Day #53

Sermon - Audio
Lev 26-27 - Audio
Lev 26-27 - Daily Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment


Chapter 26: There is a contrast between how blessed their lives would be had they observed God's commands and how cursed their lives could become because they fell short of observing God's law.

v. 3-13 - If Israel chose to be faithful to God, then they would have blessings and abundance; rain, abundant crops, rich harvest, and protection from enemies. Also remembering His covenant, God will make them to be fruitful and multiply.

v. 14-33 - On the other hand if Israel is unfaithful to God, devastation of all kinds would be upon them; disease, punished by wild beasts, deliverance to the enemy and destruction of their cities and land.

v. 34-39 - If the people were not obedient to keeping the Sabbath, they would be evacuated from the land. Then the land would enjoy its' Sabbath (a time of rest).

v. 40-46 - God's rejection of Israel is not final. If the people repent, confess their sins, and walk humbly before God, then He will deliver them from exile and restore them to the land of promise. (ESV)

Chapter 27: This section is talking about voluntary gifts that were vowed to God for use to make needed repairs, purchase equipment and support the Levites in their work in the tabernacle.

v. 1ff - With all of these vows, if a person wanted their gift back, they could purchase it from the Levites at 120%...ouch!

v. 1-8 - There could be the possibility that a person wanted to dedicate himself or a member of his household to serve God full time at the tabernacle. Since such service was restricted to Levites, those who wanted to serve (but could not) showed their devotion by giving a gift to the temple. The amount of the gift reflected a person's physical strength and ability to do temple work. So a child was less, a man in his prime was much more.

v. 9-13 - Animals could also be given. Unclean animals were accepted and then either used in some area of service in the temple or sold. God accepts unclean animals in this kind of giving because a person's wealth may come from unclean animals (i.e. donkey) and God does not want to exclude this person from supporting the tabernacle.

v. 14-15 - Certainly this is one of the largest gifts. To give a house to the tabernacle that could be sold and the proceeds used for running the tabernacle was no small thing.

v. 16-21 - A person could give a field. The value of the field was that according to the size of the field and the number of years until Jubilee. If the field is sold by the priests to someone else the than can not be reclaimed at Jubilee.

v. 22-25 - Since the field given was one bought according to the Jubilee set up, it does not really belong to the person who has given it. Therefore when Jubilee comes, it is returned to its' original owner.

v. 26-27 - You can't give to God what is already His.

v. 30-33 - A tithe of everything that comes from the land belongs to God.

Day #52

Sermon - Audio
Lev 24-25 - Audio
Lev 24-25 - Daily Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment


Lev 24

• 24.1-2: The people of Israel are to supply the temple with needed oil so the lamp in the holy place remains lit at night (“continuously” is not the best translation rather the word indicates the lamp needs to stay from the time it is lit until the time it is extinguished in the morning).
• 24.3: The lamps represent the light God shed on his people and the power of life that flows from Him to the people.
• 24.5-8: The “show bread” has a double meaning. First, it represents God’s power to sustain his people. Second, the 12 loaves represent the 12 tribes that are living in constant devotion before God.
• 24.9: Since the loaves of bread absorb the holiness of God by being in the Holy Place they cannot be thrown out or eaten by common people. Only the priests can eat the bread.
• 24.10ff: To blaspheme the name of God means that you speak a desire that something evil happens to God. These verses reveal a focus of Leviticus, namely, words matter. Misuse of words can lead to disastrous results.
• 24.14: “lay their hands on his head” even as the priest laid his hands on the scapegoat to transfer the sin of the people. Here, those who heard the blaspheme transfer the sin that clings to them because of what they heard back to the sinner.
• 24.19-21: The code of “an eye for an eye” is meant to be seen as making sure the punishment fits the crime. Already in the book of Exodus (Ex. 21) we see that exact retribution is not required. What God seeks to forestall is the attempt to mete out a greater punishment than the damage the crime did. Jesus calls on his followers to refuse to demand an “eye for an eye” and instead allow God to carry out the appropriate punishment. Notice, however, this does not mean the state cannot carry out punishment for crimes committed (Romans 13).
• 24.22: No favoritism is shown to Israelites. Everyone is to receive equal justice.
• 24.23: the people take the laws of holiness seriously.

