As it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy 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."

 

Luke 2:21–24: "And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. 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.'"

The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and said, as recorded in Luke 1:31, "Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus." Thus, on the eighth day, when the circumcision took place, Mary named Him Jesus.

The rite of circumcision carries two meanings. First, it signifies the death of the flesh—an indication that one is dead before God (symbolizing Jesus, who died on the cross). Second, it signifies that the promise of the "seed" is embedded within the mark itself; in other words, it promises a new creation (symbolizing the resurrected Christ). Because circumcision is performed on the male reproductive organ, it points to the promise of the "seed"—and that "seed" is none other than Christ. Through circumcision, all the people of Israel held faith in the Christ who was to come.

However, this circumcision eventually devolved into a mere formality. Consequently, the emphasis shifted toward the "circumcision of the heart." Romans 2:29 states, "A person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart—by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God." Circumcision is a rite of death—the old self dies, and a new self is born. Circumcision of the heart is what the rite of baptism represents today. Baptism signifies dying with Christ on the cross (water baptism) and being born into a new life through resurrection (baptism in the Holy Spirit).

Romans 6:4–5 says, "We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his."

Circumcision of the heart is the death of the old self (the body of the flesh) and the rebirth of the new self (the spiritual body). 1 Corinthians 15:44 notes, "It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body." Colossians 2:11 adds, "In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off—this circumcision performed by Christ." The circumcision of Christ is, in essence, being clothed with Christ—putting on a spiritual body.

Under the Law of Moses, a firstborn son required the offering of a sacrifice. Exodus 13:2 states, “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.” In accordance with this, those who were poor were permitted to offer a pair of doves as a sacrifice. This reveals the humble circumstances of the Messiah. It demonstrates that the Messiah’s ministry did not rely on favorable worldly conditions, and it foreshadows that the purpose of His birth was to serve others—as expressed in Matthew 20:28: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Regarding doves, Jesus said in Matthew 10:16, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless [pure] as doves.” The Greek word for “pure” (or “harmless”) is *akeraioi* (ἀκέραιοι). The prefix *a-* (ἀ-) denotes negation. *Keraioi* (derived from *kerannumi*) means “innocent” or “simple.” Since *kerannumi* means “to mix,” the term *akeraioi* signifies “unmixed” or “unadulterated.”

This carries the same meaning as the Hebrew word *yonah* (dove). To be “mixed” is to fall into sin; therefore, *yonah*—representing a dove—symbolizes the unadulterated word of truth. A dove also appears in the account of Jesus’ baptism. In John 1:32, John testifies: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him." In 1 Peter 3:18, Peter suggests that the flood in the time of Noah carries the same significance as baptism. Similarly, when Jesus was baptized, the descent of the Holy Spirit like a dove mirrors the moment a dove was released from the ark. Baptism signifies the death of one’s former self and the emergence of a new creation; it represents a state that does not mingle with what came before—much like the nature of baptism and circumcision.

Leviticus 12:6–8 states: "When the days of her purification for a son or daughter are over, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering. He shall present them before the Lord and make atonement for her, and then she will be ceremonially clean from her discharge of blood. These are the regulations for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl. If she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean."

God commanded that once the period of purification following childbirth had passed, a woman was to offer both a burnt offering and a sin offering. The burnt offering served as an expression of gratitude for the childbirth and a gesture of devotion; depending on the family’s financial circumstances, the woman was to offer either a lamb or a dove to the Lord. What God desires is not the monetary value of an offering, but a heart of gratitude and devotion toward Him. In the Old Testament era, ordinary people could not enter the sanctuary or offer sacrifices directly; they could only do so through a priest. This serves as a foreshadowing of how believers today can approach God solely through Jesus Christ, the Mediator.

Why did God associate human birth with "uncleanness"? From the moment of birth, a human being is a sinner. "Uncleanness" signifies that one is separated from God. In Genesis 1:28, God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." This blessing refers to a heavenly blessing. Although humanity has fallen from the Kingdom of God and is now confined to this world, the command is to be filled with the Word of God and to exercise dominion over this world—it is not a promise of material prosperity or a comfortable life within this world. While we must all eventually depart from this world, those who believe in the promised Word are truly blessed. Thus, when one believes in that promised Word and enters into Christ—who is above all things—and becomes united with Him, one attains a fullness that transcends all creation.

Genesis 3:16 states, "To the woman He said, 'I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.'" This is a symbolic expression. The "husband" represents Christ, while the "wife" represents those spirits who have departed from their dwelling place in the Kingdom of God. Pregnancy symbolizes the confinement of spirits—which have departed from their dwelling in the Kingdom of God—within this world. The pain of pregnancy signifies the suffering endured upon leaving the Kingdom of God. Christ desires to bring these estranged spirits back to the Kingdom of God; He wishes for them to become one once again. Regarding Genesis 2:24, which states, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh," it can be understood that all human beings born into this world are spirits who committed a transgression in the Kingdom of God. Consequently, these spirits become trapped within physical bodies.