…”as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”
2 Corinthians 6:10 (RSV)
Archeologists have fully excavated a magnificent public building which they have dated back 2,000 years ago. I came across a photo that shows the ancient building that was dedicated to shops where the lambs, turtle doves and all things related to temple offerings, were once sold. It was next door to the great temple in Jerusalem. These would have been the shops where Joseph and Mary bought the turtle doves to offer according to Mosaic law for the presentation of their son Jesus, when He was forty days old.
In 2021 this site became open to tourists after all the hard work to fully excavate it. Archeologists confirmed that this building dates back to the time of Jesus, and is situated next to the famous western wall, which was once the temple. I heard someone who visited this mall site, share what a Jewish tour guide told him, “if you are a Christian, you would want to remove your shoes because this is holy ground for you, since your Messiah was brought here 2,000 years ago.” It made me want to search for more information about this biblical custom.
According to the Mosaic law, the firstborn male child belonged to God, and the parents were to buy him back on the 40th day after his birth, by offering a sacrifice of a one year old unblemished lamb as a burnt offering. This law as stated in Leviticus 12:8, permitted parents who couldn’t afford a lamb, to offer two turtledoves instead. Mary and Joseph offered two turtledoves as the gospel tells us, indicating that Jesus’ parents were poor.
They may have been poor, but they made many people rich, and while having nothing, they possessed everything, all within that bundle of humanity wrapped and held in their arms.
I can visualize them stopping at this big building filled with shops, the temple mall of the day, and purchasing the turtledoves to fulfill their obligation. The Lord of the universe, the Holy One, who originally gave this law to Moses on a mountain that thundered with smoke and lightning, was now incarnated as a baby and carried into His own temple, in fulfillment of His own commandments. Let that thought sink in for a minute.
God is very intentional regarding numbers throughout scripture. Forty days was the time of obligation to bring this offering to the temple. Forty days Moses spent on that mountain in the presence of God receiving the law. Forty days Jesus spent fasting and praying in the wilderness before beginning His ministry. We also have a forty day period of lent, when we meditate on the generous offering made by our Father in heaven for us, to buy our souls back from eternal death.
We also were bought back and redeemed, not with two turtledoves, but with the costliest offering of all, the offering of the unblemished lamb of God. We have been redeemed and adopted as God’s children through His Son’s precious blood, to live eternally with Him in heaven.
Lord, we are speechless as we stand on the Holy ground of this truth. We thank and praise your holy name, Jesus. Amen