Lev 25

• 25.1: It is good to keep in mind that the people are still in the wilderness when these instructions are given. God is preparing them for life in the land. As he does so he begins to implant his thinking into their lives.
• 25.2-4: A Sabbath rest for the land is needed to restore the land. Continual planting and harvesting would eventually destroy all the nutrients in the soil. A Sabbath year gave the soil the opportunity to be restored. What is interesting is that the Sabbath for humans and for the land have this same thing in common: it is a time to be restored.
• 25.9: Jubilee begins on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). The Day of Atonement is the day when God purifies the land, the tabernacle, and the people from sin. As they are forgiven and delivered from their sin they are to release the captives from slavery and bring redemption to the whole land by returning land and canceling debts.
• Both the Sabbath Year and the Day of Jubilee impressed on the Israelites that God owned both them and the land.
• 25.13: “own property” means the land God gave the family at the time when they first entered the land (see Joshua 13ff).
• 25.17: The command to “not take advantage of each other” continues to be an important one. Paul in 1 Corinthians 6 chastises believers for taking advantage of each other.
• 25.18-22: To take part in Jubilee one has to trust in God’s provision. God assures the people that they will have more than enough food to eat if they but follow his decrees.
• 25.29ff: Since property in the walled cities was not given as an inheritance it can be sold and not returned at Jubilee.
• 25.44: The setting free of slaves applies only to Israelites. It is God’s people who are his servants and who therefore receive special treatment.
• 25.47-53: Foreigners who live in the land have to abide by the laws of redemption and Jubilee. Even though they are not set free if they are slaves, they do have to set Israelite slaves free if they are wealthy enough to have them.
• 25.54-55: A piece of wonder: “the Israelites belong to me as servants.” These people exist for God, not for themselves.

Day #51

Sermon - Audio
Lev 22-23- Audio
Lev 22-23 - Daily Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment


Lev 22

• 22.2: “treat with respect” as will be revealed in the next verses means to eat the sacred offerings only when the priest in ritually pure. The pure and impure may not mix at the table.
• 22.4ff: These verses define what is included in ritual impurity that would make a person to treat offerings with contempt if eaten in this state.
• 22.10-13: Only members of the priest’s household may eat of the sacred food. What is interesting is that a woman can return and be considered a part of the household again if she divorces her husband. God does not shun the divorced woman, but instead welcomes her back to eating the sacred food. Also, the fact that a slave may eat of the sacred food that is reserved only for the household of the priest may indicate that the kind of slavery practiced in Israel was very much one of having the slave be part of your family and not simply someone who was forced to do work.
• 22.14: It is possible that a person would somehow get some of the food designated for the priests. If he did he had to pay back what he ate plus 1/5. This reflects Leviticus 6.5 where when a person stole something he had to pay back in full plus 1/5.
• 22.15: God instructs the priests to do their work carefully enough that no one will accidentally eat food that is meant only for the priests.
• 22.17-25: God spells out that all sacrifices given to him are to be without defect. Again, God reminds the people that he is to be given the best.
• 22.23: “you may however…” The freewill offering was not used as a sacrifice, but given as a gift to the sanctuary. This animal could have a minor defect.
• 22.26-28: The Rabbi’s have different views on the reason for not sacrificing an animal until the eighth day and not killing both mother and its young on the same day. One of the ideas is that to do either one of these would show a certain cruelty toward the animals and God wants to teach his people kindness not cruelty.

Lev 23

• Yahweh gives to his people a yearly cycle of feasts that cause them to remember God’s great acts in the past, celebrate his provision for them in the present, worship his for all he has done, and rest from the day to day duties of life. In doing this God creates a kind of discipleship in time, as the people are continually moving through feasts that teach them about and remind them of God.
• Passover, Unleavened bread, and Firstfruits follow one after the other. On very rare occasions Passover is on Friday, Unleavened Break on Saturday, and Firstfruits on Sunday. This is exactly what happened at the time Jesus died. He dies on Passover (the day the commemorates God setting his people free from Egypt i.e. an evil power and the lamb that died to save them from the angel of death see 1 Cor 5.7-8), he lies in the grave during unleavened bread (a feast that celebrates among other things ridding our lives of evil [1 Corinthians 5.7-8]) and he comes to life on firstfruits (Paul tells us that Christ is the firstfruits of those who have risen from the grave – 1 Corinthians 15.20). What is so amazing is that God uses the Jewish feast system to teach us about the work of Christ. To know the system of the feasts is to know more about Jesus.
• 23.4-8: The emphasis here on not doing regular work or not working at your occupation is a powerful reminder that God is able to do his work in this world and keep this world going without our frenzied work.
• 23.11: A wave offering symbolizes giving or dedicating the thing waved to God.
• 23.14: “you must not eat….” God insists the people may not eat any of their harvest until the wave offering is made to him. The harvest is his and we may eat it only after it has been given to God first.
• 23.15: We know the feast of weeks as Pentecost. For the people of Israel the feast of weeks celebrated the incoming wheat harvest. Later on the Rabbis also connected the day of Pentecost with the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai. It was a day that celebrated both food for the body and food for the soul. It also carried the idea that there could be no Passover (deliverance) without a Pentecost (obedient living before God by following his Torah).
• 23.20: “wave two lambs…” just a thought—how do you wave two lambs before the LORD? Those lambs can weigh a lot.
• 23.22: The firstfruits of the barley harvest (23.9-14) end with a reminder that the harvest belongs to God and the people may not consume it until they bring the first part to God. The feast of weeks ends with a reminder that the corners of the fields are to be left for the poor. It shows that as in the barley harvest God claims that all the crops are his and because they are his he commands that the people show his heart for the poor by leaving the corners for the poor.
• 23.26ff: For more on Yom Kippur see notes on Leviticus 16.
• 23.33ff: The Feast of Tabernacles or Booths (Sukkot) celebrated God’s provision for the people in the wilderness. As part of remembering the people lived in booths.

