The word Leviticus stems from the Latin Vulgate word leuitikon and means “matters of the Levites.” The book of Leviticus is specifically addressed to the children of Israel (1:1-2) and documents the priestly duties and ceremonies to be performed by the tribe of Levi (Levites), who were from the Aaronic priesthood; furthermore, the concluding verse of Leviticus reveals that the things written in this book were “…commandments which the Lord commanded Moses for the children of Israel on Mount Sinai” (Leviticus 27:34). Although the book of Leviticus is often overlooked by the modern-day worshiper, this writing would have been the very first book learned by a Jewish child because it was a revelation of how an individual could properly worship and obey God. Since the priests were the ones who assisted the nation of Israel in worshiping God, the Lord provided very specific instructions of how that worship was to take place. Until this point in the history of Israel, they knew how to worship God based only upon the history of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They had quickly forgotten the ways of their fathers when they experienced hundreds of years of slavery in Egypt (Exodus 1) which, ultimately, influenced the way that they worshiped. Instead of worshiping the one, true God they oftentimes were guilty of engaging in pagan rituals and worship of many gods; in fact, the golden calf incident (Exodus 32) is a glimpse into the religious tendencies of Israel. God wanted their disobedience and false worship to cease so He provided instructions in this book for proper worship. If Israel was going to be a nation set apart and used to bring the world’s attention to God, they would need to change their ways.
The Israelites escaped from Egypt in 1445BC and the tabernacle was completed just one year after their exodus while they were camped at the foot of Mount Sinai (Exodus 40). The instructions in this book were probably given immediately following the completion of the tabernacle in the first month of the second year following Israel’s escape from Egyptian bondage (Exodus 40:17). Within the pages of Leviticus, the following worship instructions are detailed: the five sacrifices observed in worship (Leviticus 1:1-7:38), the beginning of the priestly duties (Leviticus 8:1-10:20), the specifics of uncleanness in worship (Leviticus 11:1-16:34), and the guidelines for individual holiness (Leviticus 17:1-27:34). These instructions would radically define worship and help Israel determine whether their worship was acceptable to God or not. Although the worship guidelines were specific to Israel, reading and understanding them helps the modern-day believer process the holy character of God. A believer no longer follows these instructions because the New Testament abolished the Old Testament ceremonial law (Acts 10:1-16; Colossians 2:16-17) and the priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). Even though the ceremonial law has come to an end (Hebrews 7-10), there is great value in seeing the divine nature of God in them. The book of Leviticus may not always be easy to comprehend in light of the culture in which it was written, but a careful study will provide a deeper love and respect for a holy God.
Dear God, give me understanding of this book so that I might develop a greater love for worshiping You.
