The Book of Leviticus continues the stipulations laid out in the covenant made between God and His people at Mount Sinai.
The name “Leviticus” refers to the tribe of the Levites, who were given special commands to follow as a part of the Sinai Covenant.
The Levites became Israel’s priests and were entrusted with the task of offering different atoning sacrifices to God on behalf of the people as well as making sure the people followed the Law.
It's important to remember that these Laws are specific commands to specific people in a specific time period. In the New Testament, the Jewish Christians stated that God did not want everyone everywhere to follow every rule in The Law. In regard to The Law, this is what the early Jewish Church leaders wrote to the early Gentile believers in the Book of Acts:
"It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things."
It's important to remember that these Laws are specific commands to specific people in a specific time period. In the New Testament, the Jewish Christians stated that God did not want everyone everywhere to follow every rule in The Law. In regard to The Law, this is what the early Jewish Church leaders wrote to the early Gentile believers in the Book of Acts:
"It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things."
Israel’s Atonement System (1:1–7:38)
The Burnt Offering
“The sacrifice of unblemished male animals from cattle or flock or certain birds…the whole animal was burned on the altar.”
The Grain Offering
“A small portion of the dough made from the flour of the inner kernel of the wheat grain mixed with olive oil and frankincense was burnt on the altar.”
The Peace Offering
A.k.a., “The Fellowship Offering”
“…included a sacred meal participated in by the priest and the worshiper.”
The Sin Offering
The guilty person would bring in an animal and “pass” their sins onto the animal. The animal would then be killed and given as an offering.
The Guilt Offering
Anyone who had sinned unintentionally needed to make restitution by presenting animal offerings.
The Anointing of Aaron and His Sons (8:1–10:20)
God chose Aaron and his sons – Nadab and Abihu – to be priests.
They were to be God’s representatives for the people.
Shortly after they became priests, Nadab and Abihu went into the Tabernacle and offered “unauthorized fire” to the LORD.
Fire came out from the LORD and consumed them.
The priests were not allowed to mourn for those whom “the LORD had destroyed by fire;” only normal people could mourn for them.
After this, Moses presents new laws about alcohol and priests... perhaps implying that what happened here was that Nadab and Abihu got drunk on the job and fell into God's fire...
Clean and Unclean Food (11:1-47)
You're allowed to eat these:
Cows
Sheep
Goats
Chicken
Quail
Locusts
Crickets
Grasshoppers
You're not allowed to eat these:
Camels
Rabbits
Pigs
Owls
Bats
Beetles
Flies
Gnats
Also… don’t eat weasels, rats, geckos, monitor lizards, chameleons, etc…
Laws of Sanitation (12:1–15:23)
Purification after Childbirth
Having a child makes you sanitarily “unclean,” not sinfully “unclean.”
The mother is unclean for seven days if she has a boy…
The boy is circumcised on the eighth day.
For some reason, the mother is considered unclean for a longer period of time if she has a girl…
Regulations about Defiling Skin Diseases
Diseases make you sanitarily “unclean,” not sinfully “unclean.”
Different kinds of sores…
Different kinds of baldness…
Wash your clothes.
Shave your head.
Stay away from others.
Regulations about Defiling Molds
Moldy things are sanitarily “unclean,” not sinfully “unclean.”
Does the cloth have green or red mold?
Is the mold spreading?
Burn it!
Wash your clothes.
Discharges Causing Uncleanness
Having a bodily discharge makes you sanitarily “unclean,” not sinfully “unclean.”
Wash your clothes.
Clean your beds.
Don’t spit on people.
Wash your hands.
Wash your dishes.
Clean yourself up after having sex.
Clean period blood off yourselves.
Unlawful Sexual Relations (18:1-30)
To the Men:
Don’t have sex with your mother.
Don’t have sex with your sister.
Don’t have sex with your granddaughter.
Don’t have sex with your half-sister.
Don’t have sex with your aunt.
Don’t have sex with your daughter-in-law.
Don’t have sex with your sister-in-law.
Don’t marry a woman and her sister simultaneously.
Don’t have sex with a woman on her period.
