LEVITICUS

In Leviticus Moses records God’s detailed instructions concerning sacrifices, the ordination of a priesthood, nutrition, health care, national feasts and civil justice.

Moses writes Leviticus as the third of his five books (called Pentateuch) during Israel’s forty years in the wilderness. In the Pentateuch, which is a description of both historical events as well as the Law of God, Moses is repeatedly mentioned to be ‘writing everything down’. The later Biblical writings of both Old and New Testament and Jesus himself refer to the Pentateuch as ‘the books of Moses’, thus establishing him as the author.

Like Genesis and Exodus, Leviticus is an absolutely foundational book and describes how God builds up Israel by giving it its religious life as well as its civil law. God establishes the sacrificial system that Israel is to follow with sin- and guilt offerings (to receive forgiveness), burnt offerings (to express surrender and devotion to God) and the peace offerings (to celebrate fellowship with God. Through the elaborate and meticulous instructions God shows Israel that in the matter of forgiveness and access to God, there is no discussion or bargaining: it is a grace and it needs to be done God’s way. What God is looking for is a humble and faith-filled attitude in the worshipers, who acknowledge God’s holiness as well as their own sinfulness and inability to ever please God on their own – and a thankful acceptance of the way shown.

Israel than receives its priesthood by the ordination of the High priest Aaron and is family. They are chosen not by merit but by grace, they have to live at a higher moral standard and have the role of mediators. They need to represent the people to God in intercession and sacrifices, and they need to represent God to the people in exemplary lives, teaching and representation of God.

God is revealed as the God of holiness, purity and integrity, and if Israel wants to have this God live among them, they need to become holy. The priests offering sacrifices is part of it, the adherence to clean unclean laws is another part. These practical laws about nutrition and health care meant to set the Israelites apart, but also ensure health and prevent the spread of disease. The focus is on prevention, rather than cure and Israel is taught the cause and effect nature of the physical universe.

The ‘becoming right with God’ is culminating is the day of atonement, a solemn yearly feast where through the blood of sin offerings the tabernacle, altar, priesthood and people were atoned for. Once a year a clean slate!

God furthermore establishes a yearly round of national feasts for Israel, that were times of joyous national fellowship at the tabernacle, tools for remembrance of Israel’s history and also a revelation and celebration of God as the God of power, deliverance, covenant, calling and provision, holy and fearful yet near and desiring fellowship with his people.

God establishes further moral and civil law for Israel. Israel is to be covenant-keeping nation, not only with God, but with each other and within family. Protection of marriages and families, sexual purity and a conscious decision against idolatry are important building blocks, as it the commitment to uphold each other’s rights, the value of human life and the importance of the spoken word. God is laying the foundations for a lawful, free, safe, productive and healthy nation.

God is willing and ready, but the choice is theirs. God spends a whole chapter teaching Israel the importance of their choice. Either they will choose obedience and fear of God, which will lead to blessing, well-being and life – or else disobedience and idolatry, which will lead to curse, poverty and death. At any given time they can leave the path to death – if they repent.

Authorship and Pass down

Moses writes Leviticus as the third of his five books (called Pentateuch) during Israel’s forty years in the wilderness. In the Pentateuch, which is a description of both historical events as well as the Law of God, Moses is repeatedly mentioned to be writing (Ex 17:14, 24:4, 34:27, Nu 33:2, De 31:9). At the end of Leviticus (Le 27:34) there is a summary statement ‘These are the comamndments that the LORD gave to Moses for the people of Israel on Mount Sinai’, which strongly suggests Moses writing the detailed instructions down himself as soon as they were given.

At the very end of his life Moses is described as ‘writing down in a book the words of this law to the very end’ (De 31:24). This book of the law is carefully stored beside the ark of the covenant (De 31:25) and Moses ensures the continued pass-down of this document by instructing regular public reading of it to all of Israel, great and small (De 31:10-33).

The later Biblical writings the Old Testament continually refer to the Pentateuch, including Genesis as ‘the Law of Moses’ or the ‘Books of Moses’, thus confirming Moses as the author (Jo 1:7-8, 1 Ki 2:3, 2 Ki 14:6, De 9:11-13, Ez 6:18, Ne 13:1, Ma 4:4). In the same way the New Testament authors and also Jesus himself refer to the Law or quote from the Law identifying Moses as the author (Mt 8:4, 22:24, Mk 1:44, 12:26, Lu 16:29-31, Jn 1:17, 7:19, Ac 3:22, 26:22, Ro 10:19, 1 Co 9:9, 2 Co 3:15).

The audience

While camping at Sinai, God gives Moses detailed laws, which Moses records immediately (it seems) and thereby compiles the book of Leviticus. Leviticus is thus written in 1446-1445 BC while at Sinai. Moses writes for the first generation of Israelites who have seen the deliverance from Egypt with their own eyes, but also for all later generations to come, as the law given by God is meant to be kept in perpetuity.

The importance of this book for Israel

Like Genesis and Exodus, Leviticus is an absolutely foundational book and describes how God builds up Israel by giving it its religious life as well as its civil law. The question that Leviticus answers is: how can a holy God live among a sinful nation? Atonement and obedience is needed.

Thus God first gives detailed instructions about the sacrificial system that Israel is to follow. God commands sin offerings, guilt offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings and peace offerings. God then ordains the priesthood: Aaron of the tribe of Levi as high priest and all his sons and future descendants to come as priests. They are to be mediators between God and the people, offering the sacrifices, teaching the law, interceding for Israel and representing God’s heart. God further commands clean unclean laws that will set Israel apart from other nations but also keep them healthy. The religious law culminates with the instruction of the Day of Atonement, a solemn yearly feast where Israel’s sin is addressed. God also commands a round of seven yearly feasts where Israel will come together and celebrate God’s character and his intervention in the life of the nation. God also gives moral and civil law, protecting human life, marriage, family and property. He ends by teaching Israel their freedom to choose, and the consequences of their choices: obedience will lead to well-being and life, disobedience to destruction and death.

The sacrifices

God unilaterally imposes an elaborate and meticulous sacrificial system. There are six types of sacrifices, four of which are blood sacrifices where an animal is offered. The other two are grain offerings and drink offerings. Each type of sacrifice has its own set of rules and a different purpose:

Blood offering 

With all blood offerings a clean animal without blemish is brought to the altar. The worshiper places his hands on the animal’s head and slits its throat. The priests catch the blood and dash it against the altar. The worshiper cuts up the animal and washes the parts. The priests turn the assigned pieces into smoke on the altar of burnt offering in front of the tabernacle.

 Sin offering 

A clean animal is sacrificed according to the economic status of the worshiper: a bull for a priest or Israel itself, a goat for a ruler, a lamb for a normal person, birds for the poor and flour for the destitute. The worshiper receives no part of the animal, the fat parts are offered to God and the meat is the priests’. This sacrifice is not a ‘pleasing odor’ to God.

Sin offerings are given to atone for unintentional sins, at various purification rites, at all yearly national feasts and – most importantly – on the Day of Atonement, acknowledging the sinfulness of the individual and also of the nation as a whole.

 Guilt offering 

A ram is sacrificed in the case of theft, fraud, lying etc., besides restoring the property and adding a fifth to the principal amount. This sacrifice is not a ‘pleasing odor’.

 Burnt offering 

A bull, male goat, ram without blemish, dove or pigeon was offered as a sign of wholehearted devotion, commitment or surrender to God. The worshiper and the priest didn’t get any part (only the skin went to the priest), the whole animal was turned into smoke on the altar as a ‘pleasing odor’ to God.

Burnt offerings were given at private initiative, daily, weekly and monthly for the nation, at all national yearly feasts, as part of cleansing and consecration rites. The burnt offering is the most mentioned offering in the Bible.

 Grain offering 

With all the blood sacrifices, according to the size of the animal offered, a grain offering was associated. It could be fine flour, cakes, wafers, of the griddle or pan. It was given with salt, oil and incense. The worshiper didn’t get any part, a token part was offered to God and the rest was the priests’ due. Some grain offerings were associated with cleansing rites and special grain offerings were given as first-fruits of the harvest. Grain offerings were a ‘pleasing odor’ to God.

 Drink offering 

With all the blood sacrifices, according to the size of the animal offered, a drink offering or wine was associated. It was poured out entirely onto God at the base of the altar.

 Peace offering 

There were three kinds of peace offerings: thanksgiving, fulfillment of a vow or freewill offerings. A bull, cow, male or female goat or sheep could be offered. Minor blemishes were acceptable for the freewill offering. The fatty parts were offered to God, the best pieces (breast and right thigh) were elevated and then given to the priests, the main part was given to the worshiper to eat as a feast before God with his family within two days.

Peace offerings were given at the yearly Pentecost feasts, at the completion of a Nazirite vow or personally at any time. Peace offerings were joyful celebrations expressing fellowship with God. They were a pleasing odor.

The various sacrifices expressed different aspects of coming before God or being in fellowship with him. The sin and guilt offering expressed repentance, atonement and restitution, the burnt offering expressed wholehearted devotion, the peace offering expressed fellowship with God and the special grain offerings acknowledged God as the bountiful Giver.

All sacrifices are pictures that are fulfilled in Christ. Jesus is the ultimate sin offering for the sins of humankind (Is 53:10-12). He died ‘outside the camp’ (Heb 13:11-13). He has become sin for us so we in him might ‘become the righteousness of God‘ (2 Cor 5:21). He has removed out guilt (He 10:4, 11-14). But Jesus is also the true burnt offering, living a live in continual surrender, complete obedience and wholehearted devotion to God (Ro 12:1-2). He is our peace offering, reconciling us to God (2 Cor 5:18, Col 1:20), bringing us into fellowship with him as sons (Gal 4:7) and breaking down all barriers between us (Eph 2:14).

Sacrifices are also picture lessons to teach Israel, containing all the basic truths of the gospel: God is holy. Humans are sinful. Nothing humans can do will make them holy or acceptable. God opens a way, and we will in faith and obedience obey that one way without complaining, bargaining or meriting. Essentially the attitude of the worshiper giving an offering is exactly the attitude of a person receiving Christ: Acknowledging God and his justice, confessing our guilt, unworthiness and hopelessness, putting our trust in the way God provided: in the Old Testament the sacrificial system, in the New Testament Jesus. There is no other name by which we are saved (Acts 4:12).

Old Testament sacrifices never actually took away sin (Heb 10:3-4), no goat can stand for a human, really. But it is that humility and obedience of the worshiper to the sacrificial system, it is his faith that God will provide a way that is essential. Old Testament believers gave sacrifices in faith that God would provide a way, – we New Testament believers look back to God making a way though Jesus on the cross and put our faith in him. The requirement is the same for both, the way of salvation is the same for both. It is this essential attitude that God desires (humiility, faith, obedience), and it is this essential attitude that is the ‘pleasing odor’. Or as David says in Ps 51:16-17 ‘For you have no delight in sacrifice … the sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spririt, a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise’.

The sacrifices express God’s holiness and his grace, they express his justice and his mercy at the same time.

Thus the sacrifices God ordains are very different from the sacrifices of other nations or religions: the attitude is essential, not the size of the gift. The offering is precisely not a way to buy favor, a way to manipulate the god, a way to improve my standing or chances. It is the acknowlegement that I can do nothing, deserve nothing and earn nothing. Also sacrifices are linked to a holy lifestyle, not the ritual prostitution often associated with pagan sacrifices. Biblical sacrifices are precisely not a way to buy myself the ticket to get away with sin.

The ordination of the priesthood

God sovereignly chooses Aaron, Moses’ older brother, to become the High priest and the sons of his family to be priests in perpetuity. Priests were mediators, standing before God on behalf of the people in intercession and offering up sacrifices, and standing before the people on behalf of God, teaching them God’s character, ways and law.

They are ordained by an elaborate ceremony with first sin offering, burnt offering and a ram of ordination. They start officiating at the altar and God confirms their appointment by letting his glory appear and by sending a fire from his presence to consume the offering. The people respond with awe at this second confirmation, first for the tabernacle (Ex 40:34-35) and now for the priestly family (Lev 9:22-24).

But when Aaron’s two oldest sons offer incense against God’s instruction, probably in an intoxicated state, that same fire comes out from God and kills them. Aaron and his remaining sons are warned by God not show sorrow publicly as they are God’s representatives. God stops the immediate deterioration of lawfulness in his chosen priests very sharply, a sobering reminder of the holiness of God.

