Stuff I Like jacklamb.name

Leviticus 24-25: Jubliee

Three important responsibilities “before the LORD ” (Leviticus 24:3, 6, 8 ) are given in this chapter.

Providing the oil (Leviticus 24:1–4). Only God and the priests saw the light, but the lamps had to be kept shining, for there was no other source of light in the Holy of Holies. The purest olive oil had to be used, supplied by the people themselves. Do we today, as God’s people, help the light of the church to keep shining continually (Revelation 1:20)?

Presenting the bread (Leviticus 24:5–9). Twelve loaves were put on the table each Sabbath, and then the old loaves were given to the priests to eat. They were a reminder that God fed the twelve tribes both physically and spiritually, and that they in turn were to feed the world the truth about the Lord.

Protecting the name (Leviticus 24:10–23). The man could not be blamed for his parentage, but he could be blamed for blaspheming. Would someone with Egyptian ancestry glorify Israel’s God? (See Exodus 5:2) Like Moses, we should wait on God for direction (James 1:5). It was a capital offense, and the man was stoned to death. God emphasized again the basic principle that He stated in Exodus 21 - equal justice and not personal vengeance.

The Sabbatical Year (Leviticus 25:1–7) and the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:8–55; jubal means “to blow a trumpet”) were based on two propositions: “The land is Mine” (Leviticus 25: 23), and “The children of Israel are My servants” (Leviticus 25:42; 55). God owns the land; we are stewards of what He has shared with us. We must use His resources wisely for His glory, for one day we must give an account of our stewardship (Luke 16:1).

There was also an ecological purpose behind these laws, for obedience to them would grant rest to the land, to the beasts who helped work the land, and to the people. Along with the weekly Sabbath, the two events reminded Israel that rest and work go together and that people and God-given resources must not be exploited.

There was an economic purpose, for God had a concern for the poor and afflicted (Leviticus 25:25, 35, 39, 47). Had Israel obeyed the law of the Year of Jubilee, it would have helped to balance the economy, and the rich would have had difficulty exploiting the poor.

But the overriding purpose was spiritual, a reminder that Jehovah was Lord of both the land and the people, and that Israel had the responsibility to trust Him for everything. They could not sow during either the forty-ninth or fiftieth year but had to wait for the harvest of the fifty-first year. That would take faith (Leviticus 25:18–22)!

Redemption. Jesus used the Year of Jubilee to picture salvation (Luke 4:16–21). Today He offers rest and freedom to all who will trust Him. We are living now in the Year of Jubilee!

Leviticus 22-23: Feasts to the Lord

Chapter 22 begins and ends with the solemn admonition, “You shall not profane My holy name” (Leviticus 22:1, 32). In chapter 21 , God warned the priests not to be defiled by the unclean things; now He warns them not to defile the clean things.

Defective serving (Leviticus 22:1–9). It was dangerous for the priests to serve God if they knew they were unclean. They were insulting God, who knows all things, and deceiving the people who depended on them to present their offerings. The prophet Isaiah advised, “Be clean, you who bear the vessels of the LORD ” (Isaiah 52:11).

Defective sharing (Leviticus 22:10–16). The priests fed their families from the sacrifices the people brought, and that holy food could not be given to outsiders, not even a house guest. It is good to be generous, but not if our generosity dishonors God’s gifts (Matthew 7:6).

Defective sacrificing (Leviticus 22:17–33). We must give God the best, for that is what He deserves. Since they pictured the coming Savior, the sacrifices had to be perfect. How easy it is to give to the Lord something we don’t want anymore! Ponder Malachi 1:6–8.

The Hebrew calendar was organized around a series of sevens. The seventh day of the week was the Sabbath. They celebrated seven annual feasts, three of which occurred in the seventh month. The seventh year was their Sabbatical Year, and after forty-nine years (seven times seven), they celebrated the Year of Jubilee. God invites us to remember. Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread reminded them of their miraculous deliverance from Egypt by the mighty hand of God. The Feast of Tabernacles reminded the people that their ancestors had lived in booths during their wanderings. Each new generation must be taught what God has done for His people; otherwise, they may take their blessings for granted. Specific times of remembering can be good for all of us.

God invites us to rejoice. At least three of the seven feasts (Firstfruits, Pentecost, and Tabernacles) were tied to the agricultural life of the people, reminders that God was the Giver of all that they needed and enjoyed.

The Seven Feasts Picture Salvation History

1. Passover - Christ, the Lamb, who died for us
2. Unleavened Bread - The Christian life of fellowship, separation from sin, and feeding on Christ
3. Tabernacles - The future joy of God’s people in His kingdom
4. Firstfruits - The resurrection of Christ
5. Pentecost - The coming of the Holy Spirit
6. Trumpets - The gathering together of God’s people
7. Day of Atonement - The future cleansing of God’s people

Leviticus 19-21: Everyday Holiness

God’s command for His people to be holy applies to us today (1 Peter 1:16). The declaration “I am the

Leviticus 16-18: The Most Important Day

The annual Day of Atonement was the most significant of Israel’s special days because on it their sins were atoned for. It was the only time the high priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies. Nadab and Abihu tried to do it their own way and were judged (Leviticus 10), so this ceremony was a matter of life and death.

You can see the Lord Jesus illustrated in the high priest. He did the work alone. He laid aside His garments of glory (Philippians 2:5–8), and He sanctified Himself for us (John 17:19). The difference is that Jesus did not offer any sacrifices for Himself because He is sinless. He Himself is the perfect and final sacrifice for the sins of the world (Hebrews 7:23–28).

The high priest entered the Holy of Holies three times: (1) with the incense (Leviticus 16:12–14), (2) with blood for his sins, and (3) with blood for the sins of the people. The cloud of incense speaks of the glory of God, which is the whole purpose of redemption (John 17:1; Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