Don’t have sex with your neighbor’s wife.
Don’t sacrifice your kids to Molech. (What does this have to do with sex? Well...they had sex while they sacrificed their kids...but more on fertility cults some other time...)
Don’t have sex with men.
Don’t have sex with animals.
To the Women:
Don’t have sex with animals.
Various Laws (19:1–20:27)
“Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.”
“Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight.”
“Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God.”
“Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.”
“Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life.”
“Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt.”
“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.”
This last command is, according to Jesus, the second most important command of all time after loving God.
“Do not mate different kinds of animals.”
“Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed.”
“Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.”
“Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.”
“Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves.”
“Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute…”
“Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them.”
“Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God.”
“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt.”
Rules for Priests (21:1–22:16)
Don’t shave your heads.
Don’t cut yourselves.
Don’t marry prostitutes.
Don’t have messy hair.
Stay away from dead bodies.
Don’t disrespect the offerings people give to God.
People who cannot become Israelite priests:
Blind people
Lame people
Deformed people
People with crippled hands or feet
Hunchbacks
Dwarves
People with poor eyesight
People with festering or running sores
People with damaged testicles
Unacceptable Sacrifices(22:17-33)
Blind animals
Injured animals
Maimed animals
Animals with warts
Animals with festering or running sores
Animals with bruised, crushed, torn, or cut testicles (blech...)
Animals younger than eight days old
The Sabbath Year (25:1-17)
Every seven years, the land was to have a rest from planting and harvesting.
The Year of Jubilee (25:8-55)
After seven cycles of the Sabbath Year, came the Year of Jubilee in the 50th year.
Everyone must celebrate.
All debts must be forgiven.
Because all debts belong to God and He has forgiven them.
All slaves must be set free.
Because all people belong to God and he sets all people free.
All property must be returned to its original owners.
Because all the land belongs to God.
Look out for poor people.
Because God looked out for Israel when they themselves were poor in Egypt.
Reward for Obedience (26:1-13)
“I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit.”
“I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid.”
“I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you.”
Punishment for Disobedience (26:14-46)
“I will bring on you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and sap your strength.”
“You will be defeated by your enemies…”
“I will turn your cities into ruins and lay waste your sanctuaries, and I will take no delight in the pleasing aroma of your offerings.”
“I will scatter you among the nations…”
“…the land will have the rest it did not have during the sabbaths you lived in it.”
“But if they will confess their sins…I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham.”
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Varughese, Alex, et al. Discovering the Old Testament. Kansas City : Beacon Hill Press, 2003.
The Burnt Offering
“The sacrifice of unblemished male animals from cattle or flock or certain birds…the whole animal was burned on the altar.”
The Grain Offering
“A small portion of the dough made from the flour of the inner kernel of the wheat grain mixed with olive oil and frankincense was burnt on the altar.”
The Peace Offering
A.k.a., “The Fellowship Offering”
“…included a sacred meal participated in by the priest and the worshiper.”
The Sin Offering
The guilty person would bring in an animal and “pass” their sins onto the animal. The animal would then be killed and given as an offering.
The Guilt Offering
Anyone who had sinned unintentionally needed to make restitution by presenting animal offerings.
The Anointing of Aaron and His Sons (8:1–10:20)
God chose Aaron and his sons – Nadab and Abihu – to be priests.They were to be God’s representatives for the people.
Shortly after they became priests, Nadab and Abihu went into the Tabernacle and offered “unauthorized fire” to the LORD.
Fire came out from the LORD and consumed them.
The priests were not allowed to mourn for those whom “the LORD had destroyed by fire;” only normal people could mourn for them.
After this, Moses presents new laws about alcohol and priests... perhaps implying that what happened here was that Nadab and Abihu got drunk on the job and fell into God's fire...
Clean and Unclean Food (11:1-47)
You're allowed to eat these:
Cows
Sheep
Goats
Chicken
Quail
Locusts
Crickets
Grasshoppers
You're not allowed to eat these:
Camels
Rabbits
Pigs
Owls
Bats
Beetles
Flies
Gnats
Also… don’t eat weasels, rats, geckos, monitor lizards, chameleons, etc…
Laws of Sanitation (12:1–15:23)
Purification after Childbirth
Having a child makes you sanitarily “unclean,” not sinfully “unclean.”