Clean unclean laws

God gives Israel a series of practical clean unclean laws, relating to nutrition, to skin diseases, fungal infections and disease transmission. What is the purpose of these laws? There are different possible answers:

• to set Israel apart from other nations by imposing rules that would practically have made it impossible to co-live with others. Israel thus becomes a separate nation with a different culture, identity and practice.

• What God forbids are all things that have to do with Canaanite idol worship. The goal was thus to prevent Israel from engaging in idolatry.

• To keep Israel healthy by obeying a set of practical rules concerning nutrition, hygiene and diseases.

Nutrition 

Nutrition of the land animals, only those split-hoofed and chewing the cud were clean and thus edible. Of the water animals only those with fins and scales were clean. Of the birds only certain kinds were clean. Of the insects only leaping ones with joint legs were clean.

Why these rules? It cannot be said for certain, but cud-chewing land animals are herbivores, which means less chance for meat-transmitted germs as well as shorter food chains, with less change of concentration of toxins. Fish with fins are active swimmers, living in running water versus water creatures that are ground-dwelling scavengers or filterers, eating contaminated, rotting and dead materials. Most toxic water creatures have no scales. In the bird class those who are herbivores are permissible, but not carnivores. Those birds that eat unclean animals, dead animals or rotting substances are forbidden. From the insect group only the locust group is permissible. Possibly availability and storability is a factor. Also omnivore land animals can be in competition to human food, whereas herbivores can live of land where no human food can be grown.

Skin diseases 

Priests are given a role in health care, making them accessible for people concerning practical needs and problems. Physical examination and careful monitoring of symptoms is required. The principle guiding the diagnosis of skin diseases is its appearance, depth and development, seeking to understand the risk of transmission to others.

House infections 

Not only people but things and houses can be infected. If so, again there is observation of symptoms, monitoring over time to assess spread, and a two step response if so: first a repair. Then, if the disease resurfaces, the demolition of the house.

Bodily discharges 

Certain things make a person unclean: having a discharge, touching any unclean person or thing, touching anything dead etc. Being unclean was usually a transitory state, with separating, washing and waiting most things could be taken care of by evening. The responsibility of ensuring transmission of uncleanness was stopped laid with the unclean person.

What does clean and unclean mean? Unclean didn’t mean evil, morally bad or corrupt. It did mean the possible presence of contamination by germs. To care for my neighbor meant to obey the clean unclean rules to that no risk of disease came to the other person due to my negligence.

The Feasts

God institutes a yearly round of feasts for Israel which are a big part of their religious life and education. Three times a year all Israel would gather at the tabernacle and in a national celebration commemorate God’s character and his intervention in Israel’s history. These times were mostly colorful, fun and interactive feasts with high teaching power for the children growing up.

Sabbath 

A weekly rest day with no labor but rather physical restoration and time for God. God himself ordains and follows it in Ge 2:1-3. It was mandatory (under death penalty!) for everyone including children, workers, slaves, foreigners and working animals. The writer of Hebrews calls salvation ‘God’s rest’ for his believers (He 4:1-11).

New Moon 

Every month was started with blowing of trumpets and the giving of a male goat as sin offering and a bull, a male goat and seven male lambs as a burnt offering. Its purpose was probably to consecrate the month to God.

Passover 

The passover commemorated Israel’s exodus from Egypt. A lamb was slaughtered and its blood smeared on the door posts to ward off the angel of death. The lamb was eaten by the family in a hasty meal in preparation for departure. Jesus died on the passover day, a meaningful fulfillment of what the feast stood for: Jesus by his death achieving the actual forgiveness of sin, the sin that by God’s grace been ‘passed over’ for centuries.

Feast of Unleavened Bread 

It was observed the week after Passover, commemorating the exodus.

Feast Pentecost / Feast of weeks / First Fruits 

It was observed fifty days after Passover and was a first-fruit festival (wheat harvest) as well as the commemoration of the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai. A sin offering, burnt offerings and peace offerings were part of the celebration, as well as an elevation offering of new grain. In the New Testament the Holy Spirit comes on this day and three thousand people believe. Harvest is also a metaphor for people converting to Christ.

Feast of Trumpets 

Trumpets were blown all day on the first day of the seventh month, which was also the beginning of the civil year. Sin offerings and burnt offerings were made. This day marked the start of a time of repentance leading up to the Day of Atonement.

The Feast of Tabernacles / Feast of Booths / In-gathering 

It was a time of great rejoicing over the harvest, but also commemorating the forty years in the wilderness by camping out in little booths made from palm branches. This eight day feast started every day with a sin offering followed by elaborate burnt offerings. Many people also gave private burnt or peace offerings at this time. It was also a time of gift giving.

The Laws

Sacrifices 

Sacrifices must be given centrally at the tabernacle by a Aaronitic priest. This law is ensuring Israel’s coherence by creating a central worship and also a protection against a descent into idolatry-like sacrifices and idolatry itself (2 Ki 18:4, Am 4:4).

Slaughter 

Slaughter for meat eating may be done anywhere, but the blood, in which is the life, must be poured out.

Sexual laws 

God prohibits any sex outside of a legal marriage already in the ten commandments. Yet he finds it necessary to elaborate on this, especially in the context of family, outlawing any form of incest (Le 18:1-23).

These laws effectively protect women in a household from the power of the senior and influential males in the family. They prevent women being pushed into impossible family relations (like becoming the rival of a sister or mother) and into sexual relationships where they have no honor, legal protection or authority (being used sexually but having no voice or position).

In addition to that, same-sex relationships as well as sexual relationships with animals are forbidden. All these practices were common in Canaan and other nations, but God outlaws them for Israel. God sorely warns Israel that is they end up with no different morality from the nations they will dispossess, God will dispossess them in the exact same way, loosing the promised land and ending up in exile (Le 18:24-31).

Poverty prevention God institutes two practices that will keep a check on poverty by ensuring regular new chances for those who have sunk into debts or dependency. God institutes the ‘Sabbath year’ which means that every seven years all debts must be canceled and bonded labor must be set free.

On top of that he institutes the ‘Year of Jubilee’ which means that every 50 years not only all debts must be canceled and bonded labor must be set free, but also the land must be restored to the original owners. By these two mechanism God ensures the recurring chance of a fresh start, as well as a ‘once per generation’ total financial re-set (Le 25).

Civil law 

Many civil laws are given, protecting parental authority (Le 19:3), sanctity of life of children (Le 19:29), the elderly (Le 19:32), relatives (Le 19:17), the neighbor in general (Le 19:13,16,19), aliens (Le 19:33-34), the poor (Le 19:9-10), the weak (Le 19:14), laborers (Le 19:13), labor (Le 19:3,13), private property (Le 19:13), just judgment (Le 19:15), safety (Le 19:18),

Religious law 

God prohibits idolatry (Le 19:4), the making of idols (Le 19:4), turning to augury or witchcraft (Le 19:26) or mediums and wizards (Le 19:31), pagan practices (Le 19:27-28),

Value of words 

God emphasizes the value and power of the spoken word. Rash Oaths cannot be lightly discarded but must be carefully fulfilled with a substitute payment and a votive sacrifice (Le 27). Blasphemy affect the minds of all who hear it and must be punished (Le 24:10-23). Swearing falsely in God’s name is forbidden (Le 19:12). A deaf person cannot be reviled, his weakness cannot be taken advantage off or made fun off (Le 19:19:14). Slander is forbidden (Le 19:16). Verbal contracts in trade must be honored (Le 19:35-36).

Death penalty 

God institutes the death penalty for idolatry, black magic and child sacrifice, and whatever else destroys the sanctity of life, freedom of choice, marriage, parental authority, family and safety in family.

Teaching Cause and Effect

In the very important chapter 26 God teaches Israel about the freedom of choice that he has given them and about the effect their choices will have.

Fear of God and obedience to his law will result in blessing, well-being, health, peace, life and stability in the promised land. Idolatry and disobedience to his law will result in curse, lack, sickness, war, death and loss of the promised land.

At any given point humans can switch to God’s side by simply repenting. God has no pride, he will not reject anyone who comes to him.

God affirms human choice. God holds humans accountable for their choices. We humans would rather deny choice and blame God for the circumstances. But it is not so. God has crowned humans with real power of choice. They can really do good, or really do evil. Real choices in a real world will lead to real consequences. God teaches Israel so they will choose right.

Color Coding Suggestions

• Who persons, priests, Levites, tribes, nations … God, descriptions of God
• When, Where
• Conditional Statements, Contrasts, Connectives, Commands

Repeated Themes

• tabernacle, altar, furnishings sacrifices, feasts
• clean, purify <=> unclean, defilement
• holy <=> unholy
• sin, guilt, judgment <=> atonement, confession, forgiveness, restitution
• obey, obedience, keep commands <=> disobedience

BASIC REQUIRED INFORMATION

Who wrote Leviticus?

• Leviticus specifically
• Moses, strongly suggested in Lev 27:34.
• 56 x “the LORD said to Moses” in Leviticus
• Leviticus is immediately linked with Exodus chapter 20 – 40 (indicated by the very first word being Hebrew ‘waw’ > ‘and’)

Pentateuch in general as Genesis, Exodus

Evidence from the Pentateuch itself

• Exo 17:14         “Then the LORD said to Moses, Write this as a reminder in a book and recite it in the hearing of Joshua: I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.”
• Exo 24:4          “And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD.”
• Exo 34:27        “The LORD said to Moses: Write these words; in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.”
• Nun 33:2          “Moses wrote down their starting points, stage by stage, by command of the LORD.”
• Deu 31:9           “Then Moses wrote down this law, and gave it to the priests…and to all the elders of Israel.”
• Deu 31:24        “When Moses had finished writing down in a book the words of this law to the very end …”

Evidence from the OT

• 1 Kin 2:3, 2 Kin 14:6, Dan 9:11-13 Referring to the Pentateuch as the ‘Law of Moses’
• Eze 6:18, Neh 13:1    Referring to the Pentateuch as the ‘Books of Moses’
• Mal 4:4                        Referring to the Pentateuch as the ‘Teaching of Moses’

Evidence from the NT

• 1 Cor 9:9                    Referring to the Pentateuch as the ‘Law of Moses’
• Mrk 12:26                  Referring to the Pentateuch as the ‘Book of Moses’
• Luk 16:29-31, Act 26;22, 2 Cor 3:15 Referring to the Pentateuch by the metonymy ‘Moses’
• Jhn 1:17, Jhn 7:19    says ‘Moses gave the law’
• Mth 8:4, 22:24, Mrk 1:44, Rom 10:19 says ‘Moses spoke the words of the Lord’

Recipients of the Instructions

• Lev 1:1; 4:1; 5:14      Moses
• Lev 11:1; 13:1            Moses and Aaron
• Lev 10:8                      Aaron

Places of Revelation of the Instructions

• tent of meeting
• some on Mount Sinai Lev 7:37,38; 26:46; 27:34

To whom is Leviticus written?                     as Genesis, Exodus

• 1st generation Israel during their wilderness wanderings … especially to Levites and Priests, but to all also
• 2nd generation Israel growing up during the wilderness wanderings
• future generations of Israel, constitution, maintaining this teaching required … Lev 24:8 regularly, as a covenant forever

When was Leviticus written?                        as Genesis, Exodus

• Early authorship range: 1446-1406 BC …
• Probably written immediately after receiving, to retain the detailed and important information > 1446-5 BC.
• See 1 Kin 6:1, which dates the Exodus: Solomon 966 BC … minus 480 years > 1446 BC for Exodus
• Some suggest late authorship 1280-1250 BC

From where was Leviticus written?

