Male זָכָר

We are in chapter twelve of Leviticus with our word for today. זָכָר male, man, male person, male animal, ram. It is used 82 times in the Old Testament. Our word is used in the sense of a male animal. A good example is in reference to the law of redemption which we have looked at previously. Exodus 13:11-12, 15 “When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals הַזְּכָרִ֖ים that are males shall be the Lord's … For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all הַזְּכָרִ֔ים the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem. Most of the time our word is used in the sense of a human male or man. We see our word used in reference to circumcision. Genesis 17:9-10, 12-14 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every זָכָֽר male among you shall be circumcised … He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every זָכָ֖ר male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised זָכָ֗ר male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.” We find our word used in the context of sexual immorality. Leviticus 18:22 You shall not lie with a זָכָ֔ר male as with a woman; it is an abomination. Leviticus 20:13 If a man lies with a זָכָר֙ male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. We also see our word used in the sense of being ceremonially unclean. Leviticus 15:31-33 “Thus you shall keep the people of Israel separate from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by defiling my tabernacle that is in their midst.” This is the law for him who has a discharge and for him who has an emission of semen, becoming unclean thereby; also for her who is unwell with her menstrual impurity, that is, for anyone, לַזָּכָ֖ר male or female, who has a discharge, and for the man who lies with a woman who is unclean. This is the sense our word is used in our chapter today. Leviticus 12:1-2 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If a woman conceives and bears a זָכָ֑ר male [literally bears a male, the word child is not in the original but supplied by the translators because the context is clearly about birth] child, then she shall be unclean seven days. As at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. This reminds us of Jesus who is God in the flesh because of the incarnation. Galatians 4:4-5 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. The reason why Jesus came was to fulfill the requirements of the law. He did this by becoming our sacrifice for sin. I’ll close with these great verses. Leviticus 1:3 If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a זָכָ֥ר male without blemish. 1 Peter 1:18-19 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.