Today's passage: Leviticus 27

Helpful thoughts:

• The final chapter of Leviticus speaks to the fulfillment and/or redemption of vows and dedications made to the Lord.
• Whether a person vowed to offer themself or a member of their family for service in the temple, or land, or house, or other gifts, there was a way to redeem that offer (To recoup what was given).  It often required a 20% to the value.
  • It's believed the values given to men and women could have been based on the rates for slaves.
• Those that were firstborn could not be given to the Lord because they were already His (Exodus 13:2).

Questions to consider:

1. What would the increase of 20% in value serve to teach the people concerning their vows and dedications?  Were they to be given flippantly?  Were the priests and the tabernacle to be treated as things that could be treated without respect or consideration?  What kind of giving is honorable before the Lord?
2. What does the final verse remind us of concerning the timing of the writing and teaching of this book?  Where was Israel and at what stage were they in their history when all of this was given to them?
3. What have been some themes or main ideas that have stuck out to you as we have worked our way through the book of Leviticus?  What have we learned about Israel?  The Lord?  Man's ability to keep the law?  God's redemption of man?

Today's passage: Leviticus 26

Helpful thoughts:

• It might seem weird to see the Lord shift from idolatry in verses 1-2 to all the promises in verses 3-13.  But, all the things the Lord commits to giving Israel in 3-13 are all the things the surrounding nations worshipped other false gods in hopes to receive.  The Lord was their God.  He was their protector, provider and redeemer.  They had no need to worship any other.
• If Israel chose to worship those false gods anyway (Which they did) not only would those false gods fail to provide what Israel wanted, but the Lord would ensure they didn't receive the things for which they hoped.
• The Lord had a right to a holy jealousy concerning Israel.  He had formed them as a people.  He had freed them from slavery.  They had formally entered into a covenant with Him.  He was going to give them a land to call their home.
  • In truth, the Lord has a right to a holy jealousy for all peoples…He is the one true God and the creator of all things.  He alone must be worshiped.  The people of the world in all places and at all times are either obediently worshipping Him, or they are in sin.

Questions to consider:

1. Given the promises of Lord here (For good and for bad) what did Israel do?  What did/will the Lord do (2 Kings 6:24-31, 2 Kings 25:8-11, Ezra 1:1-4, Revelation 19:6-11)?
2. From the perspective of man, who would be responsible for the good that came, or for the bad?  Who would the “newspapers” say caused the great harvests or the military victories and defeats?  Ultimately, who was responsible for it all?  What does this passage teach us about the providence of God?
3. How can this passage appropriately cause us to “sit up straight” under the Lordship of Jesus Christ?  We joyfully rest in His grace, and it is right for us to obey Him in everything.  How can you be growing in following our Lord and Savior?

Today's passage: Leviticus 25

Helpful thoughts:

• The people of Israel were to keep a Sabbath day every week on the seventh day.  The land of Israel was to keep a Sabbath year of rest every seventh year.
• The forty-ninth year was a Sabbath year that brought in the Year of Jubilee (The fiftieth year).
  • The land would have rest for the duration of two years.
  • All people would go back to their ancestral lands.
  • All land ownership (Which was really more like a lease agreement) was returned to the original owners.
    • When the land was “sold” (leased) to others, the cost was to be calculated according the the years left before the next Jubilee to ensure a fair price.
  • Any Israelite who had become an indentured slave/servant was to be freed.
  • Houses in walled cities were exempt from the rule of Jubilee.  Once you sold it, you only had the first right to buy it back within a year of the sale.  After that, you had no claim to the house.
• Whether a person was an Israelite or a foreigner (An immigrant), they were expected to keep the laws of Israel within the land.

Questions to consider:

1. How does the law of the Year of Jubilee differ from our laws?  What did the Year of Jubilee do to change the concept of the ownership of land, the needs of the poor, etc.?
2. What was the motivation to be to take people in and help them in their time of need (Verse 36)?  What actions/attitudes would have made it hard to fulfill this command?  What must those who were being helped be willing to do for those who were providing for them?
3. In what ways is the slavery spoken of in this passage different than the slavery we often think of from the history of the United States?  How were the slaves to be treated according to Leviticus 25?  What were they actually providing?  Ultimately, who actually “owned” all the people in Israel (Verse 55)?

