Leviticus | Kyle Weir | 2025

Leviticus Introduction | Sunday February 16, 2025
As I began to study Leviticus, I quickly realized something, I had never heard Leviticus taught in church. I had read it in my own study and heard it referenced at different times but never studied. Yet the Word is clear on the value of the whole Word of God. 

 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV 

 

 (16)  All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, (17)  that the man of God may be complete , equipped for every good work. 

 

 All scripture is God’s Word breathed out by Him. We need it to help us grow, and mature, so that we can be complete, well fit, and capable . On our own we do not have what we need to walk with God and walk in what He has for us. We need the Holy Spirit to take the Word of God and teach, correct, and guide us. He uses His Word to equip us. If we are honest there are parts of scripture where the training and equipping is easier to see. Specifically New Testament letters that are addressed to churches. The connections are more straightforward. Then there are parts of the Old Testament that are so focused on Israel and its history that the equipping we are to receive is harder to see. It is ok to admit this and yet we are going to anchor to God’s promises. 

 Romans 15:4 ESV 

 

 (4)  For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction , that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 

 

 In context Leviticus was written to instruct Israel. Yet this verse just promised that Leviticus was also written in part for our instruction that we can be encouraged and have hope. One thing that will help us see the book this way is to understand its original purpose. So that we do not get lost in the details of the law but see God’s timeless heart. To see this purpose we need to understand where Leviticus fits in God’s timeline of revealing Himself. 

 Genesis 1:26-29 ESV 

 

 (26)  Then God said, “ Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness . And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (27)  So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (28)  And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (29)  And God said , “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 

 

 God took so much pleasure in creation. At each stage He showed His creativity and greatness. Galaxies were formed, landscapes with waterfalls appeared as water was separated from land, and the uniqueness of each animal is astonishing. Yet the pinnacle of it all is when God chose to make a creature in His own image. Then to this unique creation God started to communicate and reveal Himself. God wanted to have a fellowship and relationship with humanity that is unique to anything else He created. Here in the garden before sin, God was revealing reveal His character and heart to humanity as He walked in a fellowship with us. Then we sinned and broke that fellowship. We had disobeyed God, God’s holiness demanded that sin had to be punished. Humanity was in need of redemption. Then God did something startling. 

 Genesis 3:21 ESV 

 

 (21)  And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. 

 

 This was the first animal sacrifice. Instead of Adam and Eve dying for their sin an animal was killed in their place. God was just beginning the process of revealing His plan. Sin would be dealt with through a substitute. The sacrifice of this animal did not fully deal with sin but it pointed forward to what would. So, as humanity moved out from the garden, we keep seeing animal sacrifice practiced. 

 Genesis 4:2-5 ESV 

 

 (2)  And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. (3)  In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, (4)  and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, (5)  but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 

 

 At this point in Genesis humanity was not given a freedom to eat animals yet. This would happen after the flood in Gen 9:3-4. Humanly speaking, Cain had the most important job of providing food for the family. Cain’s offering would have been more costly and valuable. The younger brother Abel kept the animals, who were only used for clothing and for sacrifice. Cain brought his best, and most valuable and yet it was not enough. God regarded Abel’s offering because it was a blood sacrifice. The details of sacrifices have not been revealed yet, but here again their importance is shown. 

 Genesis 8:20-21 ESV 

 

 (20)  Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. (21)  And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma , the LORD said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. 

 

 As Noah and His family left the Ark He built an altar and offered sacrifices. This was a pleasing aroma to God. Yet there are so many details that are left out. What should an altar be like, how and why do you offer a sacrifice? Moving through history we see many sacrifices offered by Abram (Gen 12:8), Jacob (Gen 31:54), and even Job, who lived during this time, made sacrifices (Job 1:5). They were regularly practiced and yet God’s instructions for them have not been revealed to us yet . 

 This started to change as God called His people Isreal out of Egypt. Jacob who is also named Israel moved His family to Egypt, there were 75 people in total (Acts 7:14). Then when the nation left Egypt at the exodus there were 600,000 men with women and children added to that number (Exd 12:27). A family had become a nation. This nation needed to know how to worship their God and be in relationship with Him. As God lead Israel out of Egypt He started this process of revealing Himself and His will. 

 Exodus 19:3-6; 9-12 ESV 

 

 (3)  while Moses went up to God. The LORD called to him out of the mountain , saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: (4)  ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. (5)  Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant , you shall be My treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; (6)  and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation .’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” (9)  And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.” When Moses told the words of the people to the LORD, (10)  the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments (11)  and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. (12)  And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. 

 

 God called out to Moses from the mountain. Israel are His redeemed people that He has purchased out of Egypt, now He reveals how close of a relationship He desires to have with them. He wants them to be a kingdom of priest, a holy nation, set apart from all others. He is going to give the 10 commandments directly to the people. God must instruct them how to prepare for this moment. They cannot touch the mountain or they will die. They are God’s people but do not know how to act as His people . They do not know how to be a nation in the presence of a holy God. 

 Exodus 25:8-9 ESV 

 

 (8)  And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. (9)  Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle , and of all its furniture, so you shall make it. 

 

 God desired to dwell with them so He gave them the instructions to build the tabernacle. This would be the place where God’s presence would dwell with His people. It had to be built to exact specifications because it mirrored a true tabernacle in heaven (Heb 8:5; 9:24). God’s purpose for Israel did not stop once He redeemed them from Egypt. He desired to be with them and the tabernacle is how He could. 

 Exodus 29:43-46 ESV 

 

 (43)  There I will meet with the people of Israel , and it shall be sanctified by My glory. (44)  I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar . Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate to serve Me as priests. (45 )  I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. (46)  And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God. 

 

 God shares His purpose; He brought them out so that He could dwell with them. God has been seeking to restore the relationship that was lost all the way back in the garden. It is from the tabernacle that He will be able to guide them and instruct them. The building of the tabernacle is how the book of Exodus finishes. 

 Exodus 40:1-2; 16-17; 34-35 ESV 

 

 (1)  The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (2)  “On the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. (16)  This Moses did; according to all that the LORD commanded him, so he did. (17)  In the first month in the second year , on the first day of the month , the tabernacle was erected. (34)  Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. (35)  And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 

 

 Moses had the tabernacle built just as God asked Him to. God’s presence then descended onto the tabernacle and His glory filled it. Israel now had the Holy God who created the entire universe dwelling in their presence. One year from the first Passover and their exodus out of Egypt. This is the context of the beginning of Leviticus. 

 Leviticus 1:1-2 ESV 

 

 (1)  The LORD called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting , saying, (2)  “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock. 

 

 The first word of the book serves as its title in the Hebrew Bible “and He called.” Our English name emphasizes the instructions given to the Levites. This was a momentous event. God had a way to dwell with man again, in a temporary tent. No longer is God calling out from the mountain to the people or Moses, but He is calling from the tabernacle. He wants to instruct them. The whole book will take place in about a month, before the census takes place in Numbers. 

 Leviticus explains how God’s people should live in His holy presence . The Word Holy is used over 90 times , and words about cleansing are used over 70 times. God will describe what their worship through sacrifices should look like. How they should behave as a people in the presence of God. He will explain the blessings for being in His presence and the curses for walking away from it. This is not a book focused on how to become God’s people . They were redeemed from Egypt through the blood of the Passover lamb. 

 Exodus 12:13 ESV 

 (13)  The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you , and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. 

 Isaiah 51:10 ESV 

 

 (10)  Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over? 

 

 God did not kill the firstborn child when He saw the blood of the Passover lamb. God once again provided a sacrifice to protect His people. Notice what Isaiah calls Isreal as they left Egypt and crossed the Red Sea, the redeemed. Isreal is God’s people, and He is dwelling with them. Now they need to know how to live. Leviticus is a book that is focused on sanctification. How to live in the presence of a holy God. It is a book of how to respond in worship to what God had done for them. The gospel of John focused on presenting Jesus so that we could believe in Him and receive eternal life. Leviticus will focus on how God’s people should reflect Him and then what to do when we do not. 

 Leviticus will go into detail of how sacrifices should be performed, something that had not been revealed yet. As we understand these sacrifices, we will see clearly how Jesus is the perfect sacrifice. As Leviticus describes the Priest and their role we will see the requirements on Jesus as the perfect High priest. 

 Even the various rules and regulations have application for us. God was revealing to His people how they should approach Him . What practical holiness looked like even in the mundane things of life. My hope is that we would not get lost in the cultural application, but see God’s timeless holiness showing through. This Holy God that is calling out to Moses is the same Holy God you and I worship today. 

 Malachi 3:6 ESV 

 

 (6)  “ For I the LORD do not change ; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 

 

 I am so thankful for this truth! God does not change; His character is the same throughout generations. When He makes a promise, He will not change His mind somewhere down the line. God has interacted with humanity in real time. His fellowship and relationship with Adam were different than they were with Moses. To Adam God called out in the garden. To Moses God called out of a burning bush, then a mountain and know at the start of Leviticus from the Tabernacle. Yet, He is the same unchanging God. How God practical interacted with humanity changed over time but He never does. 

 This same principal applies to the practical holiness presented in Leviticus. God is still holy and we as His people are still called to reflect that Holiness, just like Isreal was called to. 

 1 Peter 1:14-19 ESV 

 

 (14)  As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, (15)  but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, (16)  since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (17)  And if you call on Him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, (18)  knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, (19)  but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 

 

 This call to holiness is not about how to be saved or earn our own righteousness. We are called to let the character of God who saved us reflect in us. We have been ransomed, by the precious blood of Jesus. He is the perfect sacrifice and what secured our salvation. This quote Peter uses “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” Is found at least 5 times throughout Leviticus . We have been called to let God’s character show in us as His people. My prayer is that through studying Leviticus we will have a better understanding of the Holy God who saved us and we will let His Holiness show in our lives.

Leviticus 1 | Sunday February 23, 2025
As God calls out to Moses from the tabernacle, He starts by instructing Moses on the 3 most common types of offerings,  the whole burnt offering (Ch. 1), the grain offering (Ch.2), and the peace offering (Ch. 3). These three are linked because they have a pleasing aroma to God. The whole burnt offering is the oldest offering, it is even given by Noah (Gen 8:20). 

 Leviticus 1:1-17 ESV 

 

 (1)  The LORD called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, (2)  “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock. (3)  “If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd , he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. (4)  He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. (5)  Then he shall kill the bull before the LORD, and Aaron's sons the priests shall bring the blood and throw the blood against the sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. (6)  Then he shall flay the burnt offering and cut it into pieces, (7)  and the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. (8)  And Aaron's sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head, and the fat, on the wood that is on the fire on the altar; (9)  but its entrails and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar, as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. (10)  “If his gift for a burnt offering is from the flock, from the sheep or goats, he shall bring a male without blemish, (11)  and he shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the LORD, and Aaron's sons the priests shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar. (12)  And he shall cut it into pieces, with its head and its fat, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood that is on the fire on the altar, (13)  but the entrails and the legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer all of it and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. (14)  “If his offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves or pigeons. (15)  And the priest shall bring it to the altar and wring off its head and burn it on the altar. Its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar. (16)  He shall remove its crop with its contents and cast it beside the altar on the east side, in the place for ashes. (17)  He shall tear it open by its wings, but shall not sever it completely. And the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 

 

 The book of Leviticus is not presented how we would do it using a western worldview. There is a lot of repetition, and things will seem out of order to us. A Jewish mindset processed information differently then we do. It would make sense to us to start describing the offerings in chronological order, meaning the order they should be given. Instead, they are presented in order of frequency and grouped by similarities. This first offering is the whole burnt offering, and literally means “that which ascends.” For other offerings the priest will be allowed to eat some of the animal and at times even the person giving the offering partakes in the meal. What makes the whole burnt offering so unique is that the entire animal is burnt on the altar and all ascends into smoke. 

 Leviticus 1:2-3 ESV 

 

 (2)  “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock. (3)  “If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd , he shall offer a male without blemish . He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. 

 

 These instructions are coming from God and are going to systematically point to the one true sacrifice, Jesus. In each of these offerings there will be similarities, from presenting the offering and laying hands to the killing of the animal. Then there will be differences to what happens with the meat, and what is done with the blood. Each of these details is intentional and will reveal to us Jesus. The offering had to be without blemish, and so did Jesus. The animal was a herbivore. Carnivores were not offered because something that takes life could not be a picture of the life giving Jesus. It had to come from the herd, meaning it could not be a wild animal. This added to the cost of the offering. 

 2 Samuel 24:24 ESV 

 

 (24)  But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 

 

 The offering could not be free it had to have a cost associated with it. This may seem odd to us when salvation is freely given to us. What we can forget is the cost Jesus had to pay in order to make salvation free. 

 Romans 6:23 ESV 

 

 (23)  For the wages of sin is death , but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

 

 Sin was not forgotten or ignored, its punishment was fully taken by Jesus. This is the only way humanity could be accepted in front of God. The cost of sin will be a theme that we will not be able to get away from through the entire book of Leviticus. From the financial cost of the offering to the death of the animal, each offering was costly. 

 Leviticus 1:3-4 ESV 

 

 (3)  “If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting , that he may be accepted before the LORD. (4)  He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. 

 

 When you wanted to worship God with a whole burnt offering, you had to take the animal to the entrance of the tent of meeting. Then you laid your hand onto the head of the animal. The word for lay is more intense and can mean to lean heavy upon, press unto. As you gave this sacrifice you leaned on the animal to show an ownership and also to recognize it as a substitute. The owner leaned on the animal in recognition that they were the one who deserved to die and be burned on the altar. The person offering the sacrifice was recognizing what lied heavy on them as a sinner. 

 Psalm 88:7 ESV 

 

 (7)  Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah 

 

 This is the same word, they were symbolically laying God’s wrath that stood against them onto the animal. This was to make atonement for them. This word atonement has a few different emphasis that we will see throughout Leviticus but in its simplest from it means to cover. 

 Genesis 6:14 ESV 

 

 (14)  Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. 

 

 The wood of the ark needed to be covered, or atoned. The wood could not be exposed to the water but needed something to protect it by covering it up. The animal was burnt up instead of the person. In effect the person was covered by the animals death . The various offerings will shed more light on this concept of atonement. The whole burnt offering was not done yet, the person offering it and the priest still had a lot to do. 

 Leviticus 1:5-9 ESV 

 

 (5)  Then he shall kill the bull before the LORD, and Aaron's sons the priests shall bring the blood and throw the blood against the sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. (6)  Then he shall flay the burnt offering and cut it into pieces, (7)  and the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. (8)  And Aaron's sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head, and the fat, on the wood that is on the fire on the altar; (9)  but its entrails and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar, as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 

 

 Notice how specific the instructions are on who does what. Aaron’s sons the priests were responsible to throw the blood on the sides of the altar, arrange the fire and arrange the pieces of the offering. The person giving the offering is responsible to kill the animal, skin it, cut it up and clean out the entrails. The person giving the offering was directly involved in the death and processing of the offering. Death could not be minimized or ignored as you worshiped God with a burnt offering. 

 Notice that the blood is not emphasized, in other offerings it will be. In the sin offering, and during the day of atonement a lot more will happen with the blood of the animal. In Leviticus 16, on the day of atonement the sin offering for the priest and then for the people are given first. Then after the sin offering comes the burnt offering. Other offerings will point to Jesus’ blood payment on the cross or the peace that it secured. The burnt offering’s significance comes in the full offering of the animal. As the instructions are repeated for a sheep/ goat and a bird the emphasis can be seen. 

 Leviticus 1:13; 17 ESV 

 

 (13)  but the entrails and the legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer all of it and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt offering , a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. (17)  He shall tear it open by its wings, but shall not sever it completely. And the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 

 

 The entire animal was to be burnt up, all of it was to be offered and was a pleasing aroma to God. It points to the perfect and complete obedience and surrendering Jesus to God the Father. He fully gave of Himself to the Father. His life was the pleasing aroma to God. 

 Hebrews 10:5-14 ESV 

 

 (5)  Consequently, when Christ came into the world, He said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have You prepared for Me ; (6)  in burnt offerings and sin offerings You have taken no pleasure. (7)  Then I said, ‘ Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God , as it is written of Me in the scroll of the book.’” (8)  When He said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), (9)  then He added, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. (10)  And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 

 

 Jesus fully gave of Himself; He gave all His body. He walked in a perfect sinless obedience to God the Father. Nothing was held back in the whole burnt offering and Jesus held nothing back. He gave all in a holy obedience. His heart was obedient to the Father and He made the offering out of that heart . This is what the Israelites failed to see in practicing the whole burnt offering. 

 Jeremiah 14:10-12 ESV 

 

 (10)  Thus says the LORD concerning this people: “ They have loved to wander thus; they have not restrained their feet; therefore the LORD does not accept them ; now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins.” (11)  The LORD said to me: “Do not pray for the welfare of this people. (12)  Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them . But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.” 

 

 Israel thought they could make a ritual out of these sacrifices. That God was providing a list to follow and He would be pleased as long as the rituals were done correctly. They were wandering and walking away from God. They were trying to keep the religious actions without the heart . God would not accept this. David understood the hearts role. 

 Psalms 51:16-19 ESV 

 

 (16)  For You will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; You will not be pleased with a burnt offering. (17)  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart , O God, You will not despise. (18)  Do good to Zion in Your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; (19)  then will You delight in right sacrifices , in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings ; then bulls will be offered on your altar. 

 

 God delights in the burnt offering once the heart is broken and worshipping Him. The whole burnt offering speaks of a heart responding to God out of worship and offering all to Him. Worship cannot be divorced from the heart . Jesus was accepted as the whole burnt offering because He walked in perfect heartfelt obedience. David understood the heart attitude God desired, then the burnt offering could be given. A broken heart lays heavy on the animal and sees it should be them dying. We are called to worship God in response and give our life, that we don’t deserve, to Him. 

 Hebrews 13:15-16 NAS95 

 

 (15)  Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God , that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. (16)  And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. 

 

 We are called as believers to praise God and give Him thanks. Our life is to given in worship to God in response to what Jesus has done. This is possible through Him. Our worship and thanksgiving is a fruit. It should come from a heart that is amazed at Jesus. Too many people try to focus on the actions and leave the heart out. When we leave the heart out the whole burnt offering is turned into emphasizing all that you need to do for God and all you need to give Him . Instead of a life of worship in response to God. Psalm 50 summarizes this difference. It is written by Asaph who was a leader in worship at the tabernacle and eventually temple. He watched many offering be given and God gave Him tremendous insight as to what was truly important. 

 Psalm 50:7-8; 10; 12-17;23 ESV 

 

 (7)  “Hear, O My people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God. (8)  Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before Me. ( 10 )  For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. (12)  “ If I were hungry, I would not tell you , for the world and its fullness are Mine. (13)  Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? (14)  Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving , and perform your vows to the Most High, (15)  and call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you , and you shall glorify Me.” (16)  But to the wicked God says: “ What right have you to recite My statutes or take My covenant on your lips? (17 )  For you hate discipline, and you cast My words behind you . (23)  The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies Me ; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!” 

 

 God does not need us . He did not need the burnt offerings of Israel. This offering was not to feed Him as some of the other religions of the day thought. God desires a heart relationship with us. He wants us to give a sacrifice of thanksgiving. For us to be in love with Him and to call on Him in our needs. He wants to walk with us. As believers we have been given the opportunity to give ourself fully to Him. Our sin gets in the way of our fellowship with Him. Our selfishness, and lust pulls us away from the closeness He desires. We end up despising His discipline and we ignore the Word. The great news is that Jesus is the perfect sacrifice. We can continually walk fresh with God and keep offering up thanksgiving for all He has done for us. 

 1 John 1:6 & 9 ESV 

 

 (6)  If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. (9)  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Leviticus 2-3 | Sunday March 2, 2025
Last week we studied the whole burnt offering. It was the most common offering and the first of three offerings that are a pleasing aroma to God. I will remind you the offerings are presented and grouped by themes, not in order of how they were given. The whole burnt offering was a worshipful response to God. It pointed to Jesus who gave all of Himself in full surrender to God. The whole burnt offering made atonement, or covered the sinner. This week we will look at the grain offering and the peace offering. Both are pleasing aromas to God but neither make atonement. 

 Leviticus 2:1-16 ESV 

 

 (1)  “When anyone brings a grain offering as an offering to the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour . He shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it (2)  and bring it to Aaron's sons the priests. And he shall take from it a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all of its frankincense, and the priest shall burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD . (3)  But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the LORD's food offerings. (4)  “When you bring a grain offering baked in the oven as an offering, it shall be unleavened loaves of fine flour mixed with oil or unleavened wafers smeared with oil. (5)  And if your offering is a grain offering baked on a griddle , 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)  And if your offering is a grain offering cooked in a pan , it shall be made of fine flour with oil. (8)  And 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)  And the priest shall take from the grain offering its memorial portion and burn this on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. (10)  But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the LORD's food offerings. (11)  “No grain offering that you bring to the LORD shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey as a food offering to the LORD. (12)  As an offering of firstfruits you may bring them to the LORD, but they shall not be offered on the altar for a pleasing aroma. (13)  You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt. (14)  “If you offer a grain offering of firstfruits to the LORD, you shall offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits fresh ears, roasted with fire, crushed new grain. (15)  And you shall put oil on it and lay frankincense on it; it is a grain offering. (16)  And the priest shall burn as its memorial portion some of the crushed grain and some of the oil with all of its frankincense; it is a food offering to the LORD. 

 

 Leviticus 3:1-17 ESV 

 

 (1)  “If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offering , if he offers an animal from the herd, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD. (2)  And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and Aaron's sons the priests shall throw the blood against the sides of the altar. (3)  And from the sacrifice of the peace offering, as a food offering to the LORD, he shall offer the fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, (4)  and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys. (5)  Then Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering , which is on the wood on the fire; it is a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. (6)  “If his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering to the LORD is an animal from the flock, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish. (7)  If he offers a lamb for his offering, then he shall offer it before the LORD, (8)  lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it in front of the tent of meeting; and Aaron's sons shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar. (9)  Then from the sacrifice of the peace offering he shall offer as a food offering to the LORD its fat; he shall remove the whole fat tail, cut off close to the backbone, and the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails (10)  and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys. (11)  And the priest shall burn it on the altar as a food offering to the LORD. (12)  “ If his offering is a goat , then he shall offer it before the LORD (13)  and lay his hand on its head and kill it in front of the tent of meeting, and the sons of Aaron shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar. (14)  Then he shall offer from it, as his offering for a food offering to the LORD, the fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails (15)  and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys. (16)  And the priest shall burn them on the altar as a food offering with a pleasing aroma. All fat is the LORD's. (17)  It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, in all your dwelling places, that you eat neither fat nor blood.” 

 

 For the grain offering fine flour was to be offered with oil and could be prepared in a variety of ways. This offering is also called a cereal and meal offering. The King James translated the idea of meal as meat, even though no meat is present in this offering. Unlike the whole burnt offering some of the offering would be given to the priest who were allowed to eat it. The flour could be presented in a variety of ways. It could be raw and mixed with oil, baked in an oven or on a griddle, lastly even cooked in a pan (fried). 

 The grain offering is unique in that it does not involve blood . It is an offering of the fruit of the ground. The grain that is offered is the result of humanity’s labor and work. This idea is emphasized in the extra work of milling, and preparing the offering. This does not violate Cain’s offering not being accepted because notice no atonement is made. This offering is without blood and the sinner is not atoned by it. There is no laying of hands on the offering either. The grain offering was a worshipping and glorifying God through humanity’s labor. 

 1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV 

 

 (31)  So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 

 

 We are called to give glory to God in whatever we do. Whether eating or drinking, even at work. The whole burnt offering was a worship to give all of ourselves in response to God. The grain offering is then worshiping Him with what He produced through us . It was the product of the ground the grain that was offered and even this was only possible through God’s grace. Notice what had to be mixed with the offering. 

 Leviticus 2:1-2 ESV 

 

 (1)  “When anyone brings a grain offering as an offering to the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour. He shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it (2)  and bring it to Aaron's sons the priests. And he shall take from it a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all of its frankincense , and the priest shall burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 

 

 Frankincense and oil was added to the grain offering. Frankincense was used as a perfume to add to the smell of the offering. The New Testament points out what frankincense represents. 

 Revelation 5:8 ESV 

 

 (8)  And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 

 

 The frankincense went up in smoke and represented the prayers going up to God. This is why in God’s throne room we see bowls of incense, which are our prayers. 

 We will never be able to glorify God through our work if we are not lifting it up to Him in prayer. Through prayer God helps direct our path and prayer helps keep our heart focused on God . Prayer helps remind us of the other element mixed in with the grain offering, oil. Oil is throughout the grain offering and is mentioned in verses 1,2,4,5,6,7,15, and 16. 

 Leviticus 2:4 ESV 

 

 (4)  “When you bring a grain offering baked in the oven as an offering, it shall be unleavened loaves of fine flour mixed with oil or unleavened wafers smeared with oil. 

 

 Oil has to be mixed into the fruit of man’s work. Oil was used for anointing and setting something apart for use by God. Often oil is tied to the Holy Spirit. We can see both as David is anointed as the next King. 

 1 Samuel 16:12-13 ESV 

 

 (12)  And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him , for this is he.” (13)  Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah. 

 

 David had been set apart, anointed to God and the Holy Spirit came upon Him. To honor God with our labor they need to be set apart and empowered by the Holy Spirit. After this moment Daivd was still the same ruddy young man, but His purpose and what empowered Him had changed. Most of or our labors will probably look the same, but they need to be through the power of the Spirit and set apart to God. 

 Colossians 1:28-29 ESV 

 

 (28)  Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. (29)  For this I toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within Me. 

 

 Paul understood that each aspect of His life was set apart for God. He also realized that for anything eternal to happen in his life it had to come through the power of Jesus working in Him, through the Holy Spirit. For the grain to be accepted certain things had to be left out as well. 

 Leviticus 2:11-12 ESV 

 

 (11)  “No grain offering that you bring to the LORD shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey as a food offering to the LORD. (12)  As an offering of firstfruits you may bring them to the LORD , but they shall not be offered on the altar for a pleasing aroma. 

 

 For the grain offering both leaven and honey were forbidden. Verse 12 gives the clarification that for the first fruit offering they could be included. Notice that the first fruit offering mentioned is not burnt on the altar . We will look at this offering later in the book at the feast of First fruits. Leaven caused fermentation and this is why honey is included because it ferments as well. Leaven in particular is used in scripture to describe the souring and spreading effect of sin. 

 Psalm 73:21-22 ESV 

 

 (21)  When my soul was embittered , when I was pricked in heart, (22)  I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. 

 

 As Asaph describes a moment when He began to question God He literally says His soul was leavened , soured. Sin continues to grow and sour us against God. 

 1 Corinthians 5:4-8 ESV 

 

 (4)  When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, (5)  you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. (6)  Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? (7)  Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. (8)  Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 

 

 

 The Corinthian church was to deal with sin in a believers life very seriously . When sin is ignored or not disciplined the leaven continues to spread. So many misunderstand grace and choose not to deal with sin. When we do this, the leaven begins to spread. We are unleavened in Jesus . We get to worship Him in a sincerity and truth through His purification in our life. While leaven and honey were excluded because of the fermentation notice what needed to be included in the offering. 

 

 Leviticus 2:13 ESV 

 

 (13)  You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt. 

 

 Salt is viewed as the opposite of the fermenting leaven and honey. Salt preserves while leaven corrupts. The salt spoke of God’s faithfulness in preserving His covenant promises to Israel . Salt is not even destroyed by fire. God had made a covenant of Salt with Israel. Salt was to be present in all the offerings as a constant reminder of God’s covenantal faithfulness. He was the one who was true to His promises. 

 2 Chronicles 13:5 ESV 

 

 (5)  Ought you not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt? 

 

 God’s promises is forever and will not perish just as salt. God will give a king over Isreal through David, and we know that is Jesus. God wanted Israel to be reminded of His faithfulness in each offering . He is the great covenant keeper who is worthy of all worship and praise! We come to worship a God who gave us a covenant of salt. This worship continues in the peace offering. 

 Leviticus 3:1 ESV 

 

 (1)  “ If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offering , if he offers an animal from the herd, male or female , he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD. 

 

 The peace offering is also called the fellowship offering. In chapter 7 we will be given more specific instructions on the three types of the peace offering. This offering is unique in that a male or female animal can be brought . The peace offering is pointing to the peace and unity that Jesus secured through His death. 

 Galatians 3:27-28 ESV 

 

 (27)  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (28)  There is neither Jew nor Greek , there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 

 

 There is a tremendous unity and equal footing in Jesus. Through His perfect sacrifice the Jew and Gentile can be unified, even the male and female. No one group, gender, race, or social status is accepted by their own merit outside of Jesus . We all need Him and He secured this peace. Both male and female animals being offered point to this peace. 

 The peace offering is also very unique in the fellowship meal that went with the offering. Most of the animal was given back to the worshiper to enjoy as a feast. We will spend time in chapter 7 looking at this meal God has invited us into . Today lets focus on what part was offered up to God on the Altar. 

 Leviticus 3:3-5 ESV 

 

 (3)  And from the sacrifice of the peace offering, as a food offering to the LORD, he shall offer the fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails,  (4)  and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys. (5)  Then Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering , which is on the wood on the fire; it is a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 

 

 God wanted the fat . The specific parts of the animal that are listed focus on the richest and fattiest parts of the animal. The kidneys are also mentioned in that they were viewed as the seat of emotion to the Hebrews. We talk about our heart, being where our emotions reside. For the jews it was in the reins. The pieces offered point to a worshipful emotional giving of the best to God . Fat being valued is hard to understand in our culture. 

 Psalms 81:16 YLT 

 

 (16)  He causeth him to eat of the fat of wheat , And with honey from a rock I satisfy thee! 

 

 The fat was the best. So even in wheat, fat is used to describe the best choicest part. This is really emphasized when we understand the specific part of the lamb God asked to be offered. 

 Leviticus 3:9 ESV 

 

 (9)  Then from the sacrifice of the peace offering he shall offer as a food offering to the LORD its fat; he shall remove the whole fat tail, cut off close to the backbone, and the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails 

 

 The entire fat tail of the lamb was to be offered to God. This doesn’t make much sense to us until we see a picture of a the type of sheep from that region of the world. Sheep were intentional bred to enhance the tail . It was the best, fattiest part. 

 Leviticus 3:16 ESV 

 

 (16)  And the priest shall burn them on the altar as a food offering with a pleasing aroma. All fat is the LORD's. 

 

 All fat is God’s. God’s desire for the fat is wholly different from the worlds understanding of religion. The world wants to be accepted by God through giving their own works and labor, and offering God their best . The grain offering and the peace offering do not bring atonement! We are not accepted by God based on our works on our best . After we accept Jesus, after we are covered by His blood, then we joyfully worship Him with our works and our best. As a response in worship to our amazing God. 

 Psalm 36:7-9 KJV 

 

 (7)  How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings. (8)  They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house ; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. (9)  For with Thee is the fountain of life: in Thy light shall we see light.

Leviticus 4:1-5:13 | Sunday March 9, 2025
Leviticus started by describing the offerings that were a pleasing aroma to God, the whole burnt offering, the grain offering, and the peace offering. Each of these offerings were an act of worship and setting something apart as holy to God. From offering the whole life, the fruit of our labor, and giving God the best, God was honored through them all. Yet, you did not start worship with these three offerings. The sin offering that is described in Chapter 4 and 5 was the first offering given as you approached God in worship. (Lev 9:7-12) 

 Leviticus 4:1-5:13 ESV 

 

 (1)  And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (2)  “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If anyone sins unintentionally in any of the LORD's commandments about things not to be done, and does any one of them, (3)  if it is the anointed priest who sins , thus bringing guilt on the people, then he shall offer for the sin that he has committed a bull from the herd without blemish to the LORD for a sin offering. (4)  He shall bring the bull to the entrance of the tent of meeting before the LORD and lay his hand on the head of the bull and kill the bull before the LORD. (5)  And the anointed priest shall take some of the blood of the bull and bring it into the tent of meeting, (6)  and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle part 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 fragrant incense before the LORD that is in the tent of meeting , and all the rest of the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. (8)  And all the fat of the bull of the sin offering he shall remove from it, the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails (9)  and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys (10)  (just as these are taken from the ox of the sacrifice of the peace offerings); and the priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering. (11)  But the skin of the bull and all its flesh, with its head, its legs, its entrails, and its dung—(12)  all the rest of the bull— he shall carry outside the camp to a clean place, to the ash heap, and shall burn it up on a fire of wood . On the ash heap it shall be burned up. (13)   “If the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they do any one of the things that by the LORD's commandments ought not to be done, and they realize their guilt, (14)  when the sin which they have committed becomes known, the assembly shall offer a bull from the herd for a sin offering and bring it in front of the tent of meeting. (15)  And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the LORD, and the bull shall be killed before the LORD. (16)  Then the anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the bull into the tent of meeting, (17)  and 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 that is in the tent of meeting before the LORD, and the rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. (19)  And all its fat he shall take from it and burn on the altar. (20)  Thus shall he do with the bull. As he did with the bull of the sin offering, so shall he do with this. And the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven. (21)  And he shall carry the bull outside the camp and burn it up as he burned the first bull; it is the sin offering for the assembly. (22)  “ When a leader sins , doing unintentionally any one of all the things that by the commandments of the LORD his God ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt, (23)  or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering a goat, a male without blemish, (24)  and shall lay his hand on the head of the goat and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the LORD; it is a sin offering. (25)  Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering. (26)  And all its fat he shall burn on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings. So the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin, and he shall be forgiven. (27)  “ If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any one of the things that by the LORD's commandments ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt, (28)  or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring for his offering a goat, 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 in the place of burnt offering. (30)  And the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar. (31)  And all its fat he shall remove, as the fat is removed from the peace offerings, and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a pleasing aroma to the LORD. And the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven. (32)  “If he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring a female without blemish (33)  and lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering. (34)  Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar. (35)  And all its fat he shall remove as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings, and the priest shall burn it on the altar, on top of the LORD's food offerings. And the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed, and he shall be forgiven. 

 

 Leviticus 5 ESV 

 

 (1)  “ If anyone sins in that he hears a public adjuration to testify, and though he is a witness, whether he has seen or come to know the matter, yet does not speak, he shall bear his iniquity; (2)  or if anyone touches an unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean wild animal or a carcass of unclean livestock or a carcass of unclean swarming things, and it is hidden from him and he has become unclean, and he realizes his guilt; (3)  or if he touches human uncleanness, of whatever sort the uncleanness may be with which one becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and realizes his guilt; (4)  or if anyone utters with his lips a rash oath to do evil or to do good, any sort of rash oath that people swear, and it is hidden from him , when he comes to know it, and he realizes his guilt in any of these; (5)  when he realizes his guilt in any of these and confesses the sin he has committed, (6)  he shall bring to the LORD as his compensation for the sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin. (7)  “ But if he cannot afford a lamb , then he shall bring to the LORD as his compensation for the sin that he has committed two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. (8)  He shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first the one for the sin offering. He shall wring its head from its neck but shall not sever it completely, (9)  and he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar; it is a sin offering. (10)  Then he shall offer the second for a burnt offering according to the rule. And the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin that he has committed, and he shall be forgiven. (11)  “ But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two pigeons , then he shall bring as his offering for the sin that he has committed a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it and shall put no frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. (12)  And he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take a handful of it as its memorial portion and burn this on the altar, on the LORD's food offerings; it is a sin offering. (13)  Thus the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed in any one of these things, and he shall be forgiven . And the remainder shall be for the priest, as in the grain offering.” 

 The Sin offering was unknown and God is introducing it. The other offerings could be practiced just with an altar, and elements from those offering are found throughout the cultures of the time. The sin offering was not revealed until the tabernacle was available. To give the sin offering elements of the tent of meeting will be used . The offerings name is straightforward, this offering deals with sin, and how to get rid of it, or how to de-sin. 

 

 Leviticus 4:1-2 ESV 

 

 (1)  And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (2)  “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If anyone sins unintentionally in any of the LORD's commandments about things not to be done, and does any one of them, 

 

 The sin offering deals specifically with unintentional sins. These are in contrast to high handed sins that are done in willful rebellion to God. Practically it is the difference between manslaughter and premeditated murder. These are sins that are not defiant and not from a heart that is actively trying to rebel against God. The fact that we sin unintentionally points out a very important fact of our nature as humans. 

 Romans 3:9-12 ESV 

 

 (9)  What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, (10)  as it is written: “ None is righteous, no, not one; (11)  no one understands; no one seeks for God. (12)  All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” 

 

 We are sinners by nature. There are so many absolute statements in this passage we get very uncomfortable. We would like it to say some are righteous, or most are worthless. Yet this is not the truth in the Word. Humanity is full of sinfulness and we are not righteous, but worthless sinners who do no good. Sin has spread to all. 

 Romans 5:12 ESV 

 

 (12)  Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 

 

 Sin came into the world through Adam and it spread to all. We all sin. Even when we don’t know, or are not trying to. By our very nature we sin unintentionally. Leave us alone for too long and out comes sin. Even when we are unaware of it. The fact that the sin offering is given for unintentional sins shows that ignorance is not an excuse for sin. When we sin and are unaware, that sin is still deserving of punishment. We underestimate the depths of our sin and the heights of God’s holiness. Our sin is so engrained into us that often we cannot even see them. 

 Psalm 19:12 ESV 

 

 (12)  Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. 

 

 Psalm 139:23-24 ESV 

 

 (23)  Search me , O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! (24)  And see if there be any grievous way in me , and lead me in the way everlasting! 

 

 In both Psalms David prays for God to reveal his own heart to himself. Meaning the hidden faults David is praying about are hidden from David. He needs God who knows the heart to reveal them. We are so sinful that we do not even know our own sin. Our sin demands a payment, a sin offering. No amount of change or repentance will undue our sinfulness . When the Holy God is revealed and coming to dwell with man we are exposed as such great sinners that even our unintentional sins need a blood payment. 

 Leviticus 4:3; 13-14 ESV 

 

 (3)  if it is the anointed priest who sins , thus bringing guilt on the people , then he shall offer for the sin that he has committed a bull from the herd without blemish to the LORD for a sin offering. (13)   “If the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they do any one of the things that by the LORD's commandments ought not to be done, and they realize their guilt, (14)  when the sin which they have committed becomes known, the assembly shall offer a bull from the herd for a sin offering and bring it in front of the tent of meeting. 

 

 The instructions for the sin offering change based on who sinned. The first two groups mentioned are if the priest sins, and if the whole congregation of Israel sins. Both of these involve the whole nation. The priest was to represent the people to God so if he sinned he brought guilt on everyone. For both of these groups God requires the most costly of all sacrifices a bull. The specifics of the offering are the same for both. 

 Leviticus 4:15-20 ESV 

 

 (15)  And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the LORD, and the bull shall be killed before the LORD. (16)  Then the anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the bull into the tent of meeting, (17)  and 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 that is in the tent of meeting before the LORD , and the rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. (19)  And all its fat he shall take from it and burn on the altar. (20)  Thus shall he do with the bull. As he did with the bull of the sin offering, so shall he do with this. And the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven. 

 

 The elders of the nation laid their hand on the bull and as it was killed the blood would be collected. The priest would then carry that blood into the tent of meeting. This is the first offering that brought us into the tent. The first room of the tent of meeting was also called the Holy Place. It was about 15 feet by 30 feet . In this room was the Golden Lampstand, the Table of Showbread, and the Altar of Incense . There was a large veil separating the inner chamber, which was known as the Holy of Holies or Most Holy Place. The priest only enters into the Holy of Holies once a year, at the Day of Atonement, which was for a special sin offering. (Leviticus 16). For a sin offering for the priest or the whole congregation the blood would be sprinkled “ seven times before the LORD in front of the veil.” Then the priest would put some blood onto the horns of the altar of incense. The blood had to be presented to God and it was the blood that cleansed sin. 

 Hebrews 9:6-10 ESV 

 

 (6)  These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, (7)  but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood , which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. (8)  By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing (9)  (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, (10)  but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation. 

 

 The priests would go regularly into the Holy Place. The veil stopping them from going any farther. These offerings could not perfect the worshiper. They looked forward until the time of reformation. This first section kept reminding them of the separation sin caused and the need for redemption. There are two huge principals here. 

 Hebrews 9:22 ESV 

 

 (22)  Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. 

 

 Hebrews 10:1-4 ESV 

 

 (1)  For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. (2)  Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? (3)  But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. (4)  For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 

 

 Sins cannot be forgiven without the shedding of blood and it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin. Every time a sin offering was given it was to remind the people of their sin problem. The blood of these animals could not take away sin. The priest would sprinkle it in front of the veil seven times a completed action and yet they would be back doing the same thing over and over again. The sprinkling of this blood pointed to the true sacrifice of Jesus. We are washed clean because we are sprinkled in His blood. 

 Hebrews 12:24 NLT 

 

 (24)  You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood , which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel. 

 

 We are not accepted by God because of something we can do, change or become. We approach God based on the blood. Abel’s blood cried out to God for vengeance for a payment to be made against Cain’s sin. Jesus Christ’s blood speaks of our forgiveness. The sin offering shows the blood that our sin demands and also shows that Jesus’s blood is the only that would satisfy the payment. He was willing to pay the price. 

 The changes in procedure and animals for the different groups is important. When a leader or common person sinned the blood was put on the horns of the altar of burnt offering (4:25,30) . This sin still needed to be atoned with blood but did not affect the entire nation so it was not brought into the tent of meeting. God also put in provisions for poverty and if you could not afford a female goat (4:28) you could bring a lamb (4:32), “ But if he cannot afford a lamb” 2 birds (5:7), “ But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two pigeons” you could even bring flour (5:11). God wanted the sin offering to be available to all. We all sin and we all need access the sin offering. 

 1 John 2:2 ESV 

 

 (2)  He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 

 

 Revelation 7:9-10 ESV 

 

 (9)  After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, (10)  and crying out with a loud voice, “ Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 

 

 Jesus is the sin payment for the entire world. Everyone has access to what He did. In heaven we will see people from every nation, all tribes. All have access and can afford His sin offering. We need to be careful not to raise the price. 

 When the priest sinned or the whole congregation the body of the animal could not be eaten by those serving in the tabernacle because its blood had been offered in the tent of meeting Lev 6:30. Instead the body had to be disposed of in a unique way. 

 Leviticus 4:11-12 ESV 

 

 (11)  But the skin of the bull and all its flesh, with its head, its legs, its entrails, and its dung— (12)  all the rest of the bull—he shall carry outside the camp to a clean place, to the ash heap, and shall burn it up on a fire of wood. On the ash heap it shall be burned up. 

 

 The fat of the offering would be burnt on the Altar of burnt offerings. The rest of the animal though had to be taken outside of the camp and burnt there. It was not allowed to be burnt on the Altar. In some sense the animal was viewed as becoming the sin, and was unclean. This again points to what Jesus accomplished on the cross. 

 1 Peter 2:24 ESV 

 

 (24)  He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree , that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed. 

 

 This is not symbolic. Jesus took our sins, 2 Corinthians 5:21 even says He became sin on the cross. He became the sin offering and His body had to be burnt outside of the city. 

 Hebrews 13:10-16 ESV 

 

 (10)  We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. (11)  For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. (12)  So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through His own blood. (13)  Therefore let us go to Him outside the camp and bear the reproach He endured. (14)  For here we have no lasting city , but we seek the city that is to come. (15)  Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name. (16)  Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. 

 

 Jesus left Jerusalem, rejected by His people, left the temple, and went outside of the city to the place of the cross. He is the Sin offering. We are called as believers to go to Him outside of the camp . To face that same rejection, because as a believers this is not our home. This is not our lasting city but we look forward to being with Him in the New Jerusalem. It is through Him, that we then can worship and live in response to all He has done. Our worship should be the fruit of our lives. When we see what His blood has done for us, we should be in awe-inspired worship of the perfect sin offering.

