Tag Archives: Sacrifice

Birds of the Bible – At the Lord’s Dedication

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Oriental Turtle Dove (Streptopelia orientalis) by Nikhil

Oriental Turtle Dove (Streptopelia orientalis) by Nikhil

And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcision 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 2:21-24 KJV) (emphasis mine)

When hearing about the “Christmas Story.” as some call it, most of the time it is quoted from Luke 2. Remember that chapter also mentions Christ’s circumcision and dedication. The sacrifice to be offered for that occasion was a lamb or either a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons.

European Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur) ©WikiC

European Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur) ©WikiC

Mary and Joseph were not wealthy and they were allowed to bring “A pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons. The proper offering was a lamb for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or dove for a sin offering; but for the poor an alternative was allowed instead of the more costly present of a lamb, a second pigeon or dove might be brought. The deep poverty of Mary and Joseph is shown in this offering. They would never have put the sanctuary off with the humbler had the richer gift been in their power.” (Pulpit Commentary – emphasis mine)

Common Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus) with newly hatched young ©WikiC

Common Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus) with newly hatched young ©WikiC

“The fact that Joseph and Mary brought a pair of birds instead of a lamb shows that they were very poor. The gifts of the wise men were after this.” (People’s New Testament Commentary) At the nativity scene, many place the wise men, yet, Christ was a young child, not an infant when they, the wise men, arrived. It would have taken time for them to get there.

And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11 KJV)

More could be said about the birth of Christ here, but for today, our Birds of the Bible are these two birds from the Columbidae Family. If I were Emma Foster or my author friend Sandra Conner, you would hear a tale from the birds point of view. But the best that comes to mind would be them having a conversation about the privilege of being the ones used as a sacrifice for the Son of God, in the flesh, who was their Creator. Of all the doves and turtle dove used as sacrifices over the many years, these two, if a bird could, felt very blessed.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. (Luke 2:11-16 KJV)

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Pigeons and Doves of Israel today:

Birds of the Bible

Columbidae Family

Emma Foster

Sandra Conner

Gospel Presentation

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Birds of the Bible – Dove and Pigeon Distribution

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Eared Dove (Zenaida auriculata) by Robert Scanlon

Eared Dove (Zenaida auriculata) by Robert Scanlon

Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; (Genesis 8:8 KJV)

Doves and Pigeons are mentioned many times throughout Scripture. When people all over the world read about them in their Bible, they probably have an idea of what that bird looks like. Why?

“Pigeons and doves are distributed everywhere on Earth, except for the driest areas of the Sahara Desert, Antarctica and its surrounding islands and the high Arctic. They have colonised most of the world’s oceanic islands, reaching eastern Polynesia and the Chatham Islands in the Pacific, Mauritius, the Seychelles and Réunion in the Indian Ocean, and the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean.” (Wikipedia)

They appear almost everywhere. During the time of sacrifices to God, before Jesus Christ became the perfect Sacrifice for our sins; doves, turtle dove and young pigeons were accepted. Just as salvation is available to all, there were birds available, no matter where you were.

Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) by Dan

Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) by Dan

Why are they so plentiful?

“The family has adapted to most of the habitats available on the planet. These species may be arboreal, terrestrial or semiterrestrial. Various species also inhabit savannas, grasslands, deserts, temperate woodlands and forests, mangrove forests, and even the barren sands and gravels of atolls.”

Zebra Dove (Geopelia striata) by Margaret Sloan

Zebra Dove (Geopelia striata) has been widely introduced around the world – by Margaret Sloan

Are the Doves and Pigeons called by the same name? No. As they have reproduced and moved to the different areas (distribution), the number of species have grown.

“Some species have large natural ranges. The Eared Dove ranges across the entirety of South America from Colombia to Tierra Del Fuego, the Eurasian Collared Dove has a massive (if discontinuous) distribution from Britain across Europe, the Middle East, India, Pakistan and China, and the Laughing Dove across most of sub-Saharan Africa, as well as India, Pakistan and the Middle East. Other species have a tiny, restricted distribution; this is most common in island endemics. The Whistling Dove is endemic to the tiny Kadavu Island in Fiji, the Caroline Ground-dove is restricted to two islands, Truk and Pohnpei in the Caroline Islands, and the Grenada Dove is restricted to Grenada in the Caribbean. Some continental species also have tiny distributions; for example, the Black-banded Fruit Dove is restricted to a small area of the Arnhem Land of Australia, the Somali Pigeon is restricted to a tiny area of northern Somalia, and Moreno’s Ground Dove is restricted to the area around Salta and Tucuman in northern Argentina.”

