Leviticus 12
-Regulations for the people continue in chapter twelve with
a short section on a mother’s purity after bearing a child. The LORD speaks
this law to Moses who in turn gives it to the people. A woman was to be ceremonially
unclean, this is not to say that she had sinned in bearing a child, for seven
days after having a son, two weeks (14 days) after having a daughter (Leviticus
12:2, 5). This uncleanness was as the uncleanness of her menstruation period,
which had certain laws (Leviticus 15:19-24). After seven days and on the eighth
day, the male was to be circumcised as a covenant promise to the LORD (Genesis
17:8-14). This was a sign that the child was a part of the people of God. The
purification was complete for the mother after 33 days of not touching any consecrated
thing nor entering the sanctuary with a male and 66 days with a female
(Leviticus 12:4-5). When the days of her purification were completed, for a son
or for a daughter, she was to present to the priest at the doorway of the tent
of meeting a one year old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon for a
sin offering. These were offered to the LORD for her cleansing atonement due to
the blood she had issued from her body during the birth process. A provision
was made here for those who could not afford a lamb, two turtledoves or two
young pigeons for the burnt and sin offerings (Leviticus 12:6-8). This is the
reason we can formally say that Mary and Joseph were not well off financially
at the time of Christ’s birth (Luke 2:22-24).
-*Application* Giving birth to a miraculous human creation
of God is an arduous process whether it was thousands of years ago or
currently. The key thing for us to remember here today is that our children are
a gift from God, and we need to take care in how we present them to our
Sovereign LORD to give them every chance for receiving His promises (Psalm
127:3, 2 Peter 1:4). The Bible teaches us to train up our children in the way
that they should go so that they don’t depart the faith (Proverbs 22:6). While
this is a proverb (a general truth) and not a promise (a guarantee) because of
our children’s free will decisions, we can provide for them the truth which
hopefully they will grab onto and hold by faith for their eternal well-being (2
Corinthians 1:20-22). Consecrate yourselves as parents in these modern,
difficult days to make your home a sanctuary and a place where they can learn
all of the goodness of Jesus Christ as their God.
Verse to Memorize:
Leviticus 12:7
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