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Leviticus is carved in stone on tablets/pillars, both as an homage to the ten commandments, as well as a representation of the foundational nature of the Law/Torah/Pentateuch. The most important writings during the time period were carved in stone of lead. (Job 12:24).
Author: Moses
Genre: History/Pentateuch/Torah
Audience: The Hebrew People
Written: ~ 1400 BC
Chapters: 27
Words: 18,852
Period Covered: ~1445 BC
Images/Stories Depicted:
Burnt Offerings / Sacrifice
Priests – Rules and cleanliness
Rules about Ritual Purity
Scapegoat / Atonement
Defining Festivals and Feasts
Covenant with Priest as “mediators” between the People and God
Rules on Moral Purity
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Leviticus – Covenant between Isreal and the LORD
God provides a way for his corrupt imperfect people to live in his presence.
God is Holy – Set apart, as creator and author of life.
Israel – Unjust, sinful and unholy
1-7 – God reveals the ways the people can offer Sacrifices for thanks (Grain and Fellowship offerings), and repentance (Burnt, purification & restitution offerings). Animals die in our place and atone for the sins.
8-10 – Aaron’s sons are called to be priests and given requirements, rules etc. Some of Aarons sons don’t obey the rules and are smitten by God when they go into the Holy of Holies (his presence) without being clean.
11-15 – Ritual Purity and instructions regarding unclean things. Most notably: bodily fluids, skin diseases, mold, dead bodies and eating impure animals. All associated with mortality and the loss of life.
16-17 – Day of Atonement – Once a year there was to be a feast the high priest would offer goats as sacrifice for all the people. One was the Purification offering, and it was killed to atone for the sins of Israel. The other was the Scapegoat, which was a released into the desert once the people had confessed their sins. The goat bore the sins of the people and was a symbol of God’s removal of sin from Israel.
18-20 – Moral Purity and instructions on how Israel is called to live differently than the Canaanites. Rules include: Caring for the poor, Sexual Integrity & Social Justice.
21-22 – God describes more qualifications for Priests as the “go-between” (Mediators) between the Israelites and God.
23-25 – Seven annual feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Weeks/Pentecost, Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Tabernacles). Israel is to remember who they are and how God brought them out of slavery, etc.
26-27– God restates his Covenant with Israel and calls them to faithfulness, outlining the blessings or consequences of Obedience and Unfaithfulness.