The Book of Leviticus

1. The Book of Leviticus

2. The Book of Leviticus • Third book of the Pentateuch • Gives priestly regulations and duties; handbook of instruction • English name “Leviticus” = Greek Old Testament title “Leuitikon” (pertaining to the Israelites) • Hebrew title: “And he called”—taken from the opening verse

3. The Book of Leviticus • Key Ideas • The holiness of God • The purity of the covenant community • The principle of substitution in the sacrificial ritual • The principle of mediation in the service of the priests • The redeeming of time by means of the liturgical calendar

4. The Book of Leviticus Purpose Statement The purpose of Leviticus is to provide a manual on holiness designed to instruct the Hebrew community in holy worship and holy living so that they might imitate God’s holiness and enjoy the presence and blessing of God.

5. The Book of Leviticus • Outline • Approaching a Holy God • Laws about Sacrifice (1-7) • Laws about the Consecration of Priests (8-10) • Living in the Presence of a Holy God • Laws about “Clean” and “Unclean” Things (11-15) • Laws about Holiness (16-25) • Covenant Blessings and Curses (26) • Appendix: Laws about Vows and Gifts (27)

6. The Writing of the Book • Human author not named, but “the LORD said to Moses” occurs 25x • Traditionally, Moses • Date: • Early date for the exodus, then 1400 BC* • Late date for the exodus, then 1200 BC

7. The Background Chronology Book originates in revelation of Yahweh given to Moses from “tent of meeting” (1:1) & Mt. Sinai (25:1)

8. The Background • Cultural Background • Hebrews weren’t alone in practice of ritual purification and animal sacrifice • Ceremonial washing, anointing/purification before gods were common in Mesopotamian and Egyptian religion

9. The Background • Cultural Background • However, Hebrew religion was distinct from all others: • Direct divine revelation • Strict monotheism • Origin and impact of human sin • Highly ethical and moral nature of Hebrews • Holy and righteous character of Yahweh vs. pagan gods • Prohibition of human sacrifice

10. Purpose and Message Message 44 I am the LORD your God. You must keep yourselves holy and be holy, because I am holy. You must not make yourselves unclean by any swarming creature that crawls on the ground. 45 I am the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God. You must be holy, because I am holy.

11. Purpose and Message • Message • Chapters 1-10: outlines the requisite procedures for worshiping Yahweh • Chapters 11-27: prescribes how the covenant people of God are to translate the idea of holiness into daily living

12. Purpose and Message • Purpose • Basically, a handbook on holiness • Designed to instruct Hebrew community in holy worship and holy living so that they might enjoy the presence and blessing of God • Laws and instructions were to transform Hebrew slaves into a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex. 19:6)

13. Structure and Organization • Structure • 1. Continuation of Exodus 25-40 • Exodus ends with dedication of the tabernacle • Leviticus begins with God addressing Moses in “tent of meeting” • 2. Conjunction “and” indicates that Exodus and Genesis are to be read as one record • 3. Introductory phrase “the LORD said to Moses” and concluding phrase “Moses did as the LORD commanded” show relationship between books

14. Structure and Organization • Organization • Approaching a Holy God • Laws about Sacrifice (1-7) • Laws about the Consecration of Priests (8-10) • Living in the Presence of a Holy God • Laws about “Clean” and “Unclean” Things (11-15) • Laws about Holiness (16-25) • Covenant Blessings and Curses (26) • Appendix: Laws about Vows and Gifts (27)

15. The Book of Leviticus • Major Themes • Holiness • Sacrifice • Sabbath Rest and Sabbatical Year

16. The Book of Leviticus • Major Themes • Holiness • Sacrifice • Sabbath Rest and Sabbatical Year

17. Holiness • Central teaching summarized in Yahweh’s command “consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am holy” (Lev. 11:44-45) • Part 1: approaching Holy One of Israel in worship (chs. 1-10) • Part II: how Israelites can apply God’s holiness to daily life (chs. 11-27)

18. Holiness • OT word holiness has to do with “separation” from mundane service/worship to Yahweh • Holiness laws only matter of Israel applies them to daily living

19. Holiness • Important for Hebrews to distinguish between holy and common, clean and unclean • For Hebrews, everything in life was either holy or common • Common = clean and unclean • Clean things could become holy through cleansing; unclean could become holy through pollution • Unclean things could become clean through cleansing

20. Holiness • Presence of God within the tabernacle required that no unclean things come in contact with anything holy • Paul in the NT: • Human beings are unclean because of Adam’s sin • The Messiah’s death on the cross washes (cleanes) and sanctifies (makes holy) those who trust in him • Cleanness/holiness must be pursed by the power of Holy Spirit and human effort

21. The Book of Leviticus • Major Themes • Holiness • Sacrifice • Sabbath Rest and Sabbatical Year

22. Sacrifice • Ritual sacrifice was one way Hebrews could gain access to Yahweh • Other ancient Near Eastern cultures and religions practiced sacrifices to gods, but the Israelites’ sacrificial system was unique because… • it was given directly by God. • its goal was personal and community holiness

23. Sacrifice • Five basic types of sacrifices were a part of Hebrew worship and celebration: • 1. cereal or grain offering • 2. fellowship or peace offering • 3. whole burnt offering • 4. sin offering • 5. guilt or trespass offering • These offerings were grouped in two ways: • 1. Those offered spontaneously to God in praise and thanksgiving (voluntary) • 2. Those commanded by Yahweh to cover sin in Hebrew community (necessary)

24. Sacrifice • For Hebrews, essence of life is represented in blood—blood on the altar was necessary for the cleansing of God’s presence • Lev. 16: The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) • “atonement”: cleansing of holy objects from the effects of sin • Performed once a year as a reminder of people’s sin and maintain healthy relationship between God and his people • Ensured that holy God can still remain with the sinful Israelites

25. Sacrifice • An illustration of atonement…from C. S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcij7XOCyAc

26. The Book of Leviticus • Major Themes • Holiness • Sacrifice • Sabbath Rest and Sabbatical Year

27. Sabbath Rest and Sabbatical Year • Religious festivals were based on agricultural calendar of Palestine Israelites would remember that Yahweh is: • Provider. • Sustainer. • Creator. • Sabbath meant one day of rest and refreshment • Most importantly, sanctified human heart so that the other six days might be lived as “holy to the Lord”

28. Sabbath Rest and Sabbatical Year • Sabbath was sign of the covenant between Yahweh and Israel; however, by time of Jesus, observance of the Sabbath had stopped • Hebrew calendar also provided a “sabbath” for the land of promise • After 6 years, land was to lie untouched • Poor and outcast were allowed to gather the produce of the land • After 7 cycles, the year of Jubilee = all debts cancelled, slaves freed, property returned

29. Sabbath Rest and Sabbatical Year • According to Jeremiah, the Israelites’ neglect of the sabbatical laws—and the covenant—was responsible for fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian exile • Once the people rejected the sabbatical laws, they then rejected many other commands—this left God with no choice but to exile his people “until the land enjoyed its sabbath rests” (2 Chron. 36:21; cf. Lev. 18:28)

30. The Book of Leviticus