Forgiveness! What a wonderful word. The institution of the sin offering serves at least two purposes. First, it allowed God’s earthly people the hope of forgiveness, pointing forward to the coming of Christ and His work on the cross. Second, and perhaps most important, is that the sin offering shows there was a cost for any person to obtain forgiveness. An innocent victim had to die in place of the guilty. Its blood was required, for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul (Lev. 17:11).

Hebrews 10 tells us that the blood of bulls and of goats—and, of course, of birds as well—could not take away sin (v. 4). The sin offerings that were offered throughout the Old Testament simply pointed forward to the Lord Jesus and His great work. This is the true basis of forgiveness, in either the Old or New Testament.

It is interesting that two birds were offered for sacrifice. The number two speaks to us of a witness. In our passage, one bird was offered as a sin offering, and the second bird as a burnt offering. The two birds are a witness that God’s glory is met in the burnt offering, and the sinner’s need is met in the sin offering. How wonderful that Christ could meet the needs of both God and man through His one work!

Note, too, that the birds were not to be divided. This may suggest that Christ, as the Heavenly One who came to earth, cannot be divided. He is God and Man in one blessed Person. We can distinguish but not divide His Person. Instead, we are to worship Him, for He is worthy!