Leviticus Preparation

Leviticus Preparation

The four framework of Leviticus

1. Law (Ex 19:5) - Bondage --> Grace --> Exodus Event --> Law at Sinai

2. Covenant (Ex 19:5)  -  Remember His gift of salvation, Obeying His commandments, Become the kingdom of Priests. 

3. Tabernacle (The rest of Ex 19) - Tabernacle is modeled with the Mt Sinai, where Moses can go up, but the rest must stay outside. 

4. Exodus (Ex 19:4)  - journey to Holy God

1. Function of God's Law

In the Old Testament, there are 613 laws. Half of them are found in Leviticus. 

Function of God's law - to help us and to show us. To live a holy life and to show us our holy God. 

The divine law was spoken by our divine God to Moses.

Law is an instruction (Torah) like manuals of a device, so that we know how to live in God's way. 

Law is interchangeable with statutes, judgement, rules, etc   (Lev 26:46)

We always think that only Jews need to follow the laws to be saved, and that Christian had no law at all, for we live in a time of grace. We think that the Old Testament laws may not be valid for us. 

However Jews were in bondage and was saved by Grace too. They were only given the law after they were freed from Egypt.  In other words, God did not save them by obeying the law, as the law did not exist when they were saved.

In Christianity we are also saved by grace but also have certain rules and commandments we must follow to be close to him and receive our rewards in heaven. (John 15:10 - keep My commands)

There are two main functions of the Law:

a)  Law is given To help us to live a holy life. 

"You shall be holy" Lev 19:2

We want to be holy as God is holy and asked us to be holy.  However, God did not define what is holy. Instead God gave us rules to us on how we should we live and related to others and to himself.  Holiness is not just an idea but our whole way of life. 

Why do we want to be holy? Yes, God wants us to be holy. Is that the only reason? Why did God save us? Exodus 29:42-46 - God wants to dwells with us. God initiated the exodus SO THAT He can dwell among them. God wants, and hunger to dwell with us.

The holy laws to make us holy people so that the holy God can dwell with us. (John 15:10)

b) Law is given To show us our holy God 

Psalms 119:18 : "... That I may behold wondrous things out of your law". The law reflect the law giver. 

Lev 19:9-10 — God is kind to poor people. His heart is for the downed and poor people.

Lev 1:2-3 - God expect sacrifice from us. God is worthy of our sacrifice. In burnt offering, the entire calf is given to God. God is saying that I deserve your full allegiance. 

The Law are not just words. It indicates who God is. For example, the ten commandments tells us not to steal. The root cause of this is that God wants us to respect the assets and property owned by others. That is the reason we should not steal. 

What is the root cause for God to send Moses to Egypt? Is it to free his people? Why? Ex 4:23, 7:16, 8:1 all said "let my people go, so that they may worship Me." The heart of God is for us to worship Him. Leviticus is the high point of worship.

2. Covenant - Foundation for discipleship in Leviticus - Sharon Fong

Exodus 19:3-4

A) Remembering God's gracious gift of salvation. 

v4 You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.

This salvation is due to covenant to Abraham with no condition. Unilateral Covenant. Our own salvation also had no condition. It is by grace (Eph 2:8-9).  Do we remember when did we accept the Lord? And what happened at that time? We must remember the covenant with God. Some of us are distracted and want to do things our own way and our strength that we no longer want to be carried on the eagles' wings. Whatever begin in Grace cannot be completed with works. 

B) Obeying God's Commandments

v5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;

This "treasured possession"  is conditional to obedience. Bilateral Agreement. As Christians, after been saved, we have a condition to live a Christian life. And obey the word. To love God and love others. It is not a free pass to heaven.  (Mat 22:37-39; John 13:34). 

Let us deepen our relationship with brothers, sisters, spouse and God.  Don't look at greener pastures - it's full of worms when you are there.  We finish well together.

C) Become a Kingdom of priest.

v6 "and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” 

1 pet 2:9 - ".. royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession." In everyday life, we keep loving each other, to bring them to church and to share gospel with others. 

3. Tabernacle and the Holy Presence of God - Ps Lim Keng Yeow

John 1:14a - "The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us." (TLV)

A. God wants to dwell among His people

In Exodus, the concept of God dwelling among the Israelites is prominently mentioned. One key verse is Exodus 25:8, where God instructs Moses regarding the construction of the tabernacle: "Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them."

The tabernacle is important to God as He initiate it. A huge chunk of Exodus is about the tabernacle (13 chapters = Ch 25-31; Ch 35-40). Half of Leviticus is to do with tabernacle, eg the feasts, etc

While God cannot be housed in physical places, He wanted tabernacles as He desired to have a dwelling place among the Israelites. Tabernacle – a sacred space where God's presence would be among the people.

