Leviticus
An Overview of Leviticus;
And what I learned from reading this Book of the Bible
· Leviticus is the book of Levi (Leh-vee)
· The altar sacrifice of mainly animals, which is the primary thrust of Leviticus, ceased with the destruction of Herod’s temple in Jerusalem nearly two thousand years ago.
· During the Middle Ages (which began between the second & fifth century AD and lasted for one thousand years) it was illegal for anyone except church authorities to own, and therefore study, Scripture.
· Yeshua of Nazareth was the fulfillment of all that the sacrificial system of Leviticus pointed to.
· In general, the Noachide Laws were: (1) no idolatry, (2) no blasphemy (cursing God or using His name in a false vow), (3) no murder, (4) no stealing, (5) no immoral sex, (6) no drinking blood or eating a live animal, and (7) man was to establish a human government in order to administer God’s justice system.
· Chapters 1-7 cover the laws on ritual sacrifice.
· Chapters 8, 9, and 10 speak of the ordination of the priesthood.
· Chapters 11-16 deal with ritual purity and cleanliness.
· Finally, Chapters 17-27 lay down basic principles and practices for applying holiness to the everyday lives of the Israelite people.
Chapters 1-7: Establishing the Sacrificial System
Burnt Offering (‘olah): A burnt offering is a personal offering, for personal reasons, or requests. Each according to the individual. It’s intention was to ask God to accept the worshipper, thus allowing the worshipper to draw nearer to God.
God sincerely wants mankind to be at peace with Him. So much so that He set up this system that cost Yehoveh millions upon millions of His valuable living creatures, creatures that He dearly cared about. Mankind meant so much more to Him, though, that for our sakes He didn’t spare even those beautiful innocent creatures, and it pleased Him to do it to attain His goal of peace with man. We’re also told that when Christ died “it pleased God” for His own Son to be sacrificed… because it brought humans another step closer to universal and eternal peace with Yehoveh.
A preeminent biblical principle of holiness was that once God declared an object or person to be holy, that state of holiness could be transmitted from object to object, object to person, person to person, and person to object merely by means of contact.
Grain Offering (minchah): From what I can tell the grain offering was done in gratitude for the favorable attention received from the burnt offering. This was done at the individual level, and the individual’s decision. A “fragrant” aroma to please God in gratitude for pouring his favor on the worshipper. Truly not much else is gleaned from the passage on this offering.
Peace Offering (zevah): Leviticus 7 gives us three reasons why the peace offering should be brought before the Lord: (1) as a “confession offering”; (2) as a “freewill offering”; and (3) as a “vow offering.” It was used for special occasions.
(1) Confession offering: The first occasion, the “confession offering,” was used when the worshipper sought God for deliverance from his enemies or for healing from sickness. Since some unknown sin was often seen as the cause for oppression from an enemy or for becoming ill, it was logical that the confession of sin was necessary if the worshipper thought that was the reason for his predicament.
(2) Vow offering (zelah): It was typical in that day to make a vow to God that if He helped you out of some kind of problem, or would show His mercy to you for a special need, you would pledge to do something for God in return. When that pledge, that vow, to God was fulfilled, it would be capped off with a ceremony that included a peace offering.
(3) Freewill Offering: differs from the other offerings, in that the worshipper was not seeking something from God; rather, this was simply a spontaneous expression of gratitude to Yehoveh.
Purification Offering (Hatta’at): From a functional aspect, the hatta’at repairs the condition of the worshipper who had committed a sin – it purified the worshipper. The main problem with sin is that it can destroy the relationship between man and God. God is a god of both loveAND judgment.
This fourth class of sacrifice deals, with the precarious state in which the person who sinned finds himself. It’s as though the person who sinned has been poisoned with such a powerful toxin that he is very liable not to survive. The hatta’at, the purification offering, is the antidote to neutralize that poison. How the person got poisoned, and the precise nature of the toxin, is secondary, provided the sin occurred unintentionally.
