Restitution

Author: Joseph

Date: October 28, 2018

God had assigned Aaron’s family as the priests, then the Levites were apportioned their duties in maintaining the tent of meeting. After settling who was supposed to perform what service, God had more to speak regarding the way His people were to live.

God instructed that if anyone committed any sin, they would be required to not only confess their sin and have atonement made on their behalf, but they were also required to make restitution to the person whom they sinned against. The restitution was to be one-fifth greater than the harm that the sin placed upon the one who was sinned against. Simply put, the value of the restitution had to exceed the loss that the victim suffered.

"...the result of sin is always beyond the observable effect."

This was not to make restitution plainly a methodical transaction, but it was show that the result of sin is always beyond the observable effect. No one can say how much a person is harmed by a sin because sin has an effect beyond the physical world. Sin effects our spirit, our emotions, our mind, our attitudes – sin, without the help of God, tears apart who we are.

When we sin against others, whether intentionally or unintentionally, the result is that the person we sinned against is now at loss. We have tarnished their being and placed a burden on them that they must either carry or with God’s help find release from. On our part, we can help the one we sinned against by making restitution to them. It is commanded by God because it is helpful to the person we sinned against, not because we are to seek any benefit of our own from it.

We seek restitution for the sake of the person we are reaching out to; their healing can be assisted through our redemptive action.

Is there anyone in your life whom you have not made restitution for? Have you tried to hide away your sin or are you too ashamed of what you’ve done to seek restoration? If the person you sinned against is having trouble finding peace, you must do all you can to make amends. While God provides the final healing, it is through our obedience to God’s command to make restitution that we can help people reach out to God to be healed.

Be neither too prideful or too ashamed to make restitution. God can work through your actions to change someone’s life and release both you and the one you sinned against from the burden of the sin that was committed. Repent to God through confession and His atonement made on your behalf, but do not forget to make restitution with the one whom you sinned against.

Bible Passage: Numbers 5:5-10