The last time God dwell among men was during Cain's time. After that He still spoke to people, including Abraham, but He had never stayed among them. 

He appeared to Moses in the burning bus, to begin his plan to dwell with man again.  

At first God stayed in the tabernacle with cloud covering it. Even Moses could not get in to the tabernacle to meet God. (Exo 40:34-35)

The only way he can dwell with man is through the laws of Leviticus. 

B. God wants to meet with His people

Ex 29:42 - "I will meet you" 

"Meet with" original hebrew is ya'ad, meeting by appointment, and "betrothal". Tabernacle is also called the "tent of meeting"

Ex 40:34-35 - "Moses unable to enter the tabernacle as the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle."

Lev 1:1 - God is in the tabernacle but Moses remained outside.  After this Moses made the sacrifice according to His law, and then he can entered into the tabernacle. 

In Leviticus 9:23-24, it describes an event where Moses and Aaron entered the Tent of Meeting, which was a part of the tabernacle:

"Moses and Aaron then went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people."

God can only do this after they obeyed his law to sacrifice the bull calf for a sin offering. (Lev 9:2)

This event took place during the consecration of the tabernacle, and the presence of God, referred to as the "glory of the Lord," became manifest to the people after Moses and Aaron entered the tent.

However, the Jews (and all men) could not obey the Leviticus law and fell into the sin of idolatry. God could not dwell with them anymore, and even allowed their temples to be destroyed until this day. 

However, God's heart still desire to dwell with us. Ultimately, Jesus made it possible by sacrificing himself. (John 1:14)

Those who believed in Jesus as Lord and Savior no longer need to go to temples to meet God, for God permanently dwells in their heart with the Holy Spirt forever.  Jesus is Emmanuel - God with us. 

God wants to dwell with us and communicate with us more than we want to do so with Him. How many of us will sacrifice our only son to be with God? 

Do we desire to dwell with God? Not only on Sunday but every day and every minute of our lives? 

Psalm 23: "Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." 

4. Exodus - Edmund Chan 

Pastor told the long preacher Amen pharaoh - let my people go 

“And you saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea, and performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land, for you knew that they acted arrogantly against our fathers. And you made a name for yourself, as it is to this day. And you divided the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on dry land, and you cast their pursuers into the depths, as a stone into mighty waters. By a pillar of cloud you led them in the day, and by a pillar of fire in the night to light for them the way in which they should go. (Nehemiah 9:9-12)

1. God is a bondage breaker. Egypt represent the world, and Israel was in bondage as a slave in Egypt. God rescued Israel from Egypt. God can also free us from our bondages. God can also take the bondage from church leaders and make them more effective and to grow the church. They should *dream big, start small, go deep"

Many Christians and leaders are empty and dry. God is in the business in transforming lives. We need to choose to live in freedom with Holy spirit to guide us. Addictions and distractions are bondages. 

2. "heard their cry at the Red Sea". An angry pharaoh chased after them and in front of them was the sea. God delivered by parting the sea. God will provide for us regardless of the circumstances. 

We cannot see one side of it. God is knitting a tapestry for us, but we can only see the backside but God sees the front side. We need to move from fear side to faith side. To do this we need to apply the word of God, for it is foundational for our faith. 

Christianity is not a cruise ship, but a battleship. Satan is fighting with us all the time, to stop us from being transformed. 

3. Encountering God. v12: "By a pillar of cloud you led them in the day, and by a pillar of fire in the night to light for them the way in which they should go."  He is our guide in confusing times or when lost. Follow the pillar of fire. 

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

When in doubt, look up. 

Exodus 3:7-8b -  "Then the LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey ..."

I see,  I hear, I know, I have come, I will bring them up. 

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”  He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” (Exodus 3:11-12)

Note that the "sign" for Moses is "I have sent you, and you shall serve God on this mountain." This sign can only be fulfilled AFTER Moses went ahead to bring the people out of Egypt. It requires Moses to have faith in God and to obey him no matter how difficult the request is. 

In Bondage, God will free us

In Confusion, God will guide us

Applications

The heart of God is for us to worship him. When we know God more, we will worship him deeper. Moses said let my people go so that they can worship God. Exodus 7:16. 

God wants to dwell with us, are we excited and want to be with Him? Do we long to be in his presence? 

Do we go to church late? Are we serious in worshipping God? 

Observation: 

A consideration of Exodus 40:2, 17, and Numbers 1:1 and 10:11 indicates that the events of Leviticus took place over about one month while Israel remained at Sinai.

Therefore, historically and theologically, Leviticus correctly follows Exodus and precedes Numbers