What if a person promised something or someone to serve God, but wanted to change their mind? Could their vow be redeemed? From what are Christians redeemed? Let’s look at Leviticus 27.
Did a person’s age depend on how much they redeemed themselves from a vow of service to God?
The Lord said to Moses, Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When a person makes a solemn promise to the Lord involving the value of a person, if it is the value for a male between 20 and 60 years old, his value is fifty silver shekels according to the sanctuary’s shekel. If the person is a female, her value is thirty shekels. If the age of the person is between 5 and 20 years, the value for a male is twenty shekels, for a female ten shekels. If the age of the person is between one month and 5 years, the value for a male is five silver shekels, for a female three silver shekels. If the age of the person is 60 years or more, the value is fifteen shekels if the person is male, ten shekels for a female. But if financial difficulty prevents the promise maker from giving the full value, they must set the person before the priest. The priest will assign the person a value according to what the promise maker can afford. (Leviticus 27:1-8 CEB)
Are there promises made to God that cannot be reversed?
If you promise to sacrifice an animal to me, it becomes holy, and there is no way you can set it free. If you try to substitute any other animal, no matter how good, for the one you promised, they will both become holy and must be sacrificed. Donkeys are unfit for sacrifice, so if you promise me a donkey, you must bring it to the priest, and let him determine its value. But if you want to buy it back, you must pay an additional 20 percent. (Leviticus 27:9-13 CEV)
What percentage was to be added to the original estimate, if a gift could be redeemed?
When a man dedicates his house as a holy gift to the Lord, the priest shall value it as either good or bad; as the priest values it, so it shall stand. And if the donor wishes to redeem his house, he shall add a fifth to the valuation price, and it shall be his. (Leviticus 27:14-15 ESV)
Did the 20% surcharge also apply to fields promised to God?
If a man consecrates to the Lord any part of a field that he possesses, your assessment of value will be proportional to the seed needed to sow it, at the rate of 50 silver shekels for every five bushels of barley seed. If he consecrates his field during the Year of Jubilee, the price will stand according to your assessment. But if he consecrates his field after the Jubilee, the priest will calculate the price for him in proportion to the years left until the next Year of Jubilee, so that your assessment will be reduced. If the one who consecrated the field decides to redeem it, he must add a fifth to the assessed value, and the field will transfer back to him. But if he does not redeem the field or if he has sold it to another man, it is no longer redeemable. When the field is released in the Jubilee, it will be holy to the Lord like a field permanently set apart; it becomes the priest’s property. (Leviticus 27:16-21 HCSB)
What if the field is not a part of his clan’s inheritance but leased until the Jubilee?
If he consecrates a field that he had bought and that isn’t part of his inheritance, then the priest is to account to him the evaluated worth until the year of jubilee. Then he is to give the amount of valuation on that day as a holy gift to the Lord. During the year of jubilee, the field is to be returned by the one who originally sold it—that is, to the owner of the land. Every valuation is to be according to the shekel of the sanctuary, evaluated at 20 gerahs to the shekel. (Leviticus 27:22-25 ISV)
God already claimed all firstborn males of humans and clean animals, so could they be dedicated twice?
Only the firstling of the beasts, which should be the Lord's firstling, no man shall sanctify it; whether it be ox, or sheep: it is the Lord's. And if it be of an unclean beast, then he shall redeem it according to thine estimation, and shall add a fifth part of it thereto: or if it be not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to thy estimation. (Leviticus 27:26-27 KJV)
If someone has incurred the death penalty for a crime, could they be redeemed?
Notwithstanding, no devoted thing that a man devotes to Yahweh of all that he has, whether of man or animal, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed. Everything that is permanently devoted is most holy to Yahweh. No one devoted to destruction [the death penalty], who shall be devoted from among men, shall be ransomed. He shall surely be put to death. (Leviticus 27:28-29 KJV)
What if someone wanted to redeem part of the tithe to God, like his favorite animal?
Thus all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, belongs to Yahweh; it is holy to Yahweh. If, therefore, a man wishes to redeem part of his tithe, he shall add to it one-fifth of it. For every tenth part of herd or flock, whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to Yahweh. He shall not inquire whether it is good or bad, nor shall he exchange it; or if he does exchange it, then both it and its substitute shall become holy. It shall not be redeemed. (Leviticus 27:30-33 LSB)
What statement concludes the book of Leviticus?
These are the commandments which the Lord commanded Moses for the sons of Israel on Mount Sinai. (Leviticus 27:34 NASB)
How did Peter summarize a more important redemption, not from a vow but from our empty way of life?
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1:18-19 NIV)
What if a person promised something or someone to serve God, but wanted to change their mind? Could their vow be redeemed? From what are Christians redeemed? You decide!
Blessings & Curses (Leviticus 26)
Are there consequences for obeying or disobeying God? Did God give Israel plenty of chances to repent? What are Christians to obey? Let’s look at Leviticus 26.
What important things did God want the Israelites to remember?
Do not make idols for yourselves, set up a carved image or sacred pillar for yourselves, or place a sculpted stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am Yahweh your God. You must keep My Sabbaths and revere My sanctuary; I am Yahweh. (Leviticus 26:1-2 HCSB)
What behavior would be required to give Israel God’s blessings!
Faithfully obey my laws, and I will send rain to make your crops grow and your trees produce fruit. Your harvest of grain and grapes will be so abundant, that you won't know what to do with it all. You will eat and be satisfied, and you will live in safety. I will bless your country with peace, and you will rest without fear. I will wipe out the dangerous animals and protect you from enemy attacks. You will chase and destroy your enemies, even if there are only 5 of you and 100 of them, or only 100 of you and 10,000 of them. (Leviticus 26:3-8 CEV)
What behavior would be required to give Israel God’s presence!
I will turn to you and make you fruitful and multiply you and will confirm my covenant with you. You shall eat old store long kept, and you shall clear out the old to make way for the new. I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect. (Leviticus 26:9-13 ESV)
What would be the consequences of disobeying God’s commands?
But if you won’t listen to me and obey all these commands, and if you refuse my statutes, loathe my ordinances, and fail to carry out all of my commands, thereby breaching my covenant, then I will certainly do this to you: I’ll appoint sudden terror to infect you like tuberculosis and fever. Your eyes will fail and your life will waste away. You’ll plant in vain, because your enemies will consume what you plant. I’ll set my face against you so that you’ll be defeated before your enemies. Those who hate you will have dominion over you and you’ll keep fleeing even when no one is pursuing you. (Leviticus 26:14-17 ISV)
If after these warnings, they refuse to listen to God, is there a second set of punishments?
And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits. (Leviticus 26:18-20 KJV)
If after these warnings, they refuse to listen to God, is there a third set of punishments?
If then, you walk in hostility against Me and are unwilling to obey Me, I will increase the plague on you seven times according to your sins. And I will send out among you the beasts of the field, which will bereave you of your children and cut down your cattle and reduce your number so that your roads lie desolate. (Leviticus 26:21-22 LSB)
If after these warnings, they refuse to listen to God, is there a fourth set of punishments?
And if by these things you do not learn your lesson regarding Me, but you show hostility toward Me, then I in turn will show hostility toward you; and I, even I, will strike you seven times for your sins. I will also bring upon you a sword which will execute vengeance for the covenant; and when you gather together into your cities, I will send a plague among you, so that you will be handed over to the enemy. When I break your staff of bread, ten women will bake your bread in one oven, and they will bring back your bread in rationed amounts, so that you will eat and not be satisfied. (Leviticus 26:23-26 NASB)
If after these warnings, they refuse to listen to God, is there a fifth set of punishments?
If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me, then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over. You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters. I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you. I will turn your cities into ruins and lay waste your sanctuaries, and I will take no delight in the pleasing aroma of your offerings. I myself will lay waste the land, so that your enemies who live there will be appalled. I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins. Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. All the time that it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not have during the sabbaths you lived in it. (Leviticus 26:27-35 NIV)
If after all these warnings, they still refuse to listen to God, is there a sixth set of punishments?
And as for those of you who are left, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; the sound of a shaken leaf shall cause them to flee; they shall flee as though fleeing from a sword, and they shall fall when no one pursues. They shall stumble over one another, as it were before a sword, when no one pursues; and you shall have no power to stand before your enemies. You shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up. And those of you who are left shall waste away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; also in their fathers’ iniquities, which are with them, they shall waste away. (Leviticus 26:36-39 NKJV)
If after all this, is there hope for the people of Israel?
But at last my people will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors for betraying me and being hostile toward me. When I have turned their hostility back on them and brought them to the land of their enemies, then at last their stubborn hearts will be humbled, and they will pay for their sins. Then I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. For the land must be abandoned to enjoy its years of Sabbath rest as it lies deserted. At last the people will pay for their sins, for they have continually rejected my regulations and despised my decrees. (Leviticus 26:40-43 NLT)
Will God utterly forsake Israel despite all their many sins?
“Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly and to break my covenant with them; for I am Yahweh their God. But I will for their sake remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am Yahweh.” These are the statutes, ordinances, and laws, which Yahweh made between him and the children of Israel in Mount Sinai by Moses. (Leviticus 26:44-46 WEB)
Under the new covenant, why do we make up rules that Jesus did not command and overlook obeying Him?
Although he was a Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered. After he had been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for everyone who obeys him. (Hebrews 5:8-9 CEB)
Are there consequences for obeying or disobeying God? Did God give Israel plenty of chances to repent? What are Christians to obey? You Decide!
What important things did God want the Israelites to remember?
Do not make idols for yourselves, set up a carved image or sacred pillar for yourselves, or place a sculpted stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am Yahweh your God. You must keep My Sabbaths and revere My sanctuary; I am Yahweh. (Leviticus 26:1-2 HCSB)
What behavior would be required to give Israel God’s blessings!
Faithfully obey my laws, and I will send rain to make your crops grow and your trees produce fruit. Your harvest of grain and grapes will be so abundant, that you won't know what to do with it all. You will eat and be satisfied, and you will live in safety. I will bless your country with peace, and you will rest without fear. I will wipe out the dangerous animals and protect you from enemy attacks. You will chase and destroy your enemies, even if there are only 5 of you and 100 of them, or only 100 of you and 10,000 of them. (Leviticus 26:3-8 CEV)
What behavior would be required to give Israel God’s presence!
I will turn to you and make you fruitful and multiply you and will confirm my covenant with you. You shall eat old store long kept, and you shall clear out the old to make way for the new. I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect. (Leviticus 26:9-13 ESV)
What would be the consequences of disobeying God’s commands?
But if you won’t listen to me and obey all these commands, and if you refuse my statutes, loathe my ordinances, and fail to carry out all of my commands, thereby breaching my covenant, then I will certainly do this to you: I’ll appoint sudden terror to infect you like tuberculosis and fever. Your eyes will fail and your life will waste away. You’ll plant in vain, because your enemies will consume what you plant. I’ll set my face against you so that you’ll be defeated before your enemies. Those who hate you will have dominion over you and you’ll keep fleeing even when no one is pursuing you. (Leviticus 26:14-17 ISV)
If after these warnings, they refuse to listen to God, is there a second set of punishments?
And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits. (Leviticus 26:18-20 KJV)
If after these warnings, they refuse to listen to God, is there a third set of punishments?
If then, you walk in hostility against Me and are unwilling to obey Me, I will increase the plague on you seven times according to your sins. And I will send out among you the beasts of the field, which will bereave you of your children and cut down your cattle and reduce your number so that your roads lie desolate. (Leviticus 26:21-22 LSB)
If after these warnings, they refuse to listen to God, is there a fourth set of punishments?
And if by these things you do not learn your lesson regarding Me, but you show hostility toward Me, then I in turn will show hostility toward you; and I, even I, will strike you seven times for your sins. I will also bring upon you a sword which will execute vengeance for the covenant; and when you gather together into your cities, I will send a plague among you, so that you will be handed over to the enemy. When I break your staff of bread, ten women will bake your bread in one oven, and they will bring back your bread in rationed amounts, so that you will eat and not be satisfied. (Leviticus 26:23-26 NASB)
If after these warnings, they refuse to listen to God, is there a fifth set of punishments?
If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me, then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over. You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters. I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you. I will turn your cities into ruins and lay waste your sanctuaries, and I will take no delight in the pleasing aroma of your offerings. I myself will lay waste the land, so that your enemies who live there will be appalled. I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins. Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. All the time that it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not have during the sabbaths you lived in it. (Leviticus 26:27-35 NIV)
If after all these warnings, they still refuse to listen to God, is there a sixth set of punishments?
And as for those of you who are left, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; the sound of a shaken leaf shall cause them to flee; they shall flee as though fleeing from a sword, and they shall fall when no one pursues. They shall stumble over one another, as it were before a sword, when no one pursues; and you shall have no power to stand before your enemies. You shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up. And those of you who are left shall waste away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; also in their fathers’ iniquities, which are with them, they shall waste away. (Leviticus 26:36-39 NKJV)
If after all this, is there hope for the people of Israel?
But at last my people will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors for betraying me and being hostile toward me. When I have turned their hostility back on them and brought them to the land of their enemies, then at last their stubborn hearts will be humbled, and they will pay for their sins. Then I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. For the land must be abandoned to enjoy its years of Sabbath rest as it lies deserted. At last the people will pay for their sins, for they have continually rejected my regulations and despised my decrees. (Leviticus 26:40-43 NLT)
Will God utterly forsake Israel despite all their many sins?
“Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly and to break my covenant with them; for I am Yahweh their God. But I will for their sake remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am Yahweh.” These are the statutes, ordinances, and laws, which Yahweh made between him and the children of Israel in Mount Sinai by Moses. (Leviticus 26:44-46 WEB)
Under the new covenant, why do we make up rules that Jesus did not command and overlook obeying Him?
Although he was a Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered. After he had been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for everyone who obeys him. (Hebrews 5:8-9 CEB)
Are there consequences for obeying or disobeying God? Did God give Israel plenty of chances to repent? What are Christians to obey? You Decide!
Jubilee Economics (Leviticus 25)
The Bible introduces us to jubilism, a unique system designed by God to protect the weak and create economic justice for all. It begins with equal distribution of the land into private hands. Did the jubilee economic system provide a way for people to get out of poverty? Did it act as an equalizer across the board, lost to modern economic theories? Can we learn from it? Let’s examine Leviticus 25.
