Levítico 12

Levítico 12

PREVIOUSNEXT Chart from recommended resource Jensen's Survey of the OT - used by permission Another Overview Chart of Leviticus - Charles Swindoll A third Overview Chart of Leviticus LEVITICUS THE BOOK OF SANCTIFICATION AND WORSHIP Adapted and modified from C. Swindoll Leviticus 1-17 Leviticus 18-27 The Way to God Access The Walk with God Lifestyle The Approach: Offerings Practical Guidelines The Representative: Priest Chronological Observances The Laws: Cleansing Physically & Spiritually Severe Consequences Verbal promises Ritual for Worship Worshipping a Holy God Practical for Walking Living a Holy Life Location: Mt Sinai for one full year Theme: How sinful humanity can approach and worship a holy God Key Verses: Lev 17:11, 19:2, 20:7-8 Christ in Leviticus: In every sacrifice, every ritual, every feast Time: about 1446BC Leviticus 12:1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying REGULATIONS FOR CHILDBEARING Hyatt - This message was very likely given during Aaron’s days of fillings. However, it is not stated that this message was spoken to Aaron as well as to Moses. No reason is given for Aaron’s not being included, and it is useless to speculate as to why.. George Bush - Leviticus 12 Commentary Laws relative to the Purification of Women after Child-birth The ordinances contained in this chapter having, like most of the code to which they belong, been abolished under the gospel, can have little practical relation to us; yet the perusal of them cannot but be interesting to the Christian reader from their connexion with some of the incidents of the gospel history. We learn from one of the evangelists, that when the mother of our Lord went up to the Temple with her offering in obedience to this law, she was not able to offer a lamb, but was obliged to accept the alternative allowed to the poor, of offering two turtle doves, or two young pigeons. Thus an interesting evidence is furnished of the low circumstances of the family into which the Savior was born. While the Israelites remained in the wilderness, it is probable that the women brought their offerings immediately after the period of their separation had expired. But when they were settled in Palestine, and many families lived at a distance from the Temple, it may be presumed that they were allowed to consult their convenience on this point. It is at least certain that after the birth of Samuel, 1 Sam. 1:21, his mother Hannah did not go to the tabernacle until the child was weaned. 1. The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, &c. The directions in this chapter are given to Moses alone, whereas those in the preceding were delivered to him and Aaron conjointly, as are those which follow, ch. 13, respecting the Leprosy. The reason of this was, that it peculiarly devolved upon Aaron and his sons to discriminate in this matter between the clean and unclean; and as it was a matter attended with some difficulty, they are especially charged by God in respect to it. But as the legal purification of a woman was a ceremony of very obvious import and easy execution, it was sufficient that they received their instructions respecting it from Moses. Brian Bell - POSTNATAL UNCLEANNESS! (1-5) The theme of this chapter is not personal holiness but ceremonial purification for the mother. So, this does not teach that human sexuality is “dirty”, or that pregnancy is defiling, or that babies themselves are impure. Human Sexuality - Our 1st parents were told to “be fruitful & multiply.” (given in Eden, & right after the flood; Gen.1:28; 9:1) One whole book of the bible(S.of Sol.) is given over to, & thus affirms, intimate relations as God’s idea & His gift to mankind. Pregnancy & Babies – In spite of contemporary negative attitudes toward children, Scripture presents children as blessings from God. (NIV) Ps.113:9 “He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD.” Ps.127:3-5 “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;” Prov.17:6 “Children's children are the crown of old men, And the glory of children is their father.” Mt.19:14 “But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." So, fruitfulness was seen as God’s favor, & barrenness considered a reproach. Gen.30:22-24 “Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. And she conceived and bore a son, and said, "God has taken away my reproach." So she called his name Joseph,…” The mother was “ceremonially unclean” for a time, not because of the child, but because of the blood & fluids associated w/childbirth. It’s because sinful man begets sinful man! So, she was “unclean” for 7 days(w/male), then she could resume normal activities, except she wasn’t permitted to enter the Sanctuary or touch any hallowed thing for 40 days. “unclean” can also mean “not to be touched”. So this could actually be telling the husbands to be gentle & considerate to his wife. (Barclay) There are periods when a women is in her monthly cycle or after she has given birth when the husband must not force himself upon his wife. “It is possible, unfortunately, for a man to rape his wife.” Such a debased relationship is wholly excluded here. What is sought is a relationship of tenderness, of thoughtfulness, & of reverence by the one for the other. The husband must give his wife ample time to recover from the major & traumatic experience of childbirth which she has undergone. Time differences between a boy(40 days) & a girl(80 days)? No, not degrees of “uncleanness”. (girls aren’t doubly dirty!) Perhaps health reasons? Perhaps a longer time of “bonding” with her daughter is needed? Perhaps God was given the mother extra time to care for her daughter in a masculine society that preferred sons. Perhaps God was giving her time to recuperate before her next pregnancy. A husband to whom she bore a daughter might be anxious to “try again” for a son. Perhaps relates