Purifying טָֽהֳרָה

We are moving into chapter twelve of Leviticus with our word for today. טָֽהֳרָה purifying, cleansing, cleanness. It is used 13 times in the Old Testament, twice in our chapter. A good example of our word is in Leviticus chapter 15 where we see how one is made clean. Leviticus 15:13 And when the one with a discharge is יִטְהַ֤ר cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count for himself seven days לְטָהֳרָת֖וֹ for his cleansing, and wash his clothes. And he shall bathe his body in fresh water and shall be clean. Most of the uses of our word involve cleaning from various skin diseases. Leviticus 13:7 But if the eruption spreads in the skin, after he has shown himself to the priest לְטָהֳרָת֑וֹ for his cleansing, he shall appear again before the priest. We also see our word used when one is getting ready to serve God at the temple. Nehemiah 12:45 And they performed the service of their God and the service הַֽטָּהֳרָ֗ה of purification, as did the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the command of David and his son Solomon. Our word is used as part of the instructions when a woman gives birth. This is how our word is used twice in our chapter. Leviticus 12:1-5 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If a woman conceives and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days. As at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Then she shall continue for thirty-three days in the blood of her טָהֳרָ֑ה purifying. She shall not touch anything holy, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her טָהֳרָֽה purifying are completed. But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation. And she shall continue in the blood of her purifying for sixty-six days.In giving birth to a baby, the mother experienced bleeding, as well as the secretion of other bodily fluids; and this made her ceremonially unclean. The theme of this chapter is not personal holiness but ritual purification for the mother, without which she could not return to normal life in her home and in the camp. Therefore, nothing in Leviticus 12 should be interpreted to teach that human sexuality is “dirty,” that pregnancy is defiling, or that babies are impure. God created humans “male and female”, and when God declared His creation to be “very good”, that declaration included sex. He commanded our first parents to “be fruitful, and multiply”. There are probably matters of health involved in these instructions. Since the mother was considered to some measure “unclean” for forty days after the birth of a son, or eighty days after the birth of a daughter, it meant that she had opportunity for rest and recuperation before returning to her household duties. This would encourage her own well-being as well as that of the baby. It would also protect her from possible sickness carried by infected people seeking to assist her, or the spread of any infection she might have (that is, childbed fever). Scripture doesn’t explain why twice as much time is assigned to a daughter than to a son. There’s no proof that girl babies are necessarily weaker than boy babies and therefore need a longer time with the mother. Perhaps God established these regulations primarily for the health of the mother and her “bonding” to her daughter. The social structure of Israel was decidedly masculine, and sons were more welcome than daughters. Like we have already looked at with slavery God meets people where they are at then moves them to where they need to go. The good news is that regardless of how things were with God’s people back then they have changed. Now because of Jesus all people regardless of who they are and where they come from have the same opportunity to connect with God. I’ll close with this great passage. Galatians 3:23-29 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.