Concise Bible Dictionary:
The title of this Book was copied from the Septuagint; but why it was so called is not known, the Levites are but seldom mentioned in it. The Hebrew has simply the first word of the book for its title. The book is occupied with the way of approach to God, who is looked upon as dwelling in the holy of holies. The people having been redeemed from Egypt, and having received God’s covenant, and promised obedience thereto, are in relation with God, and come to Him as worshippers. They must approach in the way He directs and must be in a suited state to approach, which approach could only be accomplished through God’s appointed priests. The Epistle to the Hebrews takes up many of the same subjects for the Christian, but there they often stand in contrast to what is found here. This is especially the case in the veil which here shut in the holy of holies, where the high priest could enter only once a year, and then with blood; whereas now the veil is rent, God has come out, with grace to all, and every Christian has access to the presence of God. In Leviticus there was a continued remembrance of sins; but by the one sacrifice of Christ He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.
The opening of the book shows that it is not merely an addition to the law given at Sinai: God spoke it to Moses “out of the tabernacle of the congregation,” except the last three chapters. He, as among the people, directs everything.
Leviticus 1-7 gives the sacrifices, all of which are needed to embrace the varied aspects of the death of Christ. The four principal offerings are given in this order: the burnt offering, the meat offering, the peace offering, and the sin offering: it begins with God’s side first, what Christ is to God; but in the consecrating of Aaron, the sin offering came first, Leviticus 8; and must be so when man’s need is in view. For the teaching of the sacrifices see OFFERINGS.
Leviticus 8-10 give the sanctification of Aaron and his sons (see AARON); and the failure of Nadab and Abihu.
Leviticus 11 distinguishes the clean and the unclean animals for food.
Leviticus 12-15 gives laws respecting purification of women; LEPROSY; and the uncleanness of men.
Leviticus 16 See ATONEMENT, DAY OF.
Leviticus 17-22 gives many instructions bearing upon holiness, and the avoidance of all uncleanness.
Leviticus 23. The feasts of Jehovah. See FEASTS.
Leviticus 24 gives divers laws: Israel’s position internally before God, and externally in the world.
Leviticus 25. The Sabbatical years and the year of Jubilee. See JUBILEE.
Leviticus 26. Threats and promises realized in the nation’s after history.
Leviticus 27. Concerning vows, and so forth.
The book ends with “These are the commandments which the Lord commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount Sinai.” This apparently embraces the last three chapters, for Leviticus 25 commences with “And the Lord spake unto Moses in mount Sinai,” in contrast to Leviticus 1, which was spoken to him out of the tabernacle. These three chapters refer more to what God is in government, than to what He is as the One to be worshipped, with which the previous part of the book is occupied, giving directions as to how alone He could be approached, together with injunctions as to many things that would be inconsistent in the worshippers of Jehovah.
Bible Handbook:
1490 B.C. – 27 Chapters – 859 Verses
Leviticus has been happily termed ‘The priests’ direction book,’ as it contains a full and circumstantial account of all matters connected with the sacrifices, offerings, feasts, and generally of the worship and ministry of the Priests and Levites. The whole Jewish ritual was eminently typical of Christ in His glorious person, atoning work, and priesthood. Christ as the Sacrifice, as the Offerer, and as the “Great High Priest,” is evidently the burden of this precious book. The intensely interesting types of Leviticus yield a rich and inexhaustible store of Divine truth, touching the sacrificial and priestly work of the blessed Lord; but the reader would do well to study them in light of Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrews and in the Divine presence, for the types can only be profitably handled in the seven-fold light of the sanctuary.
The previous book closed with “the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle”; this opens with God uttering Himself from His dwelling — “And the Lord called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the Tabernacle of the congregation, saying.” Hence, grace is the marked feature of the precious communications which issued from the Tabernacle or presence of God. Jehovah is here regarded as dwelling in midst of His redeemed people, the mercy-seat or propitiatory sprinkled with blood the rest of the Divine Majesty; the golden cherub on either side the representatives of the moral guardians of His throne; the ark all covered with pure gold, containing the depository of His righteous claims upon man as graven by the finger of God on the unbroken tables of stone; with sacrifice the ground of approach, and priesthood the holy means of drawing near.
Atonement is characteristic of this book. Redemption is founded on blood-shedding (1 Peter 1:18-1918Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (1 Peter 1:18‑19)), and is treated of nationally in the Old Testament, while individually spoken of in the New Testament, hence in Genesis there could be no distinct teaching upon this momentous theme, as it had to be illustrated in a manner worthy of God, and this is the subject of Exodus where the nation is in view before Jehovah. But atonement could no more be taught in Exodus than could redemption in Genesis. The priest was needed to atone, he only of the children of Israel could bring the blood into the presence of and before the eye of God. What a magnificent unfolding of the great truth of atonement we have in chapter 16, the central portion of the book as it is the fundamental truth of all Scripture and of our book especially. In the previous book the redemption of the people was fully secured; in this the worship of the people is as truly provided for, and naturally follows the story of redemption. In the main, the great subject of the book is, God gathering the people around Himself, filling His presence chamber — the holiest of all — with the unspeakably blessed memorials of sin righteously judged and put away forever out of His sight and mind, and also to the faith of the offerer and worshipper.
General Divisions
Chapters 1-7 — The divine order of the sacrifices, and the laws regulating their observance.
Chapters 8-10 — The consecration and establishment of Aaron and his sons in the Priesthood.
Chapters 11-15 — Man in nature, practice, and circumstances utterly ruined and undone.
Chapters 16-27 — Atonement (Chapter 16) the basis of all holiness befitting the presence of Jehovah, as also the ground of His dealing with His people from first to last.
Note
It may be well to note here the distinction in the terms Sacrifice, Oblation, and Offering. Sacrifice involved the shedding of blood, as of bullocks, lambs, etc.; oblation referred to the presentation of fruits, vegetables, where no blood was shed; offering is the mere general word, and could apply to either or both of the foregoing.
There were morning (3rd hour), evening (9th hour), weekly, monthly, and yearly sacrifices, besides other national festivals and feasts, all of which will be found specifically mentioned in this and the following books. The three national and compulsory feasts were the Passover (redemption), Pentecost (first fruits of the nation to God), and Tabernacles (millennial glory); in other words, Redemption, Liberty, and Glory.
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