This fourth class of sacrifice deals, with the precarious state in which the person who sinned finds himself. It’s as though the person who sinned has been poisoned with such a powerful toxin that he is very liable not to survive. The hatta’at, the purification offering, is the antidote to neutralize that poison. How the person got poisoned, and the precise nature of the toxin, is secondary, provided the sin occurred unintentionally.
Sin changes the condition of the sinner, the hatta’at was designed to put the sinner back right with God, provided the behavior had been a mistake, an error, and unintended.
Reparation Offering (‘asham): Sin creates a debt owed to God. The reparation offering is designed to pay that debt.
(1) To atone for Sins of Omission:
a. If someone hears of a public proclamation that anyone who knows the facts of an incident that needs to be adjudicated should come forward, but does not, that person is guilty of the sin of omission.
b. Becoming unclean by touching an unclean “thing”: (1) the carcass of a wild animal; (2) the carcass of a domesticated animal; and (3) the carcass of a reptile, a snake, or any kind of animal that creeps along the ground.
c. Touching human impurity. Touching a woman after childbirth, before the allotted purification time had not elapsed. Sex at beginning of menstruation.
d. Forgetting about a vow that we have made.
(2) Sins against mitzvot of Adonai
Chapters 8-10: Establishing the Priests. Aharon & his sons.
Aharon and his sons, went through a 7 day sanctification process. At the end of which, Moses transferred all authority over. Moses was still the only one who got to talk directly to God. But Aharon and his sons oversaw the Tabernacle, the rituals, sacrifices and day to day operations.
Nadav & Avihu. Two of Aharon’s sons. We see early after the sanctification period, that these two sons, offer up some alien incense. And God strikes them dead on the spot. Being Holy themselves, they should have known better than to perform the tasks wrong. They should have known better than to not follow the rules. As Holy men, they are held to higher expectations. Any number of these and more not listed could have been the reason for God’s swift judgment on these two. May have been a combination of all of the above.
Chapter 11: Dietary Restrictions: kashrut… kosher eating.
YES you can eat:
· You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud.
· “‘Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams you may eat any that have fins and scales.
· 22 Of these you may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket or grasshopper.
No you may NOT eat:
· Camel, Rabbit, Pig, Hyrax
· Anything in the water that does not have fins or scales.
· 13 “‘These are the birds you are to regard as unclean and not eat because they are unclean: the eagle,[a] the vulture, the black vulture, 14 the red kite, any kind of black kite, 15 any kind of raven, 16 the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, 17 the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, 18 the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, 19 the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat.
· 20 “‘All flying insects that walk on all fours are to be regarded as unclean by you.
· 29 “‘Of the animals that move along the ground, these are unclean for you: the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard, 30 the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink and the chameleon.
· 42 You are not to eat any creature that moves along the ground, whether it moves on its belly or walks on all fours or on many feet; it is unclean.
IN ADDITION:
By eating the meat of unclean animals, you become unclean.
By touching the carcass of ANY animal that has died you become unclean until evening.
Picking up or eating from the carcass of a permitted animal that has died, makes you unclean until evening, and you must wash your clothes.
Picking up a carcass of ANY animal that has died, you have to wash your clothes, and your unclean until evening.
A dead critter falling on something makes it unclean, put it in water, it will be unclean until evening.
A dead critter falls into a clay pot, everything in it becomes unclean and you must break the pot (container, oven, cooking pot).
A dead critter falls on/in a cistern or spring, the water remains clean.
A dead critter falls on any seeds that are to be planted, remain clean.
A dead critter falls on any seeds that have been already watered, they are unclean.
Chapter 12-16: Clean Vs. Unclean
Holy is the opposite of common, just as clean is the opposite of unclean.
Common has neither special value nor position. It’s typical and usual’ it is not set apart; the term applies to the largest group. Common means there is more of whatever the common word is describing, Holy holds the highest position and carries the greatest value.
Only clean common things are eligible to become sanctified. Unclean common things cannot be holy.
