Leviticus

Leviticus

Finding the Context:

1.     What do you see in this book that tells about the Original Reader?

The original readers were the people of Israel who were traveling through the wilderness with Moses (1:1). The people would have been wandering in the wilderness during this time and would have been unfamiliar with God’s standard of Holiness. 

2.     What do you see in this book that tells you about the author?

Moses, the author, obviously had to have spent a significant amount of time with the Lord in order to have received all of the commands and laws that the Lord gave to the children of Israel. The majority of the book is written from the perspective of God speaking. You can deduce from this that Moses was a man who was used to being in God’s presence and who God was able to speak to.

3.     What are the main themes, and repeated ideas in this book, and what is a one sentence summary of the “main idea”?

The main idea that God is trying to convey through the book of Leviticus is that He is holy and He wants His people to be holy. 11:44,45; 19:2; 20:26

Rest is one of the repeated ideas throughout this book. Several times you have God instructing His people on the importance of rest. This could have been a foreign concept to them if they were not given days of rest while being slaves in Egypt. It would also require them to learn to trust the Lord by putting them in a place where they had to trust the Lord to take care of their fields and “wealth” 23:3,7,8, 24, 26-32, 39,43; 25:1-23; 26:2

Blood is also mentioned a lot throughout the book. You see certain things pertaining to blood that make people unclean. You also see that people are forbidden to eat blood. Also, sacrifices and the shedding of blood are talked about frequently. 4, 17:11-14

Sacrifices and offerings are another main subject that is discussed throughout the book. The Israelites were instructed to bring sacrifices and offerings for various reasons. They were also instructed on the proper type of sacrifices and how to offer them properly. 1-7, 22:17-33; 23:10-22

4.     What is the primary reason this book was written?

The book was written to give the Israelites instructions on how to properly follow God’s laws and commands. You could say it is the handbook on how to follow the orders that God gave them. Instructions are given to the people but there also instructions given to the priests on how to carry out their duties.

Theme Tracing:

1.     What does this book show about the character and nature of God?

The main thing that Leviticus communicates about God is that He is a holy God. He is concerned about holiness and wants all of His people to be holy as well. 11:44,45; 19:2; 20:26
He is also a God that is concerned with details. Throughout the book you see all of the specific instructions for specific situations and practices. God is very detailed and very specific in His instructions.

2.     What does this book show about God’s redemptive plan for mankind?

Leviticus talks quite a bit about sacrifice and how the shedding of blood is needed for the cleansing from sin. This is hugely symbolic of Christ’s coming and shedding His blood for the forgiveness of sins. God wanted His people be familiar with the concept of sin, sin bringing death and blood being shed for the forgiveness of sin. This was to prepare them for the redemptive work of Christ. 4; 17:11,12

Application Questions:

1.     Personal Application

I really like how 26:3-13 talks about how God is going to bless His people who obey Him. Verse 3 especially stood out to me. It was a reminder to me that in the areas of my life where I have chosen to obey God, He will bring the blessing or seasonal rains that He has promised at the right time.