Abraham
Moses
Creation of
world
2000
B.C.
1400
B.C..
30
A.D.
2000
A.D.
Books 3 – LEVITICUS
NAME: “concerning the Levites”
AUTHOR: Moses
DATE: 1446 – 1406
THEME: Worship and Holiness
What does it mean to LIVE as God’s Holy
People?
SETTING: Leviticus takes place within
the two years that Israel spent
camped at the foot of Mt. Sinai.
Leviticus continues the story of Israel
receiving God’s instructions at Sinai.
IMPORTANT TOPICS:
Sacrifice and God’s Grace; Role of the
Priests; Purity; The Day of Atonement;
and Holy Living.
ATONEMENT
William Tyndale the sixteenthcentury English Bible Translator,
invented this word to express what
Jesus accomplished on the cross: the
cancellation of sins and reconciliation of God
with humanity. The word has two parts: ”at”
and “onement”. Atonement is God’s way to
bring reconciliation and restoration to the
world over sin!
SACRIFICAL SYSTEM
• Sin is what separates us from GOD
• God commanded His people to make offerings
and sacrifices to atone for their sins.
• Each sacrifice had specific purposes and
actions depending on the particular person
and need.
• There are 5 major sacrifices outlined within
the book of Leviticus and One Major Day
Leviticus 1 – 7
Burnt Offering
Grain Offering
Fellowship Offering
Sin Offering
Guilt Offering
Priestly Instructions
Burnt Offering
• A burnt offering from the herd, the
flock, or birds
• Without blemish; the animal had to
be perfect (sinless by Jesus)
• Brought to the Tent of Meeting
• Given to the priests to be burnt on
the altar
Burnt Offering - The Fat (v. 8)
The “fat” see verse 8; Many pagan
religions believed that an animal’s power
and strength were found in the fat and
blood once the animal was sacrificed to
their deities. To overturn this God
reserved the fat for himself and the blood
for Atonement. An Israelite could not eat
the fat or drink the blood or they would
be cut off from the community!
Pleasing Aroma to YAHWEH
(v. 9, 13, 17)
This signified God’s acceptance
of the offering and, therefore,
acceptance of the one making
the offering. Unlike pagan
deities, God offers forgiveness.
Grain Offering
• A grain offering shall be an offering
to the LORD of fine flour bread
• Pour oil on it and put frankincense
on it
• Brought to Aaron’s sons the priests
• They would burn a portion and keep
a portion
Grain Offering
• Leavening agents were associated with
sin, decay, corruption, sickness, and
even death.
• All baked items offered to God as a
grain offering were unleavened.
• The bread of the Passover meal was
also unleavened.
Salt of the Covenant (v. 13)
• Salt was produced by drying seawater
from mineral deposits
• Salt preserves, so it reminded the
Israelites that God would preserve His
covenant with Abraham, including the
messianic promise the through
Abraham all the families of the earth
Peace Offerings
• To be offered to the LORD an animal from the herd,
flock, or a goat
• Without blemish
• It is a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the
LORD
• Given on high holy days and special occasions
• God provides meat for a sacrificial banquet, which
a family could share with invited guests
• Peace offerings acknowledge God’s grace to his
people
Sin Offerings
• Unintentional Sin by an Anointed Priest
(4:1)
• Unintentional Sin by the Whole
Congregation (4:13)
• Unintentional Sin by a Leader (4:22)
• Unintentional Sin by Common People
(4:27)
Sin Offerings
• Anointed Priest – A bull from the herd
• Whole Congregation – A bull from the
herd
• Leader – A male goat without blemish
• Common People – a goat, a female
without blemish, a female lamb without
blemish
And the priest
shall burn it on
the altar for a
pleasing aroma to
the LORD. And
the priest shall
make atonement
for him, and he
shall be forgiven.
(4:28)
Graded Sin Offerings
• Failure to respond to a public
oath to testify (5:1)
• Touching an unclean thing (5:2)
• Touching human uncleanness
(5:3)
• Uttering a careless oath (5:4)
Guilt Offerings
• Sacrifices and compensations of the guilt
offering for mending relationships with
God and with neighbor.
• Breach of faith regarding the holy things
(5:14)
• Doing things that by the Lord’s
commandments ought not to be done
(5:17)
Guilt Offerings
• Breach of faith against the LORD by
deceiving his neighbor in a matter of
deposit or security, or through robbery,
or if he oppressed by his neighbor or has
found something lost and lied about it,
swearing falsely—in any of all the things
that people do and sin (6:1 - 5)
Guilt Offerings
• Restore what has been took and add a
fifth to it
• He shall bring to the priest as his
compensation to the LORD a ram
without blemish
• The priest shall make atonement for him
before the LORD, and he shall be
forgiven for any of the things have been
done.
Therefore since we have a
great High Priest (Jesus
the Son of God) who has
gone through the
heavens, let us hold
firmly to the faith we
profess. For we do not
have a high priest who is
unable to understand us.
Why? Because he has
been tempted in every
way but has no sin.
(Hebrews 4:14-16)
Now Nadab and Abihu,
the sons of Aaron, each
took his censer and put
fire in it and laid incense
on it, and offered
unauthorized fire before
the Lord, which he had
not commanded them.
And fire came out from
the Lord and consumed
them, and they died
before the Lord.
(Numbers 10:1 – 2)
2x in chapter 11 we are reminded to
“be holy, for I am holy.”
v. 44 – For I am the LORD your God
v. 45 – For I brought you out of Egypt.
For I am the LORD your God…
This covenant phrase appears 45 times
from here to the end of Leviticus.
It serves as a reminder to the Israelites
that YAHWEH had distinguished Israel
from other nations (20:24), that He
might sanctify the chosen people
(20:8; 21:8) and be their God.