Leviticus Learner's Guide WEEK 21 The Price of Holiness Leviticus 1 1.31.16 The Word is a glass to show us our spots, and Christ s blood is a fountain to wash them away. Thomas Watson, Puritan theologian and author of A Body of Divinity Day 1 What Do You See? 1 The LORD called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, 2 Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock. 3 If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. 4 He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. 5 Then he shall kill the bull before the LORD, and Aaron s sons the priests shall bring the blood and throw the blood against the sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 6 Then he shall flay the burnt offering and cut it into pieces, 7 and the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. 8 And Aaron s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head, and the fat, on the wood that is on the fire on the altar; 9 but its entrails and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar, as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 10 If his gift for a burnt offering is from the flock, from the sheep or goats, he shall bring a male without blemish, 11 and he shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the LORD, and Aaron s sons the priests shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar. 12 And he shall cut it into pieces, with its head and its fat, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood that is on the fire on the altar, 13 but the entrails and the legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer all of it and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 14 If his offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves or pigeons. 15 And the priest shall bring it to the altar and wring off its head and burn it on the altar. Its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar. 16 He shall remove its crop with its contents and cast it beside the altar on the east side, in the place for ashes. 17 He shall tear it open by its wings, but shall not sever it completely. And the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. (ESV) Q1: If what we see in the Old Testament is an acorn, what we see in Jesus is a magnificent oak. This is especially true of the main themes of Leviticus. Leviticus casts a vision for the people
of God to return to Eden and to God s purpose for humanity in creation: to be a holy people, reflecting his character and, in this way, spreading in all the earth his kingdom of goodness, justice, mercy, and love. In the New Testament, Jesus casts the same vision for his followers. He commands us to pray for this kingdom to come and for God s will to be done everywhere (Matt. 6:10). He teaches us what the laws of the kingdom are and what we must do to reflect his character (Matt. 5-7). He begins to usher in the kingdom by healing the sick and rescuing the oppressed. And he sends out his disciples to expand his kingdom to the ends of the earth, offering eternal citizenship to all who submit to his gracious rule. This is what Leviticus is all about: how the King s covenant people can live as loyal covenant members of his kingdom. List some characteristics of God s covenant using Genesis 12:1-3, Exodus 3:11-15, and Jeremiah 31:31-34. Q2: List 3 questions that you have based on your reading of Leviticus 1. Q3: Summarize Leviticus 1 in your own words. Try to limit the length of your summary to the space below. Father in Heaven, thank you for the book of Leviticus. Let it enhance my vision of the glory of your Son. Help me to come to a deeper understanding of my sin and of your holiness this week. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.
Day 2 The Offerings Q1: As Leviticus begins, a year has past since God delivered his people from Egypt. Leviticus chronicles the first month of year 2 of God s post-egypt relationship with Israel. The covenant has been established (Exod. 20-24), the tabernacle is complete, and Moses is set to receive the King s covenant laws. Leviticus describes those laws. Describe the tabernacle the King s royal palace according to Exodus 25-27. Q2: Like a king s royal throne room, the tent of meeting was located inside the tabernacle complex a room fit for royalty. According to Scripture, which item in the tent was the Lord s royal footstool (1 Chron. 28:2)? Which item served as his throne (2 Sam. 6:2)? How does Leviticus 9:5 describe the posture of the priest who entered into God s presence? Q3: The first 7 chapters of Leviticus contain laws relating to the major offerings of worship. This is no surprise: the tabernacle had just been built (Exod. 40), and public worship would soon begin. But since worship would include offerings (Lev. 9), it only makes sense for Moses to begin by describing the major offerings. What are the 5 major offerings of Leviticus 1-7? Father in Heaven, you are King of kings and Lord of lords and you rule over your people in love. Let me delight to do your will today. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.
Day 3 The Best or the Rest? Q1: In 1:3-17 what are the 3 types of offering that could be brought by anyone to the tabernacle? List them with their corresponding verses. What do the different kinds of offerings tell us about the worshipper? What do verses 9, 13, and 17 teach us about what makes these offerings acceptable to God? Q2: According to verse 3, the burnt offering was to be a male without blemish? Read Malachi 1:6-14. Why was it so important that the burnt offering be the best of what the worshipper had to offer? Q3: Does God get your leftovers or do you give him your best? What are some ways that we serve up leftovers of worship to God? Father in Heaven, let the fruit of my lips be praise to your name today. You have won my worship through the gift of your Son. Give me grace to honor you through word and deed today. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.
Day 4 Our Worship and Witness through Obedience Q1: Read Leviticus 1 again. Just as kings establish laws to help the people know how to live in the kingdom, so God gives his laws to show his people how to live as his chosen people. God s laws for Israel served two purposes: (1) to make clear to them how to maintain fellowship with the Lord and (2) to make clear how the people should reflect his holiness to the world (Exod. 19:4-6). So, God s laws are relational toward himself and others. How does Jesus teaching in Matthew 22:37-40 affirm this dual goal of the Law? Q2: Unlike the other offerings of chapters 1-7, the burnt offering was by far the most costly. The reason for its costliness becomes clear once we understand its dual purpose: (1) to atone for sin and (2) to serve as an exclamation point to the worshipper s prayers for forgiveness or praise for mercy. The whole animal being burned up so that none was left suggested that sin was costly and required full payment. How does Ephesians 5:2 reflect verse 9 of our text and speak to this same full offering for sin? Q3: How does Romans 12:1 pick up on this same full sacrifice theme for us? Father in Heaven, take my life and let it be all for thee. Take my moments and my days and let them flow in ceaseless praise. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.
Day 5 Blood-Bought Believers Q1: As Leviticus 1 has shown us, the burnt offering represented a costly sacrifice. Only the best of the herd or the flock could be offered and the whole of it was given to God to express the depth of our need. The costliness of Christ s death is significant for the way we ought to live our lives in holiness before the Lord. How does Paul explain this in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20? Q2: If you were to use Leviticus 1 to explain a truth about the gospel to an unbeliever, what would that truth be? Q3: How does it work? Now that your understanding of Leviticus 1 has grown, how will it work? What life-changing effect are you praying that this text will have? Father in Heaven, the price Christ paid to satisfy my debt before you was infinitely costly infinitely more than I deserve. Make me mindful of your mercy today and help me walk in holiness with you. I pray in His name. Amen.