A Summary of Leviticus

by

Bill Johns

The great preacher A. W. Tozer many years ago wrote the following:

Were some watcher or holy one from the bright world above to come among us for a time with the power to diagnose the spiritual ills of church people, there is one entry which I am quite sure would appear on the vast majority of his reports: Definite evidence of chronic spiritual lassitude; level of moral enthusiasm extremely low.”

Whatever else the Christian Church may be known for today, it is not distinguished for its holiness.

How many of you have read the entire book of Leviticus? How many of you have found Leviticus to be your favorite book of the Bible? No? Then a natural question is, Why?

Many times in the Bible, God said to His people, “Be holy, for I am holy” and holiness is one of the major themes in the Book of Leviticus. The other key concepts are:

· Atonement (forgiveness)

· Sacrifice (the perfect quality of the sacrifice)

· Offerings (the shedding of blood)

· Substitution (the innocent for the guilty)

· Priesthood (separation for service)

· Tabernacle (the presence of God)

Let’s put a bit of background together that may prove helpful. You will remember that the Hebrews were in Egypt for 400 years and at first they were treated well because of Joseph. But over the years the new pharaohs forgot about the contributions that the Hebrews had made to the Egyptian nation and the relationship deteriorated. They eventually came to be treated as slaves.

For His own sovereign reasons God chose the Israelites to be His own people. What was God’s purpose in calling them “His chosen People?”

· Deuteronomy 7:6, For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.

They were chosen to be a blessing to the world as part of the covenant God made with Abraham. So very early in the Bible we see that God chose a people. These people were then brought out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses. (Now I will be asking you some questions as we go along, so be alert)

How do we describe this process of leaving Egypt, given their condition there? Deliverance. Deliverance from what? Slavery. Remember that!

After crossing the Red Sea the people came to a place called Mt. Sinai. The visit to Mt. Sinai was not just an overnight visit. They camped there for a considerable time.

The Book of Leviticus takes place here in the desert during the second year after their deliverance from Egypt. It was here that the Hebrew people became a nation.

As a nation they would need rules to live by so God called Moses up on the mountain and gave him the Ten Commandments. These were to be both the moral and the governing laws of the new nation. It was to be a theocracy. The people did not elect their leaders; God did.

The immediate purpose of Leviticus is for God to lay down those laws and principles by which these people were to live. Note that these laws are quite different from man’s laws.

The Israelites were not immune to sin, so God provides the Ten Commandments to define sin. Then He provided a system of worshipful sacrifices that would distinguish them from their pagan neighbors. It is significant that these regulations are placed first in the book.

A key passage in understanding Leviticus is:

· Leviticus 18:3-5, You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. 4 You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the LORD your God. 5 Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD.

Nowhere in the Bible is the concept of difference more evident than in this book. The various laws and observances that occupy a large part of the book are to indicate that the Israelites are to be different from those who live around them. These laws and observances speak to the predominant theme of the book which is “HOLINESS”! These “chosen” people are to be different from the pagans who surround them. They are to be like the God who has rescued them, that is to say, they are to be holy. Over and over we read that God commands His people to “Be holy, because I am holy.”

There is a phrase, “before the Lord” that occurs 60 times in the book and this is a way of telling the people that they are to be separated from the uncleanness around them and be holy before the Lord. This is the New Testament gospel for sinners stated in Old Testament terms.

Leviticus is the most thoroughly legalistic book in the Old Testament. But at the same time, there is no book in the Old Testament that more clearly pictures the saving work of Jesus! Its demands can be summed up in the words of the apostle Paul who said in:

· 1 Corinthians 10:31, So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

At this point I need to mention a concept that is very important in understanding the Old Testament. And that concept is the matter of “types”. A type is simply an example. The whole Levitical economy was divinely instituted to foreshadow the work and person of Jesus.

For example, in a study of the Scriptures, Egypt is a “type” of the world system. The Israelites, like unbelievers today, were slaves in Egypt, just as unbelievers today are slaves to sin in the world system. The Israelites were delivered from their slavery in Egypt (the world system) because God had chosen them. It was at Mt. Sinai that we see them called the “chosen people”.

Who was the leader of the Israelites? It was Moses, who in the Bible is a “type” of Jesus. Why do we say that Moses is a type of Jesus”? There are many reasons but, for example, it was Moses who led his people out of their slavery in Egypt and guided them to the land that had been promised. Also, like Jesus, Moses spoke to the people on God’s behalf. And so on.

