Synopsis of Leviticus "Leviticus is all about protocol for maintaining a right relationship with the King, whose royal residence is within the Israelites' camp." The Drama of Scripture, Pg 73 The book of Leviticus (particularly chs. 17 26) emphasizes the holiness of God as the most important theological motif Worshippers confront God as an overwhelming and yet appealing mystery, and then recognize themselves as creaturely. Regardless of the characteristic of God by which worshippers might measure themselves (e.g., power, knowledge, love, moral purity), God is always superior. Theological Interpretation of the Old Testament, Location 636 Leviticus tells new Testament Christians how to appreciate holiness and appropriate it into their everyday lives. The word holy is used 91 times in Leviticus, and words connected with cleansing are used 71 times. References to uncleanness number 128. There s no question what this book is all about. Be Holy, Pg. 9 Dever s two main things to notice in Leviticus First, we see that God s people are distinct; so they should live holy lives. Second, we see that God s people are sinful; so they should offer sacrifices. The Message of the Old Testament, Location 2071 Leviticus I. God s People Called to Worship (1 7) The sacrifices listed in Leviticus point to man worshipping an infinitely holy God, who alone is the object of our worship, and the efforts needed to make that worship acceptable before God because of the depth of our sinfulness. These are offerings to God. Leviticus 1:2 (ESV) 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. Sacrifice is needed in the worship of God because of our overt sinfulness. Leviticus 6:1 6 (ESV) 1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 If anyone sins and commits a breach of faith against the Lord by deceiving his neighbor in a matter of deposit or security, or through robbery, or if he has oppressed his neighbor 3 or has found something lost and lied about it, swearing falsely in any of all the things that people do and sin thereby 4 if he has sinned and has realized his guilt and will restore what he took by robbery or what he got by oppression or the deposit that was committed to him or the lost thing that he found 5 or anything about which he has sworn falsely, he shall restore it in full and shall add a fifth to it, and give it to him to whom it belongs on the day he realizes his guilt. 6 And he shall bring to the FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 1
priest as his compensation to the Lord a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent for a guilt offering. While most people will focus on sins of commission, those they knowingly commit, Leviticus is clear that we find ourselves in a sinful state by committing sins of omission, doing things we did not know were wrong. Leviticus 4:27 28 (ESV) 27 If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any one of the things that by the Lord s commandments ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt, 28 or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed. Don t all of these sacrifices seem strange? Unfamiliar with such rituals, all some people glean from these chapters is revulsion over dead animals and the notion that Yahweh required such activities. What must be remembered, though, is that these sacrifices did not sound so strange to the original audience. Rather, they seemed logical, orderly, even simple given some of the complicated cults that operated in ancient times." Old Testament Theology, Pg. 129 II. Leaders Called by God for Worship (8 10) Aaron and his sons served a role as mediators between the Israelites and God. While the people were sinful, they could not approach God and make themselves clean. The priests were the only ones would to intercede on their behalf. Leviticus 9:5 7 (ESV) 5 And they brought what Moses commanded in front of the tent of meeting, and all the congregation drew near and stood before the Lord. 6 And Moses said, This is the thing that the Lord commanded you to do, that the glory of the Lord may appear to you. 7 Then Moses said to Aaron, Draw near to the altar and offer your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and for the people, and bring the offering of the people and make atonement for them, as the Lord has commanded. Just because someone is called out as a leader does not mean they set the rules on approaching God. While some might think God killing Aaron s sons, Nadab and Abihu, was harsh, it is a testimony that man cannot treat God s holiness flippantly. It also shows the higher standard to which God s holds those He has called to lead. Leviticus 10:1 3 (ESV) 1 Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. 2 And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. 3 Then Moses said to FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 2
Aaron, This is what the Lord has said: Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace. Leviticus 10:8 11 (ESV) 8 And the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying, 9 Drink no wine or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. 10 You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, 11 and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them by Moses. III. God s People Pure Worshippers Needing Atonement (11 16) Purity in worship was of utmost importance. As already seen in the example of Nadab & Abihu, God is not joking with the Israelites when it comes to the importance of details on purity in worship. Leviticus 15:31 (ESV) 31 Thus you shall keep the people of Israel separate from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by defiling my tabernacle that is in their midst. Being unclean is something that did not happen simply through sin, but even through everyday normal activities. A person could be made unclean by a number of activities that the average Israelite was right to engage in. Say someone had died, and you were preparing a corpse; that would make you unclean. The Message of the Old Testament, Location 2166 Leviticus 12:1 2a (ESV) 1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If a woman conceives and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days. Uncleanness comes through touching corpses, eating unclean foods, having leprosy, sexual relations, disease in your household, etc. One might wonder why is God barring people from worship for things they either cannot avoid or are things they are actually supposed to do? The answer is that the separation our sinfulness has caused between what is holy and what we think is holy is wider than the Grand Canyon. So even in rights acts, we still desperately need the righteousness of God. God s emphasis on pure worship extends even to the highest priest in the land. The Lord even warns Aaron, the high priest and the holiest man in the land, that he cannot enter God s presence however and whenever he pleases. God says to Moses, FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 3
Tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place... or else he will die. The Message of the Old Testament, Location 2120 The pinnacle of sacrifices is the annual Day of Atonement when a sacrifice takes place on behalf of the entire nation for the removal of their sin before God. Leviticus 16:29 31 (ESV) 29 And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you. 30 For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the Lord from all your sins. 31 It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; it is a statute forever. Atonement is necessary because our sin has caused a rupture not merely between others and ourselves, but most important, between God and ourselves. Our sins are a personal affront to him! As the psalmist says, Against you, you only, have I sinned (Ps. 51:4). The curses listed in Genesis 3 of pain in childbirth and in toil, and of death all remind us of our broken relationship with God. Now, if we wish to come to God and be reconciled to him, we can come only in the manner that God himself has appointed; and that is the way of sacrifice and atonement. The Message of the Old Testament, Location 2361 This basic idea that everything is divided between clean and unclean as well as between holy and common runs throughout the law in Leviticus. Why did it work this way? Much could be said, but let me make two observations. First, it shows us that God is indifferent about nothing. All of life matters to God. Second, God cares tremendously about how he is worshiped, and he refused to allow his people to worship him in the way the surrounding nations worshiped their false gods. The Message of the Old Testament, Location 2185 IV. God s People Called to Holiness (17 26) In the midst of all of the various laws, Christ and the New Testament writers help us in with a key concept in understanding the laws. In chapter 19, we find the famous words, Love your neighbor as yourself (19:18). Yes, that s from Leviticus! In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus uses this command to clarify other commands in the law. In his conversation with the rich young ruler, he summarizes the law s demands by quoting this command. And he illustrates this command by telling one of his most famous stories the parable of the good Samaritan. Also, James calls this command the royal law (James 2:8), while Paul tells both the Romans and the Galatians that it is a summary of the law (Rom. 13:9; Gal. 5:14) The Message of the Old Testament, Location 2210 FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 4
Leviticus 19:17 18 (ESV) 17 You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. While the law can be summarized through loving our neighbor, the goal of the law is clear. Every sacrifice, every offering, every law, and every stipulation points to one goal holiness of the people of God. Numbers Leviticus 19:2 (ESV) 2 Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. Question: While God does not give us detailed parameters for worship in the context of the church, what does Leviticus teach us about the importance of the places where we do have explicit commands? Question: How does Leviticus help us think properly about God and ourselves? Numbers is the fourth book of Moses, relating the history of Israel's desert journey from Mt. Sinai to the dawn of the conquest, a chronological span stretching from the second to the fortieth year after the exodus. Theological Interpretation of the Old Testament, Location 648 The spiritual lesson enforced throughout the book is that God s people can move forward only so far as they trust His promises and lean upon His strength. The tragedy of Kadesh barnea was the unavoidable consequence of unbelief; only true believers can enter into God s rest. Without faith they can only die uselessly in the wilderness. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, Pg. 265 Numbers opens in Chapter 1 with a call to count the people. These are the ones that we find out will not enter the Promised Land due to their lack of faith. However, Chapter 26 brings about another census that counts the generation that will receive the blessing of entering the Promised Land. I. God Prepares His People for the Promised Land (1 10) The first part of Numbers, then, is a summary of how God specially prepares his people by instructing them on purity, by giving them priests, and most of all, by giving them his own special presence. The Message of the Old Testament, Location 2585 FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 5
The presence of God among His people is at the tabernacle. The tabernacle is now to serve as the center of the encampment, and the people of God are specifically placed around it. 1. The Levites Intercessors for the People Numbers 1:53 (ESV) 53 But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the people of Israel. And the Levites shall keep guard over the tabernacle of the testimony. 2. The Twelve Tribes Always Looking Towards God Numbers 2:2 (ESV) 2 The people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side. Some take a special vow of dedication to the Lord, the Nazirites. Numbers 6:2 (ESV) 2 Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the Lord, In part, the Nazirites function as a mobile sign and reminder to the Israelite people about how God has set the whole nation apart. In that sense, they are a walking Lord s Supper, as it were, reminding the people that they are special and set apart for God s work. The Message of the Old Testament, Location 2538 Aaron pronounces the famous blessing over the people communicating God faithfulness to His people and role of the priests in communicating the blessings of God to His people. Numbers 6:24 26 (ESV) 24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. God s people leave the mountain and head for the Promised Land Numbers 10:11 13 (ESV) 11 In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony, 12 and the people of Israel set out by stages from the wilderness of Sinai. And the cloud settled down in the wilderness of Paran. 13 They set out for the first time at the command of the Lord by Moses. II. The Penalty for Faithlessness The Promised Land Lost (11 16) FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 6