Rule 1: Common and clean is the natural and beginning state of most things, mankind included. Common and clean things can be elevated into something holy, or common and clean things can be degraded into something unclean.
Rule 2: the only way something common can ever become Holy is if God authorizes it by means of His Grace.
Only God can make clean what is unclean.
Uncleanness, or defilement, can happen in an instant, but becoming pure takes time.
Priests could not remove the sinful nature of man, the Torah wasn’t created for that purpose. Only Christ can do that. The purpose of the Torah was to show man what sin and righteousness was, not save him from those sins.
“If a person considers something unclean, then for him it is unclean” Romans 14:14
“Has the Lord laid it on your heart that some biblically defined prohibited food is unclean for you?
Then follow that feeling, based on trust – not on rule or ritual or what your friends think. Don’t use Leviticus as a cookbook, and don’t worry about what others think; in fact, you aren’t even obligated to divulge to others what God has shown you. And, of critical importance, do not judge other believers concerning kosher eating. As a person who eats kosher, you have nothing to brag about or say to someone who doesn’t. And as a person who sees no foods as unclean, you have nothing to defend yourself about; but neither are you to criticize someone who eats kosher in some form or another.”
– Tom Bradford: torahclass.com
Chapter 14 deals with the outward signs of sin… skin disease. It is generally agreed upon by rabbi’s that outward signs of sin do not occur any longer. However, currently we have no temple, and no priesthood. Without a priest who has authority to discern tzara’at or perform the cleansing and atoning rituals, and without a temple the rituals listed here cannot be performed.
Female discharges – this is not tradition, but laid out in the Torah as Law. No one was to touch or be touched by a woman during the time of her discharge. Women were shunned during this time.
Chapter 16: Yom Kippur and the Scapegoat
The reasons for Yom Kippur was to cleanse the tabernacle/temple from uncleanness that others brought into the area and to purify the people, priests and high priest. Two goats were a part of this. The first was given to Adonai as a sacrifice, the second was filled with all the sins of everyone and sent off into the wilderness to ‘Az’azel. (‘Az’azel is listed in Enoch as a divine fallen being, or a demon).
Chapter 17-26: The “Holiness Code”
Chapter 17: All domestic animals must be killed in the temple. Wild animals did not have to be driven to the temple before they were killed, while hunting. Animals that died of natural reasons or by another animal, could be eaten, but the eater would be “unclean” until they bathed.
Chapter 18: God draws sharp distinctions; man is doing what he can to blur, and remove them.
In this chapter, God defines incest, admonishes against sacrificing children, homosexuality, and bestiality.
A warning comes that for us to avoid things that will make us unclean, otherwise the land will become unclean and will spit us out.
Chapter 19: Torah within the Torah: Be holy because He is holy, revere your father and mother, keep the Sabbaths. Do not turn to idols. Explanation of the shelamim offering. Make provision for the poor and the strangers when farming. Shall not steal. Do not lie. No swearing falsely using God’s name. Fraud and robbery explained. Don’t take advantage of others weaknesses. Do not judge unjustly. Do not spread slander. Do not hate your brother, rebuke your neighbor, take vengeance or bear a grudge. Do not mix mate your livestock. Don’t have sex with another man’s slave.
Fruit trees, when to plant, how to harvest and not harvest.
Do not eat anything with blood. No divination or fortune-telling. Don’t round your hair at the temples or mar the edges of your beard. Don’t cut your flesh when someone dies or get tattoos.
Do not prostitute your daughter. Keep the Sabbaths.
Don’t turn to spirit-mediums or sorcerers. Stand in the presence of the gray haired one, show respect.
Do no wrong to the foreigner in your land.
Don’t be dishonest when measuring length, weight or capacity. (Don’t cheat).
Observe His regulations and rulings, and do them.
The poor, are the destitute… NOT the lazy. Laziness was NOT tolerated by God, and therefore the Israelites.
I think one the most important verses in Leviticus is 19:33-34 ‘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. I am the Lord your God.”
