class 01 introduction

The Study of Leviticus

Class 1

Introduction to Leviticus


Introduction

The central truth presented in Leviticus is that without

the spilling of blood there is no remission for sin.

Aaron and his sons served God and had fellowship

with him, through lives separated, holy unto God.

Our task in this course is to learn how to serve God

and have fellowship with him through holy living.


Introduction

This is a summary of the life of the Church: fellowship,

service and a holy life.

Leviticus is the richest book of the Bible in figures and

types. The book should not be studied without

considering its types and figures.


Introduction

The difference between the Levites and priests

The Levites and the priests were both descendants of

Levi.

The Levites were the priests helpers.

The priests always had to be descendants of Aaron;

thus, it was the Aaronic priesthood.

The Levites were descendants of the three sons of Levi:

Gershon, Kohath e Merari.


Introduction

The high priest was responsible for entering the holy of

holies, once per year, on the great day of atonement, to

intercede for Israel.

The high priests were chosen among the other priests

according to a type of waiting list. Each month, one of

the priests from the list took his turn to serve as High

Priest.

Estudo de Levítico

Introdução

Genesis speaks of the chosen people of God.

Exodus speaks of the delivered people of God; his will

revealed in the law and his presence revealed in the

tabernacle.

Leviticus speaks of how to draw near to God and what

he requires of those who come into his presence.


Introduction

Some important points to be stressed:

The New Testament equivalent of the book of Leviticus

is the book of Hebrews. The two books should be read

together if possible.

Chapter 16 is the central chapter of Leviticus, which

refers to the great Day of Atonement.

The New Testament refers to the book of Leviticus 40

times.


Introduction

1. The name of the book

The Hebrew Bible calls it “Wajjida”, which means “and

he called”, conforming to the Hebrew tradition of calling

each book of Scripture by the first words that are written

in it.

In the Latin Vulgate, the name is “Leviticus”, which

means “that concerning Levi”.

The translators of the Septuagint (LXX) called it

“Levitikón”.


Introduction

2. The theme of the book

The theme of Leviticus is summed up by the phrase: “Be holy for I am holy”. This is a serious word: “holiness”.

The book teaches the way that one should seek out this holiness is through the sacrifices and offerings.

Aaron and his sons served God and had fellowship with him, they were separated unto God. This is the essence of the life of the church: fellowship with God, service to God and a holy life.


Introduction

3. The author

In more than 50 places, in its 27 chapters, the book of

Leviticus affirms that it was composed of the writings of

Moses, which were given to him by God.

The New Testament, equally introduces a quote from the

book attributing it to Moses...” (Romans 10:5). Therefore

it is unquestionably the written work of Moses.


Introduction

4. Date

According to the majority of Christian scholars, the book

was written around 1,450. B.C., spanning across a

period of approximately 10 months.


Introduction

5. Outline

a) The way to God through sacrifice (1-10):

The law of offerings (five offerings) (1-7);

The law of the priesthood (8-10).

b) Walking with God through sanctification (11-27):

The law of purity (11-16);

The law holiness (17 a 22);

The feasts of the Lord (23-27).

Leviticus - Chap. 1

The Burnt Offering

The Burnt Offering

The basic meaning of the burnt offering is consecration

to God.

The sacrifice was not offered for sins (in the plural), but

for sin (in the singular).

The burnt offering passed through the fire, resulting in

smoke that rose to heaven.

Leviticus - Chap. 1

The Burnt offering

The burnt offering was not voluntary, it was necessary

in order to be accepted before the Lord.

This was the most common sacrifice of the tabernacle,

it was a daily offering.

The burnt offering typifies the death of Jesus on the

cross, with the difference that his offering was once for

all, and the burnt offering was a daily sacrifice.

Leviticus - Chap. 1

The Burnt offering

1. The animals

Each animal represents one aspect of Christ’s death.

They had to be without blemish in order to represent

Jesus who offered himself, without defect, as a burnt

offering to God.

Leviticus - Chap. 1

The Burnt offering

Bull

The bull typifies Christ as a servant, suffering patiently

(Hebrews 12:2-3). The calf is obedient unto death. Jesus

obediently went to the cross (Isaiah 52:13-15;

Philippians 2:5-8).

Lamb

The Lamb typifies Christ in his submission, with no

resistance to death. Neither did Jesus resist death

(Isaiah 53:12; Acts 32:35).

Leviticus - Chap. 1

The Burnt offering

Goat (kid)

The goat is a type of the sinner (Matthew 25:33, 41:56).

