Context No. 2553 of 4322 · Leviticus

Leviticus 5:7-13: in context

7“‘If he can’t afford a lamb, then he shall bring his trespass offering for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, to the LORD; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering. 8He shall bring them to the priest, who shall first offer the one which is for the sin offering. He shall wring off its head from its neck, but shall not sever it completely. 9He shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering. 10He shall offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the ordinance; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin which he has sinned, and he shall be forgiven. 11“‘But if he can’t afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for that in which he has sinned, one tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it, and he shall not put any frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. 12He shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as the memorial portion, and burn it on the altar, on the offerings of the LORD made by fire. It is a sin offering. 13The priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin that he has sinned in any of these things, and he will be forgiven; and the rest shall be the priest’s, as the meal offering.’”

Leviticus makes a striking provision for the poor. The standard sin offering was a lamb, but if a person could not afford a lamb, they could bring two birds; and if they could not afford even the birds, they could bring a little fine flour. The atonement was scaled to what each could give, so that no one would be shut out of forgiveness by poverty.

What is tender here is that God made a way for everyone, however little they had, to be forgiven. The offering shrank to fit the means, from a lamb to two birds to a handful of flour, but the result was the same: the priest makes atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven. Forgiveness was never reserved for those who could pay much. This cuts against a lie many carry, that they have too little to offer God, that grace is somehow for people with more to bring. God scaled the sacrifice precisely so that even the poor were not excluded. What he asks is never more than a person can bring.

Do I believe God's forgiveness is out of reach because I feel I have little to offer, when he scaled the offering so no one is shut out?

Sources

Leviticus 5:7: If he can't afford a lamb, then he shall bring his trespass offering... two turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
Leviticus 5:11: But if he can't afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he shall bring... one tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering.
Leviticus 5:13: The priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin that he has sinned... and he will be forgiven.