Tag Archives: Jesus and Birds

Jesus And Birds – 1st Cleansing Of Temple

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Doves in Cages ©WikiC

Back to our long-delayed series of “Jesus and Birds.” The last one, “Jesus and Birds – His Dedication was completed not long before everything changed. This Corvid-19 ordeal has left me a bit “discombobulated.” [Discombobulate is a fun, fancy word for “confuse.” If something has put you in a state where you don’t know up from down and you can’t spell your own name, you may be discombobulated.” – vocabulary.com] Anyway, thanks to Dr. Jim (J.J.S .Johnson) and William Wise for continuing to add articles for the blog.

When I first started looking into this cleansing of the Temple sellers, it appeared that there were two cleansings, yet there was a debate. Did Jesus cleanse the Temple once or twice? As you may remember, I am using a Harmony of the Gospels to trace the Lord Jesus’s reactions to birds while in His incarnated body. Here are some of the questions:

This first cleansing is only mentioned only by John.

“And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise. And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.” (John 2:13-17 KJV)

The second cleansing is mentioned by the other three gospel writers, but not John.

Mathew 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-17, and Luke 19:45-46 [This will be covered in the 2nd Cleansing of Temple post.]

After checking many of the commentaries in the BibleGateway helps, even though Jesus spoke some of the same similar words, the belief is that there are two cleansings. I will cover more about this in the later post.

The main point is that when Christ entered the Temple area, sellers had set up for business. Worshipers needed animals and birds for sacrifices, but they were not supposed to be selling them inside the compound area. Had they been selling outside the area, there would not have been a problem.

In His disgust for what was going on, he threw over the tables, etc. and opened the cages of doves to let the go free.

Freedom – Bird leaving cage ©Pixabay

 

Jesus And Birds – His Dedication

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European Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur) ©WikiC

European Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur) ©WikiC

The first time, listed in the Gospels, when Jesus, in His Humanity, is near a bird, was at His dedication. According to the Jewish law, the first born son was to be dedicated at the temple. This was to take place 40 days after he was born. This was so that Mary, his earthly mother, to be purified and Jesus could be dedicated..

“Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “EVERY MALE WHO OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD” ), and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS.” (Luke 2:22-24 NKJV)

Bible Gateway’s – MacArthur Study Bible (NKJV) note

“2:22 her purification. A woman who bore a son was ceremonially unclean for 40 days (twice that if she bore a daughter—Lev. 12:2–5). After that she was to offer a yearling lamb and a dove or pigeon (Lev. 12:6). If poor, she could offer two doves or pigeons (Lev. 12:8). Mary’s offering indicates that she and Joseph were poor (v. 24). to Jerusalem. A journey of about 6 mi. from Bethlehem. to present Him to the Lord. The dedication of the firstborn son was also required by Moses’ law (v. 23, cf. Ex. 13:2, 12–15).

At forty days old, we could assume that Jesus was not really aware of the doves or pigeons that were used for this offering. Assumptions are not always 100% correct. We are not going to delve into that discussion here. Nor will we try to assume whether other birds were near Jesus at the manger. We are just going to use what the Word says.

Common Rock Pigeon Pair ©ARKive

The reason the turtledove or pigeons were used, was because of the finances of his mother and Joseph, his step-father.

“2:24 turtledoves. See Leviticus 12:8. Joseph, despite his royal lineage, was only a young carpenter, too poor to bring a lamb for his offering.” (Defender’s Bible)

“The fact that they offered two pigeons instead of a lamb and a pigeon is an indication that Joseph and Mary were not wealthy. Levitical law required a woman, after the birth of a son, to purify herself for 40 days before going to the temple to offer a sacrifice for her purification. The law stated that she was to offer a lamb and a dove, but if she could not afford these, she could offer two pigeons or doves” (Leviticus 12:2–8). (Halley’s Bible Handbook Notes)

As we journey on with Jesus and Birds, He will be telling about them by way of parables and others means. Stay tuned!

For notes and helps, I am using several resources beside God’s Word, the Bible. I use Bible Gateway as a source for many different Bible versions and study helps. Many are free, but a paid option is also available. [That is what I use – $3.99 month)

I also have many different Bibles I own and use, of which my favorite is the Defender’s Bible by Henry Morris. (older version) This can also be used online at Defender’s Bible from I.C.R.

Jesus and Birds – Introduction

Birds of the Bible

Jesus and Birds – Introduction

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Doves in Israel

Doves in Israel ©©

The Birds of the Bible was the original reason this blog came into being. That is what started this journey, to introduce you to the birds that are listed in the Bible. Many, if not most of those birds have been written about various times. We still continue to add to those articles.

Humm! A question hit me, How many times are there when Jesus and a bird or birds were mentioned in the Gospels, at the same time? Maybe you can think of a few of those occasions. Or can you? Do I remember all those times? I am going to use a book that tells about Jesus’ life here on earth. It uses the first four books of the New Testament which is called the Gospel. Many time Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John tell about the same event, but just a bit different. It’s the same story, but one may point out something the other disciples do not. The book is called a Harmony of the Gospels, or a parallel telling of an event.

Here is an example of a Harmony of the Gospel. This is telling about Jesus feeding the 5,000 people.

But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. (Matthew 14:16-17 KJV)

He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat? He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes. (Mark 6:37-38 KJV)

When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.” But He said to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people.” (Luke 9:12-13 NKJV)

One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?” (John 6:8-9 NKJV)

Questions:

  • How many loaves of bread and fish were available?
  • Who had the food?
  • Are the four different disciples telling the same story?

After doing a search, not exhaustive, there were at least 16 incidents where Jesus and a bird/birds were mentioned at the same event. Stay tuned and come along as I work these into post for us to learn more about the Creator of Our Avian Wonders. Yes, He was that Creator come to earth to pay the price of His Sacrifice on the Cross for our salvation.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:1-3 KJV)

Birds of the Bible

Bible Birds (Younger Readers)