The Bible Series Leviticus
Notes
Transcript
It was a nice fall evening in October… I was driving through the canyon with my wife, kids, and mother in law. The beauty and serenity of the drive were abruptly ruined as I looked in my rear view mirror and saw those dreaded flashing lights flying up on me. When the state trooper did not pass me I realized the lights were for my notice and required my response to pull over.
Asked if I knew why I was pulled over and how fats I was going
Over the 65 limit I assumed but did not know how fast
He informed me by how much I was breaking the law
Where you going so fast? Mother in law dinner!
Joseph pipped up excited… “never been with my dad when he got pulled over”!!!!
You want to be a firefighter like dad? NOPE! I want to be a cop! OUCH!
He walked back to his cruiser to do the paperwork...
I broke the law that evening. Ignorance of my actions was not an excuse. I had now been made keenly aware… Today we are looking at a HOLY GOD and his HOLY LAW for His people He created!
In Genesis we see this Holy God creating mankind for an intimate relationship and fellowship… SIN separates man from God fracturing this fellowship.
To restore this relationship mankind continues to drift and make little to no effort… BUT GOD passionately pursues!
God calls a family to Himself
God redeems a people for Himself
God even comes to dwell among these people (Tabernacle)
Leviticus begins in a notable way in Leviticus 1:1-2 a “from the tent”… there is still a barrier there, distance
Then the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When any man of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of animals from the herd or the flock.
How does a HOLY GOD have a restored relationship and fellowship with sinful man?
Exodus was about getting the people out of Egypt… Leviticus is about getting Egypt out of the people!
In Exodus demonstrated His Redemption
God’s approach to man
God is Savior
In Leviticus illustrates His Sanctification
Man’s approach to God
God is sanctifier
These things are still true for us today… We must be redeemed through Jesus Christ, then comes the ongoing work of sanctification in the believer
It is absolutely necessary to remove the defilement that separates mankind from a HOLY GOD… so that there can be a walk of fellowship with their redeemer!
Consideration of where the people are…
Consideration of where the people are…
Newly redeemed from Egypt
Now in the wilderness
At the base of Mt Sinai and tabernacle has been built
It has been about 1 year in the wilderness so far
God is taking time now to speak to the people through Moses as he shares what God has to say…
Layout of Leviticus
Layout of Leviticus
The layout of Leviticus is very symmetrical really.
Willmington’s Bible Handbook (Unique Features)
The phrase “the LORD said” appears more than 50 times in Leviticus—more than in any other Bible book.
No other Bible book speaks so much of holiness.
Various forms of holy occur more than 100 times.
Sacrifice occurs 42 times, priest 189 times, and blood 86 times.
CHAPTERS 1-17 (Sacrifice)
Our Way to God or Our approaching God… God’s structure and rituals - FOR WORSHIP OF HIM!
Sacrifices Structured (Five of them)
Three are sacrifices of thanks and gratitude
WHEN WE ARE IN FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD
The Burnt Offering
The Meal Offering
The Peace Offering
Two of them were “I’m sorry” repentance
WHEN WE ARE OUT OF FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD
The Sin Offering
The Trespass Offering
God directed the extensive process for Ordaining The Priest!
These would mediate between God and Man
There was a higher standard in place for those who served in this role...
Levites (Jacob Family Tree) would serve as the priestly tribe
No land portion
They served God and the people
Levites is where this book derives its name
In order to approach a Holy God there needs to be sacrifice and an approach that is done in a Holy Manner
Aaron’s sons violate God’s Holy standard and God consumes them in fire before the congregation!
God then dealt with the laws concerning ritual purity
Unclean foods
Childbirth
Skin disease
Bodily discharges
The first half deals with sinful man approaching God… the second half deals with walking with God…Living a life set apart or separated!
Chapters 18-27 (Sanctification)
This section deals with walking with God - Our Fellowship!
Feast were given on purpose for the purpose of continual reminders of God’s Holiness and our need for Him
The weekly sabbath
Seven Annual Feats
Passover
Unleavened Bread
First-fruits
Pentecost
Trumpets
Day of Atonement
Tabernacles
The Priestly qualifications and job descriptions once again were addressed…
They represented God before the people
Highest level of moral integrity was demanded here
Moral purity for the people… God was calling his people not just the priest to be set apart (nation of Priest)
Poor would be cared for
Sexual integrity and morals upheld
Social justice would be deliver consequences for sin/breaking God’s law
The moral purity was a work of sanctification in their lives, an ongoing work of God in them… these who had been redeemed from Egypt!!!
Holiness of God Encompasses Book!
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
What a statement… Peter would reiterate this same statement, only difference is now you and I are the tabernacle of the Holy Spirit!
At the very center of these two sections of the book is: The Day of Atonement
Talk thru the Bible (Survey of Leviticus)
The blood sacrifices remind the worshipers that because of sin the holy God requires the costly gift of life (Leviticus 17:11). The blood of the innocent sacrificial animal becomes the substitute for the life of the guilty offerer: “without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22 ).
‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.’
And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
TWO GOATS
TWO GOATS
A beautiful image of God’s grace and work on behalf of the people!
The Purification Offering
The One would be offered as an atonement for Israels sin by its shedding of blood giving its life as a substitute
One sacrifice for the multitude
Sins atoned for even the ones unaware of
Scapegoat
Priest would lay hands on the head putting all the sin of Israel on him and sends him away from the people to wander, never to return!
Imagery of God’s removal of Israels sin fro them!
God’s Covenant
God’s Covenant
The book ends with God expressing His covenant with them Chapters 26 and 27… Leviticus 26:11-13
‘Moreover, I will make My dwelling among you, and My soul will not reject you. ‘I will also walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people. ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so that you would not be their slaves, and I broke the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.
In these chapters God commands and challenges them in His covenant with them:
Challenge to obey be faithful
Blessings if they do obey
Consequences for disobedience, unfaithfulness
His faithfulness regardless, but not without punishment (GOD IS HOLY)
Leviticus 20:7-8 reiterates His Holiness again for us...
‘You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. ‘You shall keep My statutes and practice them; I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
So What!?
So What!?
Hebrews 10:10-12 states why this book is so beautiful even now if not more than even to the Jews…
By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God,
The work of sacrifice was never done (Once for ALL)
The role of the the priest was never finished (Christ sits)
What we see in Leviticus offered hope… but not the solution
Christ… seen in Leviticus, that scarlet thread
He is our high priest mediating on our behalf
He became the blood sacrifice for the atonement of our sin
In Leviticus we see WORSHIP and LIVING!!!
BOTH are a vital part of our FELLOWSHIP with God!
He is HOLY and desires every part of our life
Not just a token sacrifice here and there Romans 12:1-2
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
He wants it all
He has called us too to be set apart, holy because He is, and to live consecrated to Him!
You and I serve a God who not only redeems but who has defined HOLINESS and has provided THE WAY for sinful man to approach God pure and holy.
God gave His law to reveal our sin…
That October evening I sat in the truck aware of my sin, the law broken. I had been made aware! The officer walked back to my truck and handed me my papers, his card, and a warning… he extended GRACE!!!
God’s HOLY LAW shows you and I our sin, it is ugly, it separates us, we see it and because we see it so clearly when we look at God’s HOLINESS, His Law, and HIS SON… we are very keenly aware of the amount of GRACE God has extended to us!
I am in AWE of this amazing God who has provided a way for us to approach Him and dwell in His presence!