On this occasion, God limited His gracious prescription to show His generous provision.
The Lord’s desire that people take Him—and their own spiritual condition—seriously moved Him to direct offerers to bring a young bull, the most valuable of all their animals. But He is also gracious and merciful. Thus He made it possible for those with fewer resources to bring a less valuable animal, something from the flocks. But God went further. What about the poor? So with both the burnt offerings and the sacrifices for sin, the Lord allowed “turtledoves or young pigeons” (Lev 1:14; 5:7). These could be caught in the street. It’s a good thing birds were allowed for the purification offering after the birth of a male child (see 12:1-8) because that’s all a poor carpenter from Nazareth and his young wife could afford to bring when their son was born: “Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord…and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, ‘A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons’” (Lk 2:22, 24). “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9). Yet in spite of such grace to the poor, in the case of the peace offering, no birds were allowed. Why? As we will soon see, this offering, after the blood, fat, and some organs were removed, was used by God to spread a feast. Two doves or pigeons would be slim pickings, especially after the breast was removed for the priestly family. God would never spread a skimpy feast for His people. “He gives food in abundance” (Job 36:31). Yes, our Lord brings us to His banqueting house, and His banner over us is love (see Song of Sol 2:4).