After God had delivered Israel (His chosen people) from Egyptian bondage (Exodus 12:29-51), they departed into the wilderness and camped at the foot of Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:1-40:38). Israel camped at Mount Sinai for approximately 11 months and during that time God provided them with His law, which would become a guide to their relationship with Him and others. Moses (Exodus 3-4), God’s appointed leader of the Israelites, received the law directly from God and wrote it down so that the people would understand what He expected from them. The Law was made up of three parts: the Ten Commandments/Decalogue (Exodus 20:1-21), civil/religious ordinances (Exodus 20:22-24:11), and ceremonial regulations (Exodus 24:12-31:18). The tabernacle became the center of Israel’s worship and the place where God’s presence dwelt with the people (Exodus 32-40). The book of Leviticus provided further instruction concerning proper worship inside and outside the tabernacle. Leviticus primarily covers four topics: offerings/sacrifices (Leviticus 1:1-7:38), priestly duties (Leviticus 8:1-10:20), uncleanness in worship (Leviticus 11:1-16:34), and individual holiness (Leviticus 17:1-27:34). These four areas provided a standard of conduct for the nation of Israel and the priests who assisted them in worshiping God. It was imperative for Israel to obey the laws which were established in Leviticus so that they could experience an uninhibited relationship with God.
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