Leviticus

Leviticus

Book Outhne

Key theme: The holiness of God—“You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy”

Key verse: ,

I. Holy Offerings ()

A. Laws for the worshipers ()

B. Laws for the priests ()

II. A Holy Priesthood (; )

A. Consecration ()

B. Admonition ()

C. Qualification ()

III. A Holy Nation ()

A. Clean and unclean food ()

B. Childbirth ()

C. Diseases and defilement ()

D. The Day of Atonement ()

IV. A Holy Land (; )

A. Immorality ()

B. Idolatry ()

C. Capital offenses ()

D. Annual festivals ()

E. Blasphemy ()

F. Sabbath year ()

G. Blessings and curses ()

Book Overview

Happiness, not holiness, is the chief pursuit of most people today, including many professed Christians. They want Jesus to solve their problems and carry their burdens, but they don’t want Him to control their lives and change their character. It doesn’t disturb them that eight times in the Bible, God said to His people to be holy, because He is holy, and He means it.

“He that sees the beauty of holiness, or true moral good,” wrote Jonathan Edwards, “sees the greatest and most important thing in the world.” Have you ever thought of personal holiness—likeness to Jesus Christ—as the most important thing in the world?

In God’s kingdom, holiness isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (). Yes, God wants His children to be happy, but true happiness begins with holiness. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (). “If I had my choice of all the blessings I can conceive of,” said Charles Spurgeon, “I would choose perfect conformity to the Lord Jesus, or, in one word, holiness.” Would you make the same choice?

Leviticus tells New Testament Christians how to appreciate holiness and appropriate it into their everyday lives. The word “holy” is used 91 times in Leviticus, and words connected with cleansing are used 71 times. References to uncleanness number 128. There’s no question what this book is all about.

“But wasn’t the Book of Leviticus written for the priests and Levites in ancient Israel?” you may ask; and the answer is, “Yes.” But the lessons in Leviticus aren’t limited to the Jews in ancient Israel. The spiritual principles in this book apply to Christians in the church today. The key verse of Leviticus—“You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” ()—is applied to the New Testament church in , ; and the Book of Leviticus itself is quoted or referred to over 100 times in the New Testament. Since all Scripture was given by inspiration of God (), all Scripture is profitable for God’s people to use in developing godly lives. Jesus said that we should live by every word that God has given us (), and that includes Leviticus.

The Book of Leviticus explains five basic themes that relate to the life of holiness: a holy God; a holy priesthood; a holy people; a holy land; and a holy Savior.

“Be Transformed”

The fact that God devoted an entire book of the Bible to the subject of holiness would indicate that it’s an important subject, one that we dare not ignore. Whenever we minimize the holiness of God, we’re in danger of minimizing human sinfulness, and the combination of these two errors results in the minimizing of the cross of Jesus Christ. If we want to preach the gospel, we must have a holy God who hates sin and has done something about it at great cost to Himself.

One of the principles Jesus stressed in the Sermon on the Mount is that we live our lives before the eyes of God, to please Him alone, and not before the eyes of people in order to impress them (). There are times when what we do is misunderstood by our friends on earth but fully understood and approved by our Father in heaven. In other words, Jesus wants us to concentrate on building character and not just building a religious reputation.

It makes no difference how loudly our friends applaud if God is displeased with us. “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (), so it’s futile to try to hide. According to , once we start lying to others (), we’ll soon start lying to ourselves (), and the result will be trying to lie to God (). This leads to a gradual deterioration of character that brings collapse and shame. We seek to live a holy life, not so that we can be recognized as “holy people,” but in order to please a holy God. We live before Him openly and sincerely, hiding nothing, fearing nothing.

Knowing God and becoming more like Him is the easiest thing in the world, because God is for us and gives us all the help we want as we seek to attain the goal. But it’s the hardest thing, because almost everything within us and around us fights against us, and we have to exercise a holy determination to run the race and keep our eyes on the Lord ().

But it can be done; otherwise, God would never have said eight times in His Word to be holy, because He is holy! His commandment is the promise of His enablement.

Be holy!

The Burnt Offering

3‘If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD.

4‘Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.

5‘He shall kill the bull before the LORD; and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

6‘And he shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces.

7‘The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar, and lay the wood in order on the fire.

8‘Then the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat in order on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar;

10‘If his offering is of the flocks—of the sheep or of the goats—as a burnt sacrifice, he shall bring a male without blemish.

11‘He shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the LORD; and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall sprinkle its blood all around on the altar.

12‘And he shall cut it into its pieces, with its head and its fat; and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar;

13‘but he shall wash the entrails and the legs with water. Then the priest shall bring it all and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.

14‘And if the burnt sacrifice of his offering to the LORD is of birds, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves or young pigeons.

15‘The priest shall bring it to the altar, wring off its head, and burn it on the altar; its blood shall be drained out at the side of the altar.

16‘And he shall remove its crop with its feathers and cast it beside the altar on the east side, into the place for ashes.

17‘Then he shall split it at its wings, but shall not divide it completely; and the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.

The Grain Offering

2‘He shall bring it to Aaron’s sons, the priests, one of whom shall take from it his handful of fine flour and oil with all the frankincense. And the priest shall burn it as a memorial on the altar, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.

3‘The rest of the grain offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. It is most holy of the offerings to the LORD made by fire.

4‘And if you bring as an offering a grain offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.

5‘But if your offering is a grain offering baked in a pan, it shall be of fine flour, unleavened, mixed with oil.

6‘You shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering.

7‘If your offering is a grain offering baked in a covered pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.

8‘You shall bring the grain offering that is made of these things to the LORD. And when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar.

9‘Then the priest shall take from the grain offering a memorial portion, and burn it on the altar. It is an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.

10‘And what is left of the grain offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. It is most holy of the offerings to the LORD made by fire.

12‘As for the offering of the firstfruits, you shall offer them to the LORD, but they shall not be burned on the altar for a sweet aroma.

13‘And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.

14‘If you offer a grain offering of your firstfruits to the LORD, you shall offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits green heads of grain roasted on the fire, grain beaten from full heads.

15‘And you shall put oil on it, and lay frankincense on it. It is a grain offering.

The Peace Offering

2‘And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of meeting; and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall sprinkle the blood all around on the altar.

3‘Then he shall offer from the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire to the LORD. The fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails,

4‘the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys, he shall remove;

5‘and Aaron’s sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which is on the wood that is on the fire, as an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.

6‘If his offering as a sacrifice of a peace offering to the LORD is of the flock, whether male or female, he shall offer it without blemish.

7‘If he offers a lamb as his offering, then he shall offer it before the LORD.

8‘And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it before the tabernacle of meeting; and Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle its blood all around on the altar.

9‘Then he shall offer from the sacrifice of the peace offering, as an offering made by fire to the LORD, its fat and the whole fat tail which he shall remove close to the backbone. And the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails,

10‘the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys, he shall remove;

11‘and the priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made by fire to the LORD.

12‘And if his offering is a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD.

13‘He shall lay his hand on its head and kill it before the tabernacle of meeting; and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle its blood all around on the altar.

14‘Then he shall offer from it his offering, as an offering made by fire to the LORD. The fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails,

15‘the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys, he shall remove;

16‘and the priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma; all the fat is the LORD’s.

17‘This shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings: you shall eat neither fat nor blood.’ ”

The Sin Offering

4‘He shall bring the bull to the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD, lay his hand on the bull’s head, and kill the bull before the LORD.

5‘Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and bring it to the tabernacle of meeting.

6‘The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil of the sanctuary.

7‘And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of meeting; and he shall pour the remaining blood of the bull at the base of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

8‘He shall take from it all the fat of the bull as the sin offering. The fat that covers the entrails and all the fat which is on the entrails,

9‘the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys, he shall remove,

10‘as it was taken from the bull of the sacrifice of the peace offering; and the priest shall burn them on the altar of the burnt offering.

12‘the whole bull he shall carry outside the camp to a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire; where the ashes are poured out it shall be burned.

13‘Now if the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally, and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done something against any of the commandments of the LORD in anything which should not be done, and are guilty;

14‘when the sin which they have committed becomes known, then the assembly shall offer a young bull for the sin, and bring it before the tabernacle of meeting.

15‘And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the LORD. Then the bull shall be killed before the LORD.

16‘The anointed priest shall bring some of the bull’s blood to the tabernacle of meeting.

17‘Then the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil.

18‘And he shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of meeting; and he shall pour the remaining blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

19‘He shall take all the fat from it and burn it on the altar.

20‘And he shall do with the bull as he did with the bull as a sin offering; thus he shall do with it. So the priest shall make atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them.

21‘Then he shall carry the bull outside the camp, and burn it as he burned the first bull. It is a sin offering for the assembly.

22‘When a ruler has sinned, and done something unintentionally against any of the commandments of the LORD his God in anything which should not be done, and is guilty,

23‘or if his sin which he has committed comes to his knowledge, he shall bring as his offering a kid of the goats, a male without blemish.

24‘And he shall lay his hand on the head of the goat, and kill it at the place where they kill the burnt offering before the LORD. It is a sin offering.

25‘The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering.

27‘If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally by doing something against any of the commandments of the LORD in anything which ought not to be done, and is guilty,

28‘or if his sin which he has committed comes to his knowledge, then he shall bring as his offering a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed.

29‘And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering at the place of the burnt offering.

30‘Then the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour all the remaining blood at the base of the altar.

31‘He shall remove all its fat, as fat is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offering; and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a sweet aroma to the LORD. So the priest shall make atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.

32‘If he brings a lamb as his sin offering, he shall bring a female without blemish.

33‘Then he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill it as a sin offering at the place where they kill the burnt offering.

34‘The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour all the remaining blood at the base of the altar.

35‘He shall remove all its fat, as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offering. Then the priest shall burn it on the altar, according to the offerings made by fire to the LORD. So the priest shall make atonement for his sin that he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him.

The Trespass Offering

1‘If a person sins in hearing the utterance of an oath, and is a witness, whether he has seen or known of the matter—if he does not tell it, he bears guilt.

2‘Or if a person touches any unclean thing, whether it is the carcass of an unclean beast, or the carcass of unclean livestock, or the carcass of unclean creeping things, and he is unaware of it, he also shall be unclean and guilty.

3‘Or if he touches human uncleanness—whatever uncleanness with which a man may be defiled, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty.

4‘Or if a person swears, speaking thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, whatever it is that a man may pronounce by an oath, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty in any of these matters.

5‘And it shall be, when he is guilty in any of these matters, that he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing;

6‘and he shall bring his trespass offering to the LORD for his sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin.

7‘If he is not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring to the LORD, for his trespass which he has committed, two turtledoves or two young pigeons: one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering.

8‘And he shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin offering first, and wring off its head from its neck, but shall not divide it completely.

9‘Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, and the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering.

10‘And he shall offer the second as a burnt offering according to the prescribed manner. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him.

11‘But if he is not able to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he who sinned shall bring for his offering one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it, nor shall he put frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering.

12‘Then he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as a memorial portion, and burn it on the altar according to the offerings made by fire to the LORD. It is a sin offering.

13‘The priest shall make atonement for him, for his sin that he has committed in any of these matters; and it shall be forgiven him. The rest shall be the priest’s as a grain offering.’ ”

Offerings with Restitution

15“If a person commits a trespass, and sins unintentionally in regard to the holy things of the LORD, then he shall bring to the LORD as his trespass offering a ram without blemish from the flocks, with your valuation in shekels of silver according to the shekel of the sanctuary, as a trespass offering.

16“And he shall make restitution for the harm that he has done in regard to the holy thing, and shall add one-fifth to it and give it to the priest. So the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him.

17“If a person sins, and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD, though he does not know it, yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity.

18“And he shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish from the flock, with your valuation, as a trespass offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him regarding his ignorance in which he erred and did not know it, and it shall be forgiven him.

19“It is a trespass offering; he has certainly trespassed against the LORD.”

1And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

2“If a person sins and commits a trespass against the LORD by lying to his neighbor about what was delivered to him for safekeeping, or about a pledge, or about a robbery, or if he has extorted from his neighbor,

3“or if he has found what was lost and lies concerning it, and swears falsely—in any one of these things that a man may do in which he sins:

4“then it shall be, because he has sinned and is guilty, that he shall restore what he has stolen, or the thing which he has extorted, or what was delivered to him for safekeeping, or the lost thing which he found,

5“or all that about which he has sworn falsely. He shall restore its full value, add one-fifth more to it, and give it to whomever it belongs, on the day of his trespass offering.

6“And he shall bring his trespass offering to the LORD, a ram without blemish from the flock, with your valuation, as a trespass offering, to the priest.

7“So the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD, and he shall be forgiven for any one of these things that he may have done in which he trespasses.”

The Law of the Burnt Offering

8Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

9“Command Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the law of the burnt offering: The burnt offering shall be on the hearth upon the altar all night until morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it.

10‘And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen trousers he shall put on his body, and take up the ashes of the burnt offering which the fire has consumed on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar.

11‘Then he shall take off his garments, put on other garments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place.

12‘And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order on it; and he shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings.

13‘A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.

The Law of the Grain Offering

15‘He shall take from it his handful of the fine flour of the grain offering, with its oil, and all the frankincense which is on the grain offering, and shall burn it on the altar for a sweet aroma, as a memorial to the LORD.

17‘It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it as their portion of My offerings made by fire; it is most holy, like the sin offering and the trespass offering.

18‘All the males among the children of Aaron may eat it. It shall be a statute forever in your generations concerning the offerings made by fire to the LORD. Everyone who touches them must be holy.’ ”

19And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

20“This is the offering of Aaron and his sons, which they shall offer to the LORD, beginning on the day when he is anointed: one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a daily grain offering, half of it in the morning and half of it at night.

21“It shall be made in a pan with oil. When it is mixed, you shall bring it in. The baked pieces of the grain offering you shall offer for a sweet aroma to the LORD.

22“The priest from among his sons, who is anointed in his place, shall offer it. It is a statute forever to the LORD. It shall be wholly burned.

23“For every grain offering for the priest shall be wholly burned. It shall not be eaten.”

The Law of the Sin Offering

25“Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘This is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is killed, the sin offering shall be killed before the LORD. It is most holy.

26‘The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. In a holy place it shall be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of meeting.

27‘Everyone who touches its flesh must be holy. And when its blood is sprinkled on any garment, you shall wash that on which it was sprinkled, in a holy place.

28‘But the earthen vessel in which it is boiled shall be broken. And if it is boiled in a bronze pot, it shall be both scoured and rinsed in water.

29‘All the males among the priests may eat it. It is most holy.

30‘But no sin offering from which any of the blood is brought into the tabernacle of meeting, to make atonement in the holy place, shall be eaten. It shall be burned in the fire.

The Law of the Trespass Offering

2‘In the place where they kill the burnt offering they shall kill the trespass offering. And its blood he shall sprinkle all around on the altar.

3‘And he shall offer from it all its fat. The fat tail and the fat that covers the entrails,

4‘the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys, he shall remove;

5‘and the priest shall burn them on the altar as an offering made by fire to the LORD. It is a trespass offering.

6‘Every male among the priests may eat it. It shall be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy.

7‘The trespass offering is like the sin offering; there is one law for them both: the priest who makes atonement with it shall have it.

8‘And the priest who offers anyone’s burnt offering, that priest shall have for himself the skin of the burnt offering which he has offered.

9‘Also every grain offering that is baked in the oven and all that is prepared in the covered pan, or in a pan, shall be the priest’s who offers it.

10‘Every grain offering, whether mixed with oil or dry, shall belong to all the sons of Aaron, to one as much as the other.

The Law of Peace Offerings

12‘If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer, with the sacrifice of thanksgiving, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, unleavened wafers anointed with oil, or cakes of blended flour mixed with oil.

13‘Besides the cakes, as his offering he shall offer leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offering.

14‘And from it he shall offer one cake from each offering as a heave offering to the LORD. It shall belong to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the peace offering.

15‘The flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day it is offered. He shall not leave any of it until morning.

16‘But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offers his sacrifice; but on the next day the remainder of it also may be eaten;

17‘the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day must be burned with fire.

18‘And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering is eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, nor shall it be imputed to him; it shall be an abomination to him who offers it, and the person who eats of it shall bear guilt.

19‘The flesh that touches any unclean thing shall not be eaten. It shall be burned with fire. And as for the clean flesh, all who are clean may eat of it.

20‘But the person who eats the flesh of the sacrifice of the peace offering that belongs to the LORD, while he is unclean, that person shall be cut off from his people.

21‘Moreover the person who touches any unclean thing, such as human uncleanness, an unclean animal, or any abominable unclean thing, and who eats the flesh of the sacrifice of the peace offering that belongs to the LORD, that person shall be cut off from his people.’ ”

Fat and Blood May Not Be Eaten

22And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

23“Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘You shall not eat any fat, of ox or sheep or goat.

24‘And the fat of an animal that dies naturally, and the fat of what is torn by wild beasts, may be used in any other way; but you shall by no means eat it.

25‘For whoever eats the fat of the animal of which men offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, the person who eats it shall be cut off from his people.

26‘Moreover you shall not eat any blood in any of your dwellings, whether of bird or beast.

27‘Whoever eats any blood, that person shall be cut off from his people.’ ”

The Portion of Aaron and His Sons

28Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

29“Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘He who offers the sacrifice of his peace offering to the LORD shall bring his offering to the LORD from the sacrifice of his peace offering.

30‘His own hands shall bring the offerings made by fire to the LORD. The fat with the breast he shall bring, that the breast may be waved as a wave offering before the LORD.

31‘And the priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be Aaron’s and his sons’.

