Leviticus 12:1-8: a reflection

1The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘If a woman conceives, and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of her monthly period she shall be unclean. 3In the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4She shall continue in the blood of purification thirty-three days. She shall not touch any holy thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed. 5But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her period; and she shall continue in the blood of purification sixty-six days. 6“‘When the days of her purification are completed for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the door of the Tent of Meeting, a year old lamb for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove, for a sin offering. 7He shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement for her; then she shall be cleansed from the fountain of her blood. “‘This is the law for her who bears, whether a male or a female. 8If she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons: the one for a burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering. The priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean.’”

These laws concern the purification of a woman after childbirth, and the offering she is to bring. And notice a gracious provision for the poor: if she cannot afford a lamb, she may bring two young birds instead, one for a burnt offering and one for a sin offering, and the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean. God makes provision so that the poor, who cannot afford the usual offering, are not shut out; they may bring what they can afford, and receive the same atonement.

Notice God's gracious accommodation to the poor. The usual offering was a lamb; but God did not make atonement and cleansing available only to those who could afford a lamb. He provided that the poor, who could not, might bring two small birds instead, and receive the same cleansing. No one was to be shut out from atonement and worship by poverty; God made provision so that even the poorest could come, bringing what they could afford, and be received.

That gracious accommodation to the poor reveals something of God's heart: that access to him is not reserved for those who can afford much, but open to all, including the poorest. God did not make his cleansing available only to the well-off; he made provision so that the poor could come too. And this points to the fuller truth that access to God, and the cleansing he provides, is not earned or bought, but open to all, regardless of means, through what God himself has provided. Do not think that access to God, or his cleansing, is reserved for those who can offer much; God made provision even for the poorest to come. And in Christ, the atonement we could never afford has been provided freely; the cleansing is open to all, regardless of means. Come to God, whatever your poverty, for he has made provision that even the poorest may come and be received; and rejoice that in Christ the atonement is provided freely, open to all, so that no one is shut out from God by their poverty.

Lord, these laws concern the purification of a woman after childbirth, and provide graciously for the poor: if she cannot afford a lamb, she may bring two small birds instead, and receive the same atonement and cleansing. No one was to be shut out from atonement and worship by poverty. Show me your gracious accommodation to the poor. You did not make atonement and cleansing available only to those who could afford a lamb; you provided that the poor, who could not, might bring what they could afford, and be received. That reveals something of your heart: that access to you is not reserved for those who can afford much, but open to all, including the poorest. And it points to the fuller truth that access to you, and the cleansing you provide, is not earned or bought, but open to all, regardless of means, through what you yourself have provided. Keep me from thinking that access to you, or your cleansing, is reserved for those who can offer much; you made provision even for the poorest to come. And in Christ, the atonement I could never afford has been provided freely; the cleansing is open to all. Help me come to you, whatever my poverty, for you have made provision that even the poorest may come and be received; and let me rejoice that in Christ the atonement is provided freely, Lord, so that no one is shut out from you by their poverty. Thank you that I may come freely.