Leviticus
overview and principles

 

Introduction

This topic will just pull the overviews and principles from the Biblical text of Leviticus.  Please study it for yourself, this article is simply what I pulled from the study.

 

Chapter 1- (Burnt Offerings)
 

Overview:

     To be cleansed before God, a burnt offering had to be made.  This could be done with a young bull,  a young goat/sheep, or a young turtledove/pigeon.  This chapter gives instruction to the Israelite and the priest for performing the offering.

Principles:
    
     -There must be a sacrifice to cleans us
     -The Lord is very pleased by the smell of our offerings to Him.  His son became the offering that he is pleased with (i.e. "This is my son, with whom I am well pleased").

 

Chapter 2- (Grain Offerings)
 

Overview:

     This offering both pleased the Lord, and went to feed the priests.  I also have a strong feeling that Christ didn't come to do away with the grain offering  (remember He fulfilled the lamb-sacrifices).  It's still our duty to give the source of food to the Lord by giving it to feed His servants.

Principles:

- The Lord lets us be creative in how we give to Him, but there are certain guidelines:
     -No Leaven:  things we offer Him can't contain traces of sin
     -No Honey:  things we offer can't be made sweet: "sugar-coated"/ trying to appear righteous.  Sincerity is key.
     -Yes to Salt:  we need to remember our relationship with Him as we make sacrificial offerings.  (salt = loyalty)
- There are sacrifices that we aim to please the Lord in, but also go to feed His servants.

 

Chapter 3- (Peace Offerings)
 

Overview:

    The only way one could make peace with God was through the sacrifice of their male of female cow, sheep or goat.  Most of the animals fat, their kidneys and their blood was burnt as the offering.  The Lord then sets a rule: never eat any fat or blood; as if to say that it's something that we use only to give to Him.

Principles:

- Christ carried the burden for our peace, as well as our covering from the burnt offerings of atonement.  He was the perfect lamb that was sacrificed, after all.  The sacrifice portion of this offering for peace has been fulfilled.   We now have peace with God because of Him.

-His people shouldn't eat any fat or blood.  I believe we are a part of God's body just as the Israelites are.  If he spoke this law into a perpetual state for all the generations of His people, I'd say He meant it for even a different branch of His people.  This same phrasing (as verse 17) is only used once in a while in Leviticus, and I think it's this specific on only certain laws for a gentile-inclusive reason that God foresaw.  The rest of the entire offering isn't made a statute to remain forever, but this one part is.

 

Chapter 4- (Sin Offerings)
 

Overview:

    A Priest had to offer a bull for a sin.  The whole population had to offer a bull for a sin.  A Leader (non-priest) had to offer a goat for a sin.  A common person had to offer a goat or a female sheep for a sin. 
     We have atonement and peace before God despite all of our sins because of Him.  All the sins we can commit in our entire lives are forgiven before God Almighty.  While this is true, a separate offering is required for the following individual sin.  God's son came to us as a perfect lamb to cover many of the Leviticus sacrifices.  This is not one of them.  
     First we make THE repentance from a lost ness in sin and become saved and adopted into God's family.  After that, we're on the road of peace, but we still make mistakes often.  If our repentance to those mistakes becomes nothing more than words that make us feel better (knowing that Jesus died for all our sins), then how will we ever discipline ourselves out of a cycle of the same acts of sin.  Jesus came to fulfill the law.  He took care of many personally, but sent The Holy Spirit to fulfill others.  The spirit works in us for each sin after salvation.  Our response to His guidance should be an offering of more than an apology.
     This offering is one that will help us follow through with true repentance from the sins that ('even') Christians commit, if we're willing to face them and not just hide behind grace.  There is grace for all sin, without any further sacrifices, but knowing Jesus would produce grace for all, this law was set in God's enduring Word in the past, in order to instruct those wanting to be truly holy even after salvation (but given the grace to be rotten), to discipline ourselves.
     So how does this work out today?  The spirit fulfills this law in each of us.  It's our own job to seek Him and respond with the offering for each sin...  beyond our apology and acceptance of the grace He already gave us. 
     This is an offering we need to make, for ourselves.  God is already at peace with us because of His son's sacrifice.  He looks at us and sees His son, not our sin, but we still need to strive to be Holy because He is Holy.  This is the sin offering.

Principles:

     -Priests should respond to their sin with more conviction and sacrifice than other leaders and common people
     -A body of people should respond to their sin with the same conviction as a priest, but more than other leaders and common people do alone.
     - A "non-priest" leader should respond to sin with conviction, but not the lowest amount.
     -A common person should respond to sin with conviction, either as much as a leader would, but can also respond with a comparatively low amount (which is still grieving though)