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Leviticus 1-7
Leviticus 8-15
Leviticus 16-20
Leviticus 21-25
Leviticus 26-27
 

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The third book of the Bible was written by Moses around 1445-1444 B.C.  The key verse is Leviticus 19:2 which says, “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.”  The entire book is dedicated to teaching the Hebrews how to worship the Lord.*

During this time period, the Israelites were living in the desert at the bottom of Mount Sinai, and were learning how to live together as one nation.  They had chosen to follow God; next they had to learn how to worship and serve Him.

The overwhelming message of Leviticus is the holiness of God.  But how can unholy people approach a holy God?  First sin must be dealt with.  This was true during both the Old Testament times and today.  The opening chapters of Leviticus give detailed instructions for offering sacrifices, which were the active symbols of repentance and obedience.

Sacrifices were God’s Old Testament way for people to receive forgiveness for their sins.  Why animal sacrifices?  Symbolically the animal took the sinners place and paid the penalty for sin; the animals’ death represented one life given so that another life could be saved.  Animal sacrifices were practical in many cultures in the Middle East during these Leviticus times.  God used methods that the people were accustomed to in order to teach them.  Making sacrifices taught the people reverence for a holy God, submission to God’s laws and the high cost of sin.  God taught the Israelites that sin had a price.  The price had to be paid.  During the Old Testament times, the price was the blood of an animal without defects.  Symbolically the Israelites would touch the animal, therefore transferring their sins to the animal, and when the animal was killed, their sins were taken away.  The animal sacrifices could not take away the sins; they only provided a temporary way to deal with sin until Jesus came to deal with sin permanently.  The Israelites followed God's command to offer sacrifices and He forgave them when, by faith, they made their sacrifice.

In the New Testament, which applies to us today, Jesus Christ was sacrificed for our sins and took our punishment once and for all, becoming the last sacrifice needed to pay for all sin.  We need only to come to the Lord with a humble heart and ask Him to forgive us for our sins, and He will wash them away.  To read about the price Jesus paid for our sin, read Mark 11-16. 

OFFERINGS described in Leviticus 1-7
Burnt Offering
Purpose: To make payment for sins in general. 
Significance:  Showed a person’s devotion to God.

Grain Offering
Purpose: To show honor and respect to God in worship.
Significance: Acknowledged that all we have belongs to God.

Fellowship Offering
Purpose: To express gratitude to God.
Significance: Symbolized peace and fellowship with God.

Sin Offering
Purpose: To make payment for unintentional sins of uncleanness, neglect or thoughtlessness.
Significance: Restored the sinner to fellowship with God; showed seriousness of sin.

Guilt Offering
Purpose: To make payment for sins against God and others.  A sacrifice was made to god and the injured person was repaid or compensated. 
Significance: Provided compensation for injured parties.

Today we can still give offerings to our Lord.  But what can we give Him that He doesn't already own?  He made the universe and all things belong to Him, except for the human heart.  When God created us, He gave us the choice of whether or not to follow Him. The greatest offering that we can give to our Lord is to love Him and to allow Him into our lives.  We can also offer praises to God for who He is and for His love for us.  We can tell others about Jesus; we can do good and share with others, for with such sacrifices, God is pleased.  Hebrews 13:15.
Mary

*This lesson is taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV, published by Zondervan.  Offering Chart is from page 171 of same.
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Distract –to direct one’s attention in different directions at the same time.
Worship – to regard with extravagant respect, honor and devotion.

These two words don’t go together, do they?  You cannot regard someone with respect, honor and devotion while being distracted at the same time.  Have you ever tried to have a conversation with someone who was distracted?  Though they appeared to be listening to you, you could tell that their attentions were elsewhere.  It’s very frustrating, isn’t it?   Do you think that God feels that same frustration when we spend time with Him?  Are our minds distracted as we pray?  Are we distracted as we do our Bible study?  How do we spend time alone with God without being distracted?  How do we have undistracted worship?  In Leviticus, God began to teach the Israelites how to come before Him and how to worship Him. 

