When you mention the biblical book of Leviticus to any believer in Jesus Christ, they will find their pulse quickened with excitement at the thought of engagement with this wonderful book. Actually, not so much. Maybe for many, not at all. The book of Leviticus will not be the favorite book in the Bible for many people. It is just really strange to most. But, like all Scripture, the book of Leviticus is part of God’s inspired Word. It has a message from God to us. Therefore, it pays to engage the book to find out what God wants to say to us.
This is the second of three posts on the book of Leviticus. In the first post, we did a brief introduction to the book in order to lay the groundwork for a deeper dive into the contents of this book, which is actually very important. The book of Leviticus will give you a better and more thorough understanding of the NT and the cross of Christ. In the book we find seven sections: (1) Sacrificial Offerings (1-7), (2) The Priesthood (8-10), (3) Laws of Clean & Unclean (11-15), (4) The Day of Atonement (16), (5) Laws for Practical Holiness (17-20), (6) The Priesthood: Holiness for the Priests (21-22) (7) Holy Feasts, Blessings & Cursings, and Vows (23-27). In the rest of this post, we will present an overview of each section so that we can get a handle on the important message of the book.
Sacrificial Offerings (1-7)
The book opens with descriptions and regulations for the five kinds of sacrificial offerings: the burnt offering, the grain offering, the peace offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering. Exact prescriptions are given as to how and why each offering is to be given. God is holy and people are sinful. People need forgiveness, and they need an innocent substitute to take their place and satisfy God’s holiness and thus bring them near to him. The five sacrifices serve that purpose and point to the ultimate innocent substitute, Jesus Christ.
The Priesthood (8-10)
An important facet of the plan of God for the ages is the idea of a priesthood. Other religions have priests, but the priests of God are those who stand between God and people. They mediate the relationship between God and people. They are called by God and do not assume the role of their own initiative. As prophets speak to people on God’s behalf, priests speak to God on behalf of people. The critical function of the priesthood is that they offer sacrifices to God for the people. We see the ultimate priest in the high priesthood of Jesus Christ. All previous priests point to Jesus and the sacrifice he offered of Himself.
The second section of the book of Leviticus covers the ordination and consecration of Aaron and his sons as priests of the living God (chapter 8). After the consecration process, they are qualified and equipped to lead the first Tabernacle service (chapter 9). In the course of that first service, something went terribly wrong. Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, offered unauthorized fire on the altar of God, and the judgment of God fell on them, and they died (chapter 10). God is serious about those who represent Him being holy and obedient.
Laws of Clean and Unclean (11-15)
The Tabernacle and the worship there were the center of old covenant life. The purpose of the Tabernacle and its worship was atonement. Atonement is how the unholy can be accepted and come into the presence of the Holy God. Relationship with the Holy God under the old covenant had two states (holy & common) and two conditions (clean & unclean). So, the Lord gave the laws of clean and unclean to show how people move from unclean to clean and from common to holy. The laws of clean and unclean had three reasons: (1) hygiene, (2) guard against idolatry, (3) fallenness. There are many things that are not sinful in themselves but are the result of the fall and the condition of the world after the fall. In this section, descriptions and regulations for five kinds of clean and unclean animals and conditions are given: (1) Dietary Laws (Ch. 11), (2) Childbirth Laws (Ch. 12), (3) Skin Diseases (Ch.13), (4) Laws for Cleaning Skin Disease (Ch. 14), (5) Bodily Discharge (ch.15).
Jesus came to fulfill the laws of clean and unclean (Matthew 5:17). The laws of physical uncleanness point to the spiritual reality of an unclean heart (Matthew 15:1-20). The gospel of Jesus Christ cleanses those who have faith in Jesus Christ from all sin (Acts 15:9; 22:16; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Ephesians 5:26; Titus 2:14). As believers in Jesus, we can come to God and confess our sins and enjoy the fellowship with God that Jesus provided on the cross.
