07-Leviticus 1-18
Feb. 7, 2009
In this weeks study we will begin the book of Leviticus. The name Leviticus comes from the Latin Vulgate, a version of the Greek Old Testament. The name means “Matters of the Levites”. The Hebrew name for the book comes from the first three words of the Hebrew text “And He Called”. The setting for the book is right after the Lord’s Glory filled the newly erected Tabernacle in the final chapter of the book of Exodus. As soon as God entered the Tent of Meeting He called for Moses to come to Him. The following chapters of Leviticus are an account of God’s instructions to Moses on how His people were to approach and worship Him. In Chapters 1-9 God told Moses about offerings and sacrifice. Also he was given instructions on how to consecrate and ordain the Tabernacle, the Priesthood and its service to Him. Today we now realize that the sacrifices and offerings were a representation of God’s plan of redemption for the human race He created through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus. God requires the shedding of blood for the redemption of sin. As Hebrews 9:22 says “And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Now let’s take a little time to think about why our faith is filled with so much blood and sacrifice. Unbelievers throughout history have accused Christianity and Judaism as being bloody and violent. The truth about the blood is that as the Bible tells us in Leviticus 17:11a “For the life of the flesh is in the blood”, and also in Leviticus 17:14a “For as for the life of all flesh, its blood is identified with its life.” The Lord God is serious about sin, and has told us in Romans 6:23a “For the wages of sin is death”. The death of an animal and the shedding of its blood temporarily paid God’s price for mankind’s sin. Man’s final debt was paid in full by the death of Jesus Christ and the shedding of His blood on Calvary. The end result of all this blood is told to us in the second half of Romans 6:23 “but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Of all the worlds’ bloody religions, Christianity is the only one that in the end is bloodless. The end result is eternal life with the Lord. Chapter 1 begins a description of the offerings used to address different sins and trespasses, and also to express thanksgiving to God. The word “offering” was derived from the root meaning “to draw near”. Offerings were required for Gods people to live close to Him. The first offering in the text is the Burnt Offering. This is a voluntary offering that could be given by anyone who had a desire to repent from their sin. The offering had to be a male from the herds or flocks without any defect. No wild beast was acceptable. The type of animal required depended on the wealth of the person giving the offering. The poorest of people could offer as little as pigeons or turtledoves and be accepted. Before the offering was slain the person giving the offering had to place their hands on the head of the animal to identify themselves with the beast. The animal was paying the price that they deserved. The text explains all the individual steps required for this offering. The Grain Offering is explained in Chapter 2. The Grain Offering was an offering that represented dedication to the Lord. It consisted of three different types. The first type is an offering of raw grain ground to fine flour, mixed with oil and frankincense, which was to be burnt up completely on the Altar for the Burnt Offering. The smoke that rose from each of the offerings was a pleasing aroma to the Lord. The second grain offering was that of the flour mixed with oil and baked into unleavened flat bread on the altar. The remains of this offering that were not burnt were to be eaten by the Levites. The third grain offering was an offering of flour mixed with oil and incense, and baked at home in a pan by the person giving the offering. This cake was then broken up by the Levites and offered on the altar. Chapter 3 covers the Peace Offering. The Peace Offering is a voluntary offering of thanksgiving to the Lord. It was to consist of a male or female animal from the flock or herd. The animal was brought to the priests and was slain. The blood of the sacrifice was collected and sprinkled around the altar. The priest then removed the fat and kidneys from the animal and burned them on the fire of the altar to the Lord as His portion. The meat of the offering was then shared with the people as food for a celebration of thanksgiving. This is the only offering that the person offering could partake of. Birds were not permitted for this offering because they were not large enough to share. The Sin Offering is covered in Chapter 4. The Sin Offering was the first one offered and was mandatory for the people. This