The Book of Leviticus
As we finish studying the Gospel of Luke, we shall return to the Old Testament to study the Book of Leviticus, which is the shortest of the Five Books of Moses (the Pentateuch). Modern-day readers of the Scriptures may frown on the study of this book, thinking that with all the rituals and laws, it may not be relevant to our days. The truth of the matter is, “Leviticus used to be the first book that Jewish children studied in the synagogue” (Wenham), and for Christians, it has huge implications to our understanding of the necessity and effectiveness of Christ’s atonement. Furthermore, a recurring theme of the book is that of holiness: “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy” (19:2). And this theme of holiness is highlighted by one single verb, “divide” (Hebrew, hivdil), or set apart. As we focus on our devotional approach, you will find these words of God extremely relevant to us.
The following rough divisions of the book (from Wenham) will help you steer clear of unnecessary confusions, and you will find that most of the law, in fact, apply to all Israel, with only a few sections specifically directed towards the priests alone (notably chapters 21-22).
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1:1 – 7:38 1:1 – 5:26 6:1 – 7:38 |
Laws on Sacrifices Instructions for the Lay People Instructions for the Priests |
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8:1 – 10:20 Ch. 8 Ch. 9 Ch. 10 |
Institution of the Priesthood Ordination of Aaron and his sons Aaron’s First Sacrifice Judgment of the Two Sons of Aaron |
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11:1 – 16:34 Ch. 11 Ch. 12 Ch. 13 Ch. 14 Ch. 15 Ch. 16 |
Uncleanness and Its Treatment Unclean Animals Uncleanness of Childbirth Unclean Disease Cleansing of Diseases Unclean Discharges Purification of the Tabernacle |
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17:1 – 27:34 Ch. 17 Ch. 18 Ch. 19 Ch. 20 Ch. 21 Ch. 22 Ch. 23 Ch. 24:1-9 Ch. 24:10-23 Ch. 25 Ch. 26 Ch. 27 |
Prescription of Practical Holiness (& Principles) On Sacrifice and Food On Sexual Behavior On Neighborliness Serious Crimes Rules for Priests On Priests Eating Sacrifice Religious Festivals Tabernacle Rules Case of Blasphemy Sabbatical and Jubilee Years Exhortation to Obey: Blessings and Curse Redemption of Votive Gifts |
The English title of Leviticus is borrowed from the Latin Vulgate translation, which in turn had adapted it from the Septuagint, the ancient Greek version of the Old Testament. The Hebrew name of the book (the first word of the Hebrew text) means “and he called”.
(1) Do begin reading the last verse of the entire book of Leviticus, i.e. 27:34 to establish the background to these commands given by the Lord to Moses.
(2) In this chapter, the Lord gives instructions concerning the “private” sacrifice offered by the individuals called the “burnt offerings”, followed by cereal offerings (chapter 2) and peace offerings (chapter 3). From the reading of the instructions given in this chapter, what do you understand by “burnt offerings”? Try to list out the special characteristics of a burnt offering.
1:3-9 Burnt Offering: from the herd
Three kinds of sacrificial living things are being considered: a bull from the herd, a sheep or goat from the flock, or a dove or a young pigeon. Let’s consider the offering of the bull first:
a. The criteria are: it has to be male and without defect
b. The duties of the one who makes the offering include:
- Laying of hand on the bull
- Slaughtering the bull
- Skinning the bull
- Cutting the bull into pieces
- Washing the inner parts and legs with water
c. The duties of the priests include:
- Sprinkling blood on all sides of the altar
- Lighting the fire of the altar with wood
- Arranging pieces to burn, head and fat included
- Burn all of it (except the skin)
(3) The burnt offering is the commonest kind of offering, and although here it deals with a personal offering, not a public service in which a one-year-old animal would be used (Num. 28-29), why are there still the emphases on it being male and being without defect (apart from the obvious higher value placed on a male bull or sheep without defect)?
