Leviticus 12:1-8 (NLT)
1 The LORD said to Moses,
2 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. If a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son, she will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her menstrual period.
3 On the eighth day the boy’s foreskin must be circumcised.
4 After waiting thirty-three days, she will be purified from the bleeding of childbirth. During this time of purification, she must not touch anything that is set apart as holy. And she must not enter the sanctuary until her time of purification is over.
5 If a woman gives birth to a daughter, she will be ceremonially unclean for two weeks, just as she is unclean during her menstrual period. After waiting sixty-six days, she will be purified from the bleeding of childbirth.
6 “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.
7 The priest will then present them to the LORD to purify her. Then she will be ceremonially clean again after her bleeding at childbirth. These are the instructions for a woman after the birth of a son or a daughter.
8 “If a woman cannot afford to bring a lamb, she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons. One will be for the burnt offering and the other for the purification offering. The priest will sacrifice them to purify her, and she will be ceremonially clean.”
In the time of bringing new life into the world, when great joy and celebration were going on, there was a requirement of cleansing for the mother. After carrying the child for nine months and laboring to deliver it, the precious mother still had to remain ceremonially unclean for 1-2 weeks and unclean from bleeding for 33 days. At the end of this cleansing period, she then had to provide a sacrifice, the treasured life of an animal, to complete the purification. Although this was a provision in the law with religious stipulations, attention was given to the condition of the mother after conceiving, carrying, and delivering a new life into the world. Without this care directed towards her during this time, she might have been vulnerable to physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual threats against her.
In fulfilling our mission to share, pray, contend, and lead precious souls into new life in Christ, we need to set aside personal time in the presence of the Lord. Though much excitement and celebration take place in the new life and its baptism, behind the scenes, the ministers of that life need to be protected from the challenges of the body, mind, and spirit. To neglect the sacrifice of time and resources to care for them is to open the door to a corrupting uncleanness of heart that will affect body and soul. While the harvest is the mission and the goal, for it to truly be a triumph in stability and longevity, those doing the labor and delivering must be set aside in the presence of the Lord for essential cleansing through the water and the blood. Focus and attention need redirection to the Source of that new life so that His protection and direction will care for His servants and their ability to remain healthy to produce more viable kingdom lives.
In the law it was thirty-three days to be purified from the blood after natural birth- a very necessary time of restoration and bonding for a new mother, a crucial time of bonding, establishing feeding of the new child, healing for the mother, re-orchestration of family systems. Interesting that it was thirty-three years that Jesus walked this earth as a man by whose blood we are purified. I read that 33 and couldn’t help but wonder and be reminded of Christ. I’m sure biblical scholars have some kind of insight but today, that 33 had me reflecting on the One by whom we receive new life, that we are born from above and given a spirit of adoption that calls out Abba. Wow, just wow, God cares for every detail. What an incredible family we have been brought into- abiding in Him.