Leviticus Preview

The Book

• Leviticus gets its name from the Levites – the priests – and it is God’s plan for the detailed walk, worship and service of the people.
  • In Exodus, God spoke out of the Mount where the people were not allowed.
  • In Leviticus He speaks out of the tabernacle in which He dwells in the midst of His people.

A Transition

• In Genesis we saw the ruin of man – through the fall.
• In Exodus, we saw the redemption and deliverance by blood and the power of God
• In Leviticus we shall see worship and communion on the ground of atonement.
  • Leviticus is called the Book of Atonement: Read Leviticus 16:30-34
    • Write out Leviticus 16:30-31

Its Main Purpose

• Leviticus was written to show Israel how to live in fellowship with God. Above all Israel must be taught the holiness of God and Leviticus reveals this in three ways:
  • The Sacrificial System –
    • Write out Leviticus 17:11 & Hebrews 9:22
  • The Precepts of the Law –
    • Write out Leviticus 18:5
  • The Penalties for Violations –
    • Read Leviticus 26:1-41
      • Write down anything that stands out to you
  • Israel was to be a separated people, just as we are today.

Its Abiding Value

• FIRST:
  • Leviticus is a revelation of the divine character and holiness of God. Gad has not changed.
• SECOND:
  • It emphasizes the exceeding sinfulness of man and his estrangement from God.
• THIRD:
  • It prefigures the redemptive ministry of Christ and how we are restored to fellowship with God.
• FOURTH:
  • It provides a body of civil law for a theocracy which is foundational for civil law today, i.e., land and ownership, marriage and divorce, and other matters we face today.

Its Author

• Moses was the author.
  • The internal evidence is stated no less than fifty six times in Leviticus that the Lord God gave the laws to His people through Moses.
• Jesus ascribes the book and all the Pentateuch to Moses in Luke 24:44
  • Christ also referred to Moses as the author in Matthew 8:2-4
    • Compare these verses with Leviticus 14:1-4. Write down what you see.

Its Theme

The Structure of Leviticus

• It may be divided into two broad divisions:
  • The Way to God – SACRIFICE – Chapters 1-17
  • The Walk with God – SEPARATION – Chapters 18-27

THE CENTRAL THEME IS “FELLOWSHIP”. In the first division is found God’s foundation of fellowship – while the second division shows man’s condition of fellowship. Thus, it is the supreme Old Testament illustration of that New Testament truth expressed in 1 John 1:7. The first section of Leviticus says: “The blood cleanseth us.” The second says: “If we walk in the light.” The whole book says: “If we walk in the light – the blood cleanseth us” and we have fellowship one with another and truly our fellowship is with the Father.

As we walk through this book, which can sometimes feel quite boring, take time to look at it through the lense of Fellowship with God. Go in reading it with a fresh set of eyes. We will work on a new spiritual practice this month. We are going to continue in our times of silence – but I won’t prompt you of that anymore. We are going to add to that the spiritual practice of confession. For the first week we will just begin to self-reflect on why or why not we think we need to confess – I will ask one reflective question each day and then we will begin to put into practice this spiritual formation over the following week. These reflective questions are just between you and the Lord – unless you feel prompted to share.

Todays reflective question: “Am I in danger of undervaluing the essential element of confession within the Christian life?” What importance do you give confession in your walk?

Share any insight you have received from this preview of Leviticus. Did the preview help you want to try and read this text? Are you excited or dreading this book? Anything we can pray for this week for you?