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Leviticus Page A -

The Book of Leviticus

General Information

Leviticus is the first book of the Scriptures studied by Jewish children. To some Bible readers, it is a book that stirs the least interest. The content may seem dull, but within this book there are in fact many teachings and revelations.

If one does not understand the Book of Leviticus, it is impossible for one to understand the Book of Hebrews of the New Testament.

The original Hebrew name of Leviticus means: "And He called" (Lev 1:1). This is a characteristic shared by the Pentateuch, that the titles were taken from part of the first verse of the beginning chapter. Its Greek translation is "Levitikos", meaning the descendants of Aaron will be priests, the Levites.

The content of the book centers around the theme of following the laws and decrees. This included offering sacrifices (ch. 1-7), consecration of the priests and the conducts prescribed for them (ch. 8-10), the laws of the clean and the unclean (ch. 11-15), the Day of Atonement (ch. 16), moral and ceremonial laws for the purpose of becoming and remain pure and holy (ch. 17-26), making vows (ch. 27), and so on.

All of those regulations and decrees were established for the sake of becoming holy. As it is portrayed in the key verses of the book "And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy' " (Lev 19:1-2).

The purpose of offering sacrifices is to keep a close fellowship with God. The Israelites are God's people, and God is the God of the Israelites.

For men to maintain such a relationship with God, they must pursue after a lifestyle shaped by good morals and regulated by the laws. "You shall not…" (Lev 26:1, example of an apodictic law), "if…then let him…" (Lev 4:3, example of a casuistic law).

We need to refer to the New Testament as the basis for us to understand some of the prefigurations. In particular the book of Hebrews - its main focus is on our relationship with God.

The spirit and essence of the laws does not lie on the actions or the rituals. Its purpose is to encourage for a holier lifestyle from Christians nowadays.

How do we compare between sacred rituals of the past and contemporary ways of worship? This is another topic of study in the Book of Leviticus.

"Now the purpose of the commandment is love…" (1 Tim 1:5)

Leviticus Chapter 1

A.Outline

  1. Burnt offering of the herd (v. 1-9)
  2. Burnt offering of the sheep or goats (v. 10-13)
  3. Burnt offering of the birds (v. 14-17)

B.Explanations

  1. V. 3: Offer a male without blemish. Any defects represent imperfections. In our faith we should pursue after complete purity, without blemish (Eph 5:27). Pursue after holiness, for no one will see the Lord without holiness (Heb 12:14). For God is holy, and we too shall become holy (Lev 19:2).
  2. V. 4: He shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering. This signifies that the lives of man and the herd are united, and his transgressions are now on the herd (Lev 16:21). Man will be punished for the sins he has committed, and through burnt offerings, the herds make atonement for men. The value of animals can never replace or redeem for the lives of men, but those sacrifices will act as reminders for men of their sins (Heb 10:1-4). It also prefigures Jesus Christ as the sacrificial Lamb (Jn 1:29).
  3. V. 5: Life is in the blood (Gen 9:4-7). We show our respect for life by not eating blood. To sprinkle the blood all around on the altar means life belongs to the Lord, and it should be offered to Him. This is also part of making a covenant with God through blood. Whoever fails to keep the covenant, his blood will be shed as punishment (Ex 24:5-8).
  4. V. 6: He shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. This is part of the preparation, showing that this offering is for the Lord. It shall be put on the altar like food being offered to God. Therefore the altar is also known as "the table of the Lord" (Ezek 41:22; Mal 1:7,12).
  5. V. 9: All shall be burnt. This shows that the lives of man should be offered to God completely. We are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice now (Rom 12:1). We don't live for ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we also die to the Lord. Whether we live or die, we are the Lord's (Rom 14:7-8).
  6. V. 14: When someone is unable to offer of the herd or sheep due to financial restrictions, they may replace them with birds as the burnt offering. The sacrifice cannot be measured by the value of the animals, but by the attitudes and hearts of men. It also depends on the daily conducts of man, whether he pleases God or not. Jesus valued and remembered the offering of the poor widow more than that of the rich people (Mk 12:41-44).