Summary #7

So when we left the Israelites last week, they were in the desert, and God had settled in the newly completed tabernacle. He called Moses in and gives him the law that he will expect the Israelites to live by. What follows is sort of a combination of WebMD, Extreme Home Makeover, and Hints by Heloise, But first we start with the offerings.

Every Israelite participates in the Burnt Offering (signifying devotion, worship, and atonement for unintentional sin), the Grain Offering (recognizing God’s provision), the Fellowship Offering (Including a communal meal), the Sin Offering (to make atonement for specific sins), and the Guilt Offering (atonement for unintentional sins). God gives very specific directions to the people about which parts of each offering are to be burnt completely, and which are to be given to the priests.

Moses then ordains Aaron and his sons as priests, following all the requirements that God has given him. After they are ordained, they begin their ministry, making the sacrifices as God told them to. Contrary to what Moses had conveyed to them, Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu “offer unauthorized fire before the Lord” and are immediately put to death. God doesn’t take obedience lightly.

Eating, purification after childbirth, skin diseases, sexual relations, discharges – there are regulations governing nearly every aspect of their lives. One of the recurring things in these chapters is God’s insistence that the people maintain ritual purity. Things that make them impure are not necessarily bad, but they do require actions that restore a person’s ability to be part of the community and to approach God in worship or sacrifice. We don’t think much about that now.

The Day of Atonement was a chance for the people to make atonement as a community, transferring the sins of the people to a goat, which was sent into the desert, far away from the people. Sins must be paid for.

For the sinful, the unclean, the defiled, the punishment was the same: separation from their people – they would be cut off. To be part of the community, part of the covenant was a privilege.

Day #50

Sermon - Audio
Lev 19-21 - Audio
Lev 19-21 - Daily Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment


Leviticus 19

• As you read through these chapters the theme of Leviticus continues: living rightly as God's holy people in the land where God has put his dwelling.
• The phrase: "I am the LORD your God" or "I am the LORD" is repeated over and over again in this chapter focusing the people's attention not merely on being holy, but on Yahweh who they are to be like in holiness. Holiness in this instance means to reflect the character of God.
• 19.3: The Sabbath is an important marker of the people of Israel being God's people. The call to Sabbath was unique among the cultures of that day (and increasingly in ours as well).
• 19.11: In the following verses we hear many echoes of the 10 commandments. We find a particular emphasis on the second table of the law. It seems that these words gives some expansion to what the shorter commandments intend.
• 19.18: It is from this verse that we get the second part of the greatest commandment: Love God, Love your neighbor.
• 19.27: The prohibition against trimming the “sides of your head” or the “edges of your beard” uses the same terminology as in 19:9–10, which deals with the harvesting of fields. In both cases an offering is involved—one to the poor and the other to God. The law’s placement here immediately after the prohibition against divination suggests that the restriction on cutting the hair is based on the Canaanite practice of making an offering of hair to propitiate the spirits of the dead. IVP Background Commentary
• 19.28: Tatoos were part of religious ceremonies and spoke of your desire to be protected from evil spirits or of your commitment to a pagan deity.

• 19.32: Those who have gray hair are elders in the community and are considered wise, therefore, they deserve respect.

Lev 20

• 20.2: Molech is the opposite of Yahweh. His is the demonic face of destruction, the complete opposite of the holiness code of Leviticus. This is why such sharp words are spoken about and severe punishments are given those who worship Molech.
• 20.4: “defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name” As we have seen before sin finds its way into the sanctuary and makes the sanctuary more and more unclean until it has to be cleansed on Yom Kippur. God’s holy name is profaned because the people honor Molech as if he were greater than Yahweh.
• 20.2,5: the first group that is supposed to punish the person who worships Molech is the covenant community. If this group fails to do its duty, God will step in and carry out punishment.
• 20.7: Holiness means following God’s commands. It is interesting that in John 14 Jesus equates loving God with following his commands. Holiness and loving God are closely related. This idea does not always play well with us because we want to think love is about feelings and holiness is about rules—and we want to focus on the feelings.
• 20.9: “curses” is the Hebrew word for “treat lightly” it is the opposite of the 5^th commandment where children are told to honor or “give weight” to their parents.
• 20.9: Jesus quotes part of this verse in Mark 7.10 when talking to the Pharisees about how they fail to honor their parents. It is interesting that while Jesus accuses the Pharisees of not honoring their parents he does not demand a death sentence for them.
• 20.9ff: A list of offenses against the holiness of God that call for either the death penalty or being cut off from the covenant promises of God..
• 20.22: A reminder that the land can take just so much sin before it forces sinners to leave it. In the book of 2 Chronicles 36.21 we are told that at the time of the exile the land finally enjoyed its Sabbath rests.