Today's passage: Leviticus 24

Helpful thoughts:

• Today's chapter could be divided in two halves:
  • Preparation in the tabernacle (The lamps and the bread).
  • An occasion for laws concerning punishment.
• There were twelve loaves set out as “The Bread of the Presence.”  They symbolized the covenant between the Lord and the twelve tribes of Irsael.
• The death penalty was given to the one who cursed and blasphemed.  Verses 16 and 22 make it clear, it had nothing to do with his Egyptian background (Not based on his ethnicity), and everything to do with his sin.  Should an Israelite do the same, the same punishment would have been warranted.
• The judgments against crimes would not have to be the exact pain inflicted (Not a literal broken arm in exchange for a broken arm) but the phrase, “as he has done it shall be done to him” gave a limit to the punishment.  The punishment needed to fit the crime.

Questions to consider:

1. To where did Moses turn when he needed wisdom in judgment?  To whom should we go when we need to learn what to do?  How does this evidence a humility in ourselves and a trust in the truth of God's Word?
2. How does this passage speak to the idea of justice in this world?  What is necessary for justice to be carried out?  What did Israel have to do with God's command here?  What happens in a society when those in authority withhold justice?

Today's passage: Leviticus 23

Helpful thoughts:

• Chapter 23 lists the special days and feasts throughout the year to be observed in Israel.
  • The Sabbath day (Weekly)
  • The Passover (Annual – In the spring/March-April)
    • The Feast of Unleavened Bread immediately follows Passover
  • Firstfruits (Annual – Also after Passover)
  • Weeks (Annual – 50 days after Passover)
    • Also called “Pentecost” (This was being celebrated when the events of Acts 2 occurred).
  • Trumpets (Annual – In the fall/September)
  • The Day of Atonement (Annual-Fall/September-October)
  • Booths/Tabernacles (Annual-Fall/September-October)

Questions to consider:

1. What do you notice about the timing of all of these feasts/”holidays”?  What would the grouping of these occasions result in?
2. If the spring was the first months for the Jews, how would that impact these celebrations?  What would be happening during or prior to the fall-time feasts?
3. What would the faithful observance of these feasts do for the relationship of Israel (And Israelites and the Lord?  What would the faithful observance do for the bond and relationships of the people of Israel with each other?  How could this be compared with the gathering of the local church (Hebrews 10:23-25)?

Today's passage: Leviticus 22

Helpful thoughts:

• Laws (And their explanations/exceptions) continue from chapter 21.
• These laws were also beneficial to the people of Israel outside of the priesthood.  It ensured whatever they offered to the Lord would remain ceremonially “clean” and fit for use in the tabernacle.  The priests had a responsibility before the Lord and the people to do their work with excellence.
• The priests were to be set apart and without blemish in their role, and so were the animals for sacrifice.  The Lord would only accept a sacrifice that was without blemish or defect.  Being without sin, Christ became our “sacrificial lamb.”

Questions to consider:

1. As we come closer to the end of Leviticus, what themes have formed?  Even though there have been several different commands, what ideas/principles tie them all together?
2. What reasons were given for the obedience of Israel in verses 31-33?  How might we state this for the people of God (The Church) today?  Why should we obey the Lord?
3. How did we become the Lord's?  How were we redeemed?  With what were we purchased to become His people?

Today's passage: Leviticus 21

Helpful thoughts:

• Chapters 21 and 22 are concerned with the holiness of the priests among the people of Israel.  We'll cover the first half of these laws today.
  • Remember, holiness refers to the idea of being set apart.  The priesthood was set apart in a special way from the rest of Israel due to their God-given function.  The priests were not superior humans compared to the rest of the nation.  They were simply set apart for this sacred task.  Therefore, God had expectations to help them remain equipped for what He had called them to do.
• Verse 5 contains mourning practices which had been typical of the pagan peoples in the region.
• Just as the animals for the sacrifices needed to be without blemish, so the priests had to as well.  Both the priest and the sacrifice served to paint a picture for the people.