32‘Also the right thigh you shall give to the priest as a heave offering from the sacrifices of your peace offerings.

33‘He among the sons of Aaron, who offers the blood of the peace offering and the fat, shall have the right thigh for his part.

34‘For the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering I have taken from the children of Israel, from the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and I have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons from the children of Israel by a statute forever.’ ”

35This is the consecrated portion for Aaron and his sons, from the offerings made by fire to the LORD, on the day when Moses presented them to minister to the LORD as priests.

36The LORD commanded this to be given to them by the children of Israel, on the day that He anointed them, by a statute forever throughout their generations.

37This is the law of the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the trespass offering, the consecrations, and the sacrifice of the peace offering,

38which the LORD commanded Moses on Mount Sinai, on the day when He commanded the children of Israel to offer their offerings to the LORD in the Wilderness of Sinai.

Aaron and His Sons Consecrated

2“Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, the anointing oil, a bull as the sin offering, two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread;

3“and gather all the congregation together at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.”

5And Moses said to the congregation, “This is what the LORD commanded to be done.”

8Then he put the breastplate on him, and he put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastplate.

9And he put the turban on his head. Also on the turban, on its front, he put the golden plate, the holy crown, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

10Also Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them.

11He sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times, anointed the altar and all its utensils, and the laver and its base, to consecrate them.

12And he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him, to consecrate him.

13Then Moses brought Aaron’s sons and put tunics on them, girded them with sashes, and put hats on them, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

15and Moses killed it. Then he took the blood, and put some on the horns of the altar all around with his finger, and purified the altar. And he poured the blood at the base of the altar, and consecrated it, to make atonement for it.

16Then he took all the fat that was on the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, and the two kidneys with their fat, and Moses burned them on the altar.

17But the bull, its hide, its flesh, and its offal, he burned with fire outside the camp, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

18Then he brought the ram as the burnt offering. And Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram,

19and Moses killed it. Then he sprinkled the blood all around on the altar.

20And he cut the ram into pieces; and Moses burned the head, the pieces, and the fat.

21Then he washed the entrails and the legs in water. And Moses burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt sacrifice for a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

23and Moses killed it. Also he took some of its blood and put it on the tip of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.

24Then he brought Aaron’s sons. And Moses put some of the blood on the tips of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. And Moses sprinkled the blood all around on the altar.

25Then he took the fat and the fat tail, all the fat that was on the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, the two kidneys and their fat, and the right thigh;

26and from the basket of unleavened bread that was before the LORD he took one unleavened cake, a cake of bread anointed with oil, and one wafer, and put them on the fat and on the right thigh;

27and he put all these in Aaron’s hands and in his sons’ hands, and waved them as a wave offering before the LORD.

28Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar, on the burnt offering. They were consecration offerings for a sweet aroma. That was an offering made by fire to the LORD.

29And Moses took the breast and waved it as a wave offering before the LORD. It was Moses’ part of the ram of consecration, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

30Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar, and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him; and he consecrated Aaron, his garments, his sons, and the garments of his sons with him.

31And Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and eat it there with the bread that is in the basket of consecration offerings, as I commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons shall eat it.’

32“What remains of the flesh and of the bread you shall burn with fire.

33“And you shall not go outside the door of the tabernacle of meeting for seven days, until the days of your consecration are ended. For seven days he shall consecrate you.

34“As he has done this day, so the LORD has commanded to do, to make atonement for you.

35“Therefore you shall stay at the door of the tabernacle of meeting day and night for seven days, and keep the charge of the LORD, so that you may not die; for so I have been commanded.”

36So Aaron and his sons did all the things that the LORD had commanded by the hand of Moses.

The Priestly Ministry Begins

2And he said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a young bull as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before the LORD.

3“And to the children of Israel you shall speak, saying, ‘Take a kid of the goats as a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering,

4‘also a bull and a ram as peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD, and a grain offering mixed with oil; for today the LORD will appear to you.’ ”

5So they brought what Moses commanded before the tabernacle of meeting. And all the congregation drew near and stood before the LORD.

7And Moses said to Aaron, “Go to the altar, offer your sin offering and your burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself and for the people. Offer the offering of the people, and make atonement for them, as the LORD commanded.”

8Aaron therefore went to the altar and killed the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself.

9Then the sons of Aaron brought the blood to him. And he dipped his finger in the blood, put it on the horns of the altar, and poured the blood at the base of the altar.

10But the fat, the kidneys, and the fatty lobe from the liver of the sin offering he burned on the altar, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

11The flesh and the hide he burned with fire outside the camp.

12And he killed the burnt offering; and Aaron’s sons presented to him the blood, which he sprinkled all around on the altar.

13Then they presented the burnt offering to him, with its pieces and head, and he burned them on the altar.

14And he washed the entrails and the legs, and burned them with the burnt offering on the altar.

15Then he brought the people’s offering, and took the goat, which was the sin offering for the people, and killed it and offered it for sin, like the first one.

16And he brought the burnt offering and offered it according to the prescribed manner.

17Then he brought the grain offering, took a handful of it, and burned it on the altar, besides the burnt sacrifice of the morning.

18He also killed the bull and the ram as sacrifices of peace offerings, which were for the people. And Aaron’s sons presented to him the blood, which he sprinkled all around on the altar,

19and the fat from the bull and the ram—the fatty tail, what covers the entrails and the kidneys, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver;

20and they put the fat on the breasts. Then he burned the fat on the altar;

21but the breasts and the right thigh Aaron waved as a wave offering before the LORD, as Moses had commanded.

The Profane Fire of Nadab and Abihu

3And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke, saying:

‘By those who come near Me

I must be regarded as holy;

And before all the people

I must be glorified.’ ”

So Aaron held his peace.

4Then Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.”

5So they went near and carried them by their tunics out of the camp, as Moses had said.

6And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons, “Do not uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the people. But let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD has kindled.

7“You shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you.” And they did according to the word of Moses.

Conduct Prescribed for Priests

8Then the LORD spoke to Aaron, saying:

9“Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations,

10“that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean,

11“and that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken to them by the hand of Moses.”

12And Moses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons who were left: “Take the grain offering that remains of the offerings made by fire to the LORD, and eat it without leaven beside the altar; for it is most holy.

13“You shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your due and your sons’ due, of the sacrifices made by fire to the LORD; for so I have been commanded.

14“The breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering you shall eat in a clean place, you, your sons, and your daughters with you; for they are your due and your sons’ due, which are given from the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel.

15“The thigh of the heave offering and the breast of the wave offering they shall bring with the offerings of fat made by fire, to offer as a wave offering before the LORD. And it shall be yours and your sons’ with you, by a statute forever, as the LORD has commanded.”

17“Why have you not eaten the sin offering in a holy place, since it is most holy, and God has given it to you to bear the guilt of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?

18“See! Its blood was not brought inside the holy place; indeed you should have eaten it in a holy place, as I commanded.”

19And Aaron said to Moses, “Look, this day they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD, and such things have befallen me! If I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD?”

20So when Moses heard that, he was content.

Foods Permitted and Forbidden

2“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘These are the animals which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth:

3‘Among the animals, whatever divides the hoof, having cloven hooves and chewing the cud—that you may eat.

5‘the rock hyrax, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you;

6‘the hare, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you;

7‘and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you.

9‘These you may eat of all that are in the water: whatever in the water has fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the rivers—that you may eat.

10‘But all in the seas or in the rivers that do not have fins and scales, all that move in the water or any living thing which is in the water, they are an abomination to you.

11‘They shall be an abomination to you; you shall not eat their flesh, but you shall regard their carcasses as an abomination.

12‘Whatever in the water does not have fins or scales—that shall be an abomination to you.

13‘And these you shall regard as an abomination among the birds; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard,

14‘the kite, and the falcon after its kind;

15‘every raven after its kind,

16‘the ostrich, the short-eared owl, the sea gull, and the hawk after its kind;

17‘the little owl, the fisher owl, and the screech owl;

18‘the white owl, the jackdaw, and the carrion vulture;

19‘the stork, the heron after its kind, the hoopoe, and the bat.

20‘All flying insects that creep on all fours shall be an abomination to you.

21‘Yet these you may eat of every flying insect that creeps on all fours: those which have jointed legs above their feet with which to leap on the earth.

22‘These you may eat: the locust after its kind, the destroying locust after its kind, the cricket after its kind, and the grasshopper after its kind.

23‘But all other flying insects which have four feet shall be an abomination to you.

Unclean Animals

24‘By these you shall become unclean; whoever touches the carcass of any of them shall be unclean until evening;

25‘whoever carries part of the carcass of any of them shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening:

26‘The carcass of any animal which divides the foot, but is not cloven-hoofed or does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. Everyone who touches it shall be unclean.

27‘And whatever goes on its paws, among all kinds of animals that go on all fours, those are unclean to you. Whoever touches any such carcass shall be unclean until evening.

28‘Whoever carries any such carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. It is unclean to you.

29‘These also shall be unclean to you among the creeping things that creep on the earth: the mole, the mouse, and the large lizard after its kind;

30‘the gecko, the monitor lizard, the sand reptile, the sand lizard, and the chameleon.

31‘These are unclean to you among all that creep. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until evening.

32‘Anything on which any of them falls, when they are dead shall be unclean, whether it is any item of wood or clothing or skin or sack, whatever item it is, in which any work is done, it must be put in water. And it shall be unclean until evening; then it shall be clean.

33‘Any earthen vessel into which any of them falls you shall break; and whatever is in it shall be unclean:

34‘in such a vessel, any edible food upon which water falls becomes unclean, and any drink that may be drunk from it becomes unclean.

35‘And everything on which a part of any such carcass falls shall be unclean; whether it is an oven or cooking stove, it shall be broken down; for they are unclean, and shall be unclean to you.

36‘Nevertheless a spring or a cistern, in which there is plenty of water, shall be clean, but whatever touches any such carcass becomes unclean.

37‘And if a part of any such carcass falls on any planting seed which is to be sown, it remains clean.

38‘But if water is put on the seed, and if a part of any such carcass falls on it, it becomes unclean to you.

39‘And if any animal which you may eat dies, he who touches its carcass shall be unclean until evening.

40‘He who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. He also who carries its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.

41‘And every creeping thing that creeps on the earth shall be an abomination. It shall not be eaten.

42‘Whatever crawls on its belly, whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet among all creeping things that creep on the earth—these you shall not eat, for they are an abomination.

44‘For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

45‘For I am the LORD who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

46‘This is the law of the animals and the birds and every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps on the earth,

The Ritual After Childbirth

2“Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a woman has conceived, and borne a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of her customary impurity she shall be unclean.

3‘And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

4‘She shall then continue in the blood of her purification thirty-three days. She shall not touch any hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled.

5‘But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her customary impurity, and she shall continue in the blood of her purification sixty-six days.

6‘When the days of her purification are fulfilled, whether for a son or a daughter, she shall bring to the priest a lamb of the first year as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

7‘Then he shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement for her. And she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who has borne a male or a female.

The Law Concerning Leprosy

1And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:

2“When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling, a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes on the skin of his body like a leprous sore, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests.

4“But if the bright spot is white on the skin of his body, and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and its hair has not turned white, then the priest shall isolate the one who has the sore seven days.

6“Then the priest shall examine him again on the seventh day; and indeed if the sore has faded, and the sore has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only a scab, and he shall wash his clothes and be clean.

7“But if the scab should at all spread over the skin, after he has been seen by the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen by the priest again.

8“And if the priest sees that the scab has indeed spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is leprosy.

9“When the leprous sore is on a person, then he shall be brought to the priest.

10“And the priest shall examine him; and indeed if the swelling on the skin is white, and it has turned the hair white, and there is a spot of raw flesh in the swelling,

11“it is an old leprosy on the skin of his body. The priest shall pronounce him unclean, and shall not isolate him, for he is unclean.

12“And if leprosy breaks out all over the skin, and the leprosy covers all the skin of the one who has the sore, from his head to his foot, wherever the priest looks,

13“then the priest shall consider; and indeed if the leprosy has covered all his body, he shall pronounce him clean who has the sore. It has all turned white. He is clean.

14“But when raw flesh appears on him, he shall be unclean.

15“And the priest shall examine the raw flesh and pronounce him to be unclean; for the raw flesh is unclean. It is leprosy.

16“Or if the raw flesh changes and turns white again, he shall come to the priest.

17“And the priest shall examine him; and indeed if the sore has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce him clean who has the sore. He is clean.

18“If the body develops a boil in the skin, and it is healed,

19“and in the place of the boil there comes a white swelling or a bright spot, reddish-white, then it shall be shown to the priest;

20“and if, when the priest sees it, it indeed appears deeper than the skin, and its hair has turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous sore which has broken out of the boil.

21“But if the priest examines it, and indeed there are no white hairs in it, and it is not deeper than the skin, but has faded, then the priest shall isolate him seven days;

22“and if it should at all spread over the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous sore.

23“But if the bright spot stays in one place, and has not spread, it is the scar of the boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

24“Or if the body receives a burn on its skin by fire, and the raw flesh of the burn becomes a bright spot, reddish-white or white,

25“then the priest shall examine it; and indeed if the hair of the bright spot has turned white, and it appears deeper than the skin, it is leprosy broken out in the burn. Therefore the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous sore.

26“But if the priest examines it, and indeed there are no white hairs in the bright spot, and it is not deeper than the skin, but has faded, then the priest shall isolate him seven days.

27“And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day. If it has at all spread over the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous sore.

28“But if the bright spot stays in one place, and has not spread on the skin, but has faded, it is a swelling from the burn. The priest shall pronounce him clean, for it is the scar from the burn.

29“If a man or woman has a sore on the head or the beard,

30“then the priest shall examine the sore; and indeed if it appears deeper than the skin, and there is in it thin yellow hair, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a scaly leprosy of the head or beard.

31“But if the priest examines the scaly sore, and indeed it does not appear deeper than the skin, and there is no black hair in it, then the priest shall isolate the one who has the scale seven days.

32“And on the seventh day the priest shall examine the sore; and indeed if the scale has not spread, and there is no yellow hair in it, and the scale does not appear deeper than the skin,

33“he shall shave himself, but the scale he shall not shave. And the priest shall isolate the one who has the scale another seven days.

34“On the seventh day the priest shall examine the scale; and indeed if the scale has not spread over the skin, and does not appear deeper than the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean. He shall wash his clothes and be clean.

35“But if the scale should at all spread over the skin after his cleansing,

36“then the priest shall examine him; and indeed if the scale has spread over the skin, the priest need not seek for yellow hair. He is unclean.

37“But if the scale appears to be at a standstill, and there is black hair grown up in it, the scale has healed. He is clean, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

38“If a man or a woman has bright spots on the skin of the body, specifically white bright spots,

39“then the priest shall look; and indeed if the bright spots on the skin of the body are dull white, it is a white spot that grows on the skin. He is clean.

40“As for the man whose hair has fallen from his head, he is bald, but he is clean.

41“He whose hair has fallen from his forehead, he is bald on the forehead, but he is clean.

42“And if there is on the bald head or bald forehead a reddish-white sore, it is leprosy breaking out on his bald head or his bald forehead.

43“Then the priest shall examine it; and indeed if the swelling of the sore is reddish-white on his bald head or on his bald forehead, as the appearance of leprosy on the skin of the body,

45“Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’

The Law Concerning Leprous Garments

47“Also, if a garment has a leprous plague in it, whether it is a woolen garment or a linen garment,

48“whether it is in the warp or woof of linen or wool, whether in leather or in anything made of leather,

49“and if the plague is greenish or reddish in the garment or in the leather, whether in the warp or in the woof, or in anything made of leather, it is a leprous plague and shall be shown to the priest.

50“The priest shall examine the plague and isolate that which has the plague seven days.

51“And he shall examine the plague on the seventh day. If the plague has spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, in the leather or in anything made of leather, the plague is an active leprosy. It is unclean.

53“But if the priest examines it, and indeed the plague has not spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in anything made of leather,

54“then the priest shall command that they wash the thing in which is the plague; and he shall isolate it another seven days.

55“Then the priest shall examine the plague after it has been washed; and indeed if the plague has not changed its color, though the plague has not spread, it is unclean, and you shall burn it in the fire; it continues eating away, whether the damage is outside or inside.

56“If the priest examines it, and indeed the plague has faded after washing it, then he shall tear it out of the garment, whether out of the warp or out of the woof, or out of the leather.

57“But if it appears again in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in anything made of leather, it is a spreading plague; you shall burn with fire that in which is the plague.

58“And if you wash the garment, either warp or woof, or whatever is made of leather, if the plague has disappeared from it, then it shall be washed a second time, and shall be clean.

59“This is the law of the leprous plague in a garment of wool or linen, either in the warp or woof, or in anything made of leather, to pronounce it clean or to pronounce it unclean.”

The Ritual for Cleansing Healed Lepers

3“And the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall examine him; and indeed, if the leprosy is healed in the leper,

4“then the priest shall command to take for him who is to be cleansed two living and clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop.

5“And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water.

6“As for the living bird, he shall take it, the cedar wood and the scarlet and the hyssop, and dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water.

8“He who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean. After that he shall come into the camp, and shall stay outside his tent seven days.

9“But on the seventh day he shall shave all the hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows—all his hair he shall shave off. He shall wash his clothes and wash his body in water, and he shall be clean.

10“And on the eighth day he shall take two male lambs without blemish, one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish, three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and one log of oil.

11“Then the priest who makes him clean shall present the man who is to be made clean, and those things, before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

12“And the priest shall take one male lamb and offer it as a trespass offering, and the log of oil, and wave them as a wave offering before the LORD.