(4) What is the significance of the laying of hand on the animal before being sacrificed? (Lev. 16:21)
(5) This is not necessarily an offering for atonement, and can be offered for thanksgiving, for the fulfilling of a vow or for purification etc., and yet
a. The making of atonement is an inherent part of it (1:4), why? (Some scholars liken it to 1 Jn. 1:8-9)
b. The whole sacrifice is burnt (except the skin), and is not meant for consumption. Why?
c. In defining what a burnt offering is, v. 9 says, “It is a burnt offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord”. What do you think ultimately determines if a sacrifice is “an aroma pleasing to the Lord”?
1:10-13 Burnt Offering: from the flock
(6) As the detailed instructions have already been given regarding the sacrifice of a bull, the Lord does not see fit the repeat some of the same instructions. Consider the following questions:
a. The location of slaughtering the animal is specified as on the north side of the altar. Can you list those that are chosen to be repeated?
b. What might be the significance of their repetitions?
1:14-17 Burnt Offering: of birds
(7) Presumably, it is a burnt offering offered by people of lesser means. Perhaps, because of its size, the priests basically did nearly everything, except that the “dirty” work of removing its (inner contents) and disposing of them. What might be the significance of such a provision?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.” (Lev. 1:9)
As a continuation of Exodus, Leviticus is
not simply about the setting of the tedious law of sacrifice and mundane civil and
criminal law for the Israelites (which are not relevant to us today), but it is part of
a larger narrative of the covenantal relationship established by God with the
people of Israel to be “a kingdom of priest and a holy nation” (Exod.
19:6). Such a priestly people and holy
nation has to be distinct from any of the idol-worshipping people and nation of
the Ancient Near East. All these rules
in Leviticus, therefore, have the following objectives:
- Reflect the holy character of the God whom they have to worship singularly;
- Set them apart from following the immoral practices of the nations around;
- To enable them to continually draw close to God to worship and to know Him.
It is for the last-mentioned purpose that Leviticus begins with the giving of instructions concerning sacrifices (in chapters 1-3), because the offering of sacrifices is central to the life of worship of the Lord. While the need to atone for their sin is essential for their being able to draw close to God and is clearly demonstrated in the instructions concerning the offering of animals that are without defect, the need to lay hand on its head as a transfer of guilt, and the shedding of its blood to wipe out their sin, there is another dimension that is crucial in order to make such an offering “an aroma pleasing to the Lord”. It is not right away apparent, and that is being made plain by David subsequently:
“You do not delight in sacrifice or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Ps. 51:16-17)
Therefore, it is not unwarranted to assume that prayers are actually said, both by the one who makes the offering, especially during the laying of his hand on the animal, and the priests who would respond accordingly as well with their prayers of assurance and acceptance on God’s behalf. Wenham is right when he says, “Sacrifice without prayer is useless” (NICOT, Leviticus, 61). Indeed, the obedience expressed in the strict observance of the instructions given, the willingness to make an offering that actually costs money, together with a sincere spirit verbalized in prayers make the sacrifice a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
The instructions about Cereal offerings stand in the middle of the types of offerings that are meant to be an aroma to the Lord:
Chapter 1: Burnt Offerings
Chapter 2: Cereal Offerings
Chapter 3: Peace Offerings
Again, like burnt offerings, cereal offerings being dealt with in this chapter are offered by individuals, although the official daily burnt offering is always followed by the cereal offering (Numbers 28). The instructions here deal with uncooked and cooked cereal, ending with some miscellaneous instructions.
2:1-3 Uncooked – fine flour
The offerer’s duties:
a. Pour oil and incense on it
The priest’s duties: (same for cooked cereal offerings below)
b. Take a handle of flour + oil + incense
c. Burn as a “memorial portion”
d. Remaining portion belongs to the priests = the most holy part
2:4-10 Cooked
a. Fine flour baked in an oven
- cake without yeast, mixed with oil
- wafer made without yeast, spread with oil
b. Fine flour prepared on a griddle (stir-fry?)
- mixed with oil, without yeast
- crumble it and pour oil on it
c. Fine flour cooked in a pan (fry)
2:11-16 Emphases
(1) No yeast or honey: Commentators in general consider the reason of this prohibition as the avoidance of fermentation.
a. What is its spiritual significance?
b. How does it speak to our offering of service to the Lord?
