Reading Report - Leviticus

16. Be Holy
The Exodus narrative continues into the book of Leviticus as the fulfillment of God’s instructions to Moses to set apart a holy priesthood is shown. The focus of Leviticus is the setting a part of the particular people who would minister on behalf of the Lord, their consecration and being made holy before the Lord. The narrative unfolds demonstrating that certain people, places, objects and even periods of time would have differing degrees of holiness associated with them. Being holy allows one to experience life as it is meant to be, unmarred, and reflecting the moral perfection of our God which provides life giving spirit and saves us from death. The New Testament implication is that the people of God are still meant to remain holy even today, as God continues to intervene and make his children holy by the power of the Holy Spirit in the sanctification process.

17. The Sacrificial System
Vicarious satisfaction or substitutionary atonement lay at the heart of the sacrificial system, which lays at the heart of the Levitical process of making one holy, clean and blameless before our holy God. The sins of the people were placed upon the animal whose blood was shed as a substitute for their own, which bears its fullest picture in the Day of Atonement. This was the way for Israel to restore their relationship with God. The New Testament implication is seen in the vicarious death of Jesus Christ, whose blood was shed to make satisfaction for our sins and to provide a restored relationship for those that are in Him with God.

18. The Clean and the Unclean Foods
The food regulations upon the people of Israel where once again meant to set them apart as a holy nation, as clean and unclean animals were most likely representative of clean and unclean people or people in and out of the covenant. Additionally, clean animals were broken down further into sacrificial and non-sacrificial like the people of Israel were priestly and non-priestly. The New Testament implication here is that the clean Jew and the unclean Gentile distinction was no longer necessary and that the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was instituted so that the people of God could be set apart and identified as His by participating in this covenantal meal.