Purification after child birth…

This law relates to ceremonial cleansing from bodily discharges which we will cover later this week. If you’ve given birth or been at a birth, then you know it’s basically all the bodily discharges. To the max. It is a messy and miraculous affair.

I have not the foggiest idea why a woman is considered unclean for a total of 40 days after the birth of a boy and 80 days after the birth of a girl. Not a sweet clue.

I do want to point out that even though the language speaks of “atonement” and “sin offering,” giving birth is not sinful. In fact, if the women of Israel did not give birth, we never would’ve had Jesus.

The mother’s “uncleanness” only affects her ability to access sacred space – the court of the tabernacle.

Now why would that be?

The key to understanding most (maybe all?) of the rules about holy places (sacred space) is to keep firmly in mind that:

HOLY SPACE IS GOD-SPACE: HEAVEN.

The tabernacle is a little piece of heaven on earth. And there isn’t childbirth or menstruation there. (And all the women said, Praise the Lord!) How do I know this?

Some Sadducees came to Jesus and told this whopper of a (I suspect) hypothetical story. A man died and his widow was married by his brother (as per the law of Moses). Then that guy died. And the next brother married her. Then he died. And so on through 7 brothers. Then they ask Jesus, “Who’s wife will she be in the resurrection?”

Now that’s interesting because the Sadducees were basically materialists. They didn’t even believe in a resurrection. (And that is why they were sad, you see). 😉

So, even though their question was disingenuous…

“Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God! For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.” Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭29‬-‭30‬ ‭LEB‬‬

If you have eternal life, if you are raised from the dead, never to die again, there is no need for procreation to carry on the human race.

I hate to break it to the various religions that believe the afterlife involves baby-making… it doesn’t. And that is coming from the One Who knows.

Oh – and if anyone is thinking, “But Lacy, is this saying that angels can’t procreate? Doesn’t that overturn your whole view on Genesis 6 and identity of the Sons of God?”

No it doesn’t. Details are important. The angels in heaven do not marry. This statement does not limit what fallen angels might engage in. We know from most angelic encounters in scripture (think Lot escaping Sodom, Peter being released from prison) that angels can and do assume bodily form and interact with the material world in a very physical way.

Let’s go back to the tabernacle.

This space is meant to be a model of God’s tabernacle in heaven.

A menstruating woman or a woman with a post-birth discharge will not exist in heaven. To have her in sacred space would not reflect heavenly reality. THAT is why she cannot interact with holy things.

Everything in sacred space must accurately reflect heavenly reality.

This is going to be important as we continue through Leviticus.

It’s why Nadab and Abihu were killed. They offered “unauthorized fire.” Whatever fire they had did not accurately reflect heavenly reality.

The barring of a woman in this condition has nothing – I repeat NOTHING to do with God’s love or approval of her. Menstruation and Childbirth was His idea, remember. He designed a woman’s body to function this way. And He called it “very good.” God is not some immature junior high boy saying, “Eww gross! Cooties! No girls allowed!”

Her temporary exclusion from touching holy things or entering holy space is about her participating in creating an accurate picture of the heavenly reality.

She brings a burnt offering and a sin offering after her waiting period. Again, not because childbirth is a sin, but because a sin offering is the thing that cleanses her from a ceremonial impurity. Notice that it said she will be “clean,” not “forgiven.” She can now access sacred space in a way that agrees with the heavenly reality: There is no postpartum anemia or discharge or fatigue in heaven.

I think the offering may also point to the ultimate sin offering Who was to come through childbirth: Jesus.

---

With that in mind, it’s fitting that the chapter ends with a detail important to Nativity narrative.

“And if she cannot afford a sheep, then she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons—one as a burnt offering and one as a sin offering—and the priest shall make atonement for her, so that she shall be clean.’ ” Leviticus‬ ‭12‬:‭8‬ ‭LEB‬‬

“And when the days of their purification were completed according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb will be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what was stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭LEB‬‬

Mary and Joseph bring the poor person’s offering. As of 40 days after the birth of Christ, the wisemen have not yet visited with their treasures. If they had, you can be sure the holy couple would’ve brought a sheep.

Remember this at Christmas if you set up a nativity. Maybe put the wisemen on the other side of the room with star maps and a little pile of scrolls – cause that’s what they were doing when Jesus was born.

Details are important. 🤨

And I’m sure we all are just dying to think about the details of hairy pimples and scaly scabs but that’s what’s next.