How did the land sabbath work as a farming system?
While Moses was on Mount Sinai, the Lord said to him, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you have entered the land I am giving you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath rest before the Lord every seventh year. For six years you may plant your fields and prune your vineyards and harvest your crops, but during the seventh year the land must have a Sabbath year of complete rest. It is the Lord’s Sabbath. Do not plant your fields or prune your vineyards during that year. And don’t store away the crops that grow on their own or gather the grapes from your unpruned vines. The land must have a year of complete rest. (Leviticus 25:1-4a NLT)
What was to be done during the fallow year on the farm?
You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. What grows of itself in your harvest you shall not reap, and you shall not gather the grapes of your undressed vine. It shall be a year of solemn rest for the land. The Sabbath of the land shall be for food for you; for yourself, for your servant, for your maid, for your hired servant, and for your stranger, who lives as a foreigner with you. For your livestock also, and for the animals that are in your land, shall all its increase be for food. (Leviticus 25:4b-7 WEB)
What was the economic benefit to regaining the family farm in the jubilee year?
Count off seven weeks of years—that is, seven times seven—so that the seven weeks of years totals forty-nine years. Then have the trumpet blown on the tenth day of the seventh month. Have the trumpet blown throughout your land on the Day of Reconciliation [Atonement]. You will make the fiftieth year holy, proclaiming freedom throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It will be a Jubilee year for you: each of you must return to your family property and to your extended family. (Leviticus 25:8-10 CEB)
Did the jubilee conclude two years of land rest? What was the reason for celebration that year? Was this a great economic equalizer?
This is a year of complete celebration, so don't plant any seed or harvest what your fields or vineyards produce. In this time of sacred celebration you may eat only what grows on its own. During this year, all property must go back to its original owner. (Leviticus 25:11-13 CEV)
How was the lease of the land to be transacted honestly between two parties?
And if you make a sale to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor, you shall not wrong one another. You shall pay your neighbor according to the number of years after the jubilee, and he shall sell to you according to the number of years for crops. If the years are many, you shall increase the price, and if the years are few, you shall reduce the price, for it is the number of the crops that he is selling to you. You shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God, for I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 25:14-17 ESV)
How would God provide enough food during the sabbath year?
You are to keep My statutes and ordinances and carefully observe them, so that you may live securely in the land. Then the land will yield its fruit, so that you can eat, be satisfied, and live securely in the land. If you wonder: ‘What will we eat in the seventh year if we don’t sow or gather our produce?’ I will appoint My blessing for you in the sixth year, so that it will produce a crop sufficient for three years. When you sow in the eighth year, you will be eating from the previous harvest. You will be eating this until the ninth year when its harvest comes in. (Leviticus 25:18-22 HCSB)
Who really owns the land, indigenous people, conquerors, later settlers or God?
The land is not to be sold with any finality, because the land belongs to me. You’re sojourners and travelers with me. So throughout all of your land inheritance, grant the right of redemption for the land. (Leviticus 25:23-24 ISV)
Is the jubilee a way that a family can regain its land, lost due to ill health, foolishness, war, drought or some other cause of poverty?
If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold. And if the man have none to redeem it, and himself be able to redeem it; Then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; that he may return unto his possession. But if he be not able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until the year of jubile: and in the jubile it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession. (Leviticus 25:25-28 KJV)
How were houses in walled cities treated differently than country homes?
Likewise, if a man sells a house for habitation in a walled city, then his redemption right remains valid until a full year from its sale; his right of redemption lasts a full year. But if it is not redeemed for him within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city passes permanently to its purchaser throughout his generations; it does not revert in the jubilee. (Leviticus 25:29-30 LSB)
How were houses outside the city walls and Levite’s houses treated differently than city homes?
The houses of the villages, however, which have no surrounding wall, shall be regarded as open fields; they have redemption rights and revert in the jubilee. As for the cities of the Levites, the Levites have a permanent right of redemption for the houses of the cities which are their possession. What, therefore, belongs to the Levites may be redeemed, and a house sale in the city of this possession reverts in the jubilee, because the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the sons of Israel. But pasture fields of their cities shall not be sold, for that is their permanent possession. (Leviticus 25:31-34 NASB)
How was moneylending to be handled differently than today’s banking system? Is there an ethical dilemma here?
If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you. Do not take interest or any profit from them, but fear your God, so that they may continue to live among you. You must not lend them money at interest or sell them food at a profit. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. (Leviticus 25:35-38 NIV)
Was a lender in Israel not allowed to treat a fellow Israelite as a slave to pay off a debt?
And if one of your brethren who dwells by you becomes poor, and sells himself to you, you shall not compel him to serve as a slave. As a hired servant and a sojourner he shall be with you, and shall serve you until the Year of Jubilee. And then he shall depart from you—he and his children with him—and shall return to his own family. He shall return to the possession of his fathers. For they are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves. (Leviticus 25:39-42 NKJV)
Was an ethical form of slavery allowed among foreign residents? Kidnapping for slavery was illegal and could incur the death penalty. Yet, slavery was allowed for crimes like theft, to pay off debts, as welfare for the destitute, and similar ethical reasons.
Show your fear of God by not treating them harshly. However, you may purchase male and female slaves from among the nations around you. You may also purchase the children of temporary residents who live among you, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat them as slaves, but you must never treat your fellow Israelites this way. (Leviticus 25:43-46 NLT)
Was the jubilee also a time of release for Israelites who had sold themselves into slavery to a resident alien?
If an alien or temporary resident with you becomes rich, and your brother beside him has grown poor, and sells himself to the stranger or foreigner living among you, or to a member of the stranger’s family, after he is sold he may be redeemed. One of his brothers may redeem him; or his uncle, or his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or any who is a close relative to him of his family may redeem him; or if he has grown rich, he may redeem himself. He shall reckon with him who bought him from the year that he sold himself to him to the Year of Jubilee. The price of his sale shall be according to the number of years; he shall be with him according to the time of a hired servant. (Leviticus 25:47-50 WEB)
Would the purchase price for his freedom be proportional to the number of years until the jubilee? Were Israelites to be treated as slaves or ordinary laborers?
If there are many years left before the Jubilee, the Israelite will pay for their purchase in proportion to their purchase price. If only a few years are left, they will calculate that and pay for their purchase according to the years of service. Regardless, the Israelite will be to the buyer like a yearly laborer; the buyer must not harshly rule over them in your sight. If the Israelite is not bought back in one of these ways, they and their children must be released in the Jubilee year because the Israelites belong to me as servants. They are my servants—I brought them out of Egypt’s land; I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 25:51-55 CEB)
Does the jubilee economic system provide a way for people to get out of poverty? Does it act as an equalizer across the board, lost to modern economic theories? Can we learn from it? You decide!
How did the land sabbath work as a farming system?
While Moses was on Mount Sinai, the Lord said to him, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you have entered the land I am giving you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath rest before the Lord every seventh year. For six years you may plant your fields and prune your vineyards and harvest your crops, but during the seventh year the land must have a Sabbath year of complete rest. It is the Lord’s Sabbath. Do not plant your fields or prune your vineyards during that year. And don’t store away the crops that grow on their own or gather the grapes from your unpruned vines. The land must have a year of complete rest. (Leviticus 25:1-4a NLT)
What was to be done during the fallow year on the farm?
You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. What grows of itself in your harvest you shall not reap, and you shall not gather the grapes of your undressed vine. It shall be a year of solemn rest for the land. The Sabbath of the land shall be for food for you; for yourself, for your servant, for your maid, for your hired servant, and for your stranger, who lives as a foreigner with you. For your livestock also, and for the animals that are in your land, shall all its increase be for food. (Leviticus 25:4b-7 WEB)
What was the economic benefit to regaining the family farm in the jubilee year?
Count off seven weeks of years—that is, seven times seven—so that the seven weeks of years totals forty-nine years. Then have the trumpet blown on the tenth day of the seventh month. Have the trumpet blown throughout your land on the Day of Reconciliation [Atonement]. You will make the fiftieth year holy, proclaiming freedom throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It will be a Jubilee year for you: each of you must return to your family property and to your extended family. (Leviticus 25:8-10 CEB)
Did the jubilee conclude two years of land rest? What was the reason for celebration that year? Was this a great economic equalizer?
This is a year of complete celebration, so don't plant any seed or harvest what your fields or vineyards produce. In this time of sacred celebration you may eat only what grows on its own. During this year, all property must go back to its original owner. (Leviticus 25:11-13 CEV)
How was the lease of the land to be transacted honestly between two parties?
And if you make a sale to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor, you shall not wrong one another. You shall pay your neighbor according to the number of years after the jubilee, and he shall sell to you according to the number of years for crops. If the years are many, you shall increase the price, and if the years are few, you shall reduce the price, for it is the number of the crops that he is selling to you. You shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God, for I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 25:14-17 ESV)
How would God provide enough food during the sabbath year?
You are to keep My statutes and ordinances and carefully observe them, so that you may live securely in the land. Then the land will yield its fruit, so that you can eat, be satisfied, and live securely in the land. If you wonder: ‘What will we eat in the seventh year if we don’t sow or gather our produce?’ I will appoint My blessing for you in the sixth year, so that it will produce a crop sufficient for three years. When you sow in the eighth year, you will be eating from the previous harvest. You will be eating this until the ninth year when its harvest comes in. (Leviticus 25:18-22 HCSB)
Who really owns the land, indigenous people, conquerors, later settlers or God?
The land is not to be sold with any finality, because the land belongs to me. You’re sojourners and travelers with me. So throughout all of your land inheritance, grant the right of redemption for the land. (Leviticus 25:23-24 ISV)
Is the jubilee a way that a family can regain its land, lost due to ill health, foolishness, war, drought or some other cause of poverty?
If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold. And if the man have none to redeem it, and himself be able to redeem it; Then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; that he may return unto his possession. But if he be not able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until the year of jubile: and in the jubile it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession. (Leviticus 25:25-28 KJV)
How were houses in walled cities treated differently than country homes?
Likewise, if a man sells a house for habitation in a walled city, then his redemption right remains valid until a full year from its sale; his right of redemption lasts a full year. But if it is not redeemed for him within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city passes permanently to its purchaser throughout his generations; it does not revert in the jubilee. (Leviticus 25:29-30 LSB)
How were houses outside the city walls and Levite’s houses treated differently than city homes?
The houses of the villages, however, which have no surrounding wall, shall be regarded as open fields; they have redemption rights and revert in the jubilee. As for the cities of the Levites, the Levites have a permanent right of redemption for the houses of the cities which are their possession. What, therefore, belongs to the Levites may be redeemed, and a house sale in the city of this possession reverts in the jubilee, because the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the sons of Israel. But pasture fields of their cities shall not be sold, for that is their permanent possession. (Leviticus 25:31-34 NASB)
How was moneylending to be handled differently than today’s banking system? Is there an ethical dilemma here?
If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you. Do not take interest or any profit from them, but fear your God, so that they may continue to live among you. You must not lend them money at interest or sell them food at a profit. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. (Leviticus 25:35-38 NIV)
Was a lender in Israel not allowed to treat a fellow Israelite as a slave to pay off a debt?
And if one of your brethren who dwells by you becomes poor, and sells himself to you, you shall not compel him to serve as a slave. As a hired servant and a sojourner he shall be with you, and shall serve you until the Year of Jubilee. And then he shall depart from you—he and his children with him—and shall return to his own family. He shall return to the possession of his fathers. For they are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves. (Leviticus 25:39-42 NKJV)
Was an ethical form of slavery allowed among foreign residents? Kidnapping for slavery was illegal and could incur the death penalty. Yet, slavery was allowed for crimes like theft, to pay off debts, as welfare for the destitute, and similar ethical reasons.
Show your fear of God by not treating them harshly. However, you may purchase male and female slaves from among the nations around you. You may also purchase the children of temporary residents who live among you, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat them as slaves, but you must never treat your fellow Israelites this way. (Leviticus 25:43-46 NLT)
Was the jubilee also a time of release for Israelites who had sold themselves into slavery to a resident alien?
If an alien or temporary resident with you becomes rich, and your brother beside him has grown poor, and sells himself to the stranger or foreigner living among you, or to a member of the stranger’s family, after he is sold he may be redeemed. One of his brothers may redeem him; or his uncle, or his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or any who is a close relative to him of his family may redeem him; or if he has grown rich, he may redeem himself. He shall reckon with him who bought him from the year that he sold himself to him to the Year of Jubilee. The price of his sale shall be according to the number of years; he shall be with him according to the time of a hired servant. (Leviticus 25:47-50 WEB)
Would the purchase price for his freedom be proportional to the number of years until the jubilee? Were Israelites to be treated as slaves or ordinary laborers?
If there are many years left before the Jubilee, the Israelite will pay for their purchase in proportion to their purchase price. If only a few years are left, they will calculate that and pay for their purchase according to the years of service. Regardless, the Israelite will be to the buyer like a yearly laborer; the buyer must not harshly rule over them in your sight. If the Israelite is not bought back in one of these ways, they and their children must be released in the Jubilee year because the Israelites belong to me as servants. They are my servants—I brought them out of Egypt’s land; I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 25:51-55 CEB)
Does the jubilee economic system provide a way for people to get out of poverty? Does it act as an equalizer across the board, lost to modern economic theories? Can we learn from it? You decide!
Teaching on the Plain (Luke 6)
What’s more important, Sabbath or life? Do we just love emotionally or in action? Do we build on the rock, or worldly shifting sands? Let’s look at Luke 6.
What did the disciples do on a Sabbath that made the Pharisees question Jesus?
On a Sabbath, He passed through the grainfields. His disciples were picking heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” Jesus answered them, “Haven’t you read what David and those who were with him did when he was hungry— how he entered the house of God, and took and ate the sacred bread, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat? He even gave some to those who were with him.” Then He told them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” (Luke 6:1-5 HCSB)
What did Jesus do on another Sabbath that made the Pharisees angry?
Once, on another Sabbath, Jesus went into a synagogue and began teaching. A man whose right hand was paralyzed was there. The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Jesus closely to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, in order to find a way of accusing him of doing something wrong. But Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he told the man with the paralyzed hand, “Get up, and stand in the middle of the synagogue.” So he got up and stood there. Then Jesus asked them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do evil on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?” He looked around at all of them and then told the man, “Hold out your hand.” The man did so, and his hand was restored to health. The others were furious and began to discuss with each other what they could do to Jesus. (Luke 6:6-11 ISV)
What were the names of the twelve apostles?
And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor. (Luke 6:12-16 KJV)
Did Jesus come down from the mountain to a level plain?
And Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured. And all the crowd was trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all. (Luke 6:17-19 LSB)
Unlike the sermon on the mount, does the sermon on the plain contrast four beatitudes and four woes?
And He raised His eyes toward His disciples and began saying, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when the people hate you, and when they exclude you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and jump for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For their fathers used to treat the prophets the same way. But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all the people speak well of you; for their fathers used to treat the false prophets the same way. (Luke 6:20-26 NASB)
What did Jesus say about love of our enemies?
But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. (Luke 6:27-32 NIV)
Is love just an emotion or does it also involve action?
And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. (Luke 6:33-36 NKJV)
Did Jesus teach about a critical, judgmental spirit?
Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back. (Luke 6:37-38 NLT)
Do we need to be fully trained before teaching or just ad-lib?
He spoke a parable to them. “Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. (Luke 6:39-40 WEB)
Do we acknowledge the log in our own eyes?
Why do you see the splinter in your brother’s or sister’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye? How can you say to your brother or sister, ‘Brother, Sister, let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ when you don’t see the log in your own eye? You deceive yourselves! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s or sister’s eye. (Luke 6:41-42 CEB)
How can we tell what is in people’s hearts? Is discernment different from judgmentalism?
A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. You can tell what a tree is like by the fruit it produces. You cannot pick figs or grapes from thornbushes. Good people do good things because of the good in their hearts, but bad people do bad things because of the evil in their hearts. Your words show what is in your heart. (Luke 6:43-45 CEV)
Do we build on the rock, or worldly shifting sands?
Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great. (Luke 6:46-49 ESV)
What’s more important, Sabbath or life? Do we just love emotionally or in action? Do we build on the rock, or worldly shifting sands? You decide!
What did the disciples do on a Sabbath that made the Pharisees question Jesus?
On a Sabbath, He passed through the grainfields. His disciples were picking heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” Jesus answered them, “Haven’t you read what David and those who were with him did when he was hungry— how he entered the house of God, and took and ate the sacred bread, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat? He even gave some to those who were with him.” Then He told them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” (Luke 6:1-5 HCSB)
What did Jesus do on another Sabbath that made the Pharisees angry?
Once, on another Sabbath, Jesus went into a synagogue and began teaching. A man whose right hand was paralyzed was there. The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Jesus closely to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, in order to find a way of accusing him of doing something wrong. But Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he told the man with the paralyzed hand, “Get up, and stand in the middle of the synagogue.” So he got up and stood there. Then Jesus asked them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do evil on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?” He looked around at all of them and then told the man, “Hold out your hand.” The man did so, and his hand was restored to health. The others were furious and began to discuss with each other what they could do to Jesus. (Luke 6:6-11 ISV)
What were the names of the twelve apostles?
And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor. (Luke 6:12-16 KJV)
Did Jesus come down from the mountain to a level plain?
And Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured. And all the crowd was trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all. (Luke 6:17-19 LSB)
Unlike the sermon on the mount, does the sermon on the plain contrast four beatitudes and four woes?
And He raised His eyes toward His disciples and began saying, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when the people hate you, and when they exclude you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and jump for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For their fathers used to treat the prophets the same way. But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all the people speak well of you; for their fathers used to treat the false prophets the same way. (Luke 6:20-26 NASB)
What did Jesus say about love of our enemies?
But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. (Luke 6:27-32 NIV)
Is love just an emotion or does it also involve action?
And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. (Luke 6:33-36 NKJV)
Did Jesus teach about a critical, judgmental spirit?
Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back. (Luke 6:37-38 NLT)
Do we need to be fully trained before teaching or just ad-lib?
He spoke a parable to them. “Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. (Luke 6:39-40 WEB)
Do we acknowledge the log in our own eyes?
Why do you see the splinter in your brother’s or sister’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye? How can you say to your brother or sister, ‘Brother, Sister, let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ when you don’t see the log in your own eye? You deceive yourselves! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s or sister’s eye. (Luke 6:41-42 CEB)
How can we tell what is in people’s hearts? Is discernment different from judgmentalism?
A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. You can tell what a tree is like by the fruit it produces. You cannot pick figs or grapes from thornbushes. Good people do good things because of the good in their hearts, but bad people do bad things because of the evil in their hearts. Your words show what is in your heart. (Luke 6:43-45 CEV)
Do we build on the rock, or worldly shifting sands?
Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great. (Luke 6:46-49 ESV)
What’s more important, Sabbath or life? Do we just love emotionally or in action? Do we build on the rock, or worldly shifting sands? You decide!
The Sacred (Leviticus 24)
How sacred do we treat things which are dedicated to God? How sacred do we treat God’s name? Do we live the prayer, hallowed be your name? Let’s look at Leviticus 24.
Should the ancient Israelites treat the oil for the lamps in the tabernacle as sacred?
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil from beaten olives for the lamp, that a light may be kept burning regularly. Outside the veil of the testimony, in the tent of meeting, Aaron shall arrange it from evening to morning before the Lord regularly. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. He shall arrange the lamps on the lampstand of pure gold before the Lord regularly.” (Leviticus 24:1-4 ESV)
Should the ancient Israelites treat the showbread in the tabernacle as sacred?
Take fine flour and bake it into 12 loaves; each loaf is to be made with four quarts. Arrange them in two rows, six to a row, on the pure gold table before the Lord. Place pure frankincense near each row, so that it may serve as a memorial portion for the bread and a fire offering to the Lord. The bread is to be set out before the Lord every Sabbath day as a perpetual covenant obligation on the part of the Israelites. It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in a holy place, for it is the holiest portion for him from the fire offerings to the Lord; this is a permanent rule. (Leviticus 24:5-9 HCSB)
What happened when someone did not treat God’s name as sacred?
Now the son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the sons of Israel; and the Israelite woman’s son and a man of Israel struggled with each other in the camp. And the son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name and cursed. So they brought him to Moses. (Now his mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.) And they put him in custody so that the command of Yahweh might be made clear to them. (Leviticus 24:10-12 LSB)
Should the ancient Israelites treat the Name of the Lord as sacred?
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Bring the one who has cursed outside the camp, and have all who heard him lay their hands on his head; then have all the congregation stone him. You shall also speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If anyone curses his God, then he will bear the responsibility for his sin. Moreover, the one who blasphemes the name of the Lord must be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him. The stranger as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death. (Leviticus 24:13-16 NASB)
How was compensation for any injury to another person to be measured?
Anyone who takes the life of a human being is to be put to death. Anyone who takes the life of someone’s animal must make restitution—life for life. Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury. Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a human being is to be put to death. You are to have the same law for the foreigner and the native-born. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 24:17-22 NIV)
What did they do to the person who carelessly did not treat God’s name as sacred?
Then Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and they took outside the camp him who had cursed, and stoned him with stones. So the children of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses. (Leviticus 24:23 NKJV)
What did Jesus teach us about honoring God’s name as holy?
In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. (Matthew 6:9 NKJV)
How sacred do we treat things which are dedicated to God? How sacred do we treat God’s name? Do we live the prayer, hallowed be your name? You decide!
Should the ancient Israelites treat the oil for the lamps in the tabernacle as sacred?
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil from beaten olives for the lamp, that a light may be kept burning regularly. Outside the veil of the testimony, in the tent of meeting, Aaron shall arrange it from evening to morning before the Lord regularly. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. He shall arrange the lamps on the lampstand of pure gold before the Lord regularly.” (Leviticus 24:1-4 ESV)
Should the ancient Israelites treat the showbread in the tabernacle as sacred?
Take fine flour and bake it into 12 loaves; each loaf is to be made with four quarts. Arrange them in two rows, six to a row, on the pure gold table before the Lord. Place pure frankincense near each row, so that it may serve as a memorial portion for the bread and a fire offering to the Lord. The bread is to be set out before the Lord every Sabbath day as a perpetual covenant obligation on the part of the Israelites. It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in a holy place, for it is the holiest portion for him from the fire offerings to the Lord; this is a permanent rule. (Leviticus 24:5-9 HCSB)
What happened when someone did not treat God’s name as sacred?
Now the son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the sons of Israel; and the Israelite woman’s son and a man of Israel struggled with each other in the camp. And the son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name and cursed. So they brought him to Moses. (Now his mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.) And they put him in custody so that the command of Yahweh might be made clear to them. (Leviticus 24:10-12 LSB)
Should the ancient Israelites treat the Name of the Lord as sacred?
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Bring the one who has cursed outside the camp, and have all who heard him lay their hands on his head; then have all the congregation stone him. You shall also speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If anyone curses his God, then he will bear the responsibility for his sin. Moreover, the one who blasphemes the name of the Lord must be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him. The stranger as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death. (Leviticus 24:13-16 NASB)
How was compensation for any injury to another person to be measured?
Anyone who takes the life of a human being is to be put to death. Anyone who takes the life of someone’s animal must make restitution—life for life. Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury. Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a human being is to be put to death. You are to have the same law for the foreigner and the native-born. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 24:17-22 NIV)
What did they do to the person who carelessly did not treat God’s name as sacred?
Then Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and they took outside the camp him who had cursed, and stoned him with stones. So the children of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses. (Leviticus 24:23 NKJV)
What did Jesus teach us about honoring God’s name as holy?
In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. (Matthew 6:9 NKJV)
How sacred do we treat things which are dedicated to God? How sacred do we treat God’s name? Do we live the prayer, hallowed be your name? You decide!
The Feasts (Leviticus 23)
What were the annual feasts kept by Israel? Are variations on Passover and Pentecost still observed by Christians? How has wave sheaf Sunday during the Days of Unleavened Bread become the central Christian feast? Let’s look at Leviticus 23.
What was the weekly feast and what was not to be done on it?
The Lord said to Moses: Speak to the Israelites and say to them: These are my appointed times, the Lord’s appointed times, which you will declare to be holy occasions: Work can be done for six days, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of special rest, a holy occasion. You must not do any work on it; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the Lord. These are the Lord’s appointed times, holy occasions, which you will celebrate at their appointed times: (Leviticus 23:1-4 CEB)
What was the first of the annual feasts? Were two of those days to be sacred assemblies? The Hebrew word “miqra” meaning convocation or assembly, included a public reading.
These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the Lord's Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. But you shall present a food offering to the Lord for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. (Leviticus 23:4-8 ESV)
What was observed on the Sunday during the feast of unleavened bread? Could this hint at Jesus and His resurrection?
The Lord spoke to Moses: “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you enter the land I am giving you and reap its harvest, you are to bring the first sheaf of your harvest to the priest. He will wave the sheaf before the Lord so that you may be accepted; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath. On the day you wave the sheaf, you are to offer a year-old male lamb without blemish as a burnt offering to the Lord. Its grain offering is to be four quarts of fine flour mixed with oil as a fire offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma, and its drink offering will be one quart of wine. You must not eat bread, roasted grain, or any new grain until this very day, and until you have brought the offering to your God. This is to be a permanent statute throughout your generations wherever you live. (Leviticus 23:9-14 HCSB)
From which day during the Feast of Unleavened Bread was the Feast of Weeks to be counted? Was it also a Sunday?
Starting the day after the Sabbath, count for yourselves seven weeks from the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. They are to be complete. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath, then bring a new meal offering to the Lord. Bring two loaves of bread from home as wave offerings made from two tenths of fine flour baked with leaven as first fruits to the Lord. Along with the loaves of bread, bring seven lambs (each of them one year old and without defect), one young bull as an offering, and two rams as offerings to the Lord—along with your gift and drink offerings—and present them as an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. Prepare one male goat for a sin offering and two one year old rams for peace offerings. Then the priest is to wave them—the two lambs with the bread of first fruits—as raised offerings in the Lord’s presence. They’ll be sacred to the Lord on account of the priest. On the same day, proclaim a sacred assembly for yourselves. You are not to do any servile work—and this is to be an eternal ordinance wherever you live throughout your generations. Furthermore, when you harvest the produce of your land, you are not to harvest all the way to the corners of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and resident alien. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 23:15-22 ISV)
The name Feast of Weeks is obvious from the counting, but how did the Greek name Pentecost, meaning count fifty, get applied to this feast?
And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord. (Leviticus 23:15-16 KJV)
Was it also a festival that included firstfruits in the offering?
You shall bring in from your places of habitation two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two-tenths of an ephah; they shall be of a fine flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to Yahweh. Along with the bread you shall bring near seven one year old male lambs without blemish and a bull from the herd and two rams; they shall be a burnt offering to Yahweh, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to Yahweh. You shall also offer one male goat for a sin offering and two male lambs one year old for a sacrifice of peace offerings. The priest shall then wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering with two lambs before Yahweh; they shall be holy to Yahweh for the priest. (Leviticus 23:17-20 LSB)
Was this annual feast to be a rest day including a sacred assembly? How were they to provide for the poor in their midst?
On this very day you shall make a proclamation as well; you are to have a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work. It is to be a permanent statute in all your dwelling places throughout your generations. When you reap the harvest of your land, moreover, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for the needy and the stranger. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 23:21-22 NASB)
What was the Feast of Trumpets? Was it an annual rest day and what month did it begin?
The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. Do no regular work, but present a food offering to the Lord.’” (Leviticus 23:23-25 NIV)
What annual holy day was observed on the tenth day of that seventh month? Was it also a fast day?
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath.” (Leviticus 23:26-32 NKJV)
How many days of holy assembly were contained within the feast of tabernacles?
And the Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. Begin celebrating the Festival of Shelters [feast of tabernacles or booths] on the fifteenth day of the appointed month—five days after the Day of Atonement. This festival to the Lord will last for seven days. On the first day of the festival you must proclaim an official day for holy assembly, when you do no ordinary work. For seven days you must present special gifts to the Lord. The eighth day is another holy day on which you present your special gifts to the Lord. This will be a solemn occasion, and no ordinary work may be done that day. (Leviticus 23:33-36 NLT)
Whose feasts are these? Were they in addition to regular offerings and weekly sabbaths?
These are the appointed feasts of Yahweh which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh, a burnt offering, a meal offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, each on its own day— in addition to the Sabbaths of Yahweh, and in addition to your gifts, and in addition to all your vows, and in addition to all your free will offerings, which you give to Yahweh. (Leviticus 23:37-38 WEB)
Are there some further instructions regarding the feast of tabernacles? Because they were already in a wandering community, was this a pilgrim festival for them or did they all live in leafy huts?
Note that on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered the land’s crops, you will celebrate the Lord’s festival for seven days. The first day and the eighth day are days of special rest. On the first day you must take fruit from majestic trees, palm branches, branches of leafy trees, and willows of the streams, and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. You will celebrate this festival to the Lord for seven days each year; this is a permanent rule throughout your future generations. You will celebrate it in the seventh month. For seven days you must live in huts. Every citizen of Israel must live in huts so that your future generations will know that I made the Israelites live in huts when I brought them out of the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God. So Moses announced the Lord’s appointed times to the Israelites. (Leviticus 23:39-44 CEB)
How many annual holy days included a rest and sacred assembly? Are variations on Passover and Pentecost still observed by Christians? How has wave sheaf Sunday during the Days of Unleavened Bread become the central Christian feast? You decide!
What was the weekly feast and what was not to be done on it?
The Lord said to Moses: Speak to the Israelites and say to them: These are my appointed times, the Lord’s appointed times, which you will declare to be holy occasions: Work can be done for six days, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of special rest, a holy occasion. You must not do any work on it; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the Lord. These are the Lord’s appointed times, holy occasions, which you will celebrate at their appointed times: (Leviticus 23:1-4 CEB)
What was the first of the annual feasts? Were two of those days to be sacred assemblies? The Hebrew word “miqra” meaning convocation or assembly, included a public reading.
These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the Lord's Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. But you shall present a food offering to the Lord for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. (Leviticus 23:4-8 ESV)
What was observed on the Sunday during the feast of unleavened bread? Could this hint at Jesus and His resurrection?
The Lord spoke to Moses: “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you enter the land I am giving you and reap its harvest, you are to bring the first sheaf of your harvest to the priest. He will wave the sheaf before the Lord so that you may be accepted; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath. On the day you wave the sheaf, you are to offer a year-old male lamb without blemish as a burnt offering to the Lord. Its grain offering is to be four quarts of fine flour mixed with oil as a fire offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma, and its drink offering will be one quart of wine. You must not eat bread, roasted grain, or any new grain until this very day, and until you have brought the offering to your God. This is to be a permanent statute throughout your generations wherever you live. (Leviticus 23:9-14 HCSB)
From which day during the Feast of Unleavened Bread was the Feast of Weeks to be counted? Was it also a Sunday?
Starting the day after the Sabbath, count for yourselves seven weeks from the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. They are to be complete. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath, then bring a new meal offering to the Lord. Bring two loaves of bread from home as wave offerings made from two tenths of fine flour baked with leaven as first fruits to the Lord. Along with the loaves of bread, bring seven lambs (each of them one year old and without defect), one young bull as an offering, and two rams as offerings to the Lord—along with your gift and drink offerings—and present them as an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. Prepare one male goat for a sin offering and two one year old rams for peace offerings. Then the priest is to wave them—the two lambs with the bread of first fruits—as raised offerings in the Lord’s presence. They’ll be sacred to the Lord on account of the priest. On the same day, proclaim a sacred assembly for yourselves. You are not to do any servile work—and this is to be an eternal ordinance wherever you live throughout your generations. Furthermore, when you harvest the produce of your land, you are not to harvest all the way to the corners of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and resident alien. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 23:15-22 ISV)
The name Feast of Weeks is obvious from the counting, but how did the Greek name Pentecost, meaning count fifty, get applied to this feast?
And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord. (Leviticus 23:15-16 KJV)
Was it also a festival that included firstfruits in the offering?
You shall bring in from your places of habitation two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two-tenths of an ephah; they shall be of a fine flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to Yahweh. Along with the bread you shall bring near seven one year old male lambs without blemish and a bull from the herd and two rams; they shall be a burnt offering to Yahweh, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to Yahweh. You shall also offer one male goat for a sin offering and two male lambs one year old for a sacrifice of peace offerings. The priest shall then wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering with two lambs before Yahweh; they shall be holy to Yahweh for the priest. (Leviticus 23:17-20 LSB)
Was this annual feast to be a rest day including a sacred assembly? How were they to provide for the poor in their midst?
On this very day you shall make a proclamation as well; you are to have a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work. It is to be a permanent statute in all your dwelling places throughout your generations. When you reap the harvest of your land, moreover, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for the needy and the stranger. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 23:21-22 NASB)
What was the Feast of Trumpets? Was it an annual rest day and what month did it begin?
The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. Do no regular work, but present a food offering to the Lord.’” (Leviticus 23:23-25 NIV)
What annual holy day was observed on the tenth day of that seventh month? Was it also a fast day?
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath.” (Leviticus 23:26-32 NKJV)
How many days of holy assembly were contained within the feast of tabernacles?
And the Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. Begin celebrating the Festival of Shelters [feast of tabernacles or booths] on the fifteenth day of the appointed month—five days after the Day of Atonement. This festival to the Lord will last for seven days. On the first day of the festival you must proclaim an official day for holy assembly, when you do no ordinary work. For seven days you must present special gifts to the Lord. The eighth day is another holy day on which you present your special gifts to the Lord. This will be a solemn occasion, and no ordinary work may be done that day. (Leviticus 23:33-36 NLT)
Whose feasts are these? Were they in addition to regular offerings and weekly sabbaths?
These are the appointed feasts of Yahweh which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh, a burnt offering, a meal offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, each on its own day— in addition to the Sabbaths of Yahweh, and in addition to your gifts, and in addition to all your vows, and in addition to all your free will offerings, which you give to Yahweh. (Leviticus 23:37-38 WEB)
Are there some further instructions regarding the feast of tabernacles? Because they were already in a wandering community, was this a pilgrim festival for them or did they all live in leafy huts?
Note that on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered the land’s crops, you will celebrate the Lord’s festival for seven days. The first day and the eighth day are days of special rest. On the first day you must take fruit from majestic trees, palm branches, branches of leafy trees, and willows of the streams, and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. You will celebrate this festival to the Lord for seven days each year; this is a permanent rule throughout your future generations. You will celebrate it in the seventh month. For seven days you must live in huts. Every citizen of Israel must live in huts so that your future generations will know that I made the Israelites live in huts when I brought them out of the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God. So Moses announced the Lord’s appointed times to the Israelites. (Leviticus 23:39-44 CEB)
How many annual holy days included a rest and sacred assembly? Are variations on Passover and Pentecost still observed by Christians? How has wave sheaf Sunday during the Days of Unleavened Bread become the central Christian feast? You decide!
The Sacrifices (Leviticus 22)
Did the Old Testament sacrifices, and the demands on those who performed them, foreshadow a much more perfect sacrifice? How are we also to be living sacrifices? Let’s look at Leviticus 22.
Was the person offering the sacrifices to be healthy?
The Lord told Moses to say to Aaron and his sons: I am the Lord God, and I demand that you honor my holy name by showing proper respect for the offerings brought to me by the people of Israel. If any of you are unclean when you accept an offering for me, I will no longer let you serve as a priest. None of you may take part in the sacred meals while you have a skin disease or an infected penis, or after you have been near a dead body or have had a flow of semen, or if you have touched an unclean creature of any sort, including an unclean person. (Leviticus 22:1-5 CEV)
How long did a priest’s uncleanness last before he could eat of the holy things?
The soul which hath touched any such shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with water. And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things; because it is his food. That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith; I am the Lord. They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the Lord do sanctify them. (Leviticus 22:6-9 KJV)
Could a lay person who is not a priest eat of the holy things?
A lay person shall not eat of a holy thing; no foreign guest of the priest or hired worker shall eat of a holy thing, but if a priest buys a slave as his property for money, the slave may eat of it, and anyone born in his house may eat of his food. If a priest's daughter marries a layman, she shall not eat of the contribution of the holy things. (Leviticus 22:10-12 ESV)
What was the purpose of setting the priests apart from everyone else?
But if the priest’s daughter becomes widowed or divorced, has no children, and returns to her father’s house as in her youth, she may share her father’s food. But no outsider may share it. If anyone eats a holy offering in error, he must add a fifth to its value and give the holy offering to the priest. The priests must not profane the holy offerings the Israelites give to the Lord by letting the people eat their holy offerings and having them bear the penalty of restitution. For I am Yahweh who sets them apart. (Leviticus 22:13-16 HCSB)
Of what did the burnt offerings and the free will offerings consist?
The Lord told Moses, “Tell Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelis that when a person from the house of Israel or from the resident aliens living in Israel brings his offering to the Lord as a whole burnt offering (whether in fulfillment of a promise or a free will offerings), so that he’ll be sure to be accepted, he is to offer a male without defect from the bulls, the lambs, and the goats. However, whatever has a defect is not to be offered, because it won’t be acceptable for you. (Leviticus 22:17-20 ISV)
Of what did the peace offerings and the freewill offerings consist?
And when a man brings a sacrifice of peace offerings near to Yahweh to fulfill a special vow or for a freewill offering, of the herd or of the flock, it must be without blemish to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it. Those that are blind or fractured or maimed or have a running sore or eczema or scabs, you shall not bring near to Yahweh nor make of them an offering by fire on the altar to Yahweh. (Leviticus 22:21-22 LSB)
Of what could the voluntary offerings consist but not a vow?
Now as for an ox or a lamb which has an overgrown or stunted member, you may present it as a voluntary offering, but for a vow it will not be accepted. Also anything with its testicles squashed, crushed, torn off, or cut off, you shall not offer to the Lord, nor sacrifice in your land, nor shall you offer any of these animals taken from the hand of a foreigner as the food of your God; for their deformity is in them, they have an impairment. They will not be accepted for you. (Leviticus 22:23-25 NASB)
Could a mother and her young be offered together?
The Lord said to Moses, “When a calf, a lamb or a goat is born, it is to remain with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on, it will be acceptable as a food offering presented to the Lord. Do not slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young on the same day. When you sacrifice a thank offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. It must be eaten that same day; leave none of it till morning. I am the Lord. (Leviticus 22:26-30 NIV)
How was God’s name to be treated among the children of Israel?
Therefore you shall keep My commandments, and perform them: I am the Lord. You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel. I am the Lord who sanctifies you, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 22:31-33 NKJV)
What kind of sacrifice does God find acceptable for Christians?
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. (Romans 12:1 NLT)
How were all of these sacrifices a forerunner of the greatest sacrifice of all?
For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself. For the law appoints men as high priests who have weakness, but the word of the oath which came after the law appoints a Son forever who has been perfected. (Hebrews 7:26-28 WEB)
Did the Old Testament sacrifices, and the demands on those who performed them, foreshadow a much more perfect sacrifice? How are we also to be living sacrifices? You decide!
Was the person offering the sacrifices to be healthy?
The Lord told Moses to say to Aaron and his sons: I am the Lord God, and I demand that you honor my holy name by showing proper respect for the offerings brought to me by the people of Israel. If any of you are unclean when you accept an offering for me, I will no longer let you serve as a priest. None of you may take part in the sacred meals while you have a skin disease or an infected penis, or after you have been near a dead body or have had a flow of semen, or if you have touched an unclean creature of any sort, including an unclean person. (Leviticus 22:1-5 CEV)
How long did a priest’s uncleanness last before he could eat of the holy things?
The soul which hath touched any such shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with water. And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things; because it is his food. That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith; I am the Lord. They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the Lord do sanctify them. (Leviticus 22:6-9 KJV)
Could a lay person who is not a priest eat of the holy things?
A lay person shall not eat of a holy thing; no foreign guest of the priest or hired worker shall eat of a holy thing, but if a priest buys a slave as his property for money, the slave may eat of it, and anyone born in his house may eat of his food. If a priest's daughter marries a layman, she shall not eat of the contribution of the holy things. (Leviticus 22:10-12 ESV)
What was the purpose of setting the priests apart from everyone else?
But if the priest’s daughter becomes widowed or divorced, has no children, and returns to her father’s house as in her youth, she may share her father’s food. But no outsider may share it. If anyone eats a holy offering in error, he must add a fifth to its value and give the holy offering to the priest. The priests must not profane the holy offerings the Israelites give to the Lord by letting the people eat their holy offerings and having them bear the penalty of restitution. For I am Yahweh who sets them apart. (Leviticus 22:13-16 HCSB)
Of what did the burnt offerings and the free will offerings consist?
The Lord told Moses, “Tell Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelis that when a person from the house of Israel or from the resident aliens living in Israel brings his offering to the Lord as a whole burnt offering (whether in fulfillment of a promise or a free will offerings), so that he’ll be sure to be accepted, he is to offer a male without defect from the bulls, the lambs, and the goats. However, whatever has a defect is not to be offered, because it won’t be acceptable for you. (Leviticus 22:17-20 ISV)
Of what did the peace offerings and the freewill offerings consist?
And when a man brings a sacrifice of peace offerings near to Yahweh to fulfill a special vow or for a freewill offering, of the herd or of the flock, it must be without blemish to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it. Those that are blind or fractured or maimed or have a running sore or eczema or scabs, you shall not bring near to Yahweh nor make of them an offering by fire on the altar to Yahweh. (Leviticus 22:21-22 LSB)
Of what could the voluntary offerings consist but not a vow?
Now as for an ox or a lamb which has an overgrown or stunted member, you may present it as a voluntary offering, but for a vow it will not be accepted. Also anything with its testicles squashed, crushed, torn off, or cut off, you shall not offer to the Lord, nor sacrifice in your land, nor shall you offer any of these animals taken from the hand of a foreigner as the food of your God; for their deformity is in them, they have an impairment. They will not be accepted for you. (Leviticus 22:23-25 NASB)
Could a mother and her young be offered together?
The Lord said to Moses, “When a calf, a lamb or a goat is born, it is to remain with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on, it will be acceptable as a food offering presented to the Lord. Do not slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young on the same day. When you sacrifice a thank offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. It must be eaten that same day; leave none of it till morning. I am the Lord. (Leviticus 22:26-30 NIV)
How was God’s name to be treated among the children of Israel?
Therefore you shall keep My commandments, and perform them: I am the Lord. You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel. I am the Lord who sanctifies you, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 22:31-33 NKJV)
What kind of sacrifice does God find acceptable for Christians?
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. (Romans 12:1 NLT)
How were all of these sacrifices a forerunner of the greatest sacrifice of all?
For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself. For the law appoints men as high priests who have weakness, but the word of the oath which came after the law appoints a Son forever who has been perfected. (Hebrews 7:26-28 WEB)
Did the Old Testament sacrifices, and the demands on those who performed them, foreshadow a much more perfect sacrifice? How are we also to be living sacrifices? You decide!
The Priesthood (Leviticus 21)
Did the regulations for the Aaronic priesthood foreshadow Jesus, our high priest? Are we also called to be a royal priesthood? Let’s look at Leviticus 21.
Priests
Were priests defiled by touching a dead body that was not a close relative? Could that foreshadow holiness?
The Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the priests, the descendants of Aaron. A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean by touching the dead body of a relative. The only exceptions are his closest relatives—his mother or father, son or daughter, brother, or his virgin sister who depends on him because she has no husband. But a priest must not defile himself and make himself unclean for someone who is related to him only by marriage. (Leviticus 21:1-4 NLT)
Were they allowed to shave their head or shape their beard as pagans did? How could that picture Jesus’ separation from the world?
They shall not make any baldness on their heads nor shave off the edges of their beards nor make any cuts in their flesh. They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God, for they bring near the offerings to Yahweh by fire, the food of their God; so they shall be holy. (Leviticus 21:5-6 LSB)
What kinds of women were forbidden in a priest’s family? Could this picture Jesus’ Bride the Church?
They shall not take a woman who is a prostitute and profaned, nor shall they take a woman divorced from her husband; for he is holy to his God. You shall consecrate him, therefore, because he offers the food of your God. He shall be holy to you; for I the Lord, who sanctifies you, am holy. Also the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by prostitution, she profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire. (Leviticus 21:7-9 NASB)
High Priests
How was the high priest to behave in personal grooming and general conduct? Was this a picture of our perfect high priest, Jesus?
The high priest, the one among his brothers who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and who has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not let his hair become unkempt or tear his clothes. He must not enter a place where there is a dead body. He must not make himself unclean, even for his father or mother, nor leave the sanctuary of his God or desecrate it, because he has been dedicated by the anointing oil of his God. I am the Lord. (Leviticus 21:10-12 NIV)
Who could a high priest marry? Was this also a picture of Jesus’ Bride the Church?
And he shall take a wife in her virginity. A widow or a divorced woman or a defiled woman or a harlot—these he shall not marry; but he shall take a virgin of his own people as wife. Nor shall he profane his posterity among his people, for I the Lord sanctify him. (Leviticus 21:13-15 NKJV)
Did God discriminate against various handicapped people serving as priests? Was the work that strenuous? Were they to be a foreshadow of our sinlessly perfect high priest, Jesus?
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to Aaron: In all future generations, none of your descendants who has any defect will qualify to offer food to his God. No one who has a defect qualifies, whether he is blind, lame, disfigured, deformed, or has a broken foot or arm, or is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or has a defective eye, or skin sores or scabs, or damaged testicles. No descendant of Aaron who has a defect may approach the altar to present special gifts to the Lord. Since he has a defect, he may not approach the altar to offer food to his God. However, he may eat from the food offered to God, including the holy offerings and the most holy offerings. Yet because of his physical defect, he may not enter the room behind the inner curtain or approach the altar, for this would defile my holy places. I am the Lord who makes them holy.” So Moses gave these instructions to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites. (Leviticus 21:16-24 NLT)
Did Caiaphas the high priest condemn Jesus to death?
Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” Jesus said, “I am. You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of the sky.” The high priest tore his clothes, and said, “What further need have we of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?” They all condemned him to be worthy of death. (Mark 14:61b-64 WEB)
If high priests were descended from Aaron, how could Jesus be our high priest? Was there an order that preceded Aaron?
He was appointed by God to be a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 5:10 CEB)
Are we also a royal priesthood? What are we to proclaim?
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9 ESV)
Did the regulations for the Aaronic priesthood foreshadow Jesus, our high priest? Are we also called to be a royal priesthood? You decide!
Priests
Were priests defiled by touching a dead body that was not a close relative? Could that foreshadow holiness?
The Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the priests, the descendants of Aaron. A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean by touching the dead body of a relative. The only exceptions are his closest relatives—his mother or father, son or daughter, brother, or his virgin sister who depends on him because she has no husband. But a priest must not defile himself and make himself unclean for someone who is related to him only by marriage. (Leviticus 21:1-4 NLT)
Were they allowed to shave their head or shape their beard as pagans did? How could that picture Jesus’ separation from the world?
They shall not make any baldness on their heads nor shave off the edges of their beards nor make any cuts in their flesh. They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God, for they bring near the offerings to Yahweh by fire, the food of their God; so they shall be holy. (Leviticus 21:5-6 LSB)
What kinds of women were forbidden in a priest’s family? Could this picture Jesus’ Bride the Church?
They shall not take a woman who is a prostitute and profaned, nor shall they take a woman divorced from her husband; for he is holy to his God. You shall consecrate him, therefore, because he offers the food of your God. He shall be holy to you; for I the Lord, who sanctifies you, am holy. Also the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by prostitution, she profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire. (Leviticus 21:7-9 NASB)
High Priests
How was the high priest to behave in personal grooming and general conduct? Was this a picture of our perfect high priest, Jesus?
The high priest, the one among his brothers who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and who has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not let his hair become unkempt or tear his clothes. He must not enter a place where there is a dead body. He must not make himself unclean, even for his father or mother, nor leave the sanctuary of his God or desecrate it, because he has been dedicated by the anointing oil of his God. I am the Lord. (Leviticus 21:10-12 NIV)
Who could a high priest marry? Was this also a picture of Jesus’ Bride the Church?
And he shall take a wife in her virginity. A widow or a divorced woman or a defiled woman or a harlot—these he shall not marry; but he shall take a virgin of his own people as wife. Nor shall he profane his posterity among his people, for I the Lord sanctify him. (Leviticus 21:13-15 NKJV)
Did God discriminate against various handicapped people serving as priests? Was the work that strenuous? Were they to be a foreshadow of our sinlessly perfect high priest, Jesus?
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to Aaron: In all future generations, none of your descendants who has any defect will qualify to offer food to his God. No one who has a defect qualifies, whether he is blind, lame, disfigured, deformed, or has a broken foot or arm, or is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or has a defective eye, or skin sores or scabs, or damaged testicles. No descendant of Aaron who has a defect may approach the altar to present special gifts to the Lord. Since he has a defect, he may not approach the altar to offer food to his God. However, he may eat from the food offered to God, including the holy offerings and the most holy offerings. Yet because of his physical defect, he may not enter the room behind the inner curtain or approach the altar, for this would defile my holy places. I am the Lord who makes them holy.” So Moses gave these instructions to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites. (Leviticus 21:16-24 NLT)
Did Caiaphas the high priest condemn Jesus to death?
Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” Jesus said, “I am. You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of the sky.” The high priest tore his clothes, and said, “What further need have we of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?” They all condemned him to be worthy of death. (Mark 14:61b-64 WEB)
If high priests were descended from Aaron, how could Jesus be our high priest? Was there an order that preceded Aaron?
He was appointed by God to be a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 5:10 CEB)
Are we also a royal priesthood? What are we to proclaim?
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9 ESV)
Did the regulations for the Aaronic priesthood foreshadow Jesus, our high priest? Are we also called to be a royal priesthood? You decide!
The First Disciples (Luke 5)
How did the first disciples respond to Jesus calling them? How quickly did Jesus have conflict with religious leaders? Would Jesus be welcome in many of our churches? Let’s look at Luke 5.
Did Jesus preach from a boat to crowds onshore?
Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing at the edge of the lake of Gennesaret; and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake, and the fishermen, having gotten out of them, were washing their nets. And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the crowds from the boat. (Luke 5:1-3 LSB)
Did Jesus perform a fishing miracle that astounded seasoned fishermen?
Now when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon responded and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they caught a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to tear; so they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, to the point that they were sinking. (Luke 5:4-7 NASB)
What was Simon Peter’s reaction to the miraculous catch of fish?
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. (Luke 5:8-11 NIV)
What did Jesus do for the man with a skin disease?
In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy [a skin disease]. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. Then Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened. He said, “Go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.” But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer. (Luke 5:12-16 NLT)
What did Jesus do for a paralyzed man on a cot?
On one of those days, he was teaching; and there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every village of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was with him to heal them. Behold, men brought a paralyzed man on a cot, and they sought to bring him in to lay before Jesus. Not finding a way to bring him in because of the multitude, they went up to the housetop, and let him down through the tiles with his cot into the middle before Jesus. Seeing their faith, he said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” (Luke 5:17-20 WEB)
What criticism did the Pharisees mutter about Jesus?
The legal experts and Pharisees began to mutter among themselves, “Who is this who insults God? Only God can forgive sins!” Jesus recognized what they were discussing and responded, “Why do you fill your minds with these questions? Which is easier—to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so that you will know that the Human One [Son of man] has authority on the earth to forgive sins” —Jesus now spoke to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, get up, take your cot, and go home.” Right away, the man stood before them, picked up his cot, and went home, praising God. All the people were beside themselves with wonder. Filled with awe, they glorified God, saying, “We’ve seen unimaginable things today.” (Luke 5:21-26 WEB)
What kind of attitude did Matthew Levi have when Jesus called him? When criticized for eating with sinners, what did Jesus say?
Later, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the place for paying taxes. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Levi left everything and went with Jesus. In his home Levi gave a big dinner for Jesus. Many tax collectors and other guests were also there. The Pharisees and some of their teachers of the Law of Moses grumbled to Jesus' disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with these tax collectors and other sinners?” Jesus answered, “Healthy people don't need a doctor, but sick people do. I didn't come to invite good people to turn to God. I came to invite sinners.” (Luke 5:27-32 CEV)
When criticized for the disciples not fasting, how did Jesus answer?
And they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.” And Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’” (Luke 5:33-39 ESV)
How did the first disciples respond to Jesus calling them? How quickly did Jesus have conflict with religious leaders? Would Jesus be welcome in many of our churches? You decide!
Did Jesus preach from a boat to crowds onshore?
Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing at the edge of the lake of Gennesaret; and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake, and the fishermen, having gotten out of them, were washing their nets. And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the crowds from the boat. (Luke 5:1-3 LSB)
Did Jesus perform a fishing miracle that astounded seasoned fishermen?
Now when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon responded and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they caught a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to tear; so they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, to the point that they were sinking. (Luke 5:4-7 NASB)
What was Simon Peter’s reaction to the miraculous catch of fish?
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. (Luke 5:8-11 NIV)
What did Jesus do for the man with a skin disease?
In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy [a skin disease]. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. Then Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened. He said, “Go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.” But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer. (Luke 5:12-16 NLT)
What did Jesus do for a paralyzed man on a cot?
On one of those days, he was teaching; and there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every village of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was with him to heal them. Behold, men brought a paralyzed man on a cot, and they sought to bring him in to lay before Jesus. Not finding a way to bring him in because of the multitude, they went up to the housetop, and let him down through the tiles with his cot into the middle before Jesus. Seeing their faith, he said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” (Luke 5:17-20 WEB)
What criticism did the Pharisees mutter about Jesus?
The legal experts and Pharisees began to mutter among themselves, “Who is this who insults God? Only God can forgive sins!” Jesus recognized what they were discussing and responded, “Why do you fill your minds with these questions? Which is easier—to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so that you will know that the Human One [Son of man] has authority on the earth to forgive sins” —Jesus now spoke to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, get up, take your cot, and go home.” Right away, the man stood before them, picked up his cot, and went home, praising God. All the people were beside themselves with wonder. Filled with awe, they glorified God, saying, “We’ve seen unimaginable things today.” (Luke 5:21-26 WEB)
What kind of attitude did Matthew Levi have when Jesus called him? When criticized for eating with sinners, what did Jesus say?
Later, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the place for paying taxes. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Levi left everything and went with Jesus. In his home Levi gave a big dinner for Jesus. Many tax collectors and other guests were also there. The Pharisees and some of their teachers of the Law of Moses grumbled to Jesus' disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with these tax collectors and other sinners?” Jesus answered, “Healthy people don't need a doctor, but sick people do. I didn't come to invite good people to turn to God. I came to invite sinners.” (Luke 5:27-32 CEV)
When criticized for the disciples not fasting, how did Jesus answer?
And they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.” And Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’” (Luke 5:33-39 ESV)
How did the first disciples respond to Jesus calling them? How quickly did Jesus have conflict with religious leaders? Would Jesus be welcome in many of our churches? You decide!
Penalties (Leviticus 20)
Were there penalties for breaking God’s law? What are some examples? How do we handle such immorality in our churches? Let’s review Leviticus 20.
Moloch was a Canaanite god or the name of a sacrifice of little children in which they were passed through fire. Can you imagine the grieving parents deluded into this insanity?
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Again, you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘Whoever of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who gives any of his descendants to Molech, he shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. I will set My face against that man, and will cut him off from his people, because he has given some of his descendants to Molech, to defile My sanctuary and profane My holy name. And if the people of the land should in any way hide their eyes from the man, when he gives some of his descendants to Molech, and they do not kill him, then I will set My face against that man and against his family; and I will cut him off from his people, and all who prostitute themselves with him to commit harlotry with Molech. (Leviticus 20:1-5 NKJV)
What is spiritual prostitution or whoring after pagan gods? Was the covenant frequently viewed like a marriage contract, God married to Israel?
I will also turn against those who commit spiritual prostitution by putting their trust in mediums or in those who consult the spirits of the dead. I will cut them off from the community. So set yourselves apart to be holy, for I am the Lord your God. Keep all my decrees by putting them into practice, for I am the Lord who makes you holy. (Leviticus 20:6-8 NLT)
How important was honoring parents under the old covenant?
For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon himself. (Leviticus 20:9 WEB)
How important was marital faithfulness under the old covenant?
If a man commits adultery with a married woman, committing adultery with a neighbor’s wife, both the adulterer and the adulteress must be executed. If a man has sexual intercourse with his father’s wife, he has uncovered his father’s nakedness. Both of them must be executed; their blood is on their own heads. If a man has sexual intercourse with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be executed. They have acted perversely; their blood is on their own heads. If a man has sexual intercourse with a man as he would with a woman, the two of them have done something detestable. They must be executed; their blood is on their own heads. If a man marries a woman and her mother as well, it is shameful. They will be burned with fire—the man and the two women—so that no such shameful thing will be found among you. If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he must be executed and you must kill the animal. If a woman approaches any kind of animal to mate with it, you must kill the woman and the animal. They must be executed; their blood is on their own heads. (Leviticus 20:10-16 CEB)
Adam and Eve’s children must have married sister and brother, but after the gene pool spread out it became illegal due to the dangers of incest. What was the punishment for this?
If you marry one of your sisters, you will be punished, and the two of you will be disgraced by being openly forced out of the community. If you have sex with a woman during her monthly period, both you and the woman will be cut off from the people of Israel. The sisters of your father and mother are your own relatives, and you will be punished for having sex with any of them. If you have sex with your uncle's wife, neither you nor she will ever have any children. And if you marry your sister-in-law, neither of you will ever have any children. (Leviticus 20:17-21 CEV)
God had vomited out the Canaanites due to perverse religious things like sacrificing their children to Moloch. What would God do to Israel if they in turn acted the same?
You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I detested them. But I have said to you, ‘You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples. You shall therefore separate the clean beast from the unclean, and the unclean bird from the clean. You shall not make yourselves detestable by beast or by bird or by anything with which the ground crawls, which I have set apart for you to hold unclean. You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine. (Leviticus 20:22-26 ESV)
How strongly did God deal with those involved in the so-called magic arts?
A man or a woman who is a medium or a spiritist [fortune teller, wizard] must be put to death. They are to be stoned; their blood is on their own hands. (Leviticus 20:27 HCSB)
Did Jesus condemn the church in Thyatira for doing similar things?
I know what you’ve been doing—your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance—and that your last actions are greater than the first. But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet and who teaches and leads my servants to practice immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refused to repent of her immorality. Look! I am going to strike her with illness. Those who commit adultery with her will also suffer greatly, unless they repent from acting like her. (Revelation 2:19-22 ISV)
Were there penalties for breaking God’s law? What are some examples? How do we handle such immorality in our churches? You decide!
Moloch was a Canaanite god or the name of a sacrifice of little children in which they were passed through fire. Can you imagine the grieving parents deluded into this insanity?
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Again, you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘Whoever of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who gives any of his descendants to Molech, he shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. I will set My face against that man, and will cut him off from his people, because he has given some of his descendants to Molech, to defile My sanctuary and profane My holy name. And if the people of the land should in any way hide their eyes from the man, when he gives some of his descendants to Molech, and they do not kill him, then I will set My face against that man and against his family; and I will cut him off from his people, and all who prostitute themselves with him to commit harlotry with Molech. (Leviticus 20:1-5 NKJV)
What is spiritual prostitution or whoring after pagan gods? Was the covenant frequently viewed like a marriage contract, God married to Israel?
I will also turn against those who commit spiritual prostitution by putting their trust in mediums or in those who consult the spirits of the dead. I will cut them off from the community. So set yourselves apart to be holy, for I am the Lord your God. Keep all my decrees by putting them into practice, for I am the Lord who makes you holy. (Leviticus 20:6-8 NLT)
How important was honoring parents under the old covenant?
For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon himself. (Leviticus 20:9 WEB)
How important was marital faithfulness under the old covenant?
If a man commits adultery with a married woman, committing adultery with a neighbor’s wife, both the adulterer and the adulteress must be executed. If a man has sexual intercourse with his father’s wife, he has uncovered his father’s nakedness. Both of them must be executed; their blood is on their own heads. If a man has sexual intercourse with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be executed. They have acted perversely; their blood is on their own heads. If a man has sexual intercourse with a man as he would with a woman, the two of them have done something detestable. They must be executed; their blood is on their own heads. If a man marries a woman and her mother as well, it is shameful. They will be burned with fire—the man and the two women—so that no such shameful thing will be found among you. If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he must be executed and you must kill the animal. If a woman approaches any kind of animal to mate with it, you must kill the woman and the animal. They must be executed; their blood is on their own heads. (Leviticus 20:10-16 CEB)
Adam and Eve’s children must have married sister and brother, but after the gene pool spread out it became illegal due to the dangers of incest. What was the punishment for this?
If you marry one of your sisters, you will be punished, and the two of you will be disgraced by being openly forced out of the community. If you have sex with a woman during her monthly period, both you and the woman will be cut off from the people of Israel. The sisters of your father and mother are your own relatives, and you will be punished for having sex with any of them. If you have sex with your uncle's wife, neither you nor she will ever have any children. And if you marry your sister-in-law, neither of you will ever have any children. (Leviticus 20:17-21 CEV)
God had vomited out the Canaanites due to perverse religious things like sacrificing their children to Moloch. What would God do to Israel if they in turn acted the same?
You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I detested them. But I have said to you, ‘You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples. You shall therefore separate the clean beast from the unclean, and the unclean bird from the clean. You shall not make yourselves detestable by beast or by bird or by anything with which the ground crawls, which I have set apart for you to hold unclean. You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine. (Leviticus 20:22-26 ESV)
How strongly did God deal with those involved in the so-called magic arts?
A man or a woman who is a medium or a spiritist [fortune teller, wizard] must be put to death. They are to be stoned; their blood is on their own hands. (Leviticus 20:27 HCSB)
Did Jesus condemn the church in Thyatira for doing similar things?
I know what you’ve been doing—your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance—and that your last actions are greater than the first. But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet and who teaches and leads my servants to practice immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refused to repent of her immorality. Look! I am going to strike her with illness. Those who commit adultery with her will also suffer greatly, unless they repent from acting like her. (Revelation 2:19-22 ISV)
Were there penalties for breaking God’s law? What are some examples? How do we handle such immorality in our churches? You decide!
Holiness (Leviticus 19)
Was Israel to live holy lives? Did holiness include how they treated parents, Sabbath, idolatry, peace offerings, the poor, telling the truth, immigrants, stock breeding, clothing quality, sex, harvesting fruit, pagan practices, the elderly, foreigners, and honesty in business? How holy are our lives? Let’s look at a discussion of holiness in Leviticus 19.
How important was holiness to God under the old covenant?
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.’” (Leviticus 19:1-2 NKJV)
How did honoring parents, Sabbath keeping and avoiding idolatry make for holy living?
Each of you must show great respect for your mother and father, and you must always observe my Sabbath days of rest. I am the Lord your God. Do not put your trust in idols or make metal images of gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:3-4 NLT)
How were peace offerings to be holy? Was it also a meal?
When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted. It shall be eaten the same day you offer it, and on the next day. If anything remains until the third day, it shall be burned with fire. If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination. It will not be accepted; but everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned the holy thing of Yahweh, and that soul shall be cut off from his people. (Leviticus 19:5-8 WEB)
How could they treat the poor and immigrants in a holy manner?
When you harvest your land’s produce, you must not harvest all the way to the edge of your field; and don’t gather up every remaining bit of your harvest. Also do not pick your vineyard clean or gather up all the grapes that have fallen there. Leave these items for the poor and the immigrant; I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:9-10 CEB)
How were truth telling and fulfilling promises holy living?
Do not steal or tell lies or cheat others. Do not misuse my name by making promises you don't intend to keep. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:11-12 CEV)
What were some practical ways to be holy in showing love to a neighbor?
You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning. You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord. You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:13-18 ESV)
Are quality stock breeding and clothing ways to be holy?
You are to keep My statutes. You must not crossbreed two different kinds of your livestock, sow your fields with two kinds of seed, or put on a garment made of two kinds of material. (Leviticus 19:19 HCSB)
Can an engaged person be both holy and sexually unfaithful?
When a person has sexual relations with a woman servant who is engaged to another man, but she has not been completely redeemed nor has her freedom been granted to her, there is to be an inquiry, but they won’t be put to death, since she has not been freed. The perpetrator is to bring his guilt offering to the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting—that is, a ram as a guilt offering. Then the priest is to make atonement for him with the ram as a guilt offering in the Lord’s presence on account of his sin which he has committed, but which will be forgiven him. (Leviticus 19:20-22 ISV)
Was holiness applicable even to harvesting fruit only when the tree was ready?
And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised: three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten of. But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the Lord withal. And in the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase thereof: I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:23-25 KJV)
Was it holy to avoid common pagan practices like eating blood, shaping beards, cutting the body, prostituting daughters, profaning Sabbaths and witchcraft?
You shall not eat anything with the blood nor interpret omens or soothsaying. You shall not round off the side-growth of your heads nor harm the edges of your beard. And you shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves: I am Yahweh. Do not profane your daughter by making her a harlot, so that the land will not fall to harlotry and the land become full of lewdness. You shall keep My sabbaths and fear My sanctuary; I am Yahweh. Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am Yahweh your God. (Leviticus 19:26-31 LSB)
Is it holy to treat the elderly and foreigners well and to be honest in business?
You shall stand up in the presence of the grayheaded and honor elders, and you shall fear your God; I am the Lord. When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God. You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measurement of weight, or volume. You shall have accurate balances, accurate weights, an accurate ephah, and an accurate hin; I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt. So you shall keep all My statutes and all My ordinances, and do them; I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:32-37 NASB)
Are we Christians also to be holy in all that we do?
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16 NIV Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2)
Was Israel to live holy lives? Did holiness include how they treated parents, Sabbath, idolatry, peace offerings, the poor, telling the truth, immigrants, stock breeding, clothing quality, sex, harvesting fruit, pagan practices, the elderly, foreigners, and honesty in business? How holy are our lives? You decide!
How important was holiness to God under the old covenant?
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.’” (Leviticus 19:1-2 NKJV)
How did honoring parents, Sabbath keeping and avoiding idolatry make for holy living?
Each of you must show great respect for your mother and father, and you must always observe my Sabbath days of rest. I am the Lord your God. Do not put your trust in idols or make metal images of gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:3-4 NLT)
How were peace offerings to be holy? Was it also a meal?
When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted. It shall be eaten the same day you offer it, and on the next day. If anything remains until the third day, it shall be burned with fire. If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination. It will not be accepted; but everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned the holy thing of Yahweh, and that soul shall be cut off from his people. (Leviticus 19:5-8 WEB)
How could they treat the poor and immigrants in a holy manner?
When you harvest your land’s produce, you must not harvest all the way to the edge of your field; and don’t gather up every remaining bit of your harvest. Also do not pick your vineyard clean or gather up all the grapes that have fallen there. Leave these items for the poor and the immigrant; I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:9-10 CEB)
How were truth telling and fulfilling promises holy living?
Do not steal or tell lies or cheat others. Do not misuse my name by making promises you don't intend to keep. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:11-12 CEV)
What were some practical ways to be holy in showing love to a neighbor?
You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning. You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord. You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:13-18 ESV)
Are quality stock breeding and clothing ways to be holy?
You are to keep My statutes. You must not crossbreed two different kinds of your livestock, sow your fields with two kinds of seed, or put on a garment made of two kinds of material. (Leviticus 19:19 HCSB)
Can an engaged person be both holy and sexually unfaithful?
When a person has sexual relations with a woman servant who is engaged to another man, but she has not been completely redeemed nor has her freedom been granted to her, there is to be an inquiry, but they won’t be put to death, since she has not been freed. The perpetrator is to bring his guilt offering to the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting—that is, a ram as a guilt offering. Then the priest is to make atonement for him with the ram as a guilt offering in the Lord’s presence on account of his sin which he has committed, but which will be forgiven him. (Leviticus 19:20-22 ISV)
Was holiness applicable even to harvesting fruit only when the tree was ready?
And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised: three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten of. But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the Lord withal. And in the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase thereof: I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:23-25 KJV)
Was it holy to avoid common pagan practices like eating blood, shaping beards, cutting the body, prostituting daughters, profaning Sabbaths and witchcraft?
You shall not eat anything with the blood nor interpret omens or soothsaying. You shall not round off the side-growth of your heads nor harm the edges of your beard. And you shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves: I am Yahweh. Do not profane your daughter by making her a harlot, so that the land will not fall to harlotry and the land become full of lewdness. You shall keep My sabbaths and fear My sanctuary; I am Yahweh. Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am Yahweh your God. (Leviticus 19:26-31 LSB)
Is it holy to treat the elderly and foreigners well and to be honest in business?
You shall stand up in the presence of the grayheaded and honor elders, and you shall fear your God; I am the Lord. When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God. You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measurement of weight, or volume. You shall have accurate balances, accurate weights, an accurate ephah, and an accurate hin; I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt. So you shall keep all My statutes and all My ordinances, and do them; I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:32-37 NASB)
Are we Christians also to be holy in all that we do?
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16 NIV Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2)
Was Israel to live holy lives? Did holiness include how they treated parents, Sabbath, idolatry, peace offerings, the poor, telling the truth, immigrants, stock breeding, clothing quality, sex, harvesting fruit, pagan practices, the elderly, foreigners, and honesty in business? How holy are our lives? You decide!
Sexual Morality (Leviticus 18)
How serious is God about sexual immorality? Were sexual perversions one reason why the previous inhabitants lost their land? Did they also practice child sacrifice? Are we also to avoid sexual sins? Let’s look at Leviticus 18.
Whose law was Israel to follow, that of surrounding nations or God?
Yahweh said to Moses, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘I am Yahweh your God. You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived. You shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. You shall not follow their statutes. You shall do my ordinances. You shall keep my statutes and walk in them. I am Yahweh your God. You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances, which if a man does, he shall live in them. I am Yahweh. (Leviticus 18:1-5 WEB)
Is sexual intercourse allowed with a close relative?
No one is allowed to approach any blood relative for sexual contact: I am the Lord. You must not uncover your father’s nakedness, which is your mother’s nakedness. She is your mother; you must not have sexual contact with her. You must not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness. You must not have sexual contact with your sister—regardless of whether she is your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether born into the same household as you or outside it. (Leviticus 18:6-9 CEB)
What are some other specific examples of a close relative with whom sex is forbidden?
Don't disgrace yourself by having sex with your granddaughter or half sister or a sister of your father or mother. Don't disgrace your uncle by having sex with his wife. Don't have sex with your daughter-in-law or sister-in-law. And don't have sex with the daughter or granddaughter of any woman that you have earlier had sex with. You will be having sex with her closest relatives, and that would make you unclean. As long as your wife is alive, don't cause trouble for her by taking one of her sisters as a second wife. (Leviticus 18:10-18 CEV)
What are some other examples of sexual misconduct according to God’s law? Was child sacrifice included in this list?
You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is in her menstrual uncleanness. And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor's wife and so make yourself unclean with her. You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. And you shall not lie with any animal and so make yourself unclean with it, neither shall any woman give herself to an animal to lie with it: it is perversion. (Leviticus 18:19-23 ESV)
Were these sexual malpractices one reason why God punished those nations by taking away the right to their land?
Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves by all these things. The land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants. But you are to keep My statutes and ordinances. You must not commit any of these detestable things—not the native or the foreigner who lives among you. (Leviticus 18:24-26 HCSB)
Would Israel likewise lose their land if they committed any of these sexual perversions?
because the inhabitants of the land did all of these detestable things and by doing so defiled the land before you. So you are not to let the land vomit you up because of your uncleanness as it is vomiting the nations that were here before you. Anyone who does any of these detestable things—whoever the person may be—is to be eliminated from contact with his people. Therefore, keep my injunctions so that you won’t practice these detestable things that have been done before you, and so that you won’t be defiled in them. I am the Lord. (Leviticus 18:27-30 ISV)
Is changing the qualifications for elders without God’s authority from “the husband of one wife” (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6), to celibacy one possible reason for the gross sexual misconduct in the Roman church?
Nevertheless, to avoid fornication [sexual immorality], let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. (1 Corinthians 7:2 KJV)
What are the four things that the early church commanded gentiles to obey?
But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having decided that they should keep from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from sexual immorality. (Acts 21:25 LSB)
Was a man who had sex with his father’s wife removed from church?
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and sexual immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, namely, that someone has his father’s wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. (1 Corinthians 5:1-2 NASB)
Did this have a happy ending? After a time out, was the man able to be restored to the church?
The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. (2 Corinthians 2:6-8 NIV)
How serious is God about sexual immorality? Were sexual perversions one reason why the previous inhabitants lost their land? Did they also practice child sacrifice? Are we also to avoid sexual sins? You decide!
Whose law was Israel to follow, that of surrounding nations or God?
Yahweh said to Moses, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘I am Yahweh your God. You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived. You shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. You shall not follow their statutes. You shall do my ordinances. You shall keep my statutes and walk in them. I am Yahweh your God. You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances, which if a man does, he shall live in them. I am Yahweh. (Leviticus 18:1-5 WEB)
Is sexual intercourse allowed with a close relative?
No one is allowed to approach any blood relative for sexual contact: I am the Lord. You must not uncover your father’s nakedness, which is your mother’s nakedness. She is your mother; you must not have sexual contact with her. You must not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness. You must not have sexual contact with your sister—regardless of whether she is your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether born into the same household as you or outside it. (Leviticus 18:6-9 CEB)
What are some other specific examples of a close relative with whom sex is forbidden?
Don't disgrace yourself by having sex with your granddaughter or half sister or a sister of your father or mother. Don't disgrace your uncle by having sex with his wife. Don't have sex with your daughter-in-law or sister-in-law. And don't have sex with the daughter or granddaughter of any woman that you have earlier had sex with. You will be having sex with her closest relatives, and that would make you unclean. As long as your wife is alive, don't cause trouble for her by taking one of her sisters as a second wife. (Leviticus 18:10-18 CEV)
What are some other examples of sexual misconduct according to God’s law? Was child sacrifice included in this list?
You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is in her menstrual uncleanness. And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor's wife and so make yourself unclean with her. You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. And you shall not lie with any animal and so make yourself unclean with it, neither shall any woman give herself to an animal to lie with it: it is perversion. (Leviticus 18:19-23 ESV)
Were these sexual malpractices one reason why God punished those nations by taking away the right to their land?
Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves by all these things. The land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants. But you are to keep My statutes and ordinances. You must not commit any of these detestable things—not the native or the foreigner who lives among you. (Leviticus 18:24-26 HCSB)
Would Israel likewise lose their land if they committed any of these sexual perversions?
because the inhabitants of the land did all of these detestable things and by doing so defiled the land before you. So you are not to let the land vomit you up because of your uncleanness as it is vomiting the nations that were here before you. Anyone who does any of these detestable things—whoever the person may be—is to be eliminated from contact with his people. Therefore, keep my injunctions so that you won’t practice these detestable things that have been done before you, and so that you won’t be defiled in them. I am the Lord. (Leviticus 18:27-30 ISV)
Is changing the qualifications for elders without God’s authority from “the husband of one wife” (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6), to celibacy one possible reason for the gross sexual misconduct in the Roman church?
Nevertheless, to avoid fornication [sexual immorality], let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. (1 Corinthians 7:2 KJV)
What are the four things that the early church commanded gentiles to obey?
But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having decided that they should keep from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from sexual immorality. (Acts 21:25 LSB)
Was a man who had sex with his father’s wife removed from church?
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and sexual immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, namely, that someone has his father’s wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. (1 Corinthians 5:1-2 NASB)
Did this have a happy ending? After a time out, was the man able to be restored to the church?
The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. (2 Corinthians 2:6-8 NIV)
How serious is God about sexual immorality? Were sexual perversions one reason why the previous inhabitants lost their land? Did they also practice child sacrifice? Are we also to avoid sexual sins? You decide!
Eating Blood (Leviticus 17)
Why did God require all sacrifices be made at the tent of meeting? Was it partly to discourage pagan offerings? Why did God forbid eating blood? Is it a toxic health risk? Does it still apply? Let’s consider Leviticus 17.
Where were the Israelites required to make any sacrifices?
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them; This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, saying, What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp, And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people: To the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they offer in the open field, even that they may bring them unto the Lord, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest, and offer them for peace offerings unto the Lord. (Leviticus 17:1-5 KJV)
Were some sacrificing to demons? What would happen to those who did not sacrifice at the tent of meeting?
And the priest shall splash the blood on the altar of Yahweh at the doorway of the tent of meeting and offer up the fat in smoke as a soothing aroma to Yahweh. And they shall no longer sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat demons with which they play the harlot. This shall be a perpetual statute to them throughout their generations. Then you shall say to them, ‘Any man from the house of Israel, or from the sojourners who sojourn among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, and does not bring it to the doorway of the tent of meeting to offer it to Yahweh, that man also shall be cut off from his people. (Leviticus 17:6-9 LSB)
Could they or any foreigners in residence eat blood?
‘And anyone from the house of Israel, or from the strangers who reside among them, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats the blood, and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.’ Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, ‘No person among you may eat blood, nor may any stranger who resides among you eat blood.’ So when anyone from the sons of Israel, or from the strangers who reside among them, while hunting catches an animal or a bird which may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with dirt. (Leviticus 17:10-13 NASB)
What was the reason that they could not eat blood? What were those who ate anything found dead required to do?
because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, “You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off. Anyone, whether native-born or foreigner, who eats anything found dead or torn by wild animals must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be ceremonially unclean till evening; then they will be clean. But if they do not wash their clothes and bathe themselves, they will be held responsible.’” (Leviticus 17:14-16 NIV)
Was this an ancient prohibition long before the covenant at Sinai?
But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. (Genesis 9:4 NKJV)
Is not eating blood, like blood sausage and blood pudding, still required of Christians? Did the apostles write to gentiles about this?
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements: You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this, you will do well. Farewell. (Acts 15:28-29 NLT)
Why did God require all sacrifices be made at the tent of meeting? Was it partly to discourage pagan offerings? Why did God forbid eating blood? Is it a toxic health risk? Does it still apply? You decide!
Where were the Israelites required to make any sacrifices?
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them; This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, saying, What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp, And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people: To the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they offer in the open field, even that they may bring them unto the Lord, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest, and offer them for peace offerings unto the Lord. (Leviticus 17:1-5 KJV)
Were some sacrificing to demons? What would happen to those who did not sacrifice at the tent of meeting?
And the priest shall splash the blood on the altar of Yahweh at the doorway of the tent of meeting and offer up the fat in smoke as a soothing aroma to Yahweh. And they shall no longer sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat demons with which they play the harlot. This shall be a perpetual statute to them throughout their generations. Then you shall say to them, ‘Any man from the house of Israel, or from the sojourners who sojourn among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, and does not bring it to the doorway of the tent of meeting to offer it to Yahweh, that man also shall be cut off from his people. (Leviticus 17:6-9 LSB)
Could they or any foreigners in residence eat blood?
‘And anyone from the house of Israel, or from the strangers who reside among them, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats the blood, and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.’ Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, ‘No person among you may eat blood, nor may any stranger who resides among you eat blood.’ So when anyone from the sons of Israel, or from the strangers who reside among them, while hunting catches an animal or a bird which may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with dirt. (Leviticus 17:10-13 NASB)
What was the reason that they could not eat blood? What were those who ate anything found dead required to do?
because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, “You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off. Anyone, whether native-born or foreigner, who eats anything found dead or torn by wild animals must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be ceremonially unclean till evening; then they will be clean. But if they do not wash their clothes and bathe themselves, they will be held responsible.’” (Leviticus 17:14-16 NIV)
Was this an ancient prohibition long before the covenant at Sinai?
But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. (Genesis 9:4 NKJV)
Is not eating blood, like blood sausage and blood pudding, still required of Christians? Did the apostles write to gentiles about this?
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements: You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this, you will do well. Farewell. (Acts 15:28-29 NLT)
Why did God require all sacrifices be made at the tent of meeting? Was it partly to discourage pagan offerings? Why did God forbid eating blood? Is it a toxic health risk? Does it still apply? You decide!
Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16)
Does the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur, reconciliation, covering over) teach us that animal sacrifices did not permanently remove sin but were reminders of sin? Did Yom Kippur remind people that even the priests were but sinful men who needed an offering for their sins? Do we through Jesus now have permanent atonement and access to the Holy of Holies? Let’s look at Leviticus 16.
Is there a greater mystery here that we, who are tainted with worldly values cannot understand? Is God’s understanding of justice very different to ours?
The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the Lord and died, and the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. (Leviticus 16:1-2 ESV)
What was required of Aaron before entering the holy of holies? Is this a reminder that every minister of God still sins?
Before entering this most holy place, you must offer a bull as a sacrifice for your sins and a ram as a sacrifice to please me. You will take a bath and put on the sacred linen clothes, including the underwear, the robe, the sash, and the turban. Then the community of Israel will bring you a ram and two goats, both of them males. The goats are to be used as sacrifices for sin, and the ram is to be used as a sacrifice to please me. (Leviticus 16:3-5 CEV)
Literally meaning the “entire removal” what was the purpose of the Azazel or escape goat? Did it picture the entire removal of sin and guilt? Was it a symbol of complete forgiveness?
Aaron will present the bull for his sin offering and make atonement for himself and his household. Next he will take the two goats and place them before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. After Aaron casts lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other for azazel, he is to present the goat chosen by lot for the Lord and sacrifice it as a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot for azazel is to be presented alive before the Lord to make purification with it by sending it into the wilderness for azazel. (Leviticus 16:6-10 HCSB)
What offerings were to be made on the Day of Atonement? Is this a reminder that every minister’s household also still sins?
Aaron is then to bring the bull for a sin offering for himself, thus making atonement for himself and his household. He is to slaughter the ox for himself. Then he is to take a censer and fill it with coals from the fire on the altar in the Lord’s presence. With his hands full of spiced and refined incense, he is to bring it beyond the curtain. Then he is to place the incense over the fire in the Lord’s presence, ensuring that the smoke from the incense covers the Mercy Seat, according to regulation, so he won’t die. He is to take blood from the ox and sprinkle it with his forefinger toward the surface of the Mercy Seat. Then he is to sprinkle the blood on the surface of the Mercy Seat with his forefinger seven times. (Leviticus 16:11-14 ISV)
What were they to do with the goat of the sin offering? Is this a reminder that a whole congregation still sins?
Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness. (Leviticus 16:15-16 KJV)
How does blood make atonement? Does it symbolize Jesus in some way? Is this a reminder that every altar is still tainted by sin?
Now when he goes in to make atonement in the holy place, no one shall be in the tent of meeting until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household and for all the assembly of Israel. Then he shall go out to the altar that is before Yahweh and make atonement for it. And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides. With his finger he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times and cleanse it and set it apart as holy from the uncleanness of the sons of Israel. (Leviticus 16:17-19 LSB)
What was the purpose of the live Azazel or scapegoat?
When he finishes atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat. Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the wrongdoings of the sons of Israel and all their unlawful acts regarding all their sins; and he shall place them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands ready. Then the goat shall carry on itself all their wrongdoings to an isolated territory; he shall release the goat in the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:20-22 NASB)
What was Aaron to do a second time and what could that be for? Is this a reminder that even after performing his duties, every minister also still requires forgiveness of his sins?
Then Aaron is to go into the tent of meeting and take off the linen garments he put on before he entered the Most Holy Place, and he is to leave them there. He shall bathe himself with water in the sanctuary area and put on his regular garments. Then he shall come out and sacrifice the burnt offering for himself and the burnt offering for the people, to make atonement for himself and for the people. He shall also burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar. (Leviticus 16:23-25 NIV)
What was the man who released the scapegoat to do? Is this a reminder that even after fulfilling his duties in the assembly, such a man is still tainted by sin?
And he who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. The bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp. And they shall burn in the fire their skins, their flesh, and their offal. Then he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. (Leviticus 16:26-28 NKJV)
Was this fast day also a day of complete rest for the people?
“On the tenth day of the appointed month in early autumn, you must deny yourselves. Neither native-born Israelites nor foreigners living among you may do any kind of work. This is a permanent law for you. On that day offerings of purification will be made for you, and you will be purified in the Lord’s presence from all your sins. It will be a Sabbath day of complete rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. This is a permanent law for you. In future generations, the purification ceremony will be performed by the priest who has been anointed and ordained to serve as high priest in place of his ancestor Aaron. He will put on the holy linen garments and purify the Most Holy Place, the Tabernacle, the altar, the priests, and the entire congregation. This is a permanent law for you, to purify the people of Israel from their sins, making them right with the Lord once each year.” Moses followed all these instructions exactly as the Lord had commanded him. (Leviticus 16:29-34 NLT)
Is there an atonement that once for all reconciles us to God?
By his grace they are justified freely through the redemption that is in the Messiah Jesus, whom God offered as a place where atonement by the Messiah’s blood would occur through faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because he had waited patiently to deal with sins committed in the past. (Romans 3:24-25 ISV)
Does the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur, reconciliation, covering over) teach us that animal sacrifices did not permanently remove sin but were reminders of sin? Did Yom Kippur remind people that even the priests were but sinful men who needed an offering for their sins? Do we through Jesus now have permanent atonement and access to the Holy of Holies? You decide!
Is there a greater mystery here that we, who are tainted with worldly values cannot understand? Is God’s understanding of justice very different to ours?
The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the Lord and died, and the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. (Leviticus 16:1-2 ESV)
What was required of Aaron before entering the holy of holies? Is this a reminder that every minister of God still sins?
Before entering this most holy place, you must offer a bull as a sacrifice for your sins and a ram as a sacrifice to please me. You will take a bath and put on the sacred linen clothes, including the underwear, the robe, the sash, and the turban. Then the community of Israel will bring you a ram and two goats, both of them males. The goats are to be used as sacrifices for sin, and the ram is to be used as a sacrifice to please me. (Leviticus 16:3-5 CEV)
Literally meaning the “entire removal” what was the purpose of the Azazel or escape goat? Did it picture the entire removal of sin and guilt? Was it a symbol of complete forgiveness?
Aaron will present the bull for his sin offering and make atonement for himself and his household. Next he will take the two goats and place them before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. After Aaron casts lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other for azazel, he is to present the goat chosen by lot for the Lord and sacrifice it as a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot for azazel is to be presented alive before the Lord to make purification with it by sending it into the wilderness for azazel. (Leviticus 16:6-10 HCSB)
What offerings were to be made on the Day of Atonement? Is this a reminder that every minister’s household also still sins?
Aaron is then to bring the bull for a sin offering for himself, thus making atonement for himself and his household. He is to slaughter the ox for himself. Then he is to take a censer and fill it with coals from the fire on the altar in the Lord’s presence. With his hands full of spiced and refined incense, he is to bring it beyond the curtain. Then he is to place the incense over the fire in the Lord’s presence, ensuring that the smoke from the incense covers the Mercy Seat, according to regulation, so he won’t die. He is to take blood from the ox and sprinkle it with his forefinger toward the surface of the Mercy Seat. Then he is to sprinkle the blood on the surface of the Mercy Seat with his forefinger seven times. (Leviticus 16:11-14 ISV)
What were they to do with the goat of the sin offering? Is this a reminder that a whole congregation still sins?
Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness. (Leviticus 16:15-16 KJV)
How does blood make atonement? Does it symbolize Jesus in some way? Is this a reminder that every altar is still tainted by sin?
Now when he goes in to make atonement in the holy place, no one shall be in the tent of meeting until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household and for all the assembly of Israel. Then he shall go out to the altar that is before Yahweh and make atonement for it. And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides. With his finger he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times and cleanse it and set it apart as holy from the uncleanness of the sons of Israel. (Leviticus 16:17-19 LSB)
What was the purpose of the live Azazel or scapegoat?
When he finishes atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat. Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the wrongdoings of the sons of Israel and all their unlawful acts regarding all their sins; and he shall place them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands ready. Then the goat shall carry on itself all their wrongdoings to an isolated territory; he shall release the goat in the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:20-22 NASB)
What was Aaron to do a second time and what could that be for? Is this a reminder that even after performing his duties, every minister also still requires forgiveness of his sins?
Then Aaron is to go into the tent of meeting and take off the linen garments he put on before he entered the Most Holy Place, and he is to leave them there. He shall bathe himself with water in the sanctuary area and put on his regular garments. Then he shall come out and sacrifice the burnt offering for himself and the burnt offering for the people, to make atonement for himself and for the people. He shall also burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar. (Leviticus 16:23-25 NIV)
What was the man who released the scapegoat to do? Is this a reminder that even after fulfilling his duties in the assembly, such a man is still tainted by sin?
And he who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. The bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp. And they shall burn in the fire their skins, their flesh, and their offal. Then he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. (Leviticus 16:26-28 NKJV)
Was this fast day also a day of complete rest for the people?
“On the tenth day of the appointed month in early autumn, you must deny yourselves. Neither native-born Israelites nor foreigners living among you may do any kind of work. This is a permanent law for you. On that day offerings of purification will be made for you, and you will be purified in the Lord’s presence from all your sins. It will be a Sabbath day of complete rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. This is a permanent law for you. In future generations, the purification ceremony will be performed by the priest who has been anointed and ordained to serve as high priest in place of his ancestor Aaron. He will put on the holy linen garments and purify the Most Holy Place, the Tabernacle, the altar, the priests, and the entire congregation. This is a permanent law for you, to purify the people of Israel from their sins, making them right with the Lord once each year.” Moses followed all these instructions exactly as the Lord had commanded him. (Leviticus 16:29-34 NLT)
Is there an atonement that once for all reconciles us to God?
By his grace they are justified freely through the redemption that is in the Messiah Jesus, whom God offered as a place where atonement by the Messiah’s blood would occur through faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because he had waited patiently to deal with sins committed in the past. (Romans 3:24-25 ISV)
Does the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur, reconciliation, covering over) teach us that animal sacrifices did not permanently remove sin but were reminders of sin? Did Yom Kippur remind people that even the priests were but sinful men who needed an offering for their sins? Do we through Jesus now have permanent atonement and access to the Holy of Holies? You decide!
Unclean Discharges (Leviticus 15)
Apart from foods, childbirth, skin diseases, mold and mildew, were there other ways to become unclean under Mosaic law? Would we call this simple quarantine today? Let’s look at Leviticus 15.
Could a man’s bodily discharge be a cause for concern regarding infection?
The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When any man has a discharge from his body, he is unclean. This is uncleanness of his discharge: Whether his body secretes the discharge or retains it, he is unclean. All the days that his body secretes or retains anything because of his discharge, he is unclean. Any bed the man with the discharge lies on will be unclean, and any furniture he sits on will be unclean.” (Leviticus 15:1-4 HCSB)
What precautions were people to make regarding touching a discharge?
Any person who touches his bed is to wash his garments and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening. Whoever sits on any object on which the one with the discharge has sat is to wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening. Whoever touches the body of someone with a discharge is to wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening. Whoever has a discharge and spits on someone who is clean, then he is to wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening. (Leviticus 15:5-8 ISV)
What about anything that the man with the discharge touches?
And what saddle soever he rideth upon that hath the issue shall be unclean. And whosoever toucheth any thing that was under him shall be unclean until the even: and he that beareth any of those things shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. And whomsoever he toucheth that hath the issue, and hath not rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. And the vessel of earth, that he toucheth which hath the issue, shall be broken: and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water. (Leviticus 15:9-12 KJV)
What was to happen when the man with the discharge was healed?
Now when the man with the discharge becomes cleansed from his discharge, then he shall count off for himself seven days for his cleansing; he shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in running water and will become clean. Then on the eighth day he shall take for himself two turtledoves or two young pigeons and come before Yahweh to the doorway of the tent of meeting and give them to the priest; and the priest shall offer them, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf before Yahweh because of his discharge. (Leviticus 15:13-15 LSB)
What was a man to do about any seminal emissions?
Now if a man has a seminal emission, he shall bathe all his body in water and be unclean until evening. As for any garment or any leather on which there is a seminal emission, it shall be washed with water and be unclean until evening. If a man sleeps with a woman so that there is a seminal emission, they shall both bathe in water and be unclean until evening. (Leviticus 15:16-18 NASB)
How should a woman handle quarantine during her monthly period?
When a woman has her regular flow of blood, the impurity of her monthly period will last seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean till evening. Anything she lies on during her period will be unclean, and anything she sits on will be unclean. Anyone who touches her bed will be unclean; they must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening. Anyone who touches anything she sits on will be unclean; they must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening. Whether it is the bed or anything she was sitting on, when anyone touches it, they will be unclean till evening. (Leviticus 15:19-23 NIV)
How should a woman handle quarantine for her menstrual flow if anything unusual happens?
And if any man lies with her at all, so that her impurity is on him, he shall be unclean seven days; and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean. If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, other than at the time of her customary impurity, or if it runs beyond her usual time of impurity, all the days of her unclean discharge shall be as the days of her customary impurity. She shall be unclean. Every bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her as the bed of her impurity; and whatever she sits on shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her impurity. Whoever touches those things shall be unclean; he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. (Leviticus 15:24-27 NKJV)
What should take place once the woman’s bleeding stops?
When the woman’s bleeding stops, she must count off seven days. Then she will be ceremonially clean. On the eighth day she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons and present them to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle. The priest will offer one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. Through this process, the priest will purify her before the Lord for the ceremonial impurity caused by her bleeding. (Leviticus 15:28-30 NLT)
There are many possible reasons for bodily discharges, but are two of the more common reasons seminal emissions and a woman’s monthly?
Thus you shall separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, so they will not die in their uncleanness when they defile my tabernacle that is among them. This is the law of him who has a discharge, and of him who has an emission of semen, so that he is unclean by it; and of her who has her period, and of a man or woman who has a discharge, and of him who lies with her who is unclean. (Leviticus 15:31-33 WEB)
What kind of discharge can make us spiritually unclean?
The food you put into your mouth doesn't make you unclean and unfit to worship God. The bad words that come out of your mouth are what make you unclean. (Matthew 15:11 CEB)
Apart from foods, childbirth, skin diseases, mold and mildew, were there other ways to become unclean under Mosaic law? Would we call this simple quarantine today? Are we spiritually clean? You decide!
Could a man’s bodily discharge be a cause for concern regarding infection?
The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When any man has a discharge from his body, he is unclean. This is uncleanness of his discharge: Whether his body secretes the discharge or retains it, he is unclean. All the days that his body secretes or retains anything because of his discharge, he is unclean. Any bed the man with the discharge lies on will be unclean, and any furniture he sits on will be unclean.” (Leviticus 15:1-4 HCSB)
What precautions were people to make regarding touching a discharge?
Any person who touches his bed is to wash his garments and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening. Whoever sits on any object on which the one with the discharge has sat is to wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening. Whoever touches the body of someone with a discharge is to wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening. Whoever has a discharge and spits on someone who is clean, then he is to wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening. (Leviticus 15:5-8 ISV)
What about anything that the man with the discharge touches?
And what saddle soever he rideth upon that hath the issue shall be unclean. And whosoever toucheth any thing that was under him shall be unclean until the even: and he that beareth any of those things shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. And whomsoever he toucheth that hath the issue, and hath not rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. And the vessel of earth, that he toucheth which hath the issue, shall be broken: and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water. (Leviticus 15:9-12 KJV)
What was to happen when the man with the discharge was healed?
Now when the man with the discharge becomes cleansed from his discharge, then he shall count off for himself seven days for his cleansing; he shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in running water and will become clean. Then on the eighth day he shall take for himself two turtledoves or two young pigeons and come before Yahweh to the doorway of the tent of meeting and give them to the priest; and the priest shall offer them, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf before Yahweh because of his discharge. (Leviticus 15:13-15 LSB)
What was a man to do about any seminal emissions?
Now if a man has a seminal emission, he shall bathe all his body in water and be unclean until evening. As for any garment or any leather on which there is a seminal emission, it shall be washed with water and be unclean until evening. If a man sleeps with a woman so that there is a seminal emission, they shall both bathe in water and be unclean until evening. (Leviticus 15:16-18 NASB)
How should a woman handle quarantine during her monthly period?
When a woman has her regular flow of blood, the impurity of her monthly period will last seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean till evening. Anything she lies on during her period will be unclean, and anything she sits on will be unclean. Anyone who touches her bed will be unclean; they must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening. Anyone who touches anything she sits on will be unclean; they must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening. Whether it is the bed or anything she was sitting on, when anyone touches it, they will be unclean till evening. (Leviticus 15:19-23 NIV)
How should a woman handle quarantine for her menstrual flow if anything unusual happens?
And if any man lies with her at all, so that her impurity is on him, he shall be unclean seven days; and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean. If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, other than at the time of her customary impurity, or if it runs beyond her usual time of impurity, all the days of her unclean discharge shall be as the days of her customary impurity. She shall be unclean. Every bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her as the bed of her impurity; and whatever she sits on shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her impurity. Whoever touches those things shall be unclean; he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. (Leviticus 15:24-27 NKJV)
What should take place once the woman’s bleeding stops?
When the woman’s bleeding stops, she must count off seven days. Then she will be ceremonially clean. On the eighth day she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons and present them to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle. The priest will offer one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. Through this process, the priest will purify her before the Lord for the ceremonial impurity caused by her bleeding. (Leviticus 15:28-30 NLT)
There are many possible reasons for bodily discharges, but are two of the more common reasons seminal emissions and a woman’s monthly?
Thus you shall separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, so they will not die in their uncleanness when they defile my tabernacle that is among them. This is the law of him who has a discharge, and of him who has an emission of semen, so that he is unclean by it; and of her who has her period, and of a man or woman who has a discharge, and of him who lies with her who is unclean. (Leviticus 15:31-33 WEB)
What kind of discharge can make us spiritually unclean?
The food you put into your mouth doesn't make you unclean and unfit to worship God. The bad words that come out of your mouth are what make you unclean. (Matthew 15:11 CEB)
Apart from foods, childbirth, skin diseases, mold and mildew, were there other ways to become unclean under Mosaic law? Would we call this simple quarantine today? Are we spiritually clean? You decide!
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