Leviticus 5:14-6:7 | Sunday March 16
Each offering has similarities and differences. Each one has pointed to Jesus’ perfect fulfillment in some way and each one has had application for us. Last week we saw the sin offering and it focused on the presentation of the blood. Our sin is deeper than we want to admit and can only be dealt with through the shedding of blood (Heb 9:22). Yet Hebrews made it clear the blood of animals could not forgive sins (Heb 10:4). Jesus had to offer the perfect sin offering of His blood. Today we are going to see the fifth offering mentioned in Leviticus, the guilt offering. This offering is focused on a unique consequence of our trespasses. 

 Leviticus 5:14-19 ESV 

 

 (14)  The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (15)  “If anyone commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally in any of the holy things of the LORD, he shall bring to the LORD as his compensation, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued in silver shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering. (16)  He shall also make restitution for what he has done amiss in the holy thing and shall add a fifth to it and give it to the priest. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven. (17)  “If anyone sins, doing any of the things that by the LORD's commandments ought not to be done, though he did not know it, then realizes his guilt, he shall bear his iniquity. (18)  He shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent, for a guilt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for him for the mistake that he made unintentionally, and he shall be forgiven. (19)  It is a guilt offering ; he has indeed incurred guilt before the LORD.” 

 

 Leviticus 6 ESV 

 

 (1)  The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (2)  “If anyone sins and commits a breach of faith against the LORD by deceiving his neighbor in a matter of deposit or security, or through robbery, or if he has oppressed his neighbor (3)  or has found something lost and lied about it, swearing falsely—in any of all the things that people do and sin thereby— (4)  if he has sinned and has realized his guilt and will restore what he took by robbery or what he got by oppression or the deposit that was committed to him or the lost thing that he found (5)  or anything about which he has sworn falsely, he shall restore it in full and shall add a fifth to it, and give it to him to whom it belongs on the day he realizes his guilt. (6)  And he shall bring to the priest as his compensation to the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent, for a guilt offering. (7)  And the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD, and he shall be forgiven for any of the things that one may do and thereby become guilty.” 

 

 The specific instructions of how to give the guilt offering are found in 7:1-7. The fat was offered on the altar of burnt offering, and the blood was poured out on the sides of the altar. The uniqueness of the guilt offering is found in the type of sin, a trespass , that required it and the restitution that needed to be included. 

 Leviticus 5:15 NKJV 

 

 (15) “If a person commits a trespass , and sins unintentionally i n 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. 

 

 The guilt offering is also called the trespass , reparation, or compensation offering . In this offering there is a paying back for the offense. This offering is specifically for trespass sins. Trespassing is going somewhere that we are not allowed to be. Likewise, a trespass sin is violating or going over the rights of someone else. So in the case of trespassing against the holy things of the Lord you have violated God’s rights in some way. This could have been eating part of the offering that was not allowed or not bringing the right offering, or touching something that was not allowed. Achan’s sin after the fall of Jericho provides a great example of a trespass. God gave Israel very specific instructions of what they should do with the plunder that was found in Jericho. 

 Joshua 6:19 ESV 

 

 (19)  But all silver and gold , and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD.” 

 

 Jericho was to be destroyed and the silver and gold was to be brought into the treasury of the Lord. Yet Achan struggled with this. He ended up taking 200 shekels of silver and a gold bar that weighed 50 shekels (Josh 7:21). Today this was worth around $50,000. 

 Joshua 7:1 NKJV 

 

 (1)  But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things , for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the LORD burned against the children of Israel. 

 

 Achan trespassed against God when He took something that belonged to God. He violated God’s right and did what He wanted. Someone is violated and their rights ignored when a trespass is committed. This can be seen in the sins listed in chapter 6. 

 Leviticus 6:2-3 NKJV 

 

 (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: 

 

 Notice the common thread, in these trespasses a person violates their neighbor through deception, lying, and extortion. Each time the neighbor loses something that was theirs. 

 God had a unique solution for a trespass sin and it involved restitution. 

 Leviticus 5:15-16 NKJV 

 

 (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. 

 

 Leviticus 6:5-6 NKJV 

 

 (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. 

 

 In both cases whether it was God who was wronged or someone else, the full price of the wrong needs to be paid back with one fifth, or 20% added to it. Then on top of this payment a ram needed to offered. Notice how important both parts of the offering are. In a trespass sin someone has been wronged and they need to be paid back in full. The double tithe or 20% is added to account for the time they were without whatever was taken. This payment was a setting the wrong right . It also was a steep enough penalty that people would not be tempted to cheat the system. 

 Psalms 37:21 ESV 

 

 (21)  The wicked borrows but does not pay back , but the righteous is generous and gives; 

 

 Proverbs 14:8-9 ESV 

 

 (8)  The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving. (9)  Fools mock at the guilt offering, but the upright enjoy acceptance. 

 

 Our society runs on debt and yet we do not like to pay them back . It is in God’s will for debts and wrongs to be paid back . Fools mock the guilt offering, they do not want to be held accountable for the consequences of their actions. The upright walk in acceptance. They seek reconciliation and are willing to own their actions with the heart to set things right when possible. This concept is counter to our society. The world tells us if it is possible to lie, cheat or steal for our own gain we are encouraged to do it. 

 Romans 13:6-8 ESV 

 

 (6)  For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. (7)  Pay to all what is owed to them : taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed , honor to whom honor is owed. (8)  Owe no one anything , except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 

 

 Nothing is more practical than to talk about taxes during March . As a believer we have been called to walk in an integrity in every aspect of our life. We are to value the rights of others and not defraud people. We are to honor the government and pay our taxes in full. God is the one who gave us rights and He values them and we have been called to value them as well. 

 The guilt offering does not stop when the restitution payment was given . Then a ram needed to be given, because a sin was committed and needs to be dealt with. A ram was fitting because for the Hebrews, Arabs, and even the Romans rams would often be used as a payment for debt. There is not sliding scale of animals to offer , with the guilt/ trespass offering. Whether you were rich or poor, the trespass needed to be atoned for. We can understand how this offering worked when a neighbor was robbed. It is harder for us to see how God is trespassed against in our sin. 

 Malachi 3:8-10; 14 ESV 

 

 (8)  Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me . But you say, ‘ How have we robbed You?’ In your tithes and contributions. (9)  You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you. (10)  Bring the full tithe into the storehouse , that there may be food in My house. And thereby put Me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. ( 14 )  You have said, ‘ It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping His charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? 

 

 The Israelites had reached a point that they were asking what was in it for them to serve God? God is clear that they are violating His rights, they are robbing from Him. Each time an animal was offered to an idol it robbed God of that worship. We are woefully unaware that our life belongs to God. 

 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV 

 

 (19)  Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, (20)  for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 

 

 We are not our own. We are so selfish and prideful that we want to know what is in it for us. Jesus bought us on the cross. He is the creator and redeemed us. When we walk in our own path and in sin, we are robbing God of the worship and glory He deserves. Not only does humanity have rights but God (who gave us our rights) has rights. He deserves our honor and glory. The guilt offering emphasizes the sins that violate the rights of God. This is a side of sin we often do not realize. 

 Ephesians 2:1-2 ESV 

 

 (1)  And you were dead in the trespasses and sins (2)  in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 

 

 We are dead in our trespasses and sins. I had never stopped to process the emphasis of trespasses. The word for sins means to miss the mark of God’s holy standard. Trespasses is the idea to fall beside a person or thing, to deviate from the right path . It carries with it the idea of failing in our purpose (deviating from the path) and violating God as we do. Just as with the guilt offering trespasses emphasizes the debt/ consequence that our action caused that needs to be fully paid for. If we are honest with ourselves, the amount of debt that our trespasses have accumulated is a terrifying thought. The incredible news is that Jesus paid this debt in full. Restitution was made through Him. 

 Isaiah 53:10-12 NAS95 

 

 (10)  But the LORD was pleased To crush Him , putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. (11)  As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. (12)  Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors. 

 

 Jesus is the perfect guilt offering. All of the debt that our trespasses warranted was paid in full. We have not be asked to pay back for our debt to God. It would have been impossible for us to do so. Other religions demand a penance. Meaning you as a sinner are asked to make reparation, or payment for what your sin has cost. Often we think this way. When we sin, we often feel like we need to pay God back in some way to make it right. In reality we need to trust in the perfect guilt payment. 

 Ephesians 1:7-8 ESV 

 

 (7)  In Him we have redemption through His blood , the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, (8)  which He lavished upon us , in all wisdom and insight 

 

 His blood is given as the perfect payment for all our trespass debt. We are forgiven according to the riches of His grace. He did not leave any of the debt for you and I to take care of. We hear this but often we do not fully let ourselves accept this truth. This grace has been lavished on us. If you do not feel worthy of this the good news is none of us are, that is why it is grace. 

 Romans 4:22-25 ESV 

 

 (22)  That is why his faith was “ counted to him as righteousness.” (23)  But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, (24)  but for ours also . It will be counted to us who believe in Him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, (25)  who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. 

 

 Paul is describing how Abraham was counted a righteous. Abraham had faith in God. This is the same way you and are counted, as righteous it is by believing in Him. He was not delivered up as a mere example of self-sacrifice or humility. He was delivered up to pay for all our trespasses. Our astronomical debt was fully paid for. 

 Romans 5:15-16 ESV 

 

 (15)  But the free gift is not like the trespass . For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. (16)  And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 

 

 I love that the free gift is repeated 4 different times in comparison to the debt and consequences of Adam’s trespass. This truth confronts humanities effort to contribute and add something to the payment . We feel like it should cost us then it will mean more. God’s Word presents the opposite. The guilt offering showed the high cost that our trespasses demanded and our inability to fully pay for them . Even when the twenty percent extra was paid, the blood of the ram still needed to be given. We could never repay enough. What Jesus has done for us is an incredible life-giving message. 

 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 ESV 

 

 (18)  All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; (19)  that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 

 

 Through Jesus Christ we can be reconciled. Through Him our sin debt, is not held against us. He gave us this message of reconciliation. It is not a message of how we need to do more. It Is not a message of what we need to pay. It is a message of what Jesus Christ the perfect sin and guilt offering has accomplished. This is a message the dying world desperately needs to hear.

Leviticus 6:8-7:38 | Sunday March 30, 2025
  Through the first 5 chapters of Leviticus God has revealed the 5 major offerings, the whole burnt offering, the grain offering, the peace offering, the sin offering, and the guilt (trespass) offering. These offerings have revealed the consequence of sin is death and have showed the pollution that sin brings. Each animal death and presentation of blood was a reminder of sin. Yet our gracious God set up this inadequate system to reveal how sin could be fully dealt with, to reveal Jesus and all He would accomplish. These chapters have been addressed to the people of Isreal, God has been instructing the nation how to worship Him with these offerings. Then starting in Chapter 6 verse 8 God repeats the 5 offerings again but this time He is instructing the priest on certain specifics of each offering. God also mentions the ordination offering which is only for priests and we will look at in chapters 8 and 9 when the priests are anointed. 

 Leviticus 6:8-7:38 ESV 

 (8)  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 on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it. (10)  And the priest shall put on his linen garment and put his linen undergarment on his body, and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar and put them beside the altar. (11)  Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. (12)  The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall arrange the burnt offering on it and shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. (13)  Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out. (14)  “ And this is the law of the grain offering . The sons of Aaron shall offer it before the LORD in front of the altar. (15)  And one shall take from it a handful of the fine flour of the grain offering and its oil and all the frankincense that is on the grain offering and burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. (16)  And the rest of it Aaron and his sons shall eat . It shall be eaten unleavened in a holy place. In the court of the tent of meeting they shall eat it. (17)  It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it as their portion of my food offerings. It is a thing most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering. (18)  Every male among the children of Aaron may eat of it , as decreed forever throughout your generations, from the LORD's food offerings. Whatever touches them shall become holy.” (19)  The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (20)  “This is the offering that Aaron and his sons shall offer to the LORD on the day when he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening. (21)  It shall be made with oil on a griddle. You shall bring it well mixed, in baked pieces like a grain offering, and offer it for a pleasing aroma to the LORD. (22)  The priest from among Aaron's sons, who is anointed to succeed him, shall offer it to the LORD as decreed forever. The whole of it shall be burned. (23)  Every grain offering of a priest shall be wholly burned. It shall not be eaten.” (24)  The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (25)  “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering . In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering 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 tent of meeting. (27)  Whatever touches its flesh shall be holy, and when any of its blood is splashed on a garment, you shall wash that on which it was splashed in a holy place. (28)  And the earthenware vessel in which it is boiled shall be broken. But if it is boiled in a bronze vessel, that shall be scoured and rinsed in water. (29)  Every male among the priests may eat of it; it is most holy. (30)  But no sin offering shall be eaten from which any blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place; it shall be burned up with fire. 

 Leviticus 7 ESV 

 (1)  “ This is the law of the guilt offering . It is most holy. (2)  In the place where they kill the burnt offering they shall kill the guilt offering, and its blood shall be thrown against the sides of the altar. (3)  And all its fat shall be offered, the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails, (4)  the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys. (5)  The priest shall burn them on the altar as a food offering to the LORD; it is a guilt offering. (6)  Every male among the priests may eat of it . It shall be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy. (7)  The guilt offering is just like the sin offering; there is one law for them. The priest who makes atonement with it shall have it . (8)  And the priest who offers any man's burnt offering shall have for himself the skin of the burnt offering that he has offered. (9)  And every grain offering baked in the oven and all that is prepared on a pan or a griddle shall belong to the priest who offers it. (10)  And every grain offering, mixed with oil or dry, shall be shared equally among all the sons of Aaron. (11)  “And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings that one may offer to the LORD. (12)  If he offers it for a thanksgiving , then he shall offer with the thanksgiving sacrifice unleavened loaves mixed with oil, unleavened wafers smeared with oil, and loaves of fine flour well mixed with oil. (13)  With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving he shall bring his offering with loaves of leavened bread. (14)  And from it he shall offer one loaf from each offering , as a gift to the LORD. It shall belong to the priest who throws the blood of the peace offerings. (15)  And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering. He shall not leave any of it until the morning. (16)  But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow offering or a freewill offering , it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice, and on the next day what remains of it shall be eaten. (17)  But what remains of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burned up with fire. (18)  If any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering is eaten on the third day, he who offers it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be credited to him. It is tainted, and he who eats of it shall bear his iniquity. (19)  “Flesh that touches any unclean thing shall not be eaten. It shall be burned up with fire. All who are clean may eat flesh, (20)  but the person who eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of the LORD's peace offerings while an uncleanness is on him, that person shall be cut off from his people. (21)  And if anyone touches an unclean thing, whether human uncleanness or an unclean beast or any unclean detestable creature, and then eats some flesh from the sacrifice of the LORD's peace offerings, that person shall be cut off from his people.” (22)  The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (23)  “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, You shall eat no fat, of ox or sheep or goat. (24)  The fat of an animal that dies of itself and the fat of one that is torn by beasts may be put to any other use, but on no account shall you eat it. (25)  For every person who eats of the fat of an animal of which a food offering may be made to the LORD shall be cut off from his people. (26)  Moreover, you shall eat no blood whatever, whether of fowl or of animal, in any of your dwelling places. (27)  Whoever eats any blood, that person shall be cut off from his people.” (28)  The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (29)  “ Speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever offers the sacrifice of his peace offerings to the LORD shall bring his offering to the LORD from the sacrifice of his peace offerings. (30)  His own hands shall bring the LORD's food offerings. He shall bring the fat with the breast, that the breast may be waved as a wave offering before the LORD . (31)  The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be for Aaron and his sons. (32)  And the right thigh you shall give to the priest as a contribution from the sacrifice of your peace offerings. (33)  Whoever among the sons of Aaron offers the blood of the peace offerings and the fat shall have the right thigh for a portion. (34)  For the breast that is waved and the thigh that is contributed I have taken from the people of Israel, out of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons, as a perpetual due from the people of Israel. (35)  This is the portion of Aaron and of his sons from the LORD's food offerings, from the day they were presented to serve as priests of the LORD. (36)  The LORD commanded this to be given them by the people of Israel, from the day that he anointed them. It is a perpetual due throughout their generations.” (37)  This is the law of the burnt offering, of the grain offering, of the sin offering, of the guilt offering, of the ordination offering, and of the peace offering, (38)  which the LORD commanded Moses on Mount Sinai, on the day that He commanded the people of Israel to bring their offerings to the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai. 

 For each offering God is careful to specify what part the priest is allowed to eat or keep as payment. For the whole burnt offering, the priest kept the skins, which echoes back to God’s first sacrifice for Adam and Eve. The priest was allowed to eat part of the grain offering and the meat of a sin or guilt offering as long as the blood was not presented into the tent of meeting. The peace offering was unique and only a part of the animal was given to the priest due to the fellowship meal that this offering involved. The priests did not have an inheritance in the promised land (Josh 13:14; 33). God was their inheritance and He provided for them by sharing in the food from these offerings. This principal has application for the church today. 

 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 ESV 

 

 (13)  Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? (14)  In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel. 

 

 The priests physical needs were provided by serving at the temple/ tabernacle. The priests did not have their own land and were not raising crops or animals, so God put in this provision to care for them. Paul uses this principal to show that the church body should provide for their pastors and staff in the same way. Their living should come through their service to the church. As the passage continues Paul is clear He gave up this right in Corinth, but he used it in other cities. Everyone in the body is called to serve God. Some are to be supported monetarily so that they can have more time to do that. The priests were called to have a vigilance and daily maintenance in there service. 

 Leviticus 6:9; 12-13 ESV 

 

 (9)  “ Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering . The burnt offering shall be on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning , and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it. ( 12 )  The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out . The priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall arrange the burnt offering on it and shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. (13)  Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out. 

 

 The priests were to be diligent to never let the fire on the Altar go out. It was their responsibility to tend to the ashes and arrange the wood. Every night they were called to offer a whole burnt offering to keep the fire going throughout the night, and then another whole burnt offering each morning to stoke the fire. 

 Exodus 29:38-39 ESV 

 (38)  “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day regularly . (39)  One lamb you shall offer in the morning , and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight . 

 The Bronze Altar was to always have a whole burnt offering smoldering on it. The whole burnt offering represented a heart fully surrendered to God walking in an obedience to Him. The daily repetition and encouragement to keep the fire continually going shows us the need for a constant refreshing in our walk with Jesus. 

 Philippians 3:12-16 ESV 

 

 (12)  Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. (13)  Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, (14)  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (15)  Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. (16)  Only let us hold true to what we have attained. 

 

 Paul was careful to press on in His walk with Jesus. He was not satisfied to walk with Jesus yesterday, and take today off. He actively forgot what lies behind, this involves both successes and failures. He understood that He had today to walk with Jesus. He knew what Jesus had done for Him and He did not want to take that for granted. He wanted to press on, every night and every morning refreshing His heart, just like the daily burnt offering. This fresh walk is a mark of maturity. Jesus wants a close daily relationship with us. 

 It is very important to see that it is a fresh burnt offering each night and morning and not a continual sin offering . The sin offering was given repeatedly, but God did not ask for it daily because it pointed to Jesus’ perfect sacrifice. 

 Hebrews 9:25-26 ESV 

 

 (25)  Nor was it to offer Himself repeatedly , as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, (26)  for then He would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 

 

 Jesus gave the perfect sin offering, once for all time. Jesus is not continually suffering for sin. Sin has been fully dealt with through His blood. We do not need another sacrifice for sin. Now as believers we have the opportunity daily to walk in a fresh relationship with Him. At times in our walk, we all leave the whole burnt offering unattended for too many days. We just start living and neglect a daily walk with Him. We need to confess this and walk anew with Him. It is a truly amazing thought that the God of the entire universe wants this close and intimate of a relationship with us. The daily maintenance of the priests also points out what will never help us have this kind of walk. 

 Leviticus 6:10-11 NAS95 

 (10)  'The priest is to put on his linen robe, and he shall put on undergarments next to his flesh; and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire reduces the burnt offering on the altar and place them beside the altar. (11)  'Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. 

 The ashes would build up on the Altar and need to be cleaned out. When the priest was interacting with the Altar, He was to wear special clothing. Then after he collected the ashes, he needed to change into normal cloths and take the ashes outside the camp. This garment change was to remind him of the holiness of the altar and of the work he was doing. What is unique is that God specifically wanted the priest to wear linen underwear. 

 Exodus 20:26 ESV 

 

 (26)  And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.’ 

 

 Exodus 28:42-43 ESV 

 

 (42)  You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh . They shall reach from the hips to the thighs; (43)  and they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the Holy Place , lest they bear guilt and die. This shall be a statute forever for him and for his offspring after him. 

 

 God demanding the flesh be covered was in contrast to the other cultures of the day. Priests of other religions would work in various stages of undress and even naked. God was teaching His people what would never help them have a daily walk with Him. 

 John 6:63 ESV 

 (63)  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. God has systematically shown throughout His Word that the flesh, human effort, and power, are no help at all in living for Him . 

 To show this God would choose the youngest child instead of oldest to bless. He would choose the weak, and powerless. He even asked the priest to keep their flesh covered when interacting with holy things. This is emphasized so much because we struggle with this idea. 

 Galatians 5:16-17; 24-25 ESV 

 

 (16)  But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh . (17)  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. (24)  And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (25)  If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 

 

 The flesh is opposed to the Spirit. Their desires are opposite of each other. As believers our flesh has been crucified through Jesus. We now can live in the Spirit; we are called to keep in step with Him. God desires a closeness with us. The peace offering emphasizes this. 

 Leviticus 7:11; 15-16 ESV 

 

 ( 11 )  “And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings that one may offer to the LORD. (15)  And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering . He shall not leave any of it until the morning. (16)  But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow offering or a freewill offering , it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice, and on the next day what remains of it shall be eaten. 

 

 There were three types of peace offerings: thanksgiving (thanking God), vow (praising God for His faithfulness tied to a vow), and freewill (spontaneous worship of God). The theme of all three is a thankful praise and worship to God. The fat was burnt on the alter to God and the priest received a few cuts of meat and some of the bread but most of the animal and bread was to be eaten by the worshipper and His entourage. It was to be a time of rejoicing. 

 Deuteronomy 12:12; 17-18 ESV 

 

 (12)  And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your male servants and your female servants, and the Levite that is within your towns, since he has no portion or inheritance with you. ( 17 )  You may not eat within your towns the tithe of your grain or of your wine or of your oil, or the firstborn of your herd or of your flock, or any of your vow offerings that you vow, or your freewill offerings or the contribution that you present, (18)  but you shall eat them before the LORD your God in the place that the LORD your God will choose, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your towns . And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in all that you undertake. 

 

 The peace offering was to be a joyful feast attended by many. It was to be eaten before the Lord and enjoying Him. What is crucial to see is that it is God inviting us to His feast , not us inviting God to our feast . The animal was wholly given over to God. Partaking in this meal meant God was sharing and offering fellowship to us. Every other religion gets this backwards. They emphasize man inviting God to feast. The Assyrians talked about inviting the gods into their palace and feasting them. With this thinking it is about what humanity can offer and do for God. The truth is God wants us to rejoice and enjoy the fellowship of what He has done and accomplished. It is His feast and we are invited! 

 Isaiah 25:6-9 ESV 

 

 (6)  On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food , a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. (7)  And He will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. (8)  He will swallow up death forever ; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of His people He will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken. (9)  It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, that He might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for Him ; let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” 

 

 We are not the ones who are throwing the feast, it is not about what we can do. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus He will now accomplish all that is promised. He will prepare an amazing feast for us to enjoy . He will swallow death. He will take away our tears. Our part is to be glad and rejoice for all He has done. To keep a fresh walk with Jesus is not about working harder and doing more. It is all about living in the Spirit and walking in a joyful thanksgiving for all He has done. God has so much grace for us and knows we will not do this perfectly. Look at what is to be brought for a peace offering that can seem out of place. 

 Leviticus 7:13 ESV 

 

 (13)  With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving he shall bring his offering with loaves of leavened bread. 

 

 This leavened loaf was meant to be eaten in the feast and was never presented on the altar. We saw earlier in Leviticus that Leaven represents how sin spreads and multiples. This is what makes it being included so gracious of God. To invite us to this feast and fellowship God knows that we will bring our leaven, or sin with us . Our sin is never accepted on the altar, but because of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus we are still invited to the feast. He wants a fellowship with us and knows what that means! 

 Psalm 103:14 ESV 

 

 (14)  For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. 

 

 So often we try to forget who we are. We are shocked by our sin, and our failure to walk in a close relationship with God and are ashamed to go back to Him. I want to encourage you to confess and walk fresh. Rejoice in His goodness and all He has accomplished! 

 Psalm 23:5-6 ESV 

 

 (5)  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (6)  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Leviticus 8-9 | Sunday April 6, 2025
In chapter 8 and 9 it is finally time for the tabernacle to be used, the priest will be consecrated, and worship will begin.  It is important to understand the anticipation and preparation that has gone before the ceremony we are going to study. God started instructing Israel how to build the tabernacle all the way back in Exodus 25-30 . The contribution to collect the materials happened in Ex 35 . Bezalel and Oholiab and the other craftsman started making all the elements of the tabernacle and the furniture in Ex 35-38 . The high priests’ clothing was woven in Ex 39 , then the Tabernacle was constructed in Ex 40 . Then at the start of Leviticus God called out from the newly made tabernacle. He gave 5 chapters of instructions to the people about the various offerings; when they were to bring them and how. Then God gave 2 more chapters instructing the priests in how to administer these offerings. God has spent 19 chapters to instruct and prepare His people in how to worship Him through the tabernacle. After all this preparation, it is finally time for the tabernacle to be used. God’s presence will be with His people and they know how to worship Him. 

 Leviticus 8:1-9:24 ESV 

 

 (1)  The LORD spoke to Moses , saying, (2)  “Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments and the anointing oil and the bull of the sin offering and the two rams and the basket of unleavened bread. (3)  And assemble all the congregation at the entrance of the tent of meeting.” (4)  And Moses did as the LORD commanded him , and the congregation was assembled at the entrance of the tent of meeting. (5)  And Moses said to the congregation, “This is the thing that the LORD has commanded to be done.” (6)  And Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. (7)  And he put the coat on him and tied the sash around his waist and clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him and tied the skillfully woven band of the ephod around him, binding it to him with the band. (8)  And he placed the breastpiece on him, and in the breastpiece he put the Urim and the Thummim. (9)  And he set the turban on his head, and on the turban, in front , he set the golden plate, the holy crown, as the LORD commanded Moses. (10)  Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them. (11)  And he sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its utensils and the basin and its stand, to consecrate them. (12)  And he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him to consecrate him. (13)  And Moses brought Aaron's sons and clothed them with coats and tied sashes around their waists and bound caps on them, as the LORD commanded Moses . (14)  Then he brought the bull of the sin offering , and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering. (15)  And he killed it, and Moses took the blood, and with his finger put it on the horns of the altar around it and purified the altar and poured out the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it to make atonement for it. (16)  And he took all the fat that was on the entrails and the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat, and Moses burned them on the altar. (17)  But the bull and its skin and its flesh and its dung he burned up with fire outside the camp, as the LORD commanded Moses. (18)  Then he presented the ram of the burnt offering , and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. (19)  And he killed it, and Moses threw the blood against the sides of the altar. (20)  He cut the ram into pieces, and Moses burned the head and the pieces and the fat. (21)  He washed the entrails and the legs with water, and Moses burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt offering with a pleasing aroma, a food offering for the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses. (22)  Then he presented the other ram, the ram of ordination , and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. (23)  And he killed it, and Moses took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. (24)  Then he presented Aaron's sons, and Moses put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. And Moses threw the blood against the sides of the altar. (25)  Then he took the fat and the fat tail and all the fat that was on the entrails and the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat and the right thigh, (26)  and out of the basket of unleavened bread that was before the LORD he took one unleavened loaf and one loaf of bread with oil and one wafer and placed them on the pieces of fat and on the right thigh. (27)  And he put all these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons and waved them as a wave offering before the LORD. (28)  Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar with the burnt offering. This was an ordination offering with a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD. (29)  And Moses took the breast and waved it for a wave offering before the LORD. It was Moses' portion of the ram of ordination, as the LORD commanded Moses. (30)  Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and also on his sons and his sons' garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments, and his sons and his sons' garments with him. (31)  And Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the flesh at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and there eat it and the bread that is in the basket of ordination offerings, as I commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons shall eat it.’ (32)  And what remains of the flesh and the bread you shall burn up with fire. (33)  And you shall not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for it will take seven days to ordain you. (34)  As has been done today, the LORD has commanded to be done to make atonement for you. (35)  At the entrance of the tent of meeting you shall remain day and night for seven days, performing what the LORD has charged , so that you do not die, for so I have been commanded.” (36)  And Aaron and his sons did all the things that the LORD commanded by Moses. 

 

 Leviticus 9 

 

 (1)  On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel, (2)  and he said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a bull calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without blemish, and offer them before the LORD. (3)  And say to the people of Israel, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering , and a calf and a lamb, both a year old without blemish, for a burnt offering , (4)  and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD, and a grain offering mixed with oil, for today the LORD will appear to you.’” (5)  And they brought what Moses commanded in front of the tent of meeting, and all the congregation drew near and stood before the LORD. (6)  And Moses said, “This is the thing that the LORD commanded you to do , that the glory of the LORD may appear to you.” (7)  Then Moses said to Aaron, “Draw near to the altar and offer your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and for the people, and bring the offering of the people and make atonement for them, as the LORD has commanded.” (8)  So Aaron drew near to the altar and killed the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself. (9)  And the sons of Aaron presented the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar and poured out the blood at the base of the altar. (10)  But the fat and the kidneys and the long lobe of the liver from the sin offering he burned on the altar, as the LORD commanded Moses. (11)  The flesh and the skin he burned up with fire outside the camp. (12)  Then he killed the burnt offering, and Aaron's sons handed him the blood, and he threw it against the sides of the altar. (13)  And they handed the burnt offering to him, piece by piece, and the head, and he burned them on the altar. (14)  And he washed the entrails and the legs and burned them with the burnt offering on the altar. (15)  Then he presented the people's offering and took the goat of the sin offering that was for the people and killed it and offered it as a sin offering, like the first one. (16)  And he presented the burnt offering and offered it according to the rule. (17)  And he presented the grain offering , took a handful of it, and burned it on the altar, besides the burnt offering of the morning. (18)  Then he killed the ox and the ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings for the people . And Aaron's sons handed him the blood, and he threw it against the sides of the altar. (19)  But the fat pieces of the ox and of the ram, the fat tail and that which covers the entrails and the kidneys and the long lobe of the liver— (20)  they put the fat pieces on the breasts, and he burned the fat pieces on the altar, (21)  but the breasts and the right thigh Aaron waved for a wave offering before the LORD, as Moses commanded. (22)  Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings. (23)  And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. (24)  And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. 

 

 The last step needed for the tabernacle to be used was for the priest to be made ready and set apart for their ministry. The priests were to represent humanity to God. God gave very specific instructions of how they needed to prepare, so His presence could dwell with them. God gives them the list of all the need to gather to consecrate the priest. This was to happen in front of the whole congregation. This either means in front of the elders who represented all the people, or during the 7-day process all of Israel came by the tabernacle to see the priests. Ethier way God wanted this to be done out in the open, He wanted all to see that He chose Aaron and His sons. Noone could choose to be a priest, God had to appoint them. 

 Hebrews 5:4-5 ESV 

 

 (4)  And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. (5)  So also Christ did not exalt Himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by Him who said to Him, “You are My Son, today I have begotten You”; 

 

 Just as Aaron was selected by God Jesus was appointed to be the perfect High Priest. The priesthood was not man’s idea . God went to great lengths to set up this system. Nine times in chapter 8 and 9 it is emphasized that all of this was happening “as the LORD commanded.” He made every detail point forward to Jesus who was the perfect sacrifice and the perfect priest. He is giving us a context and a system to better understand who Jesus is and what He needed to accomplish. 

 Leviticus 8:6 ESV 

 

 (6)  And Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. 

 

 The first step was to wash or bath the priest. This points to an important part of salvation that takes place for every believer. 

 Titus 3:5-7 ESV 

 

 (5)  He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, (6)  whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, (7)  so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 

 

 When God saves a person, He uses the Holy Spirit to wash that person clean. They are regenerated and renewed in the Holy Spirit. This is not a self-cleansing . Notice it is not by our own works of righteousness. This is not us cleansing ourselves or fixing ourselves so we can come to God. He is the one who baths us. Through Jesus we are washed clean. This is the once for all bath Jesus mentioned to Peter during the Lord’s supper (John 13:10). Once we believe in Jesus the Holy Spirit washes us clean. We do not need to keep trying to take a bath again. He accomplished it, we are secure in Him. Then once the priest was bathed, they now can be clothed. 

 Leviticus 8:7-9 ESV 

 

 (7)  And he put the coat on him and tied the sash around his waist and clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him and tied the skillfully woven band of the ephod around him, binding it to him with the band. (8)  And he placed the breastpiece on him, and in the breastpiece he put the Urim and the Thummim. (9)  And he set the turban on his head, and on the turban, in front , he set the golden plate, the holy crown, as the LORD commanded Moses. 

 

 Every part of the clothing was intentional. 

 Exodus 28:36-37; 40 ESV 

 

 (36)  “You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet , ‘Holy to the LORD.’ (37)  And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front of the turban. ( 40 )  “For Aaron's sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty. 

 

 This unique uniform was meant to be beautiful and glorious. Jim Henderson’s Sermons on Exodus 28 and 29 do a great job explaining the symbolism behind each article of clothing. The golden inscription on the front of His turban declared “Holy to the Lord” this was a high and special calling. As the High priest put all this on it was a constant reminder that He was set apart, and doing something Holy. All of this was to point to Jesus the true High Priest. In Luke 4:17-19 Jesus quotes Isaiah 61 and declares that He is the one who fulfills it. 

 Isaiah 61:10 ESV 

 

 (10)  I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; My soul shall exult in My God, for He has clothed Me with the garments of salvation ; He has covered Me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks Himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress , and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 

 

 Jesus is the perfect High Priest and has been clothed in the garments of salvation. He has the beautiful headdress, He is the one who is truly Holy to the Lord. 

 Leviticus 8:10 ESV 

 

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

 

 God gave instructions for how to make the anointing oil in Exodus 30:23-25 and it showed that the tabernacle and the priest were set apart for service to God. 

 Psalm 133:1-2 ESV 

 

 (1)  A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! (2)  It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! 

 

 David is praising unity that brothers can have and compares it to the oil that ran down Aaron’s head and beard. This was a precious holy moment. The new beautiful garments had oil stains on them. The priest was set apart. The process did not stop here though. 

 Leviticus 8:23, 30 ESV 

 

 (23)  And he killed it, and Moses took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. ( 30 )  Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments , and also on his sons and his sons' garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments, and his sons and his sons' garments with him. 

 

 Moses took the blood of the ram of ordination and smeared some of it on the right ear, right thumb, and right big toe of Aaron and His sons . The priest needed to have a spiritual ear to listen to the will of God, hands to do His will and feet that walked with Him. Then he also mixed the blood with the oil and sprinkled it onto their cloths. The priest garments were now stained with blood. 

 Hebrews 9:18; 21-22 ESV 

 

 (18)  Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. ( 21 )  And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. (22)  Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. 

 

 The anointing oil is so beautiful in comparison to the blood. Everything in that tabernacle, even the priest had to be sprinkled in blood. The horns on the Altar were even wiped with blood to make atonement for it (Lev 8:15). God wanted it to be very clear that the only way to approach Him, they only way to be in His presence was through blood. Without the shedding of blood sin cannot be forgiven! For Aaron this was just the start of the process it was going to continue for 7 days. 

 Leviticus 8:33-35 ESV 

 

 (33)  And you shall not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for it will take seven days to ordain you. (34) As has been done today, the LORD has commanded to be done to make atonement for you. (35) At the entrance of the tent of meeting you shall remain day and night for seven days, performing what the LORD has charged, so that you do not die, for so I have been commanded.” 

 

 This was going to take seven days and Exodus 29:35-37 tells us every day they needed to offer another bull as a sin offering. I hope that the detail God required and what it took Aaron and His sons to be in God’s presence stands out . Each detail had to be followed perfectly or Aaron and His sons would die. We serve a holy God. Sin permeated Aaron, His sons, and us, deeper than we care to admit. Even after Seven days staying in the tabernacle with daily sacrifices notice what Aaron had to do on day 8. 

 Leviticus 9:1-4 ESV 

 

 (1)  On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel, (2)  and he said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a bull calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without blemish, and offer them before the LORD. (3)  And say to the people of Israel, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering , and a calf and a lamb, both a year old without blemish, for a burnt offering , (4)  and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD, and a grain offering mixed with oil, for today the LORD will appear to you.’” 

 

 Earlier in this journey the people of Israel had Aaron make them a golden calf to worship. Now God was asking for many calves to be killed and offered to Him in worship. Man wanted to worship gold, something that was pretty, God demanded blood . Even after all these offerings Aaron needed to bring another. The blood of animals and the priesthood that was being set apart was inadequate to deal with sin. 

 Hebrews 7:11-12; 18-19; 25-28 ESV 

 

 (11)  Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? (12)  For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. ( 18 )  For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (19)  ( for the law made nothing perfect) ; but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced , through which we draw near to God. ( 25 )  Consequently, He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him , since He always lives to make intercession for them. (26)  For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners , and exalted above the heavens. (27)  He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for His own sins and then for those of the people, since He did this once for all when He offered up Himself. (28)  For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests , but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever. 

 

 If Aaron and the priests that followed in his line were able to deal with sin, then there would be no need for any change. We would still bring our animals to pay for sin. The constant offerings showed the systems weaknesses. Nothing could be made perfect under the law . After 7 days of offerings and living in the court of the tabernacle Aaron still needed more animals to die. A better hope was introduced through Jesus . We can dwell in God’s presence through Him. He is the perfect High priest; He gave the offering once for all time. The priesthood showed man’s weakness and our need for a Son, Jesus Christ to be our perfect High Priest. It took eight days of offerings, anointing oil, blood so God could be with Isreal. 

 Leviticus 9:6; 23-24 ESV 

 

 (6)  And Moses said, “This is the thing that the LORD commanded you to do, that the glory of the LORD may appear to you.” (23)  And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. (24)  And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. 

 

 Israel fulfilled each part of the law that God asked and the glory of God appeared to the people. God sent fire from out of the Holy of Holies to consume the offerings on the Altar. It was God’s way of accepting their worship. God wants us to see what it takes to be in His holy presence. When we understand this, it gives us more of a love and appreciation for what Jesus has done. 

 Hebrews 10:19-23 ESV 

 

 (19)  Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, (20)  by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through His flesh, (21)  and since we have a great priest over the house of God, (22)  let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (23)  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 

 

 Eight days of ceremony and Israel caught a glimpse of fire. Through Jesus Christ’s death and His perfect offering of blood, we have access to the holy place . We can draw near to God. Our high priest is faithful. Our hope and confidence rests in Him and what He has done. Our Great High priest has given us access to God and made us priests! 

 Revelation 20:6 ESV 

 

 (6)  Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with Him for a thousand years.

Leviticus 10:1-3 | Sunday April 13, 2025
Last week we saw the 8-day consecration ceremony for Aaron and his sons. God had gone to great lengths to dwell with His people again. The eight-day ceremony that was filled with offerings finished with God’s affirmation. 

 Leviticus 9:23-24 ESV 

 

 (23)  And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people . (24)  And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. 

 

 God sent fire to show His acceptance of all that had been done. The tabernacle was dedicated, the priests were ready and God’s presence was in the holy of holies. God’s people were dwelling in His presence and knew how to worship Him. As great as this moment was, it was not perfect. There were many veils between God and the people, to protect them from His holiness. Even with these protections the sinfulness of man will be put on display. 

 Leviticus 10:1-11 ESV 

 

 (1)  Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron , each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. (2) And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. (3)  Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD has said: ‘Among those who are near Me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” And Aaron held his peace. 

 (4) And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come near; carry your brothers away from the front of the sanctuary and out of the camp.” (5)  So they came near and carried them in their coats out of the camp, as Moses had said. (6)  And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar his sons, “Do not let the hair of your heads hang loose, and do not tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the congregation; but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning that the LORD has kindled. (7)  And do not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you.” And they did according to the word of Moses. (8)  And the LORD spoke to Aaron, saying, (9)  “Drink no wine or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. (10) You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, (11)  and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the LORD has spoken to them by Moses.” 

 

 The story does not say for sure but the impression is that this happened on the eight day of the consecration or very shortly thereafter. Aaron still had the anointing oil on Him. It reveals so much about who we are as people that the tabernacle was not in Israel’s presence for any length of time before someone misused it and died. A time to celebrate God’s goodness had been turned to mourning. Another principal is here, after a spiritual triumph, comes temptation. After Elijah watched God defeat the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18, he was suicidal by chapter 19. Jesus left His baptism to head out to the wilderness to be tempted. Our walk with God does not pause or stop after a spiritual high, we need to keep walking with Him. Meaning Nadab and Abihu followed God’s instructions for 8 days but then let their guard down and sinned. To better understand what happened it is helpful to know who Nadab and Abihu are. 

 Exodus 6:23 ESV 

 

 (23)  Aaron took as his wife Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar . 

 

 Exodus 24:1 ESV 

 

 (1)  Then He said to Moses, “ Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu , and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. 

 

 Aaron had four sons Nadab, was the firstborn, Abihu, Elezar, and Ithamar. These four were to be priests and God instructed for them to be included in the consecration. They wore priestly robes, had blood dipped on their right ear, thumb, and toe, and even had the anointing oil and blood sprinkled on them. God even specifically tells Moses to bring Nadab and Abihu closer up on mount Siani to worship Him as Moses went further up the mountain. They had been near the power and holiness of God. 

 Leviticus 10:1 ESV 

 

 (1)  Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. 

 

 A censer was a portable pot that the priest would put coals into and then burn incense in. Some were on long handles and others on chains. They served in a sense as a portable altar, to bring the burning incense wherever the priest went (Num 16:46). On the Day of Atonement Aaron was to fill his censer from the altar of incense before entering into the Holy of Holies. It is not the censer or even the act of burning incense that was sin for Nadab and Abihu. What went wrong for these two is that they did it in such a way that God had not commanded. The fire used was unauthorized, the word means strange, prohibited, illegitimate . This could mean everything from the type of fire used, where they got it, what they were burning on it, or even when they were offering it. Without the specifics God is very clear it was not commanded. 

 God revealed His will through the Word and we figure out so many creative ways to violate what He wants. A great example of this is with the discovery of Tel Arad in the 1960’s. This was a fortress that both the Canaanites and Israelites occupied and the site includes a temple. It is about 35 miles away from Jerusalem and sits elevated. This would have been one of the high places that God judges Isreal so much for. Archeologist have found the room that would have been used as the holy of holies. It is a perfect cube (mimicking God’s instructions) at 7 feet by 7 feet. In it there are two stones one for Yahweh and one for asherah , and two pillars to burn incense to both deities. Through testing archeologist have found remnants of frankincense and cannabis. God was clear in what type of incense was allowed to be burned on His true altar of incense. 

 Exodus 30:7; 9 ESV 

 

 (7)  And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, ( 9 )  You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it. 

 

 Notice how humanity counterfeits God and entirely misses what God desires in the process. The altar of incense was to be wood overlaid in gold to speak of Jesus who is fully man and fully God. At Tel Arad the altar of incense was made out of stone. God specifically warns not to offer unauthorized or strange incense on it. God’s Altar of incense stood before the Holy of Holies, if this line was crossed anytime other than the day of atonement the person would be killed. These warnings were not empty. 

 Exodus 28:33; 35 ESV 

 

 (33)  On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, around its hem, with bells of gold between them , ( 35 )  And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the LORD, and when he comes out, so that he does not die. 

 

 These bells announced Aarons presence in the Holy Place. They also served as an indicator to those on the outside that Aaron was still alive . These warning became very real for Nadab and Abihu. We have so many questions about specifically what they did wrong, and what their motivations were. Yet, God is very clear, they tried to offer something to Him that He did not command. The fire coming from God that had verified the priest was now used to judge them (it is the same phrase used in 9:24). 

