In Monday's study we talked about what a person was to do when he realized he had committed a sin of omission, or when he had made himself ceremonially unclean, or when he had spoken unwisely and made rash promises. Our passage ended with, "As a penalty for the sin they have committed, they must bring to the Lord a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for them for their sin." But not everyone can afford to part with a lamb or goat from a small flock. And not everyone makes enough income from their trade to purchase an animal of this type for the offering. The Lord is going to accept alternatives.
"Anyone who cannot afford a lamb is to bring two doves or two young pigeons to the Lord as a penalty for their sin---one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. They are to bring them to the priest, who shall first offer the one for the sin offering. He is to wring its head from its neck, not dividing it completely, and is to splash some of the blood of the sin offering against the side of the altar; the rest of the blood must be drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering. The priest shall then take the other as a burnt offering in the prescribed way and make atonement for them for the sin they have committed, and they will be forgiven." (Leviticus 5:7-10) Just as with the other sin offerings, the priest and his family could keep the remainder of the bird that was brought for a sin offering. But just as with other burnt offerings, no portion of the bird for burnt offering could be retained by anyone. A burnt offering was completely surrendered to God.
I think our chapter paints a beautiful portrait of what happens when a person repents. He becomes aware that he is guilty (Leviticus 5:2-4) he confesses his guilt to God (Leviticus 5:5) and professes sorrow for his sin and asks forgiveness for it (the sin offering) and submits himself to the Lord for the help to do better (the burnt offering).
If procuring two birds places too much financial hardship on a person, the Lord makes accommodations for his poverty. "If, however, they cannot afford two doves or two young pigeons, they are to bring as an offering for their sin a tenth of an ephah of the finest flour for a sin offering. They must not put olive oil or incense on it, because it is a sin offering." (Leviticus 5:11) It's believed that a tenth of an ephah was about three quarts.
"They are to bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful of it as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar on top of the food offerings presented to the Lord. It is a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for them for any of these sins they have committed, and they will be forgiven. The rest of the offering will belong to the priest, as in the case of the grain offering." (Leviticus 5:12-13) The fact that the priest retains portions of the sin offerings paints a portrait of redemption. After forgiveness has been received, the remainder of the offering is "redeemed" in a sense. It is useful and welcome, just as we become useful to the Lord after we have been redeemed and just as we are welcomed into His family as His dearly loved children after we have been redeemed.
In the verses we've studied today we see the Lord making forgiveness and redemption available for everyone. Various types of offerings are acceptable to God according to a person's financial status. He is making everyone equal. No one can say, "I am too poor to come into the Lord's presence to seek forgiveness and redemption. I have nothing to bring Him." Rich or poor, male or female, young or old, everyone is given the same opportunity. No matter where they've been or what they've done, no one's sincere offering of repentance is rejected. This is the same God who says in Revelation 22:17b, "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." The invitation is issued to all because redemption is available to all who seek it.
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