A study of types will show that there were many men who were types of Jesus. But you need to understand that no type is a “perfect type” for obvious reasons.

So as we study the book of Leviticus we need to realize that the Holy Spirit has put this book together as a series of types. If we were not supposed to understand Leviticus and other Old Testament books of historical events as types then what spiritual purpose would be served by including these events in the Holy Bible? The answer is in 1 Corinthians 10.

· 1 Corinthians 10:1-11, For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.   5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. 6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry."   8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did-and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test the Lord, as some of them did and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did-and were killed by the destroying angel. 11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.

If we do not understand types, then Leviticus is practically meaningless.

Now regarding holiness-----

God gave Moses the law at Mt. Sinai not so that people could be saved by keeping the law but to define sin and to encourage morality.

Warren Wiersbe tells of a worship leader who asked the congregation to stand and sing hymn 325, “Take Time to be Holy”. Then he said we will sing verses 1 and 4. Imagine a congregation singing “Take Time to be Holy” and not even taking time to sing all four verses!

Unfortunately this so often rings true to us as we respond to God’s command to “Be holy, for I am holy”. Taking time to be holy should be the most important thing on our agenda.

“Holiness” means, “that which is set apart and marked off, that which is different”. The Book of Leviticus explains five basic themes that relate to the life of holiness:

· a holy God

· a holy priesthood

· a holy people

· a holy land

· a holy Savior

A holy God: The holiness of God is God’s perfect nature at work in accomplishing His perfect will.

A holy priesthood: The Jewish priesthood belonged only to the tribe of Levi. They were set apart in an elaborate ceremony. In every way they demonstrated the fact that they were set apart and therefore holy to the Lord. The priest here in Leviticus are a type of the believers of today. Every true believer is a priest of God. In the Old Testament, God’s people had a priesthood; in the New Testament God’s people are a priesthood.

A holy people: God’s purpose for Israel was that the nation be a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” as an example.

A holy land: A holy God wants His holy people to live in a holy land; a land that is different from their neighbors.

A holy Savior: To study the Bible and not see Jesus is to miss the major theme of the book. In the Levitical sacrifices and the priestly ministry we see the person and work of Jesus vividly portrayed, as we will see.

So holiness is the primary theme of the Book of Leviticus.

Then there is the very important theme of atonement. The basic meaning of the word is: “to ransom, to remove by paying a price”.

On the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, the people brought animals to the Tabernacle as sacrifices. The priest would place his hands on the head of the animal, symbolizing the transfer of the nation’s sins to the innocent victim which would die in their place.

The sacrifices were always to be brought to the entrance of the Tabernacle. Why do you suppose that this was a requirement? Answer: Because God was present in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle and the sacrifices were made to God. (We always need to look for the spiritual meaning in the events of the Old Testament!)

If the Day of Atonement teaches us anything about salvation, it is that there can be no salvation from sin apart from the shedding of blood. The Day of Atonement is a good example of the fact that God’s grace was evident in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. (Adam and Eve)

Furthermore we must understand that the work of Jesus on the cross extended backwards (into the past) as well as forward into the future. This is a very important concept to understand.

So one might ask the question, “Did the offering of animal sacrifices result in the forgiveness of their sins?” The answer is yes, because in God’s eyes the work of Jesus was already complete.

· Revelation 13:8, All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast-all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.

The Bible says that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Now I would like to conclude our discussion of the Book of Leviticus by taking you through an example of how important it is to look for types in the Bible as a means of understanding parts that might otherwise seem meaningless.

As you read through the Bible you come across certain verbs that help us to understand what the Holy Spirit is trying to teach us. For example, it is not by accident that in connection with the offerings that we read about repeatedly in Leviticus that we see that blood was poured out; certain things were pierced or parted in pieces; or elsewhere that a rock was smitten; the serpent was lifted up; and certain materials were beaten. There are many others.