Lev. 21

• Chapter 21 moves the focus of holiness onto the priests. Because the priest stood before God on behalf of the people their level of holiness had to be higher than that of the rest of the people. Today the Jewish people hold that Rabbis (Rabbis do not necessarily come from the priestly line) are no different from any other Jews. Nonetheless, they are considered “instruments of holiness” because; through their knowledge and teaching and by life, character and commitments they show the way to a life of holiness.
• 21.1-6: These verses refer to mourning rituals. The priests may not disfigure their bodies (as the surrounding cultures do) as a sign of morning. To disfigure their bodies would both be imitating the surround pagan religions and make them unsuitable to serve God in the temple.
• 21.7-9: As the priest must be above reproach so must his family. In the first 6 verses of 1 Timothy 3 we hear echoes of this when Paul says that an elder must be the husband of one wife, that he must be above reproach, manage his own family well, and his children are to obey him with proper respect.
• 21.9: The Rabbis say that the Hebrew here indicates an on-going type of prostitution from which the daughter refuses to repent. Because her actions so negatively impact the reputation of a priest the most severe penalty of death by fire is carried out. It may also be that God is again making a clear break with the other religions of the Ancient Near East where prostitution was part of the temple ritual.
• 21.10-12: The rules for the high priest are even more exacting than for the priests. A high priest may not even attend the funeral of his father or mother for fear of being made ceremonially unclean. There was no guarantee that this uncleanness could be done away with and so entering the holy of holies would bring about judgment on both the priest and the people.
• 21.16ff: These verses are troubling for many of us as we live in a time when those who have special needs are taken care of in special ways. It is important to note here that even a “normal” person who breaks his leg becomes no longer able to serve in the temple. This is not merely about birth defects. Also, this is not about sin. The person who has a defect may not serve, but they continue to receive the food that is set-aside solely for the priests. The basic idea is that God’s holiness is about complete perfection, any thing that is not perfect in either body or spirit cannot enter into that presence. In a rather painful way, imperfect human beings were a reminder to the people of God’s holiness and their need to be holy.

Day #49

Sermon - Audio
Lev 16-18 - Audio
Lev 16-18 - Daily Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

16

+ If you recall, Nadab and Abihu were killed for entering the tabernacle with wrong motives/manners. The same fate was not wanted for Aaron, so there would be an appointed time and place for him to come.

+ Aaron must come in the typical fashion as others have...specific clothes, clean, washed, with sacrifices.

+ No one is certain over this "Azazel"= goat. what is certain is that it is sent out in order to take sin away from Israel. - ESVSB- Explanations of this goat go from being a demon or a type of Christ....needless to say there is a wide range of thoughts.

+v4-10 = Twisted Scripture - Seventh-Day Adventist's use these verses as a passage pointing to Satan as the scapegoat who takes away the sins of God's people. They say this occurs during the millennium when Satan is sentenced to roam the desolate earth while the saints are in heaven. This doctrine makes Christ and Satan co-redeemers...We see that this is not true in many parts of the scriptures (ex - Ps 103:12, Colossians 1:15-23, many more) - ASB-

+ v21,22 - This is a picture of the transferring of their sins to a goat. This goat would then be excommunicated from the people. It is believed that the people even made sure that it died by throwing it off a cliff, so it would not return back to the camp.

+ v29-34 - The people are told to fast, do not work, and treat this time (Day of Atonement) as the Sabbath. The Jewish people still celebrate and observe this day today. It is a very important time for them. However, as Christians we believe that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of Yom Kippur, and is the final atonement for sin. Read Hebrews 9 for some more thoughts on Christ as our once and for all sacrifice.

***Larry will discuss this further in his message tomorrow***

17

+ 17:1–9 If a person slaughters an animal either in the camp or outside the camp (v. 3) and does not bring the blood to the sanctuary (v. 4), that act is tantamount to human murder (though not identical to it). The immediate purpose for the prohibition is to prevent the people’s idolatry in worshiping the goat demons (v. 7). Anyone who violates the prohibition is to be cut off from his people (v. 9). -ESVSB-

+ Chapter #17 - #26 begin as many scholars would call it, "The Holiness Code." These things are especially concerned with the holiness of God.

+ In Genesis 9:4 we see the same command, "But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood." The blood is a representation of life.

18

+ v1-5 = God makes sure that the people know that they will look different than the rest of the world. He states again that they "shall follow my rules and keep my statues and walk in them." The other people in the world lived by their own rules and standards that were created. The people of Israel are to live by Gods.

+ v6-9 = The idea is that it is only lawful for people in marriage to be unashamed of their nakedness together. This may be another sign back to the restoration process. God's cleaning things up!