• Wilderness years > Sinai Peninsula and adjacent regions. Leviticus most likely at Mount Sinai as Genesis, Exodus

Literary Style of Leviticus

• Prose > literal interpretation

Structure of Leviticus

• Law text mostly. Only little ‘Historical narrative’ > Lev 10,1-7; 10,16-20; 24,1-12+23.
• Topically ordered Instructions around sacrifices, priests, ordination, feasts … often followed by a summary statement about what was instructed immediately preceding (Lev 7:37-38; 11:46-47; 14:54-57; 15:32-33; 26:46; 27:34)

Composition of Leviticus

• Repetition

Significance of Leviticus for Israel and beyond

• Leviticus lays down the civil, moral and religious law code of the newborn nation > sacrificial system, priesthood, centralized worship, feasts, clean-unclean laws
• Helps build the identity of the newborn Israel
• Laws … great influence in many nations. Calvin applied its principles for economy, education, government, etc. … through him spread to many nations. Till some decades ago theologians and lawyers had initially same study course > law of Moses as basis of modern law

Main Characters in Leviticus

• Moses, through whom Leviticus is given to people, Levites, priests … he leads out in obedience in everything, being an example, a faithful mediator, leading the people in obedience … Lev 9:23-24, 24:23, ch 10
• Aaron, obediently learning his job, learning to have God’s heart for people, blesses in Lev 9:22-23, and God’s view on things Lev 10:36. He is accepted on the day of atonement Lev 16 … and spoken to by God Lev 10:8 … his heart attitude is humble Lev 10:19-20.
• Nadab, Abihu, Blasphemer

Surrounding Nations

• None directly. Israel is ‘off the map’ in ‘no man’s land’.
• Important inasmuch as their actions, morals and idolatry are not to be imitated … Canaan & Egypt are mentioned specifically in Lev 18:3. Their practices ‘influence’ the ordinances inasmuch as a clear separation is drawn in Lev 18:21, 19:19. God gives quite a bit of advance knowledge to Israel about Canaan

Spiritual Life of Israel

• People are shown to be obedient Lev 24:23
• Only disobedience are by Nadab, Abihu Lev 10:1ff and the blasphemer Lev 24:23

Main Ideas or Topics of Leviticus

• God is holy and requires His people to be holy (Lev 11:44,45; 19:2; 20:7; 21:8) > he provides the sacrificial system to open the way for Israel to become holy so they can come into fellowship with God
• Priesthood established: priests as Mediators between men and God … representing God, teaching the law, interceding & sacrificing for people
• Access to His presence is only through the shedding of blood which makes atonement … Obedience to the sacrificial system in faith = holiness = accepted by God’s grace
• Israel’s spiritual life is established: feasts
• Laying down moral law, civil law, economic law and health rules for the new nation

Main Reasons or Intentions of Leviticus

• To reveal God’s will, God’s character, God’s ways
• To draw people into fellowship with this holy God, the one thing he is after
• To give guidance, rules how to live godly lives on a daily basis
• To lay down basic civil code, laws, health rules, economic principles, educational principles … for the new nation

THE SACRIFICES

Overview

• Lev 1:1 ‑ 7:38 … the 4 blood sacrifices: Burnt Offering / Peace Offering / Sin Offering / Guilt Offering
• Burnt & peace offerings – Fellowship with God in general
• Sin & guilt offerings – Mending of broken fellowship through sin.
• The Peace Offering was in 3 parts: Thanksgiving or Praise Offering / Votive Offering / Freewill Offering
• The Cereal Offering was included with each of the above and very occasionally on its own.
• The Drink Offering, which consisted of wine being poured out on the ground, included with the above sacrifices (not yet in Lev 1-6 but will be added in Num 28-29).

Burnt Offering                    Lev 1:1-17, 14:20                  Commitment

What offered?

• 3 offering of a bull … without blemish: Lev 22:22-25 > this included the animal not being blind, disabled, mutilated, having a discharge, itch or scabs. It cannot have a part too long or too short. Its testicles cannot be bruised, crushed, torn or cut. Neither can it come from a foreigner as it was taken for granted that it was mutilated
• All of the burnt offerings were to be male animals > males more easily spared (ration of male to female 1:100 to 1:400)
• bulls were young bulls, kept for this purpose (besides breeding ones)

Procedure

• This sacrifice was offered at the Door of Tent of Meeting

Offerer … Note carefully how much was done by the offerer, and what was done by the priest.

• 4 Laying on of hands > identification / substitution
• 5 Slaying (cutting the throat) > death needed to cover for sin / involvement
• 6-8 Skinning and cutting up > involvement / messy & sobering
• 9 Washing the internal parts

The tasks of the priests were the following (all around blood & altar)

• 5 Catching the blood,
• 5 Sprinkling it around the altar,
• 7 Lighting the fire,
• 8 Setting wood in order,
• 8 Bringing up the pieces to lay them in order on the altar.
• 10-13 offering of sheep / goat … male … offered at the north side of the altar, not at the door of the tent of meeting.
• 14-17 offering of turtle dove / pigeon … option for the poor.
• the priests wrung off its head and emptied the blood on the side of the altar
• Offerer removed the crop with the feathers > side of the altar … tore its wings and the priest burned it on the altar
• Amount of blood there must have been? average full-grown bull has 10 gallons, a young bull could have 3-5 gallons
• 6:8-14 cleaning of the altar after the continual (all night) burnt offering … priest puts on special garments to remove ashes to a place beside the altar … change his clothes … removes ashes to a clean place outside the camp
• The fire on the altar was to be kept continually burning with wood …

Distribution

• God’s portion: all … offerer: nothing … priest: nothing > “whole burnt offering”
• skins of the burnt offerings offered by the people (not by the priests) were given to the offering priest as his due (Lev 7:8) > selling as additional income

When given

• Individuals offered or priests offered on behalf of the nation on the various days, weeks, months, and feasts (Num 28 -29)
  • Daily                 Num 28:3           2 male lambs, 1 am / 1 pm required cereal and drink offering
  • Sabbath           Num 28:9‑10     + 2 male lambs
  • New moon      Num 28:11‑15    2 bulls, 1 ram, 7 male lambs 1 male goat as sin offering
  • Passover         Num 28:16‑25    2 bulls, 1 ram, 7 male lambs 1 male goat as sin offering qd x 7d
  • Pentecost       Num 28:26          2 bulls, 1 ram, 7 male lambs 1 male goat as sin offering
  • Trumpets       Num 29:1‑6          1 bull, 1 ram, 7 male lambs 1 male goat as sin offering
  • Atonement     Num 29:7‑11       1 bull, 1 ram, 7 male lambs 1 male goat as sin offering
  • Tabernacles   Num 29:12‑38     13 bulls, 2 rams, 14 male lambs 1 male goat as sin offering qdx7d/qd -1 bull
    considered the greatest feast … total burnt offerings 70 bulls, 14 rams and 98 male lambs
• If any of the feasts fell on the same day > addition of sacrifices
• private burnt offerings were expected in addition (Num 29:39)
• Burnt offerings would also be offered at a time of cleansing from those who were ceremonially unclean:
  • women after childbirth Lev 12:6‑8 1 male lamb (and a sin offering) or a turtle dove or pigeon if poor
  • leper after cleansing Lev 14 1 male lamb or a bird if poor
  • men & women after discharges Lev 15:15,30 1 turtle dove or young pigeon
  • Nazirite who has broken his vow Num 6:10 1 turtle dove or young pigeon
  • Nazirite at completion Num 6:14 1 male lamb.
• Burnt offerings were also offered at times of consecration.
  • Consecration of the priests Lev 8:18, 9:2 1 ram in the beginning and at end of 8 days
  • Dedication of temple – Solomon 1 Kings 8:64
  • Sanctifying of temple – Hezekiah 2 Chr 29:21
  • There were private burnt offerings numbering 70 bulls, 100 rams, 200 lambs (2 Chr 29:32)
  • The burnt offerings from the temple were 600 bulls, 3000 sheep (2 Chr 29:33).
• 286x mentioned in the OT

Meaning and Significance

• points to total commitment to God, total consecration, surrender. Pleasing odor. Voluntary act of worship.
• Rom 12:1 is a good NT parallel to burnt offerings. They picture us laying our lives on the altar in worship and sacrifice.
• There is also an atoning / covering aspect of the burnt offering Lev 1:4. Lev 1:3 indicates that it is needed so one can be accepted before the Lord.
• These things and the fact that it was required continually seem to indicate that it atoned for original sin (general sin).
• Part of organized community worship … a means of approach by unholy people to a holy God
• Exo 29:38-46 … continual burnt offering > consecration, a life apart, you shall be my people and I will be your God.
• Jesus was the supreme ‘burnt offering’, a life of total commitment, surrender, consecration, whole heartedness

Cereal Offerings                              Lev 2:1-16, 7:10                             Acknowledge the Giver

What given

• Various forms … flour, baked in oven, wafers, baked on griddle, cooked in pan

Procedure

• If it was fine flour, oil and frankincense were poured on it (Lev 2:1) … priest takes a handful of the flour and oil, and all of the frankincense > burn this as a token, memorial portion on the altar > the rest of the flour and oil belonged to the priests
• If cake, wafer, griddle, pan … a ‘handful’ was broken in pieces, oil was poured on it, and it was burned … rest > priest
• If it was a priest who was offering, the cereal offering was all burned.
• No cereal offering was to have leaven in it if it was to be brought to the altar > in NT leaven symbolizes sin
• No honey was not permitted, unless the offering was of the first fruits > honey ferments? Used in idolatry rites?
• Leavened bread was permitted with peace offerings (Lev 7:13).
• Always with the salt of covenant … Near-eastern friendships were established by eating salt. Salt > purity / preservation

Distribution

• God: memorial / token portion … rest to priests (unless it was a priest offering, then all burnt)
• The cereal offering presented with the peace offerings were different in that a small part was given to the priest, the rest the offerer had with the peace offering meal that he ate
• If any of the cereal offerings did have any of these substances in them (oil, leaven, honey) they went straight to the priests.
• If it was cooked, it went to the priest who took it (Lev 7:9‑10).
• The priest’s portion should be eaten in a holy place, in the court of the tent of meeting by any of the sons of Aaron (Lev 6:14‑18).

When given

• Cereal offerings mostly accompanied the various blood offerings, especially the burnt offering
• Occasionally presented on their own
• Cereal offerings were instructed to be offered with all the required burnt offerings (Num 28, 29, 15:1‑16)
  • young bull 3 tenths of an ephah of fine flour 10.5 lbs 5 kg
  • with a ram 2 tenths of an ephah of fine flour 7.5 lbs 3.5 kg
  • with a lamb 1 tenth of an ephah of fine flour 3.5 lbs 2 kg ephah = 23 litres = 3 ½ pounds
• Cereal offerings were part of the ceremonial cleansing rites of those offering sacrifices:
  • Cleansing after leprosy
  • After fulfilling their time under a Nazarite vow (Lev 6:15, 14:10‑21)
• There were some special cereal offerings:
  • Passover Lev 23:9‑15 first fruits of the barley harvest > waved before the Lord (also Num 15:17‑21).
  • Pentecost Lev 23:15‑21 first-fruits of the wheat harvest baked into two loaves of bread with leaven > offered (here with leaven, usually no leaven allowed into temple
• Sin offering Lev 5:11 poor people > a tenth of ephah of fine flour > as sin offering (no oil / frankincense

Meaning and  Significance

• Token or memorial portion to God > remember & acknowledge God as the giver. A pleasing odour to the Lord. Voluntary act of worship or devotion to God.
• Normally accompanied the burnt offering
• Flour and oil represents man’s labor, frankincense symbolizes prayer and devotion (magi brought to Jesus at birth)
• God’s portion: token … priest: rest … offerer: nothing
• Cereal offering was voluntary > public statement that all they have is God’s

Drink Offering or Libation                        Num 15:1-10

What and when given

• The drink offering is not in Lev but normally accompanied the blood offerings (Num 28:14)
  • Bull 1/2 hin = 4 pints 2l,
  • Ram 1/3 hin = 2/3 pints 1.3l
  • Lamb 1/4 hin = 2 pints 1l

Distribution

• These were not drunk but poured out in a holy place on the ground (Num 28:7)
• God’s portion: all … priest’s portion: nothing … offerer’s portion: nothing

Meaning and Significance

• Purpose … accompanying the burnt and peace offerings / an additional pleasing odour
• 2 Sam 23:15-17 … David pouring out the water of the well of Bethlehem gotten by his men risking their lives as an offering to God
• Phil 2:17 … I am being poured out as a libation … 2 Tim 4:6 I am already being poured out as a libation

Peace, Fellowship Offering                               Lev 3, 7:11-21

• The peace offering was not offered for sin but as an act of fellowship with God
• 3 types of Peace offerings
  • Thanksgiving         (Lev 7:12) gratitude for blessings, deliverance granted, response to God’s goodness
  • Votive Offering      (Lev 7:16) given as fulfilment of a promise made to God, fulfillment of vow
  • Freewill Offering   (Lev 7:16) desire for the offerer to give & have fellowship with God, honoring the Giver

What given

• male or female from herd or flock … less frequent sacrifice, out of freewill / abundance, not commanded / essential
• Unique aspect of peace offerings > offerer joined in eating the meat of the sacrifice > communal meal between the Lord, the offerer, and his friends and family (Deu 12:17‑19)
• Thank / Votive: Unblemished male or female, ox / sheep / goat
• Freewill: minor blemishes acceptable, male or female, ox / sheep / goat (Lev 22:23)

Procedure

• Thank / Votive / Freewill … Priest’s portion: waved breast to High priest / heaved right foreleg to sacrificing priest (best part of animal) > eaten in clean place … God’s portion: fat / fatty innards … offerer’s portion: rest, eaten in court … Thank on same day, votive / freewill on same day or tomorrow
• various fat portions > burned on the altar on top of the burnt offering (Lev 3:3‑4, 9‑10, 14‑16).
• The flesh of the thanksgiving offering was to be eaten on the same day. Any remaining was to be burned the next day.
• The votive and freewill offering must be eaten within 2 days and any remaining was to be burned (Lev 7:11‑18)
• Offerers are not to eat fat parts nor blood
• Leavened cakes permitted with all peace offerings in addition to unleavened cereal offering. 1 cake > priest, rest > offerer‘s meal (Lev 7:13‑14).

