Introduction & Overview to Leviticus

[The priestly robe in the albumart above and in the video below is credited to the author of the Redeemer of Israel website]

Wednesday 05/16/18

Message – Introduction & Overview to Leviticus

Series: Thru the Bible

Podcast: Download (80.4MB)

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***Video is HERE***

{Outline of Leviticus – PDF / Overview of Leviticus – PDF}

Introduction and Overview to Leviticus

First we are going to watch 2 summary videos on Exodus to kinda wrap up in summary form what we’ve covered in introduction to where we are going in the book of Leviticus. These videos are taken from YouTube and are from a non-profit called, The Bible Project.

Ok…upon listening to this message myself I have to admit that it is an odd introduction. You might really have to listen and follow along with the written material I’ve provided below and in the PFD handouts to truly “get” what I’m saying. That having been said, I think that IF you do, it will be an aid to the book as we go through it by offering a backdrop for rather large and important topics such as sin/righteousness, Justice/Relationship, Intimacy vs. Tolerance…etc.

One of the reasons we as humans sin is rooted in our inability to be what we are, without reliance upon our union with God.

Made of eternal substance – without ability for purely self-control – we need our union with God for satisfaction. We were created to ENJOY all things but NEED only one!
Eternity in our hearts – yet man cannot discern the eternal nature of God’s work from beginning to end. (We answer matters before we hear them) – thus Adam and Eve took the fruit.
Our longing to discover is often connected to our sense of satisfaction rather than simple enjoyment with contentment.

Leviticus is THE book in the Bible where MOST of modern Christianity will have difficulty…even to the point of denying it’s authenticity. In it God is seen as

Picky while we teach a God who is “understanding”
Harsh while we teach a God who is “only kind”
Demanding while we teach a God who is “only giving”
Unreasonable while we teach a God who is “capitulating”.

This is because – the Modern Gospel is humanistic – man-centered.

It is being “sold” as loving and relational and intimate, yet it is devoid of elements of rejection, justice and moral absolutes.

This is done to make God appear more approachable and able to be identified with…

Ironically – it has the opposite effect because these are qualities we do not have!

We do love, but it has conditions.
We do care…but not to the point of helping those who reject our help.
We can be forgiving…so long as the other person feels repentant for hurting us…etc.

We want a God Who is entirely UNLIKE us – so that we can relate to Him…it makes NO sense!

There is NO quality we have as created beings in God’s image which is unique to us other than that we are NOT the Creator. The only reason we as humans have an innate sense of justice, of a need to right wrongs, a need to find common ground with others so we can relate to them is because we share such qualities with God.

So it follows that any gospel message devoid of these elements actually reveals a God Who “appears nicer” to us but Who is equally SO unlike us that we could never truly relate to Him.

Approaching Leviticus with the right heart

Like ALL of scripture – Leviticus can be seen in two ways…

God is angry and has made a HUGE list of rules – some logical some seemingly picky and petty which He gives to man as a forever “to do” list which requires sacrifice if we fail so that man always feels beholden to Him and never truly feels a sense of sweeping acceptance and love.
As revealing man as fallen from a perfect state and God is unchangeably pure – so that the gulf between us seems impassable, but God so desires relationship with man that He generates ways for them to approach Him and enjoy His favor and love.

You see these two views (though admittedly less extreme) throughout the Bible:

The Law is seen as condemning and fault-finding – 2 Cor. 3:9 – “Ministry of Condemnation” Rom. 7:9 – “I was alive before the law, but when the commandment came sin revived and I died as a result”
It is also seen as light and life. Ps. 119: 105 “Word is a lamp to my feet” Prov. 4:22 “…they are Life to all that find them and health to all their flesh”

David himself saw this…

Psa 119:9-20 “(9) How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. (10) With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! (11) Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. (12) Blessed are You, O LORD! Teach me Your statutes. (13) With my lips I have declared All the judgments of Your mouth. (14) I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. (15) I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. (16) I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. (17) Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word. (18) Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law. (19) I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me. (20) My soul breaks with longing For Your judgments at all times.”

The truth however is not one or the other, but both!

The same Law that condemned, also pointed to righteousness.
The same Law that brought death to the sinner, brought stability to the saint.
The same Law that pointed out sin to the uninformed, revealed righteous behavior to the informed.
The same Law that pointed out the distance between us and God, reveals a God Who has made ways of coming near.

It lies with YOU to be a glass half FULL type of person rather than the other way about.

So as we go forward in Leviticus determine to have eyes to see and a heart that believes in God’s love for mankind without forsaking His justice.

Also realize and embrace the fact that you do not truly want a God devoid of justice because justice is ROOTED in the interunity of the Godhead. If the loving relationship or honor and deference and respect in GOD did NOT exist – then true love would have no meaning or depth at all! It would all be reduced down to distant acceptance and tolerance – not true lifegiving union!

Belief in Two truths MUST be maintained while studying this book…

God does not change, does not need to and if He did all creation would fall apart.
We DID change at the fall and need to be transformed back into His image.

The laws in Leviticus facilitate this and can be broken down in several ways.

