Compensation אָשָׁם

We are in chapter five of Leviticus with our word for today. אָשָׁם guilt, offense, restitution, guilt-offering, gift of atonement, compensation. It is used 46 times in the Old Testament. We find our word used in the sense of guilt, the state of having committed an offense. A good example is when Isaac lied about his wife being his sister. Genesis 26:9-10 So Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, she is your wife. How then could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I thought, ‘Lest I die because of her.’” Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought אָשָֽׁם guilt upon us.” Our word is used in the sense of restitution, a sum of money or offering made in compensation for some wrong. We see this between people. Numbers 5:7-8 He shall confess his sin that he has committed. And he shall make full אֲשָׁמוֹ֙ restitution for his wrong, adding a fifth to it and giving it to him to whom he did the אָשַׁ֥ם wrong. But if the man has no next of kin to whom לְהָשִׁ֤יב הָאָשָׁם֙ [our word is used twice literally restitution to be restitutioned or we would say restitution to be made] restitution may be made for the wrong, הָאָשָׁ֛ם the restitution for wrong shall go to the Lord for the priest, in addition to the ram of atonement with which atonement is made for him. And we also see several times with God. This is how our word is used in our chapter today. Leviticus 5:5-6 when he realizes his guilt in any of these and confesses the sin he has committed, he shall bring to the Lord as אֲשָׁמ֣וֹ his compensation for the sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin. In our context this compensation paid to God was for failing to come forward to testify to clear up a legal matter, making oneself unclean, and taking a rash oath. We might think these are not that serious of offenses and make light of God’s high standards. We don’t always understand how damaging sin is to others and ourselves. When we follow God’s way of making restitution it is healing to all of our relationships especially our own with God. I’ll close with another use of our word where we instead of just not understanding how important God’s standards are but actually mocking them. Proverbs 14:9 Fools mock at the אָשָׁ֑ם guilt offering, but the upright enjoy acceptance. Did you catch that one group mocks at as the NIV puts it making amends for sin and the other group actually benefits having God’s acceptance? There is no greater thing in all of life than to be received by God and be with him.