+ v6-18 = Discharges yesterday and incest today...it's been quite the Friday and Saturday.

v 19 = Men were not permitted to have sex with woman during her menstruation.

v 20 = Adultery is now called out. It's interesting to see the phrase "unclean with her." You not only affect yourself, but the other person with this. It's not much different today as adultery breaks/effects everything around us.

v21 = "This refers to the cult of Molech (2 Kings 23:10; Jer. 32:35). The precise nature of the offering of children to this pagan god is uncertain. It may be that they are being given to the cult of Molech to train to be temple prostitutes, and that is why this passage is listed in a section dealing with sexual prohibitions. On the other hand, Roman authors describe the practice of sacrificing babies by fire in Carthage (a north African city founded by Phoenicians, who were part of Canaan), and thus this may indeed refer to this horrific custom." -ESVSB-

v 22 = Homosexuality is an abomination (something disgusting (morally)). See Romans 1:24-32, 1 Kings 14:24, 15:12, and 22:46 for more thoughts on this. It's important to remember that hatred is not any "better" than homosexuality. People claiming they were "born with these tendencies" are expected not to indulge in their sin, just like all Christians can't in any other one of our fleshly desires. Hating homosexuals is indulging in a sin as well...remember that. Homosexuals need the gospel just as much as all of us.

v 23 = Beastielity is wrong...enough said.

+ The following verses make me wonder how bad things really were. Can you imagine all of the above things being acceptable within a society?

+ The nature and priority of covenant is stated again at the end of chapter 18, "the persons who do them shall be cut off from among their people." Covenant is a privilege, not a right.

Day #48

Sermon - Audio
Lev 14-15 - Audio
Lev 14-15 - Daily Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment


Cleansing of the Lepers

14:4 - Cedar, a highly prized wood, which Solomon used extensively in his building projects, may have been chosen because it gives off a strong, pleasant scent and, being very resistant to decay, symbolizes endurance. Scarlet thread, by reason of its bright red color, is used to mark things of great significance (eg, Gen 38:28, 30; Josh 2:18, 21). The color red symbolizes blood and expiation, the victory of life over death (Isa 1:18). Though unexpressed, the thread probably bound the hyssop to the cedar. - WBC

+Remember, that as long as someone had this disease (leprosy) they were outside of the covenant community. This means that they couldn't give, couldn't partake in sacrifices/rituals, and were viewed as unclean. This is not the only time in the Bible where people are expelled from community, Can you think of others?

+The sacrifices/offerings that need to be given may seem extreme. However, the person is completely being transformed from unclean to clean. This is a huge deal and requires a lengthy process to ensure entrance back in the covenant community.

+The number "7" is used a lot in these verses (v7, v8, v9, v16, v27, v38, v51, etc). Actually, I did a quick word search and see that the number 7 is used 370 times throughout the Bible. However, I only searched the word "seven," so I'm sure there are lots more. Some of the books I looked at stated over 650 times!

+The offerings that are given for this "unclean" person are much like our new birth. There is complete transformation happening with this person becoming clean. God now looks down on this person as a covenant member of the community. Look what happens to us at our new birth:

"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire." 2 Peter 1:3-4

Also, Romans 5:6-11 = When we were "unclean," seen as "wicked," or "unwanted," Christ reconciled us! The Great High Priest has reconciled us back to God through the washing of His blood...how awesome is that?

Cleansing Houses

+I don't think this is much different than the way we currently would take care of mold in our houses, do you? Of course, without the offering part :)

+I'm going to do a bit of "midrash" here...When there is sin in our life it is important that we explore it to the very heart of the issue. It's okay to take out the items in the house, but don't expect that to "fix" the core problem. The 4th step in AA says "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves." This means searching the "house" for the root of the disease. Once those are found and taken out, can we be deemed "clean." This is a much harder process than a quick sleep of the floor. However, the disease just grows unless we get to the heart of the issue and clean it up.

Laws about Bodily Discharge (ummmm...)

I'm going to "mail this one in."

V1-15 = Man Abnormal discharge
V16-18 = Unclean/Clean with normal discharge
V19-24 = Unclean/Clean during menstruation
V25-30 = Women Abnormal discharge
V31-33 = God makes it clear that he wants a separation of sex/discharges from worship to Him. This may be in response to the pagan gods who the people would have sex in front of to "please" the gods. This is not to say that sex was bad, but it just made them unclean for a time. It was rather easy to become "clean" again, and be in midst of the tabernacle.

Yup...I "mailed that chapter in."

Day #47

Sermon - Audio
Lev 11-13 - Audio
Lev 11-13 - Daily Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment


Step 4 - Made a fearless and searching moral inventory of ourselves.

If you are like me, there have been many times when we have ignored our own sins and problems and pointed the finger at someone else. It is possible to be out of touch with our internal affairs and blame others for our choices. We can also avoid self-examination by making moral inventories of the people around us. While doing this step, we remember that this is a time of self examination.