Rock Dove (Columba livia) by Ian

Rock Dove (Columba livia) by Ian

 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. (Genesis 15:9 KJV)

“The largest range of any species is that of the Rock Dove or Rock Pigeon. This species had a large natural distribution from Britain and Ireland to northern Africa, across Europe, Arabia, Central Asia, India, the Himalayas and up into China and Mongolia. The range of the species increased dramatically upon domestication, as the species went feral in cities around the world. The species is currently resident across most of North America, and has established itself in cities and urban areas in South America, sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. The species is not the only pigeon to have increased its range due to the actions of man; several other species have become established outside of their natural range after escaping captivity, and other species have increased their natural ranges due to habitat changes caused by human activity.”

The “Pigeon” (Columba livia) is known by many names because of the different languages spoken, yet they all refer to the same bird. The scientific name,  Columba livia, refers to only that bird, no matter what they call it.

Here are some examples:

English:
Rock Pigeon
Czech:
holub skalní
German:
Felsentaube
Danish:
Klippedue
Spanish:
Paloma Bravía
Finnish:
kalliokyyhky
French:
Pigeon biset
Icelandic:
Bjargdúfa
Italian:
Piccione selvatico
Japanese:
kawarabato
Japanese:
カワラバト(ドバト)
Dutch:
Rotsduif
Norwegian:
Klippedue (Domestisert: Bydue)
Polish:
gołąb miejski
Portuguese:
Pombo-doméstico
Portuguese (Brazil):
Pombo-doméstico
Russian:
Сизый голубь
Slovak:
holub divý
Swedish:
Klippduva
Chinese:
原鸽

(Adapted from the Wikipedia’s “Columbidae” page, especially the “Distribution and Habitat” section.)

Banded Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus cinctus) by Ian

Banded Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus cinctus) by Ian

The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land. (Song of Solomon 2:12 NKJV)

Oriental Turtle Dove (Streptopelia orientalis) by Nikhil

Oriental Turtle Dove (Streptopelia orientalis) by Nikhil

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29 KJV)

As mentioned above, if a person could not afford a lamb or ram, then Turtle Dove and Pigeons were accepted. They were plentiful and available. Since the Lord paid the ultimate sacrifice for our sin, the need to use these birds is no longer needed. As a birdwatcher, I am thankful. As a Christian, I am most thankful for the Lord’s sacrifice for my sins.

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6 KJV)

See:

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Birds of the Bible – The Hidden Covenant – Intro

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Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) by Dan

Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) by Dan

(The first of a three part article.)


The Hidden Covenant

“Berith” the Hebrew word for covenant means “a coming together” in English, appears 280 times in the Bible. Covenants may include a treaty, agreement, mutual understanding, pact, deal, alliance, pledge, promise and so on. Marriage is a covenant between two individuals. Treaty is a covenant between two states or nations. The Last will that is written by an ailing individual to pass on his /her property to his surviving spouse or children is also a covenant. We are bound by so many covenants in our everyday life. Housing and vehicle loans, debit and credit cards, driving license are all covenants.

Though each one of us is bound by a direct or an indirect covenant with an individual, an organization or a government, we long for God to make a covenant with us. Bible shows us so many covenants between individuals, kings and between leaders of a group of men; but the covenants that God made with individuals and a group of individuals are the ones which were widely meditated, preached and written about.

Somewhere down the line, over centuries after centuries after centuries, there is one covenant that was either unintentionally hopped or deliberately overlooked. This covenant may look irrelevant and immaterial, trivial and trifling; but an in-depth study of this covenant would unveil a big secret that God has for the peace and tranquility of the whole universe.

That “Berith – Covenant” is as follows…

“And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.” Hosea 2:18

When does God make a covenant with them?

Why would God want to make a covenant with the beasts of the field, with the fowls of the air and with the creeping things of the ground?

How could a covenant with wildlife break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth?

Is it possible for a covenant with wildlife, help us lie down safely?

These were the queries that rose from my mind when I read the above verse from Hosea. While I was pondering over this attention-grabbing episode of God, He slowly unraveled the crucial presence of wildlife, not just for food and clothing but for the survival of mankind as a whole.

