Leviticus CHAPTERS 1-10
I. TITLE AND CONTENTS: “The first word of the book serves as its Hebrew title, wayyiqra, ‘and he called’. The English title Leviticus is borrowed from the Latin Vulgate translation, which in turn had adapted it from the Septuagint, the early Greek version of the Pentateuch (first five books of Moses). Leviticus is a fairly appropriate title for the book for it deals largely with priestly matters, and the priests were drawn from the tribe of Levi. Thus chapters 1-7 deal with sacrifice, chapters 8-10 with the institution of the high-priesthood, chapters 11-15 with the rules of uncleanness administered by the priests and so on” 1 “The LXX (Greek translation of the O.T.) title Leuitikon means that which pertains to the Levites. However, it would be a mistake to describe Leviticus simply as a manual for the priests. The book equally stresses the obligations upon the person who is bringing a sacrifice to the priests. Many of the commands explain what the Israelite should sacrifice, when to go to the tabernacle, what to bring, and what he may expect the priest to do when he arrives. Most of the laws in this book apply to all Israel: only a few sections specifically concern the priests alone (i.e. chapters 21-22). Be impressed that every Israelite had equal access to God’s will, and God never said, “just do whatever the priests say”. “Some of the laws in Leviticus were written with judges in mind. They prescribe what penalty is appropriate when the Decalog has been broken (20:2; 24:10-23; 20:9,10)…It is a feature of biblical law that it treats offenses against property more leniently than was customary in the ancient Near East, while offenses against life and religion were dealt with more severely” (Wenham pp. 35-36).
II. AUTHORSHIP AND DATE: Time and time again we are told in this book that , “The Lord spoke to Moses” (1:1; 4:1; 6:1). No less than 38 times are we told that the Lord spoke to Moses or to Aaron. “Nothing could be clearer than that this entire sacrificial system was 1
The International Commentary On The Old Testament, Leviticus, G.J. Wenham, p. 3 1
no invention of the Hebrew people” 2 In addition, we cannot assign this book to a later time, for: 1. The sacrifices are offered in the tabernacle, not in the temple (chapters 1-17). 2. Lepers must live outside the camp, not outside the city (13:46). 3. 17:1-9 presupposes that every Israelite is within easy reach of the tabernacle. 4. “Where laws would apply only to a settled people, they are generally prefaced by a statement that God is bringing Israel into the land of Canaan where they would become applicable (14:34; 18:3; 23:10; 25:2)” (Wenham p. 9). Leviticus 1:1 “from the tent of meeting”, which had just been erected in Exodus chapter 40. This statement reminds us that Leviticus is the sequel to Exodus. The book of Exodus ended with the erection of the tabernacle and God appearing in a cloud over the tent of meeting. “It is important to recognize that the laws in Leviticus form part of a historical narrative” (Wenham p. 49).
III.
Major Themes:
“Be holy, for I am holy” (11:44-45: 19:2; 20:26) could be called the motto of Leviticus. “Holy”, “clean”, and “unclean” that words that often appear in this book. Added to this, the recurring expression, “I am the Lord you God” (18:2; 19:3-4,10; 20:7). These statements should of reminded the Israelites that God expected holiness and faithfulness from each one of them. The whole nation was to be a nation of priests (Exodus 19:5-6). Every aspect of their lives, such as religious duties (21-24), sexual relations (18-20) and how one treats a neighbor (chapters 19,25), is of concern to God. “The behavior of each member of the covenant must mirror that of God himself (20:7)” (Wenham p. 17). God equally expects holiness from His people today (1 Peter 1:16; Mark 12:30-31). Archer notes the following: “There are……basic principles which operate throughout this book.
2
1.
As a unique people of God, redeemed Israel is (a) to keep holy, that is, set apart from the world unto the service and worship of the one true God; (b) to maintain access to God on the basis of substitutionary atonement, for by the shedding of the blood of the sacrifice an innocent life is substituted for the forfeited life of the guilty.
2.
Since this access to God is made possible by grace, the believer must come before God only in the specific way which God has appointed. Hence all regulations as to ……sacrifice must originate with God.
A Survey Of Old Testament Introduction, Gleason L. Archer, Jr., p. 240 2
3. As a holy people spiritually wedded to Jehovah, Israel must rigorously abstain from all sexual unchastity, all violation of the marriage bond. (Archer pp. 240-241)
IV. Outline Chapters 1-10: I. Law of Sacrifices: 1:1-7:38 A. Burnt Offering: 1:1-17 B. Meal Offering: 2:1-16 C. Peace Offering: 3:1-17 D. Sin Offering For “Unwitting” Sins: 4:1-5:13 E. Trespass Offering: 5:14-6:7 F. Continual Burnt Offering/Offerings Of Priests: 6:8-23 G. Disposition Of The Victim in a Sin Offering…: 6:24-7:27 H. Wave Offering And the Heave Offering: 7:28-29 II.