· Leviticus 2:1-13, "'When someone brings a grain offering to the LORD, his offering is to be of fine flour (His life, perfect). He is to pour oil on it, put incense on it 2 and take it to Aaron's sons the priests. 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. 3 The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings made to the LORD by fire. 4 "'If you bring a grain offering baked in an oven, it is to consist of fine flour: cakes made without yeast and mixed with oil, or wafers made without yeast and spread with oil. 5 If your grain offering is prepared on a griddle, it is to be made of fine flour mixed with oil, and without yeast. 6 Crumble it (His death, broken bread) and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering. 7 If your grain offering is cooked in a pan, it is to be made of fine flour and oil. 8 Bring the grain offering made of these things to the LORD; present it to the priest, who shall take it to the altar. 9 He shall take out the memorial portion from the grain offering and burn it on the altar as an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. 10 The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings made to the LORD by fire. 11 "'Every grain offering you bring to the LORD must be made without yeast, for you are not to burn any yeast or honey in an offering made to the LORD by fire. 12 You may bring them to the LORD as an offering of the firstfruits, but they are not to be offered on the altar as a pleasing aroma. 13 Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings. 14 "'If you bring a grain offering of firstfruits (His resurrection) to the LORD, offer crushed heads of new grain roasted in the fire. 15 Put oil and incense on it; it is a grain offering. 16 The priest shall burn the memorial portion of the crushed grain and the oil, together with all the incense, as an offering made to the LORD by fire.

One such verb gives us an important truth in connection with the Meal-offering. While it is true that there was no blood shed in this offering, the death of Jesus is surely pictured. (The subject of the Meal-offering is the idea of feeding on Jesus.) It typifies His spotless life, because the meal-offering, meal being made from grain, and it was grain from which fine flour was used to make bread. At the end of Leviticus 2 the offering of first fruits is included in the Meal-offering. The Meal-offering was to be eaten by the priest and it was to be made with grain and oil with no leaven.

Well now, between mention of His perfect life (fine flour) in verses 1 and 2 and His resurrection (first fruits) mentioned in verse 14, surely there must be some mention of His death, in type. Now notice in verse 6 that the priest was instructed to “crumble” or “part in pieces”, or “break it in pieces”, depending on which bible translation you use, this bread that was made with fine flour and with no leaven! Where could we find a more descriptive type of His death?

Here His perfect life is pictured in verses 1 and 2 of chapter 2, and in verse 14 we see the requirement to bring a grain offering of first fruits, a type of Jesus’ resurrection.

So in this chapter of Leviticus we have a type of Jesus’ perfect life (unleavened bread); His death (the broken loaf of unleavened bread); and His resurrection (the first-fruits).

You may say why would “first fruits” be a type of Jesus’ resurrection? Well, Jesus’ resurrection is the first resurrection. We as believers will be the ones who will follow and be resurrected after Him.

How is it that we can seek out the Scriptures and make these interpretations of the Word of God? There are two answers. The understanding of these biblical types are not some special gift that I possess.

The understanding comes from studying a variety of writings at length. This is not something that you do for 15 or 20 minutes a week. God’s word is the most amazing and fascinating reading available. So it takes work. And yet there comes a time when Bible study is no longer a duty but a sincere desire of your heart.

Second, and most important of all, use your teacher. Your teacher is the Holy Spirit of God. Before you begin any study pertaining to the Bible, ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit. Pray for understanding. Pray for wisdom. Pray for help. You will be surprised what God will do over time in your ability to see Jesus all the way from page one to the last page of the Bible.

Summary of Leviticus

The theme of the Book of Leviticus is “Holiness” and points to the holiness of Jesus as typified in the various sacrifices that were required to be brought to the Tabernacle where the sacrificial animal’s blood was shed as substitutes and the sins of the people were forgiven.

The Israelites received instructions at Sinai on how to live as God’s holy people. God spoke to Moses and gave him the Law in the form of the Ten Commandments. He then proceeded to give him instructions on the design of the Tabernacle. This was followed by God giving Moses instructions on a variety of rules and regulations. 

God created a theocracy at Sinai when he called Israel His “chosen People”. Although the Israelites were God’s chosen people, they were not free from sin. So, He established regulations that were to deal with the sins of the people.

These regulations involved bringing sacrificial offerings to the Tabernacle. Each offering required that blood be shed of the animal being sacrificed. The offerings were to be brought to the entrance of the Tabernacle. Many rules were established that required the obedience of the people.

The tribe of Levi was chosen by God to become the priesthood. The Israelites were the chosen people so that they could be a blessing to others. We learn that there is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood.

Obviously we have not covered all of the valuable information in this book.