Sitting on the balcony one morning, trying hard to gulp those recent unpleasant happenings along with her morning coffee, watching a squirrel jump from a coconut tree to a custard apple tree like a seasoned pro, my wife probed, “God could have created us like these animals. Why should we suffer like this? See how they enjoy life” Just as she was lamenting, I felt God say, “They are sinless, whereas man was born of sin”

I thought this conversation not only opened avenues of thought but also made sense on this new covenant that God uncovered a few days back. Ever since God clothed Adam and Eve with animal skin and accepted the sacrifice of Abel. God did express how imperative animals and birds are in His creation. Abel knew that there is no redemption without shedding blood. So he chose from the best among wildlife and sacrificed. And we all know how God accepted his sacrifice and rejected the sacrifice of Cain.

Northern Raven (Corvus corax) by Ray

Northern Raven (Corvus corax) by Ray

Noah also had to seek the help of birds to get the weather report after the flood isn’t it? And God made a covenant with Noah but not before he sacrificed from every clean beast and from every clean animal. Remember, if not for the beasts and birds God wouldn’t have placed the beautiful rainbow in the sky. If not for rainbow, we wouldn’t have studied prism in school.

God also taught Moses and Aaron, His appointed servants. about how to sacrifice, when to sacrifice and what to sacrifice. God gave them a list of clean animals and birds for sacrifice. In fact birds were sacrificed when Jesus was brought to the temple of Jerusalem after the days of purification.

“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 2:21-24

The birds seem to have handed over the entry ticket for the Creator when He entered the temple of Jerusalem for the first time is His life on earth.

So? Does it mean that only clean beasts and birds are sinless? I thought.  If it is so, why should God send an unclean raven to feed Prophet Elijah? I wondered. Anyway, there should be a strong central theme for God to make a covenant with the beasts and the birds instead of man, whom He created in His own image.

Birds of the Bible – The Hidden Covenant ~ by A J Mithra

See:

Birds of the Bible – The Hidden Covenant – Part 2

Birds of the Bible – The Hidden Covenant – Part 3

Birds of the Bible

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Yours in YESHUA,

a j mithra

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Cedar Waxwing – Fruit Passer…

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Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) by J Fenton

Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) by J Fenton

Cedar Waxwing – Fruit passer… ~ by a j mithra

As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water: (Leviticus 14:6)

Historians say that the cross that Jesus carried was made from Cedar wood. Of all the trees why did Jesus choose the cedar? The verse above which says about two birds, the cedar wood, the scarlet and the Hyssop does clearly reflects the crucifixion of Jesus on the cross. The two birds reflect Jesus and Barabas. One bird was sacrificed and the other was let free. Jesus was crucified and Barabas freed. The Cedar wood reflects the cross which Jesus carried. The scarlet reflects our sins. The hyssop reflects of how vinegar was soaked in a sponge and stuck in hyssop’s branch and offered to Jesus, when He said that He was thirsty.

Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. (John 19:29)

And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. (Mathew 27:28)

Twigs of Cedar placed with lingerie and kept in cupboards containing fur can keep away moth. The cross has the power to keep away all evil from our lives.

The Cedar is used to build the skeleton of the canoe. The cross has the power to take us through flood, fire and wilderness.

The most valuable constituent of Cedar oil is thujone. Native Americans of the eastern United States and Canada used thujone for generations to treat menstrual problems, headaches, and heart ailments. Loggers drank tea made from white cedar twigs to relieve rheumatism. During the seventeenth century, some people called the eastern white cedar the “tree of life,” because they believed that its sap had healing powers. In the late 1800s, the US Pharmacopoeia (the US compendium of quality control test and information on drugs) listed thujone as a treatment to stimulate the uterus and as a diuretic to increase urine flow. The leaves have the power to heal rheumatic, pulmonary, burns and prevent paralytic movement. It is also used as dye.

This tree is called the “Tree of Life”. Is that the reason Jesus, the life chose to carry a Cedar cross.. It was on the Cedar cross that Jesus, took the stripes to heal us from all disease.

For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:2-5)

Cedar Waxwing Eating by Steve Slayton

Cedar Waxwing Eating by Steve Slayton

The Cedar waxwing may have been inspired by the qualities of Cedar from where it has borrowed its name. There is so much to read about this bird in this interesting website. But, one interesting quality of this bird stands apart. These birds are communal feeders. As we all know, the Cedar Waxwing eats berries and sugary fruit year-round, with insects becoming an important part of the diet in the breeding season. Its fondness for the small cones of the Eastern Redcedar (a kind of juniper) gave this bird its common name.