The mother is unclean for seven days if she has a boy…
The boy is circumcised on the eighth day.
For some reason, the mother is considered unclean for a longer period of time if she has a girl…
Regulations about Defiling Skin Diseases
Diseases make you sanitarily “unclean,” not sinfully “unclean.”
Different kinds of sores…
Different kinds of baldness…
Wash your clothes.
Shave your head.
Stay away from others.
Regulations about Defiling Molds
Moldy things are sanitarily “unclean,” not sinfully “unclean.”
Does the cloth have green or red mold?
Is the mold spreading?
Burn it!
Wash your clothes.
Discharges Causing Uncleanness
Having a bodily discharge makes you sanitarily “unclean,” not sinfully “unclean.”
Wash your clothes.
Clean your beds.
Don’t spit on people.
Wash your hands.
Wash your dishes.
Clean yourself up after having sex.
Clean period blood off yourselves.
Unlawful Sexual Relations (18:1-30)
To the Men:
Don’t have sex with your mother.
Don’t have sex with your sister.
Don’t have sex with your granddaughter.
Don’t have sex with your half-sister.
Don’t have sex with your aunt.
Don’t have sex with your daughter-in-law.
Don’t have sex with your sister-in-law.
Don’t marry a woman and her sister simultaneously.
Don’t have sex with a woman on her period.
Don’t have sex with your neighbor’s wife.
Don’t sacrifice your kids to Molech. (What does this have to do with sex? Well...they had sex while they sacrificed their kids...but more on fertility cults some other time...)
Don’t have sex with men.
Don’t have sex with animals.
To the Women:
Don’t have sex with animals.
Various Laws (19:1–20:27)
“Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.”
“Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight.”
“Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God.”
“Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.”
“Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life.”
“Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt.”
“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.”
This last command is, according to Jesus, the second most important command of all time after loving God.
“Do not mate different kinds of animals.”
“Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed.”
“Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.”
“Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.”
“Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves.”
“Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute…”
“Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them.”
“Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God.”
“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt.”
Rules for Priests (21:1–22:16)
Don’t shave your heads.
Don’t cut yourselves.
Don’t marry prostitutes.Don’t have messy hair.
Stay away from dead bodies.
Don’t disrespect the offerings people give to God.
People who cannot become Israelite priests:
Blind people
Lame people
Deformed people
People with crippled hands or feet
Hunchbacks
Dwarves
People with poor eyesight
People with festering or running sores
People with damaged testicles
Unacceptable Sacrifices(22:17-33)
Blind animals
Injured animals
Maimed animals
Animals with warts
Animals with festering or running sores
Animals with bruised, crushed, torn, or cut testicles (blech...)
Animals younger than eight days old
The Sabbath Year (25:1-17)
Every seven years, the land was to have a rest from planting and harvesting.
The Year of Jubilee (25:8-55)
After seven cycles of the Sabbath Year, came the Year of Jubilee in the 50th year.
Everyone must celebrate.
All debts must be forgiven.
Because all debts belong to God and He has forgiven them.
All slaves must be set free.
Because all people belong to God and he sets all people free.
All property must be returned to its original owners.
Because all the land belongs to God.
Look out for poor people.
Because God looked out for Israel when they themselves were poor in Egypt.
Reward for Obedience (26:1-13)
“I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit.”
“I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid.”
“I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you.”
Punishment for Disobedience (26:14-46)
“I will bring on you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and sap your strength.”
“You will be defeated by your enemies…”
“I will turn your cities into ruins and lay waste your sanctuaries, and I will take no delight in the pleasing aroma of your offerings.”
“I will scatter you among the nations…”
“…the land will have the rest it did not have during the sabbaths you lived in it.”
“But if they will confess their sins…I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sources
Kugel, James L. How to Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture Then and Now.
Vander Laan, Ray. The Land, the Language, and the Jewish Culture of Jesus.
Vander Laan, Ray. The Land, the Language, and the Jewish Culture of Jesus.
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