The guilt offering is different from the sin offering in that it dealt very much with property laws. The difference with the sin offering is that one had to first make restitution by replacing the value of what he'd done someone out of, and then adding to that value a 1/5 of the value. Only when he had done that could he offer the spotless ram to the priest to make atonement for his sin. The guilt offering shows the need for true repentance toward God. After all, the person was making restitution and offering sacrifice, so that he could be restored to God. We must never lose sight of this, offering sacrifice was never to buy God off, but rather it was a matter of faith. The person knew they had offended God by what they had done. To please God they obeyed now in where before they had failed. We must never forget that there was always an "true remnant of Israel" within Israel. We must never lose sight of the fact that only trust in God and the sacrifice could make the sacrifice effective. There was no ritual that automatically dealt with your sins.

In dealing with the matter of restitution it would be ridiculous to say that wrongs never had to be made right. Recently there was much uproar in a CapeTown community over a gang leader who was said to have come to the Lord. The community was in outrage and indeed even split among themselves as the gangster had millions of ill gained property and money. That he had not made any effort to make restitution to the community in any way did not look good for Him. Can a thief if he still has the money not restore it to whom it belongs. Levi the tax collector who encountered Jesus in the gospel made right with all the people he had overtaxed. In response Jesus said today salvation has come to you. A person cannot claim to belong to God while they still hold on to ill gotten gains. Where there is no repentance there is no salvation.

Leviticus 6 from vs 1 one tells us that deceiving ones neighbor is to sin not just against them, but against God. The example given is in the case of a deposit or security or robbery. If one leaves something with you it means they have trusted you to keep their possession safe. Persons have to accept responsibility when they agree to keep something for people by agreement. This would in our day refer to banks, insurance companies and individuals. A Christian brother once asked to loan my brothers guitar, but when asked whether he was prepared to accept responsibility for it, if anything were to happen. His response wasn't altogether Christian. We need to be cautious and examine our own hearts when someone entrusts their property to us. Ask yourself am I prepared to pay if I damage the persons property even if it is an accident. Next time you loan some ones car, first ask yourself if you are willing to pay if you damage his or her property. Also if someone leaves something with you, to keep for them. Are you willing to take responsibility?
Now we come to the subject of robbery. Most of us have a picture of someone being held up, or their houses been broken into when we hear of robbery. Here it is to do with the market place. The people of God are not to be as the pagans who have no qualms about evil business practice. Many businesses and people even today fix the weights and scales so as to give a false reading. This is also in every deception. People think they are paying for so much, in the mean time they are getting far less than what they paid for. Such a person is a robber. Let such practices not be named among the people of God.

The next sin is "oppressing" your neighbor. Now how is it possible to oppress your neighbor? Isn't that something 3rd world governments do? Oppression has everything to do with taking advantage of the defenceless. Not paying a worker a wage that he can live on is oppression. Holding the work mans wages overnight. Taking ad van age of someone who is in desperate need of money. An example would be, gaining some ones property at a ridiculous price. That is oppression and is sin in the sight of God. Remember that the law is summed up, by doing to your neighbor what you would have done to you. As people who are to inherit Go d's Kingdom, we are not the hard of heart. Rather we are the people who do everything we do unto God. We trust in Him and show mercy. God is teaching us how the people of his Kingdom, do not oppress anyone. But do justice and righteousness.
The next point is that people aren't doing these things deliberately. But when they do become aware of their sin, they are to make restitution. They are to add to the value 1/5. Why is that? It is to make up, for the "use" the offended person has forfeited by you sinning against him. It is to pay the true value and then to pay for the time, that person could have profited, but you instead profited. Only when restitution had been made, could your sins be dealt with. It was an outward showing that you were truly repentant not only to God but also to your neighbor. A thief cannot be seen to have repented, while he/she is still in possession of the goods gained by oppression. Levi the tax collector showed his true repentance toward God by refunding all whom he had oppressed, by taxing them too much. Jesus said to him, today salvation has come to you. It wasn't just a moral thing, it was because he had encountered God, by encountering Jesus. He showed his faith in Jesus by repenting. Because he had turned to God, he made right with his fellow man. Even so his repentance never saved him. It was the blood of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ alone, that could blot his sins out. This is not semi legalism. This is not you doing your part to receive salvation. You are responding to the saving word of God. But as to forgiveness you cannot add or offer anything besides death. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Only the blood of Jesus can save you!!!!!!!!!