Joel M Bradshaw

16He shall also make restitution for what he has done amiss in the holy thing and shall add a fifth to it and give it to the priest. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven. 17“If anyone sins, doing any of the things that by the LORD’s commandments ought not to be done, though he did not know it, then realizes his guilt, he shall bear his iniquity. 18He shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent, for a guilt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for him for the mistake that he made unintentionally, and he shall be forgiven. 19It is a guilt offering; he has indeed incurred guilt before the LORD.”–Leviticus 5 (with emphasis)

…if he has sinned and has realized his guilt and will restore what he took by robbery or what he got by oppression or the deposit that was committed to him or the lost thing that he found or anything about which he has sworn falsely, he shall restore it in full and shall add a fifth to it, and give it to him to whom it belongs on the day he realizes his guilt. And he shall bring to the priest as his compensation to the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent, for a guilt offering.  (Leviticus 6:4-6)

Do your actions reveal you have a debt with someone or you mistreated their property? Once you are aware, you made amends to them by percentage of 120%. You restored at a ratio of 6/5. This means that the amends process didn’t just restore what you did wrong, but cost you an additional price. This would have discouraged people taking advantage of each other. I also love how you first made the amends before you made the sacrifice to God. Making amends is hard work, but some people only pray to God instead of addressing the matter with the other person they wronged. Some times amends is not possible, but you maintain the attitudes of humility and intentionality. Admitting that you have done wrong and staying humble are indeed good building blocks for making amends.

Does something not sit right about your situation? Behold the power of the conscience! A good prayer to regularly make are these words:

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23-24)

Happy Monday!–JMB