13“Then he shall kill the lamb in the place where he kills the sin offering and the burnt offering, in a holy place; for as the sin offering is the priest’s, so is the trespass offering. It is most holy.

14“The priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.

15“And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand.

16“Then the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle some of the oil with his finger seven times before the LORD.

17“And of the rest of the oil in his hand, the priest shall put some on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the blood of the trespass offering.

18“The rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall put on the head of him who is to be cleansed. So the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD.

19“Then the priest shall offer the sin offering, and make atonement for him who is to be cleansed from his uncleanness. Afterward he shall kill the burnt offering.

20“And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. So the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be clean.

21“But if he is poor and cannot afford it, then he shall take one male lamb as a trespass offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, a log of oil,

22“and two turtledoves or two young pigeons, such as he is able to afford: one shall be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering.

23“He shall bring them to the priest on the eighth day for his cleansing, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, before the LORD.

24“And the priest shall take the lamb of the trespass offering and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them as a wave offering before the LORD.

25“Then he shall kill the lamb of the trespass offering, and the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering and put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.

26“And the priest shall pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand.

27“Then the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the LORD.

28“And the priest shall put some of the oil that is in his hand on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the place of the blood of the trespass offering.

29“The rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall put on the head of him who is to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before the LORD.

30“And he shall offer one of the turtledoves or young pigeons, such as he can afford—

31“such as he is able to afford, the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, with the grain offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him who is to be cleansed before the LORD.

32“This is the law for one who had a leprous sore, who cannot afford the usual cleansing.”

The Law Concerning Leprous Houses

33And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:

34“When you have come into the land of Canaan, which I give you as a possession, and I put the leprous plague in a house in the land of your possession,

35“and he who owns the house comes and tells the priest, saying, ‘It seems to me that there is some plague in the house,’

36“then the priest shall command that they empty the house, before the priest goes into it to examine the plague, that all that is in the house may not be made unclean; and afterward the priest shall go in to examine the house.

37“And he shall examine the plague; and indeed if the plague is on the walls of the house with ingrained streaks, greenish or reddish, which appear to be deep in the wall,

38“then the priest shall go out of the house, to the door of the house, and shut up the house seven days.

39“And the priest shall come again on the seventh day and look; and indeed if the plague has spread on the walls of the house,

40“then the priest shall command that they take away the stones in which is the plague, and they shall cast them into an unclean place outside the city.

41“And he shall cause the house to be scraped inside, all around, and the dust that they scrape off they shall pour out in an unclean place outside the city.

42“Then they shall take other stones and put them in the place of those stones, and he shall take other mortar and plaster the house.

43“Now if the plague comes back and breaks out in the house, after he has taken away the stones, after he has scraped the house, and after it is plastered,

44“then the priest shall come and look; and indeed if the plague has spread in the house, it is an active leprosy in the house. It is unclean.

45“And he shall break down the house, its stones, its timber, and all the plaster of the house, and he shall carry them outside the city to an unclean place.

46“Moreover he who goes into the house at all while it is shut up shall be unclean until evening.

47“And he who lies down in the house shall wash his clothes, and he who eats in the house shall wash his clothes.

48“But if the priest comes in and examines it, and indeed the plague has not spread in the house after the house was plastered, then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the plague is healed.

49“And he shall take, to cleanse the house, two birds, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop.

50“Then he shall kill one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water;

51“and he shall take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times.

52“And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird and the running water and the living bird, with the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the scarlet.

53“Then he shall let the living bird loose outside the city in the open field, and make atonement for the house, and it shall be clean.

54“This is the law for any leprous sore and scale,

55“for the leprosy of a garment and of a house,

56“for a swelling and a scab and a bright spot,

57“to teach when it is unclean and when it is clean. This is the law of leprosy.”

The Law Concerning Bodily Discharges

2“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean.

3‘And this shall be his uncleanness in regard to his discharge—whether his body runs with his discharge, or his body is stopped up by his discharge, it is his uncleanness.

4‘Every bed is unclean on which he who has the discharge lies, and everything on which he sits shall be unclean.

5‘And whoever touches his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

6‘He who sits on anything on which he who has the discharge sat shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

7‘And he who touches the body of him who has the discharge shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

8‘If he who has the discharge spits on him who is clean, then he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

9‘Any saddle on which he who has the discharge rides shall be unclean.

10‘Whoever touches anything that was under him shall be unclean until evening. He who carries any of those things shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

11‘And whomever the one who has the discharge touches, and has not rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

12‘The vessel of earth that he who has the discharge touches shall be broken, and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water.

13‘And when he who has a discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count for himself seven days for his cleansing, wash his clothes, and bathe his body in running water; then he shall be clean.

14‘On the eighth day he shall take for himself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and come before the LORD, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and give them to the priest.

15‘Then the priest shall offer them, the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD because of his discharge.

16‘If any man has an emission of semen, then he shall wash all his body in water, and be unclean until evening.

17‘And any garment and any leather on which there is semen, it shall be washed with water, and be unclean until evening.

18‘Also, when a woman lies with a man, and there is an emission of semen, they shall bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

20‘Everything that she lies on during her impurity shall be unclean; also everything that she sits on shall be unclean.

21‘Whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

22‘And whoever touches anything that she sat on shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

23‘If anything is on her bed or on anything on which she sits, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until evening.

24‘And if any man lies with her at all, so that her impurity is on him, he shall be unclean seven days; and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean.

26‘Every bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her as the bed of her impurity; and whatever she sits on shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her impurity.

27‘Whoever touches those things shall be unclean; he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

28‘But if she is cleansed of her discharge, then she shall count for herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean.

29‘And on the eighth day she shall take for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and bring them to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

30‘Then the priest shall offer the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for her before the LORD for the discharge of her uncleanness.

32‘This is the law for one who has a discharge, and for him who emits semen and is unclean thereby,

33‘and for her who is indisposed because of her customary impurity, and for one who has a discharge, either man or woman, and for him who lies with her who is unclean.’ ”

The Day of Atonement

2and the LORD said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.

4“He shall put the holy linen tunic and the linen trousers on his body; he shall be girded with a linen sash, and with the linen turban he shall be attired. These are holy garments. Therefore he shall wash his body in water, and put them on.

5“And he shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats as a sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering.

6“Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house.

7“He shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

8“Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the LORD and the other lot for the scapegoat.

9“And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the LORD’s lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering.

10“But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness.

11“And Aaron shall bring the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bull as the sin offering which is for himself.

12“Then he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from the altar before the LORD, with his hands full of sweet incense beaten fine, and bring it inside the veil.

13“And he shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the Testimony, lest he die.

14“He shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

15“Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat.

16“So he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, for all their sins; and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness.

17“There shall be no man in the tabernacle of meeting when he goes in to make atonement in the Holy Place, until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself, for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel.

18“And he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD, and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around.

19“Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, cleanse it, and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.

20“And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the tabernacle of meeting, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat.

23“Then Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of meeting, shall take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the Holy Place, and shall leave them there.

24“And he shall wash his body with water in a holy place, put on his garments, come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.

25“The fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar.

26“And he who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.

27“The bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp. And they shall burn in the fire their skins, their flesh, and their offal.

28“Then he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.

30“For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.

31“It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever.

32“And the priest, who is anointed and consecrated to minister as priest in his father’s place, shall make atonement, and put on the linen clothes, the holy garments;

33“then he shall make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tabernacle of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.

34“This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year.” And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.

The Sanctity of Blood

2“Speak to Aaron, to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘This is the thing which the LORD has commanded, saying:

3“Whatever man of the house of Israel who kills an ox or lamb or goat in the camp, or who kills it outside the camp,

4“and does not bring it to the door of the tabernacle of meeting to offer an offering to the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD, the guilt of bloodshed shall be imputed to that man. He has shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people,

5“to the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they offer in the open field, that they may bring them to the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, to the priest, and offer them as peace offerings to the LORD.

6“And the priest shall sprinkle the blood on the altar of the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and burn the fat for a sweet aroma to the LORD.

8“Also you shall say to them: ‘Whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice,

9‘and does not bring it to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, to offer it to the LORD, that man shall be cut off from among his people.

11‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’

12“Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘No one among you shall eat blood, nor shall any stranger who dwells among you eat blood.’

13“Whatever man of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who hunts and catches any animal or bird that may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust;

14“for it is the life of all flesh. Its blood sustains its life. Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.’

15“And every person who eats what died naturally or what was torn by beasts, whether he is a native of your own country or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. Then he shall be clean.

16“But if he does not wash them or bathe his body, then he shall bear his guilt.”

Laws of Sexual Morality

2“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘I am the LORD your God.

3‘According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their ordinances.

4‘You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the LORD your God.

7‘The nakedness of your father or the nakedness of your mother you shall not uncover. She is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness.

8‘The nakedness of your father’s wife you shall not uncover; it is your father’s nakedness.

9‘The nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home or elsewhere, their nakedness you shall not uncover.

10‘The nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, their nakedness you shall not uncover; for theirs is your own nakedness.

11‘The nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, begotten by your father—she is your sister—you shall not uncover her nakedness.

12‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is near of kin to your father.

13‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is near of kin to your mother.

14‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother. You shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt.

15‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law—she is your son’s wife—you shall not uncover her nakedness.

17‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, nor shall you take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness. They are near of kin to her. It is wickedness.

18‘Nor shall you take a woman as a rival to her sister, to uncover her nakedness while the other is alive.

19‘Also you shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness as long as she is in her customary impurity.

20‘Moreover you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife, to defile yourself with her.

21‘And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.

22‘You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.

23‘Nor shall you mate with any animal, to defile yourself with it. Nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it. It is perversion.

24‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you.

25‘For the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants.

26‘You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations, either any of your own nation or any stranger who dwells among you

28‘lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you.

29‘For whoever commits any of these abominations, the persons who commit them shall be cut off from among their people.

30‘Therefore you shall keep My ordinance, so that you do not commit any of these abominable customs which were committed before you, and that you do not defile yourselves by them: I am the LORD your God.’ ”

Moral and Ceremonial Laws

2“Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

3‘Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.

4‘Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods: I am the LORD your God.

6‘It shall be eaten the same day you offer it, and on the next day. And if any remains until the third day, it shall be burned in the fire.

7‘And if it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination. It shall not be accepted.

8‘Therefore everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned the hallowed offering of the LORD; and that person shall be cut off from his people.

10‘And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the LORD your God.

11‘You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.

13‘You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning.

14‘You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall fear your God: I am the LORD.

15‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.

16‘You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD.

17‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.

19‘You shall keep My statutes. You shall not let your livestock breed with another kind. You shall not sow your field with mixed seed. Nor shall a garment of mixed linen and wool come upon you.

20‘Whoever lies carnally with a woman who is betrothed to a man as a concubine, and who has not at all been redeemed nor given her freedom, for this there shall be scourging; but they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.

21‘And he shall bring his trespass offering to the LORD, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, a ram as a trespass offering.

22‘The priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the LORD for his sin which he has committed. And the sin which he has committed shall be forgiven him.

23‘When you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as uncircumcised. Three years it shall be as uncircumcised to you. It shall not be eaten.

24‘But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, a praise to the LORD.

25‘And in the fifth year you may eat its fruit, that it may yield to you its increase: I am the LORD your God.

26‘You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor shall you practice divination or soothsaying.

27‘You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard.

28‘You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD.

29‘Do not prostitute your daughter, to cause her to be a harlot, lest the land fall into harlotry, and the land become full of wickedness.

30‘You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD.

31‘Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.

32‘You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the LORD.

34‘The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

35‘You shall do no injustice in judgment, in measurement of length, weight, or volume.

36‘You shall have honest scales, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

37‘Therefore you shall observe all My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them: I am the LORD.’ ”

Penalties for Breaking the Law

2“Again, you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘Whoever of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who gives any of his descendants to Molech, he shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones.

3‘I will set My face against that man, and will cut him off from his people, because he has given some of his descendants to Molech, to defile My sanctuary and profane My holy name.

4‘And if the people of the land should in any way hide their eyes from the man, when he gives some of his descendants to Molech, and they do not kill him,

5‘then I will set My face against that man and against his family; and I will cut him off from his people, and all who prostitute themselves with him to commit harlotry with Molech.

6‘And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.

7‘Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God.

8‘And you shall keep My statutes, and perform them: I am the LORD who sanctifies you.

10‘The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death.

11‘The man who lies with his father’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.

12‘If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death. They have committed perversion. Their blood shall be upon them.

13‘If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.

14‘If a man marries a woman and her mother, it is wickedness. They shall be burned with fire, both he and they, that there may be no wickedness among you.

15‘If a man mates with an animal, he shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal.

16‘If a woman approaches any animal and mates with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood is upon them.

17‘If a man takes his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, and sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a wicked thing. And they shall be cut off in the sight of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness. He shall bear his guilt.

18‘If a man lies with a woman during her sickness and uncovers her nakedness, he has exposed her flow, and she has uncovered the flow of her blood. Both of them shall be cut off from their people.

19‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister nor of your father’s sister, for that would uncover his near of kin. They shall bear their guilt.

20‘If a man lies with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered his uncle’s nakedness. They shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.

21‘If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is an unclean thing. He has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They shall be childless.

22‘You shall therefore keep all My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them, that the land where I am bringing you to dwell may not vomit you out.

23‘And you shall not walk in the statutes of the nation which I am casting out before you; for they commit all these things, and therefore I abhor them.

24‘But I have said to you, “You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am the LORD your God, who has separated you from the peoples.

25‘You shall therefore distinguish between clean animals and unclean, between unclean birds and clean, and you shall not make yourselves abominable by beast or by bird, or by any kind of living thing that creeps on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean.

26‘And you shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.

27‘A man or a woman who is a medium, or who has familiar spirits, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones. Their blood shall be upon them.’ ”

Regulations for Conduct of Priests

2‘except for his relatives who are nearest to him: his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, and his brother;

3‘also his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband, for her he may defile himself.

4‘Otherwise he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.

5‘They shall not make any bald place on their heads, nor shall they shave the edges of their beards nor make any cuttings in their flesh.

6‘They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God, for they offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy.

7‘They shall not take a wife who is a harlot or a defiled woman, nor shall they take a woman divorced from her husband; for the priest is holy to his God.

8‘Therefore you shall consecrate him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I the LORD, who sanctify you, am holy.

10‘He who is the high priest among his brethren, on whose head the anointing oil was poured and who is consecrated to wear the garments, shall not uncover his head nor tear his clothes;

11‘nor shall he go near any dead body, nor defile himself for his father or his mother;

12‘nor shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD.

14‘A widow or a divorced woman or a defiled woman or a harlot—these he shall not marry; but he shall take a virgin of his own people as wife.

15‘Nor shall he profane his posterity among his people, for I the LORD sanctify him.’ ”

17“Speak to Aaron, saying: ‘No man of your descendants in succeeding generations, who has any defect, may approach to offer the bread of his God.

18‘For any man who has a defect shall not approach: a man blind or lame, who has a marred face or any limb too long,

19‘a man who has a broken foot or broken hand,

20‘or is a hunchback or a dwarf, or a man who has a defect in his eye, or eczema or scab, or is a eunuch.

21‘No man of the descendants of Aaron the priest, who has a defect, shall come near to offer the offerings made by fire to the LORD. He has a defect; he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God.

23‘only he shall not go near the veil or approach the altar, because he has a defect, lest he profane My sanctuaries; for I the LORD sanctify them.’ ”

1Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

4‘Whatever man of the descendants of Aaron, who is a leper or has a discharge, shall not eat the holy offerings until he is clean. And whoever touches anything made unclean by a corpse, or a man who has had an emission of semen,

5‘or whoever touches any creeping thing by which he would be made unclean, or any person by whom he would become unclean, whatever his uncleanness may be—

6‘the person who has touched any such thing shall be unclean until evening, and shall not eat the holy offerings unless he washes his body with water.

7‘And when the sun goes down he shall be clean; and afterward he may eat the holy offerings, because it is his food.

8‘Whatever dies naturally or is torn by beasts he shall not eat, to defile himself with it: I am the LORD.

11‘But if the priest buys a person with his money, he may eat it; and one who is born in his house may eat his food.

12‘If the priest’s daughter is married to an outsider, she may not eat of the holy offerings.

13‘But if the priest’s daughter is a widow or divorced, and has no child, and has returned to her father’s house as in her youth, she may eat her father’s food; but no outsider shall eat it.

14‘And if a man eats the holy offering unintentionally, then he shall restore a holy offering to the priest, and add one-fifth to it.

15‘They shall not profane the holy offerings of the children of Israel, which they offer to the LORD,

16‘or allow them to bear the guilt of trespass when they eat their holy offerings; for I the LORD sanctify them.’ ”

Offerings Accepted and Not Accepted

17And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

18“Speak to Aaron and his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘Whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, who offers his sacrifice for any of his vows or for any of his freewill offerings, which they offer to the LORD as a burnt offering—

19‘you shall offer of your own free will a male without blemish from the cattle, from the sheep, or from the goats.

20‘Whatever has a defect, you shall not offer, for it shall not be acceptable on your behalf.

21‘And whoever offers a sacrifice of a peace offering to the LORD, to fulfill his vow, or a freewill offering from the cattle or the sheep, it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it.

22‘Those that are blind or broken or maimed, or have an ulcer or eczema or scabs, you shall not offer to the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them on the altar to the LORD.

23‘Either a bull or a lamb that has any limb too long or too short you may offer as a freewill offering, but for a vow it shall not be accepted.

24‘You shall not offer to the LORD what is bruised or crushed, or torn or cut; nor shall you make any offering of them in your land.