Laws regarding sin (known and unknown, intentional and not).
Laws regarding purity (moral and ritual).
Laws regarding the priesthood.
Laws regarding sacrifice (I’m sorry and thank you).
Laws of remembrance – Feasts and Holy-days.
Day of Atonement.

Categories of No-nos:

Not all sin was deliberate.
Not every wrong was sin
Not every impurity was wrong…

An example of deliberate sin is murder – everyone knew it was wrong so doing it was a deliberate sin and had a special consequence.
An example of unintentional sin is lust – it may not have been premeditated to covet another person’s spouse but it was sin.
An example of wrong that was not sin are things like defending your family and unintentionally killing someone in the process.
An example of impurity that was NOT sin would be having contact with something that has death in it – like a dead body or menstrual blood or leprosy or even deadly mold.

So some of Leviticus represents true rights and wrongs which directly affect man’s ability to walk in union with God.

While other parts of leviticus represent things which are only “symbols” of impurity.

A man cannot help having an emission, a woman cannot help menstruating, a person who gets leprosy probably did not do so intentionally…etc.

Nevertheless, these things had elements of death in them so they were symbolically wrong.

That some of these were just “symbolically” wrong or impure is illustrated in the life of Jesus Who Himself TOUCHED the impure – like the leper – but was Himself still clean.

Jesus said it is NOT what a man touches or what goes into a man that makes him unclean or defiles him – but what comes out of a man.

So Let’s go over the handout and then watch a video and that will conclude our Introduction to and Overview of Leviticus.

{Outline of Leviticus – PDF / Overview of Leviticus – PDF}

Next week we will be starting our study of the book of Leviticus!

There is more information in the audio/video of the actual message. I hope you listen, learn and enjoy!

…Blessings!

I hope this teaching will challenge you and encourage you to place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

You have a special place in God’s family & kingdom. If you do not know Him, please use our ‘Contact Us‘ page and reach out so we may have the privilege of introducing you to the Lord. Neither money nor attendance at our church will be mentioned.

If you have been spiritually fed by this ministry and wish to give, we truly appreciate that and you may do so here, but all outreaches of this ministry are FREE for you and anyone to enjoy at no cost.

Blessings!

Pastor Mark

View posts by Pastor Mark

Hi my name is Mark and though I am opposed to titles, I am currently the only Pastor (shepherd/elder) serving our assembly right now.

I have been Pastoring in one capacity or another for nearly 30 years now, though never quite like I am today.

Early in 2009 the Lord revealed to me that the way we had structured our assembly (church) was not scriptural in that it was out of sync with what Paul modeled for us in the New Testament. In truth, I (like many pastors I am sure) never even gave this fundamental issue of church structure the first thought. I had always assumed that church structure was largely the same everywhere and had been so from the beginning. While I knew Paul had some very stringent things to say about the local assembly of believers, the point of our gatherings together and who may or may not lead, I never even considered studying these issues but assumed we were all pretty much doing it right...safety in numbers right?! Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong!

So needless to say, my discovery that we had been doing it wrong for nearly two decades was a bit of a shock to me! Now, this "revelation" did not come about all at once but over the course of a few weeks. We were a traditional single pastor led congregation. It was a top-bottom model of ministry which is in part biblical, but not in the form of a monarchy.

The needed change did not come into focus until following 9 very intense months of study and discussions with those who were leaders in our church at the time.

We now understand and believe that the Bible teaches co-leadership with equal authority in each local assembly. Having multiple shepherds with God's heart and equal authority protects both Shepherds and sheep. Equal accountability keeps authority and doctrine in check. Multiple shepherds also provide teaching with various styles and giftings with leadership skills which are both different and complementary.

For a while we had two co-pastors (elders) (myself and one other man) who led the church with equal authority, but different giftings. We both taught in our own ways and styles, and our leadership skills were quite different, but complimentary. We were in complete submission to each other and worked side-by-side in the labor of shepherding the flock.

Our other Pastor has since moved on to other ministry which has left us with just myself. While we currently only have one Pastor/Elder, it is our desire that God, in His faithfulness and timing, may bring us more as we grow in maturity and even in numbers.

As to my home, I have been married since 1995 to my wonderful wife Terissa Woodson who is my closest friend and most trusted ally.

As far as my education goes, I grew up in a Christian home, but questioned everything I was ever taught.

I graduated from Bible college in 1990 and continued to question everything I was ever taught (I do not mention my college in order to avoid being labeled).

Perhaps my greatest preparation for ministry has been life and ministry itself. To quote an author I have come to enjoy namely Fredrick Buechner in his writing entitled, Now and Then, "If God speaks to us at all other than through such official channels as the Bible and the church, then I think that He speaks to us largely through what happens to us...if we keep our hearts open as well as our ears, if we listen with patience and hope, if we remember at all deeply and honestly, then I think we come to recognize beyond all doubt, that, however faintly we may hear Him, He is indeed speaking to us, and that, however little we may understand of it, His word to each of us is both recoverable and precious beyond telling." ~ Fredrick Buechner

Well that is about all there is of interest to tell you about me.

I hope our ministry here is a blessing to you and your family. I also hope that it is only a supplement to a local church where you are committed to other believers in a community of grace.

~God Bless!