Question:
If someone has taken money from another person in the past and wants to make things right, but finds out that the person they harmed has passed away, what should they do?
Answer:
This important and very real issue is addressed in the Bible. The principle of restitution is outlined in Numbers 5:8: “But if the man have no kinsman to recompense the trespass unto, let the trespass be recompensed unto the LORD, even to the priest…” No one today can offer better advice than this ancient counsel. There is no excuse that can release a person from the obligation to make amends to the individual wronged or, if that person is deceased, to their relatives. If those relatives cannot be found, restitution should be made to a minister of the church for the work of God on earth.
While no one is justified solely by their acts of restitution, true repentance will inevitably “bring forth…fruits meet for repentance” (Matthew 3:8). Avoiding this divine principle can lead to the loss of one’s soul. However, both the individual who has been wronged and God, who is also wronged through the violation of His law, will forgive anyone who sincerely seeks to correct the mistakes of the past.