25‘Nor from a foreigner’s hand shall you offer any of these as the bread of your God, because their corruption is in them, and defects are in them. They shall not be accepted on your behalf.’ ”

26And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

27“When a bull or a sheep or a goat is born, it shall be seven days with its mother; and from the eighth day and thereafter it shall be accepted as an offering made by fire to the LORD.

28“Whether it is a cow or ewe, do not kill both her and her young on the same day.

29“And when you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, offer it of your own free will.

30“On the same day it shall be eaten; you shall leave none of it until morning: I am the LORD.

31“Therefore you shall keep My commandments, and perform them: I am the LORD.

32“You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel. I am the LORD who sanctifies you,

33“who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD.”

Feasts of the LORD

2“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.

The Sabbath

The Passover and Unleavened Bread

4‘These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times.

7‘On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.

8‘But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.’ ”

The Feast of Firstfruits

10“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest.

11‘He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.

12‘And you shall offer on that day, when you wave the sheaf, a male lamb of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering to the LORD.

13‘Its grain offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to the LORD, for a sweet aroma; and its drink offering shall be of wine, one-fourth of a hin.

14‘You shall eat neither bread nor parched grain nor fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your God; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

The Feast of Weeks

16‘Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD.

17‘You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the LORD.

18‘And you shall offer with the bread seven lambs of the first year, without blemish, one young bull, and two rams. They shall be as a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma to the LORD.

19‘Then you shall sacrifice one kid of the goats as a sin offering, and two male lambs of the first year as a sacrifice of a peace offering.

20‘The priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.

22‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field when you reap, nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the LORD your God.’ ”

The Feast of Trumpets

25‘You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.’ ”

The Day of Atonement

27“Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.

28“And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God.

29“For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people.

30“And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.

31“You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

32“It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath.”

The Feast of Tabernacles

34“Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the LORD.

35‘On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it.

36‘For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it.

38‘besides the Sabbaths of the LORD, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings which you give to the LORD.

39‘Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of the LORD for seven days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest.

40‘And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days.

41‘You shall keep it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month.

42‘You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths,

43‘that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.’ ”

44So Moses declared to the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.

Care of the Tabernacle Lamps

2“Command the children of Israel that they bring to you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to make the lamps burn continually.

4“He shall be in charge of the lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the LORD continually.

The Bread of the Tabernacle

6“You shall set them in two rows, six in a row, on the pure gold table before the LORD.

7“And you shall put pure frankincense on each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, an offering made by fire to the LORD.

8“Every Sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.

9“And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy to him from the offerings of the LORD made by fire, by a perpetual statute.”

The Penalty for Blasphemy

11And the Israelite woman’s son blasphemed the name of the LORD and cursed; and so they brought him to Moses. (His mother’s name was Shelomith the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.)

12Then they put him in custody, that the mind of the LORD might be shown to them.

13And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

14“Take outside the camp him who has cursed; then let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him.

15“Then you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin.

16‘And whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him, the stranger as well as him who is born in the land. When he blasphemes the name of the LORD, he shall be put to death.

17‘Whoever kills any man shall surely be put to death.

18‘Whoever kills an animal shall make it good, animal for animal.

19‘If a man causes disfigurement of his neighbor, as he has done, so shall it be done to him—

20‘fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has caused disfigurement of a man, so shall it be done to him.

21‘And whoever kills an animal shall restore it; but whoever kills a man shall be put to death.

22‘You shall have the same law for the stranger and for one from your own country; for I am the LORD your God.’ ”

The Sabbath of the Seventh Year

2“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a sabbath to the LORD.

3‘Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit;

4‘but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath to the LORD. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard.

5‘What grows of its own accord of your harvest you shall not reap, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine, for it is a year of rest for the land.

6‘And the sabbath produce of the land shall be food for you: for you, your male and female servants, your hired man, and the stranger who dwells with you,

7‘for your livestock and the beasts that are in your land—all its produce shall be for food.

The Year of Jubilee

8‘And you shall count seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years; and the time of the seven sabbaths of years shall be to you forty-nine years.

12‘For it is the Jubilee; it shall be holy to you; you shall eat its produce from the field.

14‘And if you sell anything to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor’s hand, you shall not oppress one another.

15‘According to the number of years after the Jubilee you shall buy from your neighbor, and according to the number of years of crops he shall sell to you.

16‘According to the multitude of years you shall increase its price, and according to the fewer number of years you shall diminish its price; for he sells to you according to the number of the years of the crops.

17‘Therefore you shall not oppress one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the LORD your God.

Provisions for the Seventh Year

18‘So you shall observe My statutes and keep My judgments, and perform them; and you will dwell in the land in safety.

19‘Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill, and dwell there in safety.

20‘And if you say, “What shall we eat in the seventh year, since we shall not sow nor gather in our produce?”

21‘Then I will command My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years.

22‘And you shall sow in the eighth year, and eat old produce until the ninth year; until its produce comes in, you shall eat of the old harvest.

Redemption of Property

23‘The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me.

24‘And in all the land of your possession you shall grant redemption of the land.

26‘Or if the man has no one to redeem it, but he himself becomes able to redeem it,

27‘then let him count the years since its sale, and restore the remainder to the man to whom he sold it, that he may return to his possession.

28‘But if he is not able to have it restored to himself, then what was sold shall remain in the hand of him who bought it until the Year of Jubilee; and in the Jubilee it shall be released, and he shall return to his possession.

29‘If a man sells a house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year he may redeem it.

30‘But if it is not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house in the walled city shall belong permanently to him who bought it, throughout his generations. It shall not be released in the Jubilee.

31‘However the houses of villages which have no wall around them shall be counted as the fields of the country. They may be redeemed, and they shall be released in the Jubilee.

32‘Nevertheless the cities of the Levites, and the houses in the cities of their possession, the Levites may redeem at any time.

33‘And if a man purchases a house from the Levites, then the house that was sold in the city of his possession shall be released in the Jubilee; for the houses in the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel.

34‘But the field of the common-land of their cities may not be sold, for it is their perpetual possession.

Lending to the Poor

35‘If one of your brethren becomes poor, and falls into poverty among you, then you shall help him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you.

36‘Take no usury or interest from him; but fear your God, that your brother may live with you.

37‘You shall not lend him your money for usury, nor lend him your food at a profit.

38‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.

The Law Concerning Slavery

39‘And if one of your brethren who dwells by you becomes poor, and sells himself to you, you shall not compel him to serve as a slave.

40‘As a hired servant and a sojourner he shall be with you, and shall serve you until the Year of Jubilee.

41‘And then he shall depart from you—he and his children with him—and shall return to his own family. He shall return to the possession of his fathers.

42‘For they are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves.

43‘You shall not rule over him with rigor, but you shall fear your God.

44‘And as for your male and female slaves whom you may have—from the nations that are around you, from them you may buy male and female slaves.

45‘Moreover you may buy the children of the strangers who dwell among you, and their families who are with you, which they beget in your land; and they shall become your property.

46‘And you may take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them as a possession; they shall be your permanent slaves. But regarding your brethren, the children of Israel, you shall not rule over one another with rigor.

47‘Now if a sojourner or stranger close to you becomes rich, and one of your brethren who dwells by him becomes poor, and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner close to you, or to a member of the stranger’s family,

48‘after he is sold he may be redeemed again. One of his brothers may redeem him;

49‘or his uncle or his uncle’s son may redeem him; or anyone who is near of kin to him in his family may redeem him; or if he is able he may redeem himself.

50‘Thus he shall reckon with him who bought him: The price of his release shall be according to the number of years, from the year that he was sold to him until the Year of Jubilee; it shall be according to the time of a hired servant for him.

51‘If there are still many years remaining, according to them he shall repay the price of his redemption from the money with which he was bought.

52‘And if there remain but a few years until the Year of Jubilee, then he shall reckon with him, and according to his years he shall repay him the price of his redemption.

53‘He shall be with him as a yearly hired servant, and he shall not rule with rigor over him in your sight.

55‘For the children of Israel are servants to Me; they are My servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

Promise of Blessing and Retribution

1‘You shall not make idols for yourselves;

neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves;

nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it;

for I am the LORD your God.

2You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary:

I am the LORD.

3‘If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them,

4then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

5Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing;

you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.

6I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid;

I will rid the land of evil beasts,

and the sword will not go through your land.

7You will chase your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword before you.

8Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight;

your enemies shall fall by the sword before you.

9‘For I will look on you favorably and make you fruitful, multiply you and confirm My covenant with you.

10You shall eat the old harvest, and clear out the old because of the new.

12I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.

13I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves;

I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you walk upright.

15and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant,

16I also will do this to you:

I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart.

And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

17I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies.

Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you.

18‘And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.

19I will break the pride of your power;

I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze.

20And your strength shall be spent in vain;

for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit.

21‘Then, if you walk contrary to Me, and are not willing to obey Me, I will bring on you seven times more plagues, according to your sins.

22I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, destroy your livestock, and make you few in number;

and your highways shall be desolate.

23‘And if by these things you are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me,

24then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins.

25And I will bring a sword against you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant;

when you are gathered together within your cities I will send pestilence among you;

and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.

26When I have cut off your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall bring back your bread by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied.

27‘And after all this, if you do not obey Me, but walk contrary to Me,

28then I also will walk contrary to you in fury;

and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.

29You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters.

30I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars, and cast your carcasses on the lifeless forms of your idols;

and My soul shall abhor you.

31I will lay your cities waste and bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I will not smell the fragrance of your sweet aromas.

32I will bring the land to desolation, and your enemies who dwell in it shall be astonished at it.

33I will scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you;

your land shall be desolate and your cities waste.

34Then the land shall enjoy its sabbaths as long as it lies desolate and you are in your enemies’ land;

then the land shall rest and enjoy its sabbaths.

35As long as it lies desolate it shall rest—

for the time it did not rest on your sabbaths when you dwelt in it.

36‘And as for those of you who are left, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies;

the sound of a shaken leaf shall cause them to flee;

they shall flee as though fleeing from a sword, and they shall fall when no one pursues.

37They shall stumble over one another, as it were before a sword, when no one pursues;

and you shall have no power to stand before your enemies.

38You shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up.

39And those of you who are left shall waste away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands;

also in their fathers’ iniquities, which are with them, they shall waste away.

40‘But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me,

41and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies;

if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt—

42then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember;

I will remember the land.

43The land also shall be left empty by them, and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them;

they will accept their guilt, because they despised My judgments and because their soul abhorred My statutes.

44Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor them, to utterly destroy them and break My covenant with them;

for I am the LORD their God.

45But for their sake I will remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God:

I am the LORD.’ ”

46These are the statutes and judgments and laws which the LORD made between Himself and the children of Israel on Mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.

Redeeming Persons and Property Dedicated to God

2“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When a man consecrates by a vow certain persons to the LORD, according to your valuation,

3‘if your valuation is of a male from twenty years old up to sixty years old, then your valuation shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.

4‘If it is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels;

5‘and if from five years old up to twenty years old, then your valuation for a male shall be twenty shekels, and for a female ten shekels;

6‘and if from a month old up to five years old, then your valuation for a male shall be five shekels of silver, and for a female your valuation shall be three shekels of silver;

7‘and if from sixty years old and above, if it is a male, then your valuation shall be fifteen shekels, and for a female ten shekels.

8‘But if he is too poor to pay your valuation, then he shall present himself before the priest, and the priest shall set a value for him; according to the ability of him who vowed, the priest shall value him.

9‘If it is an animal that men may bring as an offering to the LORD, all that anyone gives to the LORD shall be holy.

10‘He shall not substitute it or exchange it, good for bad or bad for good; and if he at all exchanges animal for animal, then both it and the one exchanged for it shall be holy.

11‘If it is an unclean animal which they do not offer as a sacrifice to the LORD, then he shall present the animal before the priest;

12‘and the priest shall set a value for it, whether it is good or bad; as you, the priest, value it, so it shall be.

13‘But if he wants at all to redeem it, then he must add one-fifth to your valuation.

14‘And when a man dedicates his house to be holy to the LORD, then the priest shall set a value for it, whether it is good or bad; as the priest values it, so it shall stand.

15‘If he who dedicated it wants to redeem his house, then he must add one-fifth of the money of your valuation to it, and it shall be his.

16‘If a man dedicates to the LORD part of a field of his possession, then your valuation shall be according to the seed for it. A homer of barley seed shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver.

17‘If he dedicates his field from the Year of Jubilee, according to your valuation it shall stand.

18‘But if he dedicates his field after the Jubilee, then the priest shall reckon to him the money due according to the years that remain till the Year of Jubilee, and it shall be deducted from your valuation.

19‘And if he who dedicates the field ever wishes to redeem it, then he must add one-fifth of the money of your valuation to it, and it shall belong to him.

20‘But if he does not want to redeem the field, or if he has sold the field to another man, it shall not be redeemed anymore;

21‘but the field, when it is released in the Jubilee, shall be holy to the LORD, as a devoted field; it shall be the possession of the priest.

22‘And if a man dedicates to the LORD a field which he has bought, which is not the field of his possession,

23‘then the priest shall reckon to him the worth of your valuation, up to the Year of Jubilee, and he shall give your valuation on that day as a holy offering to the LORD.

24‘In the Year of Jubilee the field shall return to him from whom it was bought, to the one who owned the land as a possession.

25‘And all your valuations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs to the shekel.

26‘But the firstborn of the animals, which should be the LORD’s firstborn, no man shall dedicate; whether it is an ox or sheep, it is the LORD’s.

27‘And if it is an unclean animal, then he shall redeem it according to your valuation, and shall add one-fifth to it; or if it is not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to your valuation.

29‘No person under the ban, who may become doomed to destruction among men, shall be redeemed, but shall surely be put to death.

30‘And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’s. It is holy to the LORD.

31‘If a man wants at all to redeem any of his tithes, he shall add one-fifth to it.

32‘And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the LORD.

33‘He shall not inquire whether it is good or bad, nor shall he exchange it; and if he exchanges it at all, then both it and the one exchanged for it shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.’ ”

Annotations for Leviticus

About ten weeks after their deliverance from Egypt, the Israelites arrived at Mount Sinai (). There God declared His law and gave Moses the instructions for building the tabernacle. Moses erected the tabernacle on the first day of the first month of the second year of Israel’s liberation (), so that what you read in covers about nine months (see ).

The Book of Numbers opens with a census being taken on the first day of the second month of the second year (), which means that what’s recorded in Leviticus covers about one month. The tabernacle was ready for use, and now God gave the priests the instructions they needed for offering the various sacrifices.

The burnt offering (see also ) was the basic sacrifice that expressed devotion and dedication to the Lord. When we surrender ourselves to the Lord, we put “all on the altar” () and hold back nothing. The New Testament parallel is , , where God’s people are challenged to be living sacrifices, wholly yielded to the Lord.

The significance of the offering is seen in the repetition of the phrases “to the LORD” and “in the LORD’s presence,” which are found six times in this first chapter of Leviticus (vv. , , , , , ). The transaction at the altar wasn’t between the offeror and his conscience, or the offeror and the nation, or even the offeror and the priest; it was between the offeror and the Lord.

Since God is spirit, He doesn’t have a body, but physical terms are used in Scripture to depict God’s actions and responses. In this case, God is pictured as smelling a fragrant aroma and being pleased with it (; ). When Jesus died on the cross, His sacrifice was a “sweet-smelling aroma” to God (), and our offerings to God should follow that example ().

God instructed the priests to keep the fire burning on the altar, to remove the ashes from the altar, and then to take them to a clean place outside the camp. It’s likely that God originally ignited this fire when the priests were dedicated and began their ministry ().

This offering represents Jesus Christ as the Bread of Life (.), the perfect One who nourishes our inner person as we worship Him and ponder His Word.

Leaven (yeast) and honey were prohibited from being included in the grain offering. The Jews would associate leaven with evil because of the Passover rules (, ; see ; ), and certainly there was no sin in Jesus Christ. Honey is the sweetest thing nature produces, but our Lord’s perfect character was divine and not from this world. The fact that yeast and honey both ferment may also be a factor.

The burnt offering, the grain offering, and the drink offering all represent dedication to God and commitment to Him and His work. The pouring out of the wine was a symbol of life being poured out in dedication to God. On the cross, Jesus was “poured out like water” () and “poured out His soul unto death” (). Paul saw himself poured out like a drink offering on behalf of the Philippians, joining in their sacrifice (), and in the Roman prison, he was already “poured out as a drink offering” to God () as he anticipated his martyrdom.

There are several distinctive features about the peace (or fellowship) offering that should be noted. For one thing, the offeror could bring a female animal, something not permitted for the other animal sacrifices. If the offering was not in fulfillment of a vow, the sacrifice could have some defects and still be accepted (). After all, it was basically going to be used as food for the priests and the offeror’s family, and those defects wouldn’t matter.

Another distinctive feature: The peace offering is the only offering that was shared with the worshipers. After the priest had completed the sacrifice, a large portion of the meat went to him; the rest went to the offeror, who could then enjoy a feast with his family and friends.

Catalyst

In the East, to eat with people is to make them your friends and allies. It means the end of hostilities, as with Jacob and his father-in-law Laban (), or the sealing of friendship, as with Israel and Jethro and his people (). In the church today, the Lord’s Supper, or Eucharist, is a simple meal that shows the unity of God’s family (; ). That’s why it’s called “the Communion.”

The peace offering meal, however, meant more than the enjoyment of good food and fellowship with loved ones. It was also an expression of joyful thanksgiving that the worshiper was at peace with God and in communion with God. The peace offering emphasized the fact that the forgiveness of sins resulted in communion with God and with God’s people.