 Leviticus 10:1-2 ESV 

 

 (1)  Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. (2)  And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them , and they died before the LORD. 

 

 Being in God’s presence was a very serious thing and His commandments do not bend. Nadab and Abihu’s specific sin cannot be replicated, because the tabernacle is no more. The heart behind their sin though, is one that is readily practiced today. They tried to worship based on their own will and not the revealed will of God. They thought they knew a better way, different way, or could help God in some way. Instead of trusting in what God had instructed they wanted to add or change it. We are in danger of doing this all the time. We let our thoughts and society dictate who we want God to be and how He will act. This goes from redefining what sin is, to redefining what God values. In the end we want to tell God what to do and how to change and not submit to who He is. God never accepts this form of worship. It would violate His very nature. 

 Numbers 23:19 ESV 

 

 (19)  God is not man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind . Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it? 

 

 Malachi 3:6 ESV 

 

 (6)  “ For I the LORD do not change ; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 

 

 James 1:17 ESV 

 (17)  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 

 Hebrews 13:8 ESV 

 

 (8)  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 

 

 God not changing is a truth found throughout the Word of God. From the Old Testament to the New Testament. He has interacted with humanity in unique ways, at various times, but His nature and His character is the same at all times. The God who is revealing Himself here in Leviticus is the same God who we are worshipping today. The justice God shows by killing Nadab and Abihu is still in His character. This may seem startling, because we are so prone to redefine God in our image. Especially today we tend to soften God’s just wrath towards sin. Instead we are to look at how His word has revealed Him. A holy and just God. 

 Nahum 1:2-3 ESV 

 

 (2)  The LORD is a jealous and avenging God ; the LORD is avenging and wrathful; the LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries and keeps wrath for His enemies. (3)  The LORD is slow to anger and great in power , and the LORD will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. 

 

 These truths seem to contradict each other but they are revealing the same God . He is jealous and avenging, wrathful and He is slow to anger! Our God is loving and just. He loved Nadab and Abihu and still dealt with their sin. It was so early in the use of the tabernacle true worship of God could have been corrupted if not dealt with swiftly. God still loves His church with this type of discipline. 

 1 Corinthians 11:20; 30-32 ESV 

 

 (20)  When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. (30)  That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. (31)  But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. (32)  But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. 

 

 1 Peter 4:17 ESV 

 

 (17)  For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God ; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 

 

 The Corinthian church was corrupting the Lord’s Supper in the selfish flippant manner they were taking it in. Some in the church were sick because of their sin, some seriously sick and others had died. Not all sickness and death are tied to specific sin, this judgment is rare but it does happen. God has not changed. He disciplines His own. This discipline starts in the household of God. Believers will not face the judgment the world deserves because Jesus took our judgment. Yet He does discipline us. Nadab and Abihu were disciplined. Even though Nadab and Abihu were priests, and from an important family. God is too holy not to discipline them. 

 Romans 2:11 ESV 

 

 (11)  For God shows no partiality. 

 

 In His holiness God could not let this sin pass by. It did not matter who they were sin must be dealt with. His Holiness had to be protected. 

 Leviticus 10:3 ESV 

 

 (3)  Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD has said: ‘ Among those who are near Me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified. ’” And Aaron held his peace. 

 

 Just hours before God sent fire and the people shouted in joy. This time He sent fire and Aaron is silent. If you are going to be near God and in His presence then He needs to be sanctified, declared holy. When we see worshipping God as a holy thing then the discipline is understandable . As much as Nadab and Abihu tried to worship God from their own will He reminded them that He is holy and He is the one who declares what true worship looks like. He still does. 

 Psalms 51:17 ESV 

 

 (17)  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart , O God, you will not despise. 

 

 We want to worship God in our pride and our self-effort. He asks for our broken and contrite heart that rest on Him and Jesus finished work. 

 1 Peter 1:13-19 ESV 

 

 (13)  Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (14)  As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, (15)  but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, (16)  since it is written, “ You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (17)  And if you call on Him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, (18)  knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, (19)  but with the precious blood of Christ , like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 

 

 We are called to set our hope fully on the grace that Jesus offers. He is the one who made a way for us to worship the Holy God. He paid for our sin. God judges impartially, it does not matter who you are. We come to Him through Jesus. Our God is holy and He has called us to worship Him in holiness. He ransomed us from our life of sin, it took the blood of Jesus to secure our salvation. We should not continue to walk in our sin. As believers we are called to have a healthy fear of our loving and gracious God. 

 Hebrews 12:28-29 ESV 

 

 (28)  Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, (29)  for our God is a consuming fire.

Leviticus 10:4-20 | Sunday April 27, 2025
Israel was to be rejoicing for the fact that God’s presence was dwelling in the tabernacle and they could worship Him. Instead, they were mourning the deaths of Nadab and Abihu who tried to approach God with an offering He had not commanded. They tried to worship based on their will and not the revealed will of God. This thinking is all around us today. We try to define God based on our opinion mixed with worldly thinking. It is examples like Nadab and Abihu that remind us of God’s timeless holiness. 

 Leviticus 10:1-20 ESV 

 

 (1)  Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. (2)  And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. (3)  Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD has said: ‘Among those who are near Me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” And Aaron held his peace. (4)  And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come near; carry your brothers away from the front of the sanctuary and out of the camp.” (5)  So they came near and carried them in their coats out of the camp, as Moses had said. (6)  And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar his sons, “Do not let the hair of your heads hang loose, and do not tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the congregation; but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning that the LORD has kindled. (7)  And do not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you.” And they did according to the word of Moses. (8)  And the LORD spoke to Aaron, saying, (9)  “Drink no wine or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. (10)  You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, (11)  and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the LORD has spoken to them by Moses.” (12)  Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his surviving sons: “Take the grain offering that is left of the LORD's food offerings, and eat it unleavened 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, from the LORD's food offerings, for so I am commanded. (14)  But the breast that is waved and the thigh that is contributed you shall eat in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you, for they are given as your due and your sons' due from the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the people of Israel. (15)  The thigh that is contributed and the breast that is waved they shall bring with the food offerings of the fat pieces to wave for a wave offering before the LORD, and it shall be yours and your sons' with you as a due forever, as the LORD has commanded.” (16)  Now Moses diligently inquired about the goat of the sin offering, and behold, it was burned up! And he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the surviving sons of Aaron, saying, (17)  “Why have you not eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary, since it is a thing most holy and has been given to you that you may bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD? (18)  Behold, its blood was not brought into the inner part of the sanctuary. You certainly ought to have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded.” (19)  And Aaron said to Moses, “Behold, today they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD, and yet such things as these have happened to me! If I had eaten the sin offering today, would the LORD have approved?” (20)  And when Moses heard that, he approved. 

 

 The supernatural death and immediate judgment of Nadab and Abihu does not necessitate that they were dammed to hell. We saw two weeks ago that God disciplines His own. I will remind you that during the exodus Nadab and Abihu trusted in the blood of the Passover lamb. They even drew near to God and experienced His presence. 

 Exodus 24:9-11 ESV 

 

 (9)  Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu , and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, (10)  and they saw the God of Israel . There was under His feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. (11)  And He did not lay His hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank. 

 

 Nadab and Abihu enjoyed a meal of fellowship in the presence of God, and got to experience His glory and radiance. God let these specific leaders experience His presence with the desire that they would lead and serve with this in mind. He wanted them to remember His glory and live considering who He is. Unfortunately, Nadab and Abihu did not. Just like Annanias and Sapphira, who lied to the Holy Spirit and were killed at the start of the church God disciplined His own. Paul even encourages the Corinthian church to pray for this to happen. 

 1 Corinthians 5:4-5 ESV 

 

 (4)  When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, (5)  you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. 

 

 This believer was in an unrepentant egregious sin and the church was to pray that His flesh, meaning his physical life, would end so that His spirit would be saved. His actions were so offensive to the gospel and the Holy Spirit in him that He needed to die. Even in this case the man’s salvation is not questioned. He is saved by the blood. Even in their extreme death Nadab and Abihu’s salvation is secured because of the coming Messiah. Aaron and his sons are given instructions in how to view God’s just judgment. 

 Leviticus 10:4-7 ESV 

 

 (4)  And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan , the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron , and said to them, “Come near; carry your brothers away from the front of the sanctuary and out of the camp.” (5)  So they came near and carried them in their coats out of the camp , as Moses had said. (6)  And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar his sons , “Do not let the hair of your heads hang loose, and do not tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the congregation; but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning that the LORD has kindled. (7)  And do not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you.” And they did according to the word of Moses. 

 

 The details of how to handle the bodies of Nadab and Abihu and how to grieve for them are going to be very specific. What happened was a holy action of God and Aaron and his other sons needed to be careful not to incur God’s justice on themselves. Mishael and Elzaphan were the second cousins once removed of Nadab and Abihu. God did not use the immediate family. They were to carry the bodies that were still in the priests garments out of the camp. The rest of the nation could grieve what happened but Aaron and His sons were forbidden to . They still had the anointing oil on them and still were serving in the tabernacle. They were not allowed to show the outward expressions of grief in the tabernacle. God’s truth was to supersede the family relationship. 

 Luke 14:25-28 ESV 

 

 (25)  Now great crowds accompanied Him, and He turned and said to them, (26)  “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. (27)  Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. (28)  For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 

 

 Jesus is teaching on the high cost of discipleship. He wants believers to count the cost. He is explaining that a growing and abiding walk with Him is to come first even before family , even before your own life. Many face the hard decision of what to value, the family relationship or the truth of God’s word. To be a disciple we are called to honor the Word. Most of us have heard that blood is thicker than water, but as believers we have been called to value the blood of Christ over even the blood of family. 

 The family was created by God and is to be held in honor. We are to use the truth of God’s word to filter our family relationships. When based on truth the family can flourish. When sin comes in though, it always causes hurt, and complicates relationships. How we are called to respond to a family member in sin should be based on if they are a believer or not. 

 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 ESV 

 

 (9)  I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people — (10)  not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world , or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. (11)  But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler— not even to eat with such a one. (12)  For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? (13)  God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” 

 

 In context Paul is addressing how to deal with sin within the church yet the principals here can be applied to the family. We are called to have a heart for the lost family member and understand that their life will reflect their spiritual condition. We do not accept their sin, yet we know the biggest issue is for them to believe in Jesus . For family members who are believers we are called to hold to God’s standard of holiness. Depending on the relationship this may mean lovingly correcting and it always means to pray that God would help the person repent. A believer struggling with sin is very different then someone refusing to call it sin and repent. At times ongoing, unrepentant sin will lead to a break in fellowship, even within the family . This is painful and can seem harsh yet in the end it values the eternal for the person over the temporal. Wisdom is needed in each case in how to apply the Word. We have to define love through God’s word, and hold fast to His truth as we seek to maintain fellowship if possible. Aaron had to choose between mourning His sons and walking in truth. 

 Leviticus 10:8-9 ESV 

 

 (8)  And the LORD spoke to Aaron, saying, (9)  “ Drink no wine or strong drink , you or your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting , lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. 

 

 This is the only place in Leviticus that God speaks directly with Aaron. God is so gracious to meet Aaron at his point of need. If their was ever a time he needed to hear directly from God it was right then. God instructs how Aaron should go into the tent of meeting. The very place his sons died, Aaron will need to go back into appropriately or he would meet the same fate. God warns Aaron not to drink wine or other strong alcohol when going into the tent of meeting. This warning is very interesting. It is either tied to Nadab and Abihu’s sin, or how Aaron would be tempted to grieve. Ethier way it is clear that drinking in the tent of meeting would not help Aaron serve God . Notice the command is location based. This is about serving in the tabernacle. He was called to be alert and careful in worshipping God exactly as He commanded. Any drink would hurt Him in this endeavor. Drinking itself was not prohibited in the Tabernacle/ Temple as worshipers might include it in their feast with their tithe (Deut 14:22-29). Intoxication though, was sin. At various times for Israel the priesthood would fall into the trap of Alcohol. 

 Isaiah 28:1-2; 7-8 ESV 

 

 (1)  Ah, the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim , and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley of those overcome with wine! (2)  Behold, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong; like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest , like a storm of mighty, overflowing waters, he casts down to the earth with his hand. (7)  These also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed by wine, they stagger with strong drink, they reel in vision, they stumble in giving judgment. (8)  For all tables are full of filthy vomit , with no space left. 

 

 Drunkenness is like a fading flower. It promises so many things and offers to numb and help someone forget or deal with life. In the end it leads to destruction and judgment. The drunkenness became so severe that even the priest and prophets were drunk as they spoke of God’s vision or gave judgments on cases. God’s judgment was on them and it lead to their destruction. Our society will be no different. As our culture continues to find new ways to become intoxicated it will lead to our downfall. Humanity keeps turning to something so destructive in a poor attempt at mimicking something only God can provide. 

 Ephesians 5:17-20 ESV 

 

 (17)  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (18)  And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, (19)  addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, (20)  giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

 

 It is very important to notice the contrast between getting drunk and being filled by the Spirit. It is God’s will that we would not let alcohol/drugs influence our thinking and end up guiding us. As believers we are called to let the Holy Spirit fill us. It is through Him where we can find true joy, contentment, and peace . We are not to try and manufacture the work of the Holy Spirit. 

 This not only applies to intoxication but also all the man made efforts in mimicking the Holy Spirit . There is no accident that Paul immediately addresses what our worship should look like. There are many efforts made in churches today to repeat and even schedule what only the Holy Spirit can do. We are to sing and give thanks to God the Father through Jesus. Nadab and Abihu tried to mimic or enhance the fire God provided and were judged for it. We must worship through both Spirit and truth. Aaron had an important role in leading and teaching the people how to worship God and he needed to be alert and not impaired as He did this. 

 Leviticus 10:10-11 ESV 

 

 (10)  You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, (11)  and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the LORD has spoken to them by Moses.” 

 

 Aaron was to teach and lead the people. God wanted Him to instruct them in what holiness was, what it meant to be set apart. He also wanted Aaron to teach what ceremonial cleanliness and uncleanliness was. Leviticus will give us very detailed instructions on these categories. Israel was God’s people and He wanted them to reflect this truth. We are His people and we should reflect it . Noone does this perfect, our holy just God is so gracious when we seek after Him. After the death of Nadab and Abihu Moses double checked each detail to make sure things are done correctly. 

 Leviticus 10:16-17 ESV 

 

 (16)  Now Moses diligently inquired about the goat of the sin offering, and behold, it was burned up! And he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the surviving sons of Aaron, saying, (17)  “ Why have you not eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary , since it is a thing most holy and has been given to you that you may bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD? 

 

 Another mistake was made. The sin offering was not eaten by Aaron and his sons like it should have been. The blood did not go into the tent of meeting so the priests should have eaten it. This mistake raises the question why were they not immediately killed like Nadab and Abihu? 

 Leviticus 10:19-20 ESV 

 

 (19)  And Aaron said to Moses, “Behold, today they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD , and yet such things as these have happened to me! If I had eaten the sin offering today, would the LORD have approved?” (20)  And when Moses heard that, he approved. 

 

 Aaron felt unqualified to partake of the meat of the sin offering as it is a most holy thing. This was not an oversight or a prideful attempt to worship God based on His own will. Aaron acted in humility, and desired to honor God. He now understood more than ever the depths of his own sin through the deaths of his sons. He made sure the offering was given correctly but felt inadequate on that day to eat of the animal as was his right. Moses hears this answer and approves. 

 2 Corinthians 7:10-11 ESV 

 

 (10)  For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret , whereas worldly grief produces death. (11)  For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves , what indignation, what fear , what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.

Leviticus 11 | Sunday May 4, 2025
As the book of Leviticus started God has been explaining to the Israelites how to worship Him with the tabernacle. This culminated with the priest being set aside for service and followed by the failure of Nadab and Abihu. As God restored Aaron, He gave Him an important role. 

 Leviticus 10:8; 10-11 ESV 

 

 (8)  And the LORD spoke to Aaron, saying, (10)  You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, (11)  and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the LORD has spoken to them by Moses.” 

 

 God wants Aaron to explain to the Israelites the difference between what is holy and set aside to God and what is common. He also wants Aaron to teach them what is unclean and what is clean. This introduces the theme for the next 5 chapters. God is going to teach Aaron about these categories and apply theme to a variety of specific life situations. These 5 chapters go into detail of the differences of what is holy, common, clean, and unclean. They also explain how something, or someone goes from one category to the next. These chapters will show how often we all become unclean. As challenging, odd, and impossible some of these commands will seem God in His grace has all these chapters culminate in chapter 16 with the day of Atonement. 

 Leviticus 16:16 ESV 

 

 (16)  Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins . And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses. 

 

 On the day of Atonement once a year all of the sins of Israel are dealt with . After we study these next 5 chapters hopefully we will understand their need and our need for the day of atonement. No one can read the next 5 chapters and imagine never becoming unclean. As people we are sinners and we are also unclean. God was dwelling in their presence and gave a way to restore fellowship and restore cleanliness. These commands are hard to understand but the context helps. God is defining all the things He is going to make atonement for. This law was not intended to teach Israel how to be right with God or earn His righteousness. It was to show their need for His atonement. 

 Romans 3:20 ESV 

 

 (20)  For by works of the law no human being will be justified in His sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 

 

 I am amazed at how often the purpose of the law is misunderstood today. These chapters show our sin and uncleanliness which exposes our need for Jesus. 

 Leviticus 11:1-47 ESV 

 

 (1)  And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them, (2)  “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, These are the living things that you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. (3)  Whatever parts the hoof and is cloven-footed and chews the cud , among the animals, you may eat. (4)  Nevertheless, among those that chew the cud or part the hoof, you shall not eat these: The camel, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. (5)  And the rock badger, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. (6)  And the hare, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. (7)  And the pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. (8)  You shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall not touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you. (9)  “ These you may eat, of all that are in the waters . Everything in the waters that has fins and scale s, whether in the seas or in the rivers, you may eat. (10)  But anything in the seas or the rivers that does not have fins and scales, of the swarming creatures in the waters and of the living creatures that are in the waters, is detestable to you. (11)  You shall regard them as detestable ; you shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall detest their carcasses. (12)  Everything in the waters that does not have fins and scales is detestable to you. (13)  “And these you shall detest among the birds ; they shall not be eaten; they are detestable: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, (14)  the kite, the falcon of any kind, (15)  every raven of any kind, (16)  the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk of any kind, (17)  the little owl, the cormorant, the short-eared owl, (18)  the barn owl, the tawny owl, the carrion vulture, (19)  the stork, the heron of any kind, the hoopoe, and the bat. (20)  “All winged insects that go on all fours are detestable to you . (21)  Yet among the winged insects that go on all fours you may eat those that have jointed legs above their feet, with which to hop on the ground. (22)  Of them you may eat: the locust of any kind, the bald locust of any kind, the cricket of any kind, and the grasshopper of any kind. (23)  But all other winged insects that have four feet are detestable to you. (24)  “And by these you shall become unclean. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening, (25)  and whoever carries any part of their carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. (26)  Every animal that parts the hoof but is not cloven-footed or does not chew the cud is unclean to you. Everyone who touches them shall be unclean. (27)  And all that walk on their paws , among the animals that go on all fours, are unclean to you. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening, (28)  and he who carries their carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening; they are unclean to you. (29)  “And these are unclean to you among the swarming things that swarm on the ground: the mole rat, the mouse, the great lizard of any kind, (30)  the gecko, the monitor lizard, the lizard, the sand lizard, and the chameleon. (31)  These are unclean to you among all that swarm. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until the evening. (32)  And anything on which any of them falls when they are dead shall be unclean, whether it is an article of wood or a garment or a skin or a sack, any article that is used for any purpose. It must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the evening; then it shall be clean. (33)  And if any of them falls into any earthenware vessel, all that is in it shall be unclean, and you shall break it. (34)  Any food in it that could be eaten, on which water comes, shall be unclean. And all drink that could be drunk from every such vessel shall be unclean. (35)  And everything on which any part of their carcass falls shall be unclean. Whether oven or stove, it shall be broken in pieces. They are unclean and shall remain unclean for you. (36)  Nevertheless, a spring or a cistern holding water shall be clean, but whoever touches a carcass in them shall be unclean. (37)  And if any part of their carcass falls upon any seed grain that is to be sown, it is clean, (38)  but if water is put on the seed and any part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you. (39)  “And if any animal which you may eat dies, whoever touches its carcass shall be unclean until the evening, (40)  and whoever eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. And whoever carries the carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. (41)  “Every swarming thing that swarms on the ground is detestable; it shall not be eaten. (42)  Whatever goes on its belly, and whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet, any swarming thing that swarms on the ground, you shall not eat, for they are detestable. (43)  You shall not make yourselves detestable with any swarming thing that swarms, and you shall not defile yourselves with them, and become unclean through them. (44)  For I am the LORD your God . Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground. (45)  For I am the LORD who brought 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 about beast and bird and every living creature that moves through the waters and every creature that swarms on the ground, (47)  to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean and between the living creature that may be eaten and the living creature that may not be eaten. 

 

 God separates all animals into three categories, land animals, water animals, and flying animals which includes both birds and insects. In each category God gives the standard for what is a clean animal and what is unclean. A lot of animals are mentioned and yet with the looseness of Hebrew only about 40% of them can be identified with accuracy . This is not the first place that God instructed humanity on what we are allowed to eat and not eat. God is the creator of all and it is His right to declare what is meant for food. 

 Genesis 1:29-30 ESV 

 

 (29)  And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. (30)  And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 

 

 In the Garden of Eden, God gives humanity and the animal kingdom the right to eat from all fruits and vegetables. It is interesting to note that in these commands in Leviticus there are no unclean fruits or vegetables. This is unlike the Egyptian dietary laws that declared some vegetables as unclean. At this point no meat was to be eaten by animals or humanity. This did not change until after Noah’s ark. 

 Genesis 9:1-4 ESV 

 

 (1)  And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. (2)  The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. (3)  Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you . And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. (4)  But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 

 

 At this point after the flood God put the fear of humanity into animals. He also gave us the right to eat any moving thing. We are the only creation made in the image of God and so everything else is allowed to be eaten . The one command is that the animal must die first. We are not to eat things that are alive and still have their blood in them. By in large society as a whole follows this. With some unique expectations of various seafood and insects the world does not eat living things. Now God gives unique instructions to His people as He dwells in their midst. 

 Leviticus 11:3; 27 ESV 

 

 (3)  Whatever parts the hoof and is cloven-footed and chews the cud , among the animals, you may eat. (27)  And all that walk on their paws , among the animals that go on all fours, are unclean to you. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening, 

 

 There are clean animals that they are allowed to eat and unclean animals they are not to eat. For land animals the distinction is straightforward. If an animal parts the hoof, and chews the cud then it is clean. If it does neither or only one of these then it is unclean. For example, the camel chews the cud but does not have a parted hoof so it is unclean. The pig has a parted hoof but does not chew the cud, so it is unclean. The cow, goat, and sheep fit both categories and are considered clean. Anything with a paw is unclean, this would include bears and lions. God gives other qualifications for fish, birds and insects. 

 Leviticus 11:9,13,20-21 ESV 

 

 (9)  “ These you may eat, of all that are in the waters . Everything in the waters that has fins and scale s, whether in the seas or in the rivers, you may eat. (13)  “And these you shall detest among the birds ; they shall not be eaten; they are detestable: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, (20)  “ All winged insects that go on all fours are detestable to you . (21)  Yet among the winged insects that go on all fours you may eat those that have jointed legs above their feet, with which to hop on the ground. 

 

 Fish with both fins and scales are considered clean. For example, catfish are unclean because they do not have scales. All Birds of prey that eat flesh are considered unclean. Flying insects are unclean but hopping insects are clean. This means John the Baptist’s diet of locust was considered clean. Our immediate question is why? Why would these distinctions make an animal unclean or clean? At the end of the chapter God is very clear in showing His purpose for these commandments but the why question remains. 

 Over time many reasons have been given. Some think these are arbitrary . God demanding obedience not based on anything real. This would violate His loving caring nature. Some think the unclean animals are forbidden because of their ties to cult worship in other nations. In Mesopotamia pigs were sacrificed to demons. This would not account for the cow being clean when they were used in many pagan sacrifices. For others a symbolic meaning is looked for, but the lion being unclean and Jesus being called the lion from the tribe of Judah makes this difficult. Others emphasize the health benefits and on the whole the unclean animals tend to have more diseases and parasites then the clean animals. This most likely is a part of the answer. For Israel over time there have been sicknesses and disease that this diet has helped prevent and generally the Jews have a longer life expectancy then the neighboring gentiles. Yet this is not the whole picture, either. 

 Mark 7:18-23 ESV 

 

 (18)  And He said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him , (19)  since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.) (20)  And He said, “ What comes out of a person is what defiles him . (21)  For from within, out of the heart of man , come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, (22)  coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. (23)  All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” 

 

 Jesus is very clear that it is sin that comes from within our own hearts that defile us. It is not food from the outside the defiles us. Mark emphasizes Jesus teaching by pointing out that this declared all foods to be clean. As believers we do not have to follow these commands. Jesus declared all to be clean. If health was the main reason, then why would God not care about the health of Christians in the first century? 

 To better understand the “why” of these categories it is important to realize unclean is not the same as sin . Cleanliness and uncleanliness better points to wholeness/normalcy in contrast to the abnormal. Israel had a holy God living in their presence and they were to reflect that holiness, His wholeness in every aspect of their life. He was asking their diet to reflect what was offered on the altar in an expanded way. Only clean animals were offered to God. Each grouping of clean animals represents normalcy and wholeness. God wanted His people to reflect Him . This can be seen in His purpose for these commandments. 

 Leviticus 11:44-47 ESV 

 

 (44)  For I am the LORD your God . Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground. (45)  For I am the LORD who brought 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 about beast and bird and every living creature that moves through the waters and every creature that swarms on the ground, (47)  to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean and between the living creature that may be eaten and the living creature that may not be eaten. 

 

 God’s intent was for these laws to reflect the consecration, holiness, being set apart , of His people Israel. These laws were not what made them set apart. They did not make them holy. Instead these laws were to reflect the truth that God chose them to be His people. The laws were how to show your separateness not how to be separate in the first place. They were His people unique from all others and every aspect of their life was to reflect Him. These dietary laws were a mere shadow. 

 Colossians 2:16-17 ESV 

 

 (16)  Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink , or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. (17)  These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 

 

 A shadow has no substance and is meant to draw us to the real. These dietary laws were meant to draw Isreal and us to the fact that God’s people are unique and are to be set apart and whole. The Jews were called out from all the gentile nations. No meal was carelessly had. Each time a distinction between the clean and unclean needed to be carefully followed and it served as a constant reminder that they were distinguished. It pointed forward to the reality of Jesus; this privileged distinction as God’s people would extend past the Jews. In Acts 10 God has to convince Peter of this. 

 Acts 10:12-16; 28, 34-36; 44-45 ESV 

 

 (12)  In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air . (13)  And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” (14)  But Peter said, “By no means, Lord ; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” (15)  And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” (16)  This happened three times , and the thing was taken up at once to heaven. 

 

 God shows Peter unclean animals and commands Him to eat them. God is declaring the reality, the substance that is found in Jesus and Peter is struggling. It is amazing to see that Peter argues with God three times. After this vision Peter goes to Cornelius’ house. 

 

 (28)  And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. 

 

 Peter was even uncomfortable entering a gentile house but He now understands God’s message to him. The vision and command was not just about food . No person is common or unclean. 

 

 (34)  So Peter opened his mouth and said: “ Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, (35)  but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him. (36)  As for the word that He sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all), 

 

 God does not play favorites. The truth of Jesus is for all, because He is Lord of all. 

 

 (44)  While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. (45)  And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 

 

 It was truly shocking to the Jewish believers that the gentiles could be saved and receive the Holy Spirit. The reality of the dietary laws pointed to the set apartness of all God’s people not just the jews. We are set apart in Jesus. We are called to reflect that set apartness. This does not show up in what we eat, but through our lives. 

 2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1 ESV 

 

 (16)  What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God ; as God said, “ I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (17)  Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, (18)  and I will be a Father to you , and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” (1)  Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit , bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. 

 

 As believers we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. We are the temple of the living God . 

 It is God’s will for believers to live set apart from this world. We are saved by the blood of Jesus and then we are to live like we are saved. We are to be in the world and share the love and truth of Jesus. We are to be careful not to start thinking like the world. We are called not to touch any unclean thing, and yet if you walk very long you know we all do. This is why Chapter 7 verse 1 is so encouraging. Since We have the promise that God desires closeness and fellowship with us, we are to cleanse ourselves. Meaning Paul knows we get dirty in this life. We end up touching the unclean. We are not to be complacent when we touch the unclean but we should not be surprised by it either. We can come back to Him over and over again and confess our sins and walk fresh with Him.

Leviticus 12 | Sunday May 11, 2025
Leviticus 12:1-8 ESV 

 

 (1)  The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (2)  “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If a woman conceives and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days. As at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. (3)  And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. (4)  Then she shall continue for thirty-three days in the blood of her purifying. She shall not touch anything holy, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed. (5)  But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation. And she shall continue in the blood of her purifying for sixty-six days. (6)  “And when the days of her purifying are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb a year old for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering, (7)  and he shall offer it before the LORD and make atonement for her. Then she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, either male or female. (8)  And if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean.” 

 

 These parts of Leviticus are hard for us to comprehend. Some of the laws go into specific details about life that are hard to connect with or see the heart of. Yet, it is amazing to see how the Old Testament, Leviticus included, gets talked about in the rest of the Word. 

 Psalm 119:93 ESV 

 

 (93)  I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have given me life. 

 

 God’s Word, even the instructions in Leviticus give life. I want to be clear; they are not a list of rules in how to be saved. Yet, in these commands God is revealing His character, and the life that is found in Him. These commands reveal the life that comes from being in His presence. It is sin that corrupts the life that we are to find in Him. 

 Romans 7:10-14 ESV 

 

 (10)  The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. (11)  For sin , seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. (12)  So the law is holy , and the commandment is holy and righteous and good . (13)  Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin , producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin , and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. (14)  For we know that the law is spiritual , but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 

 

 God’s Word, His commandments, were twisted by sin. The Law is described as holy, righteous, good, and spiritual . It is our sin that corrupts it and brings death. Sin always takes something good from God and missuses it. Our sin is exposed through the law, and it is shown for the death that it brings in contrast to the life God offers. 

 Leviticus 11-15 teaches what is clean and unclean. It was meant to show the contrast between the holiness and life being close to God brings and the death and separation being apart from Him brings. Being clean is moving towards His life, and the wholeness found in Him . Being unclean is moving away from that life. Being unclean is not directly sin but it is a result of the pollution sin brings . We are in sin cursed bodies on a sin cursed planet, our very nature is polluting and unclean. There are laws about bodily functions and parts of life that seem very normal/ natural to us, and it is hard to understand why it is viewed as unclean. In part this is due to the fact that our sinful polluting nature is normal to us. Leviticus 12 describes parts of childbirth that are viewed as unclean. This is hard to grasp as children are a heritage and reward. 

 Psalms 127:3 ESV 

 

 (3)  Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. 

 

 To better understand God’s perspective of holiness and cleanliness, we must see what God’s original intent of life and wholeness are and how sin has corrupted them. 

 Genesis 1:27-28 ESV 

 

 (27)  So God created man in His own image , in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (28)  And God blessed them. And God said to them, “ Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it , and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 

 

 God created both genders in His own image. God cannot be summarized by only one of the genders but both are needed to see His image in us. The first command God gave to Man and Woman was to be fruitful and multiply. Before sin had entered the word, God wanted humanity to have children and a lot of them. So having children, and child birth is part of God’s original holy plan for life. Yet sin came in and corrupted this plan. 

 Genesis 3:6 ESV 

 

 (6)  So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 

 

 The perfect state of life and fellowship with God did not last long. The serpent deceived Eve. Verse 6 gives all the things the serpent coaxed Eve into looking at instead of looking to God for direction. Eve is the first to partake of the fruit, but then Adam who has been silent during the deception of his wife willingly disobeys God and eats of it as well. As God comes to them, He reveals the curses their actions have caused. 

 Genesis 3:13-16; 20 ESV 

 

 (13)  Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “ The serpent deceived me , and I ate.” (14)  The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. (15)  I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (16)  To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children . Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.” (20)  The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 

 

 As God gives the curses, He speaks of a future offspring of Eve who will be able to give the death blow to the serpent’s head. God’s plan for humanity to have kids will continue even with sin, but now the process is cursed . Childbearing will now involve tremendous pain. As a life is brought into the world, there is now a reminder of the curse and death. 

 Romans 5:12 ESV 

 

 (12)  Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man , and death through sin , and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 

 

 Eve was deceived and is never given credit for the first sin in scripture . Adam is held accountable and sin is viewed as coming through His act of disobedience. Through Adam all are sinners, and through him, through the father, the sin nature is passed down. And with the sin nature comes death. So, what should have been a tremendous moment when Eve gave birth to Cain is now the birth of a sinner. 

 Genesis 4:1 ESV 

 

 (1)  Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “ I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD .” 

 

 Eve named her baby Cain, a word play on the Hebrew word “gotten.” She had an expectation that Cain was the offspring God had promised. She thought she had “gotten” the one God promised. Yet, because of Adam, Cain was born a murderous sinner. God’s life-giving plan of children had been corrupted by sin . Childbirth itself was now corrupted by sin and involves pain, and uncleanliness. 

 Leviticus 12:1-4 ESV 

 

 (1)  The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (2)  “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If a woman conceives and bears a male child , then she shall be unclean seven days . As at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. (3)  And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. (4)  Then she shall continue for thirty-three days in the blood of her purifying . She shall not touch anything holy, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed. 

 

 40 - a period to endure, testing, trial 

 40 - days of rain in the flood 

 40 - years in wilderness for Israel 

 40 - weeks of pregnancy 

 The process of birth was now a reminder of the curse of sin and the women was unclean after giving birth. For 7 days she was viewed as unclean and could pass her uncleanliness to others simply by touch, then for the next 33 days, she was partially unclean and could not enter into the tabernacle. After the birth of a boy she would be unclean a total of 40 days . The birthing process includes blood and discharge and her uncleanness lasted this entire duration. Blood purifies and is used to make atonement and yet it is also viewed as one of the most defiling unclean things throughout Leviticus . This period of uncleanliness served as a reminder of the pain and curse that has come to the miracle of birth. 

 It was also practical as it gave the women a time to heal and recuperate from birth. Relations with her husband would have been forbidden during this time, and her responsibilities limited as she had to be careful what she came into contact with. Practically this period of uncleanliness was a God given maternity leave. This time is cut short for a male child in part due to the circumcision that takes place on the eight day. 

 Genesis 17:10-13 ESV 

 

 (10)  This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. (11)  You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. (12)  He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised . Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, (13)  both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall My covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 

 

 The male child in whom the sin nature would be passed through needed to be circumcised on the eight day. It was a sign of God’s covenant with the people of Israel. A reminder that the flesh was no value and after physical birth they needed a rebirth in Him. God created this world, the old creation in 6 days, then rested on the 7th, the 8th day in Leviticus will point to the new birth, or God’s new creation . It is viewed as the first day of the week, the day Jesus was resurrected. 

 Colossians 2:9-12 ESV 

 

 (11)  In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands , by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 

 

 Circumcision was a symbol to remind the people that the flesh is no help in pursuing God. The circumcision was a reminder of the sin nature that he would pass on to his children . It was meant to point Israel to their need for the new life that could only be found in the messiah, Jesus. The mother’s need for purification was reduced as the boy was circumcised. This was not the case for a baby girl. 

 Leviticus 12:5 ESV 

 

 (5)  But if she bears a female child , then she shall be unclean two weeks , as in her menstruation. And she shall continue in the blood of her purifying for sixty-six days. 

 

 For a baby girl the mothers contagious uncleanliness does not stop on day 8 with the circumcision but continues until day 14. Then she remained unclean for another 66 days which meant 80 days in total . Many explanations have been given for why it is longer for a baby girl. Most of the cultures of the day had purification processes for a mother to go through and most had a longer purification for having baby girls then baby boys. Some see in this a disparaging or prejudice attitude toward woman. An attitude that is reflected in the nonbiblical, Jewish prayer in the Talmud , (Menachot 43b:17-18) where a man is to praise God every morning for not making him a gentile, slave, or woman. 

 Sin corrupts the life and holiness that is found in God’s truth. Both genders are made in God’s image and one is not to be elevated over another . The purification time for a baby boy is shortened with his circumcision. This is not an option for a baby girl and the time purification time is full. Each birth is a reminder of sins’ curse on childbearing . A female child will give birth to more sinners, and full purification is needed . Child birth is a unique gift to women. Through child birth another sinner will come into the world, causing more defilement. The purification time does not devalue women but points out the defilement our sin nature has caused. 

 Leviticus 12:6-8 ESV 

 

 (6)  “And when the days of her purifying are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter , she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb a year old for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering, (7)  and he shall offer it before the LORD and make atonement for her . Then she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, either male or female. (8)  And if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons , one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean.” 

 

 After the purification time of either 40 or 80 days the mother was to bring a burnt offering and a sin offering. It was the same offering for both a son or daughter. It is important to notice that it is the mother who is called to bring the offering to the priest. This is not done by her husband. God is calling women to worship Him through the tabernacle. Women are not devalued by God but elevated and invited to come worship. 

 Galatians 3:27-28 ESV 

 

 (27)  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (28)  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 

 

 The two genders were created to be compliments of each other. Yet too many misunderstand God’s intent and women are viewed inferior. In Christ there is neither male nor female. This does not get rid of our unique identity in our genders but affirms we are not accepted by God based on our gender . We are all one in Jesus and are accepted by His blood. The mother had access to the tabernacle. The burnt offering showed dedicating the whole life of the child to God. The sin offering is harder to understand. Giving birth is not a sin, and yet another sinner has been brought into the world. This is a view of childbirth that we do not think about, yet David understood it. 

 Psalm 51:3-5 ESV 

 

 (3)  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. (4)  Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be justified in Your words and blameless in Your judgment. (5)  Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. 

 

 David understood that at His birth, He was a sinner. He understood the depth and defilement of His sin nature. Since the curses of the garden the sin nature is passed through the father and another sinner is brought into the world by the mother . What should be a celebration of new life is a reminder of sin and death that sin causes. The amazing news is there was one birth that did not follow this pattern. 

 1 Timothy 2:13-15 ESV 

 

 (13)  For Adam was formed first, then Eve; (14)  and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. (15)  Yet she will be saved through childbearing —if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control. 

 

 Jesus was born of a virgin. A human father could not be part of the process so that he would not pass on the sin nature . Eve was deceived and so God could use a woman to bring the messiah into the world . We can be saved because a sinless baby was born who was willing to die. Our permeating sinfulness is undone because Jesus is perfect. 

 Romans 5:21 NLT 

 

 (21)  So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Leviticus 13 | Sunday May 18, 2025
In this section of Leviticus God is teaching His people the distinction between clean and unclean. These laws interact with very practical parts of life, and are given  in practical terms . They were not meant to be a scientific classification of animals, or an encyclopedia of differing medical aliments. These laws were practical and meant to be memorized and used by His people. Each item of uncleanness is another reminder that we are not living in the garden but with sin and its polluting influence. This section on leprosy, various diseases, and mold has practical benefits and it points Israel to what life and wholeness looks like in Jesus. A pattern will emerge for each case. A preliminary symptom is noticed, then inspected by the priest. God gives the priest what to look for to decide if the disease is to be viewed as clean or unclean . If the priest is unsure, then a 7-day quarantine is used to watch how things develop, and sometimes followed by a second quarantine period. Then God gives instructions about what to do if the disease in question is unclean. 

 Leviticus 13:1-59 ESV 

 

 (1)  The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, (2)  “When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling or an eruption or a spot, and it turns into a case of leprous disease on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests, (3)  and the priest shall examine the diseased area on the skin of his body. And if the hair in the diseased area has turned white and the disease appears to be deeper than the skin of his body , it is a case of leprous disease . When the priest has examined him, he shall pronounce him unclean . (4)  But if the spot is white in the skin of his body and appears no deeper than the skin, and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest shall shut up the diseased person for seven days. (5)  And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day, and if in his eyes the disease is checked and the disease has not spread in the skin , then the priest shall shut him up for another seven days. (6)  And the priest shall examine him again on the seventh day, and if the diseased area has faded and the disease has not spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only an eruption. And he shall wash his clothes and be clean. (7)  But if the eruption spreads in the skin, after he has shown himself to the priest for his cleansing, he shall appear again before the priest. (8)  And the priest shall look, and if the eruption has spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a leprous disease. (9)  “When a man is afflicted with a leprous disease, he shall be brought to the priest, (10)  and the priest shall look. And if there is a white swelling in the skin that has turned the hair white, and there is raw flesh in the swelling, (11)  it is a chronic leprous disease in the skin of his body, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean. He shall not shut him up, for he is unclean. (12)  And if the leprous disease breaks out in the skin, so that the leprous disease covers all the skin of the diseased person from head to foot , so far as the priest can see, (13)  then the priest shall look, and if the leprous disease has covered all his body, he shall pronounce him clean of the disease; it has all turned white, and 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 unclean. Raw flesh is unclean, for it is a leprous disease. (16)  But if the raw flesh recovers and turns white again, then he shall come to the priest, (17)  and the priest shall examine him, and if the disease has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce the diseased person clean; he is clean. (18)  “If there is in the skin of one's body a boil and it heals, (19)  and in the place of the boil there comes a white swelling or a reddish-white spot, then it shall be shown to the priest. (20)  And the priest shall look, and if it appears deeper than the skin and its hair has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a case of leprous disease that has broken out in the boil. (21)  But if the priest examines it and there is no white hair in it and it is not deeper than the skin, but has faded, then the priest shall shut him up seven days. (22)  And if it spreads in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a disease. (23)  But if the spot remains in one place and does not spread , it is the scar of the boil, and the priest shall pronounce him clean. (24)  “Or, when the body has a burn on its skin and the raw flesh of the burn becomes a spot, reddish-white or white, (25)  the priest shall examine it, and if the hair in the spot has turned white and it appears deeper than the skin, then it is a leprous disease. It has broken out in the burn, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a case of leprous disease. (26)  But if the priest examines it and there is no white hair in the spot and it is no deeper than the skin, but has faded, the priest shall shut him up seven days, (27)  and the priest shall examine him the seventh day. If it is spreading in the skin , then the priest shall pronounce him unclean ; it is a case of leprous disease. (28)  But if the spot remains in one place and does not spread in the skin, but has faded, it is a swelling from the burn, and the priest shall pronounce him clean , for it is the scar of the burn. (29)  “When a man or woman has a disease on the head or the beard, (30)  the priest shall examine the disease. And if it appears deeper than the skin, and the hair in it is yellow and thin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is an itch, a leprous disease of the head or the beard. (31)  And if the priest examines the itching disease and it appears no deeper than the skin and there is no black hair in it, then the priest shall shut up the person with the itching disease for seven days, (32)  and on the seventh day the priest shall examine the disease. If the itch has not spread , and there is in it no yellow hair, and the itch appears to be no deeper than the skin, (33)  then he shall shave himself, but the itch he shall not shave; and the priest shall shut up the person with the itching disease for another seven days. (34)  And on the seventh day the priest shall examine the itch, and if the itch has not spread in the skin and it appears to be no deeper than the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean . And he shall wash his clothes and be clean. (35)  But if the itch spreads in the skin after his cleansing, (36)  then the priest shall examine him, and if the itch has spread in the skin , the priest need not seek for the yellow hair; he is unclean. (37)  But if in his eyes the itch is unchanged and black hair has grown in it, the itch is healed and he is clean, and the priest shall pronounce him clean. (38)  “When a man or a woman has spots on the skin of the body, white spots, (39)  the priest shall look, and if the spots on the skin of the body are of a dull white, it is leukoderma that has broken out in the skin; he is clean. (40)  “If a man's hair falls out from his head, he is bald; he is clean. (41)  And if a man's hair falls out from his forehead, he has baldness of the forehead; he is clean. (42)  But if there is on the bald head or the bald forehead a reddish-white diseased area, it is a leprous disease breaking out on his bald head or his bald forehead. (43)  Then the priest shall examine him, and if the diseased swelling is reddish-white on his bald head or on his bald forehead, like the appearance of leprous disease in the skin of the body, (44)  he is a leprous man, he is unclean. The priest must pronounce him unclean; his disease is on his head. (45)  “ The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ (46)  He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp. (47)  “When there is a case of leprous disease in a garment, whether a woolen or a linen garment, (48)  in warp or woof of linen or wool, or in a skin or in anything made of skin, (49)  if the disease is greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin or in the warp or the woof or in any article made of skin, it is a case of leprous disease, and it shall be shown to the priest. (50)  And the priest shall examine the disease and shut up that which has the disease for seven days. (51)  Then he shall examine the disease on the seventh day. If the disease has spread in the garment, in the warp or the woof, or in the skin, whatever be the use of the skin, the disease is a persistent leprous disease; it is unclean . (52)  And he shall burn the garment , or the warp or the woof, the wool or the linen, or any article made of skin that is diseased, for it is a persistent leprous disease. It shall be burned in the fire. (53)  “And if the priest examines, and if the disease has not spread in the garment, in the warp or the woof or in any article made of skin, (54)  then the priest shall command that they wash the thing in which is the disease, and he shall shut it up for another seven days. (55)  And the priest shall examine the diseased thing after it has been washed. And if the appearance of the diseased area has not changed, though the disease has not spread, it is unclean. You shall burn it in the fire, whether the rot is on the back or on the front. (56)  “But if the priest examines, and if the diseased area has faded after it has been washed, he shall tear it out of the garment or the skin or the warp or the woof. (57)  Then if it appears again in the garment, in the warp or the woof, or in any article made of skin, it is spreading. You shall burn with fire whatever has the disease. (58)  But the garment, or the warp or the woof, or any article made of skin from which the disease departs when you have washed it, shall then be washed a second time, and be clean.” (59)  This is the law for a case of leprous disease in a garment of wool or linen, either in the warp or the woof, or in any article made of skin, to determine whether it is clean or unclean. 

