This fall I am studying Leviticus, and even though the book is often overlooked as being needless to study, since the Old Law was done away with, I nevertheless find myself picking out numerous universal truths and small pointers that hint at the Messianic age to come. For example, in chapter twelve, the text features a breakdown of all the ways a new mother was to be regarded, ceremonially, under the Law of Moses. She basically isolated herself for a week, and then after another several weeks, she resumed her daily life. On the one hand, this gave mothers time away to focus on tending to their new son or daughter, but it was also a matter of ceremonial cleanliness. Since the delivery involved blood, and since blood was the sacred element around which the entire Levitical system was designed, a new mother was regarded as unclean until the set number of days was fulfilled (40 days for a boy; 80 days for a girl).

After those days were done, the new mother was to bring an offering of worship to the Lord, in the form of a burnt offering and a sin offering. The former was a gift of dedication; the latter was a needed offering to formally “cleanse” the mother in the eyes of the Law of Moses. The purification offering was to be either a turtledove or a pigeon. For the burnt offering, the mother was asked to bring a lamb for sacrifice. Not everyone had a lamb, however. What then?

And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtle[dove]s, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean. 

(Leviticus 12:8)

God cares about the poor. In such cases where a mother did not have a lamb to offer, the Lord allowed for a substitute: The poor mother was permitted to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for the burnt offering, and the other for the sin offering. It’s a sweet reminder that God often made accommodations in the Law of Moses so that the poorest of His people could still bring gifts to Him. Two turtledoves might not have the same monetary value as a young and spotless lamb, but God received the gift gladly, because it was given from a willing and grateful heart.

As a matter of fact, the most famous mother in human history (other than Eve) brought that exact “peasant” offering to God after the birth of her Son, Jesus…

And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the Child, His name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before He was conceived in the womb. And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought Him to Jerusalem, to present Him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. 

(Luke 22:21-24)

I appreciate the reminder that my Master’s time in this world was one of humility and poverty from the start. I imagine that helped Him see the value in the poor lost souls He encountered in His ministry. Those who had little to give, still gave what they had. Few noticed such offerings, but the Lord saw, and the Lord was pleased (Mark 12:41-44), because from the beginning, the Lord has cared about the poor.

~Matthew