On the cross Jesus Christ purchased reconciliation with God () and peace with God () for all who will trust Him, and we can have fellowship with God and other believers, because of His shed blood (). We “feast” on Christ when we feed on His Word and appropriate for ourselves all that He is to us and has done for us. Instead of bringing animals, we offer God “the sacrifice of thanksgiving” () and the “sacrifice of praise” (), from pure hearts that are grateful for His mercies.

Go to the

The sin offering and the trespass offering were very much alike and were even governed by the same law (). Generally speaking, the trespass offering was for individual sins that affected people and property and for which restitution could be made, while the sin offering focused on some violation of the law that was done without deliberate intent. The trespass offering emphasized the damage done to others by the offender, while the sin offering emphasized the offender’s guilt before God. The priest would examine the offender and determine which sacrifice was needed.

No sacrifice was provided for people who committed presumptuous, deliberate sins in the full light of the law of God (). When David took Bathsheba and then had her husband murdered (), he sinned deliberately with his eyes wide open. Therefore, he knew that his only hope was the mercy of God (, , , ). Being king, he could have brought thousands of sacrifices, but they would not have been sacrifices offered in the right spirit ().

The sin offering (; ) had to be brought to the Lord no matter who the sinner was, and the higher the sinner’s position in the nation, the more expensive the sacrifice. The greater the privilege, the greater the responsibility and the consequences.

Whatever animal was brought, the offender had to identify with the sacrifice by laying hands on it. When the whole nation sinned, it was the elders who did this (), for as leaders, they were responsible before God to oversee the spiritual life of the people.

, Note that while the fat of the sacrifice was burned on the altar, the body of the sacrifice was burned in a clean place outside the camp (vv. , ). It reminded the people that the sins of the high priest and the whole congregation would pollute the whole camp; and the sin offering was too holy to remain in an unholy camp. Finally, according to , this was a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ who died “outside the camp” as our sin offering.

The result of these rituals was forgiveness (vv. , , , ; see , ; ). Even though the sacrifice of animals can’t take away sin or change the human heart, the sacrifices pointed to the perfect sacrifice, Jesus Christ (). He is our sin offering (, ; ; ; ).

The trespass offering (; ) was needed for two kinds of sins: sins against “the holy things of the LORD” () and against one’s neighbor (). The first category included offenses that involved sacrifices to God, vows, celebration of the special days, and so on, while examples of the second category are given in , .

The ritual involved the sinner confessing the sin (), restoring the property involved or its equivalent in money, paying a fine equivalent to 20 percent of the value of the damaged property, and sacrificing a ram to the Lord (, ).

The trespass offering illustrates the solemn fact that it is a very costly thing for people to commit sin and for God to cleanse sin. Our sins hurt God and hurt others. True repentance will always bring with it a desire for restitution. We will want to make things right with God and with those we’ve sinned against. Forgiveness comes only because of the death of an innocent substitute. The passage in states clearly that when Jesus died on the cross, God made His Son an offering for sin. The penalty we should have paid, He paid for us!

The grain offering (see also ; , ) could be presented at the altar in one of five forms: fine flour, oven-baked cakes, cakes baked in a pan, cakes baked on a griddle, or crushed roasted heads of new grain. These cakes would resemble our modern baked pie crust or pizza dough. The officiating priest put only a portion of the offering on the altar—the “representative portion” for the Lord—where it was consumed in the fire, and the rest of the offering went to the priests for their own personal use.

Only the males in the family could eat the grain offering, and they had to do it in the Holy Place of the tabernacle, and with unleavened bread. The only grain offering that was not eaten was the one presented each morning and evening by the high priest’s son, who would succeed him in office (vv. ). Twice a day, God reminded His priests that they should maintain purity and integrity as they served Him.

Since grain represents the fruit of our labor, the grain offering was one way for the Israelites to dedicate to God that which He had enabled them to produce. The frankincense that was burned with the representative portion represents prayer (; ), a reminder of the petition, “Give us this day our daily bread” ().

The grain offering was not presented alone; it accompanied one of the sacrifices that involved the shedding of blood. Our hard work can never purchase salvation or earn the blessing of God, for apart from the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin (). But those who have been saved by faith in the shed blood of Christ may dedicate to the Lord what He has enabled them to produce.

Jesus provides all we need. He is our burnt offering, and we must yield ourselves wholly to Him. He is our grain offering, the seed crushed and put through the fire, that we might have the bread of life, and we must feed upon Him. He is our drink offering who poured Himself out in sacrifice and service, and we must pour ourselves out for Him and for others. He is our peace offering, making life a joyful feast instead of a painful famine. He is our sin offering and our trespass offering, for He bore our sins on His body () and paid the full price for our sins (, ).

The nation of Israel had to offer six different sacrifices in order to have a right relationship with God, but Jesus Christ “offered one sacrifice for sins forever” () and took care of our sin problem completely.

God clearly lays down the conditions for the feast following the peace offering, what the people ate, what the priests ate, and what must be done with the leftovers. The blood and the fat were given to God and were never to be used as common food. (There are also good hygienic reasons for this rule.) Anybody who was ceremonially unclean was forbidden to come to the feast and was “cut off” from his people (vv. , , , ; see , , , ; ; ; , , , , ; ). In the case of a Sabbath-breaker, being “cut off” meant death (; ), but we’re not sure every violation of the laws of the offerings was a capital crime. In some cases, “cut off from his people” could mean being sent “outside the camp” until the person followed God’s instructions for cleansing ().

, Chapters describe the eight-day ordination ceremony for the high priest Aaron and his sons. As God’s chosen priests, they had to accept three solemn responsibilities: submitting to God’s authority (ch. ), revealing God’s glory (ch. ), and accepting God’s discipline (ch. ).

Many times in these three chapters you’ll find the word “commanded.” Moses and Aaron didn’t have to concoct an ordination ceremony. The same God who instructed Moses how to build the tabernacle also told him how to ordain the priests and how the priests should serve in the tabernacle (). Nothing was left to chance or to the imagination. Moses was to do everything according to what God had shown him on the mountain (; ; ; ).

In the ministry of the church today, spiritual leaders must constantly ask, “What does the Scripture say?” (). God hasn’t left us in the dark as to what His church is, how it’s to be led, and what it’s supposed to do, but if we substitute people’s ideas for God’s Word, we will be in the dark ()! Religious novelties and fads abound, creating celebrities and increasing crowds but not always honoring the Lord or building the church. We need leaders like Moses who will spend time “on the mountain” and find out from the Word what God wants His people to do.

The ordination of Aaron and his sons was a public event, as every ordination ought to be (; ; ). It would have been impossible for all the people in the camp to assemble at one time at the door of the tabernacle, so it was probably the elders and leaders who gathered, representing the tribes and the various clans (see ). It’s a serious thing to be set apart for ministry, and it must be done under the authority of God and witnessed by God’s people.

The priests were ceremonially bathed all over but once; from then on, they washed their hands and feet at the laver while they were serving in the tabernacle (). When sinners trust Christ, they are washed from their sins once and for all (; , ); God’s children need to keep their feet clean by confessing their sins to the Lord (; ).

In the Bible, water for washing is a picture of the Word of God (; ; ). As we meditate on the Word of God and apply it to our lives, the Spirit of God uses the Word to cleanse us and make us more like Christ ().

Each “believer priest” has been clothed in the beauty and righteousness of Jesus Christ and is accepted in Him (; ; ). Our righteous deeds “are like filthy rags” in God’s sight (). What must our sins look like to a holy God! The high priest was accepted before God because of the garments God provided in His grace.

, It was necessary that blood be shed before God could accept Aaron and his sons as servants in His holy tabernacle. Because He is the holy Son of God, Jesus Christ our High Priest needed no such sacrifices (). Instead, He is the one perfect sacrifice that “takes away the sin of the world” ().

The ram of consecration took the place of the peace offering, symbolizing the people’s communion with one another and with the Lord. The word translated “consecration” means “to fill up.” A part of the sacrifice, along with a grain offering (vv. , ), was placed in Aaron’s hands, thus filling them up, and then waved before the Lord. Later, this would be eaten.

Aaron and his sons had to offer a bull calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering; from then on, they would be offering a burnt offering on the altar every morning and evening (v. ; ). Each day must begin and end with total consecration to the Lord. Being imperfect, the priests had to offer sacrifices for themselves first before they could offer sacrifices for the people (see ).

To have sanctified priests without a sanctified people would not be right. How gracious of God to provide for sinners a way of forgiveness, dedication, and fellowship; we have all of this in our Lord Jesus Christ!

Moses spoke to the people and told them that the glory of the Lord would appear when the consecration was completed, just as His glory had appeared when the tabernacle was erected (). One of the main purposes of the tabernacle ministry was to glorify the God of Israel whose glory dwelt on the ark’s cover in the Most Holy Place.

When Aaron had completed all these sacrifices, he and his sons and the people of Israel were forgiven, dedicated wholly to the Lord and in fellowship with Him. The order of the sacrifices is significant: We must first deal with our sins before we can dedicate ourselves totally to the Lord; then we can enjoy fellowship with Him.

The first blessing was probably the high priestly blessing recorded in . It followed the sacrifices. This reminds us that every blessing that we have comes because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross (). Unless we know Jesus Christ as our own Savior and Lord, we don’t have any spiritual blessings of our own, and we can’t ask God to bless others through us. The second blessing followed the time Moses and Aaron had in the tabernacle, and this reminds us that we must be in fellowship with God and one another if we’re to be a blessing to others.

, The glory that dwelt in the tabernacle eventually left the camp because of the sins of the people (). It returned at the dedication of the temple, but then the prophet Ezekiel watched it depart because the nation had become so sinful (; ; , ; , ). The glory came to earth when Jesus was born (, ) and dwelt in Him (), but sinful people nailed that glory to a cross. Today, God’s glory dwells in the bodies of His people (, ), in each local assembly of His people (, ), and in His church collectively (). One day, we shall see that glory lighting the perfect heavenly city that God is preparing for His people (, ).

, The fire of God consumed the burnt offering (see ) and gave the people the assurance that Jehovah God was among them and with them. “Our God is a consuming fire” (), and that fire could have consumed the people! This reminds us that the wrath of God fell on His Son rather than on sinners who deserved to be judged (; ).

The paradoxical response of the people helps us better understand the experience of worship, for they were both joyful and overwhelmed. There was joy in their hearts that the true and living God had deigned to dwell among them and receive their worship, but there was also fear as the people fell on their faces in awe. The two attitudes balance each other. “Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling” ().

Everything Nadab and Abihu did was wrong. To begin with, they were the wrong people to be handling the incense and presenting it to the Lord. This was the task of their father, the high priest (). They also used the wrong instruments, their own incense burners instead of the incense burner of the high priest, sanctified by the special anointing oil (). They acted at the wrong time, for it was only on the annual Day of Atonement that the high priest was permitted to take incense into the Most Holy Place, and even then he had to submit to a special ritual (.). They acted under the wrong authority. They didn’t consult with Moses or their father, nor did they seek to follow the Word of God, which Moses had received. In burning the incense, they used the wrong kind of fire (). Finally, they depended on the wrong energy, for verses and imply that they were under the influence of alcohol. This reminds us of , “Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.”

Nadab and Abihu were not outsiders; they were anointed priests who had seen God on the mountain (). Their father was the high priest, and they were trained in the service of the Lord. Yet they were killed for their disobedience!

It may seem strange to us that God killed Nadab and Abihu instead of merely warning them, but often at the beginning of a new era in salvation history, the Lord brought judgment in order to warn the people. The priestly ministry at the tabernacle was about to begin, and the Lord wanted to be sure the priests understood the seriousness of their work. When Israel entered the Promised Land, God used Achan’s disobedience as a warning (), and the death of Uzzah was his warning when the ark was brought to Jerusalem (). Early in the church age, the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira served as a warning to the saints not to try to lie to God ().

It wasn’t enough for the priests merely to teach the people the difference between the holy and the unholy; they also had to practice it in their own lives. This is one of the burdens of the message of Ezekiel the prophet (; ; ; , ).

At first, it appears that Eleazar and Ithamar were in just as much trouble as their brothers who had been killed earlier that day. But they were being scrupulous about trying to follow the instructions of Moses to the letter. They were supposed to eat some of the sin offering on the tabernacle grounds and then burn the rest. Instead, they had skipped the eating part and burned the entire sacrifice. They had willingly given up a privilege out of respect, grief, and shock. They bypassed a privilege but kept the letter of the law that required whatever was left of the sacrifice must be completely burned up. When Moses realized their intent and their actions hadn’t violated God’s commands, “he was content” (v. ). God certainly hadn’t punished their actions. As always, “for man looks at outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” ().

Catalyst

In chapters , several lessons about ministry stand out clearly:

God’s Word commands us concerning our ministry, and we must obey what it says. God’s instructions are more detailed for the Old Testament priests than for New Testament ministers, but the principles and examples are clearly given in the New Testament so that we shouldn’t go astray. Apart from the finished work of Christ and the power of the Spirit, we can’t serve God acceptably (). No amount of fleshly zeal or “the wrong kind of fire” can substitute for Spirit-filled devotion to the Lord. Be sure the “fire” of your ministry comes from God’s altar and not from this world.

We dedicate ourselves to God, and He consecrates us for His service. He wants servants who are clean, yielded, obedient, and “marked” by the blood and the oil.

We minister first of all to the Lord and for His glory. No matter how much we sacrifice and serve, if God doesn’t get the glory, there can be no blessing. Our greatest joy in life should be to serve the Lord and bring glory to His name. “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling” ().

The privileges of ministry bring with them serious responsibilities. “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more” ().

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Since Noah knew about clean and unclean animals (), this distinction was part of an ancient tradition that antedated the Mosaic law. Whether a creature was “clean” or “unclean” had nothing to do with the quality of the beast; it all depended on what God said about the animal. When He gave these laws, no doubt the Lord had the health of His people in mind (; ), but the main purpose of the dietary code was to remind the Israelites that they belonged to God and were obligated to keep themselves separated from everything that would defile them. “You shall be holy; for I am holy” (; see for a parallel list of clean and unclean foods).

The spiritual principle of separation from defilement still applies to the people of God today. The fact that we know God must make a difference in every aspect of our lives. “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body” (). “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” ().

Catalyst

Three facts should be noted about the dietary laws: (1) God gave these laws only to the Israelite nation; (2) obeying them guaranteed ceremonial purity but didn’t automatically make the person holy in character; and (3) the laws were temporary and were ended on the cross of Christ ().

Jesus made it clear to His disciples that all foods were clean (.), and God taught this lesson again to Peter before He sent him to minister to the “unclean” Gentiles (). Paul affirmed that special days and diets must not be considered either the means or the measure of a person’s spirituality (). It’s wrong to judge other Christians on the basis of what they eat (). As long as they believe God’s Word that all foods are clean, and ask God to bless their food, they have the right to eat it ().

The Israelites under the Old Covenant had to learn to despise the foods that God said were unclean and to enjoy the foods that God said were clean. It was a choice between pleasing themselves and being unclean or pleasing the Lord and being clean. There was no middle ground. If any food was questionable, it should have been automatically rejected, lest they disobey God and defile themselves.

Today, we also apply this principle to the other areas of “consumption” in our lives. What do we watch, talk about, and participate in? Do we have an understanding, for instance, when it comes to movies about what is clean and unclean?

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Many times in chapter we find the word “unclean,” and often we find the word “detestable.” What God says is unclean must be detestable in our eyes. “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (). The first step toward disobedience is often “reclassifying” sin and making it look acceptable instead of detestable.

Today, we live in a society that rejects moral absolutes and promotes a “fluid” morality that isn’t morality at all. Like the people described in the Book of Judges, everybody is doing what is right in their own eyes (). But society’s reclassifying of sin hasn’t changed anything; God still calls sin detestable and He still judges it.

Doctors can be sued for malpractice if they make the wrong diagnosis and prescribe the wrong treatment. But a university professor, a liberal preacher, or a popular newspaper columnist can excuse sin and defend immorality and be applauded for the skillful diagnosis. Why? Because the human heart is “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” () and people love “darkness rather than light” because their deeds are evil ().

Anything touched by the carcass was unclean and had to be either washed or destroyed. It’s easy to see hygienic reasons behind these regulations, and no doubt obeying them helped the Hebrews avoid sickness. But the main reason for these laws was to teach the people to appreciate cleanliness and shun whatever was unclean. Paul’s admonition of the Corinthians is a contemporary application of this principle and must be pondered and obeyed by any believer who is serious about holy living ().

The Israelites had to remind themselves every hour of every day that they belonged to Jehovah, the true and living God, and that belonging to the nation of Israel was a high and holy privilege. “For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy” (v. ). In New Testament language, “walk worthy of the calling with which you were called” (). Obeying God’s will isn’t a burden; it’s a privilege!

We must keep our eyes open and look around carefully, lest we defile ourselves. Israelites who knew what God said was clean and unclean, and who exercised constant caution, weren’t likely to touch something unclean and defile themselves. When we “walk as children of light” (), we won’t stumble over some carcass in the darkness; for God’s Word is the light that directs us ().

One of the marks of maturity is the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. A pathologist can see a difference between a healthy cell and a cancerous cell. The expert musician can hear the difference between the right note and the almost-right note, and the expert writer knows the difference between “any word” and the right word. Likewise, mature believers can exercise discernment, identify that which is unclean, and avoid it.

God graciously made provision for the cleansing and restoration of anyone who became defiled. For routine situations of uncleanness, the normal procedure was for people to wash themselves and their clothing and remain outside the camp until evening.

In giving birth to a baby, the mother experienced bleeding (vv. , ), as well as the secretion of other bodily fluids, and this made her ceremonially unclean. The theme of this chapter is not personal holiness but ritual purification for the mother, without which she could not return to normal life in her home and in the camp.

