Chapter 6

This chapter is about offenses against neighbors, acquaintances, etc.  These are sins against other people, not necessarily directly against God, but they are still sin.  It talks about sacrifices being required once one realizes he has sinned against his neighbor, though theft from the neighbor is specifically  named, among others.  One would know if he stole from his neighbor.  Seems to imply that until we are repentant, and willing to restore what we cheated our neighbor of, or what we just plain out stole from him, then there is no sacrifice. 

Sacrifice required for theft, finding something lost and keeping it for yourself, and so on.  These things, when repented of, also required a 20% excess when repaid, plus a sacrifice.

2021 - I think this is about deliberate sin against others.  You don't find something and lie about it by accident.  You don't steal from your neighbor by accident.  The wording in vs 4 is "if he has sinned and has realized his guilt and will restore what he took..."  So though it was done deliberately, it cannot be forgiven until guilt is realized and felt, remorse is required for forgiveness.  First, whatever value was taken from another must be restored plus 20%, and then a sacrifice must be made via a guilt offering.  This guilt offering would be public.  You aren't allowed to keep your guilt secret.  Again this speaks to remorse and to a humbling of spirit because of sin committed, confessed, and compensated.

Beginning in vs 8, instructions to the priests for how to conduct the sacrifices - the ceremony and the logistics and the intricacies specifically required of the priests - are being detailed.  Instead of the prescription for what required a sacrifice, these are instructions for sacrificing. 

MSB says there have been five sacrifices described to this point.  Burnt, Grain, Peace, Sin, and Guilt offerings.

So first instructions about the Burnt offering are given, then the grain offering.  Then a sacrifice to be offered when a "new" priest is anointed is mentioned.  Beginning in vs 24, the sin offering is described.  This verse though:

30 But no sin offering shall be eaten from which any blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place; it shall be burned up with fire. [Lev 6:30 ESV]

So there is another part to some sin offerings that has to do with atonement.  It goes beyond forgiveness to atonement?  The MSB note seems to be worded wrong.   I think it means that if the offering was for a priest or for the congregation, it was to be burned completely.  Other offerings could be eaten by the priests.  The references MSB gives are back to chapter four, and there, the sin offerings for priests and the congregation had the fat burned on the altar and the rest was carried outside the camp and completely burned.  None of these were eaten.  So the MSB note leaves out "not".  These two sin offerings were not eaten.

Fire to be kept burning on the altar 24/7, it is not to go out.  Ever.  Priests are responsible for this.  Also for carrying out the ashes each day.

2023 - Where did they get the wood to burn the sacrifices?  They were in the desert for 40 years.  Even when the Temple was built, a lot of wood was needed to keep the fire going  And imagine during the weeks when all must appear before God?  Where did they get so much fuel?