In Leviticus 8, Aaron and his sons were ordained into service as priests.  Their preparation for service to God involved being washed with water, dressed in special garments, presented with the necessary tools, anointed with oil, and forgiven of their sins.  By going through all of this preparation, Aaron and his sons’ minds were focused on God and devoted to serving Him.  Aaron and his sons were cleansed on the inside and outside and set apart for service to God. 

How much preparation do you go through before you worship God?  When you pray or do your Bible study, is your mind totally focused on the character and ways of God, or are you merely going through the motions of worship so that you can check it off of a TO DO list?  How do you come before God with an undistracted mind that is prepared for worship? 

 Find a quiet place where you can be alone with God (bedroom, closet, car).

 Turn off any distracting noises that may cause your mind to wander (radio, TV).

When you come into the presence of God, you need to do so with a clean heart and mind.  If you have done something wrong and have not talked with God about it, you need to tell Him what you have done and ask Him to forgive you of that sin.  We cannot approach God with dirtiness in our lives because God is holy.  Just as Aaron’s body was cleansed with water and his heart was symbolically cleansed with blood before he entered the presence of God, we must also be cleansed of our sins before we come into His presence.

Ask God to help you focus on Him and to clear your mind of any distractions. 

If you have trouble starting to pray, open your Bible.  Read some verses from the book of Psalms.  When you read something that touches your heart, thank God for that verse and for what it means to you.

When you pray, give thanks to God for all things – for your family, home, work, friends, income, everything.  Ask God to take your burdens and to carry them for you.  Ask Him to give you peace of mind for the things that worry you.

Be honest with God as you pray.  Tell Him how you feel about things and ask Him for his help with all things, whether it is in paying your bills or in raising your children.  He wants to help you with every aspect of your life.

After you have finished praying, sit quietly with your heart and mind focused on God.  Wait on Him to give you an answer to your prayer.  You may hear Him speak to you and you may not.  But prayer is a two-way conversation.  Sometimes God answers us as we read the Bible.  Sometimes He gives us answers as we sit quietly and focus on Him.  Sometimes He doesn’t give us an answer right away because He wants us to learn to wait on Him.

“Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness.”  I Chronicles 16:29
“Let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our maker.”  Psalm 95:6.
“Worship in spirit and in truth.”  John 4:24

Aaron began his ministry eight days after he was anointed.  The Lord had a plan for the ministry of Aaron and his sons – a list of instructions for how their work as priests was to be carried out and completed. When they followed the Lord’s plan, He was pleased with them. 

While Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's sons, were carrying out their duties as priests, they were distracted and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord.  Remember we said that worship is to regard with extravagant respect, honor and devotion.  Nadab and Abihu showed disrespect to God by being careless about following His instructions.  They did not go into God’s presence with the heart of worship, but merely to perform the duties and check it off of their TO DO list.  They were literally consumed by fire.  Their punishment shows us the importance of being prepared to worship when coming into God’s presence.   When we worship God, we are in His presence.  We should not take the justice and holiness of God lightly. 

In Chapters 11-15, the people were taught about health and cleanliness.  The nations surrounding Israel did not have such instructions; God was teaching the Israelites how to be a nation devoted to Him.  He gave these instructions so that the people would be a healthy nation, free of disease and community health problems.  A healthy environment and a healthy body make our service to God more effective, and we are to worship the Lord with our lives. 

Undistracted worship takes time and practice.  Begin your week by coming into the presence of God with an undistracted mind.  The more time you spend with God, the more your heart is opened to Him.

Here are the lyrics to a great song for you!

The Heart of Worship
Written by Matt Redman
Performed by Phillips, Craig an Dean

When the music fades and all is stripped away
And I simply come,
Longing just to bring something that’s of worth
That will bless your heart.
I’ll bring you more than a song, for a song in itself
Is not what you have required.
You search much deeper within, 
Through the way things appear
You’re looking into my heart.

I’m coming back to the heart of worship, 
And it’s all about you; it’s all about you, Jesus.
I’m sorry Lord for the thing I’ve made it
When it’s all about you; it’s all about you, Jesus.

