Summary of Leviticus
This year, I plan on reading the Old Testament of the Bible within the 2012 calendar year. Follow me on this journey!
Scripture Thought (What I Learned):
Leviticus 1-2: Animal Sacrifice/Offerings of Flour and Oil
Leviticus 3-4: Don't eat blood or Fat/Sinners forgiven through Sacrifices
Leviticus 5-6: Forgiveness comes through Trespass Offerings/Forgiveness through Atonement
Leviticus 7-8: Forgiveness through Sacrifice/ Washing and Anointing
Leviticus 9-10: Atonement by Sacrifice/ Unauthorized Sacrifices
Leviticus 11-12: What may or may not be eaten/The Law of Purification
Leviticus 13-14: The Law of Leprosy/Cleansing Lepers
Leviticus 15-16: Other types of Un-cleanliness/Forgiveness by Atonement
Leviticus 17-18: Don't eat blood/Sex abominations
Leviticus 19-20: Commandments/laws of God/Sexual Sins
Leviticus 21-22: High Priest = Holy/ Sacrificial Animals are perfect
Leviticus 23-24: Weekly Sabbath/Law of Israel
Leviticus 25-27: Jubilee/Keep the Commandments/Tithing
Chapters 1-5 describe the
sacrifices from the point of view of the common man in Israel. It covers what
sacrifices are to be performed and what each one consists of. Chapters 6-7 go
over much of the same material, but more from the point of view of the priest
performing the sacrifice. The priest would be in charge of performing the
actual ceremony and dividing up the sacrifice between God, the priest and the
offerer. Sometimes however an entire sacrifice would be offered only to God, in
the case of burnt ashes... etc.
Chapters 7-10 describe the
consecration (by Moses) to Aaron and his sons, in order to become the first
priests and the first ones to perform the sacrifices. It also discusses the
importance of being not only authorized, but with the proper priesthood
authority to exercise and perform certain ordinances, after two of the sons of
Aaron do this without permission. Chapters 11-15 instruct the common people of
Israel on purity and cleanliness. Eating certain animals or even touching them
for that matter can be a violation of the commandments of God. These conditions
of the animal or the person who ate/touched the animal can affect clothing,
walls of a house. Each condition has certain ceremonies that must be performed
and waiting periods to alleviate the sinner. In chapter 17, we read about the
Day of Atonement, which is a day in which only the high priest can enter into
the holiest part of the sanctuary, which is also known as the "holy of
holies". The priest sacrifices a bull for the priests and a goat for the
common people (lay people), a third goat; "the scapegoat" is sent to
the wilderness.
Chapters 17-26 contain much of the
"Holiness Code", which prohibits the slaughter of animals outside of the
Temple, even for food. The code also gives a long list of sexual sins: which include:
incest, homosexuality and bestiality. Penalties are imposed for those who worship
Molech, or who consult wizards and other supernatural mediums. The code also includes:
Mourning rituals for the priests, blasphemy punishments by death, rules for eating
of sacrificial animals, the calendar is explained, rules for the Sabbath and the
years of Jubilee are set. The end of the code tells Israel that they can either
chose to follow those rules or be visited by horrible punishments and expulsion
from the holy land for disobeying.
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