Distribution

• Thank / Votive / Freewill … Priest’s portion: waved breast to High priest / heaved right foreleg to sacrificing priest / eaten in clean place … God’s portion: fat / fatty innards … offerer’s portion: rest, eaten in court … Thank on same day, votive / freewill on same day or tomorrow

When given

• The offering of peace offerings were only specifically commanded twice:
  • Pentecost (Lev 23:19)
  • Nazarite completing his vow (Num 6:14)
• Peace offerings were commanded 3x / year when people came to the feasts (Num 29:39, Deu 16:16‑17)
• Feast of weeks / Pentecost had mandatory peace offerings (only feast) … joyful celebration / rejoicing
• Num 15:1‑16 is also about peace offerings.
• Votive and freewill offerings can also be burnt offerings (Lev 22:17).
• Peace offerings were sacrificed:
  • ordination of the Tabernacle (Lev 9:8‑21)
  • ordination of Temple (1 Kings 8:63)
  • dedication of the altar (Num 7:17)
  • at times of national celebration and renewal (1 Sam 11:12, 2 Chr 29:31)

Meaning and Significance

• The peace offerings represent fellowship with God, rejoicing, and expressing love and gratitude to God (Heb 13:15‑16). Voluntary act of worship
• Jesus is in perfect communion with God
• Jesus, our peace offering (Eph 2:14) brings us into perfect communion
• We must eat the flesh of Jesus, partake in him, depend on his death in order to come into communion with God Jhn 6:51

Sin Offering                           Lev 4:1-5:13                     Atonement

What given and who giving

• Priest                Lev 4:1‑22    bull killed at the door of the tent > blood into holy place > sprinkled before veil, placed on 4 horns of altar of incense
• Congregation  Lev 4:13‑21  bull same as priest
• Ruler                Lev 4:22‑26  male goat blood > 4 horns of the altar of burnt offerings, not taken into tent
• Person             Lev 4:27‑35  goat / lamb female without blemish blood > 4 horns of altar of burnt offering
                                                    2 turtledoves or 2 pigeons > 1/10 of ephah of fine flour (no oil / frankincense

Procedure

• God’s portion: (fat, fat-covered innards: kidneys, liver) … priest: rest (eaten in court) … offerer: nothing.
• In each case the priest would eat it unless the blood was taken into the holy place (Lev 6:29‑30), then the remainder was burned outside the camp in a clean place.
• Further instructions Lev 6:24‑30 if blood of the sin offerings splashed on garment > washed in a holy place > break vessel unless bronze.

Distribution

• God’s portion: (fat, fat-covered innards: kidneys, liver) … priest: rest (eaten in court) … offerer: nothing.

When given

• Mainly for unwitting sins where no restitution was possible,
• Lev 5:1‑5 … sin offering if: not bearing testimony when one should do so, ceremonial uncleanness, rash oath
• 1 male goats were offered as sin offerings on each of the following feast days (Num 28-29):
  • New Moon
  • Passover
  • Feast of Weeks
  • Feast of Trumpets
  • Day of Atonement
  • Feast of Booths
• The most important sin offerings were offered during the Day of Atonement (Lev 16)
• Various purification rites required a sin offering:
  • Childbirth Lev 12:6‑8
  • Leprosy Lev 14:12‑14,19,22,31
  • Discharges Lev 15:15,30
  • Defilement during a Nazarite vow Num 6:10‑11
• Historically Israel sacrificed sin offerings: 2 Chr 29:20-34 after cleansing the temple, Eze 6:17 after rebuilding the temple, Eze 8:35 second group of returnees, Neh 10:32-33 after rebuilding the city wall

Meaning and Significance

• Mandatory atonement for specific transgressions of ignorance or error, where no restitution was possible.
• Confession of sin / forgiveness of sin / cleansing of defilement
• There was also a general aspect of forgiveness of sins, hence there were sin offerings on each of the feast days.
• Isa 53:10-12 … Jesus is an offering for our sin
• 2 Cor 5:21 Christ has become the complete sin offering
• Heb 13:11-13 bodies of sin offerings were burned outside the camp > Jesus suffered outside the camp

Guilt Offering                                   Lev 5:14 – 6:7                              Atonement / Restitution

What occasions

• Unwitting sin concerning holy things of the Lord, tabernacle, sacrifices … > make restitution (Lev 5:14‑16)
• Where he is not certain if he has sinned or not, (v17) “does not know it” (Lev 5:17‑19)
• Lev 6:1-7 … > guilt offering if committed the mentioned sins (restitution possible) … other than these: many sins were not forgivable

What given

• For all of these sins a ram (male) was offered

Procedure

• Same procedure as for the sin offering > blood was thrown about the altar (Lev 7:2). The sin and guilt offering were considered as one (Lev 7:7)

Distribution

• God’s portion: (fat, fat-covered innards: kidneys, liver) … priest: rest (eaten in court) … offerer: nothing.

When given

• Not commanded at any festival, individual offerings
• Required when a leper was cleansed (Lev 14:12‑18)
• a Nazirite broke his vow through contact with the dead (Num 6:12)
• The case of a man laying with a slave girl who is already betrothed.
• In all cases where possible, on the day of the guilt offering, the offender was to make full restitution, adding 20% (Lev 6:5).
• If the offended party and all his relatives were not alive, the restitution was paid to the priest (Num 5:5,10).
• Some ritual uncleanness / some ethical sins can be forgiven by animal sacrifices, but some could not be forgiven:
  • Idolatry (Lev 20:2‑3)
  • Witchcraft (Exo 22:18)
  • False prophecy (Exo 22:18)
  • Blasphemy (Lev 24:14)
  • Sabbath breaking (Exo 31:14)
  • Striking or reviling parents (Exo 21:15)
  • Murder (Lev 24:17)
  • Kidnapping (Exo 21:16)
  • Adultery (Lev 20:10)
  • Incest and unnatural sexual relations (Exo 22:19, Lev 18)
  • Unchastity, rape (Lev 21:9, Deu 22:21,25)
  • False witnesses in some cases (Deu 19:1)
• Also some ritual offenses could not be forgiven:
  • Not observing the passover (Num 9:13)
  • Eating unleavened bread during the passover (Exo 12:15‑19)
  • Not observing the Day of Atonement (Lev 23:29‑30)
  • Eating blood (Lev 7:22, 17:14)
  • Eating God’s portion of the sacrifices (Lev 17:25)
  • Killing an animal in an unapproved place (Lev 17:4‑9)
  • Eating peace offerings while unclean (Lev 7:20,21, 22:34)
  • Touching holy things illegally (Num 4:15)
  • Eating peace offerings after the allowed time (Lev 19:8)
  • Defiling the sanctuary (Num 19:13‑20)
  • Misusing the holy oil or perfume (Exo 30:32‑38)
• Historically the Philistines offer guilt offering (1 Sam 6:3) after stealing the ark and experiencing God’s wrath

Meaning and Significance Expiation (repayment for sin, guilt, penalty)

• Mandatory atonement for unintentional specific transgressions where restitution was possible, damages computed at added one fifth payable before the sacrifice. Legal satisfaction.
• The OT sacrifices imply atonement, redemption, vicarious punishment, and forgiveness. The animal was a substitute. They pointed to a future reality.
• The rabbis insisted that repentance was vital with the sacrifice for it to be valid, and they saw the animal as the sin bearer.
• Heb 10:4 ‘for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins’…
• Heb 10:11-14 ‘And every priest stand daily at his service offering repeatedly the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all times a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God…for by a single offering has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.’
• Jesus is our sin and guilt offering.
• God’s portion: (fat, fat-covered innards: kidneys, liver) … priest: rest (eaten in court) … offerer: nothing.

Meaning, Importance, Significance of the Offerings

What basic concepts do the sacrifices show?

• God is holy … we are not … holiness cannot tolerate unholiness
• We need forgiveness … only God can forgive … he is our hope
• God wants to bridge the gap / wants fellowship / wants to live among his people / wants to be their God and them to be his people
• God provides a way, his way
• Rom 3:23      “we all have fallen short of the glory of God”
• Rom 6:23      “The wages of sin is death” … sin is destructive > sin results in death … therefore death is the appropriate punishment for human sin.”
• Heb 9:22      “under the law almost everything is purified with blood. Without the shedding of blood > no remission of sin.”
• Heb 10:3-4    Jesus, the one and only sacrifice that ever took away sins

Sacrifices are hands-on learning

• sacrifices contain all basic truths about the gospel
• sacrifices are constant reminders of basic trusts
• dilemma of holiness & fellowship … come! don’t come! … we tend to loose one of the 2 things in balance

Attitude

• In sacrifices the attitude of the worshiper is crucial
• Heb 11:4 … by faith Abel brought a more pleasing sacrifice than Cain
• Sacrifice is only valid if brought with an attitude of submission and obedience and faith
• The moment sacrifices become a mere ritual, they stop working
• Sacrifices were to reflect a proper heart’s attitude towards God, an agreeing, a submission, faith
• 2 Sam 24:24 … “I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing”
• Attitude is what is pleasing about a sacrifice, not the gift

Identification, Substitution

• identification with the offering > hands-on, involved, emotional impact

What does God want?

• pleasing odor? Does God love meat? “priests sacrificing the food of God” … is God hungry? Singapore hungry ghost festival? … Presumably the Creator of all things is not dying of hunger. What then is pleasing about the sacrifice? … > obedience, faith, right attitude, pursuing God, submitting to the way he provided
• Psa 51:16-19 …“for you do not desire sacrifice, else I would give it: you do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, o God, you will not despise … then you will be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering”

Meticulous rituals

• God sets the rituals, highly prescribed, unilateral, non-negotiable … foreshadowing Jesus, the only way, like it or not
• substitution at the offering > God accepts it in grace > ‘passes over’ the door till the time the real sacrifice will be given
• very detailed, very meticulous, very cumbersome, tiring to read, tiring to obey, non-negotiable
• what is God showing through this? … maybe this is the way he feels about our sin? Our stubbornness? Our pride? … cumbersome / tiring.
• But God is not just “wanting to get back to us”, in everything there is his good intention, wanting our best at his cost. So?
• The very different aspects all have meaning, there is meaning to why a sin offering is not a pleasing odor and why only freewill peace offerings can have blemished animals …
• Overall message: God sets the procedure, ritual, highly prescribed, unilateral … > foreshadowing Jesus, who is the only way to the father, the final word, the one and only name through which there is salvation … like it or not!

Surrounding nations’ cults & sacrifices

• sacrifices were a common part in cults of the surrounding nations
• Israel’s sacrifices are not just a copy, their concept and ‘message’ is different from that of other religions / cults
• Egyptian sacrifices were marked by polytheism, appeasing of a pantheon of deities
• Canaanite sacrifices were to Astarte & Co., a fertility goddess, accompanied by ritual prostitution (male & female)
• Israel’s sacrifices taught a holy God, mercy, moral message, holy life style
• Other sacrifices taught bargaining with superior powers by giving gifts … and were often associated with immorality

Ordination of the Priesthood                                            Leviticus chapter 8 & 9

Priesthood function > Mediators, standing before God on behalf of the people

• Bring sacrifices / intercede on behalf of the people to God … teach & model for the people the Law / will / character of God … Lev 10:10-11
• First: sin offering for oneself, then burnt … then sin and burnt offering for people … then offerings of well-being
• Higher standard for the ecclesiastical domain (can’t marry a divorcee, widow …)
• Separation of powers … Moses remains political leader and chief judge, but ecclesiastical leadership is given to Aaron
• elaborate & detailed procedure … Contrast of priesthood & prophets, of ordained & lay-obedient expressions in our time

Nadab & Abihu                                                                     Leviticus chapter 10

What exactly is Nadab & Abhihu’s sin?