King of endless worth, no one could express
How much you deserve.
Though I’m weak and poor, all I have is yours
Every single breath.

I’ll bring you more than a song, for a song in itself
Is not what you have required;
You search much deeper within, 
Through the ways things appear
You’re looking into my heart.

I’m coming back to the heart of worship, 
And it’s all about you; it’s all about you, Jesus.
I’m sorry Lord for the thing I’ve made it
When it’s all about you, it’s all about you, Jesus.
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In our reading for this lesson, we read about the Day of Atonement (still celebrated by the Jews as Yom Kippur, though without sacrifices).  This was an event held once a year when the nation of Israel was forgiven for their sins.  It was a day for self-examination and repentance; a day when the Israelites would privately confess their sins to God; a day when the entire nation was totally focused on God and on His forgiveness. 

The definition of atone is to cover over.   On the Day of Atonement (covering sin), Aaron had to offer a sacrifice ‘to cover’ his own sins, and then he made a sacrifice ‘to cover’ the sins of the people.  On this day, Aaron was to kill one goat as a sin offering for the people and sprinkle the blood on the Ark of the Covenant.  *Through the sacrifices, the Israelites learned about the cost of sin, for we cannot forgive ourselves.  God’s system says that a life must be given for a life.  In the Old Testament, an animal’s life was given to save the life of a person. (*NIV Life Application Study Bible).  In this lesson, God was paving the way for Jesus!  In understanding the cost of sin and the process of forgiveness, the Israelites would better understand and respect the price that Jesus would later pay for the sins of mankind.  The animal sacrifices were only a temporary measure until Jesus’ death paid the penalty of sin for all people forever 

After the sacrifices, Aaron would lay both hands on the head of the second goat, the scapegoat, and confess the sins of the Israelites, thus putting their sins on the goat’s head.  The scapegoat was then sent into the desert, carrying all of the sins of the people to a solitary place.  At that point, the people would be cleansed from sin and their sins were carried away. 

Today we don’t need scapegoats.  We don’t need to place the blame for our sins on others.  We need only to acknowledge that we have sinned; and with sincere remorse, ask for God’s forgiveness. 

A friend recently shared this story with me:
“A woman who taught a Bible study in Seattle would dread the studies on the days that one man (a scientist) attended the study.  He always grilled her with questions.  One week as she was teaching about how blood was used for the cleansing of sin, he was in attendance.  He was quiet all through class.  Afterwards, he asked her to go to lunch and she accepted, though dreading it.  But as they shared lunch, the scientist said, ‘What you taught today is true.  As a scientist, I know that if a person with dirty hands washes with soap and water, his hands might appear clean, but under the microscope they would still be dirty.  But if they had washed their hands in blood and looked at their hands under the microscope, they would be clean.’ That was when the scientist accepted that Jesus Christ was the sacrifice for our sins.  He shed His blood so that we may be cleansed from sin.”  Under the microscopic eyes of God, we are cleansed from sin because the blood of Jesus has covered us. 

“Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people.”  Hebrews 9:28.   The sacrifices of the Old Testament had to be repeated year after year.  But when Jesus came to earth, He sacrificed Himself once, thereby accomplishing forever all that needed to be accomplished.  It is through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ that we receive forgiveness.  There is nothing more to be accomplished.  The Day of Atonement is no longer needed.

In Chapters 17-20, God taught the Israelites about pure living.  He said, “Be holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy.”  Leviticus 19:2.  The Israelites were to keep themselves pure and set apart for God.  As God’s children, we are to follow God and not let the culture around us mold our thoughts and actions.  I am inspired by the fact that the lesson for living a pure life follows the explanation of the Day of Atonement.  Once we are free from sin, we can begin to focus on living our lives for God!

What does it mean to be holy?  The definition of holy is: separated or devoted to God; pure.  Leading a holy and pure life seems impossible, so what is expected of us?

