Monday, August 21, 2017

READ IT! - Introduction to Leviticus 1-7


Readings for this week:

Monday: Psalm 41
Tuesday: Leviticus 1
Wednesday: Leviticus 2
Thursday: Leviticus 3
Friday: Leviticus 4
Saturday: Leviticus 5
Sunday: Leviticus 6


Introduction to Leviticus 1-7

The Book of Leviticus continues the stipulations laid out in the covenant made between God and His people at Mount Sinai.

The name “Leviticus” refers to the tribe of the Levites, who were given special commands to follow as a part of the Sinai Covenant.

The Levites became Israel’s priests and were entrusted with the task of offering different atoning sacrifices to God on behalf of the people as well as making sure the people followed the Law.

It's important to remember that these Laws are specific commands to specific people in a specific time period. In the New Testament, the Jewish Christians stated that God did not want everyone everywhere to follow every rule in The Law. In regard to The Law, this is what the early Jewish Church leaders wrote to the early Gentile believers in the Book of Acts:

"It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things."

The first seven chapter of Leviticus deal with Israel’s Atonement System.

We learn about The Burnt Offering… which was “the sacrifice of unblemished male animals from cattle or flock or certain birds… in which the whole animal was burned on the altar.”

And The Grain Offeringin which “a small portion of the dough made from the flour of the inner kernel of the wheat grain was mixed with olive oil and frankincense and was burnt on the altar.”

And The Peace Offering (a.k.a., “The Fellowship Offering”) … which “…included a sacred meal participated in by the priest and the worshiper.”

And The Sin Offeringin which The guilty person would bring in an animal and “pass” their sins onto the animal. And the animal would then be killed and given as an offering.

And The Guilt Offeringin which anyone who had sinned unintentionally needed to make restitution by presenting animal offerings.





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