• Took their censers, offered unholy fire, such as not commanded, most likely in front of tabernacle (Lev 10:4), or inside?
• God’s response: fire came out from the presence of the Lord (Holy of holies) and consumed them > died
• Sin? … un-commanded, unholy, not according to the rules, here no ‘initiative’ is wanted, or at least not of this type, what was their attitude? Wanting to prove themselves? Being more holy than others? Or just careless? unaware? Or making shortcuts? Annoyed with the system? … bad attitude? But then why incense? Did Uzzah who grabbed the ark have a bad attitude? … it doesn’t seem so. But God doesn’t seems to think this tolerable in a current priest, a future high priest.
• Then why so severe? What would have resulted if God let this one go? Immediate moving away from the original, the commanded, the given > deterioration very quickly and in the very heart of the priesthood (Nadab would have been the next high priest!), this is meant to be the center, the guardianship, the keeper, the keeper of all laws, those who really know God’s heart, the maintainers, the teachers of the law to the people. Maybe the sacrificial system would have quickly and irreversibly turned into “another heathen sacrificial cult”
• What does this do? > fear of God first on the priesthood, but also on the people, … ensure meticulous, accurate pass-down > do not change, mess, play, shortcut … God sets the way and there is no negotiating.
• Moses’ interpretation: “This is what the LORD meant when he said, “through those who are near me I will show myself holy, and before all the people I will be glorified”. And Aaron was silent … God is revealed / glorified before all people in this, through those that are closest (presumably the priests here) … What is revealed? God’s holiness for sure, his seriousness about the sacrificial system / his unrelenting perfection … not very agreeable but needed? Maybe also a reference to believers / church … he will be glorified through those closest, and through the higher standard of those closest. Ananias and Sapphira of Acts 11 come to mind.
• Moses to Aaron, Eleazar, Ithamar: Do not dishevel your hair, and do not tear your vestments, or you will die and wrath will strike all the congregation, but family can mourn the burning the LORD has sent …
• No signs of sorrow / sadness allowed … sounds very harsh / hard, can sadness be a sin? … it’s not tears that are forbidden (that maybe can’t be helped), but outward signs / actions proclaiming sorrow … the High priest / priests are to model / represent God to the nation, they may have a right to private emotions, but they don’t have the right to public display … they are to agree with God / represent his heart / side with God / display God’s emotion … if they don’t, everybody will suffer, not just them. They are mediators, they are leaders, examples, models ….
• Higher standard for ecclesiastical domain, for priests especially (priestly families can mourn)
• Lev 10:7 Moses commands them to not go outside of the court because the anointing oil is on them … not now for the dead bodies or never in general? Where do thy sleep? How does their duty end?
• Lev 10:8-11 … priests are not to drink while entering the tent of meeting. They are to distinguish between holy and unholy, the clean and the unclean … they are to teach the people all the law … were Nadab & Abihu drunk? … Gabriel’s story
• Lev 16:2 … here death is linked with coming into the Holy of Holies ‘lightly’ or ‘wrongly’. Maybe that’s what they did?

Clean & Unclean                                       Leviticus chapter 11-15

Nutrition                                              Leviticus 11

• See “SCIENCE 04 – Nutrition” on the same website
• Lev 10:11 “You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the LORD has spoken to them through Moses”.
• Distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between the holy and the common. 2 sets of distinction. Here: clean & unclean.
• Separation or clean unclean … clean things can be eaten, unclean things shouldn’t be eaten. Issue of nutrition. Are unclean animals bad? Morally bad? Created by God? Ceremonially bad? Nutritionally bad?
• Clean and unclean animals were created by God, wanted by God, are given life by God. They are not bad. BUT not everything is good for consumption. Some animals carry germs / disease risk for humans > don’t eat them.
• This is not a command to exterminate all unclean animals, it’s just a command to not eat everything.
• Unclean means just that: it’s not clean > germs > danger to human consumption

What exactly is clean or unclean?

• Problem of not fully reliable identification / translation
• For some we can see reasons, for others we don’t … maybe we will in another 50 years’ time
• The reasons might be different in nature, some are natural, some maybe spiritual (association with cults)

Land animals          Lev 11:2

• Land animals that are cleft-footed and chew the cud are clean, like cows, goats, sheep. But unclean are camel, rock badger, hare, pig and all that are neither cleft-footed nor chewing the cud
• Why these? Chewing the cud > plant-eaters, not meat eaters, issue of toxic accumulation in the food chain
• Why these? Pigs > eat everything, human excrements > danger of Taenia solium, pork tape worm, with risk of cystocercosis related death (only direct life threat through worms)

Water animals        Lev 11:9

• Water animals that have fins and scales are clean, like fish. But not catfish, shrimp, crabs, squid, …
• Why these? … Catfish eats unclean things.
• Why these? Fins and scales does not exclude fish of prey, though. Actively swimming fish tend to be cryll eaters of hunters. Those without tend to be ground dwellers, eating dead, rotting or unclean things. Storage? Drying options?

Birds                          Lev 11:13

• Birds that are unclean: eagle, vulture, osprey, buzzard, kite, raven, ostrich, nighthawk, sea gull, hawk, little owl, cormorant, great owl, water hen, desert owl, vulture, stork, heron, hoopoe, bat
• Why these? Some are carcass eaters (vulture, … ), eaters of unclean animals (stork, owl, kite, … eat frogs, mice, …)
• Why these? Allowed are grain / plant eaters mostly, I think

Winged insects        Lev 11:20

• Clean are winged insects walking on all fours with jointed legs above their feet which which to leap: of them locust, bald locust, cricket, grasshopper
• Actually, insects are very highly nutritious … high protein, high fat, high calcium, some high iron
• In a locust plague nothing but locusts remains to be eaten. Gracious provision? Locusts are plant eaters?

Swarming animals   Lev 11:29

• Unclean are the weasel, mouse, great lizard, gecko, land crocodile, lizard, sand lizard, chameleon
• Lev 11:42 what on its belly, moves on all fours, whatever has many feet, all that swarms
• Why not? … eat insects, unclean things(?) … not sure

Spread of uncleanness

• Unclean spreads by touch of unclean animal / carcass / thing that touched it,
• Earthen vessel, oven > break, water from it is unclean and makes food unclean
• Spring / cistern is clean
• Carcass eaters / touchers / cleaners are unclean until evening.

Motivation

• Lev 11:44 motivation for foregoing all these unclean animals: “I am the LORD your God, sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy … obedience”

Interpretation

• Why these laws? What would this have accomplished?
• Spiritually?
  • setting them apart, making them different, reducing mingling (?)
  • testing their obedience (?)
• Practically?
  • Issue of accumulation of toxic substances through a prolonged food chain
  • Issue of disease transmission by animals that eat unclean things, rotting things, dead things, diseased things, faeces, …
  • Chewing the cud > plant eaters, not meat eaters
  • Fins > swimming fish, not ground dwelling scavengers
  • Scales > most poisonous fish have no scales
  • Plant eaters > not in competition with man food (as a pig is) > yet use of lands that can’t grow man food (mountainous, poor soilsthat can only support grass) in a productive way
• Improved nutrition, less disease, no link with idolatrous cults, …

Child Birth Purification                           Leviticus Chapter 12

• Woman after giving birth to male      … unclean for 7 d    … time of blood purification 33 d
• Woman after giving birth to female   … unclean for 14 d  … time of blood purification 66 d
• Time of blood purification > touch no holy thing (priestly or Levitical wives?), not come into sanctuary (otherwise did!)
• Burnt offering (lamb, or if poor: turtledove or pigeon) and sin offering (turtledove or pigeon) > atonement > clean from flow of blood
• Why is giving birth requiring a burnt offering? And sin offering?
  • Burnt offering is dedication of one’s life and the child’s life to God, which is done for both, male and female child
  • Sin offering is smaller (just a bird, not a lamb), maybe an acknowledgment of original / general sin of the (otherwise innocent) child
• Why is there no sacrifices for the husband?
  • Sacrifices are for her, not excluding her husband, but she bears the timing and the blood flow
  • Blood flow … hygiene issue / infection issue … respite from housework, respite from sex, delay of further pregnancy
• Why is the time for a female child double?
  • We don’t know a medical reason for this yet … maybe we will in another 50 years like for many other laws.
  • One possibility is hormonal influence of the child’s gender on the mother’s fertility. Uncleanness would have meant no intercourse (Le 18:19) which might be an indirect way to prevent early conception (which might be influenced by the presence of female hormones though the child)

Leprous Disease                                        Leviticus Chapter 13 & 14

Skin

• Skin lesion > priest > if hair white, deep > unclean
                                      > if hair normal / white spot / not deep > confine > re-examine in 7d
• If after 7 d > if checked, not spread > confine > re-examine in 7d > if abated, not spread > wash clothes > clean
                   > if spreads > unclean with contagious disease
• > priest > if white swelling / hair white / quick raw flesh > chronic leprous disease > unclean > not confine
• > priest > if covered all body > clean
• > priest > if resurgence of raw flesh > unclean
• > priest > if raw flesh turns white > clean
• Lev 13:18 ff … leprous disease broken out in healed boil > priest > if deep / if hair white > unclean
  > priest > if not white / not deep / abated > confine 7d >
  if spread > unclean
  if remains / not spread > scar of boil
• Lev 13:24 ff … burn > if reddish-white or white > priest > if hair white / deep > leprous disease broken out in burn > unclean
  > if remains in place / not spread / abated > scar of the burn > clean
• If disease of head hair or beard > if deep / skin and hair yellow & thin > itch > unclean
  > if not deep / no black hair > confine for 7d > re-examine > if not spread / no yellow hair / not deep > shave all except lesion > confine for 7d > re-examine > if not spread / not deep > clean
  if spread > unclean
  if checked / black hair grown > healed > clean
• Lev 13:38 ff … white spots > examination > if dull white spots > rash > clean
• Lev 13:40 ff … if normal hair loss > clean
  • if hair loss from reddish-white diseased spot > leprous disease > examine > if reddish-white on bald head > leprous
  • disease > unclean > war torn clothes, disheveled hair / cover lower lip / cry out unclean > live alone > outside camp as long as disease
• Lev 14:1-20 if healed > long procedure > 2 birds > clean

Cloth / Skin

• if greenish-reddish > priest > put aside for 7d > if spread > unclean > burn. If not spread > wash > put aside for 7d > if no color change even though not spread > burn. If abated after washing > tear out spot > wash again > clean. If re-appears > burn

House

• > priest > greenish-reddish spots / deeper than surface > seal house for 7 d > re-examine > if spread > take out stones of spot / scrape walls / plaster of house and throw in unclean place outside city
• If disease breaks out again > spreading leprous disease > unclean> house torn down > materials thrown into unclean place outside city. All entering > unclean
• If disease not spread > clean > two birds (one slaughtered, blood sprinkled, one freed like for leper cleansing)
• Example: Cleaning day finding a clothing trunk turned fungus > expensive special deposing, waste treatment
• Example: Upon looking for a new house, seeing the basement of a house, totally covered in white fungus
• Example: England, certain fungus in basement > house worth collapses > total special deposing / waste treatment

Bodily Discharges                                     Leviticus Chapter 15                Clean and unclean

• Discharges (any liquid leaving the human body … stool, urine, spit, sweat, tears, wound discharge, genital discharge
  • Lev 15:2-15    … men discharge due to illness
  • Lev 15:16-18  … men discharge, normal (semen)
  • Lev 15:19-24  … women discharge, normal (menstruation)
  • Lev 15:25-30 … women discharge due to illness
• Germs survive longer in body fluids then harsh environment > discharges are unclean
• Modes of spreading ( clean > unclean) by touch / body / clothes / chairs / beds / saddles …
• Modes of cleansing (unclean > clean) by separating / washing or showering or rinsing / wait until evening
  • > further spread prevention and > killing of germs
• Unclean does not mean “morally wrong, unholy, evil, sinful”, it simply means: “possibly germs present”
• Even today: tests are expensive and time-consuming … easier than testing: just assume it’s unclean

Day of Atonement                         Leviticus 16, Ex 30:10, Lev 23:26‑32, 25:9, Num 29:7‑11

• The day of atonement took place on the 10th day of the 7th months, right after the Feast of Trumpets and Tabernacles (Lev 16:34).
• It was the only mandatory fast day (Lev 16:29-30) and also a Sabbath, so no work allowed.
• It was not a joyful feast but a solemn day, addressing Israel’s continual sin.
• Because of continual sin, yearly atonement was made for the Holy Place, the sanctuary, the tent of meeting, the altar, the High Priest, the priestly family and the people of Israel (Lev 16:17, 20, 30).
• It is the only day of the year where the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies, actually twice on that day.

