Agere Sequitur Esse

Leviticus

Book of Leviticus

Notes.. .

. ..Introduction. Authorship is unknown. A handbook for the priests and Levites outlining their duties and worship and a guidebook for holy living. People include Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Holiness is mentioned 152 times; more often than in any other book in the bible .
. ..Themes. Sacrifice and Offering, Worship, Health, Holiness, and Levites and Priests.
. ..Outline. “Leviticus forms the centerpiece of the Pentateuch (…), the background to God’s perfect creation, and human rebellion. God’s process of redemption, election, and human mission was to bring blessings to the whole earth, God demonstrates Lordship over nature and the Egyptian gods, and establish covenant guidelines for His people and provision for place of worship and renewal” (William Seay 2019, L3 01:15–01:54).
. ..Application. “It reminds us of the eternal realities of life. The presence of God and our need to know Him. It teaches that people may enter into His presence and serve Him. God asks human beings to walk humbly with Him.” (Seay 2019, L3 08:20–08:37).
. ..Timeline. All events in this book occurred in 1450.

Introduction. 38:38 – The purpose of Leviticus is to be a handbook for the priests and Levites outlining their duties and worship and a guidebook for holy living for the Hebrews. Some of the key people include Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. The special feature is the term ‘holiness,’ which is mentioned 152 times. It is mentioned herein more often than any other book in the bible.

Themes. 39:39 – There are five major theological themes. (i) Sacrifice and offering. There are five kinds of offerings that fulfill two main purposes to show praise, thankfulness, devotion, and atonement, the covering and removal of sins. For example, animal offerings demonstrated that a person was giving his or her life to God. (ii) Worship. Several feasts were dedicated to religious and national holidays. These were often celebrated in family settings. These events teach us today about worshiping God in celebration and quiet dedication. (iii) Health. There were civil rules for handling food, disease, and sex were taught and these physical albeit spiritual principles were suggested. Israel was to be different from the surrounding nations. God was preserving Israel from disease and community health problems. (iv) Holiness. Holy means separated or devoted. God removed His people from Egypt and now he was removing Egypt from the people. He was showing them how to exchange Egypt’s ways of living and thinking about His ways. (v) Levites and Priests. Instructed people in their worship. They were the ministers of the day. They also regulated to moral, civil and ceremonial laws, and supervised the health, wealth, and welfare of the nation.

Outline. How can sinful people know God and enter into His presence? The people of Israel lived in a sinful world. They knew themselves to be tainted by sin and removed from the presence of God. How could they re-enter into God’s presence? Israel sought to respond in faith to God. They desired to live a proper relationship in God’s covenant. Leviticus helped sinful people find a way they might relate to a holy God. Leviticus gives us a definition and overall framework of Israel’s history with God. The larger biblical cannon gives Leviticus its greatest meaning. Leviticus forms the centerpiece of the Pentateuch, the background to God’s perfect creation, and human rebellion (Gen 1 – 11). God’s process of redemption, election, and human mission was to bring blessings to the whole earth, demonstrate Lordship over nature and the Egyptian gods, and establish covenant guidelines for His people and provision for place of worship and renewal.

The theological background for God’s people. They knew their God was different from the gods of other nations. They knew God had provided a place for their worship and guidelines for their lives in service to Him. They also knew that they did no live up to God’s expectations. They were sinners.

How could they deal with their sin? Because they only had one God, they needed to depend on Him for leadership and blessing in all areas of life; militarily, agriculturally, civilly, and politically. How did they gain His favor in each of these areas? What type of worship was appropriate? Was prostitution and immorality proper forms of worship for Yahweh as they were for the gods of their neighbors? Should they sacrifice their children as did some of their neighbors? What is proper worship for a sinful people in the presence of the unique God of Israel?

In Leviticus, God encouraged His people to center their eyes on His presence. He showed them how to respond to the divine presence by the tabernacle in the center of their camp. He gave instructions for living and worshiping so that His people might experience His continued presence in the community. Modern day readers might consider Leviticus to be an ancient ritual with little or no relevance to today’s application when the book actually provided answers to many theological problems of its day as well as continuing to answer today’s problems concerning sin. Leviticus reveals the holy God and allows us to know Him and to enter into His presence.

Leviticus offers four Theological Teachings. (i) The grace of God. God’s grace filled the book of Leviticus. Israel’s existence depended on God’s acts in history. God chose a group of slaves on whom to bestow His love. God’s love and initiative created Israel and delivered the people from Egypt. Leviticus contains the requirements of the covenant which God made with Israel at Sinai. Because God wanted to be known, He gave directions for the people in the wilderness and for the day they would inhabit Palestine. (ii) The importance of/or preparation for meeting God. In His grace, God showed Israel how to approach His presence. People who stand before God must prepare themselves for such a sacred event. Leviticus reminds worshipers of the holiness of God and for the necessity of cleansed lives. The emphasis in Leviticus is on purity, holiness, and cleansing. This indicates the importance for preparation for worship. (iii) The presence of God. Standing before God is not a mundane ritualistic event. It is the greatest opportunity for a human being. Entering into the presence of the holy One requires proper preparation of life. God appeared to the people at Sinai to make the covenant and direct people to live holy lives. Leviticus strongly indicates that God wanted to dwell among His people and be known. The sacrificial system allowed ways for people to approach the holy God. As the people of Israel offered sacrifices, they indicated a desire to know God who accepted their offerings which removed the barrier between Him and His people. (iv) The necessity of righteous living. The various laws in Leviticus indicate God’s desire for righteous living. People who appear before Him must cleanse their lives and actions. Leviticus also calls for ethical living. When spoke of the second great commandment to love your neighbor as yourself, He quoted from Leviticus (19:18). Leviticus shows God’s concern for the poor and helpless of society. Leviticus teaches the importance or worship, which calls for peoples’ best and highest lives prepared by confession of sin, reconciliation with neighbors, and gratitude before God; which will be rewarded with the opportunity to know God and dwell in His presence.

Application. 08:15 – It reminds us of the eternal realities of life. The presence of God and our need to know Him. It teaches that people may enter into His presence and serve Him. God asks human beings to walk humbly with Him. Obedience to God must be a primary concern in our lives. Leviticus 1–16 may be summarized by the words of Jesus, love the Lord your God in Mk. 12:30. Relationships with God involves right living with others. Leviticus 17–27 details correct behavior towards others. God always initiates. God pursues the sinner seeking to forgive and restore the rebellious ones to fellowship. Both the OT and NT stand on the grace of God. He cares for His people. He wants to forgive. He desires fellowship. He loves people so deeply that He is willing to do His costly work. The costliness of sacrifice emphasizes the importance of forgiveness and the depth of God’s love. Contemporary worshipers must approach God with the same reverence and purity as those in the wilderness. Rituals and sacrifices have been removed but the need for preparation and preparation remain. Jesus completely fulfilled the sacrificial system. In Jesus, God worked His perfect work of bringing His people unto Him. Jesus is the once-and-for-all sacrifice for all sin. In Him, we experience forgiveness, holiness, and understand the great opportunity to send homily rejoicefully and boldly before a holy God.

Timeline. 11:08 – All the activities studied in the book of Leviticus occurred during c. 1450 BC.

Reference

Seay, William. 2019. Old Testament Theology [MP3]. Andersonville Theological Seminary (ATS). Camilla, GA: ATS