Chapter 20: We get a list of ‘penalties’ if we go on and do what God said “do not do”.
The purpose of the Torah is to show a redeemed person how to live a holy life, not to redeem an unredeemed person.
Chapter 21 & 22: Death is deemed unclean. Priests must marry virgins. Priests cannot participate in funerals unless it is a direct relative, but not his wife. (A High Priest could attend NONE).
Divorce is only allowed when the woman is sexually immoral.
“If you won’t do as I instruct and prosecute those who violate My laws, I will! I will cut off by My own hand those who trespass against Me”
Priests were not allowed to have any form of blemish, deformity, dwarfism, broken bones ever in their lives.
A Priest could not eat of the holy foods if he was in an unclean state.
Slaves, ALL slaves, were to be treated fairly.
Chapter 23: God’s Appointed Times
“So many of the Jewish traditions should not be automatically thorwn out any more than all Christian traditions should be automatically thrown out. But traditions aren’t God’s commands!”
Sabbath: 7th day is to be observed. Which meant: Absolute and complete rest from any type of work, the day is to be designated as holy, and was to be observed by all Israel, wherever they may be.
Pesach: First month on the 14th day, between sundown and complete darkness. Holy rest. Offering by fire for 7 days.
Matzah: 15th day of the first month, you are to eat matzah for 7 days.
First Fruits: Sheaf of first fruits, burnt offering of a male lamb in its first year. Grain mixed with olive oil is to be burnt. You are not to eat bread, dried grain, or fresh grain until this day.
Counting the Omer: Count 7 weeks after the day after the Sabbath of First Fruits.
Shavuot: The day after the 7 weeks. Bring two loaves of bread, 7 lambs, 1 bull and 2 rams. Day of rest.
Trumpets: 1st day of 7th month is a complete day of rest to be sounded by the shofar.
Yom Kippur: 10th day of the 7th month, is a complete day of rest, and denying oneself from evening of the 9th day until the following day. Day of Atonement and repentance.
Sukkot: 15th day of the 7th month for 7 days there is to be no work, living in booths for 7 days. Waving fruit, palm fronds and thick branches and river willows to the six directions is to be done by the priest.
Chapter 24
Verse 22” You are to have the same law for the foreigner and the native-born. I am the Lord your God.”
This states one law for all, not one for Jews and one for Christians. ONE law for all!
Chapter 25 The year of the Jubilee is explained.
Chapter 26
We are reminded again to not worship idols, Yehoveh is Lord, the Shabbats are to be observed and the tabernacle (God’s dwelling place) is to be scrupulously maintained according to His regulations.
God made a message of these things numerous times, because these things the Israelites were not doing properly. And they continued to not do them properly for a long time.
God’s definition of prosperity is abundant food, peace and security, safety from enemies and beasts that would do harm, having many children, and God’s perpetual presence in their midst, guaranteeing the continuation of His covenants. NO where does it mention that God will make you rich, or give you an abundance of material wealth.
Chapter 27: Giving
Giving to the “church” was supposed to be monetary. If it wasn’t, then it expected that you would buy the items back.
Types of giving:
1. Pledge of service to the Lord… In most cases these individuals would be bought back.
2. Giving of animals… for offering, these become the Lord’s and are not bought back.
3. Consecrating your house to the Lord…
4. Consecrating part or all of a tribes fields…
5. First born and first fruits already belong to Adonai and cannot be counted as “giving”.
6. 10% tithe is above and beyond ALL other giving.
The value of a shekel is set at twenty gerahs. 2/5th of an ounce.
No person that has been sentenced to die, and thus unconditionally consecrated, can be redeemed; he must be put to death.
“Perhaps it makes us feel better about ourselves to think that God solved the problem of sin simply by getting rid of the laws; but it’s not so. The laws remain, as do their consequences; it’s just that Y’shua is our substitute; He is the bearer of the horrific punishments required of those laws.”
Items in quotes have been borrowed from one of two sources.
Complete Jewish Bible by David H. Stern
Torahclass.com by Tom Bradford
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