Consecration Of The Priests: 8:1-10:23 A. Consecration of Aaron and his sons: 8:1-36 B. Aaron as High Priest: 9:1-24 C. Judgment upon Nadab and Abihu: 10:1-20
V. COMMENTARY CHAPTERS 1-10: CHAPTER 1 1:2 Note that God didn’t allow wild animals to be sacrificed. The sacrifice had to be a “sacrifice” from the owner (2 Samuel 24:24 “for I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing”). But many people today do want a relationship with God and especially a worship service which doesn’t demand their time or attention. 1:3 The animal had to be perfect, one of the best the person had. Do we give our best to God? (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 15:58). 1:4-17 The law made it clear exactly what the worshipper does and what the priest does. “The worshipper brings the animal, kills it, skins it or guts it, and
3
chops it up. The priest sprinkles the blood on the altar and places the dismembered carcass on the fire” (Wenham p. 49). Points To Note: Instead of viewing such sacrifices as part of a backward or crude system, we need to be impressed that such taught the worshipper many vital lessons: 1. Sin is expensive! Imagine seeing a whole bull or lamb going up to smoke! Your bull and lamb! A whole year’s worth of steaks or meat gone! “In the overfed West we can easily fail to realize what was involved in offering an unblemished animal in sacrifice” (Wenham p. 51). 2. Sin means that an innocent life must die! Be impressed that the sinner had to kill the animal himself (1:5). Something must take my place, something innocent and harmless must die if I am going to be forgiven. 3. The worshipper had to undertake the messier task associated with the sacrifice. He had to kill, skin, wash, and chop up the animal. The worshipper had to wash the hid legs and the inner organs of the animal to remove any traces of extreta (Deut. 23:13-15). Sin is a messy business! “Using a little imagination every reader of the O.T. soon realizes that these ancient sacrifices were very moving occasions. They make modern church services seem tame by comparison. The ancient worshipper did not just listen to the minister and sing a few hymns. He was actively involved in the worship” (Wenham p. 55). 4. Sin must be dealt with on a continual basis, temptation is all around us! Everyday sacrifices were offered, in the air surrounding the camp there must have been the continual smell of roasted flesh. Our spiritual sacrifices to God must be continual (Hebrews 13:15-16). 5. God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). While modern animal rights advocates find all of this disgusting, God found such sacrifices to be a smoothing aroma (1:9). 6. The spiritual life of any human being is far more important than the life of any animal, even the most perfect specimen.
Chapter 2 From the various grain offerings, cooked and uncooked, the priests received their daily bread (2:10). Leaven or honey were never to be mixed with such offerings (2:11). But such offerings always had to be seasoned with salt (2:13). One thought is that leaven and honey both cause fermentation, hence are symbols of corruption, while salt has the opposite effect, i.e. causes preservation. Compare these cereal offerings to Deut. 26:9-10.
Chapter 3
4
This chapter deals with peace offerings. By laying one’s hand upon the animal to be sacrificed (3:2), the worshipper was acknowledging his guilt. The peace offerings here are like the burnt offering of chapter 1, except that part of the animal, the breast and the thigh were given to the priests; the rest of the animal was eaten by the worshipper and his family (see 7:31ff; Deut. 12:7. Leviticus chapter 7 will mention three different types of peace offerings. Such an offering may include the confession of sin, or the offering may simply be the expression of gratitude to God for the fulfillment of a vow (Psalm 56:13-14). “Though confession of sin and pleas for deliverance are associated with these sacrifices, more typically they are seen as joyous occasions. These sacred meals were opportunities for rejoicing before the Lord (Deut. 12:12,18; 27:7; 1 Kings 8:66)” (Wenham p. 79). The kidneys, intestines and the fat that surrounded them was to be burned. In the O.T. the kidneys and entrails are often used to symbolize the seat of the emotions (Psalm 16:7), just as in the English language we talk of the heart. “It is possible that offering the kidneys and internal organs symbolizes the dedication of the worshipper’s best and deepest emotions to God. For the peace offering was often tendered in intrinsically emotional situations, when a man made vows or found himself seeking God’s deliverance or praising him for his mercy” (Wenham p. 81).
