For the next several lessons, the Lord God gave various laws to the children of Israel regarding many social issues. He began with the law regarding women and childbirth. ‘If a woman has conceived, and borne a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of her customary impurity she shall be unclean. And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. She shall then continue in the blood of her purification thirty-three days. She shall not touch any hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled. (Leviticus 12:2-4)
‘But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her customary impurity, and she shall continue in the blood of her purification sixty-six days. (Leviticus 12:5)
Remember, the Lord God commanded Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations,..." (Genesis 17:9-12)
The children of Israel still practice this to this day. Even Mary and Joseph made sure that they did the same with Christ Jesus. Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” (Luke 2:22-24)
There are many "old wives tales" that do have a biblical basis, and this is one of them. It's been customary in many cultures that after child birth, the mother and baby are not to leave the house for at least thirty days, except for if the mother takes a baby boy to get circumcised; although, now and days most circumcisions are done within a few days of the baby boy being born.
But why a longer period of purification for the birth of a daughter than a son? Because the circumcision ended the baby boys period of purification, so the mother had to complete her thirty-three days. But with a baby girl, the mother thirty-three days of purification had to end, then the daughters thirty-three days of purification could be begin.
‘When the days of her purification are fulfilled, whether for a son or a daughter, she shall bring to the priest a lamb of the first year as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then he shall offer it before the Lord, and make atonement for her. And she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who has borne a male or a female. (Leviticus 12:6-7)
‘And if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons—one as a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’” (Leviticus 12:8) Notice that Mary and Joseph brought A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons when Christ Jesus was circumcised. God chose for His Son to be born into a poor family, but The rich and the poor have this in common, The Lord is the maker of them all. (Proverbs 22:2)
But why did the mother have to make a burnt offering and a sin offering after child birth? Remember, after Eve believed the lies of the devil, the Lord God pronounced, To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children;... (Genesis 3:16) While children are a blessing from God, they are still born into sin because they are born in flesh.
Job described it best; Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one! (Job 14:4) What is man, that he could be pure? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous? If God puts no trust in His saints, and the heavens are not pure in His sight, how much less man, who is abominable and filthy, who drinks iniquity like water! (Job 15:14-15)
How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman? (Job 25:4) The answer is we can't be, apart from Christ Jesus. Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. (Romans 5:12-13)
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. (Romans 5:14-15)
And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) (Romans 5:16-17)
Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:18-19)
Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:20-21) AMEN!"
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