Procedure

• A young bull as sin offering for the High priest and the priestly family. The High priest takes the blood of the bull into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled on front of mercy seat and in front of it 7 times.
• Lev 16:33 burning incense on golden incense altar to create a cloud > obscuring the presence of God.
• Lev 16:17 hushed time of tension, awaiting the High priest (who has a rope tied to his foot in case he is judged).
• Then two male goats are taken from Israel, the lot is cast.
• The taken male goat is offered as a sin offering for Israel. The blood taken by the High priest into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled as bull’s blood. > atonement for the sanctuary, the tent of meeting, for himself, the priestly family and the people.
• Then come out and make atonement for the altar (blood on horns). Usually sin offering’s meat is give to priests, but not of the sin offering whose blood has gone into the Holy of Holies > rather taken outside of the camp to be burnt (see Heb 13:10-13).
• Live male goat > put hands on it and confess over it the all the sin of Israel > taken by a person to the wilderness and set free (called Azazel of Scapegoat). Then the High priest offered a burnt offering for himself and Israel.

The day of Atonement is Good Friday

• The day of Atonement foreshadows Jesus’ death on the cross.
• It is initiated and instituted by God for no one can make atonement for himself. The ‘wages of sin are death’ (Rom 6:23) and ‘without blood there is no remission of sin’ (Heb 9:22), therefore the shedding of blood is needed. On the day of atonement it is a bull and male goat, ultimately it is Jesus who gives his life to cover for man’s sin.
• Observing the day of Atonement (and now the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Calvary) means to acknowledge God’s holiness, man’s sinfulness, man’s hopelessness to remedy himself and the one way God provided for forgiveness and reconciliation.
• The day of Atonement was the only mandatory fast in the Bible and also a Sabbath (no work), to show that atonement is something no man can earn or deserve.
• The High priest enters the Holy of holies to sprinkle the blood every year. Jesus once for all entered as Intercessor and Hight Priest who offered himself as the ultimate sin offering. At Jesus’ death the veil ripped, showing the newly gained access to the Father.
• Expiation Goat of the sin offering > Jesus by his death brings permanent reconciliation (Rom 5:10-11, 3:25, 5:9)
• Propitiation Goat sent into wilderness > Jesus takes ways our sin (1 John 2:2, John 1:29, Heb 9:26-28)

Day of Atonement and Jesus compared in Hebrews

• Priest entered Holy of Holies once a year (Lev 9:7)                     Jesus entered once for all (Heb 9:12)
• Priest takes blood > offers for himself & others (Lev 9:7)          Without blemish (Heb 9:14)
• not the blood of goats and bulls (Lev 9:7)                                      but his own blood (Heb 9:12)
• Purification of flesh (Lev 9:13)                                                         Purify your consciences from dead
• temporary, outward, ceremonial cleansing works (Lev 9:14)    inward cleansing of heart and conscience
• Can never make perfect (Lev 10:1)                                                  Perfected for all time (Heb 10:14)
• Way into the sanctuary not opened (Lev 9:8)                               New living way opened through curtain (his flesh) (Heb 10:20)
• High Priest comes out (Lev 16:23)                                                  Jesus will appear a 2nd time (Heb 9:28)
• Aaron bathed and put on the holy garments (Lev 16:4)             Christ was the unstained High Priest (Heb 7:26)
• Aaron > bull as sin offering for himself & house (Lev 16:11)     Christ needs no sin offering for himself & house (Heb 7:26‑28)
• Aaron brings coals from the altar of incense within Christ enters as the perfect Intercessor (Heb 9:23-24)
  the veil “lest he die” (Lev 16:14)
• Aaron sprinkles bull’s blood 7x at mercy seat (Lev 16:14)         Christ had no need for bull’s blood (Heb 7:28)
• Lots were drawn upon the Lord’s goat and Azazel’s                    Christ was appointed by God to bear sins (Heb 9:27-28)
• Aaron killed the goat for the sin offering (Lev 16:15)                  Christ sacrificed Himself (Heb 9:26)
• Aaron sprinkles some blood upon the mercy seat (Lev 16:15)  Christ entered with His own blood (Heb 9:12)
• Aaron sprinkled blood > incense altar, horns (Lev 16:18-19)    Christ enabled us to enter with confidence by his own blood (Heb 10:19‑22)
• Aaron > confesses Israel’s sin over goat > wilderness (16:20-21) Christ bore the iniquities of people (Heb 8:12, also Isa 53:6)
• Aaron bathed, put on former clothes (Lev 16:23,24)                   Christ sat down at God’s right hand (Heb 10:12,13)
• Aaron > burnt offering for himself & people (Lev 16:24,25)      Christ perfected people by single sacrifice (Heb 10:14)
• Bodies of sacrifice burned outside camp (Lev 16:27)                   Christ suffered outside the camp to sanctify His people (Heb 13:12,13)

No outside Sacrifices / No blood                                Leviticus 17

• Now that the sacrificial system is in place, what to do about the ‘up to now’ sacrifices of the Israelites (Lev 17:5)?
• Lev 17:1-9 Strictly no sacrifices anywhere other than the tabernacle bronze altar by a Aaronitic priest
• But: Samuel’s war sacrifices at Gilgal (1 Sam 13) and at Bethlehem (1 Sam 16)??

 Why?

• High likelihood for wrong sacrifices, turning quickly into heathen sacrifice methods, with a completely different message (feeding god, bargaining with a lesser god, combination with immorality, combination with idolatry) > sure way to the message being lost, syncretism and eventually outright idolatry
• From history we know: even the altars and high places of Abraham turned into superstition and idolatry for Israel. Gilgal that one had the tabernacle and Bethel that had Jacob’s altar became problematic (Amo 4:4). Moses’ bronze serpent of Num 21 is worshiped in the end as a god and the like (2 Kin 18:4)
• Central place of worship ensures > unity, common spiritual life, teaching, fellowship of the tribes … not political but spiritual unity, common foundations, common life …
• Humans tend to superstition, special importance, special places, special rites … folk Islam. This is the prevention
• God wants Israel politically decentralized and spiritually centralized.

Can I then not slaughter a goat anywhere?

• Lev 17:10-16 Slaughtering of animals for food is allowed anywhere. Only condition: blood must be poured out (as libation)
• Why? Life is in the blood > respect for life, for life I can’t create.
• Originally no meat eating (Gen 1:29), concession after flood: meat but not blood (Gen 9:3-4), maybe because of cannibalism before the flood.

Sexual Conduct & Prior Nations                      Leviticus 18                      

• see FAM 05 Sexual Relations on the same website
  
• Forbidden sexual relations / marriage … anyone married and any near kin:
  • Mother
  • father’s wife (mother or step-mother)
  • father’s or mother’s daughter (sister or step-sister)
  • son’s daughter or daughter’s daughter (grandchild)
  • father’s wife’s daughter (step-sister)
  • father’s or mother’s sister (paternal or maternal aunt)
  • father’s brother’s wife or mother’s brother’s wife (paternal or maternal uncle’s wife)
  • daughter-in-law
  • brother’s wife
  • woman and daughter
  • woman and her son’s daughter
  • woman and her daughter’s daughter
  • woman and her sister while two are alive
  • woman during menstruation
  • kinsman’s wife
  • man (for a man)
  • animals
• Who is not on the list but by extrapolation should be? mother’s brother’s wife … daughter or step-daughter (Lev 20:17)
• The list pertains to males … how about females? (Like: Do not covet your neighbor’s wife)
• Are women not tempted? Is there a double standard? … not, in adultery both get equally punished.
• But men seem to be more tempted … are often more powerful to achieve their will … stronger hormones … injustice?
• Why this ugly list? … all of it happened at that time … all of it still happens today … all temptations are common to mankind … the point is not that you should never be tempted in any of these ways, the point is that if tempted, do not yield!
• God is fully realistic, we are not.
• Our wrong thoughts about homosexuality. Fight: “that’s abnormal!” “No, it’s normal”. The question is not what is ‘normal’, ‘practiced’, the question is what is good and right.
• Search for the homosexual gene. If gene > then genetically determined > no guilt > license
• Reasons for homosexuality: Often childhood abuses, insecurity, no affirmation of identity or gender, wrong linking at the wrong time, lust in the absence of females (army, sailors) …
• Homosexuality is not allowed as adultery is not allowed … not so different.
• Lev 18:21 … do not sacrifice your children to Molech … Evil, destructive Canaanite cults … walls of Jericho? Evidence in Canaanite excavations
• Modern examples: Hinduisms’ Shagor puja. Garo: human sacrifice for bridge’ …

Prior nations

• Lev 18:3 … do not do as Egypt or Canaan does … these nations have defiled themselves with all these practices
• Lev 18:25 … land vomited them out (this is actually future! And Israel will perform it!)
• Lev 18:28-29 … otherwise the land will vomit you out for defiling it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you. For whoever commits any of these abominations shall be cut off from their people.
• God is not biased or unjust. Any nation doing these things will lose their right to the land.
• God has covenants with people / extreme sin will lead to the annulling of their right to land & eventually their right to exist .. Ge 15:16 … ‘the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete” … by Exo 3:8 it is > Amorites on the death list.
• God has no favorites, Israel’s sin is not more tolerable because they are the chosen nation, if ever it’s worse because they had more revelation … it’s not “whatever I wish” for the “favored son”
• Any injustice, any sin is horrendous in God’s eyes, whoever commits it
• Application: God is more gracious on church than of others > wrong thinking. He is merciful to all who repent. But that does not lower the standard. Judgment will start with the house of God.
• Rom 2:3 … Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?
• 1 Pet 4:17 … For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
• Again: there is no limit to God’s forgiveness if we repent and keep repenting … but God wants things to change in our lives! Salvation is not a ticket to heaven and us continuing as before on the earth …
• Salvation has to be a total life change: total justification, sanctification in serious process now, and final glorification.

Law                                             Leviticus 19

• Lev 19:3      Revere your mother and father                              Commandment 5             FAM
• Lev 19:3      Keep my sabbath                                                     Commandment 4             CHU
• Lev 19:4      Do not turn to idols                                                 Commandment 1              CHU
• Lev 19:4      Do not make cast images                                      Commandment 2              CHU
• Lev 19:5-8  Sacrifice of well being > eat within 2 days or burn remains                           CHU
• Lev 19:9-10 gleanings > leave edges / 2nd fruit / fallen grapes … leave them for poor & alien ECO
• Lev 19:12   Do not swear falsely / profaning my name          Commandment 3 / 10     CHU COM
• Lev 19:13   Do not defraud neighbor                                          Commandment 7             ECO
• Lev 19:13   Do not steal                                                                Commandment 7             ECO
• Lev 19:13   Do not keep wages of a laborer until morning     Commandment 7             ECO
• Lev 19:14   Do not revile the deaf                                                Do not abuse weakness COM
• Lev 19:14   Do not put a stumbling block before the blind     Do not abuse weakness
• Lev 19:15   Render just judgment                                                                                            GOV
• Lev 19:15   Do not be partial to the poor or defer to the great                                            GOV
• Lev 19:16   Do not slander                                                                                                         COM
• Lev 19:16   Do not profit by blood of your neighbor                                                            GOV ECO
• Lev 19:17   Do not hate own kin                                                                                               FAM
• Lev 19:17   Reprove your neighbor otherwise incurring guilt                                             COM
• Lev 19:18   Do not take vengeance … Do not bear a grudge                                                 GOV
• Lev 19:19   Love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus quotes this Mt 22:39, Mk 12:31, Lu 10:27
• Lev 19:20-22 Sex with designated slave woman … no death penalty (she wasn’t free) > guilt offering FAM GOV
• Lev 19:23-25 New fruit trees > 3y forbidden, 4th y > rejoicing before the LORD, 5th year > eat ECO
• Lev 19:26   Do not eat anything with its blood                                                                           CHU
• Lev 19:26   Do not practice augury or witchcraft                                                                     CHU
• Lev 19:27   Do not round off temples or mar edges of beard                                                 CHU
• Lev 19:28   Do not make gashes in flesh for the dead                                                              CHU
• Lev 19:28   Do not take tattoo marks                                                                                           CHU SCI
• Lev 19:29   Do not profane your daughter by making her a prostitute                                 FAM
• Lev 19:30   Keep my Sabbaths                                                                                                      CHU ECO
• Lev 19:30  Reference my sanctuary                                                                                              CHU
• Lev 19:31   Do not turn to a mediums or wizards, do not seek them out, do not be defiled by them CHU
• Lev 19:32  Rise before aged, defer to the old … fear God                                                         FAM CHU
• Lev 19:33-34 Do not oppress alien, treat alien as citizen, love alien for you yourselves were aliens GOV
• Lev 19:35-36 Do not cheat in measuring length, weight, or quantity                                       GOV ECO
• Lev 19:37 You shall keep my statutes / ordinances, observe them