 

 It is important to note that the priest was not functioning as a doctor , because how to treat these various diseases is not mentioned. The priest was functioning as a public health officer who was tasked with keeping a contagious disease from spreading. In modern terms many varying diseases are represented in this chapter. The Hebrew term used means a spot, stroke, wound, or mark . It refers in general to a disruption to the skin, garment or house that is not normal and if spreads, is contagious and unclean. Many varying diseases are represented in this chapter from, psoriasis, eczema, boils, leukoderma, mildew, mold and even leprosy which is known today as Hansen’s disease . When something did not look normal God gave these laws for the priest to distinguish if it was a contagious dangerous issue or something benign. Leprosy in this chapter is used similarly to how we use the broad term of cancer today; there are many varying specific types. 

 Many deny that modern day leprosy (Hansen’s disease) is represented in this chapter at all. One reason given is that the Greek language has a very specific term for leprosy ( elephantiasis ) and that word is not used in the New Testament or in the Old Testament Greek translation. Both use the term lepra , which means a scaly, flaky diseased skin. This is the more generic term but it was broad enough to include leprosy (Hansen’s disease). Others argue that the symptoms mentioned do not match late stage leprosy. This is true but the goal of the chapter is early detection and the symptoms do match early leprosy. The larger issue is the constantly changing understanding of Leprosy. 

 Leprosy or Hansen’s disease is one of the oldest infectious diseases of human history. Throughout history it has been a major problem, in the early 1200’s there were over 19,000 leprosy hospitals in Europe . It is extremely serious and was known as the “living death.” There was no known treatment, isolation and quarantine were used for generations to stunt its spread. Worldwide rates started declining in the 13 th century for unknown reasons except for certain countries. Dr. Hansen in 1870’s discovered the bacteria that causes Leprosy and a treatment was able to be created. Despite the new treatment even in the 20 th century leper colonies were still used to contain the disease. Today’s treatment has become so effective it is now known as a curable disease. 

 Generally, it was thought that Leprosy did not exist in Egypt/ Israel during the time of Moses, thus the disease mentions in Leviticus 14 could not have been modern Leprosy. Then in 2009 a 4,000-year-old skeleton in India was discovered that was killed by leprosy. And the new thinking is that Leprosy was wide spread in the Egypt/ Promise Land region by the time of Moses. This history is important for two reasons. First, it proves once again the accuracy of God’s word. Archeology consistently uncovers truth that the Word long taught. Secondly, is that God’s hard instructions of quarantine/ isolation do not make sense if the skin disease in question is something relatively minor like psoriasis or eczema. 

 Leprosy though fits these serious precautions. The disease attacks the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. It often leads to inability to feel pain, loss of hands/ feet, disfigurement and eventually is fatal. There is no doubt that Aaron and Miriam viewed Leprosy as a death sentence. 

 Numbers 12:10-12 ESV 

 

 (10)  When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow . And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. (11)  And Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, do not punish us because we have done foolishly and have sinned. (12)  Let her not be as one dead , whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother's womb.” 

 

 Miriam had sinned by complaining against Moses and God judged her by giving her leprosy. Aaron understood the seriousness of the disease, and pleaded that she would not become like one whose flesh is half eaten away. The disease is a reminder of how the human body had been corrupted since the garden. Having Leprosy was not a sin, though God did use it as a judgment at times for sin. Yet it was so dangerous for God’s people and defiling that mishandling Leprosy was a sin. 

 Deuteronomy 24:8-9 ESV 

 

 (8)  “Take care, in a case of leprous disease, to be very careful to do according to all that the Levitical priests shall direct you. As I commanded them, so you shall be careful to do. (9)  Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam on the way as you came out of Egypt. 

 

 Israel was called to take extreme care in following these instructions. Miriam is held up as an example of how dangerous leprosy was. These laws were God instructing His people how to practically handle the defilement sin had caused. 

 

 Leviticus 13:45-46 ESV 

 

 (45)  “ The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ (46)  He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp. 

 

 As long as a person had leprosy they were continually unclean and had to remain outside of the camp. They were to walk with signs of mourning, a continual reminder of their impending fate and warn others of their unclean state. Their clothing and hair showed they were mourning their own death. It was not hyperbole to call leprosy the living dead. This disease separated you from Israel and from access to the tabernacle because it was so dangerous. This was not a vanity issue. Many other skin ailments are listed in chapter 13, and are declared clean as long as it is not contagious to others. 

 Leviticus 13:12-15 ESV 

 

 (12)  And if the leprous disease breaks out in the skin, so that the leprous disease covers all the skin of the diseased person from head to foot, so far as the priest can see, (13)  then the priest shall look, and if the leprous disease has covered all his body, he shall pronounce him clean of the disease; it has all turned white, and 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 unclean. Raw flesh is unclean, for it is a leprous disease. 

 

 This seems counter intuitive, but true leprosy would not spread this fast, and if it did cover the whole body then there would be raw flesh. Even when a person was covered head to foot in a rash, God declared them clean because it was not contagious. God was sorting out for Israel what issues were dangerous and could spread to the camp and which ones would not. Our bodies do not function perfectly ever since humanity was sent out of the garden. They keep finding knew ways to break down . It is a reminder of the physical death that sin has caused. Leprosy is the perfect embodiment of what sin has done to humanity, without Jesus we are the living dead. 

 Romans 7:24 ESV 

 

 (24)  Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 

 

 2 Corinthians 5:1-5 NLT 

 

 (1)  For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God Himself and not by human hands. (2)  We grow weary in our present bodies , and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. (3)  For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. (4)  While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh , but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. (5)  God Himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee He has given us His Holy Spirit. 

 

 Reading Leviticus 13 should make us long for our new bodies. The body is temporary it is a mere tent. A body of death that keeps reminding us that it is dying a little more each day . We grow weary, groan, and sigh as we long for our perfect resurrected bodies. When we put on our resurrected bodies we will be swallowed by life! This is in part why disease and illnesses are so hard, they remind us of death. 

 Leviticus 13 kept these diseases from spreading in the camp of Israel. A safeguard from the continual spread of death. The final judgment was up to the priest. It was their decision who was clean and unclean. 

 Leviticus 13:6-8 ESV 

 

 (6)  And the priest shall examine him again on the seventh day, and if the diseased area has faded and the disease has not spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only an eruption. And he shall wash his clothes and be clean. (7)  But if the eruption spreads in the skin, after he has shown himself to the priest for his cleansing, he shall appear again before the priest . (8)  And the priest shall look, and if the eruption has spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a leprous disease. 

 

 The opinion of the person did not matter. It was the priest’s responsibility and right to declare who was clean an unclean. The great news is that Jesus is our great High Priest, and He came to rescue us from this body of death . He came so that we can be swallowed up by life. 

 Mark 1:40-44 ESV 

 

 (40)  And a leper came to Him, imploring Him , and kneeling said to Him, “If You will, You can make me clean.” (41)  Moved with pity, He stretched out His hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” (42)  And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. (43)  And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, (44)  and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 

 

 The desperation for the Leper is hard to comprehend. This man was isolated from His family, the temple, and was mourning his eventual death. He pleaded for Jesus to cleanse Him. Jesus was deeply moved, with sympathy for the man. He saw what the pollution of sin has done to us as a people. He touched the leper! This is an amazing moment that speaks so much truth. To heal us and rescue us from our body of death Jesus had to put on a physical body of death. Jesus declared the man was clean. The living dead now had life. He has done the same for us. Through His death and resurrection we are declared clean in His sight. We all have a body of death and know pain and heart ache it brings in our life and our loved ones lives. Through our great high priest our future is amazing and full of life. 

 Revelation 21:22-23; 27 ESV 

 

 (22)   And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. (23)  And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, f or the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. (27)  But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Leviticus 14 | Sunday May 25, 2025
In Chapter 13 God gave the priest detailed instructions on how to evaluate various diseases and how to know which were dangerous to the community and which were not. Each ailment is a reminder of the curse of sin and the body of death that we are in. We have such an amazing savior who was willing to come and touch a leper, touch the unclean, in order to offer us life. As Jesus verified who He was with His miracles, He also pointed to the fact that He would be the one who could give life to our bodies of death. 

 Matthew 11:3-6 ESV 

 

 (3)  and said to Him, “ Are you the one who is to come , or shall we look for another?” (4)  And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: (5)  the blind receive their sight and the lame walk , lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear , and the dead are raised up , and the poor have good news preached to them. (6)  And blessed is the one who is not offended by Me.” 

 

 John the Baptist wanted to know if Jesus was the Messiah, the promised one he was looking for or if he should keep looking. Jesus points to His miracles to verify that He is in fact the Messiah. He is the one who can give life. The miracles are Him undoing sins curse and all the ailments that plague our body of death , blindness, lameness, leprosy, deafness and ultimately death. He is the one who will defeat death and give life. He can cleanse even the leper. Leviticus 14 points to this hope that is found in the coming Messiah. At this time in history when someone developed Leprosy there were no solutions and no hope . Yet this chapter describes the cleansing process once someone was healed after being declared unclean with Leprosy. These elaborate instructions point to the healing that will be found in Jesus. 

 Leviticus 14:1-57 ESV 

 

 (1)  The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (2)  “This shall be the law of the leprous person for the day of his cleansing . He shall be brought to the priest, (3)  and the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall look. Then, if the case of leprous disease is healed in the leprous person, (4)  the priest shall command them to take for him who is to be cleansed two live clean birds and cedarwood and scarlet yarn and hyssop. (5)  And the priest shall command them to kill one of the birds in an earthenware vessel over fresh water. (6)  He shall take the live bird with the cedarwood and the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, and dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. (7)  And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed of the leprous disease. Then he shall pronounce him clean and shall let the living bird go into the open field. (8)  And he who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes and shave off all his hair and bathe himself in water, and he shall be clean. And after that he may come into the camp, but live outside his tent seven days. (9)  And on the seventh day he shall shave off all his hair from his head, his beard, and his eyebrows. He shall shave off all his hair, and then he shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and he shall be clean. (10)  “And on the eighth day he shall take two male lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb a year old without blemish, and a grain offering of three tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, and one log of oil. (11)  And the priest who cleanses him shall set the man who is to be cleansed and these things before the LORD, at the entrance of the tent of meeting. (12)  And the priest shall take one of the male lambs and offer it for a guilt offering, along with the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. (13)  And he shall kill the lamb in the place where they kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the place of the sanctuary. For the guilt offering, like the sin offering, belongs to the priest; it is most holy. (14)  The priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering, and the priest shall put it on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. (15)  Then the priest shall take some of the log of oil and pour it into the palm of his own left hand (16)  and dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand and sprinkle some oil with his finger seven times before the LORD. (17)  And some of the oil that remains in his hand the priest shall put on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering. (18)  And 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. Then the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD. (19)  The priest shall offer the sin offering, to make atonement for him who is to be cleansed from his uncleanness. And afterward he shall kill the burnt offering. (20)  And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be clean. (21)  “But if he is poor and cannot afford so much, then he shall take one male lamb for a guilt offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, and a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and a log of oil; (22)  also two turtledoves or two pigeons, whichever he can afford. The one shall be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering. (23)  And on the eighth day he shall bring them for his cleansing to the priest, to the entrance of the tent of meeting, before the LORD. (24)  And the priest shall take the lamb of the guilt offering and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. (25)  And he shall kill the lamb of the guilt offering. And the priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and 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)  and 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 lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot, in the place where the blood of the guilt offering was put. (29)  And 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, of the turtledoves or pigeons, whichever he can afford, (31)  one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, along with a grain offering. And the priest shall make atonement before the LORD for him who is being cleansed. (32)  This is the law for him in whom is a case of leprous disease, who cannot afford the offerings for his cleansing.” (33)  The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, (34)  “When you come into the land of Canaan, which I give you for a possession, and I put a case of leprous disease in a house in the land of your possession, (35)  then he who owns the house shall come and tell the priest, ‘There seems to me to be some case of disease in my house.’ (36)  Then the priest shall command that they empty the house before the priest goes to examine the disease, lest all that is in the house be declared unclean. And afterward the priest shall go in to see the house. (37)  And he shall examine the disease. And if the disease is in the walls of the house with greenish or reddish spots, and if it appears to be deeper than the surface, (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. If the disease has spread in the walls of the house, (40)  then the priest shall command that they take out the stones in which is the disease and throw them into an unclean place outside the city. (41)  And he shall have the inside of the house scraped all around, and the plaster 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 plaster and plaster the house. (43)  “If the disease breaks out again in the house, after he has taken out the stones and scraped the house and plastered it, (44)  then the priest shall go and look. And if the disease has spread in the house, it is a persistent leprous disease in the house; it is unclean. (45)  And he shall break down the house, its stones and timber and all the plaster of the house, and he shall carry them out of the city to an unclean place. (46)  Moreover, whoever enters the house while it is shut up shall be unclean until the evening, (47)  and whoever sleeps in the house shall wash his clothes, and whoever eats in the house shall wash his clothes. (48)  “But if the priest comes and looks, and if the disease has not spread in the house after the house was plastered, then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, for the disease is healed. (49)  And for the cleansing of the house he shall take two small birds, with cedarwood and scarlet yarn and hyssop, (50)  and shall kill one of the birds in an earthenware vessel over fresh water (51)  and shall take the cedarwood and the hyssop and the scarlet yarn, along with the live bird, and dip them in the blood of the bird that was killed and in the fresh water and sprinkle the house seven times. (52)  Thus he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird and with the fresh water and with the live bird and with the cedarwood and hyssop and scarlet yarn. (53)  And he shall let the live bird go out of the city into the open country. So he shall make atonement for the house, and it shall be clean.” (54)  This is the law for any case of leprous disease : for an itch, (55)  for leprous disease in a garment or in a house, (56)  and for a swelling or an eruption or a spot, (57)  to show when it is unclean and when it is clean. This is the law for leprous disease. 

 

 These instructions are some of the most elaborate in law, and there are elements that are like the ceremonies for the ordination for the priest, the ashes of the red heifer, and even the day of atonement. If the person was unclean with Leprosy, they were not allowed in the camp. So, the priest had to go see the leper outside the camp and reinspect them. The miraculous happened, the world had no way to treat Leprosy and yet the person was found healed . This body of death is going to be defeated. 

 Revelation 1:17-18 ESV 

 

 (17)  When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I Am the first and the last (18)  and the living one. I died, and behold I Am alive forevermore , and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 

 

 Jesus is the living one because He died and was resurrected. He conquered death so He holds the keys to death. The Leper was isolated and viewed as good as dead, constantly mourning their impending demise . Chapter 13 ended on this hard truth and yet chapter 14 gives the hope that healing is possible. This body of death is undone through Jesus. He had to die to accomplish it, but now He is alive forevermore. Death is defeated. The cleansing process will point to what Jesus did to give us life. 

 Leviticus 14:4-7 ESV 

 

 (4)  the priest shall command them to take for him who is to be cleansed two live clean birds and cedarwood and scarlet yarn and hyssop. (5)  And the priest shall command them to kill one of the birds in an earthenware vessel over fresh water. (6)  He shall take the live bird with the cedarwood and the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, and dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. (7)  And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed of the leprous disease. Then he shall pronounce him clean and shall let the living bird go into the open field. 

 

 Once the Leper is found to be healed, they need to be cleansed in order to enter back into the camp. Two clean birds are chosen. Not all the details are given but most likely one bird and the hyssop branch were tied to the cedar plank using the red yarn. Then the other bird was killed and its blood was collected into fresh water. The cedar plank with the bird and hyssop tied to it was then dipped into the blood water. The hyssop branch would then be used to sprinkle the blood water onto the former Leper 7 times. The last step was to release the bird who had been dipped in blood to fly free. 

 There are many layers to all the symbolism. The red cedar wood and the red yarn both emphasize the blood that is to be used in the ceremony. One bird died and then the other was released with its life coming through the blood. This all points to what Jesus had to do to accomplish our cleansing, and defeating death. 

 Romans 4:25 NLT 

 

 (25)  He was handed over to die because of our sins, and He was raised to life to make us right with God. 

 

 Both birds represent what Jesus did through His death and resurrection to new life . To defeat sin and all the ways it has cursed us He had to become the curse, He had to die. The new life Jesus secured is possible through His blood. The ceremony cannot just skip to the releasing of the live bird, first it must be dipped in blood. Then through the blood the living bird can be released. Jesus could not just jump ahead to the glory, honor, and new life first He had to die. 

 Revelation 5:9-10 ESV 

 

 (9)  And they sang a new song, saying, “ Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, (10)  and You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” 

 

 Jesus is worthy of honor and glory because He was willing to die. It is through His death, through His blood, that He was able to give life. The Leper could now be cleansed because of the death and life the birds represented in Jesus. The former Leper was sprinkled 7 times with the same blood water. His cleansing and ability to rejoin camp was found through the death and life of the birds. 

 Romans 6:4 ESV 

 

 (4)  We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death , in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 

 

 All believers are identified, fully immersed, into the death and life of Jesus. We can walk in new life and have fellowship with Him because of His death and life. 

 Leviticus 14:8-12 NKJV 

 

 (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. 

 

 The Leper who was considered to be a living dead person was now reentering the camp. What an amazing reunion this must have been for their family. The person had to shave off their hair two times in an effort to certify they were healed of the disease. The process was not over though, there were a variety of offerings they needed to bring. On the eight day, the day of the new creation, the person brought 2 male lambs, 1 ewe lamb, a grain offering, and oil. What stands out is the first offering they must give is a trespass/ guilt offering. This was the offering you gave when you had violated someone’s rights in some way. You had trespassed against them. 

 Having Leprosy was not a direct sin, but the Leper had to be separated from the fellowship in the camp and had not been able to worship at the tabernacle for an extended period of time. It was this lost time that violated God and the worship He deserved during it. We are to use our time to worship God, we are held accountable for our time. 

 Ephesians 5:15-18 NKJV 

 

 (15)  See then that you walk circumspectly , not as fools but as wise, (16)  redeeming the time , because the days are evil . (17)  Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (18)  And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 

 

 We are called to walk circumspectly, focused, and with careful attention . This is not something that comes naturally. Our natural desire is to be the fool and not care how we walk. We just start living. Complacency and carelessness endanger the spirit filled walk because the days are evil . We are to give special attention to how we live with Christ so we can redeem the time, which literally means to buy back, deliver, liberate . It is God’s will for us to live a spirit filled life, to walk in fellowship with Him. 

 Our society and world is evil, but notice the verse goes a step farther and says the days are evil. Time is a precious commodity that we only are given so much of. 

 Psalm 139:16 NASB 

 

 (16)  Your eyes have seen my formless substance; And in Your book were written All the days that were ordained for me , When as yet there was not one of them. 

 

 Before you or I were even born, in God’s book the exact number of days we would live were written down. So much effort is put into adding to this number, but it has already been written. None of us know how many days we have. The average Arkansan life span is 72.5 years or 3,770 weeks . If I live the average, then I only have 1,846 weeks left. The time that is gone cannot be recovered . The leper could not get back the time spent outside the camp separated form tabernacle worship. We cannot get back not living for God yesterday or last week. All we have is today to live a spirit filled life and walk carefully, intentionally with Him. As He came back into the camp the Leper was reminded to make the best use of the time He had to be in fellowship again. 

 Leviticus 14:14; 17 NKJV 

 

 (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. ( 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. 

 

 Just as the priest was set aside, the former Leper is set aside for service to God. They need to have a spiritual ear to listen to God’s will, hands that do the works of God, and feet that seek to walk with Him . This relationship is possible through the blood, and it is empowered through the Holy Spirit who is represented by the oil. After their time outside the camp, the former Leper was to have a unique perspective on life . To not waste the time they had been given but to live for God with all they had. We have the same call on our lives. The death and resurrection of Jesus has blessed us beyond measure, let’s not waste it. 

 Hebrews 10:23-27 ESV 

 

 (23)  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (24)  And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, (25)  not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (26)  For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, (27)  but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 

 

 We are called to hold fast because He is the faithful one. We are not holding on to our salvation so we don’t loose it, but we are holding on to not waste the gift we have been entrusted with. The former Leper knew what life out of the camp was like . We are to value being in the body of Christ. We are to encourage each other and stir each other up in pursing God and walking in fellowship with Him. We should not take the body of Christ for granted. We can neglect stirring each other up, and valuing the fellowship in the body and then we regret it when the opportunity is taken from us. This could be illness, life change, society changes etc. We cannot get back the wasted time, this is why there no longer remains a sacrifice. Our salvation is not in question but the time is gone. Even after the trespass offering, sin offering, burnt offering, and grain offering the Leper could never reclaim the time spent out of the camp. In the Leper’s case that time out of camp was not even a direct result of His own sin, but just a product of being on this sin cursed planet with a sin cursed body. God has so much grace to continually offer us today, we can walk with Him today! Until the Day draws near. This earth and all its curses from sin are not permanent. This can be seen with the house that is infected by Leprosy, most likely some type of mold. 

 Leviticus 14:43-45 ESV 

 

 (43)  “If the disease breaks out again in the house , after he has taken out the stones and scraped the house and plastered it, (44)  then the priest shall go and look. And if the disease has spread in the house, it is a persistent leprous disease in the house; it is unclean. (45)  And he shall break down the house, its stones and timber and all the plaster of the house, and he shall carry them out of the city to an unclean place. 

 

 If mold breaks out in a house it was to be fully cleaned, and even replastered. If the mold comes back again then the only solution is to tear the house down and get rid of all the building materials. This world will need to be torn down and burned, and replaced with a new heaven and new earth, that have never been tainted by sin. 

 2 Peter 3:9-13 NLT 

 

 (9)  The Lord isn’t really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake . He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. (10)  But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire , and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. (11)  Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, (12)  looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, He will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. (13)  But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth He has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.

Leviticus 15 | Sunday June 1, 2025
The historical context of Leviticus helps us understand why the book gives the instructions it does. Israel is dwelling at Mount Sinai one year (Ex 40:17) after the Exodus. Israel had been slaves in Egypt and  God wanted to reveal Himself and fulfill His promises to them. God started by revealing Himself to Moses at the burning bush and gave him instructions of what to tell Pharoah and even equipped him with miracles to confirm the message. Moses and Aaron went and told the elders of Israel all that God told them. The people worshipped God for what He was promising to do for them (Ex 4:29-31). They believed Moses and Aaron and were eagerly anticipating to see all that God would do. This optimism did not last past the first confrontation between Moses and Pharoah. Pharoah was angry and made the Jews lives harder by making them gather their own straw to make bricks. 

 Exodus 5:20-23 ESV 

 

 (20)  They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; (21)  and they said to them, “ The LORD look on you and judge , because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”  (22)  Then Moses turned to the LORD and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me?  (23)  For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name , he has done evil to this people, and You have not delivered your people at all.” 

 

 Israel is calling on God to judge Moses for what he had done. Moses thinks God has done evil to Israel. This shows how little they understood about God’s character. Israel does not understand God’s righteous standard and Moses does not understand how holy God is. At the first obstacle the people are discouraged, and Moses wants to give up. God had not delivered His people yet, and both Israel and Moses are not sure He can. God is so gracious in His response to Moses and the people. 

 Exodus 6:1-9 Legacy Standard Bible 

 

 (1)  Then Yahweh said to Moses, “ Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh ; for by a strong hand he will let them go, and by a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.” (2)  God spoke further to Moses and said to him, “I am Yahweh; (3)  and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, Yahweh, I was not known to them. (4)  And I also established My covenant with them , to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they sojourned. (5)  Furthermore I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel because the Egyptians are holding them in slavery, and I have remembered My covenant . (6)  Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, ‘ I am Yahweh , and I will bring you out from under the hard labors of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their slavery. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. (7)  Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God ; and you shall know that I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out from under the hard labors of the Egyptians. (8)  And I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession; I am Yahweh.’” (9)  So Moses spoke thus to the sons of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses on account of their weakness of spirit and hard slavery. 

 

 God is revealing a new aspect of who He is. The name Yahweh is used in Genesis but it was not the main way that they understood who God was and related to Him. Abraham, Issac, and Jacob knew God as EL Shaddai, God Almighty . They knew He was sovereign and in control. Now God was going to reveal Himself as Yahweh, the “I Am who I Am.” The God that is always present and always existed and will always be. He is the great covenant and promise keeper. To reveal Himself as the present God who keeps covenant, He gives a list of promises that He is going to do for Israel. He is going to redeem them from Egypt and ultimately give them the promised land. 

 It is the promise in verse 7 that applies directly to Leviticus. He promised to make them His people and be their God He is going to dwell in their presence. In doing so they are going to learn who He is and His holiness and who they are in their sinfulness. When God made this promise to them, they did not listen. They did not know who He was and how to trust Him. In Leviticus God is revealing His character, and His holiness. He is showing how perfect He is and then in comparison how sinful we are. Chapters 11-15 reveals how sins pollution has affected us. Sin has corrupted us to our core and corrupts the things around us. Chapter 15 describes in detail how permeating sins corruption has become. 

 Leviticus 15:1-33 ESV 

 

 (1)  The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, (2)  “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean. (3)  And this is the law of his uncleanness for a discharge: whether his body runs with his discharge, or his body is blocked up by his discharge, it is his uncleanness. (4)  Every bed on which the one with the discharge lies shall be unclean, and everything on which he sits shall be unclean. (5)  And anyone who touches his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. (6)  And whoever sits on anything on which the one with the discharge has sat shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. (7)  And whoever touches the body of the one with the discharge shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. (8)  And if the one with the discharge spits on someone who is clean, then he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. (9)  And any saddle on which the one with the discharge rides shall be unclean. (10)  And whoever touches anything that was under him shall be unclean until the evening. And whoever carries such things shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. (11)  Anyone whom the one with the discharge touches without having rinsed his hands in water shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. (12)  And an earthenware vessel that the one with the discharge touches shall be broken, and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water. (13)  “And when the one with a discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count for himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes. And he shall bathe his body in fresh water and shall be clean. (14)  And on the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons and come before the LORD to the entrance of the tent of meeting and give them to the priest. (15)  And the priest shall use them, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD for his discharge. (16)  “If a man has an emission of semen, he shall bathe his whole body in water and be unclean until the evening. (17)  And every garment and every skin on which the semen comes shall be washed with water and be unclean until the evening. (18)  If a man lies with a woman and has an emission of semen, both of them shall bathe themselves in water and be unclean until the evening. (19)  “When a woman has a discharge, and the discharge in her body is blood, she shall be in her menstrual impurity for seven days, and whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening. (20)  And everything on which she lies during her menstrual impurity shall be unclean. Everything also on which she sits shall be unclean. (21)  And whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. (22)  And whoever touches anything on which she sits shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. (23)  Whether it is the bed or anything on which she sits, when he touches it he shall be unclean until the evening. (24)  And if any man lies with her and her menstrual impurity comes upon him, he shall be unclean seven days, and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean. (25)  “If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness. As in the days of her impurity, she 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 everything on which she sits shall be unclean, as in the uncleanness of her menstrual impurity. (27)  And whoever touches these things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. (28)  But if she is cleansed of her discharge, she shall count for herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. (29)  And on the eighth day she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons and bring them to the priest, to the entrance of the tent of meeting. (30)  And the priest shall use one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. And the priest shall make atonement for her before the LORD for her unclean discharge. (31)  “ Thus you shall keep the people of Israel separate from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by defiling my tabernacle that is in their midst.” (32)  This is the law for him who has a discharge and for him who has an emission of semen, becoming unclean thereby; (33)  also for her who is unwell with her menstrual impurity, that is, for anyone, male or female, who has a discharge, and for the man who lies with a woman who is unclean. 

 

 This is an uncomfortable chapter. It deals with aspects of life that are private and we would rather not talk about. For both genders God is defining what is a normal bodily function and what is a disease. Both make you unclean but for different periods of time and are remedied in different ways. This chapter is not talking about all bodily discharges but is more focused. The chronic discharge described for the man is probably the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea. For both genders when the chronic discharge is healed a sin and burnt offering are needed for restoration . These illnesses were not normal and for some would have been a direct result of sin. All of these illnesses were a reminder of sins curse on the body. Where skin aliments were harder to hide, these issues are by default more hidden and personal. 

 The passage is written in a Chiasm, meaning it has a repetition that mirrors itself with the main point being in the middle (AB C BA). Chronic discharges for men are dealt with then normal intermittent discharges. Then in mirrored fashion for women normal intermittent discharges are dealt with then chronic . The hinge and main point is found in verse 18. 

 Leviticus 15:18 ESV 

 

 (18)  If a man lies with a woman and has an emission of semen, both of them shall bathe themselves in water and be unclean until the evening. 

 

 This describes a married couple engaging in God ordained intimacy. Yet both parties are unclean after. There is no sexual immorality , even hinted at. God is clear that sex within marriage is to be protected and honored. 

 Hebrews 13:4 ESV 

 

 (4)  Let marriage be held in honor among all , and let the marriage bed be undefiled , for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. 

 

 Marriage was God’s idea not humanities. It was not a result of sin but was in the garden and part of God’s perfect, whole, pure life that He wanted Adam and Eve to enjoy. Sex was created within the context of marriage, and is part of the holy life found in God’s presence. Both are to be honored, and protected. We are not to let either become defiled by the immortality that is rampant in the world. This is what makes verse 18, the main point of the chapter, so hard to grasp. Intimacy in marriage is honored, yet it makes the couple unclean . Our concept of clean and unclean has to be able to apply from animals, to child birth, to skin issues, and even to God’s commanded unifying act of intimacy within marriage. 

 The pollution and corruption that sin and its curse has brought on us makes us unclean . This definition is able to apply in each case. Now after sins curse, even within the holy marriage bed is a reminder of the sin nature being passed from the father to the next generation. 

 Genesis 5:1-3 ESV 

 

 (1)  This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. (2)  Male and female He created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. (3)  When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. 

 

 After sins curse, when Adam and Eve had children they were born in Adam’s likeness, a sinner. Our nature as people is so corrupted that we are unclean just by a natural process of life . Uncleanliness itself is not sin, but it is a reminder of how Holy and perfect God is and how far short we fall. Sin and its curse have infected us to this extreme degree. It is the transferring of the sin nature that is viewed as unclean . This command would have set Israel apart as unique from the other religions in the area that all involved the sexual act in their worship. For Israel it was not apart of worship because there was an uncleanliness associated with it. God’s word holds marriage and its intimacy in honor but also points out how polluted our nature has become by sin. 

 Romans 7:18 ESV 

 

 (18)  For I know that nothing good dwells in me , that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 

 

 The pervasiveness of sins curse is hard for us to understand. It is infiltrated our very nature as people. This can be seen in the contagiousness and frequency of our uncleanness . People can easily become unclean through touch, through normal marital relations and for women even their monthly cycle. Uncleanliness was unavoidable . When the uncleanliness was not tied to a disease the remedy was washing with water. 

 Leviticus 15:11; 18; 21 ESV 

 

 (11)  Anyone whom the one with the discharge touches without having rinsed his hands in water shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. 

 (18)  If a man lies with a woman and has an emission of semen , both of them shall bathe themselves in water and be unclean until the evening. 

 (21)  And whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. 

 

 Washing with water was the regular remedy for so many types of uncleanliness. An offering was not needed just a cleansing with water. In some of these specifics there are practical health benefits to the warnings of what not to touch. For the world at that time, frequent baths and hand washings were not practiced, yet God insisted on them. We know today these practices have tremendous health benefits. The importance of the water goes beyond the practical benefits. Needing a constant washing with water has application for us today. 

 Ephesians 5:25-27 ESV 

 

 (25)  Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, (26)  that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word," (27)  so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 

 

 Jesus loves and cherishes the church. One of the ways He cares for us is to wash us with the Word. He desires to make us clean from all of the pollution of sin. He desires for His bride to be without spot or wrinkle, holy and perfect. This takes some work because Leviticus 11-15 shows how polluted by sin and its effects we are. Jesus takes his truth and uses it as the washing with water. As sins corruption permeates us, His truth combats the polluting influence and washes us clean as believers. 

 Psalm 119:9 NKJV 

 

 (9)  How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word . 

 

 The Word of God is what helps us be cleansed. We are saved by the blood of Jesus, which is shown by the presentation of blood in the sin offering. These regular washings show our need as believers to let the Word wash into our lives. Living on this earth with its sin curse in these bodies of death we are going to become unclean and polluted. Our thinking then our living will become clouded. This is why spending time in the word of God is so important. It is our daily bath. When we live the Word it not only points out our uncleanliness but offers a solution to wash it away, it provides true freedom and life. 

 James 1:21-25 NAS95 

 

 (21)  Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. (22)  But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. (23)  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; (24)  for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. (25)  But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. 

 

 In our pride we do not want to admit when we are unclean and we do not want to accept what scripture says about us. The word exposes our dirtiness, this is what we see in the mirror, then we turn and want to forget what we saw . We want to forget what our flesh is and how permeated by sin we are. We want to forget how weak our flesh is in helping us pursue God. We want to forget how our pride gets in the way of accepting the help we need. We want to forget how unclean we are. We need to look intently into the perfect Word, the Greek word literally means to bend over and gaze at something. When we abide in the truth of the Word we can walk in its freedom, and the life found in relationship with Jesus. It is our uncleanliness that keeps us from having a close walk with Him and was so dangerous for Isreal. 

 Leviticus 15:31 ESV 

 

 (31)  “Thus you shall keep the people of Israel separate from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by defiling my tabernacle that is in their midst.” 

 

 The Israelites could not approach the tabernacle and engage in worship if they were unclean. As we have seen this would have happened a lot. This would have been a constant problem. 

 Job 14:4 ESV 

 

 (4)  Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? There is not one. 

 

 Job knew what a problem this was and knew man could not cleanse Himself. There is no person who can clean himself up enough through His own power. We are too filthy. This is what makes the next chapter the high point Leviticus. God will give the instructions for the day of atonement. He provided a way to clean our uncleanliness and sins. Every bit of the day of atonement will point to Jesus. He is the one who can clean the unclean. He is the one who can wash us pure. He interceded for us. 

 Isaiah 59:15-17 ESV 

 

 (15)  Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The LORD saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice. (16)  He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then His own arm brought Him salvation, and His righteousness upheld Him. (17)  He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped Himself in zeal as a cloak. 

 

 We are corrupted at our core and there was no one who was able to intercede on our behalf. Leviticus 11-15 would be extremely dark without the amazing truth that Jesus was willing to intercede for us. He was willing to be the blood payment to accomplish our salvation. Now He wants to wash us in His word to cleanse us daily. Let us not take the Word for granted but let Him use it to wash off all the pollution that clings to us.

Leviticus 16:1-17 | Sunday June 8, 2025
The entire book of Leviticus emphasizes chapter 16, the Day of Atonement. It is the central point. The rabbis would often refer to it simply as  “The Day” because of its importance. Each offering has a unique emphasis. The whole burnt offering shows a complete surrendering and setting aside to God. The trespass offering was used when you had wronged someone. The sin offering was for unintentional sins. Even with all these offerings, there are still sins that need to be dealt with that do not fit into one of the categories yet. We see this need especially after learning how deeply permeated by sin’s curse, we have become through chapters 11-15. This is why the Day of Atonement is so crucial , it will deal with all sins and all uncleanliness . To accomplish this a new part of the tabernacle will need to be used, the Most Holy place. 

 Leviticus 16:1-17 ESV 

 

 (1)  The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the LORD and died, (2)  and the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. (3)  But in this way Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with a bull from the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. (4)  He shall put on the holy linen coat and shall have the linen undergarment on his body, and he shall tie the linen sash around his waist, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on. (5)  And he shall take from the congregation of the people of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. (6)  “Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering for himself and shall make atonement for himself and for his house. (7)  Then he shall take the two goats and set them before the LORD at the entrance of the tent of meeting. (8)  And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for Azazel. (9)  And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the LORD and use it as a sin offering, (10)  but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel. (11)  “Aaron shall present the bull as a sin offering for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house. He shall kill the bull as a sin offering for himself. (12)  And he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and he shall bring it inside the veil (13)  and put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is over the testimony, so that he does not die. (14)  And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and in front of 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 that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. (16)  Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses. (17)  No one may be in the tent of meeting from the time he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place until he comes out and has made atonement for himself and for his house and for all the assembly of Israel. 

 

 The day of atonement is a unique sin offering that happened once a year, and it dealt with all the sins of Israel. It was far reaching and atoned for sin issues that were not addressed by the other offerings. It was the only day that the High Priest would go into the Most Holy Place behind the veil . As God gives the instructions, the context of Nadab and Abihu is mentioned. Aaron’s two sons tried to approach God and apparently His Most Holy Place in an incorrect manner and were killed because of their disobedience. God is warning Aaron and all future High Priests how careful they should be near the Most Holy Place. In all the offerings we have looked at, the priests have never gone into the Most Holy Place, it is protected by a veil. This veil is protecting the life of the priest, because if they try to enter God’s presence in an incorrect manner they will die. 

 Exodus 26:31; 33-34 ESV 

 

 (31)  “ And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it. (33)  And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy. (34)  You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the Most Holy Place. 

 

 The veil separated the Tent of meeting into two compartments, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place . In the Holy Place was the Golden Lamp Stand, the only light for the entire tent , the Altar of Incense, and the Table of Showbread. The Most Holy Place is a perfect cube, 10 cubits in each direction. The veil separated God and man. It served as a reminder of how Holy and perfect God is. Inside the Most Holy place was the ark of the covenant, where God’s presence dwelt. 

 Leviticus 16:2 ESV 

 

 (2)  and the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die . For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. 

 

 The veil was the stopping point. God was willing to dwell with His people and yet due to our sin and its curse a separation was needed for safety. By ourselves, in this sinful body, humanity it not prepared to be directly in God’s presence. This is what makes the next verse so amazing. 

 Leviticus 16:3 ESV 

 

 (3)  But in this way Aaron shall come into the Holy Place : with a bull from the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 

 

 God did not leave us separated from Him. He was willing to dwell with us and He was willing to give us a path to approach His presence . It would require a unique sin offering and every detail is going to point to Jesus who is the true sin offering. The burnt offering will not be used until after all the sin offerings are given. First, the High priest needed special clothing. 

 Leviticus 16:4 ESV 

 

 (4)  He shall put on the holy linen coat and shall have the linen undergarment on his body, and he shall tie the linen sash around his waist , and wear the linen turban ; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on. 

 

 These are not the typical clothes for the high priest, that we studied back in Leviticus 8. Those were meant for glory and beauty (Ex 28:40). These are much simpler, and speak of a purity and humility. The high priest could not enter into God’s presence in any spender or glory of his own. This wardrobe change points to Jesus putting off His splendor and glory and being willing to take the form of a humble, pure servant. 

 Philippians 2:6-8 NLT 

 

 (6)  Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. (7)  Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, (8)  He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 

 

 Jesus took off His glory and splendor and was willing to humble Himself and be take on full humanity. He emptied Himself and became a servant even willing to die a criminals death. The High Priest could not approach God in His clothes of glory and beauty because Jesus was going to be the sin offering in full humility. 

 Leviticus 16:5-10 NAS95 

 

 (5)  "He shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering. (6)  "Then Aaron shall offer the bull for the sin offering which is for himself , that he may make atonement for himself and for his household. (7)  "He shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the doorway of the tent of meeting. (8)  "Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for the scapegoat. (9)  "Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the LORD fell, and make it a sin offering. (10)  "But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat. (11)  "Then Aaron shall offer the bull of the sin offering which is for himself and make atonement for himself and for his household, and he shall slaughter the bull of the sin offering which is for himself. 

 

 There are multiple steps to the Sin offering for the Day of Atonement. God is giving the instructions on what all needs to be offered. The High Priest is to start with a bull for a personal sin offering. The High Priest is a sinner and needed to deal with His own sin before He could help anyone else. Then two goats are presented and a lot is cast to determine which one should be killed and have its blood offered to God and which one will become the scape goat. The scape goat is part of the sin offering but will not be dealt with until the High Priest comes out of the Most Holy Place. Once these preparations have been made the High Priest is ready to enter the most Holy Place. 

 Leviticus 16:12-13 ESV 

 

 (12)  And he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the LORD , and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and he shall bring it inside the veil (13)  and put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is over the testimony, so that he does not die. 

 

 The High Priest held censer full of coals and then was to add incense as He entered behind the veil for the first time. God wanted the smoke to obscure the view of the mercy seat, so that the High Priest would not die. God’s holiness is emphasized at each step. We have a tremendously holy God. 

 Exodus 33:18-20 ESV 

 

 (18)  Moses said, “Please show me Your glory.” (19)  And He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you My name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. (20)  But,” He said, “ you cannot see My face, for man shall not see Me and live.” 

 

 Moses desired to see the glory of God, yet this was impossible. God was willing to reveal His goodness, and let Moses see His ever glow, (where God had been). God even wanted to reveal more of Himself to Moses, but He could not let Moses see Him face to face. God is too holy, Moses would die instantly. The High Priest had to make sure the Most Holy Place was full of smoke, for His own protection. This makes our future because of Jesus all the more amazing to consider. 

 1 Corinthians 13:12 ESV 

 

 (12)  For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 

 

 The God who had to cover His presence with a veil and then with smoke we will be able to see face to face because of and through Jesus Christ. Our great High Priest has given us an access to God that even the High Priest did not have. Once the Most Holy Place was full of smoke the High Priest could make the first offering of blood. 

 Leviticus 16:14-15 ESV 

 

 (14)  And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and in front of 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 that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. 

 

 The High Priest first entered into the Most Holy Place with the smoke of the Incense. He then would sprinkle the blood of His personal sin offering in front of the Mercy seat. Then once the view was obscure with smoke and His own sin dealt with, the High Priest would leave the Most Holy Place and kill the goat that was selected earlier. He would then renter into the Most Holy Place, with the blood and sprinkle it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. The mercy seat was the covering/ lid to the ark of the covenant. 