Chapter 4 Even unintentional sins needed forgiveness, ignorance isn’t an excuse, and neither can “good intentions” make up for something that is indeed sinful (4:1). God also knew that even His priests would sin (4:3). The entire camp could be in a sin without knowing it (4:13). Carefully note God believes that unintentional sins eventually surface. Often people worry about being involved in a sin of ignorance of which they are never given the opportunity to repent. God doesn’t see such happening (4:14). The sin offering was graded according to the status of the person who committed the sin (4:1,13,22,27; 5:7,11). That is, God took into account a person’s economic situation when it came to this offering. “Other passages explain more clearly what was meant by inadvertence. Numbers 15:27ff. Contrasts unwitting sin with sinning ‘with a high hand’ (30), i.e. blatantly or deliberately” (Wenham p. 92).
Chapter 5 This chapter discusses some special applications of the sin offering. Three specific sins which might require a sin offering are first named. These are withholding testimony, accidental ceremonial defilement and idle swearing. In 5:1, the man summoned to give testimony in a trial, may have forgotten, didn’t want to get involved, didn’t want to testify against a family member, etc…
5
5:4 “swears thoughtlessly”-Someone who had rashly made a promise to do good or harm. Here is a sacrifice for idle words (Ecc. 5:1-2; Matthew 12:36). 5:15 “sins unintentionally against the Lord’s holy things”-Inadvertently eating something set aside for the priests would be one example of the above (Leviticus 22:14). “These OT laws also show that unintentional sin is just as much sin in God’s sight as deliberate wrongdoing” (Wenham p. 103). In addition to a ram, the offender also had to pay a fine of 20%.
Chapter 6 6:1-8 Various intentional sins could also be forgiven (if a person was willing to repent and humble themselves). “The placing of possessions in the safekeeping of another person must have happened frequently in Israel, particularly in areas where it was necessary to roam with the herds for months at a time. When this was done, it was natural to leave various objects, including money, in the care of a trusted person or with those who kept watch over the village. Many must have succumbed to the temptation of theft, especially since an inventory of the goods was not always drawn up” 3 Point To Note: The difference between this chapter and the instructions given in Exodus 22:7, where such a thief had to pay double, could be that the man in Leviticus has voluntarily confessed his sin. Such an offering, which included a fine of 20%, “draws attention to the fact that sin has both a social and a spiritual dimension” (Wenham p. 111). When we sin, we are hurting not only ourselves, but our neighbors as well, sin always has a “cost”. 6:9-30 Here we find additional information which is given to the priests concerning the various categories of sacrifices previously mentioned. 1. The holy garments were reserved for use in the tabernacle and it’s court (6:11). 2. The fire on the altar was to be kept burning constantly (6:12-13). 3. Clearly, being a priest was not an easy task, in addition to all the sacrifices offered by the people and the burnt offerings on behalf of the entire nation which were offered every morning and evening (Num. 28:3-8), the fire itself had to be kept burning all night. The perpetual fire served as a reminder that Israel needed constant atonement.
3
Bible Students Commentary, Leviticus, A. Noordtzij, pp. 72-73. 6
Chapter 7 This chapter continues to describe the priests portion in guilt and peace offerings. Only the interior fat portions of the animal were burned on the altar (for the guilt offering). The rest was to be eaten by the males of a priest’s family within the tabernacle courtyard. The officiating priests received the hide of the sin and guilt offerings (7:8). Various differences existed between peace offerings: 1. A thanksgiving peace offering was to be accompanied by a meal offering. The meat of such an offering had to be eaten on the day it was offered (7:11-15). 2. A peace offering which was offered as a result of a vow or which was simply a freewill offering could be eaten on the second day (7:16-18). 3. Meat which touched anything unclean had to be burned up. 4. No fat from any sacrificial animal could be eaten. 5. From the peace offering, the priest was specifically given two parts of the animal by divine decree, the breast and the right thigh. Points To Note: 1.
Basically, sacrifices had to be consumed promptly (7:15-18). This law may had the purpose of encouraging the worshipper to share the meal with others. “Another idea is that by eating the food up in one day rather than storing it, the worshipper exercised faith that God would provide for his needs day by day” (Wenham p. 124). It also emphasized to the Israelites that sacrifices where not simply occasions when their animals could be butchered for free. The tabernacle wasn’t a meat-market. 2. “These laws underline the scrupulous attention to detail and punctilious obedience to God’s instructions which were expected in priest and worshipper…..Jesus said that God must be worshipped in spirit and in truth. And it has become commonplace to contrast spirit and form (or spirit and doctrine) as if they were incompatible in worship…..Spontaneity and lack of preparation is equated with spirituality. Leviticus 6-7 denies this: care and attention to detail are indispensable to the conduct of divine worship. God is more important, more distinguished, worthy of more respect than any man; therefore we should follow his injunctions to the letter, if we respect him” (Wenham pp. 127,128).