When the end of a twig holds a supply of berries that only one bird at a time can reach, members of a flock may line up along the twig and pass berries beak to beak down the line so that each bird gets a chance to eat. This reminds us of how we need pronounce the love of Jesus to the others so that they too may taste and see that the Lord is good..

Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) by Daves BirdingPix

Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) by Daves BirdingPix

But, the sad part is we have never thought of doing this, spreading the gospel to the unreached. If only we all had done this, by this time our churches would be overflowing. If only we carry the cross…..?

At least on this Good Friday, the day which denotes the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for you and me, shall we make up our mind to do what we haven’t done for the Lord all these years? Shall we pass the fruit of the Holy spirit, so that those who haven’t tasted the Lord yet, may taste the goodness and mercy of our Lord?

These birds share the fruits, but, we call ourselves as Christians, borrowing the name from Christ, but when are we going to share the fruit of the Holy Spirit?

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. (Psalm 34:8)

Have an awesome day at the feet of Jesus on the cross…

Your’s in YESHUA,
a j mithra

please visit us at:
Crosstree
ajmithra21

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Turtle Doves Offered

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Oriental Turtle Dove (Streptopelia orientalis) by Nikhil Devasar

Oriental Turtle Dove (Streptopelia orientalis) by Nikhil Devasar

Luke 2:21-24 KJV
(21) 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.
(22) 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;
(23) (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
(24) 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.

Ruddy Pigeon (Patagionenas subvinacea) by Kent Nickell

Ruddy Pigeon (Patagionenas subvinacea) by Kent Nickell

Birds of the Bible – Thanksgiving

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When Stephen, at our church, asked me to write about 10 (+ or -) things we are thankful for on our church blog, I am sure he knew that I would write about the birds. Here is what I am posting on that blog.

How can we be thankful for the birds?

White-winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi) by Ray

White-winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi) by Ray

So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:21 ESV)

I am thankful for a Creator God, the Lord, who made not only the birds, but all of us as well. “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. ” (Psa 100:3)

Channel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos vitellinus) by Ian

Channel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos vitellinus) by Ian

Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. (Genesis 2:19 ESV)

I am thankful that the LORD God gave Adam the privilege and the knowledge to name the birds. We were created with intellect and didn’t have to progress up through evolution to finally get “smart enough” to name the birds. Adam wasn’t even a week old.

The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. (Genesis 9:2-3 ESV)

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) by Daves BirdingPix

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) by Daves BirdingPix

I am thankful for the food the Lord has allowed us to eat. Many of us will be eating Turkey this Thanksgiving Day. (Even if it is sometimes sad to think about.)

I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. (Psalms 50:11 ESV)

I am thankful that just as God knows all the birds, He knows us. “Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.” (Psalms 91:14 KJV)

Greater Painted Snipe (Rostratula benghalensis) by W Kwong

Greater Painted Snipe (Rostratula benghalensis) by W Kwong

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, (Matthew 6:25-28 ESV)

Chihuahuan Raven (Corvus cryptoleucus)Raven (Corvus corax) by Kent Nickell

Chihuahuan Raven (Corvus cryptoleucus)Raven (Corvus corax) by Kent Nickell

For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? (Luke 12:23-26 ESV)

Three Sparrows

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
(Matthew 10:29-31 ESV)

I am thankful for these three parallel verses that remind us that God cares about not only every need of the birds, but also for ours. We are more valuable than them and He provides everything for them and knows all about them. Why do we need to be anxious?

Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) at Nest by Anthony747

Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) at Nest by Anthony747

And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:20 ESV)

I am very thankful that the Lord Jesus Christ, became my Savior.

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:6-8 KJV)

Crested Partridge (Rollulus rouloul) at NA by Lee

Crested Partridge (Rollulus rouloul) at National Aviary by Lee

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool. (Jeremiah 17:9-11 KJV)

I am thankful for the partridge that reminds me not to seek earthly riches unjustly.

Bald Eagle flying by Dave's BirdingPix

Bald Eagle flying by Dave’s BirdingPix

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31 ESV)

I am thankful for the wings of the Eagle to remind me of all the promises in this passage. Our God is the everlasting God, doesn’t faint or grow weary, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent and the Creator. Awesome!

