Half-intentional Sins

Re: Heiser on Leviticus 5 — The main point Heiser makes for here is that God recognizes fine gradations in judging whether a ritual defilement was intentional or not.

In analyzing the Hebrew language of this chapter, there is at least one term that is ambiguous, a Hebrew word without a clear etymology. Thus, the root meaning is obscure, so we are left to discern from the context why something that may appear an “intentional” sin is still granted a path to reparation.

He reasons that there is a class of activity in which you may be aware that there is some risk of transgression, but you proceed anyway. It’s not meant to offend, but you are responding to a short-term window of opportunity to gain something.

He also mentions keeping silent during an investigation when the whole nation is abjured to testify of a crime they know about. The point here seems to be that some people may be hesitant out of fear or just the normal “live and let live” attitude of letting things slide if there’s no apparent great harm. Maybe you don’t know how serious it was.

In the end, it’s really a matter of your heart. God knows when you revere Him and when you are only playing along with the game. It’s certainly possible to, for example, obtain something that you didn’t know was dedicated as an offering to God. You didn’t intend to defy God, but when you discover your mistake, you must make reparations.

You may still face consequences for your actions, either through human enforcement of the law or natural results of your choice. Either way, you can still regain ritual fitness to come before God.

The whole point in the case of taking “devoted things” is that the priests make their living from such donations-in-kind. Thus, you would have the original item evaluated in terms of the Temple Shekel, pay that amount plus 20% and everything would be fine. You would also typically make an additional cleansing offering of animal or grain. It would not be meant to cleanse you, but to cleanse the Temple from your ritually defiling presence.

Again, we are so much better off with Christ as the final offering for such things.