The Concept and importance of purity in the Bible is hard for us to understand. Part of the problem is understanding the religious culture of the day and the holiness of God.

Jonathan Klawans, “Concepts of Purity in the Bible.” P.2041 in The Jewish Study Bible writes: In the early days of modern biblical scholarship, conceptions of defilement were treated with scorn. James Frazer (1854-1939) and William Robertson Smith (1846-1894), two founders of modern anthropology, could barely conceal their disgust for the avoidance behaviors of the Bible. Smith, Frazer, and other approached purity rules as if they were a random collection of primitive taboos. Their origin lay in the savage fears of blood and demons; their preservation by Israel was simply a matter of perpetuating ancient custom. Making matters worse, Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) in Totem and Taboo famously compared religious avoidances with the obsessive behavior of psychotics. Whether they were seen as the products of primitive fears or primeval obsessions, ritualized avoidances were dismissed by many as irrational, pointless, and just plain foolish.

When we first come to the chapters 11-13 we find ourselves confused and wondering why in the world did God put all of this stuff in the Bible and why did God demand such things from His people? The awesome nature of God’s holiness provides a powerful context in the teaching about clean and unclean in these chapters. The fact that this section is sitting between the account of Aaron’s sons in chapter 10 and its brief review at the beginning of chapter 16 point this section to God’s holiness. This seems shocking to people who live in a culture in which all thoughts about God amount to sentimental mush. But, the same pattern emerges with Achan (Joshua 7), Uzza (2 Sam. 6), and Ananias and Saphira (Acts 5). In Revelation 1 and 2 John did not find Jesus very approachable as well!

Chapter 11

The designations “clean” and “unclean” do not refer to dirt or other unpleasant features, or their lack in certain animals. Somehow, in ways we may never understand, certain animals were appropriate for diet and other uses, and others were not.

“From ancient times interpreters have proposed many views as the common denominator or organizing principle for the dietary classifications. The proposals have included religious taboos (e.g., eating blood) and a measure to prevent the indiscriminate killing of animals (that is, a type of ancient endangered species list). The most repeated suggestion is that the dietary regulations, along with the entire set of cleans and unclean teachings, fostered good health and hygiene. None of these suggestions works out in all case. There seems to be no intrinsic reason why the clean are clean. That is, the clean are clean and the unclean are unclean because God said so. (Gary Schnittjer, The Tory Story)

I’m also reminded of Peter’s vision is the book of Acts where God said, Do not call unclean what I have made clean. Acts 10.13-15 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.”

Mark 7.17 And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.)

vs. 44-45 “For I am the LORD. This self-identification is used here for the first time in the book; it occurs frequently from chapter 18 on. for I am holy. Cf. 19.2; 20.26; 21.8. The Lord, who is himself, holy, calls his people to consecrate themselves, i.e., dedicate themselves to holiness (Hb.hitqaddesh), and to be holy, i.e., practice a holy lifestyle. (ESV Study Bible)


Chapter 12

A woman who has just given birth is considered unclean. The loss of blood signifies that one is incomplete and unclean. Three steps are required to move from defilement to purity: (1) the woman is to remain unclean for 7 or 14 days, depending on the gender of the child; (2) she then moves into the second stage, which lasts for 33 to 66 days in which she is neither pure nor impure; and (3) finally, she offers sacrifices in order to enter into full communion with the covenant people. The time of purification for the mother is twice as long if she gives birth to a female rather than a male. The reason is uncertain; although it may be that the female is potentially more unclean because of the probability of her menstruating and of her giving birth. In any event, there is no implication that the reason for the distinction is any kind of presumed “inferiority” of women. (ESV Study Bible)

12.8 and if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean.’”

Luke 2.24 is a reference to this requirement of the law, telling us that Jesus’ parents were poor.


Chapter 13

Leprosy (here called “a disease of the skin of his body) is a name applied to several different diseases, and was something to be very afraid of in Bible times. Some of these diseases, unlike the disease we call leprosy or Hansen’s disease today, were highly contagious. The worst of them slowly ruined the body and, in most cases were fatal. Lepers were separated from family and friends and confined outside the camp. If someone’s leprosy appeared to go away, only the priest could decide if that person was truly cured.

