Notes from Leviticus
Post 1 — Meet the Book
The book of Leviticus begins precisely where Exodus leaves off.
The tabernacle has been completed, and the glory of the LORD has filled it. God’s presence is so overwhelming that Moses is unable to enter the tent of meeting (Exodus 40:34–35).
That detail is important.
Leviticus begins with a question:
How can a holy God dwell among an unholy people?
Leviticus breaks from much of the narrative structure of Genesis and Exodus and moves primarily into instructions concerning sacrifices, priesthood, purity, holiness, worship, and covenant life.
But these laws are not random regulations.
Moses’ inability to enter the tabernacle establishes the theological problem that drives the book:
God is holy, and His people are not.
God desires to dwell among His people, yet His holiness cannot simply overlook sin and impurity. Leviticus therefore explains how Israel is to approach God, worship Him, deal with sin and ritual impurity, and live as a people set apart for His presence.
The sacrificial system provided God-appointed means of atonement, purification, forgiveness, and restored fellowship within the Mosaic covenant.
Three Major Areas of Leviticus
The laws of Leviticus can broadly be understood through three overlapping areas:
1. Ritual
These instructions govern Israel’s worship—particularly sacrifices, offerings, festivals, holy days, and other prescribed rituals.
2. Priesthood
These laws concern the ordination, qualifications, responsibilities, and conduct of the priests, who served in Israel’s worship and ministry at the sanctuary.
3. Holiness
These instructions teach Israel what it meant to live as a people set apart to God. They address worship, morality, relationships, sexuality, food, ritual purity, justice, and everyday life.
And this is important:
Ritual impurity is not necessarily the same thing as moral sin.
Something could make an Israelite ritually unclean without that person having committed a moral offense. The purity laws distinguish between categories of clean and unclean, while the holiness laws also address moral obedience and covenant faithfulness.
Together, these laws teach Israel that life in the presence of a holy God requires distinction, reverence, and holiness.
What Do These Laws Have in Common?
Though the laws of Leviticus address many different subjects, several themes continually emerge.
They call Israel to be holy.
“You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.”
— Leviticus 19:2
They set Israel apart from the surrounding nations.
Israel was not simply another ancient nation with another religious system. They belonged to Yahweh and were called to reflect His character.
They continually remind Israel of their covenant relationship with God.
Their worship, daily lives, bodies, homes, food, relationships, priests, festivals, and sacrifices all existed within the reality that they belonged to God.
And they prepare us to understand the need for a greater and final atonement.
The New Testament explicitly develops the sacrificial and priestly themes of Leviticus and shows their fulfillment in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9–10).
We should be careful, however, not to force Christ into every individual detail of Leviticus. Instead, we watch for the connections that Scripture itself develops and allows the biblical storyline to lead us to Christ.
The Day of Atonement
At the center of Leviticus stands Leviticus 16—the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur.
This was the great annual ceremony in which atonement was made for the sins and impurities of Israel and the sanctuary.
Two goats were selected.
One was offered as a sin offering.
The other became the scapegoat. The high priest confessed the sins of Israel over the goat, symbolically placing their iniquities upon it, and the goat was sent away into the wilderness.
These two goats vividly communicate two dimensions of atonement:
sin requires dealing with, and sin is removed from God’s people.
The New Testament helps us see the greater fulfillment of these realities in Christ, whose sacrifice is not repeated annually but is once for all (Hebrews 9:11–14; 10:10–14).
Why Leviticus Matters
Leviticus may require a little more work to understand and apply than some of the more narrative books of Scripture.
But it gives us a profound picture of God’s character and His purposes.
It teaches us that:
God is holy.
Sin and impurity matter.
God desires to dwell with His people.
Atonement is necessary for sinners to approach a holy God.
God Himself provides the way for His people to draw near.
And as the biblical story continues, these themes lead us toward the ultimate fulfillment of God’s provision:
Jesus Christ, our perfect and once-for-all sacrifice.
A Simple Outline of Leviticus
Chapters 1–7 — The Sacrificial Offerings
Instructions concerning Israel’s various offerings, including the burnt, grain, peace, sin, and guilt offerings.
Chapters 8–10 — The Priesthood
The ordination of Aaron and his sons, their responsibilities, and the judgment that falls on Nadab and Abihu for unauthorized worship.
Chapters 11–15 — Clean and Unclean
Instructions concerning clean and unclean animals, bodily conditions, skin diseases, bodily discharges, and other matters of ritual purity.
Chapter 16 — The Day of Atonement
Instructions for Israel’s annual Day of Atonement and the cleansing of the sanctuary and people.
Chapter 17 — The Holiness of Blood and Sacrifice
Instructions concerning where sacrifices may be offered and the sacred significance of blood.
Chapters 18–20 — Holiness in Everyday Life
Commands concerning sexual morality, family relationships, idolatry, justice, and separation from the practices of the surrounding nations.
Chapters 21–22 — Priestly Holiness
Additional requirements concerning the holiness and conduct of the priests and regulations concerning acceptable offerings.
Chapter 23 — Feasts and Holy Days
Israel’s appointed times, including Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Weeks, Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and Booths.
Chapter 24 — Holy Things and Covenant Community
Instructions concerning the lampstand, the bread of the Presence, and the consequences of blaspheming God’s name.
Chapter 25 — Sabbath Year and Jubilee
Instructions concerning the Sabbath year, the Year of Jubilee, land, property, debt, and care for fellow Israelites.
Chapter 26 — Covenant Blessings and Curses
A covenant call to obedience accompanied by promises of blessing and warnings concerning covenant disobedience.
Chapter 27 — Vows and Dedicated Things
Regulations concerning vows, dedications, valuations, and things devoted to the LORD.
The Big Picture
Leviticus is not simply a book of strange rules about sacrifices, food, priests, and purity.
It is a book answering a profound question:
How can a holy God dwell among a sinful people?
And as we study it carefully, we begin to see the answer unfolding:
God makes a way for His people to dwell in His presence.
The temporary and repeated provisions of the Mosaic covenant ultimately point us toward the greater reality revealed in Christ—the One whose sacrifice is sufficient once for all.
“For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”
— Hebrews 10:14
The Meek Momma 
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