(2) The portion offered is still consumed by fire:
a. What is its spiritual significance?
b. How does it speak to our spiritual worship to the Lord? (See Rom. 12:1)
(3) All grain offerings are to be seasoned with salt:
a. What is the significance of the use of salt as a must in such an offering? (Read Num. 18:19)
b. What other spiritual applications can you think of that may be applicable to your relationship with God?
(4) What practical purpose do cereal offering serve according to v. 3?
(5) Why is it called “a most holy part of the offerings made to the Lord by fire” and not the part burnt?
(6) A distinction is made between cereal offerings made (likely optional) at normal times and that which is made in the harvest festival accompanying the first fruits (Deut. 26). Why is the former qualified as “a pleasing aroma” while the latter is not (Lev. 2:12)? What is the message here?
(7) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“The priest shall take a handful of the fine flour and oil, together with all the incense and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.” (Lev. 2:2)
Although the cereal offering can be made on its own, it is normally offered after the burnt offering, and together, they are considered a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
Given this normal setting, the cereal offering appears to be a response by the offerer to the forgiveness of sins granted by the acceptance by God of his burnt offering. It then is an act of dedication and consecration to the Lord, recognizing Him as his Savior, binding himself to this everlasting covenantal relationship, and committing himself to serve Him.
The offering of fine flour with no yeast and honey is an act of recognizing the fact that one’s sin is forgiven (by virtue of the acceptance of the burnt offering by God), and that we are approaching the presence of God as forgiven sinners.
The adding of salt is affirmation of our recognition that this covenantal relationship with God as His people is an everlasting one, as affirmed by Numbers 18:19.
While the portion burnt by fire is called the “memorial part” which echoes the accomplished facts of forgiveness through atonement and the everlasting covenantal relationship, the “most holy part” is the portion given to the priest, because that really is the part which signifies the dedication of the offerer to serve the Lord, through ministering to His priests. In a sense, it represents the “living” portion — a symbol of setting apart oneself to serve and live for the Lord. In reality too, it is easier to die for the Lord than to live for the Lord!
The instructions about peace offering follow that of the burnt offering and cereal offering, because it is also an offering burnt to produce an aroma for the Lord. It is an optional sacrifice which might be given as (a) a confession offering, (b) a free-will offering, and (c) to fulfill a vow (Lev. 7). While this chapter deals with three types of sacrifice, like the burnt offering (cattle, sheep and goats), the instruction for each is almost identical. As a result, we shall reflect on them together.
The criteria:
a. animal without defects
b. can be male or female
The Offerer’s duties:
c. Lay his hand on the head of the animal
d. Slaughter at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting
The Priest’s duties:
e. Sprinkle blood on all sides of altar
f. Burn all fats and inner parts (for lamb, also entire fat tail)
We shall focus our reflection on those parts that are different from or have not been considered in the burnt offering in chapter 1:
(1) In all animal burnt offerings, the blood is drained and is not to be eaten, with part of it sprinkled on the altar. Why is that? (See Lev. 17:1-12, especially vv. 10-12)
(2) Why then is fat not to be eaten either? (See 3:16 and See Note below)
(3) Concerning the kidneys and the intestines, why are they to be burnt?
(4) While the function of the peace offering (shelamim) is still a subject of debate among scholars, how do the following word-meanings help our understanding of this particular kind of offering:
a. Complete (Shalem), hence, a concluding sacrifice
b. A gift (Akk. Shulmanu)
c. Peace (Heb. Shalom)
(5) Note how this offering is unlike the burnt
offering:
a. The priests are given certain parts of the sacrifice (the breast and the right thigh according to Lev. 7:31-33).
b. The worshippers and his family would eat the rest as a festive meal near or in the sanctuary (see Deut. 12:7).
How do all the above and especially that fact that this offering concludes with a meal eaten before the Lord convey the meaning of this “peace offering”?
(6) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
Calvin opines that fat is “the choicest part of animals” and that “the offering of the fat taught them to pay more honor to the services of God; and secondly, it instructed them in abstinence…the part which might have been most attractive to the greedy, was consumed in the fire as a restraint upon their gluttony” (Calvin, II, 335).