God started the Israelites out on ‘Basic Holiness 101’.  He taught them about sexual purity, clean and unclean foods, how to treat others.  He starts us out on the basics too, in drawing us near to Him.  Have you ever noticed that what you put into your heart and mind is what you spend your time thinking about and focusing on?  When we spend time with God in Bible study, prayer, and fellowship with other believers, that’s when our hearts and minds turn toward Him and away from sinful living.  As our hearts and minds turn toward Him, He begins to change our thinking, our attitudes, and our purpose.  He begins to make us holy.  Holiness is not something that we can accomplish on our own.  It is something that God works in us.  By allowing God to work in our lives, He begins to mold our character into His likeness, just like a piece of clay.

For example, you may become aware of an area in your life that needs to be changed; it may be a bad habit or an inappropriate behavior.  The more you continue in this sin, the more guilt you carry.  As you continue to seek God and what He wants for your life, the guilt for committing this sin will eventually outweigh the pleasure you receive in committing the sin.  At that point, you may find yourself asking God to help you give it up.  This is a process of being made pure and holy.  God doesn’t expect us to change our behaviors and attitudes over night.  We are a work in progress.  He will make us holy over a period of time, after many trials and mistakes.  But He loves us through every single trial; through every sin.  His love for us never ends.  He doesn’t give up on us.  He keeps loving us and pointing out areas where we need to grow and change until our dying day!   We are like a piece of clay in His hands – He continues to mold us into the best person that we can possibly be.  All it takes from us is a willing heart.

A while back, I worked in a corporate office as an Executive Assistant.  A dear friend worked with me; we sat about six feet apart, and we became very close friends.  She was the first person that ever discussed her faith openly with me in the workplace.  We were both Christians and both loved the Lord with our hearts, but we both had a terrible habit of talking about other people.

One day she said to me, “The Lord has really placed a burden on me for the way I talk about other people.  I am too critical of others.  Will you help me pray about learning to hold my tongue?”  “Oh no, I thought.  That means that I have to learn to hold my tongue too.”  I knew perfectly well that the Bible teaches that we are not to judge others … only to love them.  Even when someone does something against us, we are to pray for them … not criticize them.

So we devised a plan.  If we had “tacky talk” about anyone – whether in the workplace or anywhere else – we had to come up with three good things to say about that person.  We held each other accountable for this.  It started out as a game, but eventually turned into a lesson for us.  As people would approach us and begin criticizing others, we would give them the rules … ‘now that you’ve said something bad about the person, you must add three nice things about that person.’  It became office knowledge that we required this, and eventually the criticizing and complaining stopped, or at least it stopped before it got to our ears.  This process taught us to devote our words to God and to lift other people in prayer to Him.  I like to believe that we were also able to help others understand how gossip and criticism are wrong. 

Am I still critical?  Yes.  But I ask God daily to help me overcome this sin.  I pray that He will teach me to keep my mouth shut.  I am more aware of what comes out of my mouth these days, and I pray daily that I will learn to speak only when loving words can be said.

Can we attain holiness?  Yes.  But holiness is something that God can see in us, not something that we will likely see in ourselves!  The closer we draw to God, the more we realize that He is perfect and we are not.   The only one that can measure our holiness is God alone.  We can live our lives for Him – focus our hearts and minds on Him, and He will change us to be more like Him every day.  Our desire should be to have a heart that is pleasing to God.  To have a heart of clay that is being molded by the Master’s hand!
 

Refiner’s Fire
Written by Brian Doerksen

Purify my heart, 
Cleanse me from within
And make me holy.
Purify my heart,
Cleanse me from my sin, deep within.

Refiner’s fire, my heart’s one desire
Is to be holy, set apart for you, Lord.
I choose to be holy
Set apart for you, my Master,
Ready to do your will.
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It’s so easy to get into the rut of daily living; doing the things that MUST be done and putting off having fun and relaxing until a “national holiday”.  When is the last time you celebrated just for the sake of celebrating?  In my opinion, we don’t celebrate our lives enough!  I have read about a woman that celebrates the first day of every month by making a special meal and making little gifts for her children.  She looks forward to the first day of each month because it is a time to renew her love for her family, and to celebrate their love for each other!  What a great idea.  I wish I were that organized!