C.Discussion Questions

  1. How do we differentiate between doing works for God, and doing works for ourselves?
  2. What are some of your experiences in making offerings to God?

Leviticus Chapter 2

A.Outline

  1. Procedures for making grain offerings (v. 1-3)
  2. Various preparations of the grain offering (v. 4-10)
  3. No leaven and seasoned with salt (v. 11-13)
  4. Offer a grain offering of the first fruits (v. 14-16)

B.Explanations

  1. V. 1: Grain offerings are often offered together with other offerings such as the peace offering (Lev 7:11-14, 9:4; Num 15:1-10). God has no need of food provided by men (Ps 50:8-13), giving the grain offering simply shows praise and thanksgiving from His worshippers. Secondly, the grain offerings are part of the provision for the priests. The Levites have no materialistic possession. God is their inheritance.
  2. V. 11: No grain offering shall be made with leaven or honey. The significance of eating unleavened bread is for the Israelites to remember their journey departing from Egypt (Ex 12:39). Offering without leaven also represents purity, without blemish, because even with a little bit of leaven it leavens the whole lump (1 Cor 5:6-8). However, as it is mentioned in the later chapters, leavened bread shall be offered with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of the peace offering. The peace offering is offered for the purpose of thanksgiving. Leavened bread has a softer texture and is good for food (Lev 7:11-13).
  3. V. 13: Every offering of the grain offering shall be seasoned with salt. It is a covenant of salt before the Lord, a covenant that is forever and will never be forgotten (Num 18:19; 2Chr 13:5). Another teaching we receive from this is that to be seasoned with salt signifies a friendly and graceful character (Col 4:6).
  4. V. 14: To offer up the first fruits as the grain offering. Thefirst fruits are the most valuable from the harvest; it is the result of one year’s worth of hard work. Since it is that precious it should be brought into the house of God (Ex 23:19). This teaches us we must offer to God wholeheartedly and with all our strength. When we do this, God will be pleased with us.
  5. V. 16: Part of the offering shall be burnt as the memorial portion, as an offering made by fire to God. This way God may remember men's desire to offer up their hearts of thanksgiving, and in return God will continue to shower them with blessings. The term "memorial" can also be translated as a "reminder". God does not need any reminders. Men are the ones that need to be reminded of God's grace. Men often forget about their vows to God.

C.Discussion Questions

  1. How does the church provide for full-time holy workers?
  2. In a situation when A and B are in conflict with one another, how should they reestablish a harmonious relationship?

Leviticus Chapter 3

A.Outline

  1. Peace offering of the herd (v. 1-5)
  2. Peace offering of the flock (v. 6-11)
  3. Peace offering of the goats (v. 12-17)

