Childbirth has its price
Leviticus 12
One thing as being a married couple is that we are never short of people asking us the question, “When will you have children?” This question gets old but my wife and I always say, “One day.” Children are a blessing to their parents, I know, because I am child and I am a blessing to my parents.
Leviticus 12 is a short chapter that deals with a mom after childbirth and the steps that she needs to come back into fellowship with God.The woman who gave birth must stay away from the temple and not touch anything for 7 to 14 days depending on the gender of the child. The woman was considered impure because of the blood that was lost while having the child. The next step that the woman would have to go through would be a time of waiting. If she had a son she would need to wait 33 days and if she had a daughter she would wait 66 days. There are different theories to why this was but still the woman who gave birth had to be obedient to the waiting. The last step that she would need to go through would be one of offering a sacrifice, a burnt offering, and a sin offering. The priest would accept the offering in which atonement was made for her and she will be clean.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, would even have to go through this as we see in Luke 2:21-24. She would have to go through the ritualistic cleanings. SHe would need to wait not only the 7 days, but also the 33 on top of that and Mary would then offer up the two sacrifices. It would be interesting though that she would have the greatest sacrifice, Jesus right with her. He came and died so women who give birth would not need to go through the ceremonial cleansing. What he did is far greater than a temporary cleaning, it is everlasting. He died so his blood could make us pure.
It seems like this was a lot of work just to have a child but obviously babies came into the world. It is worth all the trouble to bring a child into the world. The Israelite women knew it and did the work to have the blessing. I am glad though that this is something that does not have to come into practice today as Christians.
