Guilt Offering

In the Hebrew class I teach at Southern California Seminary I consider every biblical passage I cover to be special. I start the school year in Genesis 1, and then over the following eight months teach selected verses from Ruth 1, Jonah1-2, Deuteronomy 6, Exodus 20, Isaiah 7, and Psalm 23. When we reach Easter time I spend two weeks teaching the Jewish feast of Passover from Exodus 12 and Leviticus 23. Passover certainly is special. But if I had to pick one particular passage to say is the highlight of the entire course, it would be the last passage I teach: Isaiah 53. Isaiah 53 (actually beginning in 52:13), as most Christians know, is the glorious chapter in which the prophet talks of a Messiah who would be both crushed and exalted. Scholars traditionally term Isaiah’s Messiah, the “Suffering Servant.” To fully value the biblical lesson from this blog, you are encouraged to thoughtfully read, meditate upon, and rejoice over the treasured words of Isaiah 52:13 through 53:12:

NAS Isaiah 52:13 Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up, and greatly exalted. 14 Just as many were astonished at you, My people, So His appearance was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men. 15  Thus He will sprinkle many nations, Kings will shut their mouths on account of Him; For what had not been told them they will see, And what they had not heard they will understand. NAS Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. 3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living, For the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due? 9 His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. 10 But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. 11  As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. 12  Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.

As I tell my students with a mixture of sadness and amazement, one has to be spiritually blind, be following an unbiblical agenda, or be a Jew currently under judgment (cf. Isaiah 6:9-10 and Acts 28:25-27) not to see the Lord Jesus Christ as the exclusive fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy of the Suffering Servant.

Almost every person today of Jewish birth is sadly ignorant of the fact that Isaiah’s highly significant and wonderful words in chapter 53, written some 700-750 years before Christ’s birth are speaking of Him. Whenever chapter 53 is taught or referred to in synagogues today (tellingly, it rarely is), the Suffering Servant is said to be the nation of Israel. In spite of notable contextual and grammatical evidence to the contrary, it is not understood to be an individual, let alone The individual.

To be fair, Isaiah does make repeated mention of the “Servant” being the nation of Israel. Take for example Isaiah 41:8, where clearly it is the nation in view:

NAS Isaiah 41:8 “But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, Descendant of Abraham My friend,

Making the identity of the Servant in Isaiah even more complex is the fact that David is also referred to once to be the special one:

NAS Isaiah 37:35 ‘For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.'”

Differentiating the exact identity of the Servant is challenging even for advanced Bible students. Yet, there are distinguishable contextual benchmarks that may be recognized. For example, in chapter 41 of Isaiah, the nation of Israel is being assured by God of His help. In v. 48, the context makes it all but inarguable that the servant is Israel:

NAS Isaiah 41:8 “But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, Descendant of Abraham My friend,

But in Isaiah 42:1 it is relatively easy to see that the reference is more than likely Jesus:

NAS Isaiah 42:1 “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations.

Whether the subject in a particular passage is anyone other than Jesus must be determined by context. However, it is relatively easy to understand from a careful reading of the book of Isaiah that ultimately any reference points directly to the Messiah. To argue, as modern-day Jewish rabbis do, that the Servant in Isaiah 53 is the nation Israel, is – and I say this with respect and compassion – difficult to maintain. An objective person (if there is one to be found) would be forgiven after reading chapter 53 for the first time for saying it is more than difficult to maintain; it is incredulous anyone could see it this way. Messianic Jewish scholar Victor Buksbazen, perhaps makes this point most succinctly: “Israel’s entire history and national character are completely out of harmony with the prophet’s portrait of God’s obedient servant, who takes upon Himself the sins of His people to redeem all men.” But in order to appreciate fully what Isaiah is telling us about the Lord Jesus in chapter 53 of his prophecy, some basic knowledge of the guilt offering in v. 10 is called for.

First off, it should be understood that “guilt” in the Bible is somewhat different that the meaning we today usually give the word. One of the Bible encyclopedias I consulted this week stated that the two meanings “bear little relation” to one another. But that, I respectfully believe, is misleading. To me, it is inarguable that there is overlap. It is true that we today focus primarily on the psychological dimension of guilt, and it also could be rightly said that the Bible concerns itself mainly with the religious aspect of the word. But the central issue of both approaches is clearly offense, so expectedly there lines can at times be blurred. In both the psychological and religious perspectives, a wrong has been committed. Whether or not the person acknowledges this offense and feels or shows remorse over it, a wrong has been done. Therefore, guilt is fundamentally relational. In short, one might say that humans are usually concerned with the subjective side of guilt, and the Bible the objective side. I would add, however, that the Bible includes both. While the Bible is sensitive to the psychological dimension of guilt, its main concern is the objective guilt of sinners before God. That is the guilt Isaiah is prophesying about, and that is the guilt the Messiah, 700 years later, would make reparation for on Calvary. Note again v. 10 of Isaiah 53, the verse prompting this particular blog:

NAS Isaiah 53:10 But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.

Although the subject of offerings in Scripture is far-reaching, to be sure, I humbly maintain that the following abbreviated study (taken in part from the NET Bible notes, The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, and The Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible will enable us to grasp enough of the concept to appreciate in an unforgettable way what Isaiah is saying about our Lord. Unlike the ancient Israelites who were required by the Mosaic Law to bring an offering to be sacrificed in order for their sin to be forgiven and their broken relationship with Yahweh restored, the “Suffering Servant” was Himself the offering. With the entire Bible as context, especially the writings of the apostle Paul, we can comprehend and be eternally grateful that because of Christ’s incomparable sacrifice, our sins are forgiven and our relationship with God, broken by our sin, has been forever restored. Praise His blessed name!

