Front matter (continued, part 18)
Like some people in churches today, Jewish worshippers could merely go through the motions at the altar, without putting their heart into it, but this meant that God had not truly forgiven them (Ps. 50:8–14; 61:16–17; Isa. 1:10–20; Mic. 6:6–8). God doesn't want our sacrifices; He wants obedience from our hearts (1 Sam. 15:22).
The phrase "sweet savour'' is used three times in this chapter (vv. 9, 13, 17) and eight times in chapters
The sacrifices described in Leviticus 1—7 remind
Leviticus 1—7
poured on it or mingled with it, a picture of the Holy Spirit of God, who was given to Christ without measure (John 3:34). It also had to include salt (Lev. 2:13; Matt. 5:13), which speaks of our Lord's purity of character. Jesus compared Himself to a grain of wheat (John 12:23–25), and He was crushed ("fine flour'') and put through the furnace of suffering that He might save us from our sins.
1–3, and it means "a fragrant aroma.'' 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 (Gen. 8:21; Lev. 26:31). When Jesus died on the cross, His sacrifice was a "sweet-smelling fragrance'' to the Lord (Eph. 5:2), and our offerings to God should follow that example (Phil. 4:18).
Leaven (yeast) and honey were prohibited from being included in the meal offering (Lev. 2:11). The Jews would associate leaven with evil because of the Passover rules (Ex. 12:19–20; see Luke 12:1; 1 Cor. 5:8), 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 "law of the burnt offering'' is found in Leviticus 6:9–13. 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 (9:24).4 Because the ashes were holy, they couldn't be disposed of at the camp's refuse heap, but had to be taken to a place that was ceremonially clean. Even the crop of the bird was put with the ashes (1:16) and not treated like rubbish.
The drink offering (Num. 15:1–13) is mentioned in Leviticus 23:13, 18, and 37; but its "laws'' are not explained there. Like the meal offering, the drink offering was presented after the animal sacrifices had been put on the altar and was a required part of the sacrifice (see Num. 29:6, 11, 18–19, and so on). "The fourth part of a hin of wine'' (15:5) would be about a quart of liquid. Neither the offerer nor the priest drank the wine, because all of it was poured out on the altar. Note that the more expensive sacrifices required a larger amount of wine for the drink offering.
The meal offering (2:1–16; 6:14–23; 7:9–10)5 could be presented at the altar in one of five forms: fine flour, oven-baked cakes, cakes baked in a pan, cakes baked in a frying pan (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 "memorial 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 it, and they had to do it in the holy place of the tabernacle (6:16, 18), and with unleavened bread (v. 17). The only meal 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. 19–23). Twice a day, God reminded His priests that they should maintain purity and integrity as they served Him.
The burnt offering, the meal 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'' (Ps. 22:14) and "poured out His life unto death'' (Isa. 53:12 niv). Paul saw himself poured out like a drink offering on behalf of the Philippians, joining in their sacrifice (Phil. 2:17), and in the Roman prison, he was already "being poured out like a drink offering'' (2 Tim. 4:6 niv) as he anticipated his martyrdom.
Since grain represents the fruit of our labor, the meal offering was one way for the Jews to dedicate to God that which He had enabled them to produce. The frankincense that was burned with the memorial portion represents prayer (Ps. 141:2; Rev. 5:8), a reminder of the petition "Give us this day our daily bread'' (Matt. 6:11). But the meal 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 (Heb. 9:22).6 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.
Communion with God (3; 7:11–38) There are several distinctive features about the peace offering or fellowship offering that should be noted. For one thing, the offerer 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 (Lev. 22:23). After all, it was basically going to be used as food for the priests and the offerer's family, and those defects wouldn't matter.
That leads to our third distinctive feature: the fellowship offering is the only offering that was shared with the worshippers. After the priest had completed the sacrifice, a large portion of the meat went to him; the rest went to the offerer, who could then enjoy a feast with his family and friends. Since the Jews didn't often slaughter their precious animals for meat, a dinner of beef or lamb would be a special occasion. At the dedication of the temple, Solomon sacrificed 142,000
This offering represents Jesus Christ as the Bread of Life (John 6:32ff.), the perfect One who nourishes our inner person as we worship Him and ponder His Word. This explains why God laid down such strict conditions for the offerer to meet before the meal offering would be accepted. The offering had to be accompanied with oil (Lev. 2:1–2, 4, 6, 15), either
Leviticus 1—7
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.
peace offerings and the people feasted for two weeks (1 Kings 8:62–66).
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 (Gen. 31:54), or the sealing of friendship, as with Israel and Jethro and his people (Ex. 18:12). In the church today, the Lord's Supper, or Eucharist, is a simple meal that shows the unity of God's family (1 Cor. 10:16–18; 11:18–34). 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 worshipper was at peace with God and in communion with God. He might be giving thanks for some unexpected blessing God sent him (Lev. 7:11–15); or perhaps he had made a vow to God, and God had answered his prayers; or maybe he was just thankful to God for everything God did for him and wanted to let everybody know (vv. 16–18). The fellowship offering emphasized the fact that the forgiveness of sins resulted in communion with God and with God's people.
The repeated phrase "through ignorance'' (4:2, 13, 22, 27; 5:15) means, not that the sinners were ignorant of the law, but that they were ignorant of having violated the law. They had become defiled or disobedient and didn't realize it. However, ignorance doesn't cancel guilt. "Though he wist it not, yet is he guilty'' (v. 17; see vv. 1–5 for examples of the sins involved).8 Once their sin was known, it had to be confessed and dealt with. David used this same word when he prayed, "Cleanse thou me from secret faults'' (Ps. 19:12), that is, "sins I don't know about in my own life.''
