Leviticus 1:10-17: a reflection

10“‘If his offering is from the flock, from the sheep or from the goats, for a burnt offering, he shall offer a male without defect. 11He shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the LORD. Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar. 12He shall cut it into its pieces, with its head and its fat. The priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is on the altar, 13but the innards and the legs he shall wash with water. The priest shall offer the whole, and burn it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD. 14“‘If his offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall offer his offering from turtledoves or of young pigeons. 15The priest shall bring it to the altar, and wring off its head, and burn it on the altar; and its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar; 16and he shall take away its crop and its feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, in the place of the ashes. 17He shall tear it by its wings, but shall not divide it apart. The priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD.

The instructions for the burnt offering allow for different offerings according to what a person could bring. The offering could be from the herd, a bull; or from the flock, a sheep or goat; or, for those too poor to afford these, a pair of turtledoves or young pigeons. God made provision so that even the poorest, who could not offer a bull or a sheep, could still bring an offering, a pair of birds, and it would be accepted as a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

Notice God's care that even the poor could offer to him. He did not require of everyone the same costly offering, which would have shut out the poor from worship; he made provision for the offering to be according to what a person had. The bird of the poor was accepted just as truly as the bull of the rich; God received the offering according to the giver's means, and the poor were not excluded from bringing to him.

That reveals something of God's heart, and it is a comfort. God does not measure our offerings by their size, but receives what we bring according to what we have. The poor widow's two small coins, Jesus said, were more than all the rich gave, because she gave out of her poverty. God is not impressed by the size of the gift, but receives the offering of the poor as gladly as that of the rich, looking at the heart, not the amount. Do not think you have too little to offer God, or that your gift is too small to matter. God receives what you bring according to what you have; the offering of the poor is as welcome to him as any. Bring to God what you can, whatever your means, and know that he receives it gladly, measuring the heart and not the size of the gift.

Lord, in the burnt offering you made provision so that even the poorest, who could not afford a bull or a sheep, could bring a pair of birds, and it would be accepted as pleasing to you. Thank you for that care. You did not require of everyone the same costly offering, which would have shut out the poor from worship; you received the offering according to the giver's means, and the poor were not excluded. Jesus said the widow's two small coins were more than all the rich gave, because she gave out of her poverty; you are not impressed by the size of the gift, but receive the offering of the poor as gladly as that of the rich, looking at the heart. Keep me from thinking I have too little to offer you, or that my gift is too small to matter. You receive what I bring according to what I have. Help me bring to you what I can, whatever my means, knowing that you receive it gladly, measuring the heart and not the size of the gift. Thank you that no one is too poor to give to you.