Lev. 13:18-44 These rules deal with various cases of the leprous disease in relation to other common skin diseases or disorders, such as a boil (vv. 18-23), a burn (vv. 24-28), itching disease (vv. 29-37), leukoderma (vv. 38-39), and baldness (vv. 40-44). The priest is responsible for discerning whether or not the condition is one that makes a person unclean (cf. 10:10-11); this is one way in which the priesthood is to serve the well-being of the people. (ESV Study Bible)

Lev. 13:45-46 the person with a skin disease is to tear his clothes, go about with an unadorned head, and have his beard and mouth covered. These are all signs of mourning in the OT (Ezek. 24:17, 22; Mic. 3:7). Here they symbolize that a person is ritually dead. Cf. Luke 17:12-13, where lepers “stood at a distance” and called for help from Jesus. (ESV Study Bible)

Lev. 13:47-59 Except for the symptoms and actual treatments such as washing, the procedure of the examination in cases of leprous disease in a garment follows that of the cases for humans. Causes of such disease include various molds or fungi. When it becomes clear that the suspected area is affected by the disease, the treatment (i.e., tear or burn it) is destructive; the object must no longer be used, or has to be completely abandoned. (ESV Study Bible)

Day #46

Sermon - Audio
Lev 8-10 - Audio
Lev 8-10 - Daily Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment


Chapter 8 and 9: These chapters repeat the instructions given to the Levites for ordination in Exodus 29. The number seven is a significant number used in the ordination of the priests symbolizing completion. "As the Lord commands" is repeated seven times. In verse 11 the oil is sprinkled on the altar seven times. And Aaron and his sons waited at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting seven days and seven nights. By the end, the installation of the priests is fully complete.

Chapter 8:

v.1-9 - Oil symbolized the gifts of God to the people and the responsibilities laid on their leaders through this ceremony. It is also used to consecrate holy things and holy people.

v. 14 - "laid their hands on the head of the bull" - which symbolizes the transferring of guilt from Aaron and his sons to the animal. They, too, needed forgiveness before they could minister to others.

v. 18-21 - Why rams instead of goats? A ram was a more costly animal than a goat signifying the priests' greater responsibility.

v. 22-36 - Moses performs his last sacrifice. Smearing the blood on the right extremities of the priests was associated with strength and performance. The extremities represent the whole body from head to toe thus showing total dedication and purification.

Chapter 9:

v.1ff - This chapter functions as a sequel to the Sinai event. Just as God came down to the mountain to deliver His covenant with His people, He now comes down to the altar to dwell intimately with them.

v. 8-21 - Why all these sacrifices? The offerings were for atonement, to praise and thank God, and communion. The OT regulations pointed to their own inadequacies and the need for a greater high priest. Jesus, the final high priest, knew no sin and therefore was the perfect and complete sacrifice.

Chapter 10:

v. 1 - Look how quickly "we" have taken matters back into our own hands. Aaron's sons violate the ceremony by offering unauthorized fire.

v. 1-3 - The offense lies in doing things their own way instead of how God instructed them, resulting in death. The point of the story is that God will not allow His holiness to be violated. And how often do we violate His holiness each day and not get struck down?

v. 8-11 - This is the only time throughout Leviticus that God speaks directly to Aaron. He gives three major roles for the priests. 1 - keep things holy. 2 - keep things clean. 3 - teach people God's law.

v. 16-20 - Boy, do "we" have a very short memory. Again, Aaron's sons have not followed God's commands regarding the offerings. Aaron pleads on their behalf and they are spared.

Day #45

Sermon - Audio
Lev 5-7 - Audio
Lev 5-7 - Daily Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Lev. 5
5.1.-4: Certain situations that incur guilt are laid out. What is interesting about these is they are things a person failed to do. He failed to give evidence at a trial, he failed to cleanse himself after becoming ritually impure, and he failed to keep an oath that he made. This raises the question, “Are these the only instances of guilt or are these examples of guilt that comes when we fail to do what we are supposed to do?”

5.6-13: God provides differing levels of offerings based on a person’s wealth or poverty. What is most striking about this is that the last offering of grain does not involve blood. In all other sacrifices blood is necessary for atonement.

5.17-19: This guilt offering seems to be given for a nagging sense of guilt but a person does not know what they are guilty of. Such an offering gives the person relief from their guilt and makes them right before God.

Lev. 6
6.1-7: This restitution/offering comes from a person who has ripped off his neighbor. The offering is necessary because it seems that the person has used God’s name in an oath to swear that he has not ripped off his neighbor. In doing so he has cheapened God’s name. As when a thing devoted to God is taken, it is not enough to return what is taken—one is to add 20% to the value of what was taken. This giving back what was taken plus 20% happens when one brings his guilt offering. It is quite possible that this is the context of two New Testament passages. The first is Jesus’ sermon on the mount in Matthew 5.“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. What your brother has against you is the kind of things that are spoken of in Leviticus 6.1-7. The second passage is from Luke 19. It’s the story of Zacchaeus, "But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Zacchaeus shows he knows God’s law but is also willing to go beyond what is called for in Leviticus and promises a 4x payback.

Lev. 6

This part of Leviticus gives further regulations on how the priests were to handle the offerings. While earlier information was for all the people, this information is a handbook for the priests

6.9: The NIV’s “regulations” (also in 6.14,25) is the word “torah” in Hebrew. From our perspective this is an interesting insight into the meaning of the word Torah since we often translate it as Law. Here we see that it is more akin to directions or the way things are to be done.