No sacrifice was provided for people who committed "high-handed'' deliberate sins in the full light of the law of God (Num. 15:30–36). When David took Bathsheba and then had her husband murdered (2 Sam. 11—12), he sinned deliberately with his eyes wide open. Therefore, he knew that his only hope was the mercy of God (Ps. 51:1, 11, 16–17). Being king, he could have brought thousands of sacrifices, but they would not have been "sacrifices of righteousness'' (v. 19).
Leviticus 7:11–38 lays down the conditions for the feast, what the people ate, what the priests ate, and what must be done with the leftovers. The blood and the fat7 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 defiled was forbidden to come to the feast and was "cut off'' from their people (vv. 20–21, 25, 27; see 17:4, 9–10, 14; 18:29; 19:8; 20:3, 5–6, 17–18; 23:29). In the case of a Sabbathbreaker, being "cut off'' meant death (Ex. 31:12–14; Num. 15:32–36), 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 (Lev. 15).
The sin offering (4:1—5:13; 6:24–30)9 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. If the high priest sinned, he had to bring a young bullock (Lev. 4:1–12). If the whole congregation sinned, they also had to bring a bullock (vv. 13–22). A ruler brought a male kid of the goats (vv. 22–26), while one of the "common people'' ("a member of the community,'' NIV) brought a female kid of the goats or a female lamb (vv. 27–35). A poor person could bring a dove or a pigeon, and a very poor person could bring a nonbloody sacrifice of fine flour (5:7–13).
On the cross, Jesus Christ purchased reconciliation with God (2 Cor. 5:16–21) and peace with God (Col. 1:20) for all who will trust Him, and we can have fellowship with God and other believers because of His shed blood (1 John 1:5–2:2). 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'' (Ps. 116:17) and "the sacrifice of praise'' (Heb. 13:15), from pure hearts that are grateful for His mercies.
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 (4:15), for as leaders, they were responsible before God to oversee the spiritual life of the people. The animal was slain, and the blood presented to God. In the case of the high priest and the nation, some of the blood was sprinkled before the veil and applied to the horns of the altar of incense in the holy place, and the rest was poured out at the base of the altar. This reminded the nation that the sins of leaders had far greater consequences. The blood of the sacrifices brought by the leaders or the common people was applied to the horns of the brazen altar at the door of the tabernacle.
Cleansing from God (4—5; 6:1–7, 24—30; 7:1–10) The sin offering and the guilt (or trespass) offering were very much alike and were even governed by the same law (7:1–10). Generally speaking, the guilt 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
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. 8–12, 21). Why? For one thing, it made a distinction between the sin offering and the burnt offering so that the worshippers wouldn't be confused as they watched. But even more, it reminded the people that the sins of the high priest
Leviticus 1—7
instead of a painful famine. He is our sin offering and our guilt offering, for He bore our sins on His body (1 Peter 2:24) and paid the full price for our sins (1:18–19).
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 Hebrews 13:10–13, this was a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ who died "outside the city gate … outside the camp'' as our sin offering (vv. 12–13 niv).
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'' (Heb. 10:12) and took care of our sin problem completely.
The result of this ritual was forgiveness (Lev. 4:20, 26, 31, 35; see 5:10, 13; 6:7). As I mentioned before, 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 (Heb. 10:1–15). He is our sin offering (Isa. 53:4–6, 12; Matt. 26:28; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24). The trespass offering (5:14—6:17; 7:1–10) was needed for two kinds of sins: sins against "the holy things of the Lord'' (5:15) and against one's neighbor (6:1–7). 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 verses 2–3.
Do you believe that Jesus Christ died for all your sins and paid your full debt? Can you say with Mary, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior'' (Luke 1:46–47 nkjv)? If not, then trust Him today; if you have trusted Him, share the good news with others.
"Your faith has saved you,'' Jesus said to a repentant sinner. "Go in peace'' (Luke 7:50 nkjv).
What wonderful words to hear!
The ritual involved the sinner confessing the sin (Num. 5:7), 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 (Lev. 5:15, 18). The priest valued the ram to make sure of its worth, lest the offender try to atone for his or her sins by giving the Lord something cheap. The restitution and fine were first given to the priest so he would know it was permissible to offer the sacrifice (6:10). If the offended party wasn't available to receive the property or money, then it could be paid to one of the relatives; if no relative was available, it remained with the priest (Num. 5:5–10).
1 Hebrews 10:5–8 refers to all six of the Levitical sacrifices and states that they are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. "Sacrifice'' (v. 5) refers to any animal sacrifice, which would include the peace (fellowship) offering, burnt offering, sin offering, and trespass (guilt) offering. "Offering'' (v. 5) refers to the meal and drink offerings. The burnt offering and sin offering are specifically named in verses 6 and 8. 2 Even the poorest in the nation could bring a sacrifice to God. When Mary and Joseph dedicated the baby Jesus, they brought birds instead of animals (Luke 2:21–24; see Lev. 12:8; 2 Cor. 8:9). 3 The Hebrew word translated "lay in order'' (vv. 7–8, 12) can be found in the prayer in Psalm 5:3 ("I lay my requests before you,'' niv). Like the sacrifices on the altar, our prayers should be orderly and "on fire'' before God. Prayer is also compared to the burning of incense on the golden altar (141:2). 4 When Paul admonished Timothy to "stir up the gift of God'' (2 Tim. 1:6), he used a Greek word that literally means "again—life—fire'' and was saying "fan the fire into life again.'' As God's priests, believers today must keep the fire burning on the altar of their hearts and not become lukewarm (Rev. 3:15–16) or cold (Matt. 24:12). 5 In seventeenth-century England, when the KJV was translated, the word "meat'' meant any kind of food, including grain, and so the translators called this "the meat offering,'' even though no "meat'' (animal flesh) was involved. It should be called the "grain offering,'' "meal offering,'' or "cereal offering.'' 6 However, see Leviticus 5:11–13, where the meal offering could be presented by poor people unable to afford an animal, and God said He would forgive their sins. But keep in mind that since the meal was placed on the altar on which the daily burnt offering had been sacrificed (Ex. 29:38–42), there was "the shedding of blood.'' 7 The "whole rump'' mentioned in 3:9 and 7:3 refers to "the entire fat tail'' of the sheep, which could weigh as much as fifteen pounds. It was considered one of the most valuable parts of the animal, and it was given entirely to the Lord. 8 The familiar adage, "Ignorance is no excuse in the sight of the law'' is an adaptation of what the English jurist John Selden
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 whom we've sinned against. Forgiveness comes only because of the death of an innocent substitute. The passage in Isaiah 53:10 states clearly that when Jesus died on the cross, God made His Son "a guilt offering'' (niv). The penalty we should have paid, He paid for us!
