The Bible Series: Leviticus

Charles Vincent

Canyon Creek Christian Fellowship

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We’ve been following the story of the bible through Genesis and Exodus. We met the first man Adam who royally messed things up. We met Noah, who again, messed things up. We met Abram, you guessed it, messed things up. Abraham finally has the promised son, Isaac, through whom YHVH will bless all nations. Isaac has a deceptive son named Jacob which later gets a name change to Israel. From him we get the 12 tribes of Israel, later becoming the nation of Israel. Genesis ends with (Israel) Jacob’s family of 70 living in Egypt enjoying the good life.

Exodus begins with the people of Israel reaching around 3 million people and enslaved because fear they might take over Egypt. A baby named Moses is chosen by YHVH to free his people from oppression and lead them to their new land, Cannon. They eventually journey across the desert to Mount Sinai where YHVH made a covenant with and gave them the terms of the covenant. YHVH gives them detailed blueprints on how to build a Tabernacle (a tent for YHVH presence to meet with the people). Exodus ends with a completed Tabernacle filled with the glory of the LORD, that Moses is no longer allowed to enter.

Leviticus picks up the story with YHVH calling to Moses from within the Tabernacle on how the people can maintain their unique relationship with God.

Let’s watch our next video from The Bible Project on Leviticus.

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Title

The title Leviticus comes from the septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures, meaning “about, or relating to, the Levites.”

Levites are those who belong to the tribe of Levi, one of the 12 tribes of Israel.

the Family of Aaron was set apart to be priests. The rest of the levites were to be assistants to the priests.

Duties; care for the tabernacle, and later care for the temple, teachers, scribes, musicians, officers and judges.

The tribe of Levi wasn’t given land after they conquered Canaan, so they couldn’t support themselves, they were supported by the tithes of the rest of Israel.

Theme

Many of these laws focus on purity and aim to establish standards for holiness among God’s people.

Faithlife Study Bible Introduction to Leviticus

Leviticus is set during the Israelites’ stay at Mount Sinai after the exodus from Egypt (see Exod 19). Most of the book records God explaining His laws to Moses. Many of these laws focus on purity and aim to establish standards for holiness among God’s people.

Leviticus was to communicate the awesome holiness of Israel’s God and to outline the means by which the people could have access to Him.

The nation and individual Israelites could enter into and maintain a proper relationship with the Lord God.

God is holy and separate, yet He invites Israel into relationship. The inner chamber of the tabernacle provides an example of this: Because this sanctuary was God’s holy dwelling place, it was dangerous to enter (16:2).

Leviticus 16:2 NLT

The Lord said to Moses, “Warn your brother, Aaron, not to enter the Most Holy Place behind the inner curtain whenever he chooses; if he does, he will die. For the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—is there, and I myself am present in the cloud above the atonement cover.

However, with an invitation from God, the high priest (representing all of Israel) could enter into God’s holy presence and make atonement—signifying that the people are now right before God.

Sin isn’t allowed be for God, not because of what it will do to him, but because of what it will do to the person.

Leviticus 11:45 NLT

For I, the Lord, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. Therefore, you must be holy because I am holy.

Leviticus 19:18 NLT

“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

- Various kinds of offerings

Holman Bible Handbook Leviticus

27:34

Leviticus 27:34 NLT

These are the commands that the Lord gave through Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites.

Holman Bible Handbook Leviticus

An expanded translation makes that context clearer: “These are the commands [covenant obligations] the LORD [Yahweh, the covenant God] gave Moses [the covenant mediator] on Mount Sinai [the covenant place] for Israel [the covenant people].”

Holman Bible Handbook Theme

The overall burden of the Book of Leviticus was to communicate the awesome holiness of Israel’s God and to outline the means by which the people could have access to Him.

Holman Bible Handbook Literary Forms

it deals with the covenant requirements that regulate the means by which the nation and individual Israelites could enter into and maintain a proper relationship with the Lord God.

MacArthur Study Bible NASB Interpretive Challenges

Leviticus 1–16 explains how to have personal access to God through appropriate worship and Leviticus 17–27 details how to be spiritually acceptable to God through an obedient walk.

Faithlife Study Bible Introduction to Leviticus

In Leviticus, holiness is not simply goodness; it refers to being dedicated to God and separated from ordinary things. As a result, much of Leviticus is about setting boundaries—such as the categories of “pure” and “impure.” God is holy and separate, yet He invites Israel into relationship. The inner chamber of the tabernacle provides an example of this: Because this sanctuary was God’s holy dwelling place, it was dangerous to enter (16:2). However, with an invitation from God, the high priest (representing all of Israel) could enter into God’s holy presence and make atonement—signifying that the people are now right before God.

Leviticus 11:45 NLT

For I, the Lord, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. Therefore, you must be holy because I am holy.

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