 Exodus 25:17; 21 ESV 

 

 (17)  “You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length , and a cubit and a half its breadth. (21)  And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark , and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. 

 

 Notice there is a length and width given but no depth. God’s mercy is limitless . The term mercy seat literally means atonement cover . The blood was presented to the atonement cover. Sin was not judged but covered because of the presentation of blood.   

 Leviticus 16:16 ESV 

 

 (16)  Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins . And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses. 

 

 All their sins were covered by the blood. All the uncleanliness, all the transgressions, the blood covered them all. This offering was a covering, it was not a perfect solution. The yearly presentation of blood pointed to the need for a permanent payment of blood. 

 Romans 3:21-25 ESV 

 

 (21)  But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— (22)  the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe . For there is no distinction: (23)  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (24)  and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, (25)  whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood , to be received by faith . This was to show God's righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins. 

 

 The law bore witness to the righteousness of God that would be revealed in Jesus. The law was not the means to righteousness. The Day of atonement pointed to the need for Jesus. We all sin and all need our sin dealt with. We all need a blood payment. Jesus is the propitiation by His blood. The payment that satisfies wrath. We receive it by faith, by believing in what He accomplished. God passed over, covered the sins of the Old Testament as He waited for the perfect payment in Jesus. 

 Hebrews 9:11-14 ESV 

 

 (11)  But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) (12)  He entered once for all into the holy places , not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. (13)  For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, (14)  how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. 

 

 Jesus perfectly fulfilled the real blood payment. He entered into the greater and perfect tabernacle that is in heaven and not apart of this creation. He entered into the Most Holy Place once for all time, not yearly. His entry was not through the blood of goats or calves. He was granted entry through His own blood . He brought the perfect blood payment and offered it on the Mercy seat. This is what was required to secure an eternal redemption. The entire trinity was involved. God the son offered His blood though God the Spirit to God the Father. His blood can purify us and enables us to serve the living God. On Jesus could accomplish this. None of us can help! 

 Leviticus 16:17 ESV 

 

 (17)  No one may be in the tent of meeting from the time he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place until he comes out and has made atonement for himself and for his house and for all the assembly of Israel. 

 

 No other priest could enter into the tent of meeting when the High priest was going through the veil to make the blood payment. 

 Likewise only Jesus could accomplish the perfect blood payment. We do not help Him. We do not contribute to it. Jesus had to enter into the Most Holy Place. 

 Hebrews 9:24 ESV 

 

 (24)  For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 

 

 Our salvation rests on the fact that Jesus entered heaven itself to appear in the presence of God on our behalf to offer His blood which was only accepted because of the perfect life in His body that He lived. God made a way for the veil, the separation between God and man to be torn down and it was through Jesus. 

 Matthew 27:50-51 ESV 

 

 (50)  And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit. (51)  And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom . And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.

Leviticus 16:18-34 | Sunday June 15, 2025
Last week we started studying the Day of Atonement which is known today by Jews as Yom Kippur. Even with all the various offerings in Leviticus, there were still sins left unaccounted for. This is what makes the Day of Atonement so important, all sins were included through the special sin offering. It was the one time a year the high priest dressed in humility would enter the Holy of Holies into God’s presence. He would go behind the veil  and present blood to make a covering for sin . The blood the High priest presented though was wholly inadequate. 

 Hebrews 9:22 ESV 

 

 (22)  Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. 

 

 Hebrews 10:4 ESV 

 

 (4)  For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 

 

 Blood must be presented to forgive sin. Yet, the blood of the goat presented in the Holy of Holies was not able to pay for sin it was powerless, lacking capability . God gave these instructions to temporarily cover sin and to show Israel and us how sin would ultimately be dealt with. The day of Atonement was to draw our eyes to what Jesus’ blood would accomplish. 

 Ephesians 2:13 ESV 

 

 (13)  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 

 

 1 John 1:7 ESV 

 

 (7)  But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 

 

 1 Peter 1:18-19 ESV 

 

 (18)  knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, (19)  but with the precious blood of Christ , like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 

 

 Colossians 1:19-20 ESV 

 

 (19)  For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, (20)  and through Him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross. 

 

 Revelation 5:9-10 ESV 

 

 (9)  And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, (10)  and You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” 

 

 The Word of God puts incredible emphasis on the blood of Jesus and all it accomplished. The entire sacrificial system pointed to its need. The day of Atonement showed how Jesus would offer His perfect blood once and for all to deal with sin. We will spend eternity praising Jesus for what His blood accomplished. The instructions for the day of Atonement are not over yet, once the High Priest left the Holy of Holies there was more for Him to do. 

 Leviticus 16:1-34 ESV 

 

 (1)  The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the LORD and died, (2)  and the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. (3)  But in this way Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with a bull from the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. (4)  He shall put on the holy linen coat and shall have the linen undergarment on his body, and he shall tie the linen sash around his waist, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on. (5)  And he shall take from the congregation of the people of Israel two male goats for a sin offering , and one ram for a burnt offering. (6)  “Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering for himself and shall make atonement for himself and for his house. (7)  Then he shall take the two goats and set them before the LORD at the entrance of the tent of meeting. (8)  And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for Azazel. (9)  And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the LORD and use it as a sin offering, (10)  but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel. (11)  “Aaron shall present the bull as a sin offering for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house. He shall kill the bull as a sin offering for himself. (12)  And he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and he shall bring it inside the veil (13)  and put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is over the testimony, so that he does not die. (14)  And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and in front of 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 that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. (16)  Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses. (17)  No one may be in the tent of meeting from the time he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place until he comes out and has made atonement for himself and for his house and for all the assembly of Israel. (18)  Then 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)  And he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it and consecrate it from the uncleannesses of the people of Israel. (20)  “And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. (21)  And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. (22)  The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness. (23)  “Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting and shall take off the linen garments that he put on when he went into the Holy Place and shall leave them there. (24)  And he shall bathe his body in water in a holy place and put on his garments and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people and make atonement for himself and for the people. (25)  And the fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar. (26)  And he who lets the goat go to Azazel shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. (27)  And 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. Their skin and their flesh and their dung shall be burned up with fire. (28)  And he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. (29)  “And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you. (30)  For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the LORD from all your sins. (31)  It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; it is a statute forever. (32)  And the priest who is anointed and consecrated as priest in his father's place shall make atonement, wearing the holy linen garments. (33)  He shall make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. (34)  And this shall be a statute forever for you, that atonement may be made for the people of Israel once in the year because of all their sins.” And Aaron did as the LORD commanded Moses. 

 

 Aaron was to take some of the blood and also sprinkle it on the altar of Incense or the bronze Altar, or most likely both of them. They both had horns on them, and both were involved in various ways in dealing with sin. Everything involved with paying for sin needed to be covered in blood. Our sin is that polluting. Then Aaron’s attention was to turn to the live goat. The blood has been presented in the Holy of Holies, but the sin offering is not fully complete. Verse 5 is clear that the Live goat was viewed as being apart of the sin offering. This second part of the offering shows what happens to our sins when the blood payment has been made. 

 Leviticus 16:20-21 ESV 

 

 (20)  “And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. (21)  And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins . And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. 

 

 The High Priest took his hands and laid them on the goat as He confessed over it the sins of Israel. Notice emphasis on all the various kinds of iniquities, transgressions, and sins . Each represents a different facet of our rebellion and sinfulness. We transgress the law of God and do not obey Him. Our sin causes us to fall short of His holy standard. Our iniquity is all the twistedness and corruption that come from these sins and transgressions. Aaron had to bring all this out into the open and confess who they were at their core. Our default is to hide these things instead of bringing them to the light. 

 Psalm 32:3-5 ESV 

 

 (3)  For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. (4)  For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah (5)  I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity ; I said, “ I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin . Selah 

 

 David describes the heartache and emptiness that hidden sin causes. He had to confess these sins, iniquities and transgressions. He knew his rebellion against God had many layers and went deep into his own heart. We work so hard at keeping our sins hidden, when God desires for them to be confessed so they can be forgiven. 

 There is no way Aaron could have known every single sin of Isreal. This confession was in general agreeing with God, that we are sinners . Notice there is not a ceremony here for each person to come forward in a long line to confess all their sins. As Aaron laid His hands on the goats head it represented laying all of these innumerable sins onto the living goat. 

 This is the confession for salvation, we are a sinner in need of a savior. Then comes the confession for our growth where individual sins are deal with. This is shown throughout the year when Israelites would come forward with their guilt offerings or personal sin offerings and confess what specific sin they had committed. This confession by the High Priest shows that all the sins that had been covered through the presented blood are laid onto the live goat. Once the High Priest makes this confession the goat is sent out into the wilderness. 

 Leviticus 16:22 ESV 

 

 (22)  The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area , and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness. 

 

 The goat was sent out into the wilderness to a remote place. Eventually this part of the ceremony was formalized and according to the Mishnah Yoma (200 AD) 10 booths were formed to verify the goat went deep into the wilderness. The name for this goat emphasizes this important part of the sin offering. 

 Leviticus 16:8 YLT 

 

 (8)  'And Aaron hath given lots over the two goats, one lot for Jehovah, and one lot for a goat of departure; 

 

 This word is rare and only found in this chapter. The translators struggle with what to do with it, so some have made an English word out of the Hebrew, Azazel . This is not translating the word at all. This causes some to make it a proper name, either of the wilderness or a goat demon in the wilderness. In chapter 17:7 we will see Israel was worshipping a goat demon in the wilderness but that is a different word. Nowhere in scripture are our sins presented to a demon in order for them to be paid for or taken away. The word itself is a mash up of goat and the verb to send away. Often it is called the scapegoat. In the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) it was translated as the goat that is sent away with the evil. Our sin was not only paid for by Jesus but completely removed. 

 John 1:29 ESV 

 

 (29)  The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 

 

 To pay for our sins they had to be laid on Jesus just like the scapegoat. He died for our sins and He took them away. The goat of departure showed the complete removal of sins. Jesus did the same, He removed our sins from us. I want to encourage you to make this personal to your own life. He took your sin away from you , and me as believers. It is a truth we know yet so many of us do not apply it to ourselves. We start to believe the lie that He could take other peoples’ sins away, but not mine. 

 Psalm 103:8-12 ESV 

 

 (8)  The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. (9)  He will not always chide, nor will He keep His anger forever. (10 )  He does not deal with us according to our sins , nor repay us according to our iniquities. (11)  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him; (12)  as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 

 

 The north pole is 12,436 miles away from the south pole. That is far but measurable. There is no set distance from the east to the west. God specifically used this illustration and the scape goat to show us how completely our sins are removed away from us. These last two words are such an encouragement to me. Our sin is removed from God’s presence, but even more than that they are removed from us . His forgiveness is that complete. He does not want us to condemn ourselves over our past sin. He desires that we rest in the truth that Jesus completely removed them from us. This is a truth found throughout scripture (Isaiah 38:17, Isaiah 44:21-22, Micah 7:18-20 and Jeremiah 50:20). 

 Leviticus 16:23-25 ESV 

 

 (23)  “Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting and shall take off the linen garments that he put on when he went into the Holy Place and shall leave them there. (24)  And he shall bathe his body in water in a holy place and put on his garments and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people and make atonement for himself and for the people. (25)  And the fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar. 

 

 Once the ceremonies for both goats of the sin offering had been completed Aaron would take off the humble clothing and put back on His clothes of glory and beauty . Just as Jesus put back on His glory after the cross and was given the name above all names (Phil 2:7-11). Finally, Aaron would present the whole burnt offering for himself and then for the people. They could fully set aside their lives to glorify God now that their sin had been deal with. 

 Leviticus 16:30; 34 NAS95 

 

 (30)  for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD. (34)  "Now you shall have this as a permanent statute , to make atonement for the sons of Israel for all their sins once every year ." And just as the LORD had commanded Moses, so he did. 

 

 Isreal was to observe the day of atonement once a year. A yearly reminder of their need for their sins to be atoned so they could be holy in God’s sight. As important the Day of Atonement was, it is fascinating that they Jews were not required to travel to the temple to celebrate it. Exodus 23:14-17 gives the list of required feast. 

 The feast of unleavened Bread (Immediately after The Passover), The Feast of Harvest / Weeks/ Pentecost (Marked the end of the early summer wheat harvest), The Feast of Ingathering / Tabernacles/ Booths (Celebrated the final harvest and remembered Israel’s time in the wilderness). Each of these feasts has a different emphasis and we will get to look at them in chapter 23. This raises the question of why did God not ask the nation to travel to Jerusalem for the Day of Atonement, the one day when all sin was atoned for? 

 The people could not contribute to what the High Priest needed to do in the Holy of Holies. They did not need to line up and confess sin, and they did not need to bring an offering. All they contributed was their sin, then it was up to the High priest to make atonement . The same is true for us. We cannot contribute to what Jesus accomplished on the cross. God only asked Isreal to do one thing on the Day of Atonement. 

 Leviticus 16:29; 31 NAS95 

 

 (29)  "This shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls and not do any work , whether the native, or the alien who sojourns among you; (31)  "It is to be a sabbath of solemn rest for you , that you may humble your souls ; it is a permanent statute. 

 

 Israel was to humble their souls and rest in front of God . In humility Israel was to recognize that they were sinners and needed a blood payment that they could not offer themselves. In this humility they were to rest and do no work. On the day the High priest had a lot to do, the people were to rest. They had to trust that the High Priest would give the blood payment correctly. It was through this humility and rest that the day of atonement applied to an individual in Isreal. God was very clear what would happen if someone refused to be humble and rest. 

 Leviticus 23:28-30 NAS95 

 

 (28)  "You shall not do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement , to make atonement on your behalf before the LORD your God. (29)  "If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people. (30)  "As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. 

 

 If someone refused to rest on the Day of atonement. If they wanted to work and provide their own way to atone for their sin then God would cut that person off from Israel and destroy them. We cannot add to salvation, or be accepted by God based on our own work. We are to humble rest in what Jesus has accomplished! 

 Matthew 11:28-30 NAS95 

 

 (28)  "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. (29)  "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS (30)  "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Leviticus 17 | Sunday June 22, 2025
Anybody who has spent time with a young child knows you will be asked why a lot. It seems to be their favorite question. It is amazing how hard it is to answer at times. There are so many things that we do out of habit, or according to a tradition and we do not really know why. I am amazed at the care and intention God went through to explain His plan for salvation.  He took time to explain the why. He even developed a special group of people and gave them specific instructions so everything in their society would explain who He was and how He would provide a solution for sin. Providing salvation and it being available to all even the gentiles was not an afterthought for God. 

 Ephesians 3:11-12 ESV 

 

 (11)  This was according to the eternal purpose that He has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord , (12)  in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in Him. 

 

 It was God’s eternal purpose to provide humanity a way to be saved and reunited to Him. This was not just meant for Israel, but for all and it is found in Jesus. God realized, accomplished, brought it about, through Jesus. The past two weeks we have studied the Day of Atonement and seen how it served as a yearly reminder of the need for a blood payment for sin. Jesus is the blood payment. His righteous life enabled Him to offer the payment of His blood which paid for all sin. Then in chapter 17 God gives Isreal more reminders of how important blood is, and explains why it is so important. 

 Leviticus 17:1-16 ESV 

 

 (1)  And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (2)  “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the people of Israel and say to them, This is the thing that the LORD has commanded. (3)  If any one of the house of Israel kills an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or kills it outside the camp, (4)  and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it as a gift to the LORD in front of the tabernacle of the LORD, bloodguilt shall be imputed to that man. He has shed blood, and that man shall be cut off from among his people. (5)  This is to the end that the people of Israel may bring their sacrifices that they sacrifice in the open field, that they may bring them to the LORD, to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the LORD. (6)  And the priest shall throw the blood on the altar of the LORD at the entrance of the tent of meeting and burn the fat for a pleasing aroma to the LORD. (7)  So they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to goat demons, after whom they whore. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations. (8)  “And you shall say to them, Any one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice (9)  and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it to the LORD, that man shall be cut off from his people. (10)  “If any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. (11)  For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. (12)  Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood. (13)  “Any one also of the people of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth. (14)  For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off. (15)  And every person who eats what dies of itself or what is torn by beasts, whether he is a native or a sojourner, shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening; then he shall be clean. (16)  But if he does not wash them or bathe his flesh, he shall bear his iniquity.” 

 

 One thing that we have to keep in mind throughout Leviticus is that Israel is not in the promise land yet. There are commands God will give that specifically apply to life in the promised land. For instance giving the firstfruits of the harvest only applies in the promised land because they are not planting crops in the wilderness. In this chapter God gives some commands that are specific to their time in the wilderness. 

 Leviticus 17:3-6 ESV 

 

 (3)  If any one of the house of Israel kills an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or kills it outside the camp, (4)  and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it as a gift to the LORD in front of the tabernacle of the LORD, bloodguilt shall be imputed to that man . He has shed blood, and that man shall be cut off from among his people. (5)  This is to the end that the people of Israel may bring their sacrifices that they sacrifice in the open field, that they may bring them to the LORD , to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the LORD. (6)  And the priest shall throw the blood on the altar of the LORD at the entrance of the tent of meeting and burn the fat for a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 

 

 This command effectively makes killing an ox, lamb, or goat for food only prohibited . If one of these animals is killed its needs to be presented to the Lord at the tabernacle as a peace offering. The person would fully give the animal to God, the blood was presented and the fat was burnt on the altar, then the majority of the animal was given back to the person to enjoy in a fellowship meal. God was not demanding all the meat of the animal instead He wanted to invite Isreal to share in a fellowship meal with Him. 

 This command meant any ox, lamb, or goat that was killed needed to be used in worship. When Israel left Egypt they took with them “ very much livestock, both flocks and herds ” Ex 12:38, yet these animals were not the staple food for the wilderness. To feed each person in Israel 4 ounces of meat a day, assuming 2.4 million people , you would need 600,000 pounds of meat a day. The people of Isreal would have ran out of animals quickly if they used them for food. Instead God was providing daily manna for the Israelites. God could have provided for them in so many ways but He chose a system that would require a daily reliance on Him . Each day they had to go out and collect manna that rained from the sky, expect on the Sabbath. God wanted them to be reminded of His provision. The manna stopped as they entered into the promised land. In Deuteronomy God gives the updated law for killing ox, lambs, and goats in the promised land. 

 Deuteronomy 12:1; 15; 21; 23-24 ESV 

 

 (1)  “These are the statutes and rules that you shall be careful to do in the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. (15)  “However, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your towns, as much as you desire, according to the blessing of the LORD your God that He has given you. The unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle and as of the deer. (21)  If the place that the LORD your God will choose to put His name there is too far from you, then you may kill any of your herd or your flock, which the LORD has given you, as I have commanded you, and you may eat within your towns whenever you desire. (23)  Only be sure that you do not eat the blood , for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh.  (24)  You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the earth like water. 

 

 Once Isreal was living in the promised land, then they could enjoy God’s abundance and blessings on them . They were allowed to eat meat whenever they wanted. The animal did not have to be presented at the tabernacle. Special care was to be taken to bleed the animal out correctly and not eat blood. The Israelites still needed to go to the temple for burnt offerings, and tithe offerings, but not for every animal that was killed. Having to present every ox, lamb or goat was only for the wilderness. Practically this command helped ration the herds. Yet this command was not just practical God was retraining His people from some terrible habits they learned in Egypt. 

 Leviticus 17:7-9 ESV 

 

 (7)  So they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to goat demons, after whom they whore. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations. (8)  “And you shall say to them, Any one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice (9)  and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it to the LORD, that man shall be cut off from his people. 

 

 This word is different than the scapegoat we studied last week. This was a goat demon that Israel would worship out in the wilderness. These verses make more sense when we understand the culture and worship of the Egyptians that lived near Israel. Israel had settled into the land of Goshen (Gen 47:27) which was in the Nile Delta region. In this same region was the city of Mendes . The Greek historian Herodotus tells us this about that city “the Egyptians of whom I have spoken sacrifice no goats, male or female: the Mendesians reckon Pan among the eight gods […] the image of Pan is made with the head and the legs of a goat, […They] consider all goats sacred, the male even more than the female, and goatherds are held in special estimation : one he-goat is most sacred of all; when he dies, it is ordained that there should be great mourning in all the Mendesian district. ” Egypt was worshipping a demon, who they represented as a goat man. This symbolism has continued and is why some depictions of Satan use a goat head. This worship was vile, and the sad part is that the Egyptians had influenced God’s people. Isreal was worshipping this demon in the wilderness and unfortunately it continued even into the promised land. 

 2 Chronicles 11:14-15 ESV 

 

 (14)  For the Levites left their common lands and their holdings and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons cast them out from serving as priests of the LORD, (15)  and he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat idols and for the calves that he had made. 

 

 Jeroboam appointed priests and made high places for the goat demon. God desired to stop all this all the way back in the wilderness. If an animal can only be killed if it is presented in the tabernacle it is hard to worship a goat demon in the wilderness. This shows an important principal in scripture. 

 1 Corinthians 15:33-34 ESV 

 

 (33)  Do not be deceived: “ Bad company ruins good morals.” (34)  Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning . For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. 

 

 Israel had kept bad company in Egypt and let the current thinking of the day influence them. It led to twisted thinking, and preferring to worship a demon instead of the life giving true God. The world and its thinking will rub off on us if we are not careful. Worldly thinking is more infectious and harder to get rid of than we realize. 

 James 4:4-5 ESV 

 

 (4)  You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (5)  Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that He has made to dwell in us”? 

 

 This language is tough to hear. We become an adulterer and cheat on God when we let the world influence us. We enjoy spending time with our friends, often we think alike, and value similar things. When we start thinking like the world we become hostile to God and His truth. God does not take this lightly. He has a strong desire, longs for a deep walk with us through His Spirit. He wants to teach us how to walk with Him and not be friendly with the world. 

 Romans 13:11-14 ESV 

 

 (11)  Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. (12)  The night is far gone; the day is at hand . So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. (13)  Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. (14)  But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. 

 

 As a believer we have a choice of where we will walk. We can walk in the darkness and become friendly with the world and it will cost us dearly. As a believer we can choose to walk in the armor of the light. We are called to walk in God’s truth and make no provision, thoughtful planning, forethought , for the flesh. As they had become influenced by the world Israel would put lots of effort and planning in being able to worship this goat demon. We are not to feed our flesh and are not to give it any opportunity to influence us. We are called to walk in the light of God’s truth. 

 Psalm 119:105 ESV 

 

 (105)  Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 

 

 God’s truth found in His Word illuminates the darkness and guides us to a deeper walk with Him. He wants to use His truth to help us have a transformed minds and not walk like the world. In part this is why He wanted all ox, lambs and goats to be presented to Him. So that His people would walk in His truth and not the darkness of the world. His commands also served as a reminder of what they were to value. 

 Leviticus 17:10-12 ESV 

 

 (10)  “If any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. (11)  For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. (12)  Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, No person among you shall eat blood , neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood. 

 

 God forbade Israel from eating any blood. They had to be careful to bleed out an animal correctly before they ate it. Disobeying carries a harsh punishment, God will set His face against the person, and cut them off from Israel. The person who ate blood was not just unclean until the evening but to be divinely judged . God explains the reason why blood is so important. The life of the animal is found and represented by the blood. This is why the blood is to be presented on the altar before God, it is a presentation of a sacrificed life. God very clearly explains that it is the blood that makes atonement, because of the life that had been given. This summarizes everything we saw in the Day of Atonement. God wanted His people to respect blood, as a reminder of the blood payment that was needed for sin. This command goes all the way back to Noah. 

 Genesis 9:3-4 ESV 

 

 (3)  Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. (4)  But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 

 

 God’s eternal purpose was realized through Jesus and it was to be accomplished through His blood. So even before Isreal existed, and their was no tabernacle man was to respect blood. Even in the early church James encouraged believers to refrain from eating blood (Acts 15:20). Paul is clear in Romans 14:14 that all food is clean. As the church we see the reality these commands pointed to. We are to value the blood of Jesus and all He accomplished. 

 Hebrews 10:19-29 ESV 

 

 (19)  Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, (20)  by the new and living way that He opened for us through the curtain, that is, through His flesh, (21)  and since we have a great priest over the house of God, (22)  let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (23)  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (24)  And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, (25)  not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (26)  For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, (27)  but a fearful expectation of judgment , and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. (28)  Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. (29)  How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 

 

 We are to value the blood of Jesus that has given us access to the holy place, direct access to God. We have the ability to draw close. We have been made clean through Him. We are to hold on to this hope, because He is faithful . His blood accomplished it. Then the author gives us examples of how to draw close, we are to encourage each other to love and good works. We are to build up the body of Christ. We are not to take our access to God lightly. 

 If we continue willfully sinning, we are rejecting what the blood of Jesus accomplished. The blood freed us from our bondage to sin and yet we choose to go back to our sin . The blood is sufficient yet we are denying what it accomplished through our actions. As believers we will be disciplined. We are not to profane the blood that sanctified us. This is not about losing salvation, that is impossible (Eph 1:13-14). Profane means to treat as common or ordinary . When we walk in our sin we are treating the blood of Jesus as an ordinary thing. Lets value the blood of Jesus and live in a worshipful response for all He has done! As believers we can continually start fresh with Him. 

 

 1 John 1:9 ESV 

 

 (9)  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Leviticus 18:1-30 | Sunday July 6, 2025
Up to this point in Leviticus God has given instructions on how to worship Him through the various offerings and instructions on how to be ceremonial clean. Starting in chapter 17 and continuing from there God starts to address specific sin issues. Chapter 18 follows the form of what a treaty would have looked like for that time . In the opening God introduces who He is and why He is making this contract with them. God gives the general then specific stipulations of it, while also explaining the blessing and curses of not following the contract. They are His people and He is explaining how different they are to be from the world around them. 

 Leviticus 18:1-30 ESV 

 

 (1)  And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (2)  “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the LORD your God. (3)  You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. (4)  You shall follow My rules and keep My statutes and walk in them. I am the LORD your God. (5)  You shall therefore keep My statutes and My rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD. (6)  “None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the LORD. (7)  You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness. (8)  You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife; it is your father's nakedness. (9)  You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether brought up in the family or in another home. (10)  You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son's daughter or of your daughter's daughter, for their nakedness is your own nakedness. (11)  You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife's daughter, brought up in your father's family, since she is your sister. (12)  You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister; she is your father's relative. (13)  You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister, for she is your mother's relative. (14)  You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother, that is, 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. (16)  You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife; it is your brother's nakedness. (17)  You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, and you shall not take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter to uncover her nakedness; they are relatives; it is depravity. (18)  And you shall not take a woman as a rival wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive. (19)  “You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is in her menstrual uncleanness. (20)  And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor's wife and so make yourself unclean with her. (21)  You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so 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)  And you shall not lie with any animal and so make yourself unclean with it, neither shall any woman give herself to an animal to lie with it: it is perversion. (24)  “Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, for by all these the nations I am driving out before you have become unclean, (25)  and the land became unclean, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. (26)  But you shall keep My statutes and My rules and do none of these abominations, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you (27)  (for the people of the land, who were before you, did all of these abominations, so that the land became unclean), (28)  lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.(29)  For everyone who does any of these abominations, the persons who do them shall be cut off from among their people. (30)  So keep my charge never to practice any of these abominable customs that were practiced before you, and never to make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God.” 

 

 As God gives this list of commandments He kept repeating a key phrase “I am the LORD your God.” This phrase would have reminded the nation of a key moment on Mount Sinai about 7 months ago. God descended onto Mount Sinai covered by thick smoke in the presence of the nation. The mountain was on fire, with lighting, great trumpet blasts and the earth shook (Ex 19:16-19). In this amazing setting God spoke to the nation: (Ex 20:22). Often we think about God talking to Moses but here He called to everyone. 

 Exodus 20:1-2 ESV 

 

 (1)  And God spoke all these words , saying, (2)  “I am the LORD your God , who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 

 

 Then God gave them the ten commandments. The people were too terrified to hear any more from this glorious God. They sent Moses to talk to God because He was too terrifying for them (Ex 20:19-21). 

 It is not by accident that God repeats this phrase. He is giving these commandments the same authority the ten commandments came with. They are not random but come straight from the very character of God. Because He is the LORD He is the one who defines purity and holiness and because He is your (Israel’s) God they need to reflect His Holiness . In essence God is reminding them, who they are and whom they serve. 

 Leviticus 18:3-5 ESV 

 

 (3)  You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt , where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan , to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. (4)  You shall follow My rules and keep My statutes and walk in them. I am the LORD your God. (5)  You shall therefore keep My statutes and My rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD. 

 

 God did not want His people to look like the Egyptians or the Canaanites. He wanted them to reflect His rules and statues. He wanted their lives to show that He is their God. These commandments come with a promise that if you follow them you will live by them. All of these commandments were to counter the culture that was around Israel. 

 Leviticus 18:6-7; 16-17 ESV 

 

 (6)  “None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the LORD. (7)  You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father , which is the nakedness of your mother ; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness. 

 (16)  You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife; it is your brother's nakedness . (17)  You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, and you shall not take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter to uncover her nakedness; they are relatives; it is depravity. 

 

 Incest was regularly practiced in Egypt especially within the royal family and was used as a means of consolidating power. God’s overall heart is found in verse 6, Israel was forbidden to marry, or have sexual relations with a close relative. God then goes into specifics for the next 12 verses defining out what is viewed as a close relative. As these connections are made God emphasizes the one flesh union that marriage creates. This is why the woman’s nakedness is viewed as the man’s nakedness. 

 Ephesians 5:31-32 ESV 

 

 (31)  “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” (32)  This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 

 

 The one flesh union in marriage is to be an example to the world of the love and unity that the church experiences in the body of Christ. Marriage is to be viewed as sacred. 

 Scripture is clear that up until this point marriage within the family was regularly practiced . For Adam and Eve and Noah and His family there practically were not other options. The Old Testament is full of examples that break these instructions, Abraham married his half-sister (Gen 20:12), Amram married his aunt (Gen 35:22), and Jacob married sisters (Gen 29:16-30). Jacob in particular shows the conflict and problems that come from these relationships. Families married from within in part to consolidate power. As Israel is headed into the promised land specific land inheritance will be tied to each family. God did not want families to manipulate the system and try to become powerful this way. He does give the provision in Deuteronomy 25:5-6 for a widow who does not have a male heir then her brother-in-law must marry her. The focus is for the family name to continue in the land. God wanted marriage to be honored. And for His people to live pure lives. 

 Hebrews 13:4 ESV 

 

 (4)  Let marriage be held in honor among all , and let the marriage bed be undefiled , for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. 

 

 Marriage was God’s creation and the world will continually try to redefine it, misuse it, and devalue it. In Israel’s day it was through incest and using marriage for power manipulation. In the New Testament the culture frowned on incest (1 Cor 5:1) but sinned with other immorality. In our culture incest is taboo but 34% of sexual abuse is perpetrated by a family member and incest is the fastest growing category of pornography. Marriage is attacked because it proclaims such an important truth of Christ’s union and love for His church . 

 Leviticus 18:20 ESV 

 

 (20)  And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor's wife and so make yourself unclean with her. 

 

 Adultery is also forbidden. This chapter is tough to read because it describes all of the ways God’s goodness and truth can be manipulated into sin. Our sin has disastrous consequences. 

 Job 31:9-12 NLT 

 

 (9)  “If my heart has been seduced by a woman, or if I have lusted for my neighbor’s wife, (10)  then let my wife serve another man; let other men sleep with her. (11)  For lust is a shameful sin, a crime that should be punished. (12)  It is a fire that burns all the way to hell. It would wipe out everything I own. 

 

 Just because our society accepts lust and champions it God’s holy standard has not changed. We change the name to an affair, or I fell in love with someone, to soften what adultery truly is. The breaking of God’s one flesh union. 

 Leviticus 18:21-23 ESV 

 

 (21)  You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech , and so 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)  And you shall not lie with any animal and so make yourself unclean with it, neither shall any woman give herself to an animal to lie with it: it is perversion. 

 

 These three verses all describe profane abominations that were all used to worship other gods . Children were burned alive to the idol molech and we will discuss this more in chapter 20. The command against bestiality brings us back to the goat of Mendes in Egypt. The worship of the goat demon had made the culture so vile Herodotus says “ In my lifetime a strange thing occurred in this district: a he-goat had intercourse openly with a woman. This came to be publicly known. ” (The Histories, Book 2, Chapter 46). The Hittite laws of the day give a list of what animals are allowed and which are not. Chapter 18 becomes much harder to study when we realize these command are not hypotheticals, but were actively being practiced in the neighboring cultures . God is telling His people to stop these sins. God calls the homosexual act an abomination. This sexual act was used as part of the worship to Ashtoreth . God’s covenant people walked in this sin. 

 1 Kings 14:23-24 ESV 

 

 (23)  For they also built for themselves high places and pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, (24)  and there were also male cult prostitutes in the land . They did according to all the abominations of the nations that the LORD drove out before the people of Israel. 

 

 Israel came into the promised land and let the culture and its values influence them. This so permeated God’s people that they built temples to these pagan gods and worshipped them through these detestable sins . Sin is progressive . Once a line is crossed then it is no longer taboo and our lust desire the next line to cross. The immortality would have started in heterosexual sin, and then progressed to homosexual sin. A culture never starts with this sin but if it continues in sin long enough it ends up there. We must be careful not to elevate this sin as worst then others. If we are going to be honest we all practice abominations in front of God’s eyes. 

 Proverbs 6:16-17 NKJV 

 

 (16)  These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him : (17)  A proud look, A lying tongue , Hands that shed innocent blood, 

 

 Pride, and lying are included as abominations to God. This is the same word used to describe the homosexual act. This sin should not be isolated as more terrible then others. All sexual sin is against our own body (1 Cor 6:18) and all is to be taken seriously. 

 There are a few misconceptions that we need to be careful to think biblically about these sins. First this command and others in scripture (Rom 1:24-28, 1 Tim 1:6-11, Jude 1:7) specifically call the homosexual act sinful. We are all born sinners and all have unique sin bents. Regardless of our specific sin bent God’s holy standard does not change. Second, there is a misconception of how sinful our culture has become. This chapter shows how depraved humanity has been throughout history. Humans are so sinful that twice in scripture society has devolved into homosexual gangs. 

 Genesis 19:4-5 NLT 

 

 (4)  But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old , came from all over the city and surrounded the house. (5)  They shouted to Lot, “Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!” 

 

 Judges 19:20-22 NLT 

 

 (22)  While they were enjoying themselves, a crowd of troublemakers from the town surrounded the house. They began beating at the door and shouting to the old man, “Bring out the man who is staying with you so we can have sex with him.” 

 

 God’s truth is always counter cultural . The heart behind the sins of our society is not new . Sin has a new medium through technology and faster speed yet God’s people have always been called to rise above the wicked sins of their culture. As believers it is always possible to rise above the culture and live for Christ. We have been given new lives in Christ and are not under the law anymore. 

 Romans 10:4-5 ESV 

 

 (4)  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (5)  For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 

 

 Christ perfectly fulfilled the law. We cannot cherry pick from the book of Leviticus what laws still apply and what laws do not. Jesus ended the law for us. If you want to live by the law you have to live by all of it, yet there is no life found in the law. 

 Galatians 2:16; 20-21 ESV 

 

 (16)  yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ , so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. 

 ( 20 )  I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me . And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (21)  I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. 

 

 Salvation is either by the law and following it or it is by grace and the two do not mix. True life is found in Jesus through faith. We trust in His finished work. We are free from the law, yet God does not change. So in these laws we can see God’s timeless heart, yet we have to let the New Testament and grace speak truth into these issues. 

 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV 

 

 (9)  Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral , nor idolaters, nor adulterers , nor men who practice homosexuality, (10)  nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. (11)  And such were some of you . But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 

 

 This passage IS NOT giving a list of sins that keep someone from going to heaven. These are not people outside of Jesus’ reach. If there are sins that cannot be forgiven then Jesus’ work on the cross is not very powerful. This is a list describing the unrighteous and all the various actions they do. The Greek is very specific in the sins it mentions to describe both partners in a homosexual act. Yet this passage also addresses the sexually immoral which is the word pornos and even condemns greed. Someone is still defined as unrighteous because they have not accepted the finished work of Jesus . The law shows us our sin and condemns. The great news is that such were some of us as believers. It doesn’t matter where we come from or what we have done, we are covered by the blood. Jesus came and washed, sanctified and justified us. Unfortunately these sins are still within our reach. This is why Paul finishes 1 Corinthians 6 encouraging believers not to engage in sexual immorality. We have been given power not to live in these sins anymore but walk in the new life in Jesus which is apart form the law. 

 Galatians 5:13-18 ESV 

 

 (13)  For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (14)  For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (15)  But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. (16)  But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (17)  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. (18)  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 

 

 The flesh will always want to be like the world but we have been given freedom though Jesus to be able to walk in the Spirit. It is a freedom to love and serve based on truth.

Leviticus 19:1-18 | Sunday July 13, 2025
As believers in the church, it can be hard for us to think about and engage with the law in a truthful manner. The church historically has been tempted to involve following the law with salvation. Then others include following the law by our own strength with sanctification, a person’s growth with Christ. Scripture is clear on both points that  keeping the law did not save us and relying on our flesh to pursue the law will not help us grow . 

 Romans 3:20 ESV 

 

 (20)  For by works of the law no human being will be justified in His sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 

 

 Galatians 3:2-3 ESV 

 

 (2)  Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? (3)  Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 

 

 God is clear that by our own human efforts, through our flesh, the law shows us our sin and shows how often we fail at following it. Our walk with Jesus did not start through human effort and does not continue through human effort. The law does a masterful job of showing how inadequate and filthy we truly are. Our flesh has no value in our relationship with Jesus. Our relationship with Him starts and continues based on faith. 

 Galatians 3:11 ESV 

 

 (11)  Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 

 

 We are declared righteous by faith and we continue to walk and grow through faith. The Jews struggled with this and the early church did as well. The modern church is no different. Living by faith draws us to Jesus and a daily reliance on Him. We need to be careful how we view the law; it was not the problem our sin is. 

 Romans 7:10-14 ESV 

 

 (10)  The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. (11)  For sin , seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. (12)  So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. (13)  Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin , producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. (14)  For we know that the law is spiritual , but I am of the flesh, sold under sin 

 

 Paul is clear that the core issue is not with the law but in our sin nature. The law is called holy, righteous, good, and spiritual . It is our sin nature that caused it to be death to us. So, as we study the law in Leviticus, we must understand how fruitless trying to live out the law on our own strength is. It is impossible and we need Jesus’ perfect righteousness. We also cannot make the law the enemy but seek to find God’s timeless holiness at the heart of each command. These laws are presented in a specific culture to a specific people, but underneath this context is God’s holiness. His holy standard has not changed and has so much application for us today. 

 Leviticus 19:1-37 ESV 

 

 (1)  And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (2)  “Speak to all the congregation of the people 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 you shall keep My Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God. (4)  Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the LORD your God. (5)  “When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted. (6)  It shall be eaten the same day you offer it or on the day after, and anything left over until the third day shall be burned up with fire. (7)  If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is tainted; it will not be accepted, (8)  and everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned what is holy to the LORD, and that person shall be cut off from his people. (9)  “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. (10)  And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God. (11)  “You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. (12)  You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD. (13)  “You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning. (14)  You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the LORD. (15)  “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. (16)  You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD. (17)  “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. (18)  You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. (19)  “You shall keep My statutes. You shall not let your cattle breed with a different kind. You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor shall you wear a garment of cloth made of two kinds of material. (20)  “If a man lies sexually with a woman who is a slave, assigned to another man and not yet ransomed or given her freedom, a distinction shall be made. They shall not be put to death, because she was not free; (21)  but he shall bring his compensation to the LORD, to the entrance of the tent of meeting, a ram for a guilt offering. (22)  And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering before the LORD for his sin that he has committed, and he shall be forgiven for the sin that he has committed. (23)  “When you come into the land and plant any kind of tree for food, then you shall regard its fruit as forbidden. Three years it shall be forbidden to you; it must not be eaten. (24)  And in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD. (25)  But in the fifth year you may eat of its fruit, to increase its yield for you: I am the LORD your God. (26)  “You shall not eat any flesh with the blood in it. You shall not interpret omens or tell fortunes. (27)  You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard. (28)  You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the LORD. (29)  “Do not profane your daughter by making her a prostitute, lest the land fall into prostitution and the land become full of depravity. (30)  You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD. (31)  “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God. (32)  “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the LORD. (33)  “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. (34)  You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native 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 wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight or quantity. (36)  You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. (37)  And you shall observe all My statutes and all My rules, and do them: I am the LORD.” 

 

 God is directly applying His holiness in practical ways to His people. The entire chapter is the expansion of verse 2 because God is holy, they should be holy. 16 times in the chapter God reminds them that He is the Lord their God. They are called to reflect His holiness. Our culture, and customs have changed so the application will look different at times but the call for God’s people to reflect His holiness has not changed. 

 1 Peter 1:13-19 ESV 

 

 (13)  Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (14)  As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, (15)  but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, (16)  since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (17)  And if you call on Him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, (18)  knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, (19)  but with the precious blood of Christ , like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 

 

 As believers we are called to set our hope fully onto the grace that is found in Jesus Christ. We do not trust in our ability to follow the law of even in our ability to pursue holy living. Our confidence is found in His grace. Then as we trust in His grace we are to be holy and not be conformed to the world. We were ransomed by the blood of Jesus we should not take that lightly. Our lives should reflect His holiness . This is not an abstract idea but a guiding standard for each area of our life. No part of our life is off limits or not influenced by God’s holiness. 

 Leviticus 19:3-4 ESV 

 

 (3)  Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father , and you shall keep My Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God. (4)  Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the LORD your God. 

 

 God expands on the 5th commandment and changes the key word from honor to the word fear and elevates the role of mother by listing her first. Parents have a unique job in that they are the first authority in a child’s life. The goal of parenting is not to raise a great child. The goal of parenting is to faithfully raise an adult who has a great walk with Jesus. We are to train our children to have a fear, reverential awe, respect of us as parents so that they will have that same type of fear for God. Children are not to be afraid their parents, but respect them and follow their leadership. This is why not worshipping idols is listed immediately after. When we have a fear of God why would we ever turn to idols? 

 

 Ephesians 6:1-4 ESV 

 

 (1)  Children, obey your parents in the Lord , for this is right. (2)  “ Honor your father and mother ” ( this is the first commandment with a promise ), (3)  “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” (4)  Fathers , do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. 

 

 Children are called to obey, this helps them learn how to obey God. Even as adults we are called to honor our parents. This command comes with a promise. There is a blessing for walking in our family relationships in a way that honors God. Fathers are not to provoke our children, this is inciting them to anger. We are not to antagonize our kids, instead we are called to nourish them in the training and council of God . Fathers do we spend more time training our kids in earthly things or spiritual things? Parents need to aim to be worthy of this reverence, as it will help their children have a growing walk with Jesus. 

 Leviticus 19:9-10 ESV 

 

 (9)  “ When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest . (10)  And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God. 

 

 When Israel goes into the promise land they were not to completely harvest every last bit out of the field but to leave the edges. Leaving parts of the field unharvested was a common practice in the cultures around Israel yet these cultures left parts of the harvest as an offering to their gods. As God reveals the law there are certain practices that He forbids so that Israel would look wholly different form the neighboring people. Then there are other practices like this one that God redeems . What Israel was called to do looked similar on the outside but the end result and heart were very different. The parts that were left in the field were to help provide for the poor, and the sojourner. This whole chapter is filled with laws to protect and care for the weak and powerless. 

 Deuteronomy 24:17-18 ESV 

 

 (17)  “ You shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or to the fatherless, or take a widow's garment in pledge, (18)  but you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this. 

 

 God cares for the ones who were most mistreated by society . The sojourner would not have the same rights as a citizen, the fatherless do not have an earthly protector, and a widow had few opportunities to provide for herself. God never wanted Israel to loose sight that they lived as slaves in Egypt. They knew what it was like to be oppressed and He wanted his people to act different. He wanted them to know that they were still sojourners on this earth. 