Yes, the Levitical system of offerings was and is complicated, but the basic idea is really uncomplicated: when you sinned, there was a price to be paid. Romans 6:23 says it simplest and best:

NAS Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

For this reason, all the multifacetness of the O.T. sacrificial system may be seen through this single lens, i.e., sin costs life. True, not all O.T. offerings required the death of an animal or bird, but every law, infraction, and penalty pointed ultimately to the satisfaction of God’s wrath. Scripture tells us that before the gospel was fully proclaimed, God in His gracious forbearance overlooked some sins, that is, He left them temporarily unpunished (see Acts, 17:30; cf. 14:16). Once God’s progressive purpose through the gospel was at the point He so desired, even Gentiles (non-Jews) too were responsible to God’s revelation. Because of God’s holy character, sin cannot be overlooked. All men everywhere were “without excuse” (Romans 1:18-32). Since man can do nothing to save himself and since animal sacrifice was limited and ultimately ineffective, here is but one remedy: a Savior, the Suffering Servant, prophesied in the O.T. and fulfilled in the New, the Son of God, Jesus Christ (cf. Acts 4:12). He alone could offer Himself a once-for-all guilt offering to atone for man’s sins.

Time and space will not allow an exhaustive account of the guilt offering but the following comments can for now suffice. For further information of the offering, you are encouraged to study the first seven chapters of the book of Leviticus for the sake of this abbreviated discussion, it may be rightly said that the guilt offering was essentially the same as the sin offering; both required the death of an animal and the shedding of blood. Biblical guilt is not just a feeling but a condition. As the Expositor’s Bible Commentary says, “There may be known transgressions that bring feelings of guilt, but there is also the condition of guilt before God, caused by sins known or unknown.”

A bit of information too fascinating to skip by is the fact that the animal for the guilt offering was a male lamb, a specific point that makes the metaphorical connection even stronger to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God (cf. John 1:29).

NAS Leviticus 5:18 “He is then to bring to the priest a ram without defect from the flock, according to your valuation, for a guilt offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his error in which he sinned unintentionally and did not know it, and it shall be forgiven him.

Making the connection to the crucifixion of Christ even more pronounced is that in Leviticus 5:18, one of the verses that makes the most descriptive comments regarding the guilt offering, translates the Hebrew word (ִיל א [ah-yil]) as “ram,” a detail which cannot help but call to mind Genesis 22:13 and the binding of Isaac, a vivid prophetic picture imaging Christ on the cross.

NAS Genesis 22:13 Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son.

Even though, of course, God did not end up requiring the life of Isaac, and the offering was technically a burnt offering and not a guilt offering, the son was nevertheless offered by the father and a sacrifice was made (in this case, the ram). Furthermore, this portentous event, known as “Abraham’s test of faith” (termed the “Akedah” by the Jews), occurred in the very place where Christ would eventually give His life. Genesis 22 prophetically mirrored the crucifixion unmistakably.

The Hebrew noun אשם (ah-shahm) is translated both “guilt” and, as it is in Isaiah 53:10, “guilt offering.” Scholars point out that a main difference between guilt and sin is important to note. The Hebrew words for sin generally focus on the act, whereas אשם points to the breaking of relationship that sin causes, and in particular the indebtedness that inevitably results. In this infringement regard it is helpful to study Numbers 5:5-10. Full restitution must be made. We should always be cognizant of the central fact of our relationship with God that He never-failingly takes sin with the utmost seriousness.

Among other negative dimensions, sin is a violation of the very order God has prescribed for His creation. Sin incurs a debt toward God that must eventually be paid. Thus, an אשם is a debt for which amends must be paid. The “Suffering Servant” of Isaiah, the “Lamb of God” of John, the incomparable Savior of the world, became Himself the אשם for us all and paid that debt in full; “Jesus paid it all; all to Him I owe.”

I would like to close this study by focusing our attention on that overwhelming fact by calling attention to the book of Hebrews. The New Testament book of Hebrews offers the best commentary on the Old Testament sacrificial system, a system which served its purpose but was never intended by God to take away completely the sins of mankind, no matter how many animals were sacrificed and how much blood was spilt. As Hebrews indelibly records, our Guilt Offering need never be repeated.

NAS Hebrews 9:24-28 For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 nor was it that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood not his own. 26  Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, 28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.

NAS Hebrews 10:1-10 For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never by the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. 4  For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5

Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “Sacrifice and offering Thou hast not desired, But a body Thou hast prepared for Me; 6 In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast taken no pleasure. 7  “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (In the roll of the book it is written of Me) To do Thy will, O God.'” 8 After saying above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast not desired, nor hast Thou taken pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the Law), 9 then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Thy will.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second. 10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

(As the multiple use of the word “offering” in this blog attests, the context of this language is decidedly sacrificial. This fact ties this blog to Pastor Matt’s sermons in 1 John and in particular chapter 2, verse 2. Not coincidentally, this then makes this blog a perfect introduction to next week’s blog entitled “Unlimited or Limited?” It will be a discussion of Christ’s atonement, which is the ultimate sacrifice, the ultimate guilt- offering.)

– Professor Thomas A. Rohm