Nothing in should be interpreted to teach that human sexuality is “dirty,” that pregnancy is defiling, or that babies are impure. God created humans “male and female” (), and when God declared His creation to be “very good” (), that declaration included sex. He commanded our first parents to “be fruitful and multiply” (); in spite of contemporary negative attitudes toward babies, Scripture presents children as blessings from God (; ; ; ; ). If for some reason a pregnancy was unwanted, the Israelites would never consider aborting the baby.

Forty days after the birth of a son, or eighty days after the birth of a daughter, the mother and father were required to go to the sanctuary and offer the sacrifices for the mother’s cleansing; a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a dove or pigeon for a sin offering. The burnt offering symbolized her dedication to God as she returned to her normal life, and the sin offering took care of the defilement involved in the birth process. It also reminded the people that every child, no matter how beautiful or delightful he or she might be, is born in sin and must one day trust the Lord for salvation (; ).

Catalyst

Chapters deal with bodily infirmities of one kind or another, because God was concerned about His people’s physical welfare. He cared for their needs during their wilderness march () and, if they obeyed Him, He promised to shield them from the diseases they’d seen in Egypt (; ). While it’s true that our greatest needs are spiritual, God still has the physical well-being of His people at heart.

In Scripture, disease is one of the images of sin (; , ; ; ; ). Thus, as we study these chapters, we can learn what sin is like and how God wants us to deal with it. We must look beyond Moses to Jesus Christ, the Great Physician, who was wounded that we might be healed ().

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, Sin is more than skin-deep (see also vv. , –, ). “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who can know it?” (). The word translated “wicked” in means “sick” and can be translated “beyond cure.” Sin is not a surface problem that can be solved with simple remedies, like trying to cure cancer with hand lotion. Sin comes from within, from fallen human nature; unless the heart is changed, there can be no solving of the sin problem. Paul wrote, “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find” (). Those who talk about the “innate goodness of man” know neither the Bible nor their own hearts.

True leprosy (“Hansen’s disease”) affects the skin and the nerve endings; as it spreads, it produces nodules and ulcers. The tissues then contract and the limbs become deformed. What begins as one sore gradually spreads and turns the whole body into a mass of corruption and ugliness. How like sin! “When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” ().

The word “unclean” is used numerous times in . It describes the ceremonial defilement that makes the victim unfit for social life or for participation in worship at the house of God. The prophet Isaiah confessed that he was “a man of unclean lips” (), and then he spoke for all of us when he wrote, “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” ().

What solemn words: “his dwelling shall be outside the camp.” Those judged unclean had to tear their clothes, put a covering on their upper lip, cry “Unclean, unclean!” whenever anybody approached them, and remain outside the camp until they either died or were healed.

Sin is fit only for the fire (see also vv. , ). A defiled garment was to be burned in the fire; it was not to be purified but destroyed. When Jesus spoke about hell, He used the word “gehenna,” which referred to the garbage dump outside Jerusalem “where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (; see ).

It is discouraging to read chapter , with its emphasis on uncleanness and isolation. But chapter brings us that happy ray of hope that we need: A person with a skin disease can be cleansed and restored! We need the bad news of judgment before we can appreciate the good news of salvation.

, The steps in the person’s cleansing and restoration picture to us what Jesus Christ has done for sinners. The priest goes to the sufferer. Since the unclean person wasn’t permitted to enter the camp, the priest had to go outside the camp to minister to him or her. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which is lost” (). When He ministered here on earth, Jesus was called “a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (); He compared Himself to a doctor helping his needy patients (). As God’s Great Physician, Jesus makes “house calls” and comes to sinners right where they are. In the case of the Hebrew person with a skin disease, the priest went out to investigate and determine if indeed the victim was healed, but Jesus comes to us that He might heal us of the sickness of sin.

On the basis of these sacrifices, the priest had pronounced the man clean, because these sacrifices picture the person and work of Jesus Christ. The sin offering shows Christ atoning for a person’s sin. The trespass offering reminds us that Christ paid the debt we owed to God because, like the diseased person, we were unable to serve Him during our days of uncleanness. In the burnt offering, the man dedicated himself completely to God, and the grain offering displayed the perfections of Christ accepted for the imperfections of the worshiper.

The unique thing about this ceremony is that the priest treated the cleansed person like a fellow priest! He put the blood of the trespass offering on the man’s right ear, right thumb, and right big toe. He sprinkled oil on the man seven times and then put the oil on the blood that was already on his ear, thumb, and toe. After that, he poured the oil on the man’s head. This is similar to the ceremony Moses used when he ordained Aaron and his sons (ch. ). What grace, that God should treat a former unclean person like a priest! Six times in this section the Lord declares that the priest “purified” the man (vv. , ), which means that his sins were forgiven.

The key word in this chapter is “discharge,” used eleven times. It simply means a flow of liquid, whether water in nature or a fluid discharged from the human body. The human discharge may be natural (vv. , ) or unnatural (vv. , ), but it’s still considered unclean and must be dealt with according to the law of God. Personal hygiene and God’s concern for women are certainly involved in these regulations, but the main thrust seems to be that of enforcing personal sanctity. Not everybody is diseased, but all of us have occasional “discharges” that defile us and could defile others.

Unnatural male discharges could be anything from diarrhea to discharges caused by a venereal disease such as gonorrhea. Anything the afflicted man touched or spat upon was unclean. By the goodness of the Lord, the man with a discharge could get well; when that happened, he had to wait a week and, like the person cleansed from the skin disease, wash himself and his clothes. On the eighth day, he brought a sin offering and a burnt offering, but he wasn’t required to bring expensive sacrifices, since a bodily discharge wasn’t as serious as a skin disease. After that, the man was free to worship the Lord and live a normal life in the camp.

Moses is dealing here with ceremonial uncleanness, not moral uncleanness. Since intercourse involves bodily fluids, and bodily fluids made a person unclean, the husband and wife had to take pains to wash themselves and maintain ceremonial purity. Perhaps the Lord is telling us that, even in a beautiful experience like married love, there is opportunity for our sinful nature to go to work and defile it. The couple had to consider God as well as their own desires, and this helped sanctify their relationship. No sacrifices were required for their cleansing, only washing in water. Thus there was no sin that needed to be atoned for.

In addressing natural female discharges God wasn’t condemning or punishing the woman for experiencing her normal monthly period, because He made her that way so she could bear children. This regulation declares only that the woman’s discharge made her unclean and therefore she could make others unclean. Rachel used this ploy when she deceived her father about his household gods ().

Certainly God created sex for pleasure as well as for procreation, but pleasure that isn’t disciplined soon becomes bondage and then torture. Unmarried people must exercise self-control lest they commit fornication and invite the judgment of God (), but married people also need self-control lest they take advantage of one another and leave God out of their most intimate relationship. God created sex, and wise is the person who permits the Creator to make the rules.

Unnatural female discharges could be something like a prolonged hemorrhage which would be both physically painful and religiously disastrous, for the woman would be perpetually unclean. The ritual for her cleansing reminds us of the ritual for the restoration of a mother after the birth of a baby (, ). The unknown woman who came to Jesus for help had suffered with constant bleeding for twelve years (; ). Strictly speaking, everybody she touched in that big crowd was defiled by her whether they knew it or not; when she touched our Lord’s garment, He was also defiled. How gracious of Him to heal her and give back to her the normal life she longed for!

These regulations for personal sanctity weren’t just pious suggestions from the religious leaders of the nation. They were holy commandments from the Lord, and it was a serious thing to disobey them. For an unclean person to go to the tabernacle would be to defile the tabernacle and invite judgment (v. ). God warned the Israelites that a violation of the law given in verse would cause the couple to be “cut off from their people” (). Whether “cut off” meant death (it’s used that way in ) or excommunication, commentators don’t agree, but whatever the penalty was, it was serious.

The most important day of the year for the Old Testament Israelite was the Day of Atonement—Yom Kippur—when God graciously atoned for all the sins of all the people and gave the nation a new beginning. Because today they have neither a temple nor a priest (), Israel can’t celebrate Yom Kippur in the appointed way, but those who have received Jesus Christ can see in this ancient ritual a picture of what Jesus did for us on the cross.

The deaths of Nadab and Abihu (ch. ) must have put the fear of God into Aaron and the priests so that they wondered whether it was even safe to enter the tabernacle’s precincts to do their work. God made it clear that the priests needed not be afraid to serve, but that only the high priest was to enter the Most Holy Place, and that only once a year on the Day of Atonement.

The blowing of the trumpets announced the new year (see ), but only the shedding of the blood could give the people forgiveness and a new beginning. “Without shedding of blood there is no remission” (). There was certainly sin in the camp. In addition, not every offender had brought the required sacrifices the previous year, and the sanctuary itself had been defiled in ways only God could see. It was time for a new beginning.

The high priest put both hands on the head of the living goat and confessed “over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions.” This goat was led out of the camp and released in the wilderness, never to be seen again.

This goat is called “the scapegoat” (vv. , , ), short for “escape-goat,” that is, the goat that escaped death and escaped into the desert. The Hebrew word is azazel, which could be a compound of the two Hebrew words “goat” and “to go away.” Some Hebraists connect it with an Arabic word that means “to remove, to banish.” Regardless of the origin of the word, the meaning is clear: The releasing of the goat symbolized the sins of the people being carried away, never to be held against them again. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (). “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” ().

Just as the Day of Atonement was a day of personal “mourning” for the Jews, so they will mourn when they see their Messiah (). God will give them “a spirit of grace and prayer,” and they will repent of their sins and believe in Him. “They will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn” ().

The high priest had to repeat the ritual of the Day of Atonement year after year, but Jesus Christ came at the right time (, ) to finish the work nobody else could do. “Once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (). The death of Christ on the cross has fulfilled the Day of Atonement.

The annual Day of Atonement was followed by the Festival of Shelters, Israel’s most joyful time of celebration; Israel’s future “Day of Atonement” will be followed by the establishing of the kingdom God promised to His people (; ; ). Creation will be delivered from the bondage of sin (), Jesus will reign as King, and “in His days the righteous shall flourish” ().

Catalyst

The Hebrew word kapar, translated “atonement,” is used sixteen times in , and it basically means “to ransom, to remove by paying a price.” The priest placed his hands on the head of the sacrifice, symbolizing the transferring of the nation’s sins to the innocent victim who died in their place. Atonement means that a price is paid and blood is shed, because life must be given for life ().

The sacrifices offered on the Day of Atonement brought a threefold cleansing: to the high priest and his family (, ), to the people of Israel (v. ), and to the tabernacle (vv. , , ). It seems strange to us that the holy sanctuary would be defiled and need cleansing, but such was the case. The sins of the people not only defiled themselves, but they also defiled the tabernacle of God. The sacrifices made on earth purified the earthly sanctuary, but our Lord’s sacrifice purified “the heavenly things themselves” with the blood of a better sacrifice ().

Regardless of the day of the week on which it fell, the annual Day of Atonement was considered a Sabbath, and the people weren’t allowed to do any work. The fact that the people weren’t to do any work reminds us that we are saved wholly by God’s grace, through faith, and not, because of our character or our good works (, ). The forgiveness that the people received that day was the gift of God.

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Chapters constitute a legal code for the people of Israel, touching on many areas of their personal and public life. The emphasis isn’t simply on justice or civic righteousness, as important as they are, but on holiness. After all, Israel was God’s people and the law was God’s law. These chapters deal with four special areas of life that must be respected and kept holy: the sanctity of blood, or life (ch. ); the sanctity of sex (ch. ); the sanctity of the law (ch. ); and the sanctity of judgment (ch. ).

The motivation for Israel’s obedience had to be more than fear of punishment. The people also needed in their hearts a desire to please God and a determination to be a holy people who would bring glory to His name (). Obeying the law and having a holy character aren’t necessarily the same thing.

Catalyst

Any animal presented as a peace offering to the Lord had to be brought to the altar to be slaughtered (). This law, also stated in , kept the people from secretly offering sacrifices to idols out in the fields. If they were discovered and questioned, they could claim that they were killing the animal only for a feast. But if that were the case, they should have taken the animal to the tabernacle altar. The blood of an animal must be offered only to the Lord and only at His altar.

By this law the Lord dignified all of life. The slain animal wasn’t just a piece of meat; it was a sacrifice presented to the Lord. According to verse , slaying an animal away from the altar was the same as murdering the animal, and God wants us to treat His creation with greater respect. The sanctity of life is the theme of chapter .

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When a sacrifice was offered and its blood was shed, it meant the giving of a life for the life of another. The innocent victim died in the place of the guilty sinner. Throughout Scripture, it’s the blood that makes the atonement. Any theology that ignores or minimizes the blood isn’t founded on the Word of God.

Because the blood is the life of the creature and the God-ordained means of atonement, it must not be treated like ordinary food. Before preparing his meal, a Hebrew out hunting had to be careful to drain out the blood of the animal or bird he had caught. The blood then had to be covered with earth, giving it a decent burial, as it were. Orthodox Jews today are very careful to purchase kosher meat from which the blood has been drained in the prescribed manner.

Believers today need to appreciate the importance of the “precious” blood of Christ (). Among other things, through His blood, we are “justified by His blood” (), redeemed or have our freedom purchased (), washed or freed from sin (), sanctified or made holy (), brought near (), and cleansed (). The church was purchased by the blood of Christ and therefore is very precious to God ().

There are several reasons why the Lord gives clear instructions concerning personal sexual hygiene, sexual morality, and marriage. For one thing, we’re created in the image of God, and the Creator knows what’s best for His creation. God certainly wants married couples to enjoy the beautiful gift of sex, but He also wants them to avoid the terrible consequences that come when His laws are violated.

God had chosen Israel to be the channel through which His Son would come into the world, and it was important that the channel be sanctified. The breakdown of marriage in the Jewish society and the adopting of pagan practices could threaten the plan of God for their redemption. This seems to be the emphasis of . The Lord was seeking “godly children” that can come only from godly marriages.

A Christian marriage should be a witness to the world of the love Christ has for His church (), but if that marriage isn’t pure and faithful, the witness is destroyed. If husbands and wives can’t love each other as Christ loves the church, why invite their unsaved friends to be saved and share in Christ’s love?

Obedience to God’s commandments brings life. Indeed, other biblical writers often quoted this verse (see ; ; ; ). If people could perfectly obey God’s law, their obedience would save them, but, of course, nobody can. Therefore, salvation is wholly by faith, totally apart from the works of the law ().

Since God invented sex and ordained marriage, He has every right to establish the regulations that control them, and our obedience will help protect these wonderful blessings from the defilements of the world. The laissez-faire attitude of the humanistic world that says “anything goes” is not for the Christian. When it comes to moral standards, we’re becoming more and more of a persecuted remnant, but we dare not retreat.

These laws would apply not only to marriage but also to casual contacts that were immoral. The prohibitions are listed in this chapter; the penalties are spelled out in chapter .

This command did not prohibit what is known as “levirate marriage.” (Levir is the Latin word for “husband’s brother.”) This occurred when a deceased husband’s brother married the widow so as to beget sons who would continue the family name and protect the family inheritance (see ).

That people who have committed any of these sins can be forgiven and become God’s children is clear from and ; that God expects them to repent and forsake their old lifestyle is clear from ; ; and .

If God so dealt with Gentile nations, to whom He’d never given His law, how much more will He hold accountable those who claim to know Him and possess His Word? There are dire consequences to sexual sins, and the judgment is greatest where the light has been the brightest. Alas, the nation of Israel disobeyed God, defiled their land, and were vomited out into captivity. Today, there are both secular and religious organizations that openly espouse an immoral lifestyle contrary to God’s Word; in God’s eyes, they are making society sick.

The regulations given in chapter aren’t arranged in any discernible order, but the one thing that ties them together is their relationship to the Ten Commandments (), which is the basis for all Hebrew law and should be the basis for all moral law. Perhaps the easiest way to classify these laws is to see them in their relationship to God, to others, and to things.

Since He is a holy God, we must be a holy people. We’ve noted that the phrase “I am the LORD your God” is repeated over forty times in to remind us that we belong to Him. He warns us, “Fear your God. I am the Lord” (). Note that God calls these laws “My statutes” and “My judgments” (), that the Sabbath is “My Sabbath” (, ) and the tabernacle is “My sanctuary” (). The law brings sinful people into the presence of a sovereign God who has every right to tell us what is right and wrong.

This passage emphasizes the importance of following God’s instructions for worship. He told them how to present the peace offering (; ), and He expected them to obey. We can also include , , which are prohibitions against imitating the practices of unbelievers. Christians today may consider styles and fashions morally neutral, but this isn’t always the case. While Christians shouldn’t look like they came from “out of this world,” they certainly ought not to imitate the world. “Do not be conformed to this world” ().

God’s concern for the poor and needy is seen in the “harvest laws” (see also ; , ; ; ). His care is also seen in the regulation about wages (). Since workers were paid daily, any delay would cause hardship (, ; ), and employers must never take advantage of their employees. Rich and poor stand equal before God and the law, and justice must not be partial (; see ).

The name of the Lord is sacred and must never be used blasphemously or in an oath that the person has no intention of fulfilling. This is the import of the third commandment (). If we fear the Lord, we’ll respect His name and sincerely pray, “Hallowed be Your name” ().

Getting along with people, especially our neighbors, isn’t a matter of obeying laws but of having love in our hearts. “Love is the fulfillment of the law” (). The new commandment to love one another helps us handle human relationships and treat people the way God treats us (, ).

, God is also concerned for foreigners who live among you in your land, and He often reminded the Israelites that they had been strangers in Egypt (; ; ; ). When you consider the thousands of foreign students who attend our colleges and universities, a mission field at our doorstep, this admonition becomes even more significant.