offering directly foreshadowed the final substitutionary offering of Jesus for us. This was the offering the people used to atone for their sin. The Sin Offering was very specific on the type of animal required by each person or group represented by the offering, and the steps to be taken to offer the sacrifice. Bulls were required for the High priests sins and also for the sins of the whole congregation. Lesser animals were required for other people giving the offering. The blood from the animal was taken along with the fat and kidneys as the portion for the Lord. The blood was sprinkled before the veil in the Tent of Meeting, placed on the horns of the altars, and poured out at the base of the Altar of the Burnt Offering. The fat and kidneys were to be burnt by the priest on the Altar of the Burnt Offering. The remainder of the offering was to be taken from the camp and burned completely with wood in the place where the ashes from the altar were placed. Examples of sins requiring a Sin Offering are listed in Chapter 5. The examples are, withholding evidence when testifying, touching any unclean thing, and the inability to fulfill an exaggerated vow. All sin required an offering, these are just special cases. Also in Chapter 5 the Trespass or Guilt Offering is given. This offering was a ram without defect, and God required it for certain sins outlined in the text. Additional instructions are given in Chapters 6 and 7 concerning the offerings. The text explains how the priests had to wear different clothing to remove ashes from the altar, and then change them to take the ashes outside the camp to dispose of them. Also the fire in the Altar of the Burnt Offering had to be kept burning continuously, it could not go out. Additional instructions were given about the Grain Offering. God said again the offering could not be made with any leaven, and that the Priests were to eat it. The bread had to be eaten in a holy place because the bread had been made holy through the offering. The priests could not eat any of their own grain offerings. The additional instruction on the burnt offering was that the hide of the burnt offering belonged to the priest that performed the sacrifice. The leftover flesh from the peace offering had to be eaten the day of the offering or on the next day. Any leftovers on the third day had to be burned up with fire. God also told Moses that the people could not eat an animal that died on its own or was killed by another animal. They also were not to eat any blood. The penalty for disobeying any of these commands was to be cut off from the people. Aaron, the High Priest, and his sons were consecrated in Chapter 8. Moses gathered together the anointing oil, an unblemished bull, two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread, and brought Aaron and his sons to the Tabernacle. He had the entire congregation gather at the doorway to the courtyard of the tent. Moses then washed Aaron and his sons with water. He took the anointing oil and anointed the Tabernacle and all that was in it. He sprinkled the Altar of Burnt Offering seven times and anointed the Laver and all its utensils. Next he poured some of the anointing oil onto Aaron’s head, consecrating him. This act, and the nature of the anointing oil, is shown through Psalm 133, one of the Songs of Ascent written by King David, and sung by the pilgrims on their journey to the Lords three feasts in Jerusalem later in history. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brothers to dwell together in unity!
It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Coming down upon the beard,
Even Aaron’s beard,
Coming down upon the edge of his robes.
It is like the dew of Hermon
Coming down upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the LORD commanded the blessing--life forever.”
Moses then clothed Aaron in the garments that were made for him, slaughtered the bull, and presented the offering. He then presented the ram for the burnt offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the heads of both animals before they were slain by Moses. The second ram was called the ram of ordination. The blood from it was collected and placed on the right earlobe, the right thumb, and the right big toe of Aaron and his sons. This was to signify that the priests were to listen to God’s Word, perform His assignments, and live holy lives. The remainder of the blood was sprinkled around the altar. The fat and the kidneys of the ram along with one loaf of the unleavened bread was waved by Aaron for a wave offering to the Lord then burned on the altar. The flesh of the ram was then boiled at the doorway of the tent and eaten with the basket of unleavened bread by Aaron and his sons. These offerings were repeated for seven days.
