Commentary - Leviticus 1:14-17

Bird's-eye view

Here in the latter part of Leviticus 1, the law makes provision for the offerings of the poor. Not everyone could afford a bull or a lamb, but God, in His mercy, ensures that the way to Him is open to all, regardless of economic station. The offering is smaller, but the principle is identical. This is the whole burnt offering, or as it could be called, the ascension offering. The entire animal goes up in smoke to God, signifying a total consecration, a complete dedication of the worshiper to the Lord. This is not primarily about dealing with a specific sin, but rather about the worshiper presenting himself, all that he is and has, entirely to God. These verses detail the particular actions a priest must take with a bird offering, and each action is a picture, a shadow, of the substance that we now have in Jesus Christ. God was teaching His people, through these acted-out parables, what true worship and true sacrifice looked like.

The meticulous detail might seem strange to us, but it was designed to teach Israel that God cares about how He is worshiped. You don't just bring any old thing in any old way. The offering must be brought according to His Word. The wringing of the head, the draining of the blood, the tearing of the wings, all of it points to the totality of the surrender. And the result is a "soothing aroma to Yahweh," a phrase that speaks of God's good pleasure and acceptance. This whole ritual finds its ultimate fulfillment in the Lord Jesus, the one who, though rich, for our sakes became poor, and who offered Himself up completely, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Outline

Context In Leviticus

Leviticus begins with the laws of sacrifice, which form the foundation of Israel's worship and access to God. Chapter 1 is dedicated entirely to the burnt offering, the most common and foundational of all the sacrifices. It is the only offering that is completely consumed on the altar, symbolizing total dedication. The chapter is structured by the type of animal brought, moving from the most expensive (a bull from the herd, vv. 3-9), to the less expensive (a sheep or goat from the flock, vv. 10-13), and finally to the least expensive (a bird, vv. 14-17). This structure is a profound statement of God's grace. The gate of worship is not barred by a high price of admission. A poor man's turtledove, offered in faith, is just as acceptable as a rich man's bull. This passage, then, concludes the regulations for the whole burnt offering by ensuring that no Israelite is excluded from offering up his all to God.

Verse by Verse Commentary

14 ‘But if his offering to Yahweh is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring near his offering from the turtledoves or from young pigeons.

The conjunction "but if" marks the transition to the third and final category of the burnt offering. The law has already provided for the man who brings a bull or a lamb, and now it makes explicit provision for the poor. God's covenant is not a country club for the wealthy. The God of Israel is the God who hears the cry of the afflicted and provides for the needy. The choice of birds, turtledoves or young pigeons, is significant. These were common and accessible. Remember, it was two of these that Joseph and Mary, a poor family, offered at the temple after the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:24). The worshiper brings what he has, and God accepts it. The principle is not the monetary value of the gift, but the heart of the giver. This is an offering of total consecration, and a poor man can be just as consecrated as a rich one. This is grace.

15 And the priest shall bring it near to the altar and wring off its head and offer it up in smoke on the altar; and its blood is to be drained out on the side of the altar.

The priest's action is precise and, to our modern sensibilities, violent. He brings the bird to the altar, the place of sacrifice, and wrings off its head. The Hebrew word here, malaq, is a technical, sacrificial term. This is not a brutish tearing, but a specific ritual action. The head is immediately offered up in smoke. This signifies the devotion of the mind, the thoughts, the will of the worshiper to God. The life is in the blood, and the blood is drained out completely on the side of the altar. This represents the pouring out of the worshiper's very life before God. Nothing is held back. This is a picture of what Paul would later call a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1), where we offer our bodies, our whole selves, to God. It is a picture of the death of self-will. And of course, it is a potent foreshadowing of Christ, whose blood was poured out for us, and who submitted His will entirely to the Father: "not my will, but yours, be done."

16 He shall also take away its crop with its feathers and cast it beside the altar eastward, to the place of the ashes.

Here we see a necessary cleansing of the offering. The crop, which contains undigested food, and the feathers are removed. Why? Because this is a picture of purification. The offering must be clean. The crop can be seen as a symbol of the filth and uncleanness that we pick up from the world, the undigested remnants of our worldly appetites. These things have no place on God's altar. They are to be cast aside, to the place of the ashes, the place of refuse. This reminds the worshiper that coming to God requires repentance and a putting away of sin. We cannot offer ourselves to God while clinging to our filth. We must be cleansed. This is what Christ does for us; He washes us and removes our defilement, not so that we can avoid the altar, but precisely so that we can be an acceptable offering upon it.

17 Then he shall tear it by its wings, but he shall not separate it. And the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar on the wood which is on the fire; it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to Yahweh.

The final preparation of the bird is to tear it open by its wings. This action lays the bird open, exposing it completely before it is placed on the fire. But critically, it is not to be torn in two; it must remain whole. This speaks of a heart laid bare before God, an open and honest consecration, yet one that is whole and undivided. The worshiper is not offering pieces of himself, but his whole, unified self. He is torn open, vulnerable, but not dismembered. Then, the priest places this prepared offering on the wood and the fire, and the whole of it ascends in smoke. This is the ascension offering. The worshiper, in symbol, is going up to God. And God's response? He receives it as a "soothing aroma." This phrase does not mean God has a physical nose that enjoys the smell of barbecue. It is an anthropomorphism, a way of describing God's divine pleasure and acceptance. He is pleased with this act of total, faith-filled surrender. This is the aroma of a life wholly given over to God, an aroma that was perfectly and finally embodied in the selfless offering of Jesus Christ, which is a sweet-smelling savor to the Father (Eph. 5:2).

Application

The principles of the burnt offering for the poor are timeless. First, we learn that access to God is never dependent on our wealth or status. The gospel is for the poor, and the humblest offering given in faith is a soothing aroma to God. We must never think that we have too little to offer God. He asks for our hearts, not our portfolios.

Second, true worship involves total consecration. Like the bird, we are to offer our whole selves to God, our minds (the head), our lives (the blood), our innermost being laid bare before Him (torn by the wings). Nothing is to be held back. This is what it means to be a living sacrifice.

Third, we must deal with our sin. The crop and feathers had to be removed. We cannot come to God with our worldly filth and expect to be accepted. We must confess and forsake our sins, allowing the grace of Christ to cleanse us so that we might be a pure and holy offering.

Finally, all of this points us to Christ. He is the perfect offering who held nothing back. He was the poor man who made many rich. His sacrifice was perfectly pleasing to the Father, a truly soothing aroma. Our offerings are only acceptable because we are in Him. When God looks at our fumbling attempts at consecration, He smells the sweet aroma of His Son, and for His sake, He is pleased.