Discipleship School: Leviticus 17-25

Review of chapters 16-24

Reminder: God is laying down the rules and foundation for a nation/country - moral laws, economic laws, health laws, family law, business laws, criminal laws, national holidays

last week - Chapter 16 - Day of Atonement

reminder of the seriousness of sin

reminder of God’s holiness

greater understanding of what Jesus did for us

MUCH GREATER APPRECIATION FOR PRAYER

Leviticus 17 - prohibition against eating blood

Leviticus 18 - who you should not have intimate relations with

Leviticus 19 - be holy, respect parents, sacrifices, treating people right/kindly (even mentions deaf and blind), no fortune telling, no witchcraft, no mediums who try to talk to the dead, don’t take advantage of foreigners, honest business practices

Leviticus 20 - punishments, most were severe, dishonor parents, adultery, homosexuality, other unlawful relations (not just homosexuality as some like to say)

Leviticus 21-22 - instructions for priest

Leviticus 23 - national festivals and national days

Leviticus 24 - temple instructions, example of a man who blasphemed THE NAME OF THE LORD with a curse and was stoned

Chapter 25

What does the word Sabbath mean?

rest

same word used in Genesis about God

we already know about resting once in seven days

one of the 10 commandments for this new nation (rest and worship)

Jesus said it was made for us - it is not a rule to keep us under God’s thumb (as Pharisees were teaching)

original Sabbath is Saturday (Jews and some denominations)

our Sabbath (rest day) is Sunday

New Testament clearly teaches you don’t have to keep an official Sabbath, but if you do that’s tine, it doesn’t have to be on Saturday.

God is big on us getting rest

Leviticus 25:1–2 NLT

1 While Moses was on Mount Sinai, the Lord said to him, 2 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you have entered the land I am giving you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath rest before the Lord every seventh year.

The land needs a rest

Science tells you land needs to be restored

George Washington Carver popularized crop rotation in the South

every seven years, no official planting or harvesting - just use whatever grows naturally

That also means a whole year off from

a large part of your work!

year off paying for food that’s grown

This would take faith that enough food would grow for everyone

I’m sure someone would be tempted to try to get ahead and plant anyway

Leviticus 25:8–10 NASB95

8 ‘You are also to count off seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years, so that you have the time of the seven sabbaths of years, namely, forty-nine years. 9 ‘You shall then sound a ram’s horn abroad on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of atonement you shall sound a horn all through your land. 10 ‘You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family.

This is an economic program

every 50 years is the year of Jubilee

explain how every family had set property and boundary lines (their “portion” of the land)

In the year of Jubilee

no work

you got back your property if you sold it

your returned property if you bought it

all debts forgiven

fresh start

What did it teach? Everything belongs to the Lord!

Leviticus 25:23 NLT

23 “The land must never be sold on a permanent basis, for the land belongs to me. You are only foreigners and tenant farmers working for me.

if you had to sell your house inside a wall town, you had a year to buy it back. After a year it became the property of they buyer

if you had house outside of a city

The house could be bought back at anytime, and had to be returned during the year of Jubiliee

Leviticus 25:25 NASB95

25 ‘If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his relative has sold.

a lot of closest relative should help a down and out relative (kinsman-redeemer)

talking about a relative in real trouble

Jesus is our kinsman-redeemer

he became human (kinsman) and redeemed us (paid our debt on the cross)

Slavery

we have a different concept of slavery than people during this time period.

different types of slavery

you lost a war, be killed or become a slave

your owe money, you had to become a slave until you paid your debts

you become poor, you rather become a slave than starve to death

kidnapping type slavery was forbidden

Exodus 21:16 NLT

16 “Kidnappers must be put to death, whether they are caught in possession of their victims or have already sold them as slaves.

other rules - damage eye, knocked out tooth - had to set them free

Leviticus 25:39–40 NLT

39 “If one of your fellow Israelites falls into poverty and is forced to sell himself to you, do not treat him as a slave. 40 Treat him instead as a hired worker or as a temporary resident who lives with you, and he will serve you only until the Year of Jubilee.