Chapters 8-9 These two chapters describe the consecration of Aaron and his sons, which took seven days. Chapter 9 describes the events which took place on the eighth day (9:1). After all of this, Aaron is for the first time allowed to enter the tabernacle
7
(9:23). The glory of God appeared, and miraculous fire consumed the burnt offering (9:23-24). All of this demonstrated that God had accepted Aaron and his sons as His legitimate priests and that the people could have the confidence that God would accept the sacrifices that such men offered on their behalf. “Aaron’s gorgeous garments, the multiplicity of animals sacrifices, were not ends in themselves but only means to the end, namely, the proper worship of God. These elaborate vestments and sacrifices helped simple human minds appreciate the majestic holiness of God” (Wenham p. 151).
Chapter 10 “Tragedy and triumph go hand in hand in the Bible and in life. On the first day of Aaron’s high-priestly ministry his two eldest sons died for infringing God’s law….In many parts of the Church the biblical view of divine judgment is conveniently forgotten or supposed to be something that passed away with the OT. Heine’s famous last words, ‘God will forgive. That’s his job’, have become the unexpressed axiom of much modern theology. This short story (Leviticus 10) is therefore an affront to liberal thinkers” (Wenham p. 153). Carefully note, God hasn’t changed His mind about such things (i.e. Acts 5:1ff; 1 Corinthians 10:1ff). 10:1-2 “strange fire”-“unauthorized fire” (NIV). What made the fire “strange” was the fact that God hadn’t commanded such. The whole point of the precious chapters has stressed that God expected the priests to obey the law promptly and exactly. Various things could have been wrong with this offering: 1. They could be offering it at the wrong time and place (Exodus 30:7-9). 2. They could also have used the wrong materials (Exodus 30:9). But where they were in error is not specifically stated because any error is a violation of God’s will. Point To Note: From this example we must learn (Romans 15:4): 1. God’s silence doesn’t authorize anything. The argument, “Well, God hasn’t specifically forbidden this particular worship style” is seen as having no merit. 2. God isn’t obligated to accept whatever man labels as worship. 3. Spontaneity and substitution in worship has a very poor track record in Scripture. 4. Being close to God doesn’t exempt one from the need to obey exactly what God has said. 10:2-3 God expects His priests and worshippers to treat Him as holy, to treat Him with respect and honor. In the context, God is treated as holy when we precisely obey His will. When we worship Him as He has specifically outlined for us in His word. Adding forms to worship which are foreign to the NT isn’t spiritual, rather it is treating God with dishonor. God still feels the same way about additions or substitutions to His will (2 John 9; Galatians 1:6-9).
8
10:6-7 Aaron and the remaining sons were not even allowed to join in the customary mourning for these two sons and brothers. “The surviving priests, even though they were brothers, had to identify themselves entirely with God’s viewpoint and not arouse any suspicion that they condoned their brother’s sins. Had they joined in the traditional customs of tearing their clothes, they might have been tempted in their grief to blame God for their brother’s deaths” (Wenham p. 157). Total dedication to God’s service is required of the priests: they must not leave the enclosure of the tent of meeting, even for the funeral of these loved ones. 10:8-10 From this warning, some have suspected that Nadab and Abihu might have been intoxicated when they offered the strange fire. The essence of the priest’s job was to make decisions, as to what constituted the difference between the holy and the common, the unclean and the clean. “To make a mistake in these matters provoked God’s judgment and could lead to death” (Wenham p. 159). In like manner, Christians need to be vigilant and mentally sober, always careful to discern between good and evil (Heb. 5:14; 1 Thess. 5:21-22). And preachers and elders need to be sure that what they are teaching is the truth (2 Timothy 2:15), for the souls of others are on the line (1 Tim. 4:16). 10:11 The priests were not just men who offered sacrifices, but they were also the teachers in Israel.
10:16-20 Apparently Eleazar and Ithamar (ITH uh mahr) had burned the goat for the sin offering, when it should have been eaten (6:24-30). Aaron, excused their deed by reminding Moses of the confusion that had arisen on this festive day, i.e. an error of this sort could easily be made under such circumstances. In addition, he wasn’t sure that he and his remaining sons were indeed permitted to eat the meat of the sin offering for the people on a day in which the Lord’s burning wrath had been revealed in such a dreadful manner.
Points To Note:
1. As in the NT, the disciple must put allegiance to Christ before family obligations (Lev. 10:6-7; Matthew 8:21-22). 2. We must take worship very seriously (1 Cor. 10:23ff) and every word spoken by God (Hebrews 2:1-3). See also Luke 12:48; James 3:1.
9
10