Repeated Theme

• Prevention of idolatry, syncretism, folk religion (Lev 19:4, 19:26-31, 20:6-8, 20:27, 21:5) needed because they will conquer a country heavily polluted by this: an altar in every house, shrines, ghost houses, altars, pillars, groves, mazars, high places
• No fear of ghosts, spirits
• No need to go anywhere but directly to God
• No need nor permission to meddle on the other side of death: humans are given to live, that life will stand as a total decision, no need any more to try to ensure anything for the ‘departed soul’

Death Penalties                                 Leviticus 20

• Lev 20:1-5      no sacrificing of children to Molech … no tolerating of those who do so > death penalty             CHU
• Lev 20:6-8     no mediums, wizards, do not prostitute yourself to them … consecrate yourselves and be holy  CHU
• Lev 20:9         cursing father & mother > death penalty                                                                                                 FAM COM
• Lev 20:10       adultery > death penalty for both                                                                                                              FAM
• Lev 20:11-16  forbidden sexual conduct > death penalty on both genders for adultery, father’s wife, daughter-in-law, male male, woman daughter / animal … parallel Lev 18 FAM
• Lev 20:16       addressing women to not have relations with an animal … parallel Lev 18                                       FAM
• Lev 20:17-19  forbidden sexual conduct > cutting off from people for sister / menstruation / mother’s sister or father’s sister
• Lev 20:20-21 forbidden sexual conduct > punishment / childlessness for uncle’s wife / brother’s wife              FAM
• Lev 20:22-26 given land / do not follow nations > vomit you out / you shall be holy for I am holy … Lev 18
• Lev 20:27       medium / wizard .. male of female > put to death                                                                                   CHU
• In summary: death penalty for anything that destroys life / marriage / family / children … idolatry
• Why these two? > the most destructive. Also they are linked: idolatry will lead to adultery, perversion, destruction of family

Immoral sexual behavior (14 acts, Lev 18)                 versus illegal sexual behavior (7 acts, Lev 20)
father’s wife (mother or step-mother)                         Lev 20:11 father’s wife (mother, step-mother) both death
father’s or mother’s daughter (sister or step-sister) Lev 20:17 sister or step-sister cut off
son’s daughter or daughter’s daughter (grandchild)
father’s or mother’s sister (paternal or maternal aunt) Lev 20:19 mother’s sister or father’s sister punishment
father’s brother’s wife                                                      Lev 20:20 sex with uncle’s wife die childless
daughter-in-law                                                                Lev 20:12 daughter-in-law both death
brother’s wife
woman and daughter                                                       Lev 20:14 sex with wife and mother
woman and her son’s daughter / daughter’s daughter
woman and her sister while two are alive
woman during menstruation                                          Lev 20:18 sex during menstruation cut off
kinsman’s wife                                                                   Lev 20:10 adultery with neighbor’s wife both death
man (for a man)                                                                Lev 20:13 male with male both death
animals                                                                                Lev 20:15-16 man or woman with animal both death

Higher Standard for Priests                                  Leviticus 21

• No defiling for dead kin Lev 21:1 … no shaved temples Lev 21:5 … no gashes in flesh Lev 21:5 … marry only virgin, no widow, no divorcee, no prostitute Lev 21:7, 21:13-15 … not tear vestments / no signs of sorrow / no defiling for dead parents Lev 21:10-12 … no bodily defects for priests, though those with defects of priestly families may eat Lev 21:16-24
• What is the point? > higher standards of perfection and holiness for the priests and priestly families
• Not: God hating disabled, but a picture of God’s holiness, a model of the eternal perfection that is so far from humans
• Priests are to represent God, God’s perfection … also God’s emotion, not their own > no signs of sorrow
• Application? … those working in the church are in the Levitical tradition, often priestly functions > higher standard than general church members

Sacred Donations                                             Leviticus 22

• Lev 22:1-16 … Deal carefully with sacred donations / only clean persons and own family may eat
• Respect for the donations, the given … no greed, no overly-casual-party mode
• Affirmation of the priesthood, getting the best pieces, the best grain
• Importance of proper use / dealing with integrity of gifts / donations / money given to God > fear of God on the users of the ecclesiastical order
• God demands respect for God’s gifts in and through people … value … do not think lowly … use appropriately
• We tend to devalue for what we have not worked … thinking money falls from the sky
• Limits as to who can partake, only slaves that belong to the households, no hired laborers … careful with designations, careful with using money on other things / people
• God’s workers can and should live and live well of the donations … no poverty mentality, no poverty glorification
• Link between relative wealth of people in general and spiritual leadership … not too far apart either way
• Lev 22:17-25 … acceptable animals for offerings: no spots, blemishes, scabs, itches, bruised testicles … from Israelite or foreigner
• Lev 22:26-28 … animal acceptable from 8th day onward … no animal & young sacrifice on same day …
• Why? … preservation (something must remain) … or mercy thought (too much) … or scientific?
• Lev 22:29-30 … thanksgiving offering must be eaten (or remains burnt) within 2 days

Feasts                                        Leviticus 23, Exodus 34:21‑24, Numbers 28‑29

The Sabbath

• The Sabbath or rest is first mentioned in creation, when God rested on the seventh day (Gen 2:2‑3).
• Manna > 7th day should be a solemn rest, 6th day gets double manna, none on Sabbath (Exo 16:23,29)
• The Sabbath became part of the Ten Commandments (Exo 20:8‑11).
• The penalty- for breaking this holy command was death (Exo 31:12-17).
• Right after the tabernacle instructions > Sabbath command. Doing the Lord’s work is not an excuse to break the sabbath
• Practical reason: all rest (son / daughter / manservant / maidservant / cattle / sojourner (Deu 5:12‑15)
• The sabbath had various meanings and symbols for the people:
  • sign of Israel’s sanctification / set apartness / separateness from other peoples (Exo 31:12, 20:12)
  • sign to them that in six days God creation, rested on the seventh (Exo 31:17)
  • sign to them that they were at one time slaves, that the Lord had delivered them (Deu 5:12‑15).
  • sign that God was the God of Israel (Exo 20:20).
• It was a day of complete rest, no work whatsoever. A man gathering sticks was stoned (Num 15:32)
• The rabbis decided from Num 35:5 that you could not walk more than 2000 cubits (approx. 2/3 mile).
• Acts 1:12 speaks of a Sabbath’s day journey from Jerusalem to Mt. of Olives, this is about 1/2 mile.
• The work of the priests was slightly increased. The burnt offerings was two male lambs a year old (without blemish), 2/10 ephah of fine flour as a cereal offering (8 pints dry measure) mixed with oil, and a drink offering of wine (4 pints). This was in addition to the normal two lambs, one in the evening and one in the morning that were offered each day (Num 28:1‑8). On the sabbath the bread of the presence was renewed in the holy place (Lev 24:5‑9).
• Jesus shows us God’s intention for the sabbath, the sabbath was for man (Mrk 2:27).
• It was a gift from God to man for him to rest. The interesting thing is that the word sabbath does not appear before Moses and is used only a few times after the Gospels. In Acts it is used mainly to name the day on which an activity happened (i.e. Paul preaching in the synagogue). The last reference is in Col 2:16 where Paul says, this Law, along with all others were nailed to the cross of Jesus (Col 2:14 and Gal 4:10). In Hebrews 4, we see the fulfillment of the sabbath, as we enter God’s rest, trusting the finished work of Christ and ceasing from our own labour. See also Matt 11:28.

New Moon                                 Num 10:10, 28:11

• It was commanded that at the beginning of each month the trumpets should be sounded over the sacrifices (Num 10:10).
• The sacrifices required were 2 bulls, 1 ram, 7 male lambs, a cereal offering and a wine offering (Num 28:11). This was a burnt offering. Also a male goat as a sin offering was required. All this was in addition to the normal morning and evening sacrifices.
• The purpose of the blowing of the trumpets was to remind God of the people (Num 10:10).
• Some think that this ceremony was a means of consecrating the month to the Lord. The first of anything was seen to picture the whole (firstfruit, firstborn etc.).
• It is also a time of worship and praise (Psa 81:3). David arranged for praise to be offered on a new moon (1 Chr 23:30‑32). In Isa 66:22‑23, the new moon is linked with the sabbath as a worship time.
• There were various difficulties in having months according to the moon. The Jews overcame this by having an extra or “leap” month when needed, called Ve‑Adar. It worked out that every third year needed an additional month.
• Another difficulty is that a month could have either 29 or 30 days.
• Paul clearly shows that new moons are not to be observed today (Col 2:16), the principle may be observed.

Passover Exodus 12

• The original Passover was during the last of the plagues of Egypt (Exo 12).
• God directed that the Passover month shall be the first of the months, hence the difference between the start of the religious and civil years. On the 10th day, the people had to select a lamb, one lamb for one household (or more if households were small) … bring into family … bonding of children
• On the 14th day the lamb was killed and blood put on the two door posts and lintel. They then had a meal of roast lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs. The lamb was not to be boiled, but completely roasted. Any left‑overs were to be burned. They had to eat in readiness to move out on the journey. That night the angel of death passed over and smote the firstborn of all who did not have the blood on the door posts.
• Ex 12:14 gives instructions for the yearly feast. It was to be kept as a memorial day, which was to be followed by 7 days when only unleavened bread was eaten (Exo 12:15). All leaven had to be removed from the house, and if anyone ate anything leavened, they were executed.
• The first and last of these 7 days were sabbaths when the people gathered together for a holy assembly.
• No foreigner was permitted to eat the Passover, but a slave or stranger may, if they are circumcised (Ex 12:43‑49). The flesh not eaten shall be burned outside the house and no bones shall be broken (picture pointing to Jesus).
• In Exo 13:3‑10, the instructions are repeated commanding that the people observe the Passover in the promised land. The Passover was a sign for them to remind them that the Lord had delivered them from Egypt (Exo 13:9‑10), also a means of teaching the children (Exo 13:8).
• Lev 23:4‑8 was a reminder to them of the Passover instructions. The people first kept the memorial feast in the first month of the second year of their freedom from Egypt (Num 9:1‑14). At this time some men were unable to partake due to ceremonial uncleanness as they had touched a dead man. The Lord’s instruction was that if anyone is unable to keep Passover, he should do so next month (Num 9:11). If he does not keep it and has no excuse for not doing so he should be executed (Num 9:13).
• In Num 28:16, the offerings for the days of unleavened bread were:
  • Burnt offering:
    • 2 bulls + 6/10 ephah of fine flour + wine offering
    • 1 ram + 2/10 ephah of fine flour + wine offering
    • 7 lambs + 7/10 ephah of fine flour + wine offering
  • Sin offering:
    • 1 goat
• This was in addition to the continual burnt offering offered each day. This should be done for each of the 7 days.
• In Deuteronomy, God gave the people instructions as to how to celebrate the feast in the promised land. The difference is that the feast should be (Deu 16:2) “in the place which the Lord shall choose, to make his name dwell there”. In the promised land, the lamb was to be boiled (Deu 16:7).
• The feast of Passover (on the 14th day) and the feast of unleavened (15th‑21st) come together. The whole period was called the “feast for eight days” (Antiq 2, 15, 1).
• The celebration came about the time of the barley harvest. God’s instructions was that on the day after the sabbath, the 16th, a sheaf should be brought into the temple and waved before the Lord accompanied by 1 male lamb with its cereal and drink offering (Lev 23:9).
• It was not until this was done that the new crop could be eaten (Lev 23:14). The first fruits should be brought into the house of the Lord (Exo 23:19).
• Why first fruits? > to acknowledge, thank the Giver, to in faith trust for the coming harvest, to cut greed
• The program went something like this:
  • 14th Passover, killing of lamb and supper
  • 15th Sabbath (whether on the 7th day or not)
  • 16th Offering of the first fruits of the barley harvest
  • 17th‑20th These days were “minor festivals”. Work could be done that was not starting anything new, (you could repair a broken irrigation system but not make a new one).
  • 21st Sabbath
• Unleavened bread was eaten on all of these days.
• Jesus is, of course, our Passover Lamb (1 Cor 5:7). He rose on the day of the offering of the first fruit of the harvest.
• The Passover was kept by Joshua (Joshua 5:10), Hezekiah (2 Chr 30:1), Josiah (2 Kin 23:21‑23) and Ezra (Ezr 6:19).
• Other Passovers had been held (at least Hezekiah’s) but not with the splendur and enthusiasm (2 Chr 35:18).
• It seems clear that Solomon kept the various feasts (2 Chr 8:13).

