A New Way of Living

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean. And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled. But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six days. And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest: Who shall offer it before the Lord, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that hath born a male or a female. And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, 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 12:1-8 (KJV)

This passage concerns the purification of a woman who had a child. She would be unclean for seven days. Seven speaks of completion. Christ, the male child, died as a man, and when we accept Christ, we are complete in Him.

And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Colossians 2:10-11 (KJV)

On the eighth day, the male child was circumcised. Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day. As New Testament believers, we are not circumcised with hands, but we are circumcised through Christ. In the Old Testament, circumcision was a cutting away of the skin, showing a separation from sin. In the New Testament it is a spiritual circumcision showing we are given a new spirit in Christ. Now, it is not a circumcision of flesh, but of the heart (Romans 2:29).

Circumcision speaks of cutting covenant. In the Old Testament, circumcision was a physical sign of covenant. For New Testament believers, it is spiritual.

In the Old Testament, they offered an animal sacrifice for cleansing- in this case a lamb, pigeon, or turtledove. In the New Testament, Christ offered Himself for us. For the Old Testament believer, the offering provided atonement, or a covering of sin. In this case it was a cleansing of the blood shed by a woman when she had a child. Christ’s atonement not only covers us, but washes our sins away (I John 1:9). In the Old Testament, it was merely a physical cleansing, but for us, it is a spiritual cleansing.

The Old Testament priest made the atonement for their sins. Christ is our High Priest (Hebrews 3:1), and He has made atonement for us (Hebrews 10:10, 14).That which was done physically in the Old Testament, Christ has accomplished for us spiritually. His provision has covered every need of man. Through Christ, seven represents completion and Christ has completed us- we are complete in Him. He gives us an eighth day- a new beginning (8 stands for new beginnings). We are new creations (II Corinthians 5:7). Every day is a new day, a new beginning. This is the day He has made- we will rejoice and be glad in the new day He has given us (Psalm 118:24).

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:19-22 (KJV).

Christ has purified and cleansed us, giving us a new way of living.