 Leviticus 25:23 ESV 

 

 (23)  “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is Mine. For you are strangers and sojourners with Me. 

 

 This world and whatever country we live in is not our true home. We are exiles, sojourners, this is not home . God wants our lives to reflect this truth. This changes what we value and how we view our future. This is the country of our exile. So the Israelites were not to try and make every cent they could out of their fields, but to leave the edges for those in need. Ruth was a direct beneficiary of this practice. God’ system provided for people with dignity and offered them an opportunity to work. The early church continued this heart for the needy and was part of the first instructions that James, Peter, and John gave to Paul as He was starting out in ministry. 

 Galatians 2:10 ESV 

 

 (10)  Only, they asked us to remember the poor , the very thing I was eager to do. 

 

 Believers should be known for our loving and caring attitude and heart toward people. The people society forgets about we are called to remember, keep in mind, think of. As we care for people it needs to be based on truth. The world gives indiscriminately and without wisdom. 

 2 Thessalonians 3:6; 10-12 ESV 

 

 (6)  Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. ( 10 )  For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. (11)  For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. (12)  Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. 

 

 The world does not have a resource problem it has a sin problem . Humanity will constantly look for ways to cheat the system and take advantage. Some were relying on the generosity of others instead of working. This idleness was not to be supported . God’s system of leaving the edges of the field is masterful in its wisdom because there is an ownership and dignity that someone is able to work for what they need. Our society makes it hard to get the help and support to those truly in need. This is why the command to remember the poor is so important. Another way the world sins is by taking advantage of others. 

 Leviticus 19:11-12 ESV 

 

 (11)  “You shall not steal ; you shall not deal falsely ; you shall not lie to one another. (12)  You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD. 

 

 These laws present a progression of sin. Sin always leads to more sin. 

 After you steal or deal falsely with someone, cheat them, you lie to cover it up. The lie is not believed so you swear by God’s name to prove your point. Each sin leads to the next sin, and more hurt and damage. 

 Leviticus 19:13 ESV 

 

 (13)  “You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning. 

 

 God desired His people to have a system that did not keep people in a position that was near impossible to get out of. A day laborer needed to be paid on the day of their work. Holding it to the next day leveraged them so they had to come back. 

 Exodus 22:26-27 ESV 

 

 (26)  If ever you take your neighbor's cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, (27)  for that is his only covering , and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am compassionate. 

 

 The poor would sometimes give up their only jacket as collateral for a quick loan. God only allowed this for one day, because that person needed the jacket to sleep with that evening. God has compassion on people, and hears them in their needs. The predatory loans in our economy violate this principal. As believers we are called to treat people with justice and care. 

 Leviticus 19:14 ESV 

 

 (14)  You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind , but you shall fear your God: I am the LORD. 

 

 In keeping with protecting the powerless God put in provisions for the deaf and blind. The deaf person might not be aware they had been cursed but God is. The blind were to be helped not tripped. 

 Leviticus 19:14-16 ESV 

 

 (15)  “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. 

 

 In our decisions we are to use biblical justice. The poor are not to be shown partiality because of their situation . God has shown so much care for the poor this law can seem out of place, but it shows God’s heart for justice and truth. Even if someone is poor justice must be sought. Conversely the rich should not be given a pass. In our sinfulness both extremes poverty and riches can get in the way of truth and justice. 

 Leviticus 19:16-18 ESV 

 

 (16)  You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD. (17)  “ You shall not hate your brother in your heart , but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. (18)  You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. 

 

 Verse 18 provides a great summary statement. God was calling His people to reflect His holiness, and one of the main ways His holiness would show through in their lives is through love . The world lies, cheats, steals out of a selfishness. Their home is the here and now and they will go to great lengths to protect it and make it better even at the cost of others. We are called to let God’s holiness show. We are to have a love and care for people that reflects this is not our home and who our Holy God is. 

 Romans 13:8-10 ESV 

 

 (8)  Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. (9)  For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (10)  Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Leviticus 20 | Sunday August 10, 2025
Throughout the book of Leviticus God’s holiness has been on full display and this has led to a contrast showing how sinful humanity is. As we continue through the study, it is easy to become increasingly uncomfortable with the depths of our sin as they are continually exposed. God is holy and His standard of holiness has not changed or been altered and when violated demands justice. Sin has consequences and demands death. Yet in these tough truths God’s grace and love have shown through. He did not leave us in our sin but provided a way to be right with Him, He provided Jesus. The same commands that expose our sin, reveal His love. 

 1 John 5:3 ESV 

 

 (3)  For this is the love of God , that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 

 

 John 15:9-10 ESV 

 

 (9)  As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Abide in My love. (10)  If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love , just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. 

 

 God’s love is shown through living in His commandments. When correctly applied and lived out His commandments are not burdensome, heavy, a source of difficulty or trouble . God’s law revealed in Leviticus shows us His timeless holiness and His desire for His people to experience His love and how to abide in it. Not following His commandments means we are not abiding in Him. God has revealed His will, and when we violate it then we are not abiding in His love. So much pain and distress come when we are outside His will. Chapter 20 describes the punishments for violating the commands that have been explained in chapters 18-19. 

 Leviticus 20:1-27 ESV 

 

 (1)  The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (2)  “Say to the people of Israel, Any one of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. (3)  I Myself will set My face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given one of his children to Molech, to make My sanctuary unclean and to profane My holy name. (4)  And if the people of the land do at all close their eyes to that man when he gives one of his children to Molech, and do not put him to death, (5)  then I will set My face against that man and against his clan and will cut them off from among their people, him and all who follow him in whoring after Molech. (6) “If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people (7)  Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. (8)  Keep My statutes and do them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you. (9)  For anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood is upon him. (10)  “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. (11)  If a man lies with his father's wife, he has uncovered his father's nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood is 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 is upon them. (13)  If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. (14)  If a man takes a woman and her mother also, it is depravity; he and they shall be burned with fire, that there may be no depravity among you. (15)  If a man lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal. (16)  If a woman approaches any animal and lies 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, a daughter of his father or a daughter of his mother, and sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace, and they shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people. He has uncovered his sister's nakedness, and he shall bear his iniquity. (18)  If a man lies with a woman during her menstrual period and uncovers her nakedness, he has made naked her fountain, and she has uncovered the fountain of her blood. Both of them shall be cut off from among their people. (19)  You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister or of your father's sister, for that is to make naked one's relative; they shall bear their iniquity. (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 impurity. He has uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless. (22)  “You shall therefore keep all My statutes and all My rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. (23)  And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I detested 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 separate the clean beast from the unclean, and the unclean bird from the clean. You shall not make yourselves detestable by beast or by bird or by anything with which the ground crawls, which I have set apart for you to hold unclean. (26)  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 a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.” 

 

 There are varying degrees of punishments depending on what command was broken, from being cut off from the people, to dying childless. The most striking punishment and most common in the chapter is the death penalty. If certain commands are violated then the person is to be stoned, or burned to death. This chapter does not violate the verses we just saw that proclaimed God’s commandments reveal His love . God wanted His people to walk in the light and experience life with Him. Walking in the darkness, in sin, leads to death. 

 Leviticus 20:2-3 ESV 

 

 (2)  “Say to the people of Israel, Any one of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death . The people of the land shall stone him with stones. (3)  I Myself will set My face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given one of his children to Molech, to make My sanctuary unclean and to profane My holy name. 

 

 One of the false god’s that was worshiped in the promised land was Molech. Our lives reflect what we worship. To worship Molech cost you something, your child, and people were willing to give them. God repeatedly warned Isreal not to copy the Canaanites in worshipping Molech. God wanted this detestable false god and his heinous worship to be obliterated as Israel conquered the promised land. 

 Deuteronomy 12:29-31 ESV 

 

 (29)  “When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, (30)  take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.’ (31)  You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way , for every abominable thing that the LORD hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. 

 

 To worship Molech you had to offer up your child and burn them in a fire. It was this deep personal sacrifice that was thought to gain Molech’s favor. God hated this practice and wanted to use His chosen nation to judge the people who practiced it. Unfortunately the exact opposite happened. 

 Jeremiah 7:30-31 ESV 

 

 (30)  “For the sons of Judah have done evil in My sight, declares the LORD. They have set their detestable things in the house that is called by My name, to defile it. (31)  And they have built the high places of Topheth , which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into My mind. 

 

 Israel did not listen to God, instead they followed after what the world did. God’s chosen people sacrificed there own children to worship a false god. This worship became so entrenched that they even built their own altars to Molech and had a dedicated place called Topheth to worship him. This was not a fringe group who decided to worship Molech. 

 1 Kings 11:6-8 ESV 

 

 (6)  So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and did not wholly follow the LORD, as David his father had done. (7)  Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. (8)  And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods. 

 

 It can seem like such a small thing to worship these foreign gods until we learn what it involved. The wisest man who ever lived, even had his own children killed to worship Molech. No sin is out of reach for any of us. It does raise the question of why? What would motivate someone to kill their own child to appease a god? As sinners we have a deep desire for our salvation to cost us something. All the way back to Cain’s magnificent fruit offering, we want to show ourselves worthy of God’s love, or blessings. In an effort to gain Molech’s love and blessing we are even willing to kill our children. This in part is what makes the gospel so offensive. We do not have an offering holy or costly enough to gain our salvation. Even our own children, cannot secure God’s favor. 

 1 Timothy 2:5-6 ESV 

 

 (5)  For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, (6) who gave Himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 

 

 It is amazing how Satan will take truth and change it subtly to make it a heinous falsehood. Humanity needs a blood sacrifice to reconcile us to God. This cannot be achieved through any human, or our children, but through the one mediator Jesus. He is the ransom, He is the sacrifice we needed. Molech worship was an abomination in God’s eyes for the human lives that were lost in it and how it twisted the gospel. As a community Isreal was to have no place for this worship. 

 Leviticus 20:2; 4-5 ESV 

 

 (2)  “Say to the people of Israel, Any one of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones.| 

 (4)   And if the people of the land do at all close their eyes to that man when he gives one of his children to Molech, and do not put him to death, (5)  then I will set My face against that man and against his clan and will cut them off from among their people, him and all who follow him in whoring after Molech. 

 

 Israel as a whole was to see that this false worship was not tolerated. Even the method of death God chose is corporate. Stoning involves the community . This punishment even was to extend to those who failed to carry out the punishment. Even if you did not worship Molech but were unwilling to kill the person who did, God viewed this as acceptance and it needed to be judged. When someone deserved the judgment of death, it was not to be done anonymously, but by the community. 

 Deuteronomy 13:6-10 ESV 

 

 (6)  “If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter or the wife you embrace or your friend who is as your own soul entices you secretly , saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which neither you nor your fathers have known, (7)  some of the gods of the peoples who are around you, whether near you or far off from you, from the one end of the earth to the other, (8)  you shall not yield to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him, nor shall you conceal him. (9)  But you shall kill him. Your hand shall be first against him to put him to death , and afterward the hand of all the people. (10)  You shall stone him to death with stones, because he sought to draw you away from the LORD your God , who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 

 

 When viewed through the worlds lens this command is barbaric. This truth is so personal and so offensive. How would someone enact this judgment on their own family. This truth challenges what we truly value. God’s truth is life and unbending. Turning to falsehood is not small as we are so tempted to think but matters for all eternity. God wanted His people to be set apart and enjoy a deep life-giving walk with Him. False worship could not be tolerated. 

 Leviticus 20:6-8 ESV 

 

 (6)  “If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people. (7)  Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. (8)  Keep My statutes and do them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you. 

 God’s holiness has been on display throughout the entire book. Our opinion on what is right does not matter. He is perfect and Holy. He is the standard. The very reason He is worthy of praise, is also the reason He is just, His holiness. 

 

 Isaiah 57:15 ESV 

 

 (15)  For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy : “I dwell in the high and holy place , and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit , to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. 

 

 God’s name is holy and He inhabits eternity and yet He also is with the contrite and the lowly. He is personal and wants a relationship with us, but cannot change His holiness in that process. We can struggle to understand that God is deeply loving and personal but also has a standard that cannot be changed. His relationship with us is based on truth. 

 This chapter does not give an exhaustive list of all the crimes that deserve capital punishment, but a few are highlighted out. 

 Leviticus 20:9-10; 13 ESV 

 

 (9)  For anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood is upon him. (10)  “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. (13)  If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death ; their blood is upon them. 

 

 God is showing how important the family, and marriage are with these punishments. These are not merely civil arrangements recognized by the government but God appointed institutions that need to honored and protected. These punishments may seem harsh to us, but in reality it shows God’s heart for valuing the family and guarding its sanctity. It is incorrect and hurtful to lift out the punishment for the homosexual act and ignore the same punishment is given for adultery and cursing parents. These punishments are impartial just as God is. Both the man and woman of the adulterous affair are to be killed. The pharisees in their legalism only brought the women to Jesus (John 8:3). Premeditated murder is also listed as warranting the death penalty (Num35:30) but the evidence of at least two witnesses is required. 

 These punishments were specifically for Isreal as they were ruled by God. Yet they reveal what God values and what His Holy standard is. God is not opposed to the death penalty. It is counter to our human wisdom but in reality it values human life. God even instructed Noah of this truth. 

 Genesis 9:5-6 ESV 

 

 (5)  And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. (6)  “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in His own image. 

 

 Humanity is the only thing in creation that was given the tremendous privilege of being created in God’s image. Human life is to be valued and protected. When life is taken God required for the murderer to be killed. The image of God in the person killed is that valuable and needs to be honored. The world misses this truth. They value the life of the murderer instead of the victim. The death of the criminal is another reminder of the destruction that is found outside of God’s will. God takes no pleasure in it. 

 Ezekiel 18:32 ESV 

 

 (32)  For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone , declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.” 

 

 God wants everyone to turn to Him and find life in Jesus. He is also Holy and justice must be upheld. In 1972 14 countries had abolished the death penalty, in 2022 the number has risen to 110 . The world is always looking to twist God’s truth. God’s word in the New Testament is clear that the government should practice the death penalty (Romans 13:1-7, Acts 25:11, Rom 1:32). The world will continually move away from God’s truth or practice it incorrectly. Even the countries that still utilize the death penalty do not use it with true holy justice. The world will always get it wrong. This is why Israel was called to be separate. They were not to look like the nations around them. They were not to figure out how to worship Molech. They were to be different. 

 Leviticus 20:22-23 ESV 

 

 (22)  “ You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. (23)  And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I detested them. 

 

 The nations that were living in the promised land were vomited out because of how sinful their society had become. True pollution is from sin and will be judged. God is warning His people not to make the same mistake. Others were vomited out, Israel needed to walk with God or they would be no different and would be vomited out. 

 Leviticus 20:24-26 ESV 

 

 (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 separate the clean beast from the unclean, and the unclean bird from the clean. You shall not make yourselves detestable by beast or by bird or by anything with which the ground crawls, which I have set apart for you to hold unclean. (26)  You shall be holy to me, for I the LORD am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine. 

 

 Instead of being vomited out God wanted His people to inherit the land . They had been separated out now was their chance to live as a separated people. They could walk in God’s truth and in His life. Unfortunately, we know what happened. 

 2 Kings 21:9 ESV 

 

 (9)  But they did not listen, and Manasseh led them astray to do more evil than the nations had done whom the LORD destroyed before the people of Israel. 

 

 Isreal became more evil and polluted the land worse that the Canaanites. God’s people squandered their chance to walk with Him. Even though they were vomited out of the land He is going to be faithful to His promises to them. (Ps 106:34-45). 

 As believers today we have an amazing opportunity to live for God. We have a choice to think like the world or to use the Word of God as a filter. His word reveals His will and truth. The more we abide in Him we have His thinking and we worship Him in each aspect of our lives. Israel is to serve as a sober warning not to let the world rub off on us. 

 Ephesians 5:1-11; 15-17 ESV 

 

 (1)  Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. (2)  And walk in love , as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (3)  But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. (4)  Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. (5)  For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (6)  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. (7)  Therefore do not become partners with them ; (8)  for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (9)  (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), (10)  and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. (11)  Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness , but instead expose them. (15)  Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, (16)   making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. (17)  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Leviticus 21-22 | Sunday August 17
Each week in this study of Leviticus we have been reminded of how Israel was to reflect the holiness of God. From what they ate, to their morality, to how they worshipped everything was to show that they were His people. As we move into chapters 21 and 22 the instructions switch from the people back to the priest and high priest. God’s standard for the priest is higher then for the Israelite, and higher yet for the high priest.  The closer you get to God’s presence the higher standard you are held to. This can even bee seen in how the tabernacle is designed. Jews who had upheld the laws about cleanliness and worship could enter the courtyard. Then only priest following a separate set of instructions could enter the Holy place. Finally, only the high priest once a year, and following the strictest standards, was allowed in the holy of holies. The closer you are to God the more you are to reflect Him. 

 Leviticus 21:1-6 ESV 

 (1)  And the LORD said to Moses, “ Speak to the priests , the sons of Aaron, and say to them, No one shall make himself unclean for the dead among his people, (2)  except for his closest relatives , his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother, (3)  or his virgin sister (who is near to him because she has had no husband; for her he may make himself unclean). (4)  He shall not make himself unclean as a husband among his people and so profane himself. (5)  They shall not make bald patches on their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor make any cuts on their body. (6)  They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God . For they offer the LORD's food offerings, the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy. 

 At that time to participate in a funeral would make a person ceremonial unclean because you had been near a dead body . When a priest became unclean they would not be able to continue serving in the tabernacle until they were cleansed . God is giving them instructions on who they are allowed to become unclean for. In general it was for immediate family only. These commands are not against the grieving process but is elevating the important role the priest had been called to. 

 Leviticus 21:7-9 ESV 

 (7)  They shall not marry a prostitute or a woman who has been defiled , neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband, for the priest is holy to his God. (8)  You shall sanctify him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I, the LORD, who sanctify you, am holy. (9)  And the daughter of any priest , if she profanes herself by whoring, profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire. 

 The priest was restricted on who He was allowed to marry and his family was also held to a higher standard. The restrictions are taken one step farther for the high priest. 

 Leviticus 21:10-15 ESV 

 (10)  “ The priest who is chief among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose nor tear his clothes. (11)  He shall not go in to any dead bodies nor make himself unclean, even for his father or for his mother. (12)  He shall not go out of the sanctuary, lest he profane the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him: I am the LORD. (13)  And he shall take a wife in her virginity. (14)  A widow, or a divorced woman, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute, these he shall not marry. But he shall take as his wife a virgin of his own people, (15)  that he may not profane his offspring among his people, for I am the LORD who sanctifies him.” 

 The High priest is not allowed to make himself unclean even for his own parents . His role is too important. He had to be extremely careful not to become unclean somehow and take that uncleanliness into God’s presence. He had even more restrictions on who he was allowed to marry. Both priest and high priest could not marry a woman who had been divorced. This is not commenting on remarriage after divorce but is holding the priesthood to a high standard. The priesthood is to live above reproach . The chief priest is not even allowed to marry a widow. No sin is involved in being a widow. The high priest’s son would be the next high priest so God only allowed Him to marry a virgin so there would be no question of the blood line of the next high priest. The priest and High priest had a high calling on their lives, and had to give up certain freedoms for the sake of what they had been called to. While these specific commands only applied to the priesthood in Israel, this high calling still applies to us today, because we have been made priest. 

 Revelation 1:4-6 ESV 

 (4)  John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne, (5)  and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood (6)  and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father , to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 

 We have been made priest unto God through the access we have in the blood of Jesus Christ. We are able to come into God’s presence so our lives are to reflect this high calling. In the church age there is no clergy, laity difference. Meaning there is not a level of church leadership that is the priest and then everyone else is the “regular or normal believer.” In the church we are all priest . We all have access and are all called to holiness. 

 This does not negate the qualifications and stricter judgment for elders, teachers and deacons, but it reminds us that we all are called to a high standard . We do not go through a man, or a church leader to have access to God but each and every believer has been given direct access to Him. 

 Philippians 2:14-16 ESV 

 (14)  Do all things without grumbling or disputing, (15)  that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, (16)  holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 

 We live in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, and yet we are to be different. We are to shine as lights. Unfortunately we are not always as bright as we have been called to be. Verse 16 gives us the answer to help our light shine into the darkness, the word of life. It is God’s Word that instructs us how to live as a priest . It shows us how to walk in a daily worship with Him. Paul is so concerned about this high calling in believers lives that he would consider it vanity, empty, pointless if they did not reflect God’s holiness in their lives. Noone is perfect, but we are called to pursue Him, we are called to be blameless without blemish. We are priest of a holy God and are to learn through the word what that means daily . His holiness even required that no priest have any physical blemish in God’s sight. 

 Leviticus 21:16-24 ESV 

 (16)  And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (17)  “Speak to Aaron, saying, None of your offspring throughout their generations who has a blemish may approach to offer the bread of his God. (18)  For no one who has a blemish shall draw near , a man blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too long, (19)  or a man who has an injured foot or an injured hand, (20)  or a hunchback or a dwarf or a man with a defect in his sight or an itching disease or scabs or crushed testicles. (21)  No man of the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a blemish shall come near to offer the LORD's food offerings; since he has a blemish, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God.  (22)  He may eat the bread of his God , both of the most holy and of the holy things, (23)  but he shall not go through the veil or approach the altar, because he has a blemish , that he may not profane my sanctuaries, for I am the LORD who sanctifies them.” (24)  So Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons and to all the people of Israel. 

 This list of blemishes is graphic and offensive to our culture. It includes birth defects, injuries from accidents, and various other diseases. Just as the sacrifice had to be perfect and free from blemishes because it pointed to the perfect sacrifice of Jesus the priest had to be blemish free as well. 

 Hebrews 7:26 NAS95 

 (26)  For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled , separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 

 The priests of the old treatment were to point to the perfect Priest who was to come. These blemishes were not a result of individual sin and God is not devaluing a person’s value or worth with this restriction. This is shown in that these priests with blemishes are still included in partaking of the food reserved for priest. They are invited to have fellowship and share at God’s table. This is a picture of you and I in the church. 

 Luke 14:16-24 ESV 

 (16)  But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. (17)  And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited , ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ (18)  But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ (19)  And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ (20)  And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ (21)  So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ (22)  And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ (23)  And the master said to the servant , ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. (24)  For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’” 

 Jesus uses this story to describe the rejection of the Jews and God’s turning to the gentiles in the church. The Jews, His chosen people were the ones initially invited to the banquet. They refused to come because of earthly focuses, greed, and pleasure. Instead, God turned to the poor, crippled, blind and lame. Those who had no hope of being included in this banquet, is who God sought out. Then He turned to the highways and hedges, that is us as gentiles. We did not even know a banquet was happening and He invited us anyway. Our God reaches out and has fellowship with those who have no hope and cannot offer anything in return. These priests with blemishes were still viewed as a priest and still invited to eat God’s food. This is the same truth we find in David reaching out to Mephibosheth. 

 2 Samuel 9:3; 6-8; 13 ESV 

 (3)  And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “ There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” ( 6 )  And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” (7)  And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” (8)  And he paid homage and said, “ What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?” ( 13 )  So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king's table. Now he was lame in both his feet. 

 Mephibosheth was the only son of Jonathon who was still alive. Out of fear his nurse hide him when David rose to power. As she was fleeing their was an accident and Mephibosheth became lame. Out of David’s goodness He reaches out and cares for Mephibosheth. He wants to show him kindness and invite Mephibosheth to have fellowship with him. Mephibosheth now was at the kings table and he always marveled at this privileged position. He viewed himself as a dead dog, and was in appreciation for what David had done. This describes our salvation. We are the dead dog who has been invited to feast and have fellowship with the King. Not all Israelites were allowed to partake of the food of the tabernacle. 

 Leviticus 22:1-16 ESV 

 (1)  And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (2)  “Speak to Aaron and his sons so that they abstain from the holy things of the people of Israel, which they dedicate to Me, so that they do not profane My holy name: I am the LORD. (3)  Say to them, ‘If any one of all your offspring throughout your generations approaches the holy things that the people of Israel dedicate to the LORD, while he has an uncleanness, that person shall be cut off from my presence: I am the LORD. (4)  None of the offspring of Aaron who has a leprous disease or a discharge may eat of the holy things until he is clean. Whoever touches anything that is unclean through contact with the dead or a man who has had an emission of semen, (5)  and whoever touches a swarming thing by which he may be made unclean or a person from whom he may take uncleanness, whatever his uncleanness may be— (6)  the person who touches such a thing shall be unclean until the evening and shall not eat of the holy things unless he has bathed his body in water. (7)  When the sun goes down he shall be clean, and afterward he may eat of the holy things, because they are his food. (8)  He shall not eat what dies of itself or is torn by beasts, and so make himself unclean by it: I am the LORD.’ (9)  They shall therefore keep My charge, lest they bear sin for it and die thereby when they profane it: I am the LORD who sanctifies them. (10)  “ A lay person shall not eat of a holy thing ; no foreign guest of the priest or hired worker shall eat of a holy thing, (11)  but if a priest buys a slave as his property for money, the slave may eat of it, and anyone born in his house may eat of his food. (12)  If a priest's daughter marries a layman, she shall not eat of the contribution of the holy things. (13)  But if a priest's daughter is widowed or divorced and has no child and returns to her father's house, as in her youth, she may eat of her father's food; yet no lay person shall eat of it. (14)  And if anyone eats of a holy thing unintentionally, he shall add the fifth of its value to it and give the holy thing to the priest. (15)  They shall not profane the holy things of the people of Israel, which they contribute to the LORD, (16)  and so cause them to bear iniquity and guilt , by eating their holy things: for I am the LORD who sanctifies them.” 

 Only the immediate family of the priest was allowed to eat the holy food from the tabernacle. If you were a sojourner, or hired worker of the priest you were not allowed to eat it, even if you were staying with the priest. When the priest’s daughter was married she could not eat it anymore because she was in a new family. It is truly amazing that we have been made priest and are invited to eat of His table. Paul had the same perspective as Mephibosheth. 

 1 Timothy 1:15 NAS95 

 (15)  It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. 

 We owe everything to Jesus . We are filthy sinners who have been made priest. We are full of blemishes and yet because of Jesus we are invited to feast with Him. It is all possible because He was the one who was blemish free. 

 Leviticus 22:17-30 ESV 

 (17)  And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (18)  “Speak to Aaron and his sons and all the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of the house of Israel or of the sojourners in Israel presents a burnt offering as his offering, for any of their vows or freewill offerings that they offer to the LORD, (19)  if it is to be accepted for you it shall be a male without blemish, of the bulls or the sheep or the goats. (20)  You shall not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be acceptable for you. (21)  And when anyone offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering from the herd or from the flock, to be accepted it must be perfect; there shall be no blemish in it. (22)  Animals blind or disabled or mutilated or having a discharge or an itch or scabs you shall not offer to the LORD or give them to the LORD as a food offering on the altar. (23)  You may present a bull or a lamb that has a part too long or too short for a freewill offering, but for a vow offering it cannot be accepted. (24)  Any animal that has its testicles bruised or crushed or torn or cut you shall not offer to the LORD; you shall not do it within your land, (25)  neither shall you offer as the bread of your God any such animals gotten from a foreigner. Since there is a blemish in them, because of their mutilation, they will not be accepted for you.” (26)  And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (27)  “When an ox or sheep or goat is born, it shall remain seven days with its mother, and from the eighth day on it shall be acceptable as a food offering to the LORD. (28)  But you shall not kill an ox or a sheep and her young in one day. (29)  And when you sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted. (30)  It shall be eaten on the same day; you shall leave none of it until morning: I am the LORD. 

 The animals that were to be used as a sacrifice relating to sin had to be perfect. No blemishes were allowed at all. This did not make the blood of that animal able to deal with sin, but pointed to the perfect sacrifice who could. 

 Hebrews 9:14-15 ESV 

 (14)  how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God , purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (15)  Therefore He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. 

 Jesus offered up His perfect blemish free blood to God the Father. This was the cost for you and I to be able to receive eternal life. For us to be redeemed from our sins. So that we could become priests and be invited to eat at the Lords table and have fellowship with Him. We have been given so much, we should not take it for granted. 

 Leviticus 22:31-33 ESV 

 (31) “So you shall keep My commandments and do them : I am the LORD. (32) And you shall not profane My holy name, that I may be sanctified among the people 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.” 

 He is the one who set us apart so we are called to keep His commandments and do them. We will never regret the tradeoff. As we walk in obedience to God as a priest in fellowship with Him, we turn from the death and darkness of the world. As believers today He is offering us fellowship, lets walk with Him. 

 Revelation 3:14; 19-21 NAS95 

 (14)  "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: (19)  'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. (20)  'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. (21)  'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

Leviticus 23:1-22 | Sunday August 24, 2025
The book of Leviticus is full of instructions as God prepares His people to live in His presence. They are no longer slaves in Egypt but a free nation. God is spending time instructing them what their culture, traditions, and pattern of life should look like. In Chapter 23 God gives the Israelites their  holiday calendar. Our national Holidays have developed over time with each one having a longer or shorter history. It was not until 1870 that the first federal holidays were set. God on the other hand, set up His appointed feasts, right as they became a free nation. The term “appointed feast” means place of meeting, agreed time, appointed time . It is the same word used for the tabernacle of tent of meeting. God is setting up the yearly calendar for His people and building into it appointed times to meet with them . Each feast had a unique focus and was to remind Israel of important truths that God did not want them to forget. 

 Leviticus 23:1-3 ESV 

 

 (1)  The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (2)  “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the LORD that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are My appointed feasts. (3)  “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwelling places. 

 

 As God gives the instructions for His appointed feasts, He starts the whole section by reminding His people of the weekly Sabbath they are to keep. God wanted to imbed their culture with constant reminders who He was and what He had done for them. The sabbath was no different, it was to remind them of Egypt. 

 Deuteronomy 5:12-15 ESV 

 

 (12)  “‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. (13)  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, (14)  but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. (15)  You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. 

 

 When the Israelites were slaves in Egypt they could not take a day off to rest . God wanted a weekly rest to remind them of what He had accomplished for them. They could rest because He did the work, He redeemed them from Egypt. God’s instructions for the Sabbath are simple, and it was meant to be enjoyable. It was man who then took this idea of rest and dissected it to become a day of rules and stress. We are so prone to get focused on the details/ tradition and in the end miss the heart. The same is happening throughout the church today. We are to rest in His finished work. 

 Hebrews 4:9-13 ESV 

 

 (9)  So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, (10)  for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from His. (11)  Let us therefore strive to enter that rest , so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. (12)  For the word of God is living and active , sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (13)  And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. 

 

 Nowhere in the New Testament are church-age believers called to observe a weekly Sabbath day. We are called to observe the principal that was always behind the Sabbath, resting in God’s work. We are called to strive to enter His rest. We are to be zealous, eager, make every effort to rest in what Jesus accomplished on the cross. It is the Word that helps us pursue this rest. Left to ourselves we want to go to work, and add to salvation. It is the Word that comes into our lives and discerns what is going on in our hearts. It is amazing how hard rest is for us. This weekly reminder of resting in God was then expanded to multiple feasts throughout the year. 

 Leviticus 23:4-8 NAS95 

 

 (4)  'These are the appointed times of the LORD , holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them. (5)  'In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the LORD'S Passover . (6)  'Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. (7)  'On the first day you shall have a holy convocation ; you shall not do any laborious work. (8)  'But for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work.'" 

 

 God started the Jewish calendar when He redeemed them out of Egypt, this is why the Passover is in the first month which is during the spring. God instructed the Israelites in Egypt to spread the blood of the lamb onto their door post so that they He would Passover them in the judgment (Ex 12). As long as an Israelite trusted in the blood no one in their family died that night. God also instructed them to make unleavened bread which fit practically because they left Egypt in such a hurry that the bread did not rise (Ex 12:8; 39). The Passover lamb was killed on the 14th and then the feast of unleavened bread was to start the next day, extending from the 15th to the 21st. God is giving these instructions a year after the first Passover (Ex 40:17), just in time for Israel to celebrate it for the second time at the foot of Mount Sinai (Num 9:1-5). This is another Hebrew word for feast and means a pilgrimage , procession, round dance, festival , they were not solemn occasions but meant to be a celebration. 

 Many debate how many feasts their actually are because some are so interrelated to each other they practically become one feast. This is the case of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 3 feast in particular are unique because once Israel was in the promised land all the men who could needed to travel to Jerusalem to celebrate them. 

 Exodus 23:15-17 ESV 

 

 (15)  You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. None shall appear before me empty-handed. (16)  You shall keep the Feast of Harvest , of the firstfruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor. (17)  Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord GOD. 

 

 The Jews were to travel to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover (Feast of Unleavened bread), Pentecost (Feast of Harvest), and the Feast of Tabernacles (Feast of Ingathering). All three of these three feasts involved a participatory element. To celebrate the Passover, each family had to be in Jerusalem to kill the Passover lamb. 

 Deuteronomy 16:5-6 ESV 

 

 (5)  You may not offer the Passover sacrifice within any of your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, (6)  but at the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make His name dwell in it, there you shall offer the Passover sacrifice, in the evening at sunset, at the time you came out of Egypt. 

 

 God wanted His people together in Jerusalem to celebrate what He accomplished. He wanted a yearly reminder that they had been freed from slavery through the blood of a lamb. He wanted them to be reminded of who they were; redeemed people. When Israel split as a nation, North and South, this was one of the first things King Jeroboam tried to get rid of. 

 1 Kings 12:26-27; 32 ESV 

 

 (26)  And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David. (27)  If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the temple of the LORD at Jerusalem , then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord , to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.” (28)  So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” ( 32 )  And Jeroboam appointed a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month like the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he made. And he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made. 

 

 King Jeroboam knew how God desired these Feasts to work. Each year the northern tribes were to go back to Jersualem to celebrate what God had done for them. Jeroboam rightly feared that it would keep the people’s hearts close to God . To stop this he offered a counterfeit; two golden calves who were to be worshiped in a random month he decided. King Jeroboam did not act alone, He sought counsel. This serves as a warning for us. Just because we get advice from someone does not mean it was true wisdom . If Israel understood the heart of the Passover Jeroboam’s calves would have been rejected. Instead Israel only saw the tradition, so they were fine with the change. Truth matters. The Passover was to celebrate the blood of the lamb and what God had done not just a random tradition to be blindly followed. The next celebration happened during the feast of unleavened bread. 

 Leviticus 23:9-14 ESV 

 

 (9)  And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (10)  “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest , you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, (11)  and he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. (12)  And on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering to the LORD. (13)  And the grain offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to the LORD with a pleasing aroma, and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin. (14)  And you shall eat neither bread nor grain parched or fresh until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God : it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 

 

 This is the feast of firstfruits, and marked the very beginning of the barley harvest . The Jews were to bring with them, the first sheaf of barley they collected. This was waved up to God to thank Him for another year of provision. This would take place on the Sunday, after the Sabbath that was during the feast of unleavened bread. They could not continue in the harvest or eat any of it until the firstfruit was offered to God. The last Spring feast took place 50 days after this Sabbath. 

 Leviticus 23:15-22 ESV 

 

 (15)  “You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath , from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. (16)  You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath . Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the LORD. (17)  You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven , as firstfruits to the LORD. (18)  And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. (19)  And you shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. (20)  And 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. (21)  And you shall make a proclamation on the same day. You shall hold a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work . It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations. (22)  “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.” 

 

 The Feast of Weeks is better known as Pentecost and was the second feast Jews were to travel to Jerusalem to celebrate. This was the last of the Spring Feasts. It is 50 days after the Sabbath of the Feast of Unleavened bread so it would always be on a Sunday. The Feast of Weeks celebrated the wheat harvest. Instead of unprocessed barley like the offering for firstfruits, this time you were to bring two loaves of leavened bread. These leavened loaves were waved up to God because leaven could not be given on the altar and it was in thanksgiving for the harvest, with the hope of more to come. Not only did God redeem them at the Passover but sustained them in the harvest. The Feast of Weeks is unique to the three feasts Israelites had to travel for, because God did not anchor it to a historical event of the nation. 

 These Spring Feasts are amazing to look at because God used this calendar that He gave to Israel as a blueprint for Jesus’ first coming. These Feasts find their fulfillment in Him. 

 Luke 22:7-8 ESV 

 

 (7)  Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. (8)  So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “ Go and prepare the Passover for us , that we may eat it.” 

 

 Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples in Jerusalem as the feast of unleavened bread was about to start. As the nation had their lambs killed to celebrate what the blood of the lamb accomplished, the true lamb of God was sent to the cross. The blood on the door post always pointed to the perfect offering of His blood. 

 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 ESV 

 

 (6)  Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? (7)  Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. (8)  Let us therefore celebrate the festival , not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 

 

 This fulfillment was not lost on Paul. He declares that Jesus is the Passover lamb. It is His blood that we can find our rest and life in . Then immediately after the Passover starts the feast of unleavened bread. Through the cross we are now declared holy. We have been given Jesus’ righteousness and are justified from all our sins. Positionally in God’s sight we are now unleavened. We celebrate this by reflecting this truth daily in our lives. Isreal was not to use the leaven of Egypt in their bread , but to start fresh with the Exodus. We are to live in our new life in Christ, and not let the leaven of our sin permeate our new life. Then after Jesus was crucified, His body was in the grave for the Sabbath during the feast of Unleavened Bread. This means that Jesus was resurrected on Sunday, at the Feast of Firstfruits. 

 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 ESV 

 

 (20)  But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (21)  For as by a man came death, by a Man has come also the resurrection of the dead. (22)  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. (23 )  But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at His coming those who belong to Christ. 

 

 None of this happened haphazardly. God set up this calendar more than 1400 years before Jesus came and His death and resurrection perfectly fit each feast God set up. Just as the firstfruit offering had to be given before any of the barley was enjoyed Jesus had to be the first one resurrected before anyone else could be. Then fifty days later from the Sabbath was Pentecost. 

 Acts 2:1; 4 Legacy Standard Bible 

 

 (1)  And when the day of Pentecost had fully come , they were all together in one place. ( 4 ) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. 

 

 Pentecost was fulfilled, when the Holy Spirit came and started the Church. God was dwelling in His people. This feast that had no historical ties was now tied to the creation of the mystery of the Old Testament, the body of Christ, the church . Just as Pentecost was celebrated with leavened loaves of bread God knows that His church is made up of sinners. He still chooses to use us and have relationship with us. 

 God’s word is so real and practical. The feast of unleavened bread shows us our Justification and what the blood of the Passover lamb accomplished for us. We are declared unleavened. Then Jesus is the firstfruit of the resurrection, and we as the church are a part of His harvest. We go through the process of sanctification, because we are all sinners learning to grow closer to Him, practically we still have leaven. 

 James 1:17-18 ESV 

 

 (17)  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (18)  Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. 

 

 There is no change in God, His plan that He set forth before the foundation of the world is being brough to completion. We are a part of the firstfruits of His plan! These Spring feasts are fulfilled in Christ first coming and that is what makes the Fall feasts we will look at next week so exciting, their fulfillment is still to come! 

 

 

 

 

 Event 

 

 

 Scripture References 

 

 

 When 

 

 

 Significance 

 

 

 

 

 Passover 

 (Pesach) 

 

 

 Ex. 12:1-14; Lev. 23:5; Num. 9:1-14; Num. 28:16; Deut. 16:1-7 

 

 

 14th day of the 1st month ( Nisan ) 

 (In the Spring around March/ April) 

 

 

 -Commemorated God's deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt. 

 -Jews observe the Passover meal. 

 

 

 

   

 

 Feast of Unleavened Bread 

 

 

 Ex. 12:15-20; Ex. 13:3-10; Lev. 23:6-8 ; Num. 28:17-25; Deut. 16:3,4,8 

 

 

 15th day of the 1st month ( Nisan ) until 21st 

 

 

 -Ate unleavened bread for 7 days 

 -No work on 1st day/ 7 th Day 

 -1st of three annual trips to Jerusalem 

 

 

 

   

 

 Feast of Firstfruits 

 

 

 Lev. 23:9-14 ; Num. 28:26 

 

 

 1st Sunday after Nisan 15 th 

 (The Sunday during the feast of Unleavened bread) 

 

 

 -Marked the beginning of the barley harvest 

 -The first harvested barley was offered to God. 

 

 

 

 

 Feast of Weeks 

 aka Pentecost 

 aka Feasts of Harvests 

 aka Day of Firstfruits 

 (Shavu'ot) 

 

 

 Ex. 23:16; Ex 34:22; Lev. 23:15-21 ; Num. 28:26; Deut. 16:9-12 

 

 

 50 days after the 1st Sabbath following the Passover. 

 So, it is always on a Sunday. 

 

 

 -Celebrated the wheat harvest and God’s continued provision. 

 -2nd of three annual trips to Jerusalem 

 

 

 

 

 Edited from Jewish Feasts Commemorated in Scripture by Wayne D. Turner

Leviticus 23:23-44 | Sunday August 31, 2025
Leviticus 23:1-2 ESV 

 

 (1)  The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (2)  “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the LORD that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are My appointed feasts. 

 

 God set up an amazing calendar of feasts. Each had a specific emphasis to draw His people into a deeper relationship with Him. Then amazingly, God used the feasts to connect to Jesus. Last week we saw the Spring Feasts. The Passover was to remind Israel they had life and were redeemed from slavery by the blood of the Passover lamb. Jesus was killed during the Passover and is the perfect Passover lamb that freed us from our slavery to sin. The feast of unleavened bread was to remind Israel of rushing out of Egypt and not bringing the leaven of Egypt with them. Through Jesus’ death believers are declared sinless, we are made unleavened through Him . At the feast of firstfruits the first harvested barley was offered to God in thanksgiving. Jesus was raised on the feast of firstfruits and was the first to be resurrected . The feast of Pentecost celebrated the wheat harvest and was to remind Israel of God’s continued provision in the harvest. The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost indwelling believers and started the church. We are apart of His harvest. Jesus fulfilled each spring feast. Understanding them gives us rich insight into all He accomplished. The fall Feasts are described starting in verse 23. 

 Leviticus 23:23-25 ESV 

 

 (23)  And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (24)  “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. (25)  You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the LORD.” 

 

 There are three fall feasts that all take place in the seventh month. The Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Booths. The Feast of Booths was the third trip to Jerusalem Israel was commanded to take. The first two trips were in the spring and the third was in the fall. God is so loving and has so many daily graces for us. God had Israel travel to Jerusalem during the best weather. 

 John 1:16 YLT 

 

 (16)  and out of His fulness did we all receive, and grace over-against grace; 

 

 The God of the universe chose comfortable weather for His people to travel in. His grace is always fresh and keeps replacing grace in our lives. The Feast of Trumpets is on the first day of the month. Numbers 10 describes how silver trumpets were to be made and first used during the wilderness time to instruct Israel on when to gather, move camp, or before battle. These trumpets were still used when Israel was in the promised land. 

 Numbers 10:10 ESV 

 

 (10) On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the LORD your God.” 

 

 These silver trumpets were to signal the new month had started and when it was time for a feast. The seventh month was so unique and special because of the feasts that were in it, God had the monthly trumpet blow be its own feast . It was a reminder to the people of the very important feasts that were days away. It was time to get ready to regather in Jerusalem. It was to be a day of solemn rest. The normal word for Sabbath is šabāṯ but this is a unique word for an extra special Sabbath, šabāṯôn . These solemn rests were amplified sabbaths , and were to be celebrated in a unique way, where no work (even what was allowed on a normal sabbath) was done. Later in Israels history (Post Exile) this feast was altered to also celebrate the Civil New Year. While the spring feasts all pointed to Jesus’ first coming, these fall feasts will point to Jesus’ second coming . Just as the Feast of trumpets got Israel ready for the special feasts about to come there is a future trumpet blast that does the same thing. 

 Matthew 24:29-31 ESV 

 

 (29)  “ Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. (30)  Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (31)  And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 

 

 Jesus is describing the end of the tribulation . The church has been in heaven in God’s presence for 7 years as God judges the world and draws Israel back to Himself. The rapture is marked by the sound of a trumpet (1 Thess 4:16) as God calls the church home, but this trumpet that Jesus describes is to regather Israel. When it sounds Jesus will come back and the world will mourn because of the judgement they experience. It will be a time when Israel accepts Jesus, Zechariah describes the same moment. 