The people complain (11:1), Moses complains (11:11), and Moses siblings complain (12:1) As on the journey from Egypt to Mount Sinai, the people continue to be terrified and anxious as they migrate toward the Promised Land, causing them to grumble against Moses and even accuse God. The Message of the Old Testament, Location 2618 Consider, too, the roots of sin. One piece of wisdom in particular that I have seen while reflecting on Numbers is this: notice the connection between dissatisfaction and sin Such dissatisfaction tells us more about our souls than about our circumstances. It indicates that our souls are feeding at the wrong place, trying to sate themselves on the slop in the trough rather than the feast on God s banquet table. And once we complain about God s provision, sinning against his will is a short step away. The Message of the Old Testament, Location 2737 So even before the spies have a chance to see the Promised Land, the people of God have brought the judgment of God on themselves. Some have been consumed by fire (1:1), struck down by a plague (11:33), and Miriam was made leprous. The Promised Land is in reach, but the people show lack of faith. Their lack of faith bars them from ever entering the Promised Land. Numbers 13:32 14:3 (ESV) 32 So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. 33 And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them. 1 Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt? According to Exodus, Yahweh has prospered and multiplied the people in Egypt, miraculously delivering them from slavery, providing for them in the desert, and speaking to them in a mighty theophany at Sinai. Israel's response to God's graciousness appears in the book of Numbers, and the response is neither faithful nor pretty. Israel responds no better to God's blessings than does humanity as a FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 7
whole in the primeval history of Gen. 1 11. Theological Interpretation of the Old Testament, Location 669 Numbers 14:28 35 (ESV) 28 Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord, what you have said in my hearing I will do to you: 29 your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and of all your number, listed in the census from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against me, 30 not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. 31 But your little ones, who you said would become a prey, I will bring in, and they shall know the land that you have rejected. 32 But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. 33 And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness. 34 According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, a year for each day, you shall bear your iniquity forty years, and you shall know my displeasure. 35 I, the Lord, have spoken. Surely this will I do to all this wicked congregation who are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall come to a full end, and there they shall die. These verses tell us how to understand what happens during the Israelites forty years in the wilderness. The prolonged journey is not some mammoth sized time out. Not at all. It is God s death sentence on a whole generation. Not one individual who witnessed the miracles or was delivered from Egypt will see the land except for the two faithful spies, Caleb and Joshua. They have scorned God s ways and spurned God himself by their insolence, distrust, and disobedience. So God punishes them. The wilderness will not be a bypath but a cemetery. The Message of the Old Testament, Location 2692 III. God s Faithfulness Displayed The Promised Land in Reach (17 36) In the wilderness, the Israelites are blessed in successful battles, but the struggle with sin continues. Moses is barred from the Promised Land for striking the rock to get water rather than speaking to it (Num. 20:12), snakes are sent as judgment on the complaints of the people (Num. 21:6), and a plague for immorality with the Moabites is exacted(25:9). God continues to protect and prosper His people through battle with Arad (21:3), the Amorites (21:24), Bashan (21:35), uses a donkey to get the attention of a prophet to be used by God (22:22 34), etc. The land is now ready for possession by the new generation. Numbers 33:50 53 (ESV) 50 And the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 51 Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 8
When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their figured stones and destroy all their metal images and demolish all their high places. 53 And you shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it. The most obvious theme that appears in the laws and rituals is God's holiness, which is vividly expressed in these portions of Numbers. Appreciation of divine holiness is, of course, essential to a healthy theological appraisal of what God has done for humanity and for us in the person of Jesus Christ. Theological Interpretation of the Old Testament, Location 732 Seeking Christ in the Old Testament In Leviticus, we are presented with the concept of the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement happened annually for the Israelites, because the sacrifices could never take away sin. However, Christ has provided this much needed perfect atonement (Rom. 5:11). In Numbers, the Promised Land is only accessible by the power of God through faith in His promises. Likewise, our Promised Land, Heaven, is only accessible through Christ by those given unwavering faith in Him. Works Cited Bartholomew, Craig G., and Michael W. Goheen. The Drama of Scripture: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2004. Dever, Mark. The Message of the Old Testament: Promises Made. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2006. ESV Study Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008. Vanhoozer, Kevin J. Theological Interpretation of the Old Testament: a Book-by-Book Survey. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008. Walton, John H. Chronological and Background Charts of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994. Wiersbe, Warren W. Be Holy. Wheaton, IL: Victor, 1994 FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 9
Appendix A Chronological and Background Charts of the Old Testament, Pg. 21 FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 10
Appendix B Chronological and Background Charts of the Old Testament, Pg. 22 FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 11
Appendix C Chronological and Background Charts of the Old Testament, Pg. 23 FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 12