We haven't been able to probe into the details of these offerings, but what we have studied should make us realize the awfulness of sin, the seriousness of confession and restitution, the graciousness of God in forgiving those who trust Jesus Christ, and the marvelous love of our Savior in His willingness to die for undeserving people like us.
Jesus provides all that we need. He is our burnt offering, and we must yield ourselves wholly to Him. He is our meal 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 fellowship offering, making life a joyful feast
Leviticus 8
Submitting to God's authority (8:1–36) At least twenty 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 (Ex. 28—29). Nothing was left to chance or to the imagination. Moses was to do everything according to what God had shown him on the mount (25:40; 26:30; 27:8; Heb. 8:5).
(1584–1654) wrote: "Ignorance of the law excuses no man; not that all men know the law, but because 'tis an excuse every man will plead, and no man can tell how to confute him.'' If we define "sin'' as "a violation of the known law of God,'' then we're saying that the dumber we are, the holier we should be; and this isn't so. The Bible urges us to grow in knowledge that we might grow in grace (John 7:17; 2 Peter 3:18). Our exalted High Priest understands us and can help us in our ignorance (Heb. 5:2; 9:7). 9 The translation of Leviticus 5:6 in the KJV gives the impression that verses 1–13 are about the trespass offering, when actually they dealt with the sin offering. The trespass offering was a ram and not a female lamb or goat (vv. 16, 18; 6:6); the trespass offering included a fine, which is not mentioned here; and verses 5–9 and 11–12 clearly call this sacrifice a sin offering.
In the ministry of the church today, spiritual leaders must constantly ask, "For what does the Scripture say?'' (Rom. 4:3 nkjv). 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 (Isa. 8:20)! 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 mount'' and find out from the Word what God wants His people to do.
II.A Holy Priesthood (8—10; 21—22) A.Consecration—8—9
CHAPTER THREE Leviticus 8:5—10 A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS U
The assembly called (vv. 1–5). The ordination of Aaron and his sons was a public event as every ordination ought to be (Acts 13:1–3; 16:1–3; 1 Tim. 4:14). First of all the priests would serve God and seek to please Him (Ex. 28:1, 3–4, 41), but also they would be the servants of the people. 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 Lev. 9:1). 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.
nder the old covenant, God's people had a priesthood; under the new covenant, God's people are a "holy priesthood'' and a "royal priesthood'' (1 Peter 2:5, 9). Every believer in Jesus Christ can say with the apostle John: "To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion, forever and ever'' (Rev. 1:5–6 nkjv). God's desire was that the entire nation of Israel be "a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation'' (Ex. 19:6), but they failed Him and became "a sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity'' (Isa. 1:4). One reason the nation decayed morally and spiritually was because the leaders failed to be holy and obedient as God commanded. God finally had to send Babylon to chasten Israel "for the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests'' (Lam. 4:13). "A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land,'' said Jeremiah. "The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?'' (Jer. 5:30–31 niv)
Aaron and his sons washed (v. 6). This may have been done at the laver in the courtyard of the tabernacle (Ex. 38:8). 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 (30:17–21). When sinners trust Christ, they are washed from their sins once and for all (Rev. 1:5—6; 1 Cor. 6:9–11); God's children need to keep their feet clean by confessing their sins to the Lord (John 13:1–10; 1 John 1:9). In the Bible, water for washing is a picture of the Word of God (Ps. 119:9; John 15:3; Eph. 5:25–27). 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 (2 Cor. 3:18).
God wants His church today to be "a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that [they] may declare the praises of him who called [them] out of darkness into his wonderful light'' (1 Peter 2:9 niv). The Jewish priests were a privileged people, yet they despised their privileges and helped lead the nation into sin. Even after the Jews returned to their land from Babylon and established their worship again, the priests didn't give God their best, and God had to rebuke them (Mal. 1:6—2:17).
Aaron clothed (vv. 7–9). Aaron and his sons all wore linen undergarments (Ex. 28:42–43; Lev. 6:8–10; see Ex. 20:26), but the high priest wore special beautiful garments, described in Exodus 28. First, Moses put on Aaron the beautifully woven white coat and tied it with the sash. Over that he put the blue robe that had the golden bells and pomegranates on the hem. Over this went the linen ephod, a sleeveless coat that was bound with a special belt; both the ephod and the belt were beautifully embroidered with threads of scarlet, blue, purple, and gold. Over the ephod was the breastplate, an embroidered piece of cloth folded double, on which were
Leviticus 8—10 describes 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 (chap. 8), revealing God's glory (chap. 9), and accepting God's discipline (chap. 10).
Leviticus 8—9
twelve precious stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel, and in which were "the Urim and Thummim.''1 On his head, the high priest wore a linen turban (or bonnet) with a special golden "crown'' at the front on which were engraved the words HOLY TO THE LORD.
that both they and their garments were "sanctified,'' set apart by God for His exclusive use. Neither the priests nor what they wore could be used for any "common'' purposes. They belonged wholly to God.
