The book of Leviticus is the 3rd book of the Bible. Many people in reading through the Bible give up about half way through this book. This is not because it can not be understood, but because the application to us in the 21 century is not easily seen. It is worth the study for we discover that this book gives us insight into what it means to be a holy people. In fact the word holy occurs 87 times (McGee) in Leviticus. The New Testament indicates that believers in Christ are also called to be a holy people. The same truth taught in this book. Keep reading.

Leviticus means 'relating to the Levities'
The Theme: Instruction in Holiness
Key Verses: 11:45 - 'Be holy, because I am holy'

6 comment(s) for “Leviticus Introduction”

• 1. Beverly on Friday, January 29, 2010 at 6:46 AM

  This section of the Old Testament is hard for me because what I read here clashes with my imperfect picture of God. While I do get the symbolism of the shedding of blood for the covering of sin, the fact that God is commanding them to do something so disgusting as a part of worship just doesn't compute. I've been around animals when they've been killed and butchered and it is a gross, dirty, smelly process. My picture of the ideal place of worship is a beautiful, pristine, clean, peaceful sanctuary - NOT a butcher yard, so I have trouble "getting" it.
  
  Here are some questions:
  1. What is the reason for the continued reference to not using yeast?
  2. What was the difference in purpose between a sin and a guilt offering?

• 2. Pastor Joseph on Friday, January 29, 2010 at 12:40 PM

  Beverly I agree that these sacrifices were gruesome as they were carried out. It was to be a visual picture of the repulsiviness of sin and the consequence sin brings. The wages of sin is death, so says the Lord. As I read through these early chapters of Leviticus I was deeply struck with the fact that, as horrible as these sacrifices were, Jesus Christ endured the horrors of death on the cross and God's wrath against Him as He bore my sins and the sins of the world. Before you or I can worship God we must deal with our sins. In fact, dealing with our sins God's way is, in fact an act of worship, for it recognizes God for who He is and me for who I am in His sight. Also, as part of our worship we are called upon to celebrate Communion which remembers the death of Christ for our sins. Sacrifice is a vital part of our acts of worship.
  
  A few thoughts on your two questions:
  
  Concerning the restriction on having yeast as part of the offerings. Yeast or leaven in Scripture is almost always used to illustrate sin or evil. (1 Corinthians 5:6-8, Matthew 16:6,12, Galatians 5:7-9). The offerings were without yeast because they were to be perfect, with sincerity. I can not say if the Israelistes understood the significance of this or not. The further revelation of Scripture gives us this insight.
  
  Let me suggest a very simple distinction between the two sacrifices. The Sin Offering deat with the individual's sin against God whom he has offended. The offering allowed God to forgive the person because atonement had been made.The Gulit Offering provided forgiveness so the person's incured gulit would be lifted. He could be assured that God had forgiven both the sin and lifted the guilt. I am sure there are other differences as well. This is one that I see.

• 3. Ellen on Friday, January 29, 2010 at 2:13 PM

  Thank you for explaining the difference between the Sin Offering and the Guilt Offering. I'm wondering how that relates to today. It seems there are many, who after confessing their sins and asking forgiveness, still carry the guilt for what they have done. Perhaps they need some visual aids to help us in dealing with the guilt.It really hard to get them past that.

• 4. Brett on Sunday, January 31, 2010 at 9:33 PM

  The practice of sacrifices must have left an impression on the people; at least I know it would with me, especially to place my hand on an animal while it's killed for something wrong that I've done. And like Ellen says this would have been a very effective visual aid to demonstrate that guilt had been lifted.
  
  When we confess sins and ask for forgiveness in Christ, we are obviously not asking Jesus to sacrifice himself again since he has offered himself once for all. So I look at the sacrificial system as a reminder to me of the great cost that Jesus paid and how anything good in my life has come by His sacrifice.

• 5. Pastor Russell on Monday, February 1, 2010 at 8:46 AM

  An additional dimension to the Sin and Guilt offerings are concepts of substitution (4:33) and restitution (6:5). Of course, in our sinfulness towards God we can never ourselves be a perfect sacrifice (we have defects - 4:32) nor can we ever make restitution to God + 20%!!! Praise God that Jesus is both our sin offering (Hebrews 4:15, 2 Corinthians 5:21) and our guilt offering (Isaiah 53:10)!

• 6. Ellen on Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at 2:44 PM

  I am so thankful for the discussion concerning the sin and the guilt sacrifices. I was able to share with a prisoner, who was having a problem of guilt in his own life, that altimately Jesus cancelled His sin and His guilt. And that he should begin to praise and thank Jesus Christ for taking his sin and his guilt by dying for him.