Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Today we begin the …
The Book of Leviticus, The Book of Worship.
(About one month)
As the children of Israel gathered at the base of the mountain of Sinai, God began to explain to them who He was and what kind of lifestyle he wanted from them as his people. One of the keys to understanding who God is centers on the idea of holiness. The Hebrew word for “holy” appears ninety times in the book of Leviticus!
HOLINESS (Heb. qodesh; Gk. hagiosune; in both cases “separation,” or “setting apart,” holy, from Saxon, “halig,” “whole,” “sound”). Holiness is a general term used to indicate sanctity or separation from all that is sinful, impure, or morally imperfect; i.e., it is moral wholeness. The term is used with reference to persons, places, and things. Holiness of God. Holiness is one of the essential attributes of the divine nature. It is, on the one hand, entire freedom from moral evil and, on the other, absolute moral perfection. (From New Unger’s Bible Dictionary. Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois. 1988.)Without holiness, no one can see the Lord. (Hebrews 12.14) The book of Leviticus shows how the nation of Israel (called an “unholy people”) can become acceptable in the presence of a God. According to the Bible, the only way into God’s presence is through a blood sacrifice. (Hebrews 9.22) God prescribed a clear way to sacrifice and follow Him so that the Jewish people could come into his presence and find forgiveness for their failures – moral and spiritual. That way is found in the book of Leviticus.
Leviticus is divided into two parts. The first part explains the system of becoming holy, or acceptable, in God’s sight. The second delineates the walk necessary for an acceptable lifestyle once one is living in God’s presence.
Acceptable Sacrifices for Approaching God for the Nation of Israel (Leviticus 1-17)
Four concepts are taught in this section. They explain the system of how a descendant of Israel would become holy in God’s sight in the Old Testament. As you read through this book, note carefully that …
· Approaching God is made possible by following these laws. (1-7)
· Approaching God is made through a priest by following these laws. (8-10)
· Approaching God is made through purity by following these laws. (11-15)
· Approaching God is made by annual purification by following these laws. (16-17)
We will continue this series with our next installment: “How Can I Make the Journey Easier – 5” on Thursday.
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You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.