The ordination ram eaten (vv. 31–36). For the next week, Aaron and his sons had to remain in the tabernacle court, and each day, Moses offered sacrifices like those he had offered on "ordination day'' (Ex. 29:35–36). The priests then ate the meat of the "ram of ordination'' as well as the bread for the meal offering, just as they would have eaten the fellowship offerings. However, there was a difference; they were not permitted to eat the meat the next day (Lev. 7:15–16). Whatever was left over had to be burned that same day. Their seven days in the tabernacle precincts indicated the completion of their dedication to the Lord. Had they disobeyed and left the tabernacle, they would have died. It was a serious thing to be one of God's priests.2
Each "believer priest'' has been clothed in the beauty and righteousness of Jesus Christ and is accepted in Him (Isa. 61:10; 2 Cor. 5:21; Eph. 1:6). Our righteousnesses are but filthy rags in God's sight (Isa. 64:6). 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.
Aaron and the tabernacle anointed (vv. 10–12). This was done with a special oil that no one was to duplicate in the camp, nor was it to be used on anyone but a priest (Ex. 30:22–33). In Scripture, oil is often a symbol of the Spirit of God who has anointed each believer (2 Cor. 1:21; 1 John 2:20, 27; see Ps. 133). The Hebrew word "Messiah'' and the Greek word "Christ'' both mean "anointed one'' (Luke 4:18; Acts 10:38). The fact that "the anointing oil of the Lord'' was on the priests set them apart from the common people and governed what they could and could not do (Lev. 8:30; 10:7; 21:12, 20).
Revealing God's glory (9:1–24) Aaron and his sons had obeyed God's commandments. Thus when the week was over, they were ready to begin serving the Lord at the altar. Up to this point, Moses had been offering the sacrifices; now Aaron and his sons would take up their priestly ministry.
Aaron's sons clothed (v. 13). They didn't have the beautiful garments of the high priest, but what they wore was still commanded by God, for their linen coats and turbans symbolized holiness before God in character and conduct. "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts'' (Rom. 13:14 nkjv).
Sacrificing on God's altar (vv. 1–21). 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. 16; Ex. 29:38–42). 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 Heb. 7:25–28).
The various sacrifices offered (vv. 14–29). The bullock for the sin offering for Aaron and his sons made possible the cleansing of their sins, and the ram for the burnt offering symbolized their total dedication to the Lord. The blood of the sin offering even sanctified the altar.
Their ordination, however, also involved offering sacrifices for the people (Lev. 9:3–4): a goat for a sin offering, a calf and a lamb for burnt offerings, and a bullock and a ram for peace (fellowship) offerings, along with the meal offerings. 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!
The "ram of consecration [ordination]'' took the place of the fellowship offering, symbolizing their communion with one another and with the Lord. The word translated "consecration'' or "ordination'' means "to fill up.'' A part of the sacrifice, along with a meal offering (Lev 8:25–26), was placed in Aaron's hands, thus filling them up, and then waved before the Lord. Later, this would be eaten. But the unique part of the ceremony was the putting of blood and oil on the right ear, right thumb, and right big toe of Aaron and his sons, symbolizing that they were set apart to hear God's voice, do God's work, and walk in God's ways.
Moses spoke to the people and told them that the glory of the Lord would appear when the ordination was completed (Lev. 9:6), just as His glory had appeared when the tabernacle was erected (Ex. 40:34–38). One of the main purposes of the tabernacle ministry was to glorify the God of Israel whose glory dwelt on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies. The pagan nations around them had priests and sacrifices, but they didn't have the glory of God. Instead, they "glorified Him not as God'' and "changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image'' (Rom. 1:21, 23). God hates idolatry because it robs Him of the glory that is due to Him, and it robs God's people of the blessings He wants to share with them.
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 (Heb. 9). Instead, He is the one perfect sacrifice that "takes away the sin of the world'' (John 1:29 nkjv).
The priests anointed (v. 30). Aaron had already had the holy oil poured upon him (Lev. 8:12), but now both he and his sons were sprinkled with both the oil and the blood of the sacrifices, taken from the altar. This meant
When Aaron had completed all these sacrifices, he and his sons and the people of Israel were forgiven,
Leviticus 9—10
doesn't glorify God, then God can't bless it and use it to help others and win the lost.
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.
Accepting God's discipline (10:1–20) A day which should have ended with the glorious worship of Jehovah God was instead climaxed with the funeral of two of Aaron's sons. The words of C. H. Mackintosh are pertinent and powerful:
B.Admonition—10
Sharing God's blessing (vv. 22–23a). One of the privileges of the high priest was that of blessing the people; on that first day of his ministry, Aaron gave them two blessings. He gave the first one alone, after he had offered the sacrifices; he gave the second one along with Moses after they had come out from the tabernacle when the ordination ceremony was finished.
The page of human history has ever been a sadly blotted one. It is a record of failure from first to last. Amid all the delights of Eden, man hearkened to the tempter's lie (Gen. 3); when preserved from judgment by the hand of electing love, and introduced into a restored earth, he was guilty of the sin of intemperance (Gen. 9); when conducted, by Jehovah's outstretched arm, into the land of Canaan, he "forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth'' (Judges 2:3); when placed at the very summit of earthly power and glory, with untold wealth at his feet, and all the resources of the world at his command, he gave his heart to the uncircumcised stranger (1 Kings 11). No sooner had the blessings of the gospel been promulgated than it became needful for the Holy Ghost to prophesy concerning "grievous wolves,'' "apostacy,'' and all manner of failure. … Thus, man spoils everything.3
The first blessing was probably the high priestly blessing recorded in Numbers 6:23–26. 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 (Eph. 1:3–7). 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.
Seeing God's glory (vv. 23–24). The glory of the Lord had appeared when Moses finished erecting the tabernacle (Ex. 40:34–35), and it would appear again at the dedication of the temple (2 Chron. 7:1ff.). How gracious on God's part to share His glory with sinful people!