Israelites slaves could be purchased back by family members at any time

and all Israelite slaves are set free at Jubilee

earlier verses also talked about do not charge interest on money loaned to a fellow Israelite

or if they need food, sell at the wholesale price

Leviticus 25:44–46 NLT

44 “However, you may purchase male and female slaves from among the nations around you. 45 You may also purchase the children of temporary residents who live among you, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, 46 passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat them as slaves, but you must never treat your fellow Israelites this way.

seems kind of harsh

keep in mind that this slavery was often the result of becoming a slave saved my life, saved my child’s life

treat them as property doesn’t mean don’t treat them as human, it means they belong to you until their debt is paid off (no year of Jubilee for them)

slaves could even marry into the family

slaves outside of Israel had no rights whatsoever, so foreign slaves in Israel were supposed to be treated humanely

How does God feel about oppressive and cruel slavery? . . . He destroyed Egypt and they celebrate it every year.

Lessons

Be holy

Make time to rest

God believes in accountability and restarts

God owns everything, we are all renting

God makes a difference between his people and people who are not his . . . and he wants us to do the same

Picture of Jesus as our kinsman-redeemer

Quiz

purpose of quiz is to help you remember context

What does the word Exodus mean?

If you want to read what happened before Exodus, which book of the Bible should you read?

What is the land of Goshen?

12 Tribes of Israel - Joseph’s tribe works a little different. How and why?

1/2 tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh

12 Tribes of Israel - Judah, Benjamin, Levi, Dan, Nephtali, Manasseh, Ephraim

Zebulun, Reuben, Simeon, Gad, Asher, Issachar

what tribe Moses, Aaron from

What tribe David from

What tribe Jesus from

Paul?

Where did the name of Israel come from?

First national holiday for Israel?

Other names for Abraham’s descendants - Jews, Hebrews, children of Israel, Israelites, Israel . . . new one (Judah)

How many plagues? 10

Name them

blood, frogs, gnats

flies, death of livestock, boils

hail, locust, darkness . . . death of first born

How many years in Egypt? 430 years

What did Pharaoh ask for when the children of Israel left Egypt?

How many people left?

What is God’s name?

What are four Hebrew consonants that make up God’s name called? Tetragrammaton

Understanding the Bible - TC3

Text - is it actually written in the scripture, if so then actually read it

Context - consider the verses around it, the book, the testament to determine meaning

Consistency - is it a consistent theme, lesson, principle taught in other parts of the Bible

Character - does it fit the character of God

(4th)Common sense - use your brain

After the Red Sea Miracle, what complaints have the people had so far?

no water

no food

no water

What does Jehova-Nissi mean?

What did Moses call the place where the Israelites complained about water (the 2nd time)?

Massah - test

Meribah - arguing

Moses Father in law’s name - Jethro

Moses wife’s name - Zipporah

Where were the children of Israel when God gave them the 10 commandments?

What are the 10 commandments

Here’s a brief version of the Ten Commandments:

1. **No other gods** – Worship only God.

2. **No idols** – Don’t make or worship idols.

3. **God’s name is holy** – Don’t misuse God's name.

4. **Keep the Sabbath** – Rest and keep the Sabbath day holy.

5. **Honor parents** – Respect your father and mother.

6. **Don’t murder** – Value human life.

7. **Don’t commit adultery** – Be faithful in marriage.

8. **Don’t steal** – Respect others’ property.

9. **Don’t lie** – Speak truthfully.

10. **Don’t covet** – Avoid envy of others’ possessions.

What is another name (popular Bible word) for contract, agreement, covenant? Testament

How did the people first break the covenant? (golden calf)

What do you know for certain about God:

God of compassion and mercy

slow to anger, filled with unfailing love and faithfulness

and it’s overflowing . . . he forgives

does not excuse the guilty

What was God’s tent called? Tabernacle

what was the most sacred place in the Tabernacle called, Holy of Holies

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