LeviticusLeviticus
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Powerpoint for this teaching here.
Page created October 3, 2003. Updated November 29, 2003
"Jesus Christ our Sacrifice for Sin "
"Jesus Christ our Consecrated High Priest"
Author: MosesHis authorship is well documented for the first five books of the Bible called the Pentateuch or Torah. See the discussion in Genesis or Exodus for that documentation. In Leviticus, we find extensive documentation of Moses' authorship. In twenty-seven chapters, there are fifty-six references to his authorship (e.g., 1:1; 4:1; 6:1, 24; 8:1).
Location & Date:Leviticus means "of the Levites," from the Greek title in the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) Leutikon. The Hebrew word, wayyiqra opens the book, meaning, "And He called." The Greek word for church is the same - ekklesia, "called out ones."
Leviticus opens and closes at the same spot - Mount Sinai, but God does not speak from the Mount. He moves into the Tabernacle and speaks from there (Leviticus 1:1). The content of Leviticus falls between the erection of the Tabernacle (Exodus 40:17) and the Israelites' departure of Sinai (Numbers 10:11) , Leviticus was probably written during April 1461 BC, as the LORD spoke from the Tent of Meeting on the plains of Mount Sinai. According to Reese, the Lord spoke April 1-13, 1461 BC. Then Passover was commemorated for the first time on Thursday, April 14, 1461 BC. After that, the children of Israel prepared to leave Sinai beginning May 1, 1461 BC, and actually departed on May 20, 1461 BC.
Humanist, socialist, and pacifist Dr. John Haynes Holmes, pastor of Unitarian Community Church in New York who helped found the NAACP and ACLU, said that Leviticus was "not fit to be in the Bible." Dr. S.H. Kellogg, on the other hand, said Leviticus is the "greatest book in the Bible." Dr. Albert C. Dudley called it the "most important book in the Bible." Dr. Parker said, "Considered as embracing the history of one month only, this may claim to be the most remarkable book in the Old Testament."
Key Message / Verse: Leviticus 26:46; 27:34
Worship Manual. Exodus ends with the glory of the Lord filling the Tabernacle. Leviticus gives the rules of worship in the Tabernacle. Throughout Leviticus, the Lord speaks to us from the Tabernacle, explaining the Tabernacle. Most of all, Leviticus reveals Jesus Christ through the sacrifices, priestly laws, and feasts. It is filled with sacrifice, ritual, ceremony, instructions, liturgy, holy days, and warnings to teach us spiritual truths (1 Corinthians 10:6).
THE SACRIFICES TEACH US TO "GET RIGHT." THE FIVE SACRIFICES ARE . . .
| Burnt offering | Leviticus 1 | Offering of Dedication | Surrender of Christ for the world | We dedicate ourselves. Christ consecrates our service. |
| Meal offering | Leviticus 2 | Offering of Daily Devotion | Service of Christ in our lives | Fine flour is a symbol of the character of Christ. |
| Peace offering | Leviticus 3 | Offering of Thanksgiving | Serenity of Christ in our lives | Jesus is our peace (Ephesians 2:14; Colossians 1:20) |
| Sin offering | Leviticus 4:1 - 5:13 | Offering of Expiation | Substitute of Christ for sin | The heathen bring a sacrifice to his god. The Christian accepts the sacrifice of his God. |
| Trespass offering | Leviticus 5:14 - 6:7 | Offering of 120% | Satisfaction by Christ for standards of God | Cleanses the conscience of our sins against others. |
THE FEASTS TEACH US TO "KEEP RIGHT." THE EIGHT FEASTS ARE . . .