The glory that dwelt in the tabernacle eventually left the camp because of the sins of the people (1 Sam. 4:21). It returned at the dedication of the temple, but then the prophet Ezekiel watched it depart because the nation had become so sinful (Ezek. 8:4; 9:3; 10:4, 18; 11:22–23). The glory came to earth when Jesus was born (Luke 2:8–9) and tabernacled in Him (John 1:14), but sinful people nailed that glory to a cross. Today, God's glory dwells in the bodies of His people (1 Cor. 6:19–20), in each local assembly of His people (3:16–17), and in His church collectively (Eph. 2:19–22). One day, we shall see that glory lighting the perfect heavenly city that God is preparing for His people (Rev. 21:22–23).
Nadab and Abihu's sin (vv. 1–2). Everything that these two men 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 (Ex. 30:7–10). They also used the wrong instruments, their own censers instead of the censer of the high priest, sanctified by the special anointing oil (40:9). 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 Holy of Holies, and even then he had to submit to a special ritual (Lev. 16:1ff.).
The fire of God consumed the burnt offering (see 2 Chron. 7:1–3) and gave the people the assurance that Jehovah God was among them and with them. "Our God is a consuming fire'' (Heb. 12:29), 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 (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24).
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 fire, what Scripture calls "strange fire'' (10:1; niv says "unauthorized fire''). The high priest was commanded to burn the incense on coals taken from the brazen altar (16:12), but Nadab and Abihu supplied their own fire, and God rejected it. They acted from the wrong motive and didn't seek to glorify God alone (10:3). We don't know the secrets of their hearts, but you get the impression that what they did was a willful act of pride. Their desire wasn't to sanctify and glorify the Lord but to promote themselves and be important.
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'' (Ps. 2:11). Paul saw this as a desirable and normal experience in the local assembly (1 Cor. 14:23–25). If our ministry
Finally, they depended on the wrong energy, for
Leviticus 10
hypocrite. Aaron knew that a mere mechanical observance of the ritual wouldn't have pleased God, for the Lord looks on the heart and wants obedience, not sacrifice (1 Sam. 15:22–23; 16:7; Ps. 51:16–17; Mic. 6:6–8). The law didn't allow Aaron to express his grief in the usual ways, but it didn't forbid him to fast, and fasting was his way of showing his grief for the loss of his two sons.
verses 9–10 imply that they were under the influence of alcohol. This reminds us of Ephesians 5:18, "And be not drunk with wine … but be filled with the Spirit.'' If every child of God were killed who substituted fleshly energy for the power of the Spirit, not many would be left! A. W. Tozer once said, "If God were to take His Holy Spirit out of this world, much of what the church is doing would go right on; and nobody would know the difference.''
As you review these three chapters, several lessons stand out clearly:
Nadab and Abihu were not outsiders; they were anointed priests who had seen God on the mountain (Ex. 24:1–11). Their father was the high priest, and they were trained in the service of the Lord. Yet they were killed for their disobedience! "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!'' (1 Cor. 10:12 niv). It's a serious thing to be a servant of God, and our service must be empowered by His Spirit and controlled by His Word. We must serve God "acceptably with reverence and godly fear: for our God is a consuming fire'' (Heb. 12:28–29).
1. God's Word commands us concerning our ministry, and we must obey what He 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.
2. 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.
3. Apart from the finished work of Christ and the power of the Spirit, we can't serve God acceptably (1 Peter 2:5). No amount of fleshly zeal or "false 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.
Aaron's sorrow (vv. 3–11). With the privileges of ministry come also responsibilities and sacrifices. Aaron wasn't permitted to mourn the death of his two older sons (Lev. 10:6–7; 21:10–12) but had to remain in the tabernacle precincts and complete the ceremony of ordination. Two of his nephews took care of the burial of the bodies (Ex. 6:21–22).
4. 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.
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 (Josh. 7), and the death of Uzzah was His warning when the ark was brought to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6:1–7). Early in the church age, the death of Ananias and Sapphira served as a warning to the saints not to try to lie to God (Acts 5).
5. The privileges of ministry bring with them serious responsibilities. "For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required'' (Luke 12:48 nkjv).
6. 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'' (Ps. 2:11 nkjv).
1 The words mean "lights [or curses] and perfections,'' and the general feeling among interpreters is that the Urim and Thummim were "holy lots'' that were cast to determine the will of God (Num. 27:21; 1 Sam. 28:6; 30:7–8). 2 Disobedience put the priests in danger of death (see Ex. 28:35, 43; 30:20–21; Lev. 16:2; Num. 4:15, 19–20). With great privileges come great responsibilities. 3 C. H. Mackintosh, Notes on Leviticus (Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux, 1948), 175–76.
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 (Ezek. 22:26; 42:20; 44:23; 48:14–15).
Aaron's sincerity (vv. 12–20). Since Moses was concerned lest any other commandment of the Lord be disobeyed and His judgment fall again, he admonished Aaron and his two remaining sons to be sure to eat their share of the peace (fellowship) offerings (Lev. 7:28–36). They were also to eat their part of the sin offering (6:24–30). Moses discovered that the sin offering hadn't been presented according to the law and that Aaron and his sons hadn't eaten it. At first he was angry, but Aaron's explanation satisfied him.
III. A Holy Nation (11—17) A.Clean and unclean food—11
CHAPTER FOUR Leviticus 11:5—12 CLEANLINESS AND GODLINESS C
leanliness is next to godliness.''
John Wesley is generally credited with that saying,1 but it's likely the proverb was current before his time. In fact, the way Wesley quoted it in his sermon "On Dress'' indicates that his listeners were already familiar with the maxim.
Aaron explained that he couldn't eat the offering with a good conscience because of the sorrow that had befallen him that day. The Lord knew his heart, and he wasn't going to attempt to fool God by playing the
Leviticus 10—11
The Jews would readily identify with the saying; in the camp of Israel, the concepts of cleanliness and godliness were so intertwined that they were almost synonymous. The Jews feared lest they become ceremonially unclean because of something they had touched or eaten. From birth to burial, the Jews had to submit every aspect of their daily lives to the authority of God's law. Whether it was selecting their food, preparing their food, caring for a mother and new baby, diagnosing a disease, or disposing of waste, nothing was left to chance in the camp of Israel lest someone be defiled. In order to maintain ceremonial purity, each Jew had to obey God's law in several areas of life.