 Zechariah 12:2-3 NLT 

 

 (2)  I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah. (3)  On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves. 

 

 The nations come against Israel and want to destroy them once and for all. Yet, God in His goodness comes and protects them. Jesus Himself descends to win the battle. 

 Zechariah 12:8-10 ESV 

 

 (8)  On that day the LORD will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem , so that the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the LORD, going before them. (9)  And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. (10)  “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on Me, on Him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over Him, as one weeps over a firstborn. 

 

 Jesus comes back and defends Israel. He starts His campaign of conquering the nations of the World. He begins the process of ushering in His kingdom. When Israel sees Jesus, they mourn because the understand that they have rejected their Messiah. There will be a great weeping in Israel and a turning to Jesus in acceptance of Him. John sees the same moment and it is tied to the seventh trumpet blast in Revelation. In my opinion all these verses describe the same moment the fulfillment of the feast of trumpets. 

 Revelation 10:5-7 ESV 

 

 (5)  And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven (6)  and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, (7)  but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as He announced to His servants the prophets. 

 

 There is no more delay, the trumpet is sounding and it is time for Jesus to come and usher in His kingdom. There are many mysteries in the Word, but this is referring to Jesus reigning with His people, both Israel and the church in His kingdom physically here on earth. The next two feasts continue to reveal more about His second coming. 

 Leviticus 23:26-32 NAS95 

 

 (26)  The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (27)  "On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement ; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the LORD. (28)  "You shall not do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the LORD your God. (29)  "If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people. (30)  "As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. (31)  " You shall do no work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. (32)  "It is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you , and you shall humble your souls ; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your sabbath." 

 

 We studied the Day of Atonement in detail in chapter 16 of Leviticus. It was the one time in the year that the High Priest would enter into the Holy of Holies to offer the blood sacrifice. The people did not travel to Jerusalem but celebrated by a complete, humble rest. For the blood offering to apply to an Israelite they were called to rest. If someone refused to rest they were cut off and destroyed from the people. The Day of Atonement was a payment for sin and for the purification through blood of the tabernacle. This Feast points to the purification that will take place of Israel after the trumpet sounds. 

 Zechariah 13:1 ESV 

 

 (1)  “ On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness. 

 

 This is in context following right after Israel mourning once they see the risen Jesus coming back and fighting on their behalf. He purifies His people as they turn to Him. Revelation describes the same moment from heaven’s perspective. 

 Revelation 11:15-19 ESV 

 

 (15)  Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet , and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “ The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ , and He shall reign forever and ever.” (16)  And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, (17)  saying, “We give thanks to You, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for You have taken Your great power and begun to reign. (18)  The nations raged, but Your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding Your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear Your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.” (19)  Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant was seen within His temple . There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. 

 

 This is describing what else happens as the seventh trumpet is blown. It is time for Jesus to come and reign as King. The world has become His kingdom. Right now, the world is under the power of Satan (2 Cor 4:4; 1 John 5:19). None of these promises make sense if we are currently in the kingdom. Jim Henderson said it very well “The kingdom of heaven/kingdom of God is not a state of higher mental awareness . It is not a state of spiritual wellbeing – not a condition of the heart. It is a place! At a certain point in time!” The Kingdom is ushered in by Jesus at the end of the tribulation. It is a time of judgments and rewards . He purifies Israel and they now have access to the Holy of Holies. Something that we enjoy in the church today. Any Jew who turns to Jesus today become part of the church and the veil is lifted. This moment is for the entire nation. 

 2 Corinthians 3:14 ESV 

 

 (14)  But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 

 

 As Israel today rejects Jesus as the Messiah the veil remains, separating them from God. It will be at Jesus’ second coming that the veil is lifted for Israel as a whole. They will see their Messiah as the trumpet blows and they will be purified in Him just like the Day of Atonement. The final fall feast emphasizes the Kingdom that Jesus set up. 

 Leviticus 23:33-44 ESV 

 

 (33)  And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (34)  “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the LORD. (35)  On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. (36)  For seven days you shall present food offerings to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the LORD. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work. (37)  “ These are the appointed feasts of the LORD , which you shall proclaim as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the LORD food offerings, burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day, (38)  besides the LORD's Sabbaths and besides your gifts and besides all your vow offerings and besides all your freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD. (39)  “ On the fifteenth day of the seventh month , when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD seven days . On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. (40)  And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. (41)  You shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. (42)  You shall dwell in booths for seven days . All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, (43)  that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.” (44)  Thus Moses declared to the people of Israel the appointed feasts of the LORD. 

 

 The Feast of Booths started on the 15 th with a day of solemn rest and then continued for 7 days. It was the biggest and most celebrated feast and required the most elaborate and costly sacrifices (Num 29:12-40). Israel was to travel to Jerusalem and create tents out of branches to camp in, reminding them of their time in the wilderness . It also celebrated the full completion of the harvest , which is why it is also called the Feast of Ingathering . The Feast concluded on the eighth day with another Solemn Rest. Solomon dedicated the first temple at this feast. 

 1 Kings 8:65-66 ESV 

 

 (65)  So Solomon held the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly, from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt, before the LORD our God, seven days. (66)  On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king and went to their homes joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had shown to David His servant and to Israel His people. 

 

 The feast of Booths was such a joyous time that it would often be referred to as The Feast. Eight is emphasized throughout this feast and the entire month. The sample calendar for the seventh month of Tishri shows that the month included eight days of rest that were to be observed. Eight is emphasized because it is the number for God’s new creation . Jesus was resurrected on Sunday or the eighth day. This feast points to the completion of the harvest, dwelling with God’s presence in the wilderness, the dedication of the temple and emphasizes God’s new Creation. All of these themes come together beautifully in Jesus establishing His kingdom! Zechariah 12 described Israel recognizing Jesus as Mesiah, Zechariah 13 described Israel’s cleansing, and Zechariah 14 describes Jesus bringing in His kingdom. 

 Zechariah 14:4-9; 16-19 ESV 

 

 (4)  On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward (5)  And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD My God will come, and all the holy ones with Him. (6)  On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. (7)  And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. (8)  On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem , half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. (9)  And the LORD will be King over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and His name one. 

 ... 

 (16)  Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. (17)  And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. (18)  And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the LORD afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. (19)  This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. 

 

 The feast of Booths celebrated when the harvest was completed. During the tribulation many are saved (Rev. 7:9-17), and the harvest is complete once Jesus returns at His second coming. The church is part of the Holy ones that come back with Jesus in verse 5 to rule and reign with Him in His kingdom. The living water flowing from Jerusalem come out of the new temple that Jesus establishes (Eze 47). Jesus will be King over the entire earth. The world will come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Booths during the Millenium and will be judged if they don’t . During the Kingdom sins curse is lifted on the planet and creation is renewed under Jesus (Rom 8:19-22; Is 35:1-2). The fulfillment and celebration of the Feast of booths with our King will be tremendous! This explains Jesus’ answer when His earthly brothers invited Him to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of booths. 

 John 7:8 ESV 

 

 (8)  You go up to the feast . I am not going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.” 

 

 It was not time for Him to usher in the real Feast of Booths yet. He had to go up to fulfill the Passover and be killed before He could fulfill the feast of Booths! Isreal rejected their Messiah and we benefited from the gospel coming to us in the gentile church. When Israel as a nation turns to Jesus it will be incredible! 

 Romans 11:15 NLT 

 

 (15)  For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! 

 

 2 Peter 3:14 NLT 

 

 (14)  And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen , make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in His sight. 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 Event 

 

 

 Scripture Ref. 

 

 

 When 

 

 

 Significance 

 

 

 Fulfillment 

 

 

 

 

 Passover 

 (Pesach) 

 

 

 Ex. 12:1-14; Lev. 23:5; Num. 9:1-14; Num. 28:16; Deut. 16:1-7 

 

 

 14th day of the 1st month (Nisan) 

 (In the Spring around March/ April) 

 

 

 -Commemorated God's deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt. 

 -Jews observe the Passover meal. 

 

 

 Jesus went to the cross at Passover. Luke 22:7-8 

 Jesus is the perfect Passover Lamb and we have life through His blood. (1 Cor. 5:6-8) 

 

 

 

 

 Feast of Unleavened Bread 

 

 

 Ex. 12:15-20; Ex. 13:3-10; Lev. 23:6-8 ; Num. 28:17-25; Deut. 16:3,4,8 

 

 

 15th day of the 1st month (Nisan) until 21st 

 

 

 -Ate unleavened bread for 7 days 

 -No work on 1st day/ 7 th Day 

 - 1st of three annual trips to Jerusalem 

 

 

 Jesus’s death paid for our sins and we are given His righteousness. Through Him believers are unleavened (declared sinless) (1 Cor. 5:6-8) 

 

 

 

 

 Feast of Firstfruits 

 

 

 Lev. 23:9-14 ; Num. 28:26 

 

 

 1st Sunday after Nisan 15 th 

 (The Sunday during the feast of Unleavened bread) 

 

 

 -Marked the beginning of the barley harvest 

 -The first harvested barley was offered to God. 

 

 

 Jesus was the first to be resurrected. He was risen on the Sunday of the firstfruit offering. We can be risen because He was. 

 (1 Cor. 15:20-23) 

 

 

 

 

 Feast of Weeks 

 aka Pentecost 

 aka Feasts of Harvests 

 aka Day of Firstfruits 

 (Shavu'ot) 

 

 

 Ex. 23:16; Ex 34:22; 

 Lev. 23:15-21 ; Num. 28:26; Deut. 16:9-12 

 

 

 50 days after the 1st Sabbath following the Passover (always a Sunday) 

 

 

 -Celebrated the wheat harvest and God’s continued provision. 

 -2nd of three annual trips to Jerusalem 

 

 

 The Holy Spirit came indwelling believers and started the church on Pentecost. Believers today are a part of His harvest. 

 (Acts 2:1-13, 

 James 1:17-18) 

 

 

 

 

 Feast of Trumpets 

 (Rosh-Hashanah) 

 

 

 Lev. 23:23-25 ; Num. 29:1-6 

 

 

 1st day of the 7th month (Tishri) 

 (In the Fall around September/ October) 

 

 

 -Special trumpet blasts 

 -No work performed 

 -Special offerings made 

 -Prepared the nation to regather to Jerusalem. 

 

 

 Points to the trumpet blast that regathers Israel to God. (Zech 12, Mat 24:31, Rev 10:7) 

 

 

 

 

 Day of Atonement 

 (Yom Kippur) 

 

 

 Lev. 16; 23:26-32 ; Num. 29:7-11 

 

 

 10th day of the 7th month (Tishri) 

 

 

 -Day of fasting 

 -High Priest enters the Holy of Holies to atone for sins of Israel 

 -No work performed 

 

 

 Points to the purification of Israel as the nation turns to accept Jesus as Messiah at His second coming. (Zech 13, Rev 11:15-19) 

 

 

 

 

 Feast of Tabernacles/ Booths 

 aka Feast of Ingathering 

 (Sukkot) 

 

 

 Ex. 23:16; Ex. 34:22; Lev. 23:33-36 , 39-43; 

 Num. 29:12-38; Deut. 16:13-15 

 

 

 15th to 22nd day of 7th month (Tishri) 

 

 

 -Marked the completed harvest, and the end of the agricultural year 

 -Symbolized by the construction of booths decorated with greenery for the harvesters 

 -3rd of three annual trips to Jerusalem 

 

 

 Points to Jesus ushering in the Millennial Kingdom. The harvest is complete and He is dwelling with His people. The feast of Booths is celebrated during the kingdom. (Zech 14, John 7:8, Rev 20:6) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Seventh Month- Tishri- Fall (September/ October) 

 

 

 

 

 Sunday 

 

 

 Monday 

 

 

 Tuesday 

 

 

 Wednesday 

 

 

 Thursday 

 

 

 Friday 

 

 

 Saturday 

 

 

 

   

   

 

 1. Feast of Trumpets 

 A Sabbath of solemn rest 

 

 

 2. 

 

 

 3. 

 

 

 4. 

 

 

 5. Sabbath 

 

 

 

 

 6. 

 

 

 7. 

 

 

 8. 

 

 

 9. 

 

 

 10. Day of Atonement 

 A Sabbath of solemn rest 

 

 

 11. 

 

 

 12. Sabbath 

 

 

 

 

 13. 

 

 

 14. 

 

 

 15. Feast of Booths 

 A Sabbath of solemn rest 

 

 

 16. Feast of Booths 

 

 

 17. Feast of Booths 

 

 

 18. Feast of Booths 

 

 

 19. Sabbath 

 Feast of Booths 

 

 

 

 

 20. Feast of Booths 

 

 

 21. Feast of Booths 

 

 

 22. Eighth day of Feast of Booths 

 A Sabbath of solemn rest 

 

 

 23. 

 

 

 24. 

 

 

 25. 

 

 

 26. Sabbath 

 

 

 

 

 27. 

 

 

 28. 

 

 

 29. 

 

 

 30. 

 

 

 Days of Rest are greyed out. 

 There are 8 in the month.

Leviticus 24:1-9 | Sunday September 7, 2025
In chapter 23 God gave Israel their calendar for holidays throughout the year. Each feast was to remind the people of who their God was and what He had done for them. We also saw how the spring feasts pointed to the first coming of Jesus and how the fall feasts point to future second coming of Jesus. Then in chapter 25 God will continue to reveal His desire for their calendar by introducing the Sabbatical year and year of Jubilee. It is chapter 24 that seems out of place. In the middle of explaining the calendar God points out two very important pieces of furniture in the tabernacle and then an issue arises in the camp that needs to be dealt with. While this chapter can seem to break the context, God is continuing to reveal Jesus and His character. Just as the feasts pointed to Jesus these pieces of furniture reveal so much about Him and how we are to walk in relationship with Him. 

 Leviticus 24:1-9 ESV 

 

 (1)  The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (2)  “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil from beaten olives for the lamp, that a light may be kept burning regularly. (3)  Outside the veil of the testimony, in the tent of meeting , Aaron shall arrange it from evening to morning before the LORD regularly. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. (4)  He shall arrange the lamps on the lampstand of pure gold before the LORD regularly. (5)  “You shall take fine flour and bake twelve loaves from it; two tenths of an ephah shall be in each loaf. (6)  And you shall set them in two piles, six in a pile, on the table of pure gold before the LORD. (7)  And you shall put pure frankincense on each pile, that it may go with the bread as a memorial portion as a food offering to the LORD. (8)  Every Sabbath day Aaron shall arrange it before the LORD regularly; it is from the people of Israel as a covenant forever. (9)  And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place, since it is for him a most holy portion out of the LORD's food offerings, a perpetual due.” 

 

 The first piece of furniture that God draws attention to is the golden menorah or golden lampstand. It was placed in the tabernacle and was on the left side as you entered the Holy place. God gave all the instructions of how it should be built in Exodus 25 . The lampstand is one of the most incredible representations of Jesus in the tabernacle. The lampstand had three branches on each side and one in the middle for a total of seven. Each branch had intricate details of almond blossoms. When Titus destroyed the temple in 70 AD a large arch was built in Rome to celebrate the victory and on it the golden lampstand and the table of showbread can be seen as they were carried off as plunder from the war. 

 The lampstand was the only source of light, in the Holy place of the tabernacle. The Lampstand illuminated the tabernacle, and made worship of God possible . Without it the priest would have been left in the dark. It was imperative that it be kept burning from the evening to the morning. God could have provided the fuel for this lamp in numerous ways and yet He chose to involve the nation. 

 Leviticus 24:2 ESV 

 

 (2)  “ Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil from beaten olives for the lamp, that a light may be kept burning regularly. 

 

 God could have provided this light in so many ways. The lampstand could have been lit once and then been an eternal flame that never went out. Each detail of what God desired is intentional. He had the people bring the highest quality of pure oil. God is inviting His people into worship and having an ownership in the tabernacle. This symbolism is emphasized when we understand that oil represents the Holy Spirit. Zechariah had a vision of the lamp stand and notice what God teaches Him from it. 

 Zechariah 4:1-6 ESV 

 

 (1)  And the angel who talked with me came again and woke me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep. (2)  And he said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. (3)  And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.” (4)  And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” (5)  Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “ Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” (6)  Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. 

 

 Zechariah did not understand what the lampstand represented. God makes it clear, His plans and will are not accomplished by the strength and ability of men. God’s will is accomplished through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit . Isreal is invited to bring the oil, as a picture that one day all believers will be filled with the Holy Spirit and invited to serve through His power. 

 1 Corinthians 12:7; 11 ESV 

 

 (7)  To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (11)  All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills. 

 

 Every person has certain strengths and talents, things that we excel at, that are unique to each person. These talents are not our spiritual gift because they were still present before we became a believer . Spiritual gift are given to us the moment we are saved. Our gift is not really for us, but for the common good . It is for the body as a whole. Evey spiritual gift is empowered by the same Spirit. Just as everyone in Israel brought the pure oil, and it all came together to empower the light. None of us choose our gift but walk in what the Spirit has provided. 

 The lampstand would not work without the oil . Jesus perfectly exemplifies this through His life because every miracle and act of obedience came not from His own power but as He relied on and was empowered by the Holy Spirit . 

 1 Peter 4:10-11 ESV 

 

 (10)  As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another , as good stewards of God's varied grace:  (11)  whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies — in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ . To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 

 

 We are called to use our gifts to serve each other. This is one of the diversified, many colored, variegated graces that God has given to us. As we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, God is glorified because anything of value is happening because of Him. This raises a convicting thought. If the Holy Spirit were to be removed out our lives today would much change? The answer to this question reveals how much we rely on Him. If we are walking in sin, or in the power of the flesh then not much will change. We have been invited to walk in a fellowship with Jesus through the power of the Spirit. How we do that is tied to the next piece of furniture highlighted. 

 Leviticus 24:5-9 ESV 

 

 (5)  “You shall take fine flour and bake twelve loaves from it ; two tenths of an ephah shall be in each loaf. (6)  And you shall set them in two piles, six in a pile, on the table of pure gold before the LORD. (7)  And you shall put pure frankincense on each pile , that it may go with the bread as a memorial portion as a food offering to the LORD. (8)  Every Sabbath day Aaron shall arrange it before the LORD regularly ; it is from the people of Israel as a covenant forever. (9)  And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place , since it is for him a most holy portion out of the LORD's food offerings, a perpetual due.” 

 

 This describes the third piece of furniture in the holy place. The table of showbread would have been on the right hand side as you walked in. Its name is taken form the bread that was to be kept on it. 

 Exodus 25:30 ESV 

 

 (30)  And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly . 

 

 The bread is literally called the bread of the face, because it was to be in the presence of God. The Bronze Altar would have been empty at times throughout the day. The bread though was meant to be continually in front of God. It was replaced each Sabbath by the High Priest. The priests were then allowed to eat the bread they just replaced. Frankincense was to be kept with the bread as well . This bread represents Jesus’s constant offer to His people for fellowship. 12 loaves shows this offer was available to all 12 tribes. Jesus is constantly before God giving us access and fellowship to God. Fellowship is offered to God’s people once they are saved. 

 John 6:47-51 ESV 

 

 (47)  Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. (48)  I am the bread of life. (49)  Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. (50)  This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. (51)  I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.” 

 

 Jesus uses the Manna to describe the life giving moment of salvation. If you eat of the bread, you will live forever. If you believe, you have eternal life. This a one time action, it is the moment of salvation. Then Jesus starts to describe the offer of fellowship. 

 John 6:54-56 ESV 

 

 (54)  Whoever feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. (55)  For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. (56)  Whoever feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him . 

 

 Jesus not only changes the word but also the tense . Eat was a one time action, feeds is a chewing, savoring, ongoing action . As believers we are offered to remain constantly with God and abide in His presence. We are called priest and are offered to take of this bread and keep eating. You cannot have a vibrant growing walk with Jesus and not spend time with Him. We are called to chew on His word. 

 Colossians 3:15-17 ESV 

 

 (15)  And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts , to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (16)  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly , teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (17)  And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus , giving thanks to God the Father through Him. 

 

 We are to let the peace that Jesus secured for us on the cross become a daily reality to enjoy. We are to feed on His word and be nourished by it. It is through the Word that we can learn how to glorify God and be empowered in the Spirit in everything we do. When we view Jesus this way it is a relationship with a loving caring savior. I want to encourage you to feed on Him consistently. Too often we replace walking in the power of the Spirit for human effort and feeding on Jesus daily for rules . There is a story in David’s life that shows both of these principals very well. 

 1 Samuel 21:1-3 ESV 

 

 (1)  Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David, trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” (2)  And David said to Ahimelech the priest, “ The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘ Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.’ I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. (3)  Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here.” 

 

 David is fleeing out of fear from King Saul, and seeks refuge at the Tabernacle that is in Nob at the time. David acts out of His flesh and lies to the priest. 

 He was not on a mission from the king but is running away from the king. David is not relaying on God for wisdom, power or guidance but is figuring it out himself. He is a warrior and thinking like one. He is conniving and relying on his own wits and it has only made things worse. Now He is starving and in desperate need of food and pleads with the priest for anything He can give. 

 1 Samuel 21:4-6 ESV 

 

 (4)  And the priest answered David, “I have no common bread on hand, but there is holy bread—if the young men have kept themselves from women.” (5)  And David answered the priest, “Truly women have been kept from us as always when I go on an expedition. The vessels of the young men are holy even when it is an ordinary journey. How much more today will their vessels be holy?” (6)  So the priest gave him the holy bread, for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence, which is removed from before the LORD, to be replaced by hot bread on the day it is taken away. 

 

 The priest only had the bread that had just been switched out from the table of showbread. David and His men were not allowed by the law to eat this bread, they were not priests. Which makes our position as a priest all the more amazing . In spite of the law Ahimelech gave David and his men the bread to eat. Jesus will give us insight into how to view this. 

 Matthew 12:1-8 ESV 

 

 (1)  At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. (2)  But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “ Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” (3)  He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry , and those who were with him: (4)  how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence , which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? (5)  Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? (6)  I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. (7)  And if you had known what this means , ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. (8)  For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” 

 

 Jesus is clear that David broke the law when He ate the bread. What David did was not lawful to the letter of the law, but the heart of God was being missed . This is the problem with rules. Rules are always easier and yet there is no life or heart in them. The Pharisees misunderstood what the law pointed to. 

 Jesus does not desire heartless ritual, and rule following. He desires mercy, kindness, compassion. This is why the oil and the bread are described right after the calendar of feasts. Israel was going to be tempted to fall into one of two ditches. They would pursue these feasts out of their own strength and eventually fall and forget them altogether. The other ditch is to get so strict with the rules about them and miss what they were actually about. God wanted to remind them of the oil and the bread of presence . The holy Spirit empowers us as believers to walk in a daily fellowship with Jesus. This is not out of our strength and is not rules. 

 Isaiah 1:14-18 ESV 

 

 (14)  Your new moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates ; they have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. (15)  When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. (16)  Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean ; remove the evil of your deeds from before My eyes; cease to do evil, (17)  learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause. (18)  “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD : though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. 

 

 The feasts that were supposed to be such a joy became something God hated because of how Israel followed them. They used their own strength and made rules out of them. So, in the end their actions were sinful because they would check their heart at the door and go through the motions. God wanted His people to wash afresh in Him. To walk in a fellowship with Him. The same offer stands for us today. Let us walk fresh with God living in His power, as we abide in Him.

Leviticus 24:10-23 | Sunday September 14
Most of the book of Leviticus has been God instructing His people as He calls out from the tabernacle. During the short month or two that the entire message of Leviticus is communicated; two issues arose in the camp that interrupted God’s instructions. The first was when Nadab and Abihu offered strange unauthorized fire in Leviticus 10 and were immediately judged and killed with fire from God. Today we are going to look at the second interruption. 

 Leviticus 24:10-23 ESV 

 

 (10)  Now an Israelite woman's son, whose father was an Egyptian , went out among the people of Israel. And the Israelite woman's son and a man of Israel fought in the camp, (11)  and the Israelite woman's son blasphemed the Name, and cursed. Then they brought him to Moses. His mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. (12)  And they put him in custody, till the will of the LORD should be clear to them. (13)  Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (14)  “Bring out of the camp the one who cursed, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him. (15)  And speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. (16)  Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death. (17)  “Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death. (18)  Whoever takes an animal's life shall make it good, life for life. (19)  If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, (20)  fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him. (21)  Whoever kills an animal shall make it good, and whoever kills a person shall be put to death. (22)  You shall have the same rule for the sojourner and for the native, for I am the LORD your God.” (23)  So Moses spoke to the people of Israel, and they brought out of the camp the one who had cursed and stoned him with stones. Thus the people of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses. 

 

 Isreal prospered during its time in Egypt and grew numerically into a nation. Over time the Egyptians and Israelites started to intermarry. This story is about a man whose father was an Egyptian and mother was an Israelite from the tribe of Dan. When Israel was called out of Egypt by God this relationship was challenged. The assumption is that the father chose to stay in Egypt while the mother, Shelomith followed God out of Egypt. This was not the only family dealing with this. 

 Exodus 12:38 ESV 

 

 (38)  A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds. 

 

 When Isreal left Egypt a mixed multitude decided to come along. This would have been made up of Egyptians, and partial Egyptians partial Jews. It was made up of those who had intermarried, were somehow connected to Isreal, or wanted to be. For some Egyptians the God of Isreal had proven Himself through the plagues and they wanted to follow Him. This group would struggle because returning home to Egypt was always alluring. It was this group that complained and sinned. 

 Numbers 11:4-5 ESV 

 

 (4)  Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat! (5)  We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. 

 

 This group were not slaves in Egypt and going back was appealing when the wilderness was not what they expected. God’s people can intermix with the world only to a certain point and then a separation comes . Shelomith’s family had to decide who they would follow, their own passions, and comfort or listen to the one true God. God’s truth is life thus it also defines what is death. 

 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 ESV 

 

 (14)  But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere. (15)  For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, (16)  to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 

 

 The kings and generals would have great parades as the came back to their home nation. The parade would show off what the king had conquered and taken in victory. Perfumes were released in the air to add to the celebration. How it smelled all depended on what side you were on. If your king was the one celebrating it was a great parade. If your nation was defeated, it was a humiliating, terrible parade. Jesus is our triumphant King and He is leading us in a victor’s parade. The truth of the cross has two different scents. To believers it is a smell of life, to the world it is a smell of death. We are called for the truth of Jesus to smell in our lives. Our lives are to reflect our King and what He has accomplished. We can try to fool ourselves and blend into the world and yet a separation will have to come eventually. This is what happens for Shelomith’s son. 

 Leviticus 24:10-11 ESV 

 

 (10)  Now an Israelite woman's son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the people of Israel. And the Israelite woman's son and a man of Israel fought in the camp, (11)  and the Israelite woman's son blasphemed the Name, and cursed . Then they brought him to Moses. His mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. 

 

 Shelomith’s son gets in a fight with an Israelite. We are not told what they fought about, but violence escalates and led to a greater sin . Shelomith’s son blasphemed the name of God and cursed God during this fight. God does not take lightly using His name in vain. 

 Exodus 20:7 NAS95 

 

 (7)  "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. 

 

 Taking the Lord’s name in vain is to use God’s name in a trivial, worthless, inconsequential way or to have unrestrained speech. It is to talk about God in a flippant way that does not honor Him with the respect He deserves. As believers we should not be so careless with God’s name or even with little replacements of it. God deserves more honor than this. The Jews would eventually become superstitious of the name Yahweh, in part due to this story. They refused to even say the name. Yet respecting God is much more than avoiding saying His name. It goes beyond words to how our lives reflect Him. Vain also means to lie about . Do our lives lie about who God is? This man though went a step farther. 

 Exodus 22:28 NAS95 

 

 (28)  "You shall not curse God, nor curse a ruler of your people. 

 

 He had enough of Isreal and enough of the God of Israel, Yahweh and He blasphemed God and declared a curse against God. He saw himself or his god as being more powerful then Yahweh . This was not just a casual slip of the tongue but revealed what was going on in his heart. 

 Matthew 12:34 ESV 

 

 (34)  You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 

 

 Jesus is referring to the Pharisees. Their words were not matching their hearts. Eventually, our hearts will overflow into our words and reveal where our hearts are. The sin that began in his heart was now on display through his words. This curse will lead to his death. Our tongues are very dangerous. 

 James 3:6-10 ESV 

 

 (6)  And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness . The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. (7)  For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind,   (8)  but no human being can tame the tongue . It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  (9)  With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.  (10)  From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 

 

 Too often we forget that our tongue is a world of unrighteousness, a restless evil that is full of deadly poison . It is not fitting for believers to praise God on Sunday, then the next day curse people made in the image of God. Our tongues are to reflect the overflow of our hearts. As we walk with Christ then our speech should reflect it. The nation was not sure what to do, because he was partly Egyptian. 

 Leviticus 24:12 ESV 

 

 (12)  And they put him in custody, till the will of the LORD should be clear to them. 

 

 The Israelites did a great thing, they were unsure of what to do, so they stopped and prayed. Often when they are unsure they would act, and we do the same . Instead, when we are unsure we should stop and pray for God’s guidance. 

 Leviticus 24:13-16 ESV 

 

 (13)  Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (14)  “Bring out of the camp the one who cursed, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him. (15)  And speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. (16)  Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death. 

 

 God answers quickly and gives the punishment of the death penalty . Anyone who heard the curse was to be involved in stoning the man. This was not Moses interpretation or the people going beyond what God wanted. The timeless God whose character does not change (Mal 3:6), gave a holy judgment. This part of His character also lead to Jesus death on the cross. God values human life and values the image of Him within a person. He is also a holy God who must enact a just punishment for sin. God then defines how punishments should match the crime. 

 Leviticus 24:17-21 ESV 

 

 (17)  “ Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death. (18)  Whoever takes an animal's life shall make it good, life for life. (19)  If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, (20)  fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him. (21)  Whoever kills an animal shall make it good, and whoever kills a person shall be put to death. 

 

 This is called the lex talionis (law of the talon). It is interesting that in our culture the idea of doing the same thing to the criminal that they did to the victim is viewed as extreme, cruel, or unusual. This passage can seem brutal to us and yet for the culture God was restraining vengeance . They could not inflict more damage or pain than what the crime was. 

 The Code of Hammurabi was written about 300 years prior to these commands and shows us how the laws of the area would have functioned. Famously it includes an eye for an eye yet there are many differences. Material goods were elevated as having the same worth as human life “if the thief has nothing with which to pay he shall be put to death.” God valued life and humanity was never viewed as equal to material goods or animals. There were also a different set of rules depending on your social status “ If any one strike the body of a man higher in rank than he, he shall receive…” Your social status dictated the punishment. God’s standard did not shift based on who you were. 

 Leviticus 24:22-23 ESV 

 

 (22)  You shall have the same rule for the sojourner and for the native , for I am the LORD your God.” (23)  So Moses spoke to the people of Israel, and they brought out of the camp the one who had cursed and stoned him with stones. Thus the people of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses. 

 

 God did not have multiple sets of laws based on who you were like Hammurabi did. God’s standard is consistent and indiscriminate . Nothing changed because the man was half Egyptian. 

 Romans 2:11 KJV 

 

 (11)  For there is no respect of persons with God. 

 

 It is hard to comprehend how equal and just God is. We are so prone to play favorites, bend rules, and show partiality. God is impartial and so is the law. Jesus takes this truth and elevates it to its highest form. 

 Matthew 5:38-39; 43-45 ESV 

 

 (38)  “ You have heard that it was said , ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ (39)  But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. (43)  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ (44)  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (45)  so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 

 

 If someone slaps you under the law you have the right to slap them back, but under grace you have the freedom to love them . Jesus shows that the law is just but love is greater. God shows this love as He sustains and provides for the evil person as well as the good person. We see the greatest expression of God’s justice and His love on the cross. The God who is so holy that a man who blasphemed Him needed to be stoned, was willing to be blasphemed. 

 Luke 22:63-65 ESV 

 

 (63)  Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking Him as they beat Him. (64)  They also blindfolded Him and kept asking Him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck You?” (65)  And they said many other things against Him , blaspheming Him. 

 

 1 Peter 2:23 ESV 

 

 (23)  When He was reviled, He did not revile in return ; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly. 

 

 Jesus was willing to be blasphemed, reviled, mocked, and beaten. He trusted that God the Father would be just . His sacrifice enables us to experience grace and be able to show it to others in response. We have been so loved and experienced so much grace that we are to extend it to others. Since Jesus was willing to be blasphemed, He will be exalted. 

 Philippians 2:5-11 ESV 

 

 (5)  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, (6)  who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, (7)  but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. (8)  And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (9)  Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the Name that is above every Name, (10)  so that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, (11)  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Leviticus 25:1-7 | Sunday September 21, 2025
In Leviticus God has been giving His people an extensive list of laws explaining how to live in His presence. God has instructed them in worship, morality, wholeness, purity and even what feasts they are to celebrate. Instructions and laws have been given for every aspect of life and how it is to reflect God’s character. No part of society has been left out. These laws also reveal what Jesus’ life and ministry would accomplish, and what He still will accomplish. Then in chapter 25 God gives instructions on two unique Sabbaths that they are to observe, the Sabbatical year, and the year of Jubilee . These two Sabbaths are each a yearlong will cause a large impact on life in Isreal. These Sabbaths will help Israel’s economy and view of money reflect God. 

 Leviticus 25:1-13 ESV 

 

 (1)  The LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai , saying, (2)  “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you, the land shall keep a Sabbath to the LORD. (3)  For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits, (4)  but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the LORD. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. (5)  You shall not reap what grows of itself in your harvest, or gather the grapes of your undressed vine. It shall be a year of solemn rest for the land. (6)  The Sabbath of the land shall provide food for you, for yourself and for your male and female slaves and for your hired worker and the sojourner who lives with you, (7)  and for your cattle and for the wild animals that are in your land: all its yield shall be for food. (8)  “You shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall give you forty-nine years. (9)  Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land. (10)  And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year , and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you , when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan. (11)  That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you ; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of itself nor gather the grapes from the undressed vines. (12)  For it is a jubilee. It shall be holy to you. You may eat the produce of the field. (13)  “In this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his property. 

 This chapter is unique because these instructions are not God calling from the tabernacle but were given to Moses when he was on mount Sinai. They can only be applied once Israel is in the promised land. God expands on the weekly Sabbath and desires for the land to experience a Sabbath every 7th year . Then after seven sabbaticals or every 50th year is to be the year of Jubilee. 

 

 Leviticus 25:2-4 ESV 

 

 (2)  “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you, the land shall keep a Sabbath to the LORD. (3)  For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits, (4)  but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land , a Sabbath to the LORD. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard . 

 

 The rest God desired for His people to be reminded of each week was expanded to an entire year. In the Sabbatical year, the Jewish farmers were to let the land rest. The land was to experience an amplified Sabbath, a  šabāṯôn. They were not allowed to plant seed, prune, or systematically harvest anything that grew naturally. There are tremendous practical benefits to letting the land regain nutrients for an entire year. Yet this command has huge implications for the economy and how Isreal as a society was to function. It also required a tremendous amount of trust, that God would provide as He promised. 

 Psalm 34:8-10 ESV 

 

 (8)  Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! (9)  Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him have no lack! (10)  The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. 

 

 It is promises like this and others in scripture that remind us how God provides for us as we trust in Him. This is not every want and desire we have , but we will have no true lack. It is one thing to know that it is God who provides for us, as we feel in control of providing for ourselves. It is another entirely to be put into a position to rely on God’s provision. This is a tough truth to learn when we lose a job, it challenges us to reflect on who we were relying on. If God was the one providing the crops when Israel planted the fields, then He is still the God providing when they were called not to. 

 Leviticus 25:5-7 NLT 

 

 (5)  And don’t store away the crops that grow on their own or gather the grapes from your unpruned vines. The land must have a year of complete rest. (6)  But you may eat whatever the land produces on its own during its Sabbath . This applies to you, your male and female servants, your hired workers, and the temporary residents who live with you. (7)  Your livestock and the wild animals in your land will also be allowed to eat what the land produces. 

 

 God promises for the land to grow plenty of volunteer plants, to provide food of the people and all their livestock. 

 The landowner is not allowed to harvest, store up food, or sell it. The nation was allowed to go out as they had need and pick out of any field. God was going to provide. It was a year that equalized the rich and poor, both were out in the field picking what they needed for the day. 

 Exodus 23:10-12 ESV 

 

 (10)  “For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, (11)  but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard. (12)  “Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed. 

 

 The sabbatical year was meant to help the poor. Instead of relying on the edges of the field that were not to be harvested they now had access to the entire field. Also notice all work is not forbidden , this is a rest for the land. This would have been an amazing year to work on projects, recreation, and enjoy a daily reliance on God. He wanted His people from the rich to the poor, even to the animals to be refreshed in Him. Refreshed in this verse means to breath freely. David encouraged us to taste and see that God is good. He is not a harsh taskmaster that is constantly demanding more. He wants us to rest and enjoy Him. Too often we view God the same way the older brother of the prodigal son did. 

 Luke 15:25-32 ESV 

 

 (25)  “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. (26)  And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. (27)  And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ (28)  But he was angry and refused to go in . His father came out and entreated him, (29)  but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you , and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. (30)  But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ (31)  And he said to him, ‘ Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. (32)  It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’” 

 

 We tend to focus on the younger son and the incredible grace the Father shows to Him. There is a very important lesson found in the older son. 

 The older son is offended by the music, dancing, and celebration of the younger son. He even refuses to go in and enjoy the celebration. The father continues to show how much grace He has by coming out to talk to the older son. The older son is bitter and says He never had a young goat, or celebration with his friends. The older son does not view being in the fathers house as something to enjoy but someone to serve . The older son is focused on what he has done for the father. He has forgotten the joy of being a son . He has forgotten how gracious and loving the Father is. The father reminds Him that all He has is also the son’s. He always could have enjoyed a party and the father was always willing to kill a goat or calf. The father wanted him to enjoy being a son. God desires the same for us. He wants us to rest in Him and enjoy all that He has done. To marvel and celebrate that we can call Him father. God asking Isreal to take a year off to rely on Him and be refreshed reveals His character. This refreshment went even farther then the land. 

 Deuteronomy 31:10-13 ESV 

 

 (10)  And Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at the Feast of Booths, (11)  when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place that He will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. (12)  Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God , and be careful to do all the words of this law, (13)  and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God , as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.” 

 

 Part of celebrating the Sabbatical year was the reading of the law that was to take place during the Feast of Booths. As Isreal gathered in Jerusalem and made booths (tents) to stay in the law was to be read. It was to spark conversation amongst the people and help each other learn how to fear God. Parents were to instruct their children. God was to be talked about and worshiped with a reverential awe. It was to be a year of refreshing, growing and release. 

 Deuteronomy 15:1-2 ESV 

 

 (1)  “ At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release . (2)  And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor . He shall not exact it of his neighbor, his brother, because the LORD's release has been proclaimed. 

 

 All the debts between Jews were to be completely forgiven at the end of the sabbatical year. Land will be dealt with later at the year of Jubilee. 

 Deuteronomy 15:4-5 ESV 

 

 (4)  But there will be no poor among you ; for the LORD will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess— (5)  if only you will strictly obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all this commandment that I command you today. 

 

 God is setting up an amazing system with many opportunities for people to succeed and overcome debt they might find themselves in. He wanted to materially bless them in the land and desired for there not to be any poverty. All they had to do is walk with Him. 

 Deuteronomy 15:7-11 ESV 

 

 (7)  “ If among you, one of your brothers should become poor , in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, (8)  but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. (9)  Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing , and he cry to the LORD against you, and you be guilty of sin. (10)  You shall give to him freely , and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. (11)  For there will never cease to be poor in the land . Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’ 

 

 God knows the human heart so well. Isreal had the opportunity for their to be no poor in the land, and yet due to sin and their refusal to walk in God’s truth their will never cease to be poor in the land. He even warned them not to despise the sabbatical year and the release of debts. In our sinful selfishness why would I want to help someone on year 6 when I had no chance to be paid back. God wanted them to look to Him. He promised to bless them. The sinful heart of humanity undoes the benefits of holy, righteous laws. This is why we did not need a new law, but a new heart . The release of debts at the sabbatical points to what Jesus accomplished for us. 

 Colossians 2:13-14 ESV 

 

 (13)  And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, (14)  by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross. 

 

 As believers we have enjoyed a cancelling of our debts, just like what took place on the Sabbatical year . This is possible because Jesus paid for all our sins. We stood condemned and dead and He paid it all and made us alive. Our debt is fully cancelled. We have been given new life to enjoy Him and be refreshed in Him. 

 Isreal serves as a warning though. As great as the Sabbatical year sounds in theory, it required a tremendous trust and submission to God. It is truly heartbreaking that there is no evidence of Isreal following the Sabbatical Year in the Old Testament . These unfollowed Sabbaths will factor into Isreal’s judgment for the exile. 

 2 Chronicles 36:17-21 ESV 

 

 (17)  Therefore He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans , who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or aged. He gave them all into his hand. (18)  And all the vessels of the house of God , great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king and of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon. (19)  And they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned all its palaces with fire and destroyed all its precious vessels. (20)  He took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia, (21)  to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years. 

 

 Isreal did not walk with God year after year. God would send many prophets to warn them and call them back and they refused to enjoy His presence. So God sent Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar to conquer them. The items in the temple were carried off and the temple was destroyed. The Jews were exiled out of the land for 70 years, 1 year for every sabbatical year they had missed. There is a chance that the early generations followed the Sabath year for the timeline to all work out, but we have no record of it. After exile the Pharisees will follow the Sabbath year, (they even had exemptions on their taxes for it). This should serve as a sober warning of what it cost God’s people when we refuse to walk with Him. When we squander being refreshed by Him. Our debt has been cancelled, and we have been given new life, lets walk in it! 

 Romans 8:12-15 ESV 

 

 (12)  So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh , to live according to the flesh. (13)  For if you live according to the flesh you will die , but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (14)  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (15)  For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

Leviticus 25:8-23 | Sunday September 28, 2025
God put many reminders in place for the people of Isreal to learn to trust and rest in Him. He wanted His people to be in a close consistent relationship with Him. Each week the Sabbath was to remind the people that He was the creator (Ex 20:11), and that He bought them out of Egypt (Deut 5:15). He wanted to remind them of who He is and what He had done for them. God then elevated the Sabbath day to the Sabbatical year. Isreal was to let the land rest for an entire year and only eat what grew by itself. It was a year to forgive debts and for the people to gather in Jerusalem to hear the first 5 books of the Old Testament be read. As the people celebrated God’s blessings and goodness, they were to be refreshed in Him. From the rich to the poor, even all the servants were to breathe freely because of what it means to be in relationship with God. God then elevated the Sabbath yet again to the year of Jubilee. 

 Leviticus 25:8-23 ESV 

 

 (8)  “You shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall give you forty-nine years. (9)  Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land. (10)  And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year , and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan. (11)  That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of itself nor gather the grapes from the undressed vines. (12)  For it is a jubilee. It shall be holy to you. You may eat the produce of the field. (13)  “In this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his property. (14)  And if you make a sale to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor, you shall not wrong one another. (15)  You shall pay your neighbor according to the number of years after the jubilee, and he shall sell to you according to the number of years for crops. (16)  If the years are many, you shall increase the price, and if the years are few, you shall reduce the price, for it is the number of the crops that he is selling to you. (17)  You shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God, for I am the LORD your God. (18)  “Therefore you shall do My statutes and keep My rules and perform them, and then you will dwell in the land securely. (19)  The land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and dwell in it securely. (20)  And if you say, ‘What shall we eat in the seventh year, if we may not sow or gather in our crop?’ (21)  I will command My blessing on you in the sixth year, so that it will produce a crop sufficient for three years. (22)  When you sow in the eighth year, you will be eating some of the old crop; you shall eat the old until the ninth year, when its crop arrives. (23)  “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. For you are strangers and sojourners with Me. 

