Reading the Bible Together for October – Leviticus

Overview of the Book of Leviticus

Purpose:
To guide the Israelites in the ways of holiness, so they would be set apart from the world and receive blessings instead of judgment as they lived near the special presence of their holy God.

Key Truths:
• God is holy, and he requires holiness from his people.
• God’s people invariably failed to keep the requirements of holiness, but temporary atonement could be found in the sacrificial system.
• God called his people to pursue holiness in every aspect of their lives out of gratitude for the mercy he had shown to them.
• God offered wondrous blessings and threatened judgment so that his people would repent and offer vows of commitment to him.

Purpose and Distinctives:
Perhaps no other Old Testament book represents a greater challenge to the modern reader than Leviticus, and imagination is required to picture the ceremonies and rites that form the bulk of the book.
1. The divine presence. Every act of worship took place “before the LORD” (e.g. Lev. 1:5)
2. Holiness. “Be holy, because I am holy” (Lev. 11:45) is the theme of Leviticus.
3. Atonement through sacrifice. Since no one was able to live in perfect accordance with God’s law, a means of atonement was essential so that moral lapses and physical failings could be pardoned.

The RBT community group question sheet and also a full copy of the outline for Leviticus can be found on the downloads page.