When (anyone) realizes his guilt and confesses the sin he has committed, he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation for the sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering.
But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation for the sin that he has committed two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.
But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for the sin that he has committed a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering.
-Leviticus 5:5-7, 11
Although Christians today are not under the obligations of the Mosaic law, there are many things we can learn of the heart of God by reading His ancient commands to Israel. The God of the Old Testament is the same God of the New Testament. Jesus is God and has always been the same God. He was there with the Father as Moses was given the law, and He agrees with everything the Father has ever said.
What I see in this section of Leviticus is God’s amazing grace. He commanded those who had sinned to bring an animal sacrifice as an offering to the Lord, to be made right with God again. But He creates a way for every person, no matter their economic status, to bring an offering. For those who could not afford a lamb, He allowed them to bring two turtledoves or pigeons. If one could not even afford the small birds, they could bring a tenth of an ephah (about 2 quarts) of flour.
If an offering of a lamb, 2 birds, or a container of flour are all equally valid to receive forgiveness, this tells me that it is not the offering itself that affects the forgiveness. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. What God desired from the Israelites, who brought their offerings, was a heart willing to sacrifice something valuable in order to be near to God.
The same God of the Old Testament desires the same thing of every person today. It is not how much you give, whether money or time or something that looks flashy to the eyes of people. It is about a heart ready to give up anything for the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ.
The writer of Hebrews teaches us that “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” It is not the sacrifice we bring that is effective to take away our sins. Only the once and for all sacrifice of Jesus, His blood poured out, is effective to take away our sins. And not our sins only, but the sins of the whole earth!
Why does God command sacrifice, then? Since the time of the Old Testament, it has always been by the grace of God that anyone has been saved. It has never been the blood of bulls and goats.
God commands a living sacrifice of our whole lives given daily to Him, for our own good! He knows that when we try to live apart from Him, things go from bad to worse to death. But a heart willing to let go of the costly things we once regarded as important is ready to cling to God and receive all of His benefits.
Bring what you have!