What would you say if I told you that God encourages His children to celebrate?  From previous studies, we know that worship involves a time of meditation, introspection and confession – all serious and important activities.  But worship also involves celebration. 

We can learn a lot from the festivals appointed by God for the Israelites.  Many of the national holidays of Israel were joyous occasions!  Our Lord encourages joy in our lives; after all, He is the one that created us with the ability to laugh.  He wants us to celebrate who He is and what He has done for us.   He wants us to have a time to come together for rest, refreshment and remembering with thanksgiving all that He has done for us; some families do this on the weekend by attending a worship service and spending time with their families. 

In Leviticus, we read about feasts (festivals) that the Lord appointed for the Israelites to celebrate.  “These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.”  Lev. 23:2.   Webster defines a feast as a periodic religious observance commemorating an event or honoring God.

THE FEASTS  (National Holidays) 

Passover was a one-day feast to celebrate and remember when God spared the lives of Israel’s firstborn children in Egypt and freed the Israelites from slavery.  It was celebrated to remind the people of God’s deliverance.  (Leviticus 23:5)  This feast was celebrated with the entire family, and taught family members of all ages about God’s nature and what he had done for them; it was a time of renewed commitment to God.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread lasted for seven days.  It celebrated their exodus from Egypt, and served as a reminder that when they left Egypt, they left behind the old way of life and entered into a new way of living.  (Leviticus 23:6-8)   Yeast represented sin, so the bread without yeast represented Israel’s moral purity.

The Feast of Firstfruits was a one-day feast.  It celebrated the first crops of the barley harvest and reminded the Israelites how God provided food for them.  The Israelites could not eat the food from their harvest until they had made an offering of the first crops harvest to God.  (Leviticus 23:9-14)

The Feast of Weeks was a one-day feast.  It celebrated the end of the barley harvest and the beginning of the wheat harvest, and showed their joy and thanksgiving over the bountiful harvest.  (Leviticus 23:15-22)

The Feast of Trumpets was a one-day feast.  It celebrated the beginning of the seventh month, which was their civil new year, and during the feast, they expressed joy and thanksgiving to God.  (Leviticus 23:23-25)    Trumpets were blown to announce the beginning of each month as well as the start of festivals.

The Day of Atonement was a one-day feast.  It celebrated the removal of sin from the people and from the nation, and restored their fellowship with God.  (Leviticus 23:26-32)

The Feast of Tabernacles was a seven-day celebration. It celebrated God’s protection and guidance in the desert, and was celebrated in order to renew the Israelite’s commitment to God and their trust in His guidance and protection.  (Leviticus 23:33-43)  This feast was also celebrated with the entire family, and taught family members of all ages about God’s nature and what he had done for them; it was a time of renewed commitment to God.

Today the religious holidays that we celebrate are Christmas and Easter.  During these holidays, we give thanks to God for His gifts and His goodness to us.  Are there other days when you celebrate the goodness of God?  Perhaps your family spends time together on Saturday or Sunday to talk about the blessings from God or how He has answered a prayer.  A common everyday meal can become a celebration when God is honored at the table by saying a prayer before eating the meal.

How do the feasts apply to us today?  Rather than Passover, we celebrate Easter.  Jesus Christ was crucified and died during the Jewish Passover – He was the sacrificial lamb provided by God.  And on the third day, He rose from the dead and provided a way for us to have forgiveness of sin … because He was the perfect sacrifice (see Chapter and Verse Bible Study Leviticus 16-20).  On Easter, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Because of His sacrifice for us, we can have eternal life (John 3:16).

As Christians, we no longer celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread – Once we ask Jesus into our hearts and lives, we can celebrate that He lives within us.  He is only a breath away.  No longer do we have to carry our sin around with us, but we can be freed from the feeling of guilt and shame simply by asking for God’s forgiveness.  We do not celebrate this feast, but we do celebrate the fact that Jesus lives within us.  I celebrate this daily.  Do you?