It isn't necessary to identify every creature named in this chapter. In fact, some of them are mysteries to us. Keep in mind that the law named representative creatures and didn't attempt to give a complete list. Moses gave the general characteristics of the creatures that were approved and disapproved, and the people had to exercise discernment in applying the law. If a creature was doubtful, it was rejected; there was no sense taking a chance of becoming defiled.
Land animals (vv. 1–8). The two requirements were that the animal chew the cud and have a split hoof. An animal with only one of these features wasn't considered clean and had to be rejected. The Hebrew word translated "hare'' in verse 6 ("rabbit,'' niv) refers to an animal we're not familiar with, because the kinds of rabbits we're familiar with don't chew the cud. The movements of a rabbit's jaw and nostrils may give the appearance that he's chewing the cud, but that isn't the case at all.
Eating (11:1–23) Since Noah knew about clean and unclean animals (Gen. 7:1–10), 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 (Ex. 15:26; Deut. 7:15), 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. "Be holy, for I am holy'' (Lev. 11:44; see Deut. 14:3–20 for a parallel list of clean and unclean foods). Nevertheless, the spiritual principle of separation from defilement 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 and in your spirit, which are God's'' (1 Cor. 6:20 nkjv). "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God'' (10:31 nkjv). God hasn't given His church a list of things that are clean and unclean, but He's revealed enough to us in His Word to help us know what pleases Him and what grieves Him.
Water creatures (vv. 9–12). These had to have both fins and scales to be edible, and so all shellfish, catfish, and eels were prohibited. Aquatic creatures that are scavengers and burrow in the bottom of a body of water could pick up parasites that would be dangerous to the eater's health. Since fish swim freely in the water, they generally escape such infections.
Fowl (vv. 13–19). Carrion-eating birds of prey would be defiled by the dead carcasses of their victims as well as by the blood still in the flesh; this made them doubly unclean. When Israel lusted after meat, the Lord sent them quails (Ex. 16:1–13; Num. 11:31–35).
Flying insects (vv. 20–23). All insects were forbidden except those with jointed hind legs used for jumping, such as locusts, katydids, crickets, and grasshoppers. These creatures aren't normally a part of the Western diet, but many peoples in the East eat parts of their bodies roasted. John the Baptist lived on a diet of locusts and wild honey (Matt. 3:4). The Jews would shun cockroaches, flies, and other insects of that variety.
Some years ago, during the course of my annual physical examination, my doctor discovered that my sugar count was rather high. He checked it very carefully and then informed me that I was a borderline diabetic in danger of experiencing some serious calamity, like a heart attack or blindness. The easiest solution to my problem was to lose weight, so I immediately went on a diet.
Three facts should be noted about the dietary laws: (1) God gave these laws only to the Jewish 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 (Col. 2:14).
Jesus made it clear to His disciples that all foods were clean (Mark 7:1ff.), and God taught this lesson again to Peter before He sent him to minister to the "unclean'' Gentiles (Acts 10:9–16). Paul affirmed that special days and diets must not be considered either the means or the measure of a person's spirituality (Rom. 14:1—15:13). "But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do'' (1 Cor. 8:8 niv). It's wrong to judge other Christians on the basis of what they eat (Col. 2:16–23). 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 (1 Tim. 4:1–6).2
He gave me a piece of good advice. "Remember the secret of a happy diet is to learn to hate the things that aren't good for you and to enjoy the things that are good for you.''
It worked! I followed the diet, lost my taste for sweets and rich desserts, and soon got rid of the excess weight that was threatening my health, if not my life. We got the sugar under control.
The Jews under the Old Covenant had to adopt a similar outlook on life. They 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
Leviticus 11
often "reclassifying'' sin and making it look acceptable instead of abominable.
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.
For example, God said that the tree in the midst of the garden was off-limits to the man and woman, but Eve "saw that the tree was good for food'' (Gen. 3:6) and took the fruit. God said that all the spoil of Jericho was under divine restriction and not to be touched by the Jewish soldiers (Josh. 6:16–19), but Achan revised that classification and took some of the spoil (7:16–26). It cost him his life. Samuel told King Saul to slay all the Amalekites and their flocks and herds, but the king kept Agag alive and kept "the best of the sheep and of the oxen'' to give to the Lord (1 Sam. 15:15). Saul reclassified what God had said was abominable and thought this would make it acceptable, but his folly caused him to lose his kingdom.
When I was a young believer, somebody gave me a copy of the tract "Others May, You Cannot''; it was a big help to me. I learned that I had to get my directions from God and not from other people, and that I had to be willing to be different. My great desire had to be to please the Lord joyfully, not grudgingly, and not to see how close I could get to sin and still not get into trouble.
Touching (11:24–43) The emphasis in this section is on avoiding the defilement caused by touching certain dead creatures, both clean and unclean. If a Jew happened upon the carcass of even a clean animal, he knew it was defiled because the blood hadn't been properly drained out nor had the meat been protected from contamination. When Samson ate the honey from the carcass of the lion, he defiled himself and ceased to be a Nazarite (Judg. 14:1–9; see Num. 6:6, 9). No matter how sweet the honey was, it was unclean in God's sight; this made Samson unclean.
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 (Judg. 21:25). But society's reclassifying of sin hasn't changed anything; God still calls sin an abomination and 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'' (Jer. 17:9) and people love "darkness rather than light'' because their deeds are evil (John 3:19).
People who became defiled from touching a carcass were considered unclean until the end of the day. They had to wash themselves and their clothes and couldn't enter the camp until sunset. This kept them from spreading to others any contamination they might have picked up from touching the dead animal. If a dead creature fell into an earthen vessel, the vessel was smashed. Anything touched by the carcass was unclean and had to be either washed or destroyed.
