Leviticus 5:7
If, however, he cannot afford a lamb, he may bring to the LORD as restitution for his sin two turtledoves or two young pigeons--one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering.
If, however, he cannot afford a lamb,

God made provision for Israelites whose resources could not meet the ordinary requirement. Access to atonement was not restricted to the wealthy; the poor remained responsible to seek cleansing, yet God supplied a merciful way for them to do so. Obedience, repentance, and faith mattered more than the market value of an offering.

Lev 12:8 But if she cannot afford a lamb, she shall bring…
Lev 14:21-22 If, however, the person is poor and cannot afford…

he may bring to the LORD as restitution for his sin

Sin required more than private regret. It brought guilt before the holy God and required His appointed means of atonement. The sacrifice acknowledged both the seriousness of sin and the Lord’s gracious willingness to restore the guilty worshiper to fellowship. Christ ultimately secured the redemption that the sacrificial system anticipated, entering once for all by His own blood (Hebrews 9:12).

Lev 6:6-7 Then he must bring to the priest his guilt offering…
Num 5:7-8 He must make full restitution, add a fifth to its value,…
Exo 22:1-4 If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters or sells it…

two turtledoves or two young pigeons—

These common birds provided an affordable offering for those unable to bring livestock. Mary and Joseph brought birds at Jesus’ presentation in the temple, identifying them with the humble families for whom such provision was made (Luke 2:24). God’s covenant mercy reached every household in Israel, regardless of social standing.

Lev 12:6 When the days of her purification are complete,…
Luk 2:24 and to offer the sacrifice specified in the Law of the Lord:…
Lev 1:14 If, instead, one’s offering to the LORD is a burnt offering…

one as a sin offering

The first bird addressed the worshiper’s guilt and need for cleansing. Sin, even when committed unintentionally, could not be treated lightly before God. The sin offering pointed beyond itself to Jesus Christ, whom God made to be sin for His people so that they might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Num 6:10 On the eighth day he must bring two turtledoves…
Lev 14:31 one as a sin offering and the other…
Lev 14:19 Then the priest is to sacrifice the sin offering…

and the other as a burnt offering.

The burnt offering expressed renewed consecration to the Lord after atonement had been made. Forgiveness was not merely release from guilt but restoration to a life belonging wholly to God. Jesus fulfilled this pattern perfectly, offering Himself without reserve as a fragrant sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:2).

Num 6:11 And the priest is to offer one as a sin offering…
Lev 1:15-17 Then the priest shall bring it to the altar…
Lev 14:20 and offer it on the altar, with the grain offering…

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD
The covenant God of Israel, who provides the laws and instructions for worship and atonement.

2. The Sinner
An individual who has committed a sin and is seeking atonement through the prescribed offerings.

3. Turtledoves and Young Pigeons
Birds that are offered as sacrifices, representing a more accessible option for those who cannot afford a lamb.

4. Sin Offering
A sacrifice made to atone for sin and restore the sinner's relationship with God.

5. Burnt Offering
A sacrifice that signifies complete surrender and dedication to God.
Teaching Points
God's Provision for All
God makes a way for everyone, regardless of their economic status, to seek forgiveness and maintain a relationship with Him.

The Importance of Atonement
Sin separates us from God, and atonement is necessary to restore that relationship. This principle is fulfilled in Christ's ultimate sacrifice.

Humility and Obedience
The willingness to bring what one can afford reflects a heart of humility and obedience to God's commands.

Symbolism of Sacrifice
The sin and burnt offerings symbolize repentance and dedication, pointing to the need for a heart fully surrendered to God.

Christ as the Fulfillment
The sacrificial system foreshadows Christ's perfect sacrifice, which provides complete atonement for sin.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Leviticus 5:7 demonstrate God's compassion and provision for those who are less fortunate?

2. In what ways does the provision for a less costly offering reflect the character of God?

3. How can we apply the principle of humility and obedience in our own lives when it comes to giving and serving?

4. What does the sacrificial system in Leviticus teach us about the seriousness of sin and the need for atonement?

5. How does understanding the sacrificial system enhance our appreciation for Christ's sacrifice as described in the New Testament?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Leviticus 12:8
This verse also mentions the provision for offering birds instead of a lamb, highlighting God's consideration for the poor.

Luke 2:24
Mary and Joseph offer two birds at the temple, showing their humble status and adherence to the law.

