Purification After Childbirth
Today is an entire Chapter that deals with the uncleanness of a mother in Israel after she bears a child. Now, that’s a strange thing to be dealing with, and I must say, my friends, that these words are…some of these words that I’m going to read in a few moments from God’s word are not words that I’m used to saying out loud, much less saying in mixed company!
If we are to understand this Chapter we must and I reiterate must understand the concept of clean and unclean/holy and unholy.
Generally, the Mosaic Law spoke of something as “unclean” if it was unfit to use in worship to God. Being “clean” or “unclean” was a ceremonial designation governing the ritual of corporate worship. For example, there were certain animals, like pigs, considered unclean and therefore not to be used in sacrifices (Leviticus 5:2); and there were certain actions, like touching a dead body, that made a living person unclean and temporarily unable to participate in the worship ceremony (Leviticus 5:3).
To be unclean does not mean sinful or spiritually unsuited to worship at the tabernacle or later the Temple. What is does mean is that there is something physically happening that would keep the person from worship.
In the New Testament, Jesus used the idea of being “clean” to speak of being holy.
Luke 11:39–41 (ESV)
39 And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.
“Clean” and “unclean” were concepts very familiar to those under the Old Testament Law. God called His people to separate themselves from the impurities of the world.
Childbirth is very worldly. It is part of the curse…
Genesis 3:16 (ESV)
16 To the woman he said,
“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be contrary to your husband,
but he shall rule over you.”
in ancient times and even some today, we understand that pregnancy, childbirth, and post-pregnancy were (and of course they still are, but especially they were in the days of these laws) a very dangerous physical state for a woman to be in. Surely the infant mortality rates were much higher in Israel than they are today, but the maternal mortality rates would have been much higher in Israel than they are today; and so, for a woman, a pregnancy still now today can be a dangerous thing.
Unclean means not pure or not complete. She was not whole according to the rituals surrounding the worship of Israel.
It wasn’t so much the birth of a child but the discharge of bodily fluids after. She was not well and not whole and ritually unclean.
The principle of being clean crosses into the New Testament as well, with the idea of living spiritually pure (2 Corinthians 6:17) and seeking to be holy, living a life worthy of our calling (Colossians 1:10).
2 Corinthians 6:17 (ESV)
17 Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
Theologically we should see the continued theme of sanctification (Holiness) and remember that nothing unclean enters into the presence of the Holy God.
The physical discharge after the birth of a child prevented a woman from entering the holy place and required a period of purification (this was interrupted only for the rite of circumcision) followed by ritual sacrifice to restore full participation in the sanctuary.
1. After Childbirth, the Mother Was Unclean (12:1-5)
12 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If a woman conceives and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days. As at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. 3 And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4 Then she shall continue for thirty-three days in the blood of her purifying. She shall not touch anything holy, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed. 5 But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation. And she shall continue in the blood of her purifying for sixty-six days.
God views the birth of a child as a very joyful time for everyone associated with the proud couple. He also has instructed that men and woman be fruitful and multiply.
Genesis 1:28 (ESV)
28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
As married couples produce little ones, they share in God’s creative acts. Through the privilege of having children, lives are enriched.
In the ancient world pregnancy was viewed as an abnormal condition even qualified as a disease. Some may not realize this but even today many medical resources define pregnancy as a disease. Our concern today is not all that but the fact that after the birth of a child, the mother was viewed as unclean.
The main issue here is that she was not to come in contact with anything considered holy that was in the sanctuary. Another important point is that the only blood admitted within the sanctuary was sacrificial blood. So, until the discharge ended and the rite of purification observed, she could not enter…she was unclean. Nothing common, unclean, earthy diseased or defiled could enter.
This was also a very kind and gracious thing God did. Women were required to attend various festivals to worship God. They were also exempt at the times of post pregnancy and menstruation. I’m sure they were greatly relieved in such times.
This period of time was interrupted by the circumcision of the baby boy.
Boy-
2 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If a woman conceives and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days. As at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. 3 And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4 Then she shall continue for thirty-three days in the blood of her purifying. She shall not touch anything holy, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed.
7 days—8th day Circumcision—33 more days…41 days
Girl-
5 But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation. And she shall continue in the blood of her purifying for sixty-six days.
14 days—66 days…80 days
No real biblical proofs as to why there is a difference between the time of purification for the mother depending on a boy or girl.
2. Purification and Sacrifice Restores the Worshipper (12:6-8)
6 “And when the days of her purifying are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb a year old for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering, 7 and he shall offer it before the Lord and make atonement for her. Then she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, either male or female. 8 And if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean.”
The practice as commanded by God was for the woman to wait the appropriate amount of time, then with her husband go to the priest and offer her sacrifice.
The time of her purification was the allotted time for her discharge to end. Should something cause her to not stop bleeding past the appointed time she was not permitted to enter into the sanctuary.
English Bibles use sin offering and it really muddies the water here. She has not sinned, by giving birth. There is no sin to repent of and no forgiveness granted. It is a burnt offering of a lamb and a pigeons or turtledoves. This is really a thanksgiving offering. This is the mother and father giving thanks to God for keeping the mother and the child safe during the birth process. She brings this gift offering expressing her thanks to God.
Summary-
God shows us that there is no sin involved here but it is simply the discharge of blood that makes the new mother unclean after childbirth until the allotted time has passed. It is a matter of incompatibility with sanctuary purity and the discharge of blood cannot be in the same place as the blood of the sacrifice. Only sacrificial blood can be in the holy place.
She is then called on to offer to God a thanksgiving offering praising Him for her safety during the time of childbirth.
Once again, she is permitted to join the congregation of worshippers.
We will see that this same caution is true for anyone with bodily discharges. God maintains the purity of the sanctuary.
Now it is in the context of Joseph and Mary obeying these commands of God that Jesus is presented to Simeon and Anna.
Luke 2:22–35 (ESV)
22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
Now, in the New Covenant there are no such restrictions. The place of worship has a different function than the Tabernacle and then later, the Temple.
Israel’s Temple was the earthly shadow of the heavenly reality. So, it had to be maintained as pure, undefiled and holy because heaven is all those things.
Jesus is our earthly Temple. He is perfectly pure, undefiled and holy. The only Temple in the New Testament that requires purification and sanctification to enter is the one in heaven. We are made pure through Christ in order to enter the heavenly sanctuary.
Revelation 21:27 (ESV)
27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
1 John 3:2–3 (ESV)
2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
1 Corinthians 15:51–53 (ESV)
51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
The ultimate fulfillment of these purification laws will be the glorification of God’s people.
Resources Used:
Message on this Chapter by Ligon Duncan
Holiness to the Lord by Allen Ross
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