On the eighth day, in Chapter 9, Aaron and his sons performed the sacrifices instead of Moses. Aaron and Moses entered the Tent of Meeting and when they came out they blessed the people. The Glory of the Lord then appeared to the people as a fire came out and consumed the sacrifice on the Altar of Burnt Offering. The Tabernacle, the priests, and their service were now consecrated and ordained. Chapter 10 tells the story of what will happen to anyone who disobeys the rules of service and the priesthood. Nadab and Abihu, two of Aaron’s sons offered “strange fire”, or fire that did not come from the Altar of Burnt Offering and burned incense to the Lord at an inappropriate time. A fire came out from the presence of the Lord, and consumed the brothers. The Lord told Moses to talk to Aaron. God did not tell Moses to console his brother on the loss of his sons, but told him to tell Aaron that the Lord is holy and that He will be honored by anyone who comes near to Him. Some of Aaron’s more distant relatives were told to remove the remains of Aaron’s sons from the Tabernacle. Aaron and his sons were forbidden to tear their clothes and morn their loss. The Lord then Himself spoke to Aaron and told him that the priests were to teach the Children of Israel God’s laws and statutes. He was also told that they were to refrain from wine and strong drink while serving or else they would die. The Lord’s laws were not to be taken lightly. This now ends the chapters on worship and priestly service. Chapter 11 begins God’s instructions and definitions of purity. The instructions begin with a chapter on what animals were acceptable for the people to eat. Wild animals including carnivores were not acceptable to eat, where bulls, goats, and sheep that were the kind of animals tended by people were acceptable, Swine or pigs, although kept by people, were considered by God to be detestable. The pig was the animal most favored for food and sacrifice by the idol worshipping people of the Land of Canaan where the Children of Israel were to settle. Animals that lived in water were restricted to fish that had both fins and scales. This eliminated some of the creatures we eat such as catfish, shrimp and clams. The animals God allowed the people to eat were also foods that were generally safer to eat than the unacceptable creatures. The entire list on the foods in the text is extensive and specific on what God requires from the people. The chapter also deals with what to do with cooking utensils that have come into contact with unclean things. Childbirth is covered in Chapter 12. Although the birth of a child was a joyful occasion, it was also a reminder that sin had been transferred to a new life. The woman who gave birth would become unclean by the birth, and a different period of purification was prescribed for her depending on the gender of her child. All male children had to be circumcised on the eighth day after birth. After the woman’s period of purification was complete she had to bring a burnt and sin offering to the priest to make her become clean again and able to participate in the congregation. Chapter 13 is a long description on the identification of leprosy. The leprosy spoke of here is not the disease we know as leprosy today. This leprosy seems to resemble a scaly skin condition, or some form or type of infection. When leprosy was determined to be present in someone by the priest, the person was isolated from the congregation until the leprosy passed. The tests for telling if the leprosy is present or has passed are in the text. The confirmed leper was a pitiful sight. He had to tear his clothes, cover his face and cry out “UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!” as he walked. The chapter also says that leprosy could be found on clothing. The cleansing for leprosy is covered in Chapter 14. The entire process and the required sacrifices and offerings are outlined in the text. God told Moses that He would place a mark of leprosy on some of the houses of the Land of Canaan when His people went in to possess the land. The process for cleansing these houses is found at the end of the chapter. Chapter 15 covers a variety of discharges from a person’s body and the ways to become clean after the discharge had passed. In Chapter 16, after the death of Aaron’s two sons, God instructed Moses to tell Aaron that he could not enter the Holy of Holies inside the Tent of Meeting or he would die. The only time he could enter into the presence of God was once a year on the Day of Atonement. Aaron on that day had to purify himself with water and perform the required sacrifices. He would then enter within the veil with a basin of blood collected from the sacrifices. At this time he would atone for his sins and the sins of the Children of Israel. If the Lord accepted the offering, Aaron would be allowed to leave and live. One other point about the Day of Atonement was that the priests drew lots to decide between the two rams brought in for the sacrifice. The ram the lot fell on would be called the scapegoat and would be sacrificed alive and not killed. Aaron would then lay both of his hands on the head of the scapegoat and confess all the sins of Israel. The goat would be let go into the wilderness carrying with it the sins of the congregation. The Day of Atonement was to take place only once each year. The rules for sacrifice are given in Chapter 17. The Lord said that all animals slaughtered by the Children of Israel needed to be brought to, and offered to the Lord. The people were not to sacrifice as the other inhabitants of the land did. God also said that the blood is life, and life belongs to the Lord. We will finish up this week with Chapter 18. This chapter deals with the rules on sexual relations. The Lord goes through all the unacceptable forms of sexual relationships in the text. The only form that is acceptable to Him is between a man and his wife. God set this in place first after creating Eve in Genesis 2:24 when He instituted the covenant of marriage. God tells Moses to tell the people not to do what was done in Egypt, and also not to do what is done in the Land of Canaan where they are headed. The people must not become defiled and keep the commandments and judgments of God. Next week we will look at what God has instructed on more laws, and on the feasts of Israel. We will finish up the Book of Leviticus and begin the Book of Numbers with Israel preparing to travel from Mt. Sinai.