Evangelist Billy Sunday used to say that a sinner can't find God for the same reason a criminal can't find a police officer: the criminal isn't looking very hard! "Prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit,'' wrote Jeremiah the prophet. "They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. 'Peace, peace,' they say, when there is no peace'' (Jer. 8:11 niv). The people are persecuted who have the right diagnosis and the only remedy, while the people with the false diagnosis and the useless remedy are honored. "The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so'' (5:31).
It's easy to see hygienic reasons behind these regulations, and no doubt obeying them helped the Jews 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 (2 Cor. 6:14—7:1). Moses also added lizards, rodents, and other creeping things to the list of prohibited foods (Lev. 11:29–30). These small creatures could die and be so concealed that a person would not know the carcass was there before they had touched it and become defiled. Or the corpse might fall into a container or on fabric, and this would make the item unclean. Jewish women were very careful in their housekeeping lest anything be present that would make the inhabitants unclean.
Discerning (11:44–47)
If the Jewish people were to keep themselves clean and pleasing to the Lord, they had to exercise discernment; this meant knowing God's Word, respecting it, and obeying it. Fathers and mothers had to teach their children the law and warn them about the things that were unclean (Deut. 6:1–9). The priests had to teach the people and remind them of the commandments of the Lord. It was when the nation of Israel neglected the Word of God and refused to obey it that the people began to follow the abominable practices of the heathen nations around them, and this is what led to Israel's discipline and defeat.
Thirty-two times in Leviticus 11, you find the word unclean, and ten times you find the word abomination. What God says is unclean must be an abomination in our eyes. "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness'' (Isa. 5:20 niv). The first step toward disobedience is
The Jews had to remind themselves every hour of
Leviticus 11—12
right and wrong. As a pathologist looks through his or her microscope, he or she 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. Remember, children are prone to walk into the mud and get dirty.
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. "I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy'' (Lev. 11:44 niv). In New Testament language, "Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called'' (Eph. 4:1 nkjv). Obeying God's will isn't a burden; it's a privilege! As Moses reminded his people, "For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?'' (Deut. 4:7–8 nkjv) The Old Testament Jew, like the New Testament Christian, was not to walk "as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind'' (Eph. 4:17). It was a temptation to "go along with'' and then imitate the pagan practices of the heathen nations, and this led to Israel's defilement and discipline. I fear that the church today is following the same philosophy and becoming more and more like the world. G. Campbell Morgan was right when he said that the church did the most for the world when the church was the least like the world.
What the prophet Hosea said about Israel in his day is true of many professed Christians today: "You stumble day and night, and the prophets stumble with you.… My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge'' (Hos. 4:5–6 niv). "But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil'' (Heb. 5:14 niv). Commenting on 1 Corinthians 2:13–16, Vance Havner said, "Nothing is more rare in churches today than discernment. The natural man knows nothing of it, the carnal man is devoid of it. Only the spiritual man has it and we have all too few in that category.''
B.Childbirth—12
Purifying (12:1–8) 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. Numbers 19 describes the preparation of special "water of purification'' that was kept outside the camp and used for ceremonial cleansing. But with some kinds of defilement, additional measures were necessary, as in cases of childbirth (Lev. 12) and the presence of infectious sores or diseases (chaps. 13—15).
Jews who exercised spiritual discernment would "walk in love'' (Eph. 5:2), and their love for the Lord would motivate them to obey His law. Each morning, the orthodox Jew would recite "The Shema,'' the official Jewish confession of faith: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength'' (Deut. 6:4–5 niv). That is still the first great commandment (Matt. 22:34–40).
Like Israel in the Old Testament, believers today must not only walk worthy of their calling and walk in love, but also must "walk circumspectly … understanding what the will of the Lord is'' (Eph. 5:15, 17). We must keep our eyes open and look around carefully lest we defile ourselves. Jews 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'' (Eph. 5:8), we won't stumble over some carcass in the darkness; for God's Word is the light that directs us (Ps. 119:105). The Lord reminded His people that it was He who had redeemed them from Egyptian bondage (Lev. 11:45). Therefore, they belonged to Him and were obligated to obey His will. Christ has redeemed us, not that we might be free to please ourselves, but that we might be free to serve Him, which is the greatest freedom of all. In giving His law, the Lord frequently used the miracle of the exodus to call Israel to obedience (19:36; 22:31–33; 25:38, 42, 55; 26:13, 45). In New Testament language, the Jews had been "bought with a price'' and were obligated to glorify the Lord who had redeemed them (1 Cor. 6:20; 1 Peter 1:18–25).
Mother and child (vv. 1–5). In giving birth to a baby, the mother experienced bleeding (vv. 4–5, 7), as well as the secretion of other bodily fluids (see chap. 15), 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.
Therefore, nothing in Leviticus 12 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'' (Gen. 1:27), and when God declared His creation to be "very good'' (v. 31), that declaration included sex. He commanded our first parents to "be fruitful, and multiply'' (v. 28); in spite of contemporary negative attitudes toward babies, Scripture presents children as blessings from God (Ps. 113:9; 127:3–5; 128:3; Prov. 17:6; Matt. 19:14). If for some reason a pregnancy was unwanted, the Jews would never consider aborting the baby.
There are probably matters of health involved in these instructions. Since the mother was considered to some measure "unclean'' for forty days after the birth of a son, or eighty days after the birth of a daughter, it meant that she had opportunity for rest
One of the marks of maturity is the ability "to make a difference'' (Lev. 11:47) and distinguish between
Leviticus 12—13
poor who couldn't afford a lamb! Mary and Joseph took advantage of this provision when they brought Jesus to the temple (Luke 2:21–24).
and recuperation before returning to her household duties. This would encourage her own well-being as well as that of the baby. It would also protect her from possible sickness carried by infected people seeking to assist her, or the spread of any infection she might have (that is, childbed fever).
