Chapter 12
The first ten chapters of Leviticus mostly talk about how we’re supposed to worship God. The rest of the book focuses more on how we’re supposed to walk with God in our daily lives. When we look at it that way—and realize there’s both a practical and spiritual message in it—we start to see some really meaningful lessons about our relationship with Jesus and Our Heavenly Father. He’s all over these pages if we take the time to look.
Now, Chapter 12 can be a little tough for some of us—especially for men. It talks about childbirth and purification laws. At first, it might seem like it’s just for women. But I’d challenge that. This chapter is about babies—and since all of us were babies once, it actually relates to everyone.
What stood out to me was the offering that had to be made every time a child was born: a sin offering and an offering for atonement. That might make you ask, “Why? How can a newborn baby have sin?” And that’s a fair question. Even Jesus had these offerings made for Him after His birth—and He was without sin.
So, what’s the point of the offering?
Well, the fact that the offering was made even for Jesus tells us it wasn’t about personal sin. It wasn’t for the mother either—having a baby isn’t a sin; it’s something God blesses and encourages. So why the offering?
It’s actually a reminder that we’re all born into a broken world. From the very beginning of life, the Bible is showing us that the world needs to be made right again—that we all need redemption.
Romans 8:3 says that, “God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering, and so he condemned sin the flesh.” And Ephesians 5:2 “Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
So, with every child born, boy or girl, from the first days of their life, there was demonstrated visually, the need of the redemption that Jesus would later fulfill.
I think that’s just so powerful—and honestly, really cool.
Purification After Childbirth
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Say to the Israelites: ‘A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period. 3 On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised. 4 Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding. She must not touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are over. 5 If she gives birth to a daughter, for two weeks the woman will be unclean, as during her period. Then she must wait sixty-six days to be purified from her bleeding. [There is a wonderful practical usefulness that many miss in these verses. As we associate “unclean” with sinfulness, or dirtiness. But in fact, this time of separation was an Old Testament equivalent of FMLA. With the loss of blood women were weaken. It gave them time to restore their strength. It gave them time to bond with their baby. It gave them time to recover before the husband could make other “demands”]
6 ” ‘When the days of her purification for a son or daughter are over, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering. 7 He shall offer them before the LORD to make atonement for her, and then she will be ceremonially clean from her flow of blood.
” ‘These are the regulations for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl. 8 But if she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’ “
