Ignorance Does Not Excuse Wrongdoing

Various groups have insisted that we should not teach people God’s law so that they cannot be blamed when they do wrong, because they do not know any better.  Leviticus 5:14-17 addresses this issue.  “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering: And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him.  And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD; though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.”

Whether a person realizes it or not, he has done wrong, and he is responsible for the results of his actions.    If he makes amends for his actions, and offers a sacrifice, the wrong will be forgiven, because he didn’t realize what he was doing.   Leviticus 5:18-19 describes the sacrifice that was to be offered.  “And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his ignorance wherein he erred and wist it not, and it shall be forgiven him.  It is a trespass offering: he hath certainly trespassed against the LORD.”

Leviticus 6:1-5 describes how amends were to be made.  “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour; Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein: Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found, Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering.”  The people who were injured by his actions were to be recompensed for what had been taken or destroyed, and in general, an additional twenty percent for the loss of its use and time spent recovering or replacing it.  There were special cases where twenty percent might not cover the person’s expenses.   

He was also to bring a trespass offering to God, so that God would forgive him, according to Leviticus 6:6-7.  “And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein.”  In addition to hurting the other person, they had violated God’s law, and they had to pay the penalty for breaking it. 

Christ has paid all our penalties for breaking God’s law, and will forgive us when we ask, but we still need to make amends to the people we have hurt.