Leviticus 12:6 - Meaning and Application

When a woman had given birth, and the time came for her to return to the sanctuary, she was not to come empty-handed, according to Leviticus 12:6. She was to bring her offerings as part of her cleansing. This reminded her to thank God for carrying her safely through the pain and danger of childbirth, and to ask for his continued favor on both her and the child.

She was to bring a burnt offering, a lamb if she could afford it, or a pigeon if she was poor. A burnt offering was a gift given wholly to God, showing thankfulness and devotion. When a child is born, there is joy and hope, so this fittingly became a general offering of gratitude. What we rejoice in, we should thank God for, and what we hope for, we should pray over.

Along with that, she had to offer a sin offering, and this was the same for both rich and poor, a turtle-dove or a young pigeon. The sin offering for atonement, or covering sin, did not change with a person’s wealth. Rich and poor might differ in their offerings of thanks, but they stood on equal ground when it came to the need for forgiveness.

This sin offering may have served one of two purposes. It either completed her cleansing from ceremonial uncleanness, which was not itself sin but pointed to moral impurity, or it made atonement for real sin, such as too strong a desire for children, or discontent and impatience under the pains of childbirth. In the end, only Christ, the great sin offering, takes away the corruption of our nature. Because of him, we are not shut out forever from the sanctuary or from the holy things.

We see this law reflected in the case of the mother of our blessed Lord, Mary, Jesus’ mother. Even though Jesus was not conceived in sin, she still completed the days of purification, then presented her firstborn Son to the Lord and brought her own offering, a pair of turtle-doves (Luke 2:22-24). Christ’s parents were so poor that they could not bring a lamb for a burnt offering. In that way, Christ was placed under the law very early, so that he might redeem those who were under it.

The lesson of this law still stands. Women who have received mercy from God in childbirth should thank him with all their hearts and admit that they do not deserve such goodness. The best cleansing for women who have been spared in childbirth is to continue in faith, love, holiness, and self-control (1 Timothy 2:15). That pleases the Lord more than turtle-doves or young pigeons.