2005 Bible Reading

Leviticus

This page is not a commentary, nor an outline. It is something to bear in mind in this kind of reading. These materials I learnt from two books by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart (How To Read The Bible For All Its Worth; How To Read The Bible Book By Book). You could consult these books if you are interested.

(Pastor Raymond)

The Book of Leviticus is not the most stimulating book to read, particularly when it is read in isolation from the larger story of God electing and equipping the people of His covenant. But if we read this book as a continuation of Genesis and Exodus, and see it as part of the covenantal relationship between Yahweh and the people of Israel, it will begin to make some more sense.

Leviticus begins where Exodus ends when Moses met God and was asked to speak to the Israelites. The entire book uses "The LORD said to Moses" to introduce its sections. As Exodus ends with the tabernacle, so Leviticus begins with the instructions directly related to the approach towards the tabernacle. The connection is as seamless as it can be.

The issue facing the Israelites right after Exodus was: how were they, who were a short while ago still slaves in a pagan Egypt, to live in a relationship with Yahweh God vertically and fellow Israelites horizontally, within the covenant just introduced in Exodus? The Book of Leviticus thus sets the foundation for these probably unruly people who had never experienced self-rule, to learn to worship God and to love their neighbors.

Because of their covenant responsibility as a people and as a kingdom is to represent God, repeatedly they were asked to "be holy, because I am holy." They should live in awe and obedience to God because "I am the Lord your God." Leviticus thus taught them how to prepare properly their sacrifices because such proper preparation sets the hearts and relationship in a right framework. Notice that it is the manner of preparation that takes up a lot of space, suggesting to readers that conditioning the people’s hearts and approach to God was the key. Not all sacrifices are repayments for sins. Some are gifts; others are sacrifices for fellowship to be enjoyed by God and men. Still, others are for healing of a broken relationship. To make sense of the offerings and sacrifices, we must maintain the concept of "relationship" in view.

When we come to those parts of Leviticus that deal with what is pure and impure and how to cleanse oneself, we need to appreciate the concern here is that it is the proper thing to do when the Holy God is present, for He is holy. Sometimes it is not clear why certain things are classified as "clean" and "unclean." But the important thing to remember is that there may be a combination of reasons. For example, idolatry and consuming blood were practiced in Canaanite religions and the people of God must not have any part in it. Also, certain instructions may well be for hygienic reasons although we are not given the reasons.

Living like the Holy God is not limited to the moment of religious activities. Leviticus instructed the people to live in a proper relationship with one another, to live justly and mercifully. That is why we find the emphasis on "rest" for all people when Leviticus specifies matters relating to the Sabbath, Sabbath Year and the Jubilee.