This entire chapter, brief as it is, shows God's loving concern for the family, especially mother and child. We aren't at all surprised to hear Jesus say, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these'' (Mark 10:14 niv).
Scripture doesn't explain why twice as much time is assigned to a daughter than to a son. There's no proof that girl babies are necessarily weaker than boy babies and therefore need a longer time with the mother. A daughter would one day be subject to the judgment placed on Eve (Gen. 3:16), but why would God double the confinement of the mother because of the sex of her child, something over which she had no control? And it doesn't seem reasonable that God set up this schedule in order to "punish'' the husband by doubling the time he'd have to be apart from his wife. Perhaps God established these regulations primarily for the health of the mother and her "bonding'' to her daughter. The social structure of Israel was decidedly masculine, and sons were more welcome than daughters.
1 See John Wesley's Sermon 93 "On Dress.'' The phrase "next to'' means "immediately following.'' When people become believers, their faith ought to make a difference in the way they care for themselves. 2 According to Romans 14—15 and 1 Corinthians 8—10, Paul discussed the matter of abusing this freedom and thus offending a Christian with a weak conscience who hasn't yet grasped the meaning of freedom in Christ. We willingly lay aside our privileges, not to lose our freedom, but to help the weaker believer gain freedom. We don't want to keep people "babies'' who ought to grow, but we must minister to them in love. You can't force maturity. Of course, it is foolish to eat any food that makes a person ill or that harms the believer's body, which is the temple of the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 6:19–20). 3 For an interesting study of this topic by a Christian medical doctor, see chapter 8 of None of These Diseases by S.I. McMillen (Revell, revised edition, 1984). See also the New England Journal of Medicine for May 3, 1990 (vol. 322, no. 18), 1308–15. 4 R. K. Harrison, Leviticus, Tyndale Old Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, IL InterVarsity, 1980), 134.
Circumcision (v. 3).3 In ancient days, other nations practiced circumcision; but God gave this rite to Abraham as a special mark of the covenant He had with the people of Israel (Gen. 17:10–14). Each male child became a "child of the covenant'' when he was circumcised and named eight days after his birth. The operation also symbolized the "spiritual surgery'' that God wants to perform on the human heart (Deut. 10:16; 30:6; Jer. 4:4). Unfortunately, the Jewish people ignored the spiritual aspect of the ceremony and considered the physical operation alone a guarantee that the Jews were saved and accepted by God (Matt. 3:7–10; Rom. 2:25–29). A similar idea emerged in the early church and had to be strongly refuted (Acts 15; Rom. 4:1–12).
C.Diseases and defilement—13—15
CHAPTER FIVE Leviticus 13:5—15 THE GREAT PHYSICIAN T
Some people equate infant baptism with circumcision; but as R. K. Harrison wisely states it, "The parallels are too superficial and narrow to be entirely convincing or valid.''4 The true believer has experienced an inner spiritual circumcision through the Holy Spirit, the "true circumcision'' that changes the heart and imparts new life (Gal. 6:12–16; Phil. 3:1–3; Col. 2:10–11). Because the sinful nature of the believer has been "put off,'' he or she can walk in newness of life and does not have to yield to the desires of the flesh.
he beginning of health is to know the disease,'' wrote the Spanish novelist Miguel de Cervantes, and every physician would agree with him. After all, how can you prescribe effectively if you don't diagnose accurately?
These three chapters in Leviticus 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 (Deut. 29:5) and, if they obeyed Him, He promised to shield them from the diseases they'd seen in Egypt (Ex. 15:26; Deut. 7:12–15). While it's true that our greatest needs are spiritual, God still has the physical well-being of His people at heart.
Sacrifice (vv. 4–8). 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 them 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 (Ps. 51:5; 58:3).
The Hebrew word translated leprosy in Leviticus 14—15 includes various skin diseases and even mildew (13:47ff.; 14:33ff.). But there's more to these chapters than simply a description of symptoms and ceremonies. In Scripture, disease is one of the images of sin (Ps. 147:3; Isa. 1:5–6; Jer. 8:2; 30:12; Mark 2:17).
How gracious of God to make allowances for the
Leviticus 13—14
cians who lied to their patients and refused to give them bad news. "They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace'' (Jer. 6:14). The medical profession today would discipline a doctor who did that, but the practice is perfectly acceptable for humanistic counselors, liberal preachers and professors, politicians, and newspaper columnists. People still believe the "progress myth'' that people are good and are making themselves and the world better and better day by day.
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 (Isa. 53:5). These three chapters illustrate three topics that are vitally related to the life of holiness: sin (Lev. 13), salvation (chap. 14), and sanctity (chap. 15).
Sin (13:1–46; 14:1–32) Since infection made a person ceremonially unclean, God appointed the priests to act as His examiners to determine whether the victim was "unclean'' and therefore had to be separated from the rest of the camp. The person being examined could be isolated for as long as two weeks to give the disease a chance to change for better or for worse. The symptoms might involve swelling and a rash (13:1–8); swelling, whiteness, and raw flesh (vv. 9–17); boils (vv. 18–23); burns (vv. 24–28); and various skin eruptions (vv. 29–44). Not everything that looked like leprosy actually was leprosy, and it would be cruel to isolate somebody who wasn't actually infected.
Sin spreads (13:5–8, 22–23, 27–28, 32, 34–36, 51, 53, 55, 57; 14:39, 44, 48). 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! "Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death'' (James 1:15 nkjv).
Our first parents were thieves. Their son Cain was a liar and a murderer. From that small beginning, sin spread so as to corrupt and enslave the whole human race. By the time God sent the flood, the earth was filled with wickedness, evil, violence, and corruption (Gen. 6:5, 11–13), and things haven't become any better since then. Scientific progress has made life more comfortable, but it hasn't made the world less corrupt. "The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores'' (Isa. 1:5–6 nkjv).