B.Explanations

  1. V. 1: An animal from the herd must be sacrificed without blemish. Blemish refers to defects of the body, which makes them less valuable. Seriously blemished animals may even be discarded. If we sacrifice those blemished animals, not only is it disrespectful to God, but also treats God as less important. In the society, we would not offer a blemished gift to our boss, not to mention offering to God (Mal 1:6-14). Sacrifice of the blemished is in contempt of the Lord’s altar, and defiles the Lord’s table. Therefore we should offer only our best to God.
  2. V. 2: Laying his hand on the head of the animal - this is the symbolic action of uniting the lives of the man and the animal. The same action is done in the burnt offering. After slaughtering the offering, the priest is to sprinkle the blood all around the altar to represent that life belongs to the Lord, including the life of the person who gives offerings. It also means thanksgiving in the peace offering. Therefore the offerings must be brought to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, not to any other place (Ex 29:27). After the sacrifice, other than the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented belong to priest, the rest belong to the man who brought the offering.
  3. V. 3: Fat should be burned on the altar as an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. Fat is the most valuable part of an animal; it is also the easiest part to be burned. Therefore all the fat is the Lord’s (Lev 3:16). It signifies that the offering is the food shared between God and men. And sharing food represents fellowship. To have spiritual communion with the Lord is the ultimate goal of offering. Peace (Shalom) in original text has the meaning of perfection. Therefore having shalom can bring the life of man into the utmost level of completion.
  4. V. 12: If his offering is a goat, he is to present it before the Lord, just like a lamb. This repeated statement could be resulted from the various types of sheep. It allows the people to know that goats can also be used in the peace offering. It is also a way of thanksgiving to the Lord. Later on when Prophet Samuel is to anoint Saul as a king to establish the kingdom of Israel, the peace offering is sacrificed as the last stage of anointment, and Saul and all the Israelites hold a great celebration (1 Sam 11:14-15). When Prophet Ezekiel sees the vision of the temple in the end time, he especially mentions that the prince needs to sacrifice a burnt offering and a peace offering. So it is possible that the peace offering is held in the highest honor among the national religious celebrations.

C.Discussion Questions:

  1. After the sacrifice there is food sharing. So in our church today, how can we be edified in all kinds of sharing during fellowship?
  2. How do we self examine our offering motive and reflect on it?

Leviticus Chapter 4

A.Outline

  1. Sin offerings for priests (v. 1-12)
  2. Sin offerings for the congregation (v. 13-21)
  3. Sin offerings for rulers (v. 22-26)
  4. Sin offerings for common people (v. 27-35)

B.Explanations

  1. V. 2: Unintentional sin refers to a sin committed that is unknown, hidden or unaware to oneself. He or she only comes to realization when being taught or reminded. One who commits such a sin shall be forgiven by God if he sacrifices a sin offering to admit his sin and repent. Conversely, if one sins deliberately, the sacrifices will not grant him forgiveness, because he did things presumptuously and despised the word of the Lord, and he shall be cut off from among his people (Num 15:30-31; Heb 10:26). Those who are spiritually weak, ignorant, or lost are considered committing unintentional sins (Heb 5:1-3).
  2. V. 3: Sins committed by the anointed priests can bring guilt on the people; it shows that this kind of sin is influential. The priest is the religious leader. People will accept whatever the priest teaches. People will go and do things that are deemed permissible by the priests. Thus, if the priest sinned out of ignorance, it could have caused people to sin as well. The sin lies in the false teachings of the priest and therefore should be shouldered (Hos 4:6-8).
  3. V. 12: The blood shall be sprinkled in front of the veil of the sanctuary and put on the horns of the altar of the sweet incense. And the fat which belongs to God shall be burned on the altar. Then the whole bull shall be carried forth outside the camp to a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and it is burned on a fire of wood. This is a place for cleaning, just like an incinerator today. And the bull will be burned up, which implies that all of it belongs to the Lord, including its life and its flesh. Since men lay their hands upon the head of the animal, life is then associated with the animal. And because blood represents life, the animal pays the price of the life for men. Sacrificed flesh is burned completely, which implies man's life after the sin offering also belongs to the Lord. The sin offering can only act as a reminder for people’s sin; it can not take away sins (Heb 10:1-4). It is the pre-figuration of the sacrifice for sins made by Lord Jesus.
  4. V. 15: The sin offering for the whole congregation is carried out by the elders, who shall also lay their hands upon the head of the bull. Because the elders represent the whole congregation, it is clear to see that the status of the elders is equivalent to that of the whole congregation. That is the reason why the judgment starts with the elders, as well as the punishment (Ezek 9:4-6). The elders who labor in teaching and preaching for the congregation should deserve double respect (1 Tim 5:17). The respect we have for the elders, deacons, preachers or church board members are the respect for God's servants and God.
  5. V. 22: The sin of the rulers also has an influence on the benefits of the congregation and therefore a sin offering must be offered up. Yet the influence of a ruler's sin is not as great as that of the priest's. A male goat needs to be offered up as a sin offering for the ruler. The value of a goat is less than that of a bull.
  6. V. 28: Any of the common people shall bring for his sin offering a female goat. The value of it may be less than that of male goat. Regardless of what the offering is, the method and the process are the same, which implies that it matters not what is being offered, but the spiritual teachings learned in the process. A man who is sick has to be aware of his sickness before going to a doctor for a cure, so is the one who sins before searching the way for redemption.
  7. V. 35: Sin will certainly be forgiven after the sin offering. This faith is derived from keeping the regulation of the law. God's promise will not be in vain. God is merciful and gracious; slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor requite us according to our iniquities (Ps 103:8-13). Without such faith, how does one’ssacrifice please God?

