The LORD spoke to Moses… This text is the Word of God, of which Psalm 19:9 says: “the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.” God’s rules (and Leviticus is filled with rules) are true or, we could even say, are truth. They give us the testimony of the Creator of heaven and …
And the LORD to Moses, saying… Each of our four chapters begin with this phrase (though 13 and 15 include Aaron), so let us continue our brief meditations from Psalm 19 to focus our minds upon God’s Word. Verse 9 begins: “The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever.” The fear of Yahweh is …
Continue reading Childbirth, Leprosy, & Bodily Discharges | Leviticus 12-15
"Perhaps he also thought you were Saruman," said Gimli. "But you speak of him as if he was a friend. I thought Fangorn was dangerous." "Dangerous!" cried Gandalf. "And so am I. Very dangerous. More dangerous than anything you will ever meet unless you are brought alive before the seat of the Dark Lord. And …
Leviticus 9 is a highly significant text because it presents the resolution of the problem that has been haunting these opening chapters of the book. Remember that Leviticus cannot be properly understood alone. It is the third and central volume of the Pentateuch (the 'five volumes' of Moses), so even though it is a complete …
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying... As we prepare to hear these words from God, let us warm our hearts beside the spiritual flame of Psalm 19. We have seen in verse 7 that God's law is perfect, reviving the soul, and sure, making wise the simple. Now in the first half of verse …
Continue reading The Ordination of the Priests | Leviticus 8
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying... These words again begin our text, so let us pause to consider them. Each section of our text begins by saying that it is the law, which as we observed last week is perfect and revives the soul. The second half of Psalm 19:7 is equally applicable: "The …
Continue reading The Law of the Offerings | Leviticus 6:8-7:38
The order of the five offerings in Leviticus 1:1-6:7 is theologically significant. After all, nothing in God's Word is random or accidental. Accordingly, many theologians have noticed that the five offerings display the overall pattern of worship for God's people, which I wholeheartedly agree with and will summarize below. Even so, I also suggest another …
Continue reading The 5 Offerings of Leviticus Reflect the 5 Books of Moses
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying... Although we passed over 4:1 last week, we should not do so this week. 5:14 is identical to that verse, which should not surprise us since the phrase is used (with some variation) thirty-seven times in Leviticus. The sheer abundance of that refrain can easily lead to us barely …
Hebrews 10:12-14 tells us that "when Christ had offered of all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are …
Continue reading The Purification Offering | Leviticus 4:1-5:13
I frequently need John Sailhamer’s reminder that Scripture really is Scripture. Let me explain. Sailhamer points out how easily we can use Scripture, especially in historical narrative, as just a means to learn what really happened. We can look through the Bible in attempt to find out what actually happened in the Bible. This approach …
B. C. Newton 