Where Does the Idea of a Baby Dedication Come From?
There are only two Biblical passages used to support baby dedications The first is 1 Samuel 1:28 “So I have also dedicated him to Yehovah; as long as he lives he is dedicated to Yehovah.”
These were Hannah’s words as she brought her freshly-weaned son, Samuel, to the temple and gave him to the priest, Eli. Hannah had prayed fervently for a child to end her barrenness, and had promised Yehovah that, should He enable her to conceive, she would (literally and physically) give her child to Elohim. The practical, geographical location to do this was the Temple in Jerusalem.
So when she dedicated Samuel to Yehovah, she actually gave the child to Elohim’s human representative on earth, the High Priest. It was here in the temple that Samuel grew up and received an annual visit from his mother from far-off Ephraim (1 Samuel 2:19).
Thus, this biblical example of dedicating a child to Elohim consisted of actually giving the child to the Elohim… and walking away. This is affirmed by Eli’s prayer for Hannah to have more children “in place of the one she dedicated to Yehovah” (1 Samuel 2:20).
The Hebrew word translated “dedicated” (used only here in the Old Testament in this way) means, “to lend.” It is a business or commercial term that means to either “borrow or lend some valuable asset to another.” In Samuel’s case, he was permanently lent to Yehovah by his parents to do the Yehovah’s work. If we work from this example, to dedicate a child to Elohim means to permanently lend him/her to Elohim and not to just have a congregational service commit one’s self to raising the child .
What Is The Other Example in the Bible Used To Support Parents Dedicating Their Children to God?
The second passage of the Bible which has been used to support parents dedicating their child to Elohim is Luke 2:21—24
Luke 2:21 “And when eight days were completed so that it was time for His circumcision, He was also named Yeshua, the name given by the messenger before He was conceived in the womb.”
This verse is not about dedication, but rather about circumcision. The two primary passages regarding this commandment are:
Genesis 17:10 “This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised.
and
Leviticus 12:3 ‘Then on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.
The command is that “every male among you shall be circumcised”, and that he is to be circumcised on the eight day. If those who want to argue that this is the source of Biblical teachings on dedication then we should also rightly argue that child dedications are then only for boys and not girls, and be held on the eighth day after they are born.
Moving further in this passage from Luke we read;
Luke 2:22 And when the days for her purification according to the Torah of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to Yehovah
Luk 2:23 (as it is written in the Torah of Yehovah: “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to Yehovah”),
Luk 2:24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what has been stated in the Torah of Yehovah: “A pair of turtledoves or two young doves.”
Their are actually two things taking place in this passage:
1. Mary’s purification after child birth: And when the days for her purification according to the Torah of Moses were completed… and to offer a sacrifice according to what has been stated in the Torah of Yehovah: “A pair of turtledoves or two young doves.”
2.Yeshua’s redemption as the firstborn…as it is written in the Torah of Yehovah: “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to Yehovah”)
Let us look at these two commands in Scripture.
Regarding Mary’s purification after childbirth we read in chapter 12:
Then Yehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
2“Speak to the sons of Israel, saying: ‘When a woman gives birth and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean for seven days, as in the days of her menstruation she shall be unclean.
3‘On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.
4‘Then she shall remain in the blood of her purification for thirty-three days; she shall not touch any consecrated thing, nor enter the sanctuary until the days of her purification are completed.
5‘But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean for two weeks, as in her menstruation; and she shall remain in the blood of her purification for sixty-six days.
6‘When the days of her purification are completed, for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the doorway of the tent of meeting a one year old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a purification offering.
7‘Then he shall offer it before Yehovah and make cleansing for her, and she shall be cleansed from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, whether a male or a female.
8‘But if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, the one for a burnt offering and the other for a purification offering; and the priest shall make cleansing for her, and she will be clean.’”
The concept of purification after childbirth is rooted in the Old Testament, specifically in the Mosaic Law, which outlines the ceremonial practices required for a woman following the birth of a child. This practice is primarily detailed in Leviticus 12, which provides specific instructions regarding the period of uncleanness and the subsequent rites of purification.
The period of uncleanness and purification serves several purposes within the context of the Israelite community. It underscores the sanctity of life and the importance of ritual purity in maintaining a relationship with Elohim. The distinction between the periods for male and female children, while not explicitly explained in the text, reflects the cultural and religious norms of ancient Israel.
After the completion of the purification period, the woman is required to bring offerings to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Leviticus 12:6-8 states, "When the days of her purification are complete, whether for a son or for a daughter, 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 turtledove for a purification offering. And the priest will present them before Yehovah and make a cleansing for her, and she will be ceremonially cleansed from her flow of blood. This is the law for a woman giving birth, whether to a male or female. But if she cannot afford a lamb, she may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a purification offering. Then the priest will make a cleansing for her, and she will be clean.'"
The offerings serve as a means of cleansing and restoration of ceremonial purity, allowing the woman to re-enter the community's religious life. The provision for a less costly offering underscores Elohim’s compassion and consideration for the economic circumstances of the individual, ensuring that all women, regardless of their financial status, could fulfill the requirements of the Torah.