“There, in the presence of the Lord, your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.” (Deut. 12:7)
Based on the root meaning of the word, shelamim, peace offering appears to be the better translation of this third type of offering that is considered to be an aroma pleasing to the Lord.
The optional nature of this type of offering presupposes a prior and proper relationship between the worshipper and the Lord. However, in the Old Testament such a proper relationship with the Lord is often expressed in a communal setting. As a result, in their expression of their “shalom” with God, the peace offering ends necessarily in a communal meal (Deut. 12:7), with part of the meat given to the priests as well (Lev. 7:31-33).
This is the reason why some scholars prefer to translate this offering as either a “shared offering” or “fellowship offering”. The idea of individual peace with God, to the disregard of or apart from the community of God is rather foreign and that is clearly portrayed by this peace offering.
(1) What kind of sin is being dealt with by this offering, which is common to the anointed priest (4:3-12), the whole Israelite community (4:13-21), a leader (4:22-26) and a member of the community (4:27-35)?
(2) The instructions concerning the anointed priest and the whole community are similar, and we shall reflect on them together:
a. What animal is to be used as sacrifice in each case?
b. The initial rituals are similar to those of the burnt offering: the laying of hand on the head of the animal, the slaughtering of the animal. The emphasis is always on “before the Lord”; what is its significance?
c. The blood is sprinkled seven times on the curtain of the sanctuary (i.e. the veil that separates the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place) and on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense (right in front of the veil). What does it signify?
d. It appears that the hide, flesh and other parts of the bull are to be burned outside the camp (which will not be part of the offering that is a pleasing aroma to the Lord). What might be the reason?
(3) The instructions concerning the leader and the members of the community are very similar:
a. What kind of animals can be used in each of the cases? Why should there be a difference in requirement with the anointed priest and the community in this respect?
b. Also, the blood is to be sprinkled on the horns of the larger altar of burnt offerings in the open court, and not on the incense altar in the Holy Place. Why?
c. Only the fatty parts are burnt, but the rest will be eaten by the priest (as in the case of a peace offering; see 7:31ff). What might be the reason?
(4) What do these instructions collectively teach us about the following?
a. The seriousness of sins committed inadvertently.
b. The seriousness of sin committed inadvertently by the priests and the leaders of the people.
(5) What kind of sins might you commit inadvertently?
(6) How do you normally look upon them?
(7) How should you look upon them now?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“In this way, the priest will make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven.” (Lev. 4:20)
The fourth kind of offering dealt with in Leviticus is the sin offering which is meant to atone for sins committed inadvertently. Moses goes into detail in recording the different procedures prescribed for such kind of offence committed by the anointed priest, the community, the leader, and the member of the community.
Such seriousness in dealing with sin that is committed inadvertently clearly reveals the holiness of our God — whether we sin willfully or inadvertently, we sin, and wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). Therefore, if we wish to enter into the presence of the Lord, we need to atone for our sins. Praise God that we do not have to go through these tedious exercises in order to reconcile with God. Our Lord Jesus has become the sacrificial lamb that has taken away our sins (Jn. 1:29).
However, there are differences in the instructions prescribed for the anointed priest (and the community) and those for a tribal leader or member of the community in the following ways:
- The type of animal is different: A young bull for the former and a female goat or lamb for the latter. According to most commentators, this signifies greater seriousness attributed to the sin committed by the anointed priest and the community.
- This relative degree of seriousness is also seen in where the blood of the animal is to be sprinkled. The veil and the altar of incense are both located within the Holy Place, with the veil separating the Holy Place form the Holy of Holies. In other words, the sin of the anointed priest and the community, by virtue of who they are, has polluted and defiled the most sacred place.
- As a result, although the offering is in the form of an animal sacrifice which results in the atonement and forgiveness of sin, it cannot be counted as a pleasing aroma to the Lord, and thus the rest of the carcass of the animal has to be burnt outside of the camp on the ash heap.
Note:
It is generally believed that the anointed priest means the high priest, and the “community” refers to a defined group of people in ancient Israel with representative and legal functions (not unlike the Sanhedrin).