The goat typifies Christ, who was counted among the

transgressors. He who knew no sin, God made to

become sin for us (Isaiah 53:12;88; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

Leviticus - Chap. 1

The Burnt offering

Turtledove and young pigeon

These birds are natural symbols of suffering and

innocence (Isaiah 38:14; 59, 11; Hebrews 7:26). They

are also associated with poverty (Leviticus 5:7). Christ,

as God being rich became poor so that we could

become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9; John 17:15).

Leviticus - Chap. 1

The Burnt offering

2. The laying on of hands

In verse four, we read that the person making the

offering should lay his hands on the animal, in order for it

to be accepted in his favor. This shows us the aspect of

our identification with Christ.

When someone laid their hands on an animal, he was

identifying himself with the offering, it was as if he

himself were dying at that moment. (Romans 6:3-11; 2

Corinthians 5:14-15, 21).

Leviticus - Chap. 1

The Burnt offering

This is why the burnt offering was not for committed sins

but for the fact that the person was a sinner.

Since we all came from Adam, we were all born in sin.

This old Adamic nature must be crucified, it must receive

God’s punishment. Christ suffered this punishment and

freed us from slavery to sin.

Leviticus - Chap. 1

The Burnt offering

3. The animal was slain by the worshiper

After the person who made the sacrificed laid his hands

on the animal, he had to kill it himself. The animal was

killed by the same person who offered the sacrifice. This

shows us that we crucified Christ because of our sins.

Leviticus - Chap. 1

The Burnt offering

4. The blood was sprinkled

The priest would sprinkle the blood around the brazen

altar. (Hebrews 9:22)

The Lord is not only the sacrifice, he is also the priest, he

is the mediator between God and man. He shed his

blood upon the altar, at the entrance to the tabernacle of

meeting. To God this means that the blood of that

person has already been shed, and he has no more sin.

Leviticus - Chap. 1

The Burnt offering

5. the animal was skinned

The next step was to skin the burnt offering (1:6).

To skin the animal means to take away all appearances,

to strip away all that is beautiful to the eyes. Jesus in his

glory, in love stripped himself of all his comeliness and

glory to become as a man (Isaiah 53:4-5).

Leviticus - Chap. 1

The Burnt offering

When the offering was a bird, it’s feathers had to be

plucked. The feathers represent beauty and appearance.

Jesus stripped himself of all his comeliness, to the point

that “when we saw him, there was no beauty that we

should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2).

Leviticus - Chap. 1

The Burnt offering

6. The animal was cut in pieces

Because of our sins, the Lord was wounded on the

cross and bruised for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5).

Leviticus - Chap. 1

The Burnt offering

7. The entrails were exposed, washed and offered

This shows us our need to be completely exposed

before God in our motivations and attitudes.

Jesus was completely tested and proved. His entrails

were exposed and from them water and blood flowed.

Leviticus - Chap. 1

The Burnt offering

8. The offering had to be burned with fire

Normally fire means God’s judgment. When God comes

to exact judgment, normally he does it by fire.

The fire does not only represent God’s judgment, but in

this context, it is the correct meaning.

Leviticus - Chap. 1

The Burnt offering

Jesus suffered the fire of God’s wrath, in our place. We

must believe that God’s justice has been completely

satisfied, since Christ suffered the judgment.

The fire on the altar could never be allowed to be

extinguished (Leviticus 6:12-13).

Leviticus - Chap. 1

The Burnt offering

9. A sweet smelling sacrifice

Only the burnt offering, the grain offering and the peace

offering were sweet smelling sacrifices. This is because

they were not related to committed sins.

Naturally the sweet smell comes from the heart and the

attitude of the person offering the sacrifice and not the

offering itself.

Leviticus - Chap. 1

The Burnt offering

Summary

The burnt offering was of a bull, lamb, goat, turtledove or

dove. Each animal represents an aspect of Christ, and

had to be without defect, spotless, representing Christ’s

perfection.

Leviticus - Chap. 1

The Burnt offering

The worshiper brought the animal to the door of the

tabernacle of meeting and laid his hands on it, in this

way identifying with the death of the animal. Christ also

died so that we could die with him.

The animal was slain by the worshiper and then the

priest sprinkled the blood on the altar and the animal

was cut into pieces and skinned.

Afterward everything was burned with fire.

Leviticus - Chap. 1

The Burnt offering

Occasions in which the burnt offering was made

By women in the ceremony of purification after birth.

Leviticus 12

By a leper when he was healed. Leviticus 14

At the consecration of a priest. Leviticus 8

During the feast of Pentecost. Leviticus 23:15-25.

class 01 introduction

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