The Ritual After Childbirth
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a woman has conceived, and borne a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of her customary impurity she shall be unclean. And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. She shall then continue in the blood of her purification thirty-three days. She shall not touch any hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled.
‘But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her customary impurity, and she shall continue in the blood of her purification sixty-six days.
‘When the days of her purification are fulfilled, whether for a son or a daughter, she shall bring to the priest a lamb of the first year as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then he shall offer it before the Lord, and make atonement for her. And she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who has borne a male or a female.
‘And if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons—one as a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’ ”
Why consider a woman unclean for seven days after she bears a male child? Seven days gives time for the lochia, the bleeding after childbirth, to stop. People with any kind of discharge are barred from open society. This time period also allows the woman to recover from childbirth. Although the Jews have practiced circumcision from the time of Abraham, now God is giving a time period for the circumcision. Eight days is long enough to ensure that the baby is going to live. But the mother is still going to continue in seclusion for thirty-three more days, giving the mother a chance to rest and to bond with the baby.
Circumcision has been a sign of the covenant between God and the Israelites ever since the time of Abraham. There are also sound hygienic reasons for circumcision; it helps prevent penile cancer and greatly reduces the incidence of cervical cancer among women having sex with circumcised men. For an in-depth discussion of the meaning of circumcision, check out David Guzik’s Enduring Word commentary on Leviticus 12.
At first glance, when we read these few verses, we wonder if God is discriminating against girl babies. Why is the mother of a girl infant considered unclean for two weeks and secluded for sixty-six days? Girl babies are generally a little smaller and might take longer to gain strength. Since sons are more prized, this extended seclusion allows the family to better bond with the little girl. Guzik also suggests that this extended time of impurity is for the symbolic responsibility of bringing other sinners into the world. “When giving birth to a female, a mother brings a sinner into the world who will bring till other sinners into the world.” (David Guzik, Enduring Word Commentary Leviticus 12)
Once the time of seclusion ends, the mother is to bring an offering and a sin offering to the temple. The requirements are the same for both boy and girl babies. God makes allowances for the very poor by allowing them to offer two turtle doves or two young pigeons. When Mary and Joseph present Jesus at the temple in Jerusalem, they offer a pair of turtle doves, indicating that their family is quite poor.
APPLICATION: These days, maternity leave is a given for women in many countries; however, in the past, many women were forced to return to work as soon as they delivered. Maternity leave allows a mother’s body to recover while she also copes with the strident demands of an ever-hungry newborn. It is both touching and amazing to realize that even in the time of Moses, God was already instituting maternity leave.
Sometimes we view God as an angry old man in the sky who is simply waiting to zap people with a lightning bolt. In this short chapter, God reveals Himself as caring for infants, for mothers, for families, and particularly for the poor. If God cares so much for people in these situations, we can also be certain that He cares for us as individuals.
Please note that these instructions apply to all the Israelite mothers. There is no indication that a particular mother must be unusually virtuous or hard-working to qualify. God refuses to demand that a mother fulfill a set of requirements before she is allowed to enjoy her seclusion; all she must do is to give birth. By the same token, God wants to bless each one of us with rest if we will only allow Him. Jesus told the crowds, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) Today, why not ask God to give you the rest you need -physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. God stands ready if we will let Him.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for Your ordinances. Thank You that You don’t play favorites and that You stand ready to help any of us to find rest if we will only let You. Help us to trust You and to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
Leave a comment