1.The Book

Context (Where, what, who) – Before Mt Sinai! See 26:46

Events covered: 30 days!

Name: Manual for the Levites

Only 2 narrative portions. 90% dictation, “The Lord said”

2.Brief overview of the content

-Offerings 1-7 ( Burnt, Grain, Peace)

-Consecration of Aaron and sons to priesthood 8

-Priestly ministry beings 9, Glory of Lord appears (23f)

-Nadab and Abihu, 2 sons – offer strange fire. 10. (Read v3

  • (consecrated, priests, but not according to what God commanded)
  • “don’t weep for your sons, weep for the Lord’s anger!”

-Code of cleanness 11-15, foods. Almost like object lesson about holiness and separation (see 11:44-45). Food, animals, childbirth, disease, hair (see 13:40 – baldness!), discharges from the body. Dual purpose: health, holiness

-Day of Atonement – Yom Kippur (17) – once a year atonement for all the sins of every Israelite

-Sexual morality (18), adultery, homosexuality, bestiality

-Morality, righteousness, justice (19) cf v15-18. also witchcraft.

-Penalties for lawbreaking 20 (death, death, death)

-Purity of priests – marry clean, body perfect 21

  • And their offerings too, no defects

-Feasts 23, Sabbath, Passover, Firstfruits (coming into Canaan), Weeks (firstfruits of whaet harvest), Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles (commemorated wilderness travellings)

-Tabernacle ordinances 24

  • Account of treating God’s name as common – blasphemy (24:10f)

-Sabbath Year in Canaan 25, 7 7’s, then Jubilee on Day Of Atonement

-Blessings and Curses26

(not only a manual for Levites, is it?)

How would you sumarise it?

The way of holiness? How to become clean, and how to remain clean?

3.Purpose of Leviticus

Leviticus – all about Fellowship with God

-“the Romans of the OT” – man and God together

  • 1st book studied by Jewish students of the Torah
  • The heart of the Pentateuch,
    and even the gospel (Rom 3:25)
    – mediation btn God and man via Priest

-written to show HOW Yahweh gave instructions that enabled Him to live among and have fellowship with His Chosen People, which enabled them to have fellowship with Him.

-How in the first place has God come to communicate with them in the tent of meeting? Ex 24:8(5-11), 40:34(having erected the tabernacle…v33b-38). = Through the blood sealed covenant.

-MAJOR THEME: The Presence of God:… but that derives a second major theme: HOLINESS! And God’s holiness, calls for Israel’s holiness.

-Lev 19:2

  • God’s holiness, purity, wholeness was the standard for their lives, because he dwelt among them. Anything unclean an offense to God. Therefore sacrifice necessary to maintain that presence.

-In order for God to REMAIN in fellowship with them, they are to be faithfully obedient to His instructions, given in Leviticus (and Exodus, Numbers)

  • C.f. Ezekiel 8-11: The Presence of Yahweh departs the temple because of their unfaithfulness (8:6, 9:3, 10:18, 11:12, 11:23)

-Through their sacrifices they can come before the Lord (1-17) and through their holy lives, fellowship is sustained (18-27).
2-parts to fellowship: Sacrifice and faithful obedience.

4.Literary Structure

Can be divided in this way:

Basis for Fellowship: Sacrifice (1-17)

Obligations of Fellowship: Sanctification (18-27)

OR, The Way, and, The Walk

1-17: The Way to God through sacrifice.
PROPITIATORY SACRIFICE / 18-27: The Walk with God
PRACTICAL SANCTIFICATION
Deals with ceremonial and physical defilement, / Deals with moral and spiritual defilement
Has to do with worship / Has to do with worship
All realtes to the Tabernacle / All realtes to character and conduct
Purification is provided / Punishment is inflicted
Has to do with Cleansing / Has to do with Clean Living

5.The Great NT truth captured in 1 John 1:6-7

If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and we walk in darkness, we lie and are not practicing the truth.

But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of His Son Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.

-Leviticus is a marvellous illustration of this truth. These 2 complementary aspects, CLEANSING and WALKING IN THE LIGHT, bring us fellowship with God, and God with us.

-The blood cleanses, yes, but only if you walk in the light.

  • On the one hand: God purifies those who are unclean (Acts 15:9, “purifying their hearts by faith”), through the sacrificial death blood of Jesus Christ (1 John 1:7)
  • On the other hand: Believers are to purify themselves – “walk in the light”. See 2 Cor 7:1 “let us cleanse ourselves, perfecting holiness” and Jas 4:8 “draw near to God and He will draw near to you, cleanse your hands you sinners…”

we have fellowship with one another

(Father, Christ, Believers)

SACRIFICE / SANCTIFICATION
“and the blood of Christ purifies us from all sin”
1 – 17
(Acts 15:7) / “if we walk in the light as He is in the light”
18 – 27
(2 Cor 7:1)

6.Note on sacrifices

(relationship with God maintained on the basis of these offerings)

Burnt / Voluntary and complete dedication and consecration to the LORD. Repenting from sin, penitence and obedeience. Self-dedication to worship God.
grain / Homage, thanksgiving (given with burnt offering)
Peace / To symbolise perfect Peace and fellowship btn God and worshiper. Alongside burnt and grain offering: signifying reconciliation

-a sweet savour to God, non-compulsory sacrifice. Free-willing.

Sin / When no restitution available
Trespass / When restitution can be made, to priests for God’s property, or to harmed person

-compulsory sacrifices

Huge system of fellowship! Imagine maintaining this? It is impossible, as Israel discovered, and as the Law was given to show.

But Christ is the fulfilment of all these offerings.

These foreshadow Christ’s offering – gives His sacrifice depth and meaning

How Christ fulfils these offerings:

Burnt (complete consecration, repentance, dedication) / Christ was sinless / Provides Atonement
Grain (Homage, thanksgiving) / Christ was wholly devoted to the Father’s will / Provides Consecration to God through Him
Peace (Fellowship with God) / Christ was at peace with God / Provides reconciliation, fellowship
Sin (no restitution possible) / Christ died substitutionary death / Provides propitiation
Trespass (restitution possible) / Christ paid it all, redemption / Provides repentance/ redemption

Christ has paid what we can pay for, and what we can’t!

But Fellowship requires not only sacrifice but priesthood! Pardon from guilt requires mediation.

How Christ fulfils the Priesthood

Jesus is our priest forever,

-Read: Heb 5:1-10

-Read Hebrews 10:1-22

7.Lessons about holiness

Holiness and Uncleanness are totally incompatible, mutually exclusive

(definition of Holy: separate, clean, other)

They have dynamic natures – they transmit their nature

God is Holy. It is who He is. Lev 19:2. Everything that is holy is only holy because He has graciously imparted His holiness to it.

But the Bible is clear that this remains a battle for us, this side of eternity.

Unholiness corrupts. Mark 7: What makes a man unclean? Sinful heart.

Holiness is our calling: 1 Thes 4:3,7

Holiness: must be the ambition of every believer (1 Pet 1:15-17, Heb 12:14-17)

AND God’s role also recognised: 1 Thes 5:23, Heb 12:10

Christ is the sanctifier! Heb 2:11

[[“your practice will never be more than your theology” – Tozer]]