for religious purposes and the poor, and faithfulness was guarded by questioning the people at appointed times whether they had faithfully kept their vows. The same obligation still rests on believers, so that a Christian holding ten or twenty thousand dollars must give not only his due proportion under the tithing system but also bring his sin offerings and thank offerings to God.
Leviticus 5:14 opens the law of the trespass offering. That offering called for a tangible return to God, showing that under the Levitical arrangement property itself was regarded as set apart to holy use. The Lord kept His own claims first, attaching requirements to nearly every kind of possession so that Israel would be continually reminded of Him as the Giver.
What was required was measured by what had been bestowed, so that the greater the capital entrusted, the more valuable the gift expected in return. The trespass offering belonged to the systematic and regular donations demanded of all, each proportioned to what the giver possessed. Around it stood the tithe, sin offerings, thank offerings, ransom for the firstborn, firstfruits of flocks and harvest, gleanings and field corners left for the poor, provision for the needy in the sabbatical year, release of debts every seventh year, hospitalities, gifts to the poor, and assessments on property, in addition to special freewill offerings. Conscientious givers returned about one-third of their income for religious purposes and the poor, and faithfulness was guarded by questioning the people at appointed times whether they had faithfully kept their vows. The same obligation still rests on believers, so that a Christian holding ten or twenty thousand dollars must give not only his due proportion under the tithing system but also bring his sin offerings and thank offerings to God.