Questions to consider:

1. Why would it make practical sense for the priests to be held to a higher standard in these areas than the rest of the nation?  What roles did they have to fulfil in the tabernacle that required ceremonial cleanness?
2. How would the view of the specialness of the priesthood have been viewed?  Why were the priests no better than any other Israelite?  Why was what the priests were called to do so special?  Who deserved the glory and thanks for all of it?
3. In what way is our Great High Priest and our sacrificial lamb without blemish (Hebrews 2:9, 17)?

 

Today's passage: Leviticus 20

Helpful thoughts:

• Chapter 20 contains much the same content as chapter 18.  However, the required punishments are added in 20.
• Verse 8 states the proper tension of the grace of God and the responsibility of man.
  • God is the one who sets His people apart, sanctifies, saves, etc.
  • Man is still responsible to pursue obedience, godliness, righteousness.
    • We are saved by grace.  We are sanctified by God's gracious action (Philippians 1:6).
    • And, we press on, striving toward the goal (Philippians 3:14).
• From the ESV Study Bible: “Cursing one's parents is not merely using condescending or abusive language toward them but refers to a serious breach of a child's duty to honor his parents.  It means to “make light of something,” and is the exact opposite of “honoring” one's parents.”

Questions to consider:

1. What was the prevailing punishment for the sins listed in this chapter?  Even if the punishment was not the most severe, what still happens in the relationship between the one who sinned and the rest of the people?  How seriously did God take these sins?  Why do you think that is?
2. What happens when we abandon the idea of God's proactive grace for our salvation and sanctification?  What do we lose out on?  What would the consequences be?
3. What happens when we abandon the idea of our responsibility to trust and obey?  What do we lose out on (And others around us)?  What would the consequences be?

Today's passage: Leviticus 19

Helpful thoughts:

• God, having attributes only He possesses and being the creator of all things, is set apart from all the rest of creation.  He is holy.  One of the things God is set apart from is sin.  If we are to grow in godliness (Or in Christ-likeness) we also must strive to be set apart from sin.
• Whenever something other than God takes the place of God in our hearts, more sin will soon follow.
• The Israelites were not to live as the Canaanites or other pagan peoples did in the land before them.  Verses 26-31 contain many of their practices.
  • The problem with the tattoos of verse 28 were that they were included in pagan worship.  It wasn't the practice of tattooing itself, but the pagan worship that went along with it.

Questions to consider:

1. In what ways can we see in this passage the greatest commandments being illustrated (Love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself)?
2. How were the people of Israel to treat “strangers” (Foreigners) who came into the land to live with them?  What is the difference between a stranger who lives next to Israel and a stranger who lives with Israel?  What were those strangers to become once they moved into Israel?
3. How should a person live after their salvation, after they become part of the church?

Today's passage: Leviticus 18

Helpful thoughts:

• Israel was to be distinct from all other nations.  Separated unto God and separated from sin.  Holy.  Chapter 18 gives commands concerning sexual holiness.
• The nations surrounding Israel (even the nations in the Promised Land who preceded Israel) committed sexual sins which God called “abominations” and were judged for them.  These were not just sinful for Israel, but for all peoples.
  • An abomination is a thing that causes disgust, a detestable act.
• These laws forbade incest (Both by blood and through marriage), intimacy during menstruation, homosexuality, bestiality and adultery.
  • Verse 19 contains the only law in this chapter that is not repeated in the New Testament in some way (Intimacy during menstruation).  This law makes sense in the context of the Old Covenant in keeping with Leviticus 15:19-24.

Questions to consider:

1. What laws do we read in this passage that were violated even by the patriarchs of Israel (Prior to the written law)?  Were those men and their families saved by their obedience or by turning out “OK” in the end or were they saved through something else (Romans 4:3)?
2. How would the prohibition in verse 21 fit into the context of the rest of the chapter?  If one of the purposes of sex is procreation, how does verse 21 (Among many other problems!) go against God's design?  How might this even help us to understand verses 19 and 20 better?
3.  Beyond just the people involved, who/what suffers as a result of these sexual sins?  How does the “land” (Or, the people group(s) of the land) suffer when sexual sin runs rampant?  What is the true answer for those who are bound up in these abominations (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)?