Though we do not celebrate a holiday called the Feast of Firstfruits, God still expects us to set aside his portion first, not last.  Whether it be our talents, our time or our money; we should remember to honor God with the first.  Giving leftovers to God is a poor way to express our thanks to Him.  If you find that often you are too tired to pray or do your Bible study, perhaps you need to reorganize your day so that you can give God the firstfruits of your time.

As for the Feast of Weeks, how often do you thank God for all that He has given you?  Do you take credit for everything that you own or do you realize that God provides for you through various avenues?  He provides your job, your health, your friends; He provides strength when you are weak and comfort when you are burdened.  Do you remember to give thanks to Him for all of the things that He gives you?  Do you recognize His work and presence in your life?

Remember to celebrate life – celebrate God’s goodness to you and your family.  Celebrate God's presence when times are rough.  Celebrate God's provision when times are good.  Much can be learned about people by observing the holidays they celebrate and the way they celebrate them.  Take note of your holiday traditions.  What do they say about your values?  Consider creating your own family traditions and holidays where you can celebrate the goodness of God.  Celebrate!
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The lesson this week is about the blessings of obedience and the punishment for disobedience.  In our process of growing into adults, we have learned about obedience and disobedience and the benefits or punishment that accompany each.  Obedience in following the laws of man is expected in our culture, obedience in following God is a choice.  Disobedience may bring punishment in many forms, from serving jail time to facing difficulties due to making bad choices.  You are the only one that can decide whether you will obey or disobey the laws and teachings set before you, whether by man or by God.

Heavy on my heart today is the confusion that we often face in trying to be obedient to the commands of God.  In Old Testament times, the Israelites were to follow God’s written and stated laws and decrees, thus showing their obedience to Him.  In our culture today, we are given free choice regarding our faith and ‘religious’ practices.  This is where obedience may lead to confusion.  Some religions today appear to be focused more on man-made rules and practices, and seem to require that followers do what man expects of them in order to be considered “religious”.  God doesn’t ask us to have religion.  Religion is available in many forms and doesn’t always represent what God truly wants for each of His children.  Be careful of any religious leader or church that encourages you to do “as we say” rather than living by what the Bible teaches.  If you don’t know what the Bible teaches, you are blindly following what someone else tells you.  Be careful not to be deceived.  As believers in Jesus Christ, we must know what the Word of God says.  How else will we know the truth versus deception?

Perhaps you are trying to be obedient to God, but you just don’t know what He wants from you.  When we spend time reading and learning the Bible, we begin to understand, firsthand, God’s teachings and what He expects of us.  We can therefore be obedient to His Word.

When we spend time talking to God, or praying, we develop a relationship with Him.  You cannot truly know God based on what others may teach or tell you.  In order to KNOW God, you must know Him personally.  Just as any human relationship requires time, attention, devotion and commitment, so does our relationship with the Lord.  We must spend time with Him in order for the relationship to grow.   As that relationship grows, you will begin to hear His voice and sense His guidance in your life more and more.  We can therefore be obedient to His voice – that is, to Him.  Walking with God is a daily journey – we start out with baby steps, struggling to understand the Bible and writing notes to remind us to pray; over time, we desire to spend more time with God and these activities become a natural and important part of our lives.

You can be born into a Christian home, but you cannot be born a Christian.  It is a choice that each of us must make … to believe or not to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died in order to save us from our sins.  In choosing to believe, you choose to be obedient to God; you choose to allow Him to guide your life and to show you what true happiness is all about.  If you desire to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please call 1-888-NEEDHIM and speak with a counselor who will explain how to invite Christ into your heart.

Obedience today comes with many forms of blessings, just as in the Old Testament.  The blessings of obedience today may read a little differently than in the days of Leviticus. When we are obedient to God, our blessings may consist of wisdom, strength, or our daily bread (restated: enough of God’s provision to last one day at a time).  You will discover small blessings that you realize are gifts from God, rather than mere coincidences. 

Commit today to walk closer with God; to strive to spend time with Him daily.   Commit today to having a personal relationship with God rather than practicing a religion. 

In Him,
Mary