Lev 12, “ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 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. And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 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. 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. 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: 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. And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, 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.”
After the Fall, Eve was cursed to experience pain during childbirth. Even though childbirth is the most natural process of all, the process was tainted by sin in the ancient times. We note from that time that Adam had his personal curse and Eve had her personal curse. The played different parts in the Fall and they bore different consequences. It was for this reason that the Lord insisted that a woman be unclean after the birth of a child and there were different periods of uncleanness for boy children and for girl children. There was also another, more practical reason, a woman needs to have some time to rest and recover after the birth of her child so the Lord declared her unclean during that time so that she could recover in peace. As with any of the ceremonial procedures carried out by the Israelis of that time period an animal was required to be offered as a sacrifice. Every year when Israel celebrated the Passover there would be an ongoing reminder to their children that the Lord had saved them from the Angel of Death by the shedding of the Passover Lamb’s blood. There was also a smaller reminder that the animal being offered as a sacrifice, for all the ceremonial sacrifices, that they were sinners and were only saved by the Lord’s grace as they offered sacrifices. The blood of the sacrifice was offered as a substitute for their own blood. When a child was born, the sacrifices were offered as a double memorial; the Lord had saved both the parent and the child by His grace. Circumcision was given as a regular reminder that the Lord had chosen Israel as His own people. Every time a man had to relieve himself he was reminded that he belonged to the Lord.
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
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