Feast of Pentecost / Weeks / Harvest / First Fruits          Ex 23:16, 34:22, Deut 16:16, Num 28:26

• It was also considered by the Jews to be the anniversary of the giving of the law at Mt. Sinai (The Temple, A. Edersheim, page 260). It was a one day festival on the 6th of the month of Sivan.
• Lev 23:15 gives instructions for this festival. 50 days were counted from the offering of the first fruits of the barley harvest. 7×7 weeks ‑ to the “morrow after the seventh sabbath”.
• 2/10 of an ephah of fine flour should be baked “WITH LEAVEN” as first fruits (v16). The bread would have weighed about 5.5 lbs. per loaf.
• This was offered to the Lord with … 7 lambs / 1 bull / 2 lambs > burnt offerings / cereal / drink offering … 1 goat > sin offering … 2 lambs > peace offering
• The bread and peace offering were waved before the Lord. This was the only time leaven was allowed in the temple, and a rare time peace offerings were commanded.
• The day was a sabbath day, no work to be done.
• This was the time of the wheat harvest, no new wheat would be used until after this day (Ex 34:22).
• De 16:9‑12 gives instruction for the feast when they had entered the promised land. It was to be seven weeks from putting in the sickle to standing grain‑barley harvest. They were to bring a free will offering and rejoice in the place that the Lord shall choose, blessing those who had less, fatherless, widows, etc. It was a day of rejoicing.
• Num 28:26 gives us another set of burnt offerings required: 2 bulls, 1 ram, 2 lambs plus cereal and drink offerings.
• In the New Testament, the Day of Pentecost was the firstfruits of the church when 3,000 were saved.
• Likewise it contrasted the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai with the giving of the Holy Spirit, the Law Giver who came and filled His people.

Feast of Trumpets                                   Lev 23:23‑24 / Num 29:1-6

• On this day was a festive blowing of trumpets all day long!
• This day was a day of rest, a sabbath. It was the first day of the civil year.
• Offerings should be made, as follows (Num 29:1‑6): 1 bull / 1 ram / 7 male lambs > burnt / cereal / drink offerings … 7 male lambs / 1 male goat > sin offering … plus normal new moon offerings
• Because of the uncertainty of the new moon, the feast was celebrated on 2 days. The mouthpieces of the horns used the new year’s day were of gold when normally they were of silver.
• The day came to mark the start of a time of repentance leading up to the 10th day, the day of Atonement.
• Ezra read the law on this day (Neh 7:73b ‑ 8:12).
• Ezra’s instructions were that the people should not be grieved, but rejoice (11‑12).

The Feast of Tabernacles / Booths / Ingathering             Ex 23:16 / Ex 34:22 / Lev 23:39

• This feast was the last feast instructed by Moses. It marked the end of the agricultural year, all the various harvests were in and it was a time of great rejoicing (Exo 23:16).
• It was on the 15th day of the 7th month for 7 days. The 1st and the 8th day were to be sabbaths, days of rest (Lev 23:35‑36).
• During the feast, sacrifices were to be offered to the Lord.
• Palm branches, leafy tree branches, and willow branches should be taken to make booths (v40). The people had to dwell in these booths (tents) for the 7 days as a reminder of the journey through the wilderness.
• Num 29:12‑40 gives a detailed list of offerings:
  • Each day 2 rams were offered and 14 male lambs.
    • On the 1st day, there were 13 bulls,
    • On the 2nd day ‑ 12,
  • On the 3rd day ‑ 11 and so on until the 7th day when there were 7 bulls.
    Each animal had its appropriate cereal and drink offering. These were the burnt offerings.
  • Each day there was a sin offering of a male goat.
  • On the eighth day, the sabbath, there was an extra burnt offering of 1 bull, 1 ram, 7 lambs, plus the appropriate cereal offering, and a sin offering of a goat.
• The people during the feast were expected to bring peace offerings and burnt offerings of their own (Num 29:39).
• This feast was instructed to be a part of the life of Israel in the promised land, at a place God will choose (Deu 16:13). It was a time of feasting and rejoicing, generosity to others (v14), and rejoicing at the in‑gathering (v13).
• In NT times, there were the various processions. One group went down to the pool of Siloam, and with music and much joy, drew water. At the same time, a group went to the Kidron Valley to get branches. These they struck on either side of the altar as the priests blew the trumpets. As the water was brought in, the sacrifices commenced. Then there was the singing of the Hallel (Psa 113‑118)
• Each day of the feast the priest made a procession and walked around the altar. On the 7th day, the great day of the feast, they went around 7 times. At the close of the first day the Court of Women was lit by golden candelabras (with old breeches and girdles of the priests soaked in oil and used as wicks). There were times of singing, praising, dancing and music. The Songs of Degrees were sung as they went up the steps of the Court of Women. Only the first and eighth days were sabbaths, the others were “minor festivals”.
• It is thought that the Feast of Booths was a picture of the great final harvest when before the throne, there shall be those from every nation, tribe and people (Rev 7:9‑10).

The 3 Main Feasts

• Passover                  First fruits of barley harvest
• Pentecost                First fruits of wheat harvest
• Tabernacles            Celebration when all harvest was in
• At each of these all males were required to go to the place the Lord would choose and celebrate (Deu 16:16).
• The people had to appear with offerings.
• There was no excuse of this being too expensive as the people were to use their tithes to finance this (Deu 14:22‑27).
• This tithe was different from the normal tithe (Num 18:21‑28) that was given to the Levites, and the third tithe that was given once every three years (Deu 14:28‑29). … not sure this is accurate!

Importance of the Feasts

• feasts were reminders, celebrations, affirmations of basic truths, God’s redemptive history with Israel, of his character
• they made up the spiritual life, fellowship and unity of Israel as a nation
• feasts were educational for everybody … and fun, colorful, experiential ways to teach the young
• feasts were a three times a year time-out from usual hard work.

Feast of Light

• This feast was added later, and was not instituted by God in the OT
• This festival was celebrated on the 25th day of Kislev, lasting 8 days. It was to remember the cleaning of the temple after the Abomination of Desolation had been cleaned out that was set up by Antiochus Epiphanes (1 Macc 1:54). Judas Maccabees and his family had some great victories against the Greeks. 1 Macc 4:36‑61 gives the account of the start of this feast around 164 BC, and why the feast was called the feast of lights (v50).

Feast of Purim

• This feast was added later.
• This feast remembered the deliverance wrought by Esther when the tables were turned on Haman and the Jews were able to destroy their enemies.
• It was celebrated in the villages on the 14th, and on the 15th by those in the towns (fortified cities) (Esther 9:17‑19).

Lamp Oil / Bread / Blasphemy                    Leviticus 24

• Pure olive oil for lamp
• Regularly lit … evening till morning
• 12 loafs of 2/10 of an ephah each > 2 rows of 6 breads … replaced every Sabbath … most holy thing > for priests to eat in a holy place … from the offerings by fire (taken from cereal offerings accompanying blood offerings?)
• frankincense with each row … to be a token offering for the bread as an offering by fire to the LORD ... (?)
• half-Israel blooded blasphemer of God’s name is caught and brought to Moses … inquires of God .. God: stone him to death, all who were within hearing lay their hands on his head, and let the whole congregation stone him.
• Importance of spoken word … enough here for a death sentence!
• Communal punishment … all must stand there and throw stones … participating / agreeing with the judgment / seeing its evil …
• those who heard … can’t be fully undone … hands on the blasphemer / experiencing his death to ‘cancel’ or ‘counteract’ that earlier experience … Application: need to apologize as publicly as an offense happened
• But even more: those who heard what was said: lay hands on his head during stoning > even higher impact / identification / if I agree with this, this is what will happen to me
• But also: sin of putting wrong things clanging / sounding through people’s head … power of the spoken word … power to infect / power to defile / power to trouble / power to guide even to a degree against will > no right to infect other people’s thinking

Sabbatical Year / Year of Jubilee                 Leviticus 25

Sabbatical year

• 6 years of agriculture / labor / harvests … let land rest 1 year > regaining fertility / no over-driving
• No right to permanently or significantly destroy fertility > responsible to actual owner God (Lev 25:23) and all future owners … land is never owned alone, it’s a lasting thing and its rules are different.
• Checking of greed / overdriving / selfishness in production
• Requires trust God with your crops … especially 6th year, where enough grain must be harvested for 2 y consumption and new sowing.
• God is serious about this, see 2 Chr 36:20-21 … Israel goes into exile for their century long disobedience / idolatry / injustice … but the length of the exile is determined by the missed Sabbath years!!!
• Time does regenerate land … through rain replenishing of minerals (what plants mostly drew). Today: manure, fertilizer, floods … Israel knows no floods.
• Debt canceled, bonded labor released

Year of Jubilee

• Every 7 years all debts canceled and bonded labor freed and paid.
• Every 50 years, all land selling is canceled > fresh start for each family on their own land, freshly canceled debt, all labor freed, and paid out > good chance for a fresh start … once per generation
• Right of redemption by owner or relative of owner at any time.
• God puts checks into the widening rich-poor gap.
• Fairness in lending / land selling > amounts are to be computed against time remaining to the Sabbath year of year of Jubilee.
• No debt / bonded labor / land-lessness is never to last permanently. People may fall into poverty through bad luck / elements / own mistakes / mistakes of others … but they are not meant to stay there.
• Non-permanent poverty … there should be no poor among you. There should remain none poor among you.
• Debt canceled, bonded labor released, Israelite slaves released, land returned

If > then – teaching Cause and Effect

• God has no pride! He will take back anyone who repents.
• Deu 28 is similar, even more detailed, repentance option unmentioned
• Big message: if … then … cause & effect … you choose … God rejects no-one who comes
• God is a God of reality … he created a real world where real choices have real consequence. This is our trouble, this is our honor. In a world where no evil is possible, no good is possible either
• Fire … sex … do you want to abolish all things dangerous? You will have abolished all things good also, then. Dangerous things are mostly good things in the wrong way.
• Why was there ever a tree to tempt – the eternal blame question.

Votive Offerings                           Leviticus 27

• What is this? Promises of things to God … consecration … but then why consecrate some unclean animal … or something I’ll need back like land?
• Or promises to God under conditions (vow … if this happens I promise to do that) …
• “When a person makes an explicit vow to the LORD concerning the equivalent for a human being, …”
  • Concerning a man (20-60y) 50 shekels
  • female (20-60?) 30 shekels
  • boy (5-20y) 20 shekels
  • girl (5-20) 10 shekels
  • male baby (1m-5y) 5 shekels
  • female baby (1m-5y) 3 shekels
  • male (60+) 15 shekels
  • female (60+), 10 shekels
• If one can’t afford the equivalent > priest’s assessment of what he can afford
• If it is a clean animal and the vow stands / fulfills > sacrifice it.
• If it is an unclean animal > redeem / replace it with 20% value added
• If it is a house > redeem / replace it with 20% value added
• If it is a field / land > redeem / replace it with 20% value added … compute years left till next jubilee
• If field is un-redeemed (or sold to somebody else) it shall no longer be redeemable > priests’ holding.
• Firstborn clean animals can’t be consecrated > belong to God anyway (as first fruits). If unclean animal, ransomed +20%
• All devoted to destruction is the Lord’s, whether humans, criminals, animals, land … can’t be redeemed
• All tithes from the land are holy to the Lord. If wish to redeem > add 20% in value.
• Tithes of herd and flock (clean animals?) can’t be substituted. … it doesn’t matter whether good or bad (Lev 27:33)
• Importance of the spoken word. There is a way to take back rash oaths, but it is not treated lightly
• It seems that ‘vowing loved ones to God’ was a common activity, and here is how to dear with it.
• It seems the Shekel list mostly describes ability to labor.