In the New Testament, the practice of purification after childbirth is referenced in the account of Mary, the mother of Yeshua. In Luke 2:22-24 , it is recorded, "And when the days of her purification according to the Torah of Moses were complete,…to offer the sacrifice specified in Torah of Yehovah: 'A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.'"
This passage highlights the adherence of Mary and Joseph to the Torah, demonstrating their piety and obedience. It also serves as a testament to the continuity of Jewish customs and obedience to the Torah in the life of Yeshua Messiah.
The practice of purification after childbirth, while specific to the Old Covenant, reflects broader theological themes of purity, cleansing, and the sanctity of life that resonate throughout the biblical narrative. This however again has nothing to do with child dedication, but then if one wants to use is it as a prooftext for dediction… they had better be prepared to bring their offerings for cleansing to the dedication service.
Let us next look at the so called; “dedication of Yeshua at the temple”, what is going on here? In Luke 2 we read…Luke 2:22 they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to Yehovah
Luke 2:23 (as it is written in the Torah of Yehovah: “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to Yehovah”)
The Torah provides specific instructions for the redemption of the firstborn. In Numbers 18:15-16, it is written, "The firstborn of every womb, whether man or beast, that is offered to Yehovah, belongs to you. But you must surely redeem the firstborn of man and the firstborn of unclean animals. You are to pay the redemption price for a month-old male, five shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel, which is twenty gerahs.
This redemption price was a symbolic act acknowledging Elohim’s claim over the firstborn and served as a tangible expression of gratitude and obedience. The Levites were set apart to serve in the tabernacle in place of the firstborn of Israel, as described in Numbers 3:12-13: "Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb. The Levites belong to Me, for all the firstborn are Mine."
According to the redemption commandment, the father holds up the firstborn son before the priest and says, “This is my firstborn son; he is the first issue of his mother’s womb, and Yehovah, has commanded me to redeem him.” The priest then inquires, “Which do you prefer, to give away your firstborn son (to me) … or to redeem him for five shekels as you are required by the Torah?” The father then replies, “I wish to redeem my son. I present you with the cost of his redemption.” The father recites a blessing and then hands both son and money to the priest. The priest takes the child in his arms, blesses him and then hands the child back to the father.
But again… this is not a “child dedication service” it is Luke recording redemption of Yeshua at the temple, and it only applies tor the first-born male child.
Why Do Some congregations Hold Child Dedication Services Today?
There is probably a wide range of answers to this question including the infamous, “We don’t know! It is just what we have always done.” But I think on the whole, there is generally one good motivation and one not so good.
Genuine Love
Christians love their children and acknowledge them as a gift from Yehovah (Psalm 127). They note how Yeshua invited little children to come to Him that He might pray for them (Matthew 19:13-15). In a desire to thank the Lord for the real gift of these children, many congregations feel some kind of public ceremony of thanks to Elohim and prayer for the child is appropriate.
This is a good motivation. We ought to be thankful to Elohim for our children and we ought to rejoice when parents are blessed with a newborn. However, there might be other ways to do this that do not involve a dedication service.
Theological Envy?
A less noble motivation is theological envy. Some Christians understand infant baptism to be a parallel to the Old Covenant requirement of male circumcision. Children (infants) are therefore sprinkled with water (baptized) as a sign of entering into the “covenant community.” Although it is expressed in many different ways, the underlying result of this baptism is a supposed “inclination” or “better chance” of responding to the gospel later in life. This drifts dangerously close to superstition.
Unfortunately, some of our congregations seem to have wanted a similar ordinance for their children to perhaps give a similar kind of confidence to parents. congregations developed their own kind of kingdom initiation rite called “baby dedication.” J. I. Packer, accurately (although with tongue in cheek), suggests these baby dedications are nothing more than “dry baptisms” and adult (believer) baptisms are simply “wet confirmations!” In other words, they are accomplishing the same thing. He has a point.
We do not baptize babies because there is no biblical example or instruction to do so and the whole concept is contrary to the biblical definition of baptism as that which follows conversion. In the same way, we would be better off not practizing Baby Dedications as there is no Biblical precedent for them and to do so confuses the dedication service with something like an infant baptism
Don’t You Love Children?
Yes, we love children. Our theology, however, teaches us that as sweet as our children are, they are born under the curse of sin (Romans 5:12ff). As sinners, they are not any more predisposed to the gospel of grace than the child of the non-believer in some forgotten land. Both children need the enlightening work of the Holy Spirit to bring about the new birth. Both need to turn to Yeshua in repentance and faith. This is their only hope for salvation.
It is true that the child who grows up under the “sound of the Gospel” is given many benefits that the child of the non-believer does not receive, but the Bible is crystal clear that both need the same Savior in the same way.
One of our hopes in omitting Child Dedications from the formal worship services of our congregation is that parents will be more motivated to do the four most important things they can for their children:
A parent who (perhaps even subconsciously) holds on to the false hope of some supposed “dedication” may be prone to depend on a ceremony rather than the Savior of sinners.