The Jewish Feasts

· Colossians 2:16-17, Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

Here in Colossians Paul said that the Jewish feasts and celebrations were a shadow of things to come and they were to come through Jesus. Even though we as Christians may not celebrate these holidays in the traditional biblical sense, as we discover their significance, we will come to a deeper understanding of God and His Word.

There were seven such “feasts” and they all prefigured a portion of God’s plan. He carefully planned and orchestrated the timing and sequence of each of these seven feasts to reveal a special story. These seven annul feasts were spread over seven months of the Jewish calendar, at specific times determined by God.

The first four of these feasts were timed during the spring-time, our March and April. Those four are the Feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, and Weeks or Pentecost. The events prefigured by these four have already been fulfilled by Jesus, as we will see.

The final three were in the fall, all within a fifteen day period. They were the Feasts of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement and Tabernacles. The fulfillment of these are yet future.

All of these are described in Leviticus chapter 23.

Feast of Passover

· Leviticus 23:5,7, 5 The LORD's Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month---7 On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.

You will remember the experience of the Israelites in Egypt when they were told to kill a lamb and spread the blood on their door posts. If there was blood on the door posts when the death angel came through the family would be spared the death of the first-born of men and animals. So the Feast of Passover is a commemoration of that event.

The Feast of Passover pointed to Jesus as Our Passover lamb whose blood was shed for our sins and so that which was prefigured by the Feast of Passover has been fulfilled by the sacrifice of Jesus.

· 1 Corinthians 5:7, Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast-as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

It is an interesting fact that Jesus was eating His last supper with His disciples on the very day of the celebration of Passover.

Feast of Unleavened Bread

· Leviticus 23:6, On the fifteenth day of that month the Lord's Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread pointed to Jesus’ sinless life (leaven in the Bible is a type of sin), making Him the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Jesus’ body was in the grave during the first days of the Feast, like a kernel of wheat planted and waiting to come forth as the bread of Life.

Feast of First Fruits

· Leviticus 23:9-10, The LORD said to Moses, 10 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest.

This feast pointed to Jesus’ resurrection as the first fruits of the righteous. Jesus was resurrected on the very day of this celebration, which is the reason Paul said in:

· 1 Corinthians15:20, But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Feast of Weeks (or Pentecost)

· Leviticus 23:15-17, "'From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. 16 Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD.

The Feast of Pentecost occurred fifty days after the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and pointed to the great harvest of souls and the gift of the Holy Spirit for both Jew and Gentile, who would be brought into God’s kingdom during the Church Age. The Church was actually established on this day when God poured out His Holy Spirit and 300 Jews responded to Peter’s sermon and his first proclamation of the Gospel.

All four of these Feasts which prefigured Jesus have been fulfilled as recorded in the New Testament.

The Feast of Trumpets

· Leviticus 23:23-24, The LORD said to Moses, 24 "Say to the Israelites: 'On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts.

The first of the fall feasts was the Feast of Trumpets. It is difficult to escape the conclusion that this Feast points to the Rapture of the Church when Jesus will return in the sky as He comes back for the Church. The Rapture is always associated with the blowing of a loud trumpet.

· 1Thessalonians 4:13-18, Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.

The Day of Atonement

· Leviticus 23:26-27, The LORD said to Moses, 27 "The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the LORD by fire.

It is generally believed that the Day of Atonement celebration prophetically points to the day of the Second Coming of Jesus when He will return to earth. That will be the Day of Atonement for the Jewish remnant when they repent and receive Jesus as their Savior.

· Zechariah 13:1, "On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.

The Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths)

· Leviticus 23:33-34, 33 The LORD said to Moses, 34 "Say to the Israelites: 'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the LORD's Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days.

It is generally agreed that the Feast of Tabernacles points to the promise of God that He will once again “tabernacle” with His people when He returns to reign over all the world.

· Micah 4:1, In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it.

You may remember that during the wilderness wandering, when the Israelites constructed the Tabernacle and carried it with them everywhere they went, there was a place in the Tabernacle called the Holy of Holies. It was in this place where the Ark of the Covenant was placed and this was the place where God resided.

So the Feast of Tabernacles suggests to us that the time is coming when Jesus will return to the earth and once again “tabernacle” with His people.

Now these last three celebrations are yet future, but it is certain that the Spirit intended for us to see them as Prophetic.