to the 40 years of cleansing that Israel underwent before she could enter the Holy Land? The text doesn’t say, so we can only speculate! The Mosaic Law recognized the “sanctity of marriage” as divinely ordained. TODAY IN THE WORD (Moody Bible) - Leviticus 12:1-8 - [The priests] are to teach the difference between the holy and the common and distinguish between the unclean and the clean. - Ezekiel 44:23 A recent British national survey found that most women are “terrified” of giving birth and find it “more painful than they ever imagined.” Sixty percent said their prenatal classes had failed to prepare them for the reality of childbirth, and 75 percent mentioned the pain was far worse than they had imagined it would be. Nearly half of the women surveyed said postnatal care was inadequate. Eighty-six percent added that they continued to experience pain for up to several weeks after the birth, and feelings from general sadness to depression were also common. Nonetheless, 99 percent of these women said that motherhood gave them more happiness than their careers! Although since the Fall women have suffered pain in childbirth (Gen. 3:16), a new baby remains one of life’s greatest joys and God’s greatest blessings: Children are “a reward from him… Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them” (Ps. 127:3, 4, 5). Why, then, did the Law regard a woman as unclean after giving birth? Theological speculation generally centers around two possible reasons. First, she might be unclean because of the postnatal discharge of blood. Since blood is a symbol of life and forgiveness, all matters involving blood were treated with great care and seriousness in the Law. Also, women who had unusual discharges of blood were required to offer the same sacrifices as listed here for a woman who had given birth (see Lev. 15:25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30). A second possible reason for the uncleanness might be to remind the Israelites of the Curse–that is, of Adam and Eve’s original disobedience and the fact that pain in childbirth was one of the resulting punishments. In this way, the “unclean” designation reminded the people of history (after all, Moses wrote Genesis), of the universality of sin and of the urgent necessity of obedience. TODAY ALONG THE WAY One theme we have been tracing so far in the book of Leviticus is holiness or purity–both God’s perfect righteousness and our calling to live righteous lives before Him. William MacDonald Notes on Leviticus 12 - This chapter deals with uncleanness connected with childbirth. A woman giving birth to a boy was unclean for seven days, just as the days of the uncleanness of her menstruation (Lev 12:2). On the eighth day, the boy was circumcised (Lev 12:3). She then remained at home for an additional 33 days so as not to touch anything holy or enter the sanctuary—i.e., the court surrounding the tabernacle. In the case of a baby girl, the mother was unclean for two weeks, and then remained home for an additional 66 days. At the end of the time of purification, the mother was commanded to bring a yearling lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering. If she was too poor to afford the lamb, she could bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for the sin offering and one for the burnt offering. The mother of our Lord brought two birds (Luke 2:22-24), an indication of the poverty into which Jesus was born. It may seem strange that uncleanness is connected with the birth of a baby, since marriage was instituted before sin entered the world, since the Scriptures teach that marriage is holy, and since God commanded men to reproduce. The uncleanness is probably a reminder that, with the exception of the Lord, we are all born in sin and shapen in iniquity (Ps 51:5). The extended time of uncleanness in the case of a baby girl was perhaps an intended reminder that man was created before woman, that the woman was created for the man, that the woman is given a place of positional subjection (not intrinsic inferiority) to the man, and that the woman was the first to sin. Williams sees in this legislation the tender care of God in protecting the mother from visitors during a time when her weakness and the danger of infection were greatest. Leviticus 12:2 "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'When a woman gives birth and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean for seven days, as in the days of her menstruation she shall be unclean. woman: Ge 1:28 Ge 3:16 Job 14:4 15:14 25:4 Ps 51:5 Lu 2:22 Ro 5:12-19 as in the days of her menstruation Lev 15:19 Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'When a woman gives birth and bears a male child, The message was to be taught to all of Israel. It described a practice that contained important teachings for the whole nation, not just for a woman giving birth to a baby. First, Jehovah described how uncleanness was to be practice after the birth of a boy baby. NET NOTE on gives birth (bears offspring) - Heb “produces seed” (Hiphil of זָרַע, zara’; used only elsewhere in Gen 1:11–12 for plants “producing” their own “seed”), referring to the process of childbearing as a whole, from conception to the time of birth (H. D. Preuss, TDOT 4:144; cf. J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 164–65; and J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:742–43). Smr and LXX have Niphal “be impregnated” (see, e.g., Num 5:28); note KJV “If a woman have conceived seed” (cf. ASV, NAB, NRSV; also NIV, NLT “becomes pregnant”). NET NOTE on male child - The regulations for the “male child” in vv. 2–4 contrast with those for the “female child” in v. 5 (see the note there). Then she shall be unclean for seven days, as in the days of her menstruation she shall be unclean - See Lev 15:19–24 for the standard purity regulations for a woman’s menstrual period.