Leviticus 12
IN CHAPTER 11 we learned I which creatures were clean and those which were unclean to an Israelite. Now in chapter 12 we learn that since the fall man himself is unclean before God. And this is true of even a tiny infant, through the fault of our first parents. We would not speak of a little babe as having sinned, nevertheless uncleanness before God is the effect of the inheritance of sin. David knew this when he prayed, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Psa. 51:55Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. (Psalm 51:5).
When a little babe was born, if a son, the mother was unclean for seven days, and she was not to touch any holy thing or come into the sanctuary for 33 days. If it were a little daughter the time was doubled to 14 and 66 days.
The birth of a child would ordinarily be an occasion of great joy, yet even here it is mingled with the remembrance that sin has entered this world and has passed upon all. The mother who in this case was immediately concerned had to feel the consequence of this. She was even reminded of the part the woman played when sin first entered by having to abide unclean for a double length of time if the child were a female.
Eve was deceived in the garden by the serpent, therefore, we are told, “the woman being deceived was in the transgression” (1 Tim. 2:1414And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. (1 Timothy 2:14)). Adam was guilty too and, in a way, more so because though not deceived himself he disobeyed God.
After the days of her purifying were ended the mother was to bring a lamb for a burnt offering, and a young turtle dove or pigeon for a sin offering. The priest was to take them and offer them before the Lord to make atonement for her, and then she should be clean. If she could not afford a sheep, then she could bring two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering.
In the moral government of God, as a result of Eve’s transgression, the woman was to suffer in a way peculiar to herself. Nevertheless we see in these sacrifices God’s gracious concern that she should be purified from that which recalled sin and brought in uncleanness. These offerings all pointed on to Christ, in whom we now have an infinitely better sacrifice, a higher holiness and life through sovereign grace. The day is coming when by virtue of His death and atonement all the effects of the fall, and every trace of sin and uncleanness, shall have been put away from God’s sight forever.
How tender the care of God that He should accept a turtledove or pigeon if the mother was too poor to bring a sheep. Yet in the case of the sin offering both rich and poor stood on the same level. Both brought a pigeon. Thus the rich woman could not boast of offering more than the poor mother, for there is no respect of persons with God.
How wonderful the grace of our Lord Jesus, the Lord of glory, that He should deign to be born of a poor virgin mother, who could only offer two turtle doves, too poor to bring more!
ML-01/23/1972