C.Discussion Questions:

  1. How does one stand up again after one has sinned? How does one face the second look of others?
  2. How do we believe that God's love and righteous judgment are in parallel?

Leviticus Chapter 5

A.Outline

  1. The sin offering (v. 1-14)
  2. The guilt offering (v. 15-19)

B.Explanations

  1. V. 1: It is also a sin to conceal one’s own testimony. The ninth commandment states that one shall not give false testimony against his or her neighbor, whoever commits such a sin has no sacrifice for redemption. However the sin committed by not telling the testimony can be redeemed by a sin offering (Lev5:6). It is the responsibility of a witness to speak out what he ought to speak in order to maintain the discipline within the group. After a Christian receives the grace of the Lord Jesus, becoming a witness, he or she has the responsibility of preaching the gospel.
  2. V. 2: Whoever touches anything ceremonially unclean will become unclean and is guilty. Dead animals are examples of unclean things, and death is something that man would not want to touch. Here the unclean is not considered from the perspective of moral standards, rather it is from the perspective of religious ritual. In terms of its signification, it signifies the Christian should pursue after the spiritual life; the uncleanliness caused by touching the dead signifies the decline of the spiritual life. Therefore the sin offering should be sacrificed so that the spiritual life can regain strength.
  3. V. 4: If a person swears thoughtlessly, when he realizes it, and does not want to keep or observe his vows, it is considered a sin. This is very similar to the case when someone,who is quick with his words, makes a vow but is not willing to fulfill it afterwards (Eccl 5: 2-6). The key point here is to speak with cautiousness, for the tongue has the power of life and death (Prov 18:21). Words are like a sword, it is too late to say sorry after the damage is done on the wrong target.
  4. V. 5: If anyone commits sins due to ignorance or negligence, he shall firstly confess. Confession is the basic condition of sin offering; the sacrifice alone cannot please the Lord, only the sacrifice of a broken spirit is what the Lord asks for (Ps 51: 16-17).
  5. V. 7: If someone is financially unable to afford a lamb, he is to bring two birds as a penalty for his sin - one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. Here it seems that the Lord puts a great deal of value on the offering, but this is due to inaccurate translation. Here the guilt offering in other Bible versions is referring to the compensation for the sin, which is more accurate. Therefore the translation needs to be done in context in order to have the best accuracy. Also, when we read the Bible, we can check out other versions, which may bring us fresh feelings and better explanations.
  6. V. 11: If he is really poor, he is to bring as an offering for his sin a tenth of an ephah of fine flour. “The priest shall take a handful of it as a memorial portion” could also be translated as “the priest shall take a handful of flour as the symbol of offering everything”; here the priest’s hand is used as a standard to take the portion. This tells us the Lord values the heart of devotion, not the price of the offering.
  7. V. 15: Committing sins in regard to the holy things of the Lord could be resulted from not giving tithe, or not giving what he should have to the priest for offering. A guilt offering should be sacrificed when committing an unintentional sin, adding a fifth of the value to that and giving it to the priest. These unintentional sins are considered as disloyal to the Lord. If we are lacking in the church’s holy work, then we are being disloyal to the Lord.

C.Discussion Questions: