The most boring book of the Bible - unless you see Christ.
Christ is on every page of Leviticus.
It shows us what God is like in His Son - Howard’s theme.
Themes of Lev. :
1) God is speaking - 35X “The Lord spake...”
Lev 1:1 And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation....
God spoke in the garden of Eden, Mt. Sinai, The Tabernacle, The Temple, The prophets, Christ.
2) Holiness - Holy and its derivatives 131 X.
3) Worship - A manual on worship.
4) Christ is the Messiah.
I) CHRIST IN THE OFFERINGS CH 1-7
Each offering was a type of Christ.
A) The Burnt Offering Ch1
2X daily the priest offered animals.
Blood was sprinkled on the alter.
The body burned.
Symbolism : Christ was wholly offered for us.
B) The Grain (Meal) offering Ch2
It was fine flour w/ oil.
Only part was offered, the rest given to the priests.
A bloodless sacrifice.
Symbolism : devotion to Christ.
C) The Peace (Wave or Heave) Offering Ch 3
Hands laid on the head of the animal.
Its blood sprinkled on the altar.
The body burned.
The offering waved and heaved before the Lord.
Symbolism : Peace w/ God through Christ
Eph 2:14 For he is our peace....
D) The Sin Offering Ch 4
Animal killed and blood sprinkled.
Meat burnt or eaten.
Symbolism : Christ’s payment for our sin.
2 Cor 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
E) The Trespass Offering Ch 5,6
Rams were offered and blood sprinkled on the altar.
The offender had to repay plus 1/5.
Symbolism : Christ’s forgiveness.
Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses.
II) CHRIST IN THE PRIESTHOOD CH 8-10
A) The preparation of the priests
Moses had special clothes made for the priests.
Moses anointed the tabernacle and priests.
They stayed there for 7 days.
B) The beginning of the priesthood
Lev 9:23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people.
Lev 9:24 And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
C) The fulfillment of the priesthood
Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
III) CHRIST IN THE PURIFICATION LAWS CH 11-15
A) Laws concerning food Ch 11
Distinction - Clean and unclean animals.
Only clean animals could be offered.
“Every meal the Israelites ate was preaching the atonement of Calvary”.
B) Laws concerning childbirth Ch 12
Unclean 40 or 80 days - Mary observed this.
C) Laws concerning uncleanness (leprosy) Ch 13 - 15
They didn’t know about germs - God told them to wash.
IV) CHRIST IN THE DAY OF ATONEMENT CH 16
Annually - Yom Kippur.
Detailed instructions for priest.
Typology :
Tabernacle - a type of heaven.
High priest and animals - a type of Christ.
Heb 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
V) CHRIST IN THE LAWS CONCERNING HOLINESS CH 17-22
Laws prohibiting :
1. Occultism
2. Eating of blood
3. Incest
4. Homosexuality
5. Bestiality
6. Stealing
7. Lying
8. Gossiping
Why all these laws ?
Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Don’t go back to the law. (Easy to creep in).
VI) CHRIST IN THE FEAST DAYS CH 23,24
Col 2:16 (NAS) Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day--
Col 2:17 things which are a {mere} shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
1a. PASSOVER - Their deliverance from Egypt.
1b. CRUCIFIXION - Christ is our passover.
1 Cor 5:7 “...For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.”
2a. UNLEAVENED BREAD - No time for bread to rise.
2b. COMMUNION - Unleavened bread.
1 Cor 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
3a. FIRSTFRUITS - Thanksgiving for coming harvest.
3b. RESURRECTION -
1 Cor 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
4a. PENTECOST - Thanks for harvest reaped.
4b. PENTECOST - Acts 2.
5a. TRUMPETS - Rosh Hashanah (New Year).
5b. RAPTURE -
1 Cor 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
6a. DAY OF ATONEMENT - Priest made offering for sin.
6b. 2nd Coming -
Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
7a. TABERNACLES - Remembrance of dwelling in booths after exodus.
7b. MILLENNIUM - Christ reigns 1000 years.
Zec 14:16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
VII) CHRIST IN THE LAWS CONCERNING LAND CH 25-27
A) The Sabbatical Year (Every 7 years)
1. The land was not farmed.
2. The poor could glean.
B) The Year of Jubilee (Every 50 years)
1. The land was not farmed.
2. Debts wiped out.
3. Slaves set free.
We have entered the Sabbath rest :
Heb 4:3 “For we who have believed enter that rest....”(NAS)
How - by faith in Christ.
