Numbers 15:22-41 NKJV
22 ‘If you sin unintentionally, and do not observe all these commandments which the Lord has spoken to Moses— 23 all that the Lord has commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day the Lord gave commandment and onward throughout your generations— 24 then it will be, if it is unintentionally committed, without the knowledge of the congregation, that the whole congregation shall offer one young bull as a burnt offering, as a sweet aroma to the Lord, with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one kid of the goats as a sin offering. 25 So the priest shall make atonement for the whole congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them, for it was unintentional; they shall bring their offering, an offering made by fire to the Lord, and their sin offering before the Lord, for their unintended sin. 26 It shall be forgiven the whole congregation of the children of Israel and the stranger who dwells among them, because all the people did it unintentionally.
27 ‘And if a person sins unintentionally, then he shall bring a female goat in its first year as a sin offering. 28 So the priest shall make atonement for the person who sins unintentionally, when he sins unintentionally before the Lord, to make atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him. 29 You shall have one law for him who sins unintentionally, for him who is native-born among the children of Israel and for the stranger who dwells among them.
30 ‘But the person who does anything presumptuously, whether he is native-born or a stranger, that one brings reproach on the Lord, and he shall be cut off from among his people. 31 Because he has despised the word of the Lord, and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt shall be upon him.’ ”
32 Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. 34 They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him.
35 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” 36 So, as the Lord commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died.
37 Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 38 “Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. 39 And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, 40 and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God. 41 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord your God.”
Today’s Word presents us with a profound reminder of both the seriousness of sin and the grace of God. Even when we sin unintentionally or unknowingly, we remain accountable to God. The law required an offering for atonement, pointing to the reality that sin—no matter how unintentional—separates us from God and requires restoration. This may seem like a heavy burden, and it is. God is holy, and His commands are not to be taken lightly. Yet, for us as Christians, we know the full story. Our atonement is no longer made by bringing a physical offering, but by the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He is the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, even those sins we may not consciously be aware of. In Him, we are forgiven.
In verses 32-36, we encounter the story of a man who intentionally broke the Sabbath. This incident illustrates the seriousness of transgressing the law of God. While we may not always feel the weight of our sin, Scripture reminds us that God’s commands are not arbitrary, and His holiness is not something we can casually disregard. We cannot live according to our own rules. Yet even here, the law leads us to Christ, who fulfilled the law on our behalf and bore our punishment on the cross of Calvary.
Today’s word concludes with the command to wear tassels on the corners of their garments (vv. 37-41). These tassels were to serve as a physical reminder of God’s commands and to live in holiness. As Christians, we may not wear tassels, but we are reminded daily through God’s Word and the sacraments to live in faithful obedience. We are called to remember that we belong to God and that His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105).
Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your mercy and grace. Forgive us for the times we have sinned unintentionally and for the moments we have chosen disobedience. Remind us daily through Your Word, that we might live lives that honor You. Strengthen us through the work of Your Holy Spirit, and help us to live in faithfulness, looking always to the cross of Christ, our Savior. In His name, we pray. Amen.