Oriental Turtle Dove (Streptopelia orientalis) by Nikhil

Oriental Turtle Dove (Streptopelia orientalis) by Nikhil

But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for the sin that he has committed a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it and shall put no frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. (Leviticus 5:11 ESV)

I am thankful for doves and pigeons because they remind me that in the Old Testament they were innocently sacrificed for a person’s sin. That was looking forward to the death of Christ on the cross. I am thankful for my salvation in Jesus Christ.

We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. (Romans 6:9-10 ESV)

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2 KJV)

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
(1 John 4:7-11 KJV)

The Gospel Message

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Birds of the Bible – Purifying Bird

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Below is an interesting passage of Scripture.

Eurasian-collared Dove in Israel

Eurasian-collared Dove in Israel

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “This shall be the law of the leprous person for the day of his cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest, and the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall look. Then, if the case of leprous disease is healed in the leprous person, the priest shall command them to take for him who is to be cleansed two live clean birds and cedarwood and scarlet yarn and hyssop. And the priest shall command them to kill one of the birds in an earthenware vessel over fresh water. He shall take the live bird with the cedarwood and the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, and dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed of the leprous disease. Then he shall pronounce him clean and shall let the living bird go into the open field. (Leviticus 14:1-7 ESV)

It seems that when a person was declared clean from their leprosy, that a purification needed to be performed. The same was true for the house. They gathered two birds and then the priest would kill one bird, but the second was set free after he took “the cedarwood and the hyssop and the scarlet yarn, along with the live bird, and dip them in the blood of the bird that was killed and in the fresh water and sprinkle the house seven times.” The live bird was then taken out side the city and turned loose.

When you first read that passage, you wonder what it is all about. The live bird being turned loose with blood on it? Some of the commentators have helped explain the significance of this. Here are some of their thoughts:

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) Female by Nikhil

Matthew Henry – Lev 14:1-9  – The priests could not cleanse the lepers; but when the Lord removed the plague, various rules were to be observed in admitting them again to the ordinances of God, and the society of his people. They represent many duties and exercises of truly repenting sinners, and the duties of ministers respecting them. If we apply this to the spiritual leprosy of sin, it intimates that when we withdraw from those who walk disorderly, we must not count them as enemies, but admonish them as brethren. And also that when God by his grace has brought to repentance, they ought with tenderness and joy, and sincere affection, to be received again. Care should always be taken that sinners may not be encouraged, nor penitents discouraged. If it were found that the leprosy was healed, the priest must declare it with the particular solemnities here described. The two birds, one killed, and the other dipped in the blood of the bird that was killed, and then let loose, may signify Christ shedding his blood for sinners, and rising and ascending into heaven. The priest having pronounced the leper clean from the disease, he must make himself clean from all remains of it. Thus those who have comfort of the remission of their sins, must with care and caution cleanse themselves from sins; for every one that has this hope in him, will be concerned to purify himself.

Gill – “and shall let the living bird loose into the open field; as a token of the freedom of the leper, and that he was at liberty to go where he pleased: the Misnic doctors say, when he came to let go the living bird, he did not turn its face neither to the sea, nor to the city, nor to the wilderness, as it is said, “but he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open field”, as in Lev. 14:53;… this may be a figure of the resurrection of Christ from the dead, and of his justification upon it, as the head and representative of his people, and of their free and full discharge from guilt, condemnation, and death, through him, and of his and their being received up into heaven, and whither their hearts should be directed, in affection and thankfulness for their great deliverance and salvation; see 1Timothy 3:16. ”

Hill Pigeon (Columba rupestris) by Nikhil Devasar

Clarke – “Shall let the living bird loose – The Jews teach that wild birds were employed on this occasion, no tame or domestic animal was used. Mr. Ainsworth piously conjectures that the living and dead birds were intended to represent the death and resurrection of Christ, by which an atonement was made to purify the soul from its spiritual leprosy. The bird let loose bears a near analogy to the scapegoat. See Leviticus 16.”

They all seem to see the cleansing as not only for the current situation, by also, representing the future sacrifice of Christ for our sins and the cleansing (forgiveness of sin) that comes from His shed blood. I praise the Lord that He has given His life for us and that we no longer have to go through sacrifices like they did prior to Christ. I am sure the animals and birds also feel blessed.

Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever. (Hebrews 7:25-28 ESV)

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