| Sabbath | Shabbat | Finished work of Redemption | every 7th day | Leviticus 23:1-3; Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:8-11; 31:12-17; Deuteronomy 5:12-15 |
| Passover | Pesach | Celebration of Deliverance | every spring during our Easter | Leviticus 23:4-5; Exodus 12:1-28, 43-49; Numbers 28:16; Deuteronomy 16:1-8; Luke 2:41-52; Matthew 26:19, 29; Mark 14:25; Luke 22:16-18; John 1:29; 13; 19:36; 1 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19 |
| Pentecost (Weeks) | Shabuot | Feast of the Holy Spirit | fifty days after Passover | Leviticus 23:15-22; Numbers 28:26-31; Deuteronomy 16:9-12; 1 Corinthians 15:20; Acts 2 |
| Trumpets (Shofars) | Rosh Hashanah | New Years Day for Israel, gathering of Israel & return of our Lord | September/ October, seventh month the Sabbath month | Leviticus 23:23-25; Numbers 10:10; 29:1-6; Matthew 24:31; 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16 |
| Day of Atonement | Yom Kippur | Greatest day of year, priest enters holy of holies to "cover" sin of people | September/October after Rosh Hashanah | Leviticus 16; 23:26-32; Numbers 29:7-11; Hebrews 9; 1 John 1:9 |
| Tabernacles (Booths or Ingathering) | Sukkot | Remember Wilderness Journey & celebrate God's faithfulness | One week camping outdoors in September/ October after Yom Kippur | Leviticus 23:33-36; Numbers 29:12-38; Deuteronomy 16:13-17; Zechariah 14:2, 9, 16 |
| Sabbatical Year | Year of meditation and devotion of person and land | every seventh year | Leviticus 25:1-7; Exodus 23:10-11 | |
| Year of Jubilee | Year of freedom and restoration of person and land | every fiftieth year | Leviticus 25:8-55; 27:17-24; Isaiah 5:7-10; 61:1-2; Ezekiel 7:12-13; 46:16-18 | |
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OTHER FEASTS |
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| New Moon | for rest, special sacrifices, shofar blowing | first day of lunar month | Numbers 28:11-15; Psalm 81:3 | |
| Dedication, Lights | Hanukkah | commemorating cleansing of Temple from defilement of Antiochus Epiphanes (Syrian) & rededication | eight day feast in December | John 10:12 |
| Lots | Purim | to commemorate Esther's saving Jewish people from genocide | two days in August | Esther 9:18-32 |
Book of Atonement: Leviticus 16:30-34.
Holiness to YHWH "Be ye holy as I am holy," Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7, 26)
Leviticus
teaches that the way to God is by sacrifice (Atonement is
found 45 times). Leviticus teaches that the walk with
God is by holiness. (Holiness qodesh is found 87
times, sanctify is found 17 times; the root q-d-sh "holy" in
adjective,
noun, and verb forms is found 152 times). Leviticus is a book of
directions for a holy life with a holy God embracing the
total well-being of Israel, physically, morally, and spiritually.
Like Revelation,
Leviticus is built around sevens. Every seventh day a Sabbath. Every
seventh year a sabbatical year. Pentecost was seven weeks after
Passover. In seventh month were feasts of Shofars, Yom Kippur, and
Tabernacles. Pentecost lasts seven days. Passover lasts seven days.
In Genesis we see
man ruined. In Exodus we see man redeemed. In Leviticus we see man at
worship.
Outline: Examples of Hebrew spiral thinking
1- HOW TO MAKE OFFERINGS (Leviticus 1-7)
Sweet Sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2)
eg., "Take my life and let it be/ Consecrated, Lord to Thee"
Unsweet Sacrifices
2- HOW TO BE HOLY (Leviticus 8-22)
Holiness for Priests Leviticus 8-10, 21-22 - Priests ordained in Leviticus 8, begin miinistry in Leviticus 9, have strange / unauthorized fire in Leviticus 10.
Holiness in Daily Life Leviticus 11-22
1- Celebrate His Presence - Leviticus 23:1 - 24:9
Feast of Sabbath - Leviticus 23:1-3; 24:1-9 (Celebrate the finished work of creation - Genesis 2:2-3 - & redemption - Luke 24:1; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2)
Feast of Passover - Leviticus 23:4-5 (Celebrate Redemption from Egypt & redemption of Christ)
Feast of Unleavened Bread - Leviticus 23:6-14 (Celebrate Holiness & Giving "firstfruits")
Feast of Pentecost - Leviticus 23:15-22 (Celebrate Resurrection 1 Corinthians 15:20)
Feast of Shofars (Trumpets) - Leviticus 23:23-25 (Celebrate Return of Christ & Marriage Supper of Lamb & Bride - Zechariah 14)
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) - Leviticus 23:26-32 (Celebrate Confession and Remission of Sins For Jews a day of fasting and repentance - 1John 1:9)
Feast of Tabernacles - Leviticus 23:33-44 (Celebrate the wilderness journey, care of YHWH, and His spiritual warfare defeat of the gods of Egypt)
2- Celebrate His Purpose Leviticus 24:10 - 27:34Sabbatical Year - Leviticus 25:1-8 (A year of meditation and devotion)God wanted to impress on them that even the land was holy.
Year of Jubilee - Leviticus 25:8-55 Compassion for Worship. Year of Restoration
Rewards/ Punishments in regard to Worship: Leviticus 26 (Conditions of Blessing/Cursing in the Land) Prophetic History of Israel
Commitment
of Worship - Leviticus 27 Dedication & Devotion to the
Lord.