We will begin this lesson in Leviticus 12:1 “And the LORD spake unto
Moses, saying,” Leviticus 12:2 “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying,
If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be
unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her
infirmity shall she be unclean.”
This is a ceremonial uncleanness. In a difficult to understand way,
this has to do with the birth of all who are believers. We have seen
throughout these lessons in Leviticus, strong spiritual messages to the
church. I see in this that we are all born in sin. We are not born lost as
some teach, just uncommitted. We are born a fleshly man. This man of flesh
is the first birth of man. Man is first flesh, then born of the spirit. To
truly understand what I am saying here, a person must truly study 1
Corinthians chapter 15 beginning with the 42nd verse and go to the end of
the chapter. Just one reading will not implant this message, you must read
it at least 6 times. Pray while you are reading, that the Holy Spirit reveal
to you the meaning. The fact that this man and this woman had a child is not
sin. God had instructed Adam and Eve to have children. God would not tell
you to do something that was sin. Genesis 1:28 “And God blessed them, and
God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and
subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of
the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” This
happened before the incident in the garden of Eden. The sin in the garden of
Eden was disobeying God, not the fact that they had children. I will show
you, again, that having children {if you are married} is not sin. God told
Noah and his sons to be fruitful and multiply. I say, again, God would not
tell them to do something that was sin. Genesis 9:1 “And God blessed Noah
and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish
the earth.” I could go on and on, but there is no need for that here, the
point is made. Two married people producing children is not sin.
The fact that the woman who has a man child is unclean 7 days, has to
do with the 7 days that Aaron and his sons were to wait at the door of the
tabernacle to be acceptable to God. This was a time of consecration. The
beautiful thing that happened when Mary conceived in her flesh of the Holy
Spirit of God could never have been classified as sin, yet Jesus was not
circumcised until the eighth day. Eight means new beginnings. This new
beginning on the eighth day is like the day our spirit is born. Jesus’
number is 8. He is our new beginning. This circumcision on the eighth day is
like the new birth in Christ. Our new life begins the day we accept Christ
as our Saviour. The sign that an Israelite man has accepted God was on the
eighth day when he is set aside for God by circumcision. The woman in the
Bible is symbolic of the church. This seven days of separation is the same
as the seven days of separation for the high priest. The church is born in
us {we become the church} when we accept new life in Jesus. The seven {1000
year days} of the earth is also symbolized in this 7 days of consecration.
We are waiting outside the door to heaven 7000 years, and then the new
beginning is here.
Leviticus 12:3 “And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall
be circumcised.”
Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day. Luke 2:21 “And when eight days
were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called
JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.”
The baby Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day and named Jesus. He was not
dedicated in the temple until the 40th day. We will see this as we go on.
Leviticus 12:4 “And she shall then continue in the blood of her
purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come
into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled.”
The issue of blood that women have every month, and at childbirth is a
cleansing for their bodies. No woman should think of herself as being a
nothing, because this happens to her. There is no life without the shedding
of blood. Women are chosen of God to pro-create life. Husbands and wives are
one in God’s sight. The creation of life in God’s plan, is beautiful. The
new life, is a blessing to the husband and wife, but is also a blessing for
God. The natural functions of the body are one of the great mysteries of
life. Every time a new baby is born, it lets us know God has not given up on
mankind. This 40 day period of separation from the holy things is for
cleanliness’ sake and just simply because God said to do it. Forty
throughout the Bible is a time of testing. Perhaps, this is the time the
woman should take before beginning to function in her usual role. Jesus was
carried to the temple on the 40th day for his dedication. Luke 2:22 “And
when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were
accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present [him] to the Lord;”
The natural function of the woman’s body has usually stopped by the 40th day
after a male child is born. and it would be alright for her to come back to
the temple. We will find in another lesson that, anything that could be
construed as uncleanness, would keep the person from attending services in
the sanctuary.
Leviticus 12:5 “But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean
two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her
purifying threescore and six days.”
The time for the cleansing for the birth of a female child is
definitely twice as long. Boy babies were circumcised on the 8th day, which
as we said in a previous verse, was a sign of accepting God. Since a girl
baby is not circumcised, then the purification would be different, also. To
say that this longer time for purification was because girls were more
sinful is slightly ridiculous. With God there is no male or female. The only
time there is a gender is for the procreation of life on this earth. As we
have said over and over in these lessons, the woman symbolizes the church.
The 40 days for the purification of having a man child symbolized the 40
years wandering in the wilderness on the way to the promised land. The
church of Jesus Christ was not established on the way to the promised land.
Could the 80 days required for the female child symbolize the 40 years in
the wilderness to establish a people of God, and then the 40 days Jesus
ministered on the earth after He resurrected from the tomb, to establish
the church? The church of the Lord Jesus Christ was not established during
the wilderness wanderings, but that had to be the beginning. The church was
truly launched when Jesus returned to the Father in heaven and promised to
send the comforter. Jesus was seed of the woman, and not of the man.
Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between
thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his
heel.” There was the age of the law {physical Israel}, then there was the
age of grace {spiritual Israel}. The time of testing for the physical house
was 40. The time of testing for the spiritual house was 40. Forty and 40
make 80. There could not have been grace, except it had been preceded by
law. Then the woman {church] takes 80 days for purification, 40 days for the
law and 40 days for grace.
Leviticus 12:6 “And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a
son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt
offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the
door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest:”
These offerings were not for direct sin, but if you will, inherited sin
of the flesh. This sin is really not this mother’s sin, but Eve’s sin, which
was not a deed but an inheritance. This burnt offering was as devotion to
God. The sin involved was not her own sin, but sinful nature of all of
humanity, until the new birth in Christ. Jesus was dedicated to God on the
40th day of His mother’s purification. Luke 2:22 “And when the days of her
purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought
him to Jerusalem, to present [him] to the Lord;”
Leviticus 12:7 “Who shall offer it before the LORD, and make an
atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood.
This [is] the law for her that hath born a male or a female.”
As I said before, the uncleanness was of a ceremonial nature, rather
than of a spiritual nature. We will get into the issue of blood in another
lesson.
Leviticus 12:8 “And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall
bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering,
and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for
her, and she shall be clean.”
The mother of Jesus brought two turtledoves and 2 young pigeons. Luke
2:24 “And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of
the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”
To sum this up, we see the birth of all of Christendom in this lesson
through Jesus Christ our Lord.