Molech was the god of the Ammonites. His metal image was heated red hot and little children were placed in his arms and burned to death (see ; ; ). People who practiced such idolatry were inhumane, and their presence in the camp defiled God’s sanctuary and profaned His holy name. Idolaters were not tolerated because they influenced others and led people away from the worship of the true God.

While law can be a light that exposes evil and a guard that restrains evil, it can never change the human heart. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ can do that. God has ordained authorities to keep peace and order in society (); Christians should obey the law, do good, and pray for those in office. God’s moral law is the revelation of His holy will for humanity, and individuals and nations can’t despise God’s law and escape judgment.

Fifteen offenses in Israel were capital crimes: dishonoring, striking, or cursing a parent (v. ; , ); breaking the Sabbath (); blaspheming God (); engaging in occult practices (); prophesying falsely (); adultery (); rape (); unchastity before marriage (.); incest (, ); homosexuality (); bestiality (, ); kidnapping (); idolatry (); false witness in a case involving a capital crime (); and killing a human intentionally ().

The Israelites usually stoned capital offenders to death (; ; ; , ), but and speak of offenders being burned with fire. We’re not sure what the phrase “cut off” means (, , , , ); in some places, it seems to be equivalent to being killed. It may also have meant expulsion from the camp and the loss of all covenant privileges. Some offenders God inflicted with childlessness (vv. , ), and He said that others “shall bear their guilt” (v. ).

The spiritual leaders in the nation of Israel were the priests. “He shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people” (v. ). They were in charge of the sanctuary of God; they taught the people the Word of God; they offered the sacrifices on God’s altar; when called upon, they determined the will of God for the people. Apart from the ministry of the priests, Israel had no way to approach God.

The priests had to meet the qualifications God gave for the priesthood, and they had to serve Him according to His directions. In their personal conduct, physical characteristics, and professional concerns, they had to meet God’s approval. There’s a price to pay if you want to be a spiritual leader.

The privilege of leadership brings with it the responsibility of maintaining a life that’s above reproach. In their devotion and obedience to God, the priests were to be examples to the rest of the nation. Unfortunately, the priesthood in Israel declined spiritually and led the people astray. “They eat up the sin of My people; they set their heart on their iniquity. And it shall be: like people, like priest. So I will punish them for their ways, and reward them for their deeds” (, ).

Anyone who touched a dead body, or even went into a tent where somebody had died, was defiled for a week, and defilement would prevent the priest from serving the people (). Therefore, the priests could defile themselves only for their parents, their children, and their brothers and unmarried sisters, but all other deceased were off-limits for them. Obedience had to take precedence over affection.

There were qualifications and requirements not only for the priests but also for every member of the priests’ families. The important thing for all of them was that they remain ceremonially clean before the Lord.

When you read the qualifications for pastors (elders, bishops) and deacons in and , you can’t help but see that a church officer’s wife and family are an important part of His ministry. All believers must be careful in choosing mates (; ), but those who have been called to serve Christ must be even more vigilant.

Since the firstborn son of the high priest became the next high priest, it was important that no impurity invade the family; hence, the high priest could marry only a virgin. In most cases, the priests chose their wives from the tribe of Levi (), and this would be especially so with the high priest. To marry an unfit woman would defile his offspring, and this would defile the priesthood which the Lord God had sanctified (, ).

Everyone born into Adam’s race is a sinner, suffering from the tragic consequences of Adam’s fall, but our physical and moral defects aren’t an obstacle to either salvation or service. When God invites the lost to be saved, He calls to “the poor, and the maimed and the lame and the blind” (), the very people Jesus ministered to when He was here on earth (). And all believers can surrender to the Lord and be “living sacrifices” for His glory, no matter what handicaps they may have.

Physical handicaps need not be a barrier to Christian service if we depend wholly on the grace of God (). In the nation of Israel, however, God required that every priest be free from defects and blemishes. There were two reasons for this requirement. First of all, the sacrifices that the people brought to the Lord had to be perfect; it was only right that those who offered the sacrifices at the altar also be without defect. Second, the priests exemplified that great High Priest who was to come, and there is no defect in Him.

, Once again, this biblical passage must not be used today to humiliate or intimidate anybody with a physical disability. It was never written for that purpose. The priests were special people with an important job to do, and God wanted them to be the very best physically. A beautiful soul often lives in a crippled body, and many people with disabilities are greatly used of the Lord.

Jesus Christ is not a hard taskmaster and “His commandments are not burdensome” (). No priest should have complained because of these restrictions. After all, he was serving the Lord and the Lord’s people, a privilege well worth any sacrifices he might have to make.

While these special regulations don’t apply to workers in the church today, the principles are still important and applicable. If we want to have God’s blessing on our ministry, we must keep ourselves, our marriages, and our families pure and dedicated before God. A godly marriage with godly children constitutes a spiritual fortress from which God’s servants can go forth to do battle for the Lord. Christians need to pray much for pastors and other spiritual leaders, and their families, because those who lead are special targets of the enemy.

The phrase “separate themselves from the holy things” (v. ) sets the theme for the chapter. It means “to treat with regard and respect.” The priests offered sacrifices all day long, all year long; it would be easy for them to develop an attitude of “professionalism” that would turn a sacred ritual into a shallow routine.

Carelessness and professionalism at the altar would show itself in three ways: unclean priests (vv. ), unqualified guests (vv. ), and unacceptable sacrifices (vv. ). The priest would end up defiling himself, the sacrifices, and the very altar where he was supposed to serve God. The priesthood, like any ministry, wasn’t about being able to go through the motions of ministry without your heart being in it. Outwardly, you do all the right things the right way, but when God looks at your heart, nothing there is right. By the time of Malachi the prophet, the specter of professionalism overshadowed the work of all the priests ().

Suppose a priest became defiled but did nothing about it. This kind of behavior would indicate that the priest was putting himself ahead of God and was more concerned about his reputation than his character. The name for this sin is hypocrisy. It worried him that the people would know he was unclean, but it didn’t worry him that he was defiling the sacred ministry for which God had set him apart. Like the Pharisees in our Lord’s day, this priest appeared to be clean but was actually toxic ().

All who serve the Lord and the Lord’s people must be open and honest before God and must minister first of all to please Him alone. We must thank God for the privilege of being called to serve, and we must treat the things of God with holy respect. “There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” ().

The greatest protection against professionalism and hypocrisy in ministry is the fear of the Lord as revealed in a tender conscience (; ; ). Conscience is like a window that lets in the light. When the window becomes soiled, the light gradually becomes darkness. Once conscience is defiled (), it gradually gets worse, and eventually it may be so seared that it has no sensitivity at all (). Then it becomes an “evil conscience” (), one that functions as the opposite of a “good” conscience ().

One of the most difficult things in Christian ministry is having to say no, but to keep our fellowship pure before God, we must sometimes do it. The pastor who refuses to marry a believer to an unbeliever often makes enemies, especially among their relatives, but he keeps his conscience pure before God. Parents who forbid their children to cultivate damaging friendships are misunderstood and sometimes maligned, but they know they’re doing the will of God. Churches that refuse to receive into membership people who give no evidence of saving faith in Christ are often called “holier than thou,” but they have the courage to say no.

Not only must God’s servants not make it easy for people to sin, but they also must encourage people to give their best to the Lord. The priest who had respect for his ministry and high regard for the sacrifices of God would accept only those animals that met God’s requirements. To send a worshiper away from the altar with a false assurance of forgiveness would be to do great damage to his or her spiritual life.

The Israelites worked from sunrise to sunset, counted the months by the phases of the moon, and watched the seasons come and go. God had promised them “Seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night” (), and they were content. Each day was a sacred gift from God.

God gave Israel a calendar that was tied to the rhythm of the seasons and the history of the nation. It was an unusual calendar because it not only summarized what God had done for them in the past, but it also anticipated what God would do for them in the future. The salvation work of Jesus Christ, the founding of the church, and the future of the people of Israel are all illustrated in the seven festivals ordained in Leviticus.

The weekly Sabbath wasn’t one of the annual festivals (), but it was an important day for the Hebrew people, and they were expected to honor it. To dishonor it meant death ().

Based on , the weekly Sabbath reminded the Israelites that Jehovah God was the Creator and they were but stewards of His generous gifts. The Lord also ordained Sabbath years and the Year of Jubilee to keep the Israelites from exploiting the land and impoverishing it (). God’s tender concern for His creation is seen in the Sabbath laws.

In this chapter, these special days are often called “festivals” as well as “official days for holy assembly.” Though traditionally they have been called “feasts,” they have nothing to do with eating. In fact, on the Day of Atonement, the people fasted. The word simply means “appointed times.” The idea that during each of these feasts all the people met together as a congregation is also not true. There were special gatherings on some of the special days, but the word for “holy assembly” basically means “proclamation” or “announcement.” The Lord “appointed and announced” these events, which the people had to celebrate faithfully.

Passover is Israel’s feast of deliverance; the key passage is . The innocent lamb died for the firstborn; because the blood of the lamb was applied to the door by faith, the firstborn sons were safe. This was “the Lord’s Passover” and the only means of deliverance that He provided that awesome night when the death angel visited Egypt. To reject the blood of the lamb was to accept judgment and death.

The lamb typified Jesus Christ, who shed His blood on the cross for a world of lost sinners (; , ). Jesus Christ “knew no sin” (; ): “In Him there is no sin in Him” ().

The Israelites also fed on the lamb, and this gave them strength for the journey ahead of them. No outsider was permitted to eat the Passover feast (). You had to be either born into the family () or purchased, and the men had to bear on their body the mark of the covenant. Those who have never trusted Jesus Christ can’t “feast” on Him through the Word and find the strength they need for the journey of life. Only somebody born into God’s family through faith in Christ, purchased by His blood and marked by the Holy Spirit as a child of the new covenant, can appropriate Jesus Christ through the Word and “feed” on Him.

For seven days following Passover, the Israelites ate only unleavened bread with their meals, and they carefully cleansed all the yeast (leaven) out of their homes (). In many places in Scripture, yeast depicts sin. Thus the putting away of yeast illustrates the cleansing of one’s life after he or she has been saved through faith in the blood ().

The Christian life is not a famine or a funeral; it’s a festival. “Let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (). Sin can be secretly introduced into our lives and quietly grow so that it pollutes the inner person. One “toxic” Christian in a church body can defile the whole body if given enough time. One false doctrine, if allowed to grow, will destroy an entire ministry.

The day after the Sabbath that followed Passover, which would be the first day of the week, the priest took the first sheaf of barley from the field and waved it as an offering before the Lord. It was a token that the first and the best belonged to God, and it was done before Israel reaped the harvest for themselves (; ; ). It was also an expression of gratitude to the Lord for giving the harvest and supplying their daily bread. The Israelites weren’t allowed to eat of the harvest until the first cutting had been given to the Lord (, ), an Old Testament picture of .

There is a deeper meaning to this ceremony, however, for Jesus Christ is “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (). Jesus compared His death and burial to the planting of a seed (), and Paul carried the image further by seeing His resurrection as the harvest of the grain ().

This special celebration was also called “the Festival of Weeks,” because it was celebrated seven weeks after Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The Israelites were to count seven Sabbaths plus one day, or fifty days (v. ), which meant the festival started on the first day of the week. Later the word “Pentecost” (from the Greek word for “fifty”) was applied to the festival. The day of Pentecost () was also on the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day. Thus, each Lord’s Day commemorates not only the resurrection of Christ, but also the coming of the Spirit, and the birth of the church.

To the Christian, Pentecost is vital. God’s people can’t function properly in this world apart from the ministry of the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit who baptizes believers into the body of Christ (; ) and empowers them for service and witness (; , ), enabling them to endure persecution and suffering for the glory of God.

, Following the Festival of Pentecost, there’s a four-month gap on God’s calendar before the next festival. This gap could represent the age we’re now in, the age of the church, during which we should be devotedly involved in the harvest () and eagerly waiting for the sound of the trumpet (; ).

The final three festivals were celebrated in the seventh month, our modern September–October. The number seven is important in this calendar and in God’s plan for Israel (). There are seven festivals, three of them in the seventh month. The Sabbath is the seventh day of the week. Pentecost is fifty days after Passover (seven times seven plus one). The Festival of Unleavened Bread and the Festival of Shelters each lasted seven days.

The Hebrew word for “seven” comes from a root word that means “to be full, to be satisfied.” It’s also related to the word meaning “to swear, to make an oath.” Whenever the Lord “sevens” something, He’s reminding His people that what He says and does is complete and dependable. Nothing can be added to it.

The Festival of Trumpets was held on the first day of the seventh month and ushered in the new civil year (Rosh Hashanah, “the head of the year”). The sacrifices for the Festival of Trumpets are listed in .

The basic interpretation of this festival relates to Israel, but we can make an application to the church. Some of the saints are in heaven and some are on earth, and those on earth are scattered in many tribes and nations. But all of us should be waiting expectantly for the sound of the trumpet and “our gathering together to Him” ().

Note here the emphasis on the people denying themselves (the word can be translated “afflicting their souls,” or “fasting”) and abstaining from all work. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (). As already noted (), there’s also a prophetic message to the Day of Atonement. After Israel is gathered to her land, the Jews will see their rejected Messiah, repent of their sins (), and be cleansed. The scattered nation will be gathered and the sinful nation will be cleansed. What a glorious day that will be!

The Festival of Shelters (tabernacles, Booths) reminded Israel of God’s blessings in the past (vv. , ). He had led them out of Egyptian bondage, cared for them in the wilderness, and brought them into their promised inheritance. Once they had lived in booths and tents, but in Canaan they would live in houses!

It’s worth noting that the Jews added two extra rituals to their celebration of the Festival of Shelters to remind them of God’s wilderness blessings. The first was the pouring out of the water from the pool of Siloam, recalling God’s provision of water in the desert; the second was the placing of four large lighted candlesticks to recall the pillar of fire that led the people by night.

Jesus related both of these traditions to Himself. It was during the Festival of Shelters, when the water was being poured out, that he cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink” (). He also said to the temple crowd, “I am the light of the world” (). What a tragedy, that the Jews were careful to maintain their traditions and yet completely missed their Messiah who was in their midst!

Passover and Unleavened Bread, First Harvest, and Shelters (): These three festivals remind us of the death of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, and the return of Christ to establish His kingdom. Christ died for our sins; Christ lives; Christ is coming again! Hallelujah, what a Savior!

In this chapter, the Lord gave Moses instructions concerning three holy things: the holy oil for the lampstand (vv. ), the holy bread for the table (vv. ), and the holy name of the Lord, which all the people were to honor (vv. ).

This commandment emphasized two essentials: (1) the people of Israel had to provide the olive oil regularly, and (2) it had to be beaten and pure (). There was a method of extracting olive oil by heat, but beating or crushing the olives and straining out the impurities produced the best olive oil. And the God of Israel deserves the very best.

The gold lampstand first of all symbolizes the Word of God, the light that God gives us in this dark world (, ; ). The unconverted can’t see or understand the light of the Word of God because they lack the ministry of the Holy Spirit (). Nobody outside the Holy Place could see the light from the gold lampstand, but those within appreciated its light.

Jesus is the light (; , ; ; ), and only through Him can we see and appreciate spiritual things. The apostle John compared local churches to individual gold lampstands that are supposed to shine and bear witness in their cities (, ; see ; ; ).

Many a local church has had its light go out before both God and the world because of the unfaithfulness of the members. They failed to pray, give, and allow the Holy Spirit to use them. If the light is to be kept burning, somebody has to provide the oil.

From the priest’s viewpoint, the loaves of bread reminded him that his ministry was for real people. Being somewhat isolated in the tabernacle precincts day after day, the priests could easily get “out of touch” with the people they were representing before God.

We expect to find oil and incense in the Holy Place, but not bread. After all, bread is a common food. But the presence of bread in the tabernacle assures us that God is concerned about the practical things of our lives and that there’s no such thing as “secular” and “sacred” in the Christian life. It was this “holy bread” that David and his men ate when David was fleeing from Saul (; see ).

It may seem strange to us that the Book of Leviticus is interrupted at this point to tell about a blasphemer who was judged, but the narrative is an illustration, not an interruption. The basis for obedience to the law is the fear of the Lord, and people who blaspheme His holy name have no fear of God in their hearts.

Of course, it’s possible to blaspheme God’s name in other ways besides swearing. Perjury dishonors God’s name (), and so does stealing (, ). Jesus taught that our lives should be so pure that we won’t need to use oaths or vows in order to make people believe us (). A multitude of words could be evidence that sin is present somewhere ().

begins in the Holy Place of the tabernacle and ends outside the camp. It opens with oil and bread and closes with the shedding of guilty blood. But the emphasis is the same: Our God is a holy God and we must honor Him, whether in bringing our gifts or respecting His name. The Lord doesn’t execute blasphemers today, but there is coming a day of judgment when the secrets of all hearts will be revealed, and then God will “render to each one according to his deeds” ().

Immature Christians want the Lord to give them rules and regulations to cover every area of life, and this explains why they’re immature. If we never have to pray, search the Scriptures, counsel with other believers, and wait on the Lord, we never will exercise our “spiritual muscles” and grow up. The Bible gives us precepts, principles, promises, and personal examples that together are adequate to guide us in the decisions of life.

God has ordained human government and He has given civil authorities the power of the sword (). The purpose of capital punishment is not to frighten potential criminals into being good but to uphold and defend the law. It’s a declaration that men and women are special—created in the image of God—and that life is sacred in God’s sight.

If the Israelites were to possess and enjoy their land, they had to recognize and respect some basic facts, the first of which was that God owned the land (vv. , , ) and had every right to dispose of it as He saw fit. God also owned the people of Israel (v. ), because He had redeemed them from Egyptian bondage. And it was God who gave the increase (v. ) and supplied them with sunshine, rain, and harvests.