The Day of Atonement (16)
The Day of Atonement is the most important and holy day of the year for the children of Israel. On that day, the Lord made provision for an unholy people to enter his holy presence. The Day of Atonement is the central instruction in Leviticus, the central book of the Torah.
The order of the Day of Atonement ritual is six-fold. First, the high priest removes his regular priestly garments, washes himself, and puts on special linen garments. Second, the high priest offers a bull as a sin offering for himself and his house. Third, the high priest takes two goats and chooses one by lot to sacrifice. He takes its blood and sprinkles some on the mercy seat, which is on top of the ark of the covenant. The ark of the covenant is in the most holy place, which only the high priest can enter and only on the Day of Atonement each year. This blood makes atonement for the people, the holy place, the tent of meeting, and the altar. Fourth, the high priest lays both hands on the second goat and confesses all the sins of the people. The goat is taken into the wilderness to remove the sins of the people from the camp. Fifth, the high priest removes his special linen garments, washes his body, and clothes himself with his regular priestly garments. Lastly, those who took the scapegoat into the wilderness and those who removed the unused parts of the sacrifices from the camp removed and washed their clothes and their bodies. The Day of Atonement is a perpetual ritual to be observed during the old covenant period.
The Day of Atonement finds its fulfillment in the cross of Jesus Christ (Isaiah 53:5-6, 10; Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45; Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:5, 11-12, 23-26). He is the atoning sacrifice that takes away our sin and guilt and opens the way for a relationship with God. It is impossible to overemphasize the greatness of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. It is something we should often meditate on and praise Him for because it opens the door for our eternal salvation.
Laws for Practical Holiness (17-20)
The laws for practical holiness are often called the Holiness code. They describe holiness for everyday life. They are instructions from the Lord on how to maintain a holy life. The statement, “I am the Lord,” is found twenty-two times in these chapters and fifteen times in chapter nineteen alone. This is to emphasize the serious nature of these instructions. The main concern in these chapters is the fight against idolatry (17:7; 18:1-5; 19:4, 26-28, 31; 20:1-2, 6). The people of God must never engage in the practices of pagan idolaters. Idolatry is something that can happen even today. Idolatry is a God substitute. People substitute all kinds of things for the true and living God.
The Layout of the Laws of Practical Holiness:
- The Importance of proper sacrifice (ch.17)
- Laws against pagan sexual practices (ch. 18)
- The Heart of Holiness: Love of Neighbor (ch.19)
- Laws against pagan practices & sexual perversion (20)
It is the blood of Jesus Christ that makes the believer holy and maintains a holy life (1 Peter 1:13-25). All the sacrifices and rituals of Leviticus point to Jesus. We love Him and follow Him because of His work on our behalf.
Holy Feast, Blessings & Curses and Vows (23-27)
The holy days in Israel were a time for spiritual renewal and a time to refocus one’s life on the Lord. They were a time to remember and celebrate the past blessings of the Lord and thank him for the present blessings he provides. The holy days were holy convocations, which were times of holy gathering for the people of Israel. There are seven kinds of holy days in Israel, with each having a historical, spiritual, and prophetic meaning. There is The Sabbath, Passover & Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Weeks (Pentecost), Trumpets, The Day of Atonement and Booths (Tabernacles). They all find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ, either in His first coming or His second coming.
Conclusion:
The book of Leviticus defined worship and set responsibilities and boundaries for everyday life for the covenant people of God. It is hard to imagine the impact the book had on people in the old covenant. But its impact doesn’t end there. The impact continues on into the new covenant. We find in the NT many quotes from the book of Leviticus. But its impact is wider even than that. The book pointed prophetically to the Lord Jesus Christ and the salvation He brings. Therefore, the book can speak to us about our salvation and the Christian way of life-based on our salvation. We see Peter applying the book of Leviticus to new covenant believers in 1 Peter 1:14-25. To live as we ought to live as followers of Jesus, it is necessary to engage with the book of Leviticus on a regular basis. It will bless your life.