Leviticus

Written during the time of the Exodus, part of the initial five books that make up the Torah – the Law which is the first portion of the TNK (TaNaKh) which is the Torah, Nebium, Kethubim

~ Leviticus is an outgrowth of God’s desire that His people reflect His holiness

in their worship and their walk

WORSHIP – Chapters 1-16

WALK – Chapters 17-27

Divisions of the Book

Chapters 1-7

Handbook of Sacrifice

Why?

MUST BE CLEAN

BEFORE YOU CAN

WORSHIP GOD – YOU MUST BE

CLEAN of HEART

HERE HE TEACHES CLEANNESS

THROUGH

SACRIFICE of SOMETHING

PERFECT

It is based on the

 condition of the heart

Since God is giving them 7 chapters on how to conduct sacrifices it must be important to Him. WHY?

It was so that they could make certain that their HEARTS were right BEFORE they approached GOD.

 

PREPARING TO WORSHIP-DRAWING CLOSE

Chapters 8-10

Regulations on

Diet and Disease of Sacrifice

In order to approach God, a Jewish worshiper needed not only an offering (chaps. 1-7) but also the mediation of a priest ^[1]

See also Hebrews 5:1-4

In accordance with the Day of Atonement, the celebration of a communal feast offering replaced the scape goat offering which signified a change in the way the nation would come to see their relationship with God.

Chapter 8 Is the ordination of Aaron and his sons as priests –

They were to be isolated seven days and then ceremonially cleansed, sacrifices of sin and burnt offering. Then they did each of the leaders of the 12 tribes; theirs were sin, burnt, grain and fellowship offerings.

PURPOSE?? Even though man had innate sin; God was preparing a way so that they could have fellowship with Him, the most Holy God.

Sin, Burnt (Priests) plus Sin, Burnt, Peace and Meat because the Lord God was going to appear to them that day – in His glory at the tent of meeting…

The priests’ tasks were to teach the people about holiness and it was the reason that Nadab’s and Abihu’s sins were so poignant, because the sin they did would mislead the people, they had to be dealt with. All of this leads to the teaching to the people about holiness in chapters 11-15

UNDERSTANDING HIS HOLINESS

Teaching about clean and unclean animals (the rock hyrax) – dual purpose; only the perfectly clean sacrifice was good enough and the need to teach diet and issues of cleanliness to prevent disease

Chapter 12 – uncleanness of a woman is more related to the original sin and the curse of pain etc. in child birth

Teaching was very practical i.e.  leprosy, mold, germs and all the issues of disease

Chapter 16 Preparing to be with God in His holy sanctuary – Preparing for Heaven!

Chapter 17 Laws against eating blood and the belief that within the blood is life – the picture of the eternal life through Christ’s blood.

MADE CLEAN BY HIS BLOOD

Chapters 18 and 19 Laws against immoral relations and the command to love your neighbor… helping them understand God – His holiness and His love

Chapter 20 – Laws against child sacrifice (COMMON among pagan tribes all around them)

If we do not show folks that we are DIFFERENT than what keeps them from worshipping at the altar of Jerry Springer types of celebrities…

Leviticus 20:26 “Be ye holy, because I am holy” – IMPOSSIBLE without Christ and this they were ye to learn!

Leviticus 25 The Year of Jubilee – Slaves freed! Picture of us!

Leviticus 26 – Blessings for obedience; Consequences for disobedience.

Leviticus 27:14 – “A man shall sanctify his house to be holy unto the Lord”

WALKING WORTHY