 

 Isreal was to observe the Sabbath year every 7 years, then after 7 cycles of Sabbath years it was to observe the year of Jubilee on the Fiftieth year. The year of Jubilee was to be enacted at the Day of Atonement, during the Seventh Sabbatical year. The Day of Atonement was the one Day when the High priest would enter into the Holy of Holies and present blood as an atoning offering for all the sins of the people. On the 49th year, at the Day of Atonement, there was to be a unique trumpet blast to mark the beginning of the Jubilee. 

 Leviticus 25:9-10 ESV 

 

 (9)  Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land. (10)  And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan. 

 

 The feast of trumpets used a silver trumpet that was blown at the beginning of each month. This trumpet blast at the day of atonement used a ram’s horn ( shôp̄ār ). The ram’s horn and all that would happen on this special 50th year became linked together. The word Jubilee is hard to translate because it means rams horn and release/ liberty/ freedom . The Jubilee was a year to celebrate the release and freedom that came when the ram’s horn was blown. At the sound of the ram’s horn, all Jews were released from any servanthood they had sold themselves into, all debts were cancelled , and all property (fields) were to revert back to the family who inherited them. At the Jubilee every Jew was to be a free citizen, debt free, and owning their family land. As Isreal entered into the promised land each family was designated a certain area of land that was to be their inheritance. 

 

 Joshua 11:23 ESV 

 

 (23)  So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war. 

 

 Each family was given an inheritance in the promised land. This inheritance was more than land but a livelihood that enabled each family a way to provide for themselves. The inherited land was part of their legacy and was protected. Unfortunately at times a father would be unwise with money, and would have to sell the families inheritance. The families legacy was at risk, and now the next generation was hindered in being able to make a living from the land. This is why God put in place the Year of Jubilee. The inheritance reverted back to each original family . This was fair because Isreal was to buy and sell the land with the year of Jubilee in mind. 

 Leviticus 25:11-19 ESV 

 

 (11)  That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you ; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of itself nor gather the grapes from the undressed vines. (12)  For it is a jubilee. It shall be holy to you. You may eat the produce of the field. (13)  “In this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his property. (14)  And if you make a sale to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor, you shall not wrong one another. (15)  You shall pay your neighbor according to the number of years after the jubilee , and he shall sell to you according to the number of years for crops. (16)  If the years are many, you shall increase the price, and if the years are few, you shall reduce the price , for it is the number of the crops that he is selling to you. (17)  You shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God, for I am the LORD your God. (18)  “Therefore you shall do My statutes and keep My rules and perform them, and then you will dwell in the land securely. (19)  The land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and dwell in it securely. 

 

 The price for land in Isreal was to be based on how many years it was until the year of Jubilee. Every 50 years it was meant to go back to the family who inherited it so in reality you were selling use of the land until it went back to the original family.  This prevented generational wealth and generational poverty . The Jubilee was a great means of equality in the promised land. If one business person did really well for themselves and bought up a lot of farms, they could enjoy their prosperity until the next Jubilee. Then each families land reverted back to them and that new generation had a chance to make their own choices. 

 Jeremiah 31:29-30 ESV 

 

 (29)  In those days they shall no longer say: “‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.’ (30)  But everyone shall die for his own iniquity. Each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge. 

 

 Isreal started to blame their problems on the generation that came before them. The father’s made bad choices and the children were reaping the consequences. God did not want this to be the case. The Jubilee created a system for each person to be held accountable for their own actions . It was also a system that was meant to limit the greed in the heart of man. 

 Isaiah 5:8; 10 ESV 

 

 (8)  Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room, and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land. ( 10 )  For ten acres of vineyard shall yield but one bath , and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.” 

 

 God did not want His people to buy up as much land as possible and force each other into poverty. This was the promised land where their was an allotted inheritance for each family. The yield of a crop was not tied to how many acres you harvested but to walking faithfully with God . The more land they bought selfishly the less it would produce. God constantly was reminding Isreal that He was the provider. 

 Leviticus 25:20-22 ESV 

 

 (20)  And if you say, ‘What shall we eat in the seventh year, if we may not sow or gather in our crop?’ (21)  I will command my blessing on you in the sixth year, so that it will produce a crop sufficient for three years. (22)  When you sow in the eighth year, you will be eating some of the old crop; you shall eat the old until the ninth year, when its crop arrives. 

 

 During the year of Jubilee Israel was not supposed to sow nor reap just like the sabbatical year. The year of Jubilee always followed a Sabbatical year so this was two years in a row of not planting or harvesting for profit a crop. God promised to provide a bountiful harvest on year six to last for three years until the crop of the ninth year arrived. The language is hard to tell if it is referring to harvest years or calendar years, and some debate if this took place every sabbatical year or not. Regardless, God was promising to provide and bless. The decision to follow the Jubilee wasn’t made until the harvest from year six was already stored in the barn. Meaning God’s provision had already been seen. Unfortunately, Isreal’s greed and selfishness lead them and there is no record of the Jubilee being followed. Isreal failed to realize that the land was God’s. 

 Leviticus 25:23 ESV 

 

 (23)  “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. For you are strangers and sojourners with me. 

 

 I am always amazed at how God’s truth challenges our world. God’s economic system is not communist, socialist, or even capitalist. God reigns in a theocracy, and all the land belongs to Him . He set up a system where personal ownership was valued and yet wanted everyone to know that in reality they were leasing the land from Him. This is not only true about the promised land, but the whole earth. 

 Psalm 24:1-2 NAS95 

 

 (1)  A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains , The world, and those who dwell in it. (2)  For He has founded it upon the seas And established it upon the rivers. 

 

 The entire world belongs to God because He created everything. All that we have belongs to God and we are only taking care of it for a short time. We have been leased time, resources, family, and a calling to use for His glory. 

 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 ESV 

 

 (1)  This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. (2)  Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. (3)  But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. (4)  For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. (5)  Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. 

 

 A steward was the manager of a household or estate . They didn’t own anything but were asked to faithfully care for the owners possessions until they returned. Paul understood that everything in his life was given to him by God and he would give an account for how well he cared for it. It is not for us to judge each other, based on a worldly scale on how well we are managing what God has entrusted to us. Paul did not even judge himself, often we don’t see ourselves with clarity. God who can see the heart will be the one to give us admiration, approval, and praise for how faithful of a steward we have been. God does not evaluate on effectiveness, or results but on how faithful we have been to walk with Him . In our time, families, work, abilities, lets walk faithfully with our God as we know we are just managing the gifts He has given to us. 

 Luke 16:10-11 ESV 

 

 (10)  “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. (11)  If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 

 

 God views money as a very little thing to entrust to us. If we walk faithfully with Him now, then He will be willing to entrust to us true riches . This life is so short in comparison to our future in Him. The year of jubilee points to the restoration coming, where true riches will be found. 

 Leviticus 25:9-10 ESV 

 

 (9)  Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land. (10)  And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan. 

 

 The joy, restoration, release, liberty and freedom that is promised at the Jubilee is something that humanity has been searching for and attempting to create throughout history. This liberty was something that the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly was hoping to seek for and celebrate when they commissioned the liberty bell and had Leviticus 25:10 inscribed onto it. We all desire to see Liberty throughout all the land to all the inhabitants. Ture Liberty is only found through Jesus. The Jubilee starts at the day of Atonement, it is through His perfect life and offering of His perfect blood that liberty can be truly found. 

 Luke 4:16-21 ESV 

 

 (16)  And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as was His custom , He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and He stood up to read. (17)  And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to Him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, (18)  “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, (19)  to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” (20)  And He rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. (21)  And He began to say to them, “ Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 

 

 Jesus went to the synagogue in His home town. This crowd had watched Him grow up and had seen Him there weekly. He took the scroll and read from Isaiah 61. He read about the year of Jubilee. He read about the Messiah who would proclaim Liberty and proclaim God’s favor. Then He abruptly stopped reading in the middle of a sentence, and made an amazing statement, that scripture was fulfilled! He was the Messiah and He was declaring Liberty! The first time Jesus came was to provide the perfect offering that the day of Atonement required. Through this offering He is the one who can proclaim liberty! He stopped reading in the middle of Isaiah 61:2 which continues with “ and the day of vengeance of our God ” and it goes on to describe His second coming and the judgment and restoration that will happen when He returns. 

 Acts 3:19-21; 23 ESV 

 

 (19)  Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, (20)  that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, (21)  whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets long ago. ( 23 )  And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’

Leviticus 25:23-55 | Sunday October 5, 2025
Psalms 89:15 NAS95 

 

 (15)  How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! O LORD, they walk in the light of Your countenance. 

 

 This is not any joyful noise that is referenced but specifically the trumpet blast of the Jubilee. Each Israelite was to experience the Jubilee once in their working life. They would tell stories of what it was like and how their lives were changed. We will be blessed once we know that joyful sound. 

 Leviticus 25:9-10 NKJV 

 

 (9)  Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land. (10)  And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you ; and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family. 

 

 The Jubilee was the Sabbath year elevated . It was to be a year of restoration and freedom for God’s people. The fields that the Israelites inherited in the promised land were to go back to each original family. The next generation then had a chance to walk as a faithful steward of what God had entrusted to them. As the chapter continues God gives further details as to what land and property is affected by the Jubilee and what is not. He also shows Israel how the Jubilee principals should be applied each year. 

 Leviticus 25:23-31 ESV 

 

 (23)  “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. For you are strangers and sojourners with me. (24)  And in all the country you possess, you shall allow a redemption of the land. (25)  “If your brother becomes poor and sells part of his property, then his nearest redeemer shall come and redeem what his brother has sold. (26)  If a man has no one to redeem it and then himself becomes prosperous and finds sufficient means to redeem it, (27)  let him calculate the years since he sold it and pay back the balance to the man to whom he sold it, and then return to his property. (28)  But if he does not have sufficient means to recover it, then what he sold shall remain in the hand of the buyer until the year of jubilee. In the jubilee it shall be released, and he shall return to his property. (29)  “If a man sells a dwelling house in a walled city, he may redeem it within a year of its sale. For a full year he shall have the right of redemption. (30)  If it is not redeemed within a full year, then the house in the walled city shall belong in perpetuity to the buyer, throughout his generations; it shall not be released in the jubilee. (31)  But the houses of the villages that have no wall around them shall be classified with the fields of the land. They may be redeemed, and they shall be released in the jubilee. 

 

 The Jubilee showed God’s heart for the land to remain with the family who inherited it, so He asked Isreal to allow redemption of the land. At any time a family member could come and buy back the land to keep it in the families name. If their was no redeemer then the family had to wait for the year of Jubilee. One of the exceptions of this was for houses in walled cities. These houses could only be redeemed for a year, then permanently went to the buyer and were unaffected by the Jubilee. God’s heart for the Jubilee was not materialistic . He desired for His people to have their land inheritance and use it as a means to provide for themselves. A house in a walled city was not part of the inheritance and did not affect their ability to provide for themselves , thus it was not apart of the Jubilee. The Levites though did not receive traditional land as their inheritance so God provided a separate set of rules for their cities. 

 Leviticus 25:32-34 ESV 

 

 (32)  As for the cities of the Levites , the Levites may redeem at any time the houses in the cities they possess. (33)  And if one of the Levites exercises his right of redemption, then the house that was sold in a city they possess shall be released in the jubilee. For the houses in the cities of the Levites are their possession among the people of Israel. (34)  But the fields of pastureland belonging to their cities may not be sold, for that is their possession forever. 

 

 The Levites did not have a traditional land inheritance due to the food they were allowed to partake in at the Tabernacle/ Temple (Deut. 18:1-2). So God had them inherit 48 walled cities and the pasture land that surrounded the cities (Num 35:2). God was making sure the Jubilee also applied to them. God’s heart to care for the poor and protect each families inheritance is clearly seen. God even put protections in place if selling the family inheritance was not enough to provide. 

 Leviticus 25:35-38 ESV 

 

 (35)  “If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. (36)  Take no interest from him or profit , but fear your God , that your brother may live beside you. (37)  You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for 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. 

 

 Israelites were to care for each other and were forbidden to charge interest from each other when they loaned money. They were not allowed to sell their food for profit to an impoverished Israelite and worsen the poor Israelites condition. These financial practices reflect God’s heart for the Jubilee. 

 An Israelites money and how they conducted business were to reflect who their God was. God bought them out of Egypt, this was to change everything about them, especially how they treated each other. As believers we should be no different. Our relationship with Jesus should be reflected in every aspect of our lives even down to our business practices, and how we handle money. 

 Debt is a burden and it becomes worse when interest is added to it. This challenges our current world’s economy just as it did the world of that time. Hammurabi’s code defines fair interest rates anywhere between 20 to 33.3 percent. Often a poor farmer would borrow a loan to be able to buy seed to plant the next crop. The interest would create a seemingly inescapable system. Much like how credit cards work today. This is why God warns to be extremely careful with debt. 

 Proverbs 22:7 ESV 

 

 (7)  The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender. 

 

 At this time there was no bankruptcy so slavery or servanthood were options for those who could not pay back what they borrowed. Even though our society functions different, debt is still enslaving. We are enslaved to the one we borrowed from. Our entire society runs on debt, American household debt is now at 18.39 Trillion , the average American owes $252,505 on their mortgage , $35,208 on Student Loans, $24,297 in Auto Loans, and 6,730 in Credit Cards. The average resident in Arkansas owes $74,716 on non-mortgage debt. The world is consistently telling us to operate our lives based on debt yet God’s word challenges us to think differently. 

 Romans 13:7-8 ESV 

 

 (7)  Pay to all what is owed to them : taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. (8)  Owe no one anything, except to love each other , for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 

 

 As believers we are to glorify God in our finances, to pay our debts and show love to others. God desires for us to owe nothing to anyone . We are to live in a freedom that gives us the ability to love . Debt itself is not outright sinful but it is enslaving and should be approached with tremendous caution. Honoring God with money enables us to be generous and loving. As sinners we are so prone to greed and a desire for more. 

 Psalm 37:21 ESV 

 

 (21) The wicked borrows but does not pay back , but the righteous is generous and gives; 

 

 I rarely meet people who do not want to get rid of their debt, but often we are not willing to faithfully pursue it. 

 Proverbs 13:11 ESV 

 

 (11)Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it. 

 

 Debt is popular in part because it gives us what we want right now. God is sharing wisdom with us in this proverb. It is the consistent faithfulness to Him that has so much value over time. The end goal of these verses are not monetary gain but worshipping God with another aspect of our life. 

 Matthew 6:24 ESV 

 

 (24)  “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. 

 

 Hebrews 13:5-6 ESV 

 

 (5)  Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have , for He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (6)  So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” 

 

 We should not love money as a believer. We are called to serve God and love Him. We are to be content in Him. The love of money keeps our attention on worldly things that do not matter. The God of the universe has offered to help us and walk close to us, why would we focus on anything else? Yet, the provisions of the Sabbatical year and year of Jubilee show how humanity constantly struggles with debt, greed, and the consequences of mis-handled money. Even with all these provisions Israelites would still end up having to sale themselves into servanthood. 

 Leviticus 25:39-55 ESV 

 

 (39)  “If your brother becomes poor beside you and sells himself to you, you shall not make him serve as a slave: (40)  he shall be with you as a hired worker and as a sojourner. He shall serve with you until the year of the jubilee. (41)  Then he shall go out from you, he and his children with him, and go back to his own clan and 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 ruthlessly but shall fear your God. (44)  As for your male and female slaves whom you may have: you may buy male and female slaves from among the nations that are around you. (45)  You may also buy from among the strangers who sojourn with you and their clans that are with you, who have been born in your land, and they may be your property. (46)  You may bequeath them to your sons after you to inherit as a possession forever. You may make slaves of them, but over your brothers the people of Israel you shall not rule, one over another ruthlessly. (47)  “If a stranger or sojourner with you becomes rich, and your brother beside him becomes poor and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner with you or to a member of the stranger's clan, (48)  then after he is sold he may be redeemed. One of his brothers may redeem him, (49)  or his uncle or his cousin may redeem him, or a close relative from his clan may redeem him. Or if he grows rich he may redeem himself. (50)  He shall calculate with his buyer from the year when he sold himself to him until the year of jubilee, and the price of his sale shall vary with the number of years. The time he was with his owner shall be rated as the time of a hired worker. (51)  If there are still many years left, he shall pay proportionately for his redemption some of his sale price. (52)  If there remain but a few years until the year of jubilee, he shall calculate and pay for his redemption in proportion to his years of service. (53)  He shall treat him as a worker hired year by year. He shall not rule ruthlessly over him in your sight. (54)  And if he is not redeemed by these means, then he and his children with him shall be released in the year of jubilee. (55)  For it is to me that the people of Israel are servants. They are my servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. 

 

 When an Israelite was at the point of selling themselves into slavery God called His people to treat them as a servant and not a slave. God bought the Israelites out of the slavery in Egypt and they were not to be a slave again . They were free by the blood of the lamb. They were not to rule over each other ruthlessly. God’s entire system valued people, and valued caring for them all the while not making provision for laziness, or foolishness. These Jewish servants were to be released of all debt and be free at the Jubilee. 

 The Jubilee and all the restoration that came with it applied specifically to the Israelites . Isreal is told the can charge a foreigner interest (Deut 23:10) and own slaves who are from another nation. We struggle that God does not completely abolish slavery. Yet, we must be careful not to view ancient slavery through a modern lens. Most slavery of the day was tied to either debt, or warfare. God is very clear in valuing the dignity of all people, and providing protections for how slaves must be treated with rights. 

 Exodus 21:16 ESV 

 

 (16)  “ Whoever steals a man and sells him , and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death. 

 

 Abducting and forcing people into slavery was condemned by God and anyone practicing it was to be put to death. Slaves were also to enjoy the Sabbath rest each week (Deut. 5:14), and were not to be returned if they fled from their master (Deut. 23:15). Slavery in Isreal looked very different from the world and protections were put in place from treating a slave harshly (Ex. 21:26-27). God is always after changing the heart of man and then having the actions come from that changed heart. Slavery is a result from the sinfulness of man’s heart, and cannot be fully abolished until we have new hearts. 

 Galatians 3:28 ESV 

 

 (28)  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free , there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 

 

 All segregation and prejudice should be broken down in the body of Christ because of the new hearts we have in Him. Jesus unifies all, and in Him there is no slave or free. Just as Israel were not to be salves again because they had a new identity in God, we are to find our identity in Him. As believers we have a choice to practically be a slave to sin or be a slave to God. 

 Romans 6:15-23 ESV 

 

 (15)  What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!  (16)  Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? (17)  But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, (18)  and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. (19)  I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. (20)  For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. (21)  But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. (22)  But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God , the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. (23)  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

 

 Paul is writing to believers and describing the important choice we have. Practically we are slaves to the thing we obey . As a believer we can obey the world and sin and act like its slave again. We can become a slave to debt and money. Or we can choose to be a slave to righteousness and grow in being God’s people. Paul is not describing how to be saved . A nonbeliever does not have the freedom to make this choice. In Egypt the Israelites did not have the freedom in how they were going to handle their family inheritance . They had no inheritance or freedom. Then God bought them through the blood. As believes bought by the blood we have a choice of who we are going to serve. We are to grow in our walk with God and daily experience His free gift of eternal life. We are to be a bond- servant of God. A slave who has the freedom to leave and chooses to stay with their loving and caring master. 

 Exodus 21:5-6 ESV 

 

 (5)  But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ (6)  then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever. 

 

 God gives believers the freedom to walk with Him or the freedom not to, lets not waste our freedom in Him.

Leviticus 26:1-46 | Sunday October 19, 2025
Every contract includes the specific terms that are to be upheld. If both parties fulfill their obligations in the contract then it describes the positive outcome. Conversely, penalties are included if one party does not honor the contract. In chapter 26 God is finalizing His covenant of what it means for Him to dwell with Israel. A little over a year ago the Israelites were slaves in Egypt and God bought them through the blood and secured their freedom. He showed them how to build the tabernacle, and His presence abided there. He has spent the entire book of Leviticus explaining how they should live with Him. In chapter 26 God describes the blessings that He will give to them if they walk with Him and follow His Word. God also promises the curses that will come if they ignore His Word. 

 Leviticus 26:1-2 ESV 

 

 (1)  “ You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the LORD your God. (2)  You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary : I am the LORD. 

 

 God has such an amazing way of summarizing His law, and aiming straight at our hearts. It can be hard to imagine that after all God has done for Israel and shown them that they would be tempted to worship a man made idol, and yet we know how often they did. Before images or pillars were bowed down to, Israel would start neglecting the holiness of God’s presence in the tabernacle and ignore God’s various Sabbaths, (weekly and yearly). It is much easier to start worshipping a stone statue when you forget who God is and what He has done for you. Keeping the Sabbaths and revering the tabernacle were meant to draw Isreal into a deep walk with Him. If Israel obeyed God they could enjoy the rich blessings of fellowship with Him. 

 Leviticus 26:3-13 ESV 

 

 (3)  “ If you walk in My statutes and observe My commandments and do them, (4)  then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. (5)  Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely. (6)  I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land , and the sword shall not go through your land. (7)  You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. (8)  Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand, and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. (9)  I will turn to you and make you fruitful and multiply you and will confirm My covenant with you. (10)  You shall eat old store long kept, and you shall clear out the old to make way for the new. 

 

 God gives an extensive list of all the ways He wants to bless His people. These blessings include favorable weather for abundant crops, peace from enemies and even from wild animals. God also promises a supernatural ability to defend themselves and strike fear into their enemies. God promises that the nation would be fruitful, secure, and would multiply in the land. Unlike other ancient covenants from neighboring nations, Israel is not praying for God to bless them. Instead, God is the one making these promises. 

 Deuteronomy 32:30-31 ESV 

 

 (30)  How could one have chased a thousand, and two have put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them , and the LORD had given them up? (31)  For their rock is not as our Rock ; our enemies are by themselves. 

 

 Other nations relied on false gods and would make great pleas for their help. Instead Israel relied on the one true Rock. He alone could make one Israelite chase a thousand enemies. As Moses shares these truths, it is in the past tense. God promised it in Leviticus 26, and they have seen it happen. Even with all these great earthly blessings God finishes with the best promise of all, His presence. 

 Leviticus 26:11-13 NKJV 

 

 (11)  I will set My tabernacle among you , and My soul shall not abhor you. (12)  I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people. (13)  I 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. 

 

 The God of the universe is offering a close intimate relationship with Isreal. He is offering to be apart of their daily lives, and abide with them. God was offering to dwell, with His people, to Tabernacle with them . The blessings all flow from being with God. He is promising to restore the intimacy that has been lost since the garden. 

 Genesis 3:8 ESV 

 

 (8)  And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day , and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 

 

 Adam and Eve had sinned so the hid from God ‘s presence and humanity has been hiding from Him ever since . Instead of hearing God coming and being filled with joy and drawing near to Him we now move away from Him. God was offering to restore this relationship. They were His people, He brought them out of Egypt, now was their chance to have fellowship with Him and be blessed. For Israel these blessings were physical. As New Testament believers our blessings are eternal. 

 Ephesians 1:3 ESV 

 

 (3)  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 

 

 In the church we are not promised good crops, or material wealth. Taking these promises for Israel out of context does a lot of harm. As we walk in fellowship with Jesus we are still blessed but in an eternal spiritual way . For instance suffering is a blessing of fellowship. 

 Philippians 1:29 ESV 

 

 (29)  For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for His sake, 

 

 Suffering is viewed as a blessing and grace in our life. It is a high calling that produces more for eternity than we can ever know here. We are truly blessed in Jesus and we get to experience those blessings as we walk close with Him. Unfortunately, the chapter does not stop with these blessings. If Israel refuses to walk with God then there are tremendous curses that will come upon them. This chapter is defined by the word “IF.” 

 Leviticus 26:14-15 ESV 

 

 (14)  “ But if you will not listen to Me and will not do all these commandments , (15)  if you spurn My statutes, and if your soul abhors My rules , so that you will not do all My commandments, but break My covenant, 

 

 Even though Isreal has been brought out of Egypt, and have been declared God’s people, walking in fellowship with God is not a forgone conclusion. The people now have a choice. In their sinful hearts, they can reject God’s word. To abhor His rules is to view them as vile, and see them as something that is spoiled or rotten. Instead of God’s blessings Israel would receive His curses. 

 Leviticus 26:16-30 ESV 

 

 (16)  then I will do this to you : I will visit you with panic, with wasting disease and fever that consume the eyes and make the heart ache. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. (17)  I will set My face against you, and you shall be struck down before your enemies. Those who hate you shall rule over you, and you shall flee when none pursues you . (18)  And if in spite of this you will not listen to Me, then I will discipline you again sevenfold for your sins, (19)  and I will break the pride of your power , and I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. (20)  And your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield its increase, and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit. (21)  “ Then if you walk contrary to Me and will not listen to Me, I will continue striking you, sevenfold for your sins. (22)  And I will let loose the wild beasts against you , which shall bereave you of your children and destroy your livestock and make you few in number, so that your roads shall be deserted. (23)  “ And if by this discipline you are not turned to Me but walk contrary to Me, (24) then I also will walk contrary to you, and I myself will strike you sevenfold for your sins. (25)  And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute vengeance for the covenant. And if you gather within your cities, I will send pestilence among you, and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. (26)  When I break your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in a single oven and shall dole out your bread again by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied. (27)  “ But if in spite of this you will not listen to Me , but walk contrary to Me, (28)  then I will walk contrary to you in fury, and I myself will discipline you sevenfold for your sins. (29)  You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters. (30)  And I will destroy your high places and cut down your incense altars and cast your dead bodies upon the dead bodies of your idols, and My soul will abhor you. 

 

 Instead of putting enemies to flight, Israel would run in panic as no one pursued them. Instead of peace and safety from wild animals, they would be ravaged by them. Instead of an abundance of food, ten women will be able to share an oven because bread is so scarce. If Israel keeps pursuing their sin, then as a curse they would even turn to cannibalism. In Leviticus 26, these are promises, that have not happened yet. They were meant to serve as warnings, instead they became prophetic. Throughout the Old Testament, we can find evidences of all these curses coming upon God’s people, even cannibalism. 

 2 Kings 6:28-29 ESV 

 

 (28)  And the king asked her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘ Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ (29)  So we boiled my son and ate him . And on the next day I said to her, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him.’ But she has hidden her son.” 

 

 It is heart wrenching to see how far Israel fell. They serve as a sober warning of how hard hearted God’s people can become. God promises to discipline His people. His heart is fellowship and restoration, and He is willing to continually up the discipline until it is responded to. God’s discipline is done in love. 

 Amos 3:1-2 ESV 

 

 (1)  Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt: (2)  “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. 

 

 Proverbs 3:11-12 NLT 

 

 (11)  My child, don’t reject the LORD’s discipline , and don’t be upset when He corrects you. (12)  For the LORD corrects those He loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom He delights. 

 

 Isreal had the unique privilege of being God’s people and He treated them as such. Out of His love and heart for relationship He punished there sin, and promised them curses for disobedience . We prefer the terms discipline and correction and yet it all describes the same thing. He loved His people enough not to let them continue in their sin. Israel was held accountable for how they walk with God and we will be held accountable as well. 

 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 ESV 

 

 (9)  So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him. (10)  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ , so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. 

 

 All believers are saved by the blood of Jesus and will face no condemnation, no wrath from God. As God’s set apart people we will give an account for how we have lived for Him . We are called to make it our aim to please Him and walk in fellowship with Him. At this bema (judgment) seat is where the earthly and eternal will be separated. Our loving gracious God desires for us to enjoy His presence and not waste what has been given to us . Israel wasted so much. In discipline God was willing to punish them to the point of exile. 

 Leviticus 26:31-39 ESV 

 

 (31)  And I will lay your cities waste and will make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not smell your pleasing aromas. (32)  And I Myself will devastate the land , so that your enemies who settle in it shall be appalled at it. (33)  And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will unsheathe the sword after you, and your land shall be a desolation , and your cities shall be a waste. (34)  “Then the land shall enjoy its Sabbaths as long as it lies desolate, while you are in your enemies' land; then the land shall rest, and enjoy its Sabbaths. (35)  As long as it lies desolate it shall have rest, the rest that it did not have on your Sabbaths when you were dwelling 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 driven leaf shall put them to flight, and they shall flee as one flees from the sword, and they shall fall when none pursues. (37)  They shall stumble over one another, as if to escape a sword, though none pursues. And you shall have no power to stand before your enemies. (38)  And you shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up. (39)  And those of you who are left shall rot away in your enemies' lands because of their iniquity, and also because of the iniquities of their fathers they shall rot away like them. 

 

 The land flowing with milk and Honey that God wanted His people to enjoy as their inheritance, He is promising to devastate . Israel continued in their sin and squandered walking in God’s goodness. The Israelites were going to be scattered among the nations and will perish. Then God affirms that He will not make a complete end of Isreal. 

 Leviticus 26:40-46 NET 

 

 (40)  However , when they confess their iniquity and their ancestors’ iniquity which they committed by trespassing against Me, by which they also walked in hostility against Me (41)  (and I Myself will walk in hostility against them and bring them into the land of their enemies), and then their uncircumcised hearts become humbled and they make up for their iniquity, (42)  I will remember My covenant with Jacob and also My covenant with Isaac and also My covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. (43)  The land will be abandoned by them in order that it may make up for its Sabbaths while it is made desolate without them, and they will make up for their iniquity because they have rejected My regulations and have abhorred My statutes. (44)  In spite of this , however, when they are in the land of their enemies I will not reject them and abhor them to make a complete end of them , to break My covenant with them, for I am the LORD their God. (45)  I will remember for them the covenant with their ancestors whom I brought out from the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations to be their God. I am the LORD. (46)  These are the statutes, regulations, and instructions which the LORD established between Himself and the Israelites at Mount Sinai through Moses. 

 

 Some translations start this passage with if , continuing the theme we have seen throughout the chapter. The only problem is there is no “IF” in verse 40 . God is promising to remain faithful to His people. He will remember the covenants with Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. He will remember the physical land. He promises not to make a complete end of them. 

 This exile referred to the Babylonian exile but in a fuller way, it describes the Jewish history throughout the ages. Every country has a story of persecuting the Jews as they have been scattered throughout the world and the promised land lied in desolation for many years. It is amazing to read Samuel Henry Kellog remarks in 1891: 

 “The continued existence of this nation [Israel] up to the present day, the preservation […] throughout thousands of years, in spite of all dispersion and oppression, remains so unparalleled a phenomenon, that without […] God, and His constant interference and protection, it would be impossible for us to explain it. ” “And, strangest of all, throughout this time the once fertile land has lain desolate, for the Gentiles have never settled in it in any great number.” 

 He wrote this 57 years before Isreal was declared a nation again. As He studied Leviticus 26, He was amazed at these truths. Without a homeland, scattered, and persecuted in the world the Jews still existed and the sought after prized promised land lie relatively empty and in ruin. The Word has been fulfilled in our lifetime. God is remaining faithful to His people and His promises. I want to be clear that modern Israel has not repented and is not walking with God, yet God has brought His people back into the promised land. A people He protected throughout the generations. 

 Why does this matter, because it anchors our hearts to how God will treat us. So many wonder what sins a believer cannot commit. Or we struggle with the idea of a believer continuing in sin for too long. Israel should serve as a warning and a promise . God disciplines His own who are not walking with Him and God remains faithful to His promises. 

 2 Timothy 2:11-13 ESV 

 

 (11)  The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with Him, we will also live with Him; (12)  if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us; (13)  if we are faithless, He remains faithful— for He cannot deny himself. 

 

 Philippians 1:6 ESV 

 

 (6)  And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Leviticus 27:1-34 | Sunday October 26, 2025
Last week God made a set of promises to Israel. He promised amazing blessings for following His commandments and He promised terrible curses if they did not walk with Him. God desired to bless and have Israel enjoy fellowship with Him. The issue was would Israel let God bless them, by walking with Him. Many feel like chapter 26 would make a great conclusion to the book of Leviticus, because at first glance Chapter 27 feels out of place. In this chapter God gives instructions for how Israel is to make vows to Him. This is fitting because He just made vows to them in the last chapter. Often when times get hard, like Israel experiencing the curses from God, people tend to negotiate with God and try to make deals with Him. “God if you… then I will…” In many ways this sounds like the blessings and curses God promised. In this chapter God explains how serious these vows to Him need to be taken. 

 Leviticus 27:1-8 ESV 

 

 (1)  The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (2)  “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, If anyone makes a special vow to the LORD involving the valuation of persons , (3)  then the valuation of a male from twenty years old up to sixty years old shall be fifty shekels of silver , according to the shekel of the sanctuary. (4)  If the person is a female , the valuation shall be thirty shekels. (5)  If the person is from five years old up to twenty years old, the valuation shall be for a male twenty shekels, and for a female ten shekels. (6)  If the person is from a month old up to five years old, the valuation shall be for a male five shekels of silver, and for a female the valuation shall be three shekels of silver. (7)  And if the person is sixty years old or over , then the valuation for a male shall be fifteen shekels, and for a female ten shekels. (8)  And if someone is too poor to pay the valuation, then he shall be made to stand before the priest, and the priest shall value him; the priest shall value him according to what the vower can afford. 

 

 The vows described are called special, difficult, unusual, wonderful, or extraordinary . In these vows you are dedicating something in service to God, in these cases it is a person’s life. Whoever is involved in the vow is offering to give their life or a family member’s life to serving God at the tabernacle/ temple. This is the type of vow that Hannah makes concerning her future son Samuel. 

 1 Samuel 1:11 ESV 

 

 (11)  And she vowed a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your servant and remember me and not forget Your servant, but will give to Your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.” 

 

 Hannah vows to God that if she is able to give birth then she will offer her son to the Lord and have him serve at the tabernacle. This was a very serious vow that she fulfilled. Practically, there was only so much room for people to serve at the tabernacle, especially with so many tasks being reserved for the Levites. So God is giving the money equivalent of this vow of service . Instead of physically staying at the tabernacle, you could pay this fee to fulfill the vow. Depending on your age, and gender the cost of the vow was different. 

 

 

 

   

 

 1 Month Old- 5 yr old 

 

 

 5 yr old- 20 yr old 

 

 

 20 yr old- 60 yr old 

 

 

 60 yr old + 

 

 

 

 

 Male 

 

 

 5 shekels 

 

 

 20 shekels 

 

 

 50 shekels 

 

 

 15 shekels 

 

 

 

 

 Female 

 

 

 3 shekels 

 

 

 10 shekels 

 

 

 30 shekels 

 

 

 10 shekels 

 

 

 

 

 A shekel was about a month’s wages. These vows had a high cost associated to them. The fact that the evaluation changes based on age and gender is not a statement of inherent value but is practical. A 30 yr old male was able to lift more wood for the sacrifices and was more practical help then a 5 yr old, thus the higher cost. These vows were entirely optional, but when made had to be kept. 

 Deuteronomy 23:21-23 ESV 

 

 (21)  “If you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it , for the LORD your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. (22)  But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin. (23)  You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God what you have promised with your mouth. 

 

 Notice if you refrain from making a vow, that is not a sin. The Israelites were given a freedom to make a vow or not to. God wanted His people to mean what they promised. This was a vow to a holy God and needed to be entered into careful and after much consideration. Once the vow was made, God was going to make sure it was fulfilled. It was not just people that were vowed to service to God but also animals, houses, and land. 

 Leviticus 27:9-25 ESV 

 

 (9)  “ If the vow is an animal that may be offered as an offering to the LORD, all of it that he gives to the LORD is holy. (10)  He shall not exchange it or make a substitute for it , good for bad, or bad for good; and if he does in fact substitute one animal for another, then both it and the substitute shall be holy. (11)  And if it is any unclean animal that may not be offered as an offering to the LORD, then he shall stand the animal before the priest, (12)  and the priest shall value it as either good or bad; as the priest values it, so it shall be. (13)  But if he wishes to redeem it, he shall add a fifth to the valuation. (14)  “ When a man dedicates his house as a holy gift to the LORD, the priest shall value it as either good or bad; as the priest values it, so it shall stand. (15)  And if the donor wishes to redeem his house, he shall add a fifth to the valuation price , and it shall be his. (16)  “If a man dedicates to the LORD part of the land that is his possession, then the valuation shall be in proportion to its seed. A homer of barley seed shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver. (17)  If he dedicates his field from the year of jubilee, the valuation shall stand, (18)  but if he dedicates his field after the jubilee, then the priest shall calculate the price according to the years that remain until the year of jubilee, and a deduction shall be made from the valuation. (19)  And if he who dedicates the field wishes to redeem it, then he shall add a fifth to its valuation price, and it shall remain his. (20)  But if he does not wish 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 a holy gift to the LORD, like a field that has been devoted. The priest shall be in possession of it. (22)  If he dedicates to the LORD a field that he has bought, which is not a part of his possession, (23)  then the priest shall calculate the amount of the valuation for it up to the year of jubilee, and the man shall give the valuation on that day as a holy gift to the LORD. (24)  In the year of jubilee the field shall return to him from whom it was bought, to whom the land belongs as a possession. (25)  Every valuation shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary : twenty gerahs shall make a shekel. 

 

 If an animal was considered clean then it was used for sacrifice. If it was unclean, then the priest was to give a monetary evaluation for it. These evaluations also applied to a house, land, and leased land with specific details given about how to handle the jubilee. To redeem a house or land, a person needed to add 1/5th or 20% to the priest’s evaluation as a monetary gift to represent giving the house/ land to God . Giving something to God was costly and God warns not to make a substitute or change your mind once you heard the cost. 

 Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 ESV 

 

 (4)  When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. (5)  It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. (6)  Let not your mouth lead you into sin , and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? 

 

 God is very clear that He is going to hold Israel to their word. They cannot make a vow and then change their mind, and say it was a mistake. God is too holy for that. These were optional, there tongue was creating a problem that did not need to exist. We have such a tendency to make grand promises and at times have great intentions then when the reality hits everything changes. God did not want His people or us to act this way. Our words are to mean something. 

 James 5:12 ESV 

 

 (12)  But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. 

 

 I find it amazing that words have become so meaningless that we have to keep adding things to our statements to show we really mean them. Legally this is why we need notaries and having people sworn under oath. Jesus wants our yes to mean it and or no to mean it. These vows are not required; God simply wants His people to be careful in what we are promising to Him. After all these details of what can be offered in service to God, then God explains what cannot be given to Him by a vow. 

 Leviticus 27:26-33 ESV 

 

 (26)  “ But a firstborn of animals, which as a firstborn belongs to the LORD, no man may  dedicate; whether ox or sheep, it is the LORD's. (27)  And if it is an unclean animal, then he shall buy it back at the valuation, and add a fifth to it; or, if it is not redeemed, it shall be sold at the valuation. (28)  “ But no devoted thing that a man devotes to the LORD, of anything that he has, whether man or beast, or of his inherited field, shall be sold or redeemed ; every devoted thing is most holy to the LORD. (29)  No one devoted, who is to be devoted for destruction from mankind, shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death. (30)  “ Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the LORD's; it is holy to the LORD. (31)  If a man wishes to redeem some of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it. (32)  And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman's staff, shall be holy to the LORD. (33)  One shall not differentiate between good or bad, neither shall he make a substitute for it; and if he does substitute for it, then both it and the substitute shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.” 

 

 According to Exodus 13:12 all firstborn animals belong to God. Just as God asks for the firstfruits of the harvest, the firstborns are dedicated to Him. Since they are already dedicated to God then they cannot be regiven to God in a vow. 

 Likewise, the tithe already belonged to God, so to dedicate it to God 20% had to be added to it. We need to be careful in how we apply the vow to our lives as believers. It is so tempting to think that we should start dedicating parts of our life to God, until we understand that it already belongs to Him . 

 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 NET 

 

 (14)  For the love of Christ controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ died for all; therefore all have died. (15)  And He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised. (16)  So then from now on we acknowledge no one from an outward human point of view . Even though we have known Christ from such a human point of view, now we do not know Him in that way any longer. (17)  So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away – look, what is new has come! 

 

 As a believer we have died with Christ and have been given new life in Him. What is there to dedicate to God in our life that does not belong to Him already? Our challenge is to grow and learn how to live in this new life He created. To not live for ourselves anymore, but for Him. The new has come, that is not said in a future tense, but the perfect (a completed action with continuing results). We have a new life in Christ, but do we choose to walk in it? When we have a decision to make about our career, or buying a car, or our family life do we involve Jesus and live in our new life? Do we seek His wisdom and aim to glorify God in our new life or do we just live from a normal human point of view? 

 Romans 12:1-2 ESV 

 

 (1)  I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (2)  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 

 

 Paul appeals to the believers in Rome. This word means to call to one’s side, and encourage. Our lives belong to God anyway why wouldn’t we offer them as a living sacrifice? This is only possible when we use God’s truth to have a transformed mind. We are called not to think like the world but to think in our new life. Part of walking in this new life is understanding that sin cannot be offered to God as worship. 

 Leviticus 27:29 ESV 

 

 (29)  No one devoted, who is to be devoted for destruction from mankind, shall be ransomed ; he shall surely be put to death. 

 

 When Israel entered into the promised land their were gold and silver idols scattered throughout the land. These were to be devoted to destruction. The people of the land were to be judged as well. Israel was not to try and use these people or items to worship God or try to dedicate them to Him. The simple first step to know God’s will is to look at His word. If God calls it sin then it is not His will and cannot be dedicated to Him. God just spent an entire book explaining what acceptable worship looks like, Israel should not make up their own version. 

 Matthew 15:3-6 ESV 

 

 (3)  He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? (4)  For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ (5)  But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” (6)  he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. 

 

 If we are honest we have not come far from the Pharisees. We love our man made traditions and controlling people. We love to decide what is more important and twist things to our own benefit. God not only revealed His will through the Word then He gave us the Spirit to understand it. We can learn what the new life in Christ looks like though His Word. God wants us to experience the blessing of walking in His commandments. 

 1 John 5:3 ESV 

 

 (3)  For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments . And His commandments are not burdensome. 

 

 God desires for us to experience the life and freedom that come from His commandments. In them He shows His love and we can experience His goodness. Leviticus finished with a reminder of where these commandments came from. 

 Leviticus 27:34 ESV 

 

 (34)  These are the commandments that the LORD commanded Moses for the people of Israel on Mount Sinai. 

 

 God has gone into detail to explain to His people how to live in His presence. Leviticus is not a book describing how to become God’s people, but now how they should live since they are God’s people. He has described what worship through the sacrifices should look like. Each one has pointed us to Christ. 

 The whole burnt offering showed Jesus’ perfect obedience in His life. The grain offering pointed to how Jesus enables us to worship God with the fruit from our lives. The sin offering came first in worship and it is through the offering of blood that we can be accepted. All this animal blood pointed to the perfect offering of the blood of Jesus. In the peace offering we saw the fellowship meal that God invites His people to enjoy with Him. Lastly, the trespass offering dealt with debts our sin demand and how Jesus paid them all. God also described the qualifications of the priest and their garments and how each piece pointed to Jesus our perfect High Priest. 

 God showed the people what how to live separate and whole in His presence. He defined what clean and unclean was and how to be restored to the community. He gave them a calendar with built in reminders to draw the people to a deeper walk with Him. The fall feasts, the Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Firstfruits, and Feast of weeks served as a road map for Jesus first coming; His death and resurrection. The spring Feasts, The feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Booths point to His second coming. God also set up the Sabbath day, year and ultimately the year of Jubilee to show His people the rest and fellowship He desired for His people to enjoy with Him. Throughout this study hopefully Jesus words in Matthew 5 make more sense. 

 Matthew 5:17-18 ESV 

 

 (17)  “ Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (18)  For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 

 

 Jesus came to perfectly fulfill the law that always was meant to point to Him. Through Jesus we are not under the law but under the higher calling of grace. My hope is that God’s timeless character has shown through, He has not changed. As God revealed His holiness in Leviticus to the Israelites we are called as New Testament believers to reflect that same holiness. 

 1 Peter 1:13-16 ESV 

 

 (13)  Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (14)  As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, (15)  but as He who called you is holy , you also be holy in all your conduct, (16)  since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I Am holy.”