The Second Alternative A Guilt Offering of Grain (Leviticus 5:11-13).
‘But if his means suffice not for two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, then he shall bring his oblation for that in which he has sinned, the tenth part of an ephah of milled grain for a purification for sin-offering: he shall put no oil on it, neither shall he put any frankincense on it; for it is a purification for sin-offering.'
For the very poor another alternative is offered. Nothing must be allowed to prevent a purification for sin offering from being made. In this case the offering is of milled grain. At first sight this appears not to involve the shedding of blood. But note how carefully the writer says that it is to be offered ‘on the offerings of Yahweh made by fire'. For the very poor God graciously combines his offering with those of others.
No oil or frankincense is added to it. For this is not a positive expression of dedication, praise and thanksgiving, (and one who was so poor could not afford it). It is a purification for sin offering. Thus the bare grain is offered alone. Its full content is absorbed from the previous offerings made by fire. The person has given all that he can afford without embellishment and without pretence, and God does the rest.
‘And he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as its memorial, and burn it on the altar, on the offerings of Yahweh made by fire: it is a purification for sin-offering.'
The priest takes from his offering the memorial portion as described in Leviticus 2, and he burns it on the altar on the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. Note the change in wording, ‘the offerings of Yahweh made by fire'. They were now Yahweh's offerings and He has provided through them what was lacking in the poor man's offering. Note that it is no more a grain offering but a purification for sin offering.
‘And the priest shall make atonement for him as touching his sin that he has sinned in any of these things, and he shall be forgiven: and the remnant shall be the priest's, as with the grain offering.'
Thus will the priest make atonement for him with regard to any of these sins that he has committed. He shall be forgiven as much as will the ruler with his he-goat. And what is left of the grain is the priest's as with the grain offering. His holiness will absorb the holiness of the offering.
So do we learn that God's forgiveness comes equally to all, whether to priest, or whole congregation, or ruler, or commoner, or poor man or destitute. God's forgiveness is offered to all equally. For in the end all these offerings obtained their efficacy from the one great offering offered once-for-all at Golgotha.
(What is more, so is His bounty. When it comes to rewards, one man may finance a cathedral, the other give a cup of cold water, but both are treated the same. Indeed the cup of cold water may well count for more than the cathedral (Mark 12:43-44)).
We note as a postscript that once again the writer has provided his material about this guilt offering in a group of three. With this ends this session of Yahweh's words to Moses.