In our human weakness, we often "miss the mark" and fall short of God's standards. This happens, in particular, when we fail to do something that we are supposed to do. Leviticus 5 begins with some examples, like failing to come forward as a witness when one knows sopmething about a crime that has been committed, or carelessly making a promise and failing to follow through on it.
In cases of such sins, an ancient Israelite could confess the sin and make things right as much as possible (v 5), then present a purification offering. The offering could involve a lamb, two doves, or a tenth of an ephah (about .06 bushels) of grain. God, in his desire to be in relationship with his people, made it possible for all, including the poor, to be able to afford an offering.
Kyle Kettering reflected on these things in a sermon at Church of the Messiah on Nov 6, 2021. In a sermonette, Frank Fenton pointed to the incident of the "widow's mite" (Mark 12:41-44) as an example of how much God values the offerings of the poor.
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