““When you become aware of your guilt in any of these ways, you must confess your sin. Then you must bring to the Lord as the penalty for your sin a female from the flock, either a sheep or a goat. This is a sin offering with which the priest will purify you from your sin, making you right with the Lord. “But if you cannot afford to bring a sheep, you may bring to the Lord two turtledoves or two young pigeons as the penalty for your sin. One of the birds will be for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering. You must bring them to the priest, who will present the first bird as the sin offering. He will wring its neck but without severing its head from the body. Then he will sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering against the sides of the altar, and the rest of the blood will be drained out at the base of the altar. This is an offering for sin. The priest will then prepare the second bird as a burnt offering, following all the procedures that have been prescribed. Through this process the priest will purify you from your sin, making you right with the Lord, and you will be forgiven. “If you cannot afford to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, you may bring two quarts of choice flour for your sin offering. Since it is an offering for sin, you must not moisten it with olive oil or put any frankincense on it. Take the flour to the priest, who will scoop out a handful as a representative portion. He will burn it on the altar on top of the special gifts presented to the Lord. It is an offering for sin. Through this process, the priest will purify those who are guilty of any of these sins, making them right with the Lord, and they will be forgiven. The rest of the flour will belong to the priest, just as with the grain offering.””
Leviticus 5:5-13 NLT
It is true that there is no place that one can hide their sin from God. He is both holy and just, mixed with his supremacy and omniscience, it is a fruitless undertaking. However, we see that God is also kind and merciful. He has no desire to hurt or destroy his creation. What people fail to understand is that these sacrificial practices are issued for protection of the people. They are not a requirement of relationship. This is clear in regard to the predecessors of the Torah. Sacrifices, prescribed in such detail, are never present in their relationships with him. Yet, those were individuals. These sacrifices are meant to establish a corporate identity that helps strong individuals together. It would be chaos to allow each his own relationship with God without a canon of understanding of overarching things. These laws bridge those gaps. They show that their is a way for all people to be in relationship with God. Not just the rich people and not just those who are called to his service. They also give a proper perspective about his holiness that protects them from incurring his wrath as a nation. Lastly, they create a necessary and public accountability structure so that gods holiness cannot be exploited. The law was good for the purpose it served.
Purpose of Sacrifices: Sacrifices are not a requirement for a relationship with God, but rather a means of protection for the people.
Benefits of Sacrifices: Sacrifices establish a corporate identity, provide a shared understanding of God’s holiness, and create accountability.
God’s Character: God is both holy and just, but also kind and merciful, desiring to protect and not destroy creation.
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