Leviticus 12

Devotional:
“When the time of purification is completed for either a son or a daughter, the woman must bring a one-year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or turtledove for a purification offering. She must bring her offerings to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle. (Leviticus 12:6)

A woman was required to offer a sacrifice for purification after giving birth not because she had sinned but because the process of childbirth would leave her ceremonially unclean. It might seem odd that something good and necessary in life would cause someone to be impure, but this stems from the loss of blood that occurs in childbirth. We read elsewhere in Leviticus that blood is a sacred thing in it belongs to God and is a key part of life. Therefore, losing blood or coming into contact with such blood loss is a reminder of the brokenness of the world and our estrangement from God. Mary herself would go through this process to become clean (Luke 2:22-24), and her Son would go to the cross and shed His blood so that we could become not just clean but forgiven.

Pray it:
Jesus, thank you for entering into this world of uncleanness. Because of the brokenness of this world, I would never be able to ultimately become and stay holy, so I praise you for purifying and cleansing me through the blood of your sacrifice. Amen.

Share it:
Who is someone you can share a verse or thought from this passage with?