6.9,12-13: The fire is to be kept burning for practical and spiritual reasons. Practically, the offering had to be totally consumed. This would take quite a bit of time. Spiritually, the constantly lit fire showed the unwavering dedication of the people to worship God and their dedication to him.

6.28: The idea is that the sin offering i.e. the animal absorbs the impurity or sin of the person. This impurity is done away with by either sacrificing on the altar or by being eaten. However, before it is eaten the “impure” meat is cooked in vessels which “absorb” the impurity. Therefore they have to be purified by either breaking them or scouring them.7.1: Most holy means that only the priests may eat it (see verse 6).

Lev. 7
7.3-4: The fat portion is considered the best so God gets it.

7:11–20 In this section there are three types of offerings of well-being: a praise offering, a votive offering , and a freewill offering (hbdn; cf 22:21; Num 15:3; Deut 12:17). A praise offering is made to glorify God and to express one’s love and appreciation for God’s presence in the offerer’s life. A votive offering is made in response to promises made at the taking of a vow. The faithful worshiper is also expressing his enthusiastic joy to God for fulfilling his vow. A freewill offering is offered spontaneously, joyfully, in order that a family or clan may celebrate a feast before God. IVP Background Commentary These different kinds of offerings remind us of the full orbed relationship the people have with Yahweh. There is more than sin and guilt, their is joy and thanksgiving.

7.36: The priests are given a part of the sacrifice for food so that they can do their work in God's tabernacle/temple. When this giving failed in later times the priests abandoned the temple to make their living in other ways.

Day #44

Sermon - Audio
Lev 1-4 - Audio
Lev 1-4 - Daily Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

The book of Leviticus as a chapter in the master story of the Bible.
In the Old Covenant, God’s salvation focused on a covenant nation that God called to be obedient to him as Shepherd and King. Leviticus pictures the system of practices and sacrifices by which God provided a path to holiness and atonement for his wayward people. Further, underlying Leviticus is a biblical principle known as typology. This means that OT characters, events, practices, and sacrifices often symbolize something for which Christ was God’s chosen fulfillment from the very beginning of his plan of salvation. In particular, the system of offerings and sacrifices and the Day of Atonement point to the life that Jesus offered in obedience to God and the death that he died as the atonement for his people’s sin. From the ESV Literary Bible

1.1: “bring an offering to the LORD” The NIV uses LORD as a way of indicating God’s covenant name, Yahweh. As Leviticus opens Yahweh’s first command is that sacrifices be made only to him and no other.

1.1ff while other nations offer sacrifices, Israel is unique in that the sacrifices offered to God depend on God. Other cultures could manipulate their gods through sacrifices, Israel could never manipulate Yahweh.

1.2: God makes clear that he is the one who prescribes how he is to be worshipped. The people do not get input.

1.2: “an offering to the LORD” While other cultures of Israel’s day also practiced sacrifice, Israel was the only one where the common people (those who were not priests) were allowed to approach God in the sacrificial rite. Also, Israel was the only nation where the people knew what went on in the most holy places of the temple they could not access. Other nations held secret rituals in those places, God reveals to his people all that is going on in worship

1.4: To lay your hands on the head of the animal transfers your sin to that animal as your representative before God.

1.9: “an aroma pleasing” so turning back God’s anger. Ephesians 5.2 says, …and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

2.1ff: The grain offering or minha in Hebrew is an offering which in the political world of the day means to pay tribute to a superior or ruler. The grain offering, then, is a symbol proclaiming God is Lord and you live under his lordship. This type of offering was to be offered regularly.

2.13: Salt is a symbol that God’s covenant is an everlasting covenant. Each time the offering was salted it reminded the people of this everlasting covenant.

Leviticus 3
The “Fellowship” offering is an offering of joy. A person brings it when he or she desires to express their thankfulness for God’s covenant faithfulness. As part of this expression of thankfulness they join with God in a covenant feast.
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3.3: “all the fat…” The parts that God receives in the celebration of this festive meal are the best parts of the animal. These parts are considered too good for mortals, so Yahweh is given them.

Leviticus 4

Leviticus 4 covers the unintentional sins of individuals and the community. God’s take is that such sin makes a person guilty, but also, it pollutes the “sanctuary” i.e. the tabernacle making it unfit for God’s special presence. Both the person and the tabernacle must be cleansed. This idea that not only a person, but a place/space must be cleansed may seem odd to us at first, but we know that there are places which seem to be so filled with evil that special actions are taken to make them habitable again (ground zero in New York being one example). Some of these places are so filled with evil that it seems they will never be habitable again—they can only stand as monuments (e.g. Auschwitz).
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4.3-12: Notice the amount of physical work that has to be done to deal with sin. It is interesting to note that Jesus’ death on the cross also carried a heavy physical price to bring about forgiveness. Also note that in verse 12 the idea of taking things outside the camp. Compare that to Hebrews 13.The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood.Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.