Hebrews 10:1-4
Discusses the limitations of animal sacrifices and points to Christ as the ultimate sacrifice for sin.
Cases of Concealment of Knowledge and Ceremonial UncleannessR.A. Redford Leviticus 5:1-13
Guilt RemovedS.R. Aldridge Leviticus 5:1-13
The Trespass OfferingJ.A. Macdonald Leviticus 5:1-13
Pardon Possible to AllW. Clarkson Leviticus 5:5-13
People
Ephah, Moses
Places
Teman
Topics
Able, Afford, Bring, Burned, Burnt, Burnt-offering, Can't, Committed, Doves, Forfeit, Guilt, Guilt-offering, Lamb, Money, Offering, Penalty, Pigeons, Reach, Sheep, Sin, Sinned, Sin-offering, Suffice, Sufficiency, Trespass, Trespass-offering, Turtledoves, Turtle-doves, Wherein
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Leviticus 5:7

     4636   dove
     4678   pigeon
     5449   poverty, remedies

Leviticus 5:1-13

     7444   sin offering

Leviticus 5:7-6:7

     6648   expiation

Library
An Unalterable Law
EVERYWHERE under the old figurative dispensation, blood was sure to greet your eyes. It was the one most prominent thing under the Jewish economy, scarcely a ceremony was observed without it. You could not enter into any part of the tabernacle, but you saw traces of the blood-sprinkling. Sometimes there were bowls of blood cast at the foot of the altar. The place looked so like a shambles, that to visit it must have been far from attractive to the natural taste, and to delight in it, a man had need
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 60: 1914

List of Abbreviations Used in Reference to Rabbinic Writings Quoted in this Work.
THE Mishnah is always quoted according to Tractate, Chapter (Pereq) and Paragraph (Mishnah), the Chapter being marked in Roman, the paragraph in ordinary Numerals. Thus Ber. ii. 4 means the Mishnic Tractate Berakhoth, second Chapter, fourth Paragraph. The Jerusalem Talmud is distinguished by the abbreviation Jer. before the name of the Tractate. Thus, Jer. Ber. is the Jer. Gemara, or Talmud, of the Tractate Berakhoth. The edition, from which quotations are made, is that commonly used, Krotoschin,
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Sanctification.
VI. Objections answered. I will consider those passages of scripture which are by some supposed to contradict the doctrine we have been considering. 1 Kings viii. 46: "If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near," etc. On this passage, I remark:-- 1. That this sentiment in nearly the same language, is repeated in 2 Chron. vi. 26, and in Eccl.
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

Entire Sanctification
By Dr. Adam Clarke The word "sanctify" has two meanings. 1. It signifies to consecrate, to separate from earth and common use, and to devote or dedicate to God and his service. 2. It signifies to make holy or pure. Many talk much, and indeed well, of what Christ has done for us: but how little is spoken of what he is to do in us! and yet all that he has done for us is in reference to what he is to do in us. He was incarnated, suffered, died, and rose again from the dead; ascended to heaven, and there
Adam Clarke—Entire Sanctification

Christ a Complete Saviour:
OR, THE INTERCESSION OF CHRIST, AND WHO ARE PRIVILEGED IN IT. BY JOHN BUNYAN Advertisement by the Editor. However strange it may appear, it is a solemn fact, that the heart of man, unless prepared by a sense of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, rejects Christ as a complete Saviour. The pride of human nature will not suffer it to fall, as helpless and utterly undone, into the arms of Divine mercy. Man prefers a partial Saviour; one who had done so much, that, with the sinner's aid, the work might be
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Second Stage of Jewish Trial. Jesus Condemned by Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin.
(Palace of Caiaphas. Friday.) ^A Matt. XXVI. 57, 59-68; ^B Mark XIV. 53, 55-65; ^C Luke XXII. 54, 63-65; ^D John XVIII. 24. ^d 24 Annas therefore sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest. [Foiled in his attempted examination of Jesus, Annas sends him to trial.] ^b and there come together with him all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. ^a 57 And they that had taken Jesus led him away to the house of Caiaphas the high priest, ^c and brought him into the high priest's house. ^a where
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Earliest Christian Preaching
1. THUS far we have confined ourselves to the words of Jesus. The divine necessity of His death, indicated in the Old Testament and forming the basis of all His teaching regarding it, is the primary truth; the nature of that necessity begins to be revealed as the death is set in relation to the ransoming of many, and to the institution of a new covenant -- that is, a new religion, having as its fundamental blessing the forgiveness of sins. I do not think this view of our Lord's mind as to His own
James Denney—The Death of Christ

Leviticus
The emphasis which modern criticism has very properly laid on the prophetic books and the prophetic element generally in the Old Testament, has had the effect of somewhat diverting popular attention from the priestly contributions to the literature and religion of Israel. From this neglect Leviticus has suffered most. Yet for many reasons it is worthy of close attention; it is the deliberate expression of the priestly mind of Israel at its best, and it thus forms a welcome foil to the unattractive
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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