Passage
Leviticus 12:1-8 (ESV)
Preparing to Meet the Lord
Exodus 19:7-25
Key Verse: 19:10
Purification After Childbirth
Date: May. 15, 2016
Daily Bread
Key Verse: 12:7a
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.
First, purification waiting period (1-5). As with all these commands, this was the Lord's word to Moses to tell the people. After giving birth, a woman bleeds and is unclean for a week. If it's a baby boy, he must be circumcised on the 8th day and she must wait 33 days to be purified from her bleeding. The purification time was double for a daughter.
Second, offerings to atone for and make her clean (6-8). Though it was not a sin to have a baby, it did make her unclean due to a flow of blood. A lamb for a burnt offering and a dove for a sin (or purification) offering were given to the priest to make atonement for her and make her clean again. For a poor person, a dove could substitute for the lamb offering, so two doves could be given. This was the offering of Jesus' poor parents (Lk 2:24). For those under the new covenant in the blood of Christ, Jesus' blood purifies us from all sin (1Jn 1:7).
Prayer: Lord, thank you for making a way for us to be purified and cleansed through the blood of an acceptable sacrifice, Jesus Christ. May we not take this grace for granted.
One Word: Jesus' blood purifies us from all sin
