Page 68 - Pentateuch - Student Textbook

Study Section 9: Pentateuch Part IV:
The Sacrificial System: Leviticus 1-10

9.1 Connect

We come now to a neglected book. “Leviticus used to be the first book that Jewish children
studied in the synagogue.” Christians seldom even read Leviticus let alone learn the
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spiritual concepts God gave to ancient Israel. The instructions are given at Mount Sinai before
God leads Israel to the Promised Land. They have received the law, agreed to the covenant
with God, broken the covenant, been reinstated, and built the tabernacle.

Exodus and Leviticus belong together explaining how the holy God could ever accompany the rebellious
and sinful people of Israel. Both books record the movement of the glory of the Lord from the top of
Mount Sinai into the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-38; Lev. 9:23-24), presumably describing the same
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event. Leviticus explains how it could happen. The instructions in Leviticus are necessary if Israel is
ever going to get to Palestine.

The instructions for installing the priests were given in Exodus 29. Now those instructions are
implemented. The connection between instructions and implementation is strong. The section on
priests begins with “the LORD said to Moses (8:1) and records the obedience of Moses, “Moses did as
the Lord commanded him (8:4).” Obedience to God’s commands is recorded throughout this section
almost as a chorus to each paragraph (8:5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 29, 31, 34, 35, 36).

9.2 Objectives

1. You will learn about the five types of personal sacrifices.

2. You will evaluate the possibility or impossibility of following the sacrificial laws.

3. You will understand the sacrificial theology that points to the ultimate sacrifice.

4. You will learn about the Old Testament process of becoming a high priest.

5. You will see the clear distinction between obeying God and disobeying God as a high priest.

6. You will consider the application of the priesthood to today.

9.3 The Sacrificial System

The book of Leviticus is God’s revelation to Israel about how to worship him. The bulk of the
book consists of divine speeches that Moses delivered to the people. This emphasis is
introduced with the very first word of the book, ”Vayikra” meaning “and he called,” which also

74 Gordon J. Wenham, The Book of Leviticus (Grand Rapids: Erdmann, 1979), p. vii.
75 Roy Gane, Leviticus, Numbers (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004, p. 52, underscores the exact similarity
of language in Exodus 24:16 and Leviticus 1:1 found nowhere else in the OT, “and he called to Moses.”

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