In , the Jewish calendar was based on a series of sevens. There were seven annual festivals, three of them in the seventh month, and the seventh day of the week was the Sabbath, a day of rest. Now we learn that the seventh year was to be a year of rest for the land, the people, and their animals.

informs us that personal debts were also remitted during the Sabbath year and that indentured servants were set free. says you must “cancel the debts of everyone who owes you money.”

It’s significant that the Year of Jubilee started with the Day of Atonement, a day when the Jews were commanded to “deny themselves” and repent of their sins (). They were not to enter the Year of Jubilee without the Lord first cleansing and forgiving them. We all need reminders of the importance of keeping our relationship with God up-to-date.

, At the start of the Year of Jubilee, the people were commanded to release their indentured servants so that they might return to their own lands and families. A Hebrew servant was to serve for only six years and then be set free ().

, During the Year of Jubilee, the people were forbidden to carry on their normal agricultural pursuits but had to live on whatever the land produced. This gave both them and the land an extra year of rest, since the previous year would have been a Sabbath year.

Any property that was sold since the last Year of Jubilee would revert to its original owner, for the Lord wanted His land to remain with the tribes, clans, and families to which it had been allotted.

If a poor Hebrew had to sell himself or his property in order to stay alive, he didn’t have to wait until the Year of Jubilee to regain either his property or his freedom. At any time, a family member who was willing and able to pay the price could redeem him or his land.

The classic example of the law of the family redeemer is recorded in the Book of Ruth, where Boaz redeemed both Ruth and her inheritance and then married her. The Lord Jesus Christ took upon Himself sinless human flesh and became our brother (), so that He might give Himself as the redemption price and set us free. Only He was qualified to do what had to be done, and He was willing to do it. Not only did He redeem us, but also He gave us a share in and made us a part of His inheritance!

, God is concerned about how we use the resources He’s given us and how we treat one another in the marketplace. Both ecology and economy are His concern, and He eventually judges those who exploit others and treat them in ways that are less than humane (). The church of Jesus Christ has thrived under many kinds of political and economic systems and isn’t dependent on any of them, but the church must always champion the rights of the poor and the oppressed and use every spiritual weapon to defeat the oppressors.

Catalyst

In , to obey God is to “follow my decrees” (v. ), but to disobey Him is to “reject my decrees” and despise His statutes (vv. , , , , , , , ). The word translated “reject” means “a hostile meeting with the intention of fighting.”

Our bodies are the sanctuary of God, and we must be careful to use them for God’s glory (). The Holy Spirit of God lives in us, and we must not grieve Him by using His temple for ungodly purposes (; see ). Christians who indulge in illicit sex or who defile their imagination with evil thoughts are guilty of violations just as serious.

As children of God, we already have everything we need for “living a godly life” (), because we now possess “every spiritual blessing” in Christ (). But to possess these blessings is one thing; to enjoy them is quite something else. As we trust God’s promises and obey His commandments, we draw upon our spiritual inheritance and are able to walk successfully and serve effectively.

Some of the “success preachers” today like to claim these covenant blessings for the church but prefer to apply the judgments to somebody else! If this covenant applies to God’s children today, then we should be experiencing the judgments whenever we disobey Him. However, experience shows us that more than one compromising believer is successful, healthy, and wealthy, while many of God’s faithful children are going through trials and difficulties (see ).

Even in the worst situations, however, there is always hope, for God is “the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth” (, ). His covenant with His people never changes, and if we confess our sins and repent, He will forgive and restore (; , ; ; ). Whether in blessing, chastening, or forgiving, God always keeps His covenant and is true to His Word.

Go to the

, The presence of the Lord was the greatest blessing promised, because every other blessing depends on it. What other nation had the sanctuary of the living God in their midst and their God walking among them ()? How tragic, that Israel’s disobedience turned the temple into a den of thieves (), forcing the Lord to destroy the temple and send His people into exile. When we lose the sense of the Lord’s presence and the privilege it is to serve Him, then we begin to despise His Word and disobey His commandments.

God may punish His people, but He will never reject them or cast them away (). In fact, one reason for His chastening is to bring His erring people back into His arms of love, where He can enjoy them and bless them once again (). God’s people may forget His law, but God remembers His covenant. He also remembers the land, because it belongs to Him ().

When we disobey the Lord, the enemy accuses us and wants us to believe there’s no hope because God is through with us (). “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself” (). King Solomon pointed out the promise of forgiveness when he dedicated the temple (), and it was that promise that Jonah claimed when he repented of his sins ().

The promise of forgiveness in should never be used as an excuse for sin, but it is certainly a wonderful encouragement to God’s people when they have sinned. God’s faithfulness to His Word and to His covenant is a great assurance to the believer that “there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared” (). Since the Word never changes and God’s character never changes, we have every encouragement to come to Him and make a new beginning.

It seems strange that this book should end with a chapter on vows rather than with an account of a special demonstration of God’s glory and holiness. But our promises to God must be as inviolable as His covenant with us. “Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few” (). “It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy, and afterward to reconsider his vows” ().

The principle behind the regulations in this chapter is that of substituting money for something given in dedication to God (a person, an animal, or a piece of property), and giving that money to the priests for the upkeep of the sanctuary. These vows were strictly voluntary and were expressions of the worshiper’s gratitude to God for His blessing.

, “Devoted offerings” to the Lord would be things that God had set aside for Himself, such as the spoils of war at Jericho (; ). Both objects and people could fit under this command. This means God put them under a ban so that they wholly belonged to Him. King Saul broke this law when he tried to give to God that which he had already banned, that is, the Amalekites and all their wealth ().

The major lesson of this chapter is that God expects us to keep our commitments to Him and be honest in all our dealings with Him. We must not try to negotiate “a better deal” or to escape responsibilities. It’s good to give money to the Lord, but giving money isn’t always an acceptable way to express our devotion to God. That money might be a substitute for the service we ought to be rendering to the Lord.

We need to remember that Jesus Christ paid with His own life the redemption price for sinners, and we weren’t worth it. He redeemed us, not with silver and gold but with His own precious blood (, ). Any sacrifice we make for Him is nothing compared to the sacrifice He made for us.

Leviticus 1

1:1 ;

1:1

1:2 ,

1:3

1:4 , , ;

1:4 []

1:4 ,

1:5

1:5

1:5 []

1:6

1:7

1:7

1:9

1:10

1:11

1:13 ;

1:14 , ;

1:16

1:17

1:17 ,

Leviticus 2

2:1

2:1

2:2 ; ; ;

2:3

2:3 ; ,

2:3

2:4

2:7

2:9 , ; ;

2:9

2:10 ;

2:11 ,

2:12 , , ,

2:13 []

2:13

2:13

2:14 ,

2:14

2:15

2:16

Leviticus 3

3:1 ,

3:1 ;

3:2 , ;

3:2

3:3 ; ; ,

3:5

3:5

3:5

3:5

3:6 ;

3:7 ,

3:7

3:7 ,

3:11

3:12

3:12 ,

3:16

3:17 ; ; ;

3:17 , ; ,

Leviticus 4

4:2

4:3

4:3 ;

4:3

4:4 , ;

4:5

4:6 ,

4:7 , , , ; ; ;

4:7 , ;

4:10

4:11

4:12 ; , ;

4:12 [, ]

4:13

4:13 ,

4:15 ,

4:16

4:20

4:20

4:22 , ,

4:23 ;

4:24 []

4:25 , , ,

4:26

4:26

4:27

4:28

4:29 ; ,

4:31

4:31 ,

4:31

4:31

4:32

4:33

4:35

4:35 ,

Leviticus 5

5:1

5:1

5:2

5:2

5:3 , ,

5:4

5:4 []

5:5

5:7 , ;

5:7

5:8

5:9 , , ,

5:10

5:10 , ; ,

5:11

5:11

5:12

5:12

5:13

5:13 ; ,

5:15 ;

5:15

5:15

5:16

5:16

5:17 , , ,

5:17 ,

5:18

5:19

Leviticus 6

6:2

6:2

6:2 ,

6:2

6:3

6:3

6:4 ,

6:5

6:6 ;

6:7

6:9

6:10

6:10

6:11

6:11

6:12 , , ,

6:13

6:17

6:18 ;

6:18

6:18 ; ;

6:18 Compare and

6:20

6:20

6:21 ;

6:22

6:22

6:25 , , ,

6:26 [, ]

6:27 ; ;

6:27 Compare and

6:28 ;

6:30 , , , , ; ;

6:30

6:30 , ,

6:30

6:30 The Most Holy Place when capitalized

Leviticus 7

7:1

7:6 ,

7:6

7:7 ;

7:9 ,

7:11 ; ,

7:12

7:13

7:14 , ,

7:15 ,

7:16

7:18

7:18 , , ;

7:20 []

7:20

7:20

7:21 , ,

7:21 ,

7:21

7:21

7:21 Following Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and Vulgate; Samaritan Pentateuch, Syriac, and Targum read swarming thing (compare ).

7:23 ;

7:26 ,

7:29 ;

7:30 , , ,

7:30 ,

7:31 , ,

7:31

7:32

7:34 ,

7:36 ,

7:37

7:37

7:37

7:37

7:37

7:37

7:38 ,

Leviticus 8

8:2

8:2 ,

8:2 ,

8:2

8:2 ,

8:6

8:7

8:8

8:8 Literally the Lights and the Perfections (compare )

8:9 , ;

8:10 ; ,

8:12

8:13 ,

8:14

8:14

8:15

8:16

8:17 ,

8:18

8:20

8:21

8:22 ,

8:23

8:24 [, , ]

8:25

8:26

8:27

8:28

8:29

8:29

8:29

8:30 ;

8:31 ,

8:32

8:33 ,

8:34 []

8:35

Leviticus 9

9:1

9:2

9:3 ,

9:4

9:4

9:7 [; ]

9:7 ,

9:10

9:11 , ;

9:12 ;

9:13

9:14

9:15 []

9:16

9:17 ,

9:18

9:20 ,

9:21

9:22

9:24

9:24

9:24 ,

Leviticus 10

10:1

10:1

10:1

10:2 ;

10:3

10:4 ,

10:6

10:7 ;

10:7

10:9

10:10 ;

10:11

10:12

10:12

10:13

10:13 ;

10:14

10:14

10:14

10:15 , ,

10:16 ,

10:17

10:17

10:18

10:18 ,

10:18 The Most Holy Place when capitalized

10:19 ,

10:19 []

Leviticus 11

11:2

11:4

11:7 ; ,

11:8

11:9

11:10 ,

11:13

11:22

11:25 , , ;

11:29

11:31

11:32

11:33

11:33

11:39

11:40 ;

11:43

11:44

11:44 ,

11:45 ;

11:45

11:47

Leviticus 12

12:2

12:2

12:2

12:3

12:6

12:6 []

12:6

12:8

12:8

Leviticus 13

13:2

13:2

13:2 Hebrew saraath, disfiguring skin diseases, including leprosy, and so in verses and

13:4

13:6 ;

13:10 ,

13:13

13:18 ;

13:24

13:42

13:44

13:45 ;

13:45 ,

13:45

13:46 ;

13:47 A mold, fungus, or similar infestation, and so in verses

13:51

Leviticus 14

14:2 ,

14:4

14:4

14:4

14:7 ,

14:7

14:8

14:8 []

14:8 , ; ,

14:9

14:10

14:10

14:12 , ; ;

14:12 ,

14:13

14:13 ;

14:13 ; ;

14:14 ,

14:16

14:18 ;

14:19 , ;

14:20 ,

14:21 , ; ;

14:22 ; ,

14:23 ,

14:24

14:25 ,

14:30 ; ,

14:32

14:34 ;

14:34 []

14:34 Decomposition by mildew, mold, dry rot, etc., and so in verses

14:35 [, ]

14:44

14:46 ;

14:47

14:49

14:53

14:54 ;

14:55

14:55

14:56

14:57

Leviticus 15

15:2

15:5 ;

15:5 ,

15:5 ;

15:6

15:8

15:12 ; ,

15:13 ;

15:14 , , ,

15:15 ,

15:15 ,

15:16

15:18 []

15:19

15:24 ;

15:25

15:28

15:30

15:31

15:31 ; ,

15:32

15:32

15:33

15:33

15:33

Leviticus 16

16:1 ,

16:2

16:2 , ;

16:3 [, , , ]

16:3

16:4 , ,

16:4

16:5

16:6 [; , ; ]

16:10 []

16:11 [; ]

16:12

16:12

16:13 ,

16:13

16:13

16:14 [; ]

16:14 ,

16:15 []

16:15 [; ; , , ]

16:16 ;

16:17

16:18

16:19

16:21 ;

16:21 []

16:22 [, , ]

16:22

16:23 ;

16:25 ;

16:26

16:27

16:29

16:30

16:31 ,

16:32 , , ;

16:32 ,

16:33 That is, the Most Holy Place

16:34

16:34 [, , ]

Leviticus 17

17:3 , ,

17:4

17:5

17:6

17:6

17:7

17:7

17:8 , ;

17:9

17:10

17:10 , ,

17:11

17:11 []

17:11 []

17:13

17:13 ,

17:13

17:14

17:15

17:15

17:15

17:16

Leviticus 18

18:2

18:3 ,

18:3 ;

18:4

18:8

18:9

18:12

18:14

18:17

18:18 ,

18:19

18:19 ;

18:20 []

18:20

18:21

18:21

18:21 ,

18:22

18:23

18:24

18:24

18:25 ,

18:25

18:25 ;

18:26 ,

18:28

18:30 ;

18:30

Leviticus 19

19:2 ; ,

19:3

19:3 ; ;

19:4

19:4

19:5

19:9

19:11 ,

19:11

19:12

19:12

19:13 ,

19:13

19:14

19:15

19:15 ,

19:16 ; ;

19:16

19:17 [, ; ]

19:17

19:18 []

19:18

19:20

19:28

19:29 ; ,

19:30

19:31 ,

19:32

19:32

19:33

19:34

19:34

19:36

19:37 ,

Leviticus 20

20:2

20:2

20:2

20:3

20:6

20:7

20:8 ,

20:8

20:9

20:9

20:10

20:11 ,

20:12

20:13

20:14

20:15

20:17

20:18 ;

20:19

20:19

20:20

20:21

20:22 ;

20:22 ,

20:23 ,

20:23

20:24 ; ; ;

20:24 ;

20:25 ;

20:25

20:26

20:27

Leviticus 21

21:1

21:5

21:6

21:6

21:6

21:7

21:7 ,

21:7 Literally he

21:8 ,

21:8 ,

21:9

21:10

21:10 ,

21:11

21:12

21:12 ,

21:18

21:18

21:23

21:23

Leviticus 22

22:2

22:2

22:2

22:3 ,

22:4

22:4

22:4 ;

22:4

22:4 ,

22:5

22:5 ,

22:6

22:7 ,

22:8 ; , ;

22:9

22:9

22:10

22:11

22:15

22:18 , ,

22:19

22:20 ;

22:21 ,

22:21 ,

22:22

22:22 , ; ,

22:23

22:25 ,

22:25 ,

22:25

22:27

22:28 ,

22:29

22:30

22:31

22:32

22:32

22:32

22:33 ,

Leviticus 23

23:2

23:3

23:4

23:5

23:7

23:10 ;

23:10 []

23:11

23:16

23:16

23:17

23:19

23:19

23:20

23:22 ,

23:24

23:24

23:27

23:28

23:29

23:29

23:30

23:34

23:36

23:36

23:36

23:37 ,

23:38

23:39

23:40

23:40 ; ,

23:41

23:42 []

23:42

23:43

23:43

23:43

23:44

Leviticus 24

24:2 ,

24:4 ; ;

24:5 ; ;

24:6

24:7 , ,

24:8

24:9

24:9

24:11

24:11

24:11 ,

24:12

24:12

24:14 ;

24:15

24:16 [, ]

24:17

24:18

24:19

24:20

24:20 [, ]

24:22

Leviticus 25

25:1

25:2 ,

25:4

25:4 []

25:5

25:9 ,

25:10 , ,

25:10

25:11

25:12 ,

25:13 ;

25:14

25:15 ,

25:17

25:17 , ;

25:18

25:18

25:19

25:20 ,

25:20 ,

25:21

25:21

25:22

25:22

25:23

25:23

25:25 ; ,

25:25 , ,

25:27

25:28 ,

25:32

25:34

25:34 ,

25:35 ; ,

25:36

25:36

25:38 ; ,

25:41

25:42 []

25:43

25:43 ,

25:43

25:45 [, , ]

25:46

25:50

Leviticus 26

26:1 ,

26:2

26:3

26:4

26:4

26:5

26:5 ,

26:6

26:6

26:6

26:6

26:8

26:9

26:9 ,

26:9

26:10

26:11 ; ,

26:12 []

26:13

26:16

26:16

26:16 ;

26:16

26:17

26:17

26:17

26:17

26:18

26:19

26:19

26:20

26:20

26:22

26:22

26:23

26:24 ,

26:25

26:25

26:26

26:26

26:29 ,

26:30

26:31 ,

26:31

26:31

26:32 ;

26:33

26:34

26:35

26:36 , ,

26:37 ,

26:37 ,

26:38

26:39 ;

26:39

26:40

26:41

26:41 , ,

26:41

26:42 ;

26:42

26:43 ,

26:43

26:44

26:45 []

26:45 ;

26:45

26:46 []

26:46

Leviticus 27

27:2

27:3

27:8 ;

27:10

27:13 ; ; ,

27:18 , ,

27:21 , ,

27:21

27:21

27:22 ,

27:24 ,

27:25

27:26 , ;

27:27 ,

27:28

27:29

27:30

27:31

27:32

27:33

27:34

27:34 []

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