151 Now the Lord spoke to Moses , saying , 2 " Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land where you are to live , which I am giving you, 3 then make an offering by fire to the Lord , a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a special vow , or as a freewill offering or in your appointed times , to make a soothing aroma to the Lord , from the herd or from the flock . 4 ' The one who presents his offering shall present to the Lord a grain offering of one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of oil , 5 and you shall prepare wine for the drink offering , one-fourth of a hin , with the burnt offering or for the sacrifice , for each lamb . 6 'Or for a ram you shall prepare as a grain offering two-tenths e of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-third of a hin of oil ; 7 and for the drink offering you shall offer one-third of a hin of wine as a soothing aroma to the Lord . 8 'When you prepare a bull e as a burnt offering or a sacrifice , to fulfill a special vow , or for peace offerings to the Lord , 9 then you shall offer with the bull e a grain offering of three-tenths e of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-half a hin of oil ; 10 and you shall offer as the drink offering one-half a hin of wine as an offering by fire , as a soothing aroma to the Lord . 11 'Thus it shall be done for each ox , or for each ram , or for each of the male lambs , or of the goats . 12 'According to the number that you prepare , so you shall do for everyone according to their number . 13 'All who are native shall do these things in this manner , in presenting an offering by fire , as a soothing aroma to the Lord . 14 'If an alien sojourns with you, or one who may be among you throughout your generations , and he wishes to make an offering by fire , as a soothing aroma to the Lord , just as you do so he shall do . 15 'As for the assembly , there shall be one statute for you and for the alien who sojourns with you, a perpetual statute throughout your generations ; as you are, so shall the alien be before the Lord . 16 'There is to be one law and one ordinance for you and for the alien who sojourns with you.' " 17 Then the Lord spoke to Moses , saying , 18 "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land where e I bring you, 19 then it shall be, that when you eat of the food of the land , you shall lift up an offering to the Lord . 20 ' Of the first of your dough you shall lift up a cake as an offering ; as the offering of the threshing floor , so you shall lift it up. 21 'From the first of your dough you shall give to the Lord an offering throughout your generations .
22 'But when you unwittingly fail and do not observe all these commandments , which the Lord has spoken to Moses , 23 even all that the Lord has commanded you through Moses , from the day when the Lord gave commandment and onward throughout your generations , 24 then it shall be, if it is done unintentionally , without the knowledge of the congregation , that all the congregation shall offer one bull e e for a burnt offering , as a soothing aroma to the Lord , with its grain offering and its drink offering , according to the ordinance , and one male goat for a sin offering . 25 'Then the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the sons of Israel , and they will be forgiven ; for it was an error , and they have brought their offering , an offering by fire to the Lord , and their sin offering before the Lord , for their error . 26 'So all the congregation of the sons of Israel will be forgiven , with the alien who sojourns among them, for it happened to all the people through error . 27 'Also if one person sins unintentionally , then he shall offer a one year old female goat for a sin offering . 28 ' The priest shall make atonement before the Lord for the person who goes astray when he sins unintentionally , making atonement for him that he may be forgiven . 29 'You shall have one law for him who does anything unintentionally , for him who is native among the sons of Israel and for the alien who sojourns among them.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Numbers 15:1-29
Commentary on Numbers 15:1-21
(Read Numbers 15:1-21)
Full instructions are given about the meat-offerings and drink-offerings. The beginning of this law is very encouraging, When ye come into the land of your habitation which I give unto you. This was a plain intimation that God would secure the promised land to their seed. It was requisite, since the sacrifices of acknowledgment were intended as the food of God's table, that there should be a constant supply of bread, oil, and wine, whatever the flesh-meat was. And the intent of this law is to direct the proportions of the meat-offering and drink-offering. Natives and strangers are placed on a level in this as in other like matters. It was a happy forewarning of the calling of the Gentiles, and of their admission into the church. If the law made so little difference between Jew and Gentile, much less would the gospel, which broke down the partition-wall, and reconciled both to God.
Commentary on Numbers 15:22-29
(Read Numbers 15:22-29)
Though ignorance will in a degree excuse, it will not justify those who might have known their Lord's will, yet did it not. David prayed to be cleansed from his secret faults, those sins which he himself was not aware of. Sins committed ignorantly, shall be forgiven through Christ the great Sacrifice, who, when he offered up himself once for all upon the cross, seemed to explain one part of the intention of his offering, in that prayer, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. It looked favourably upon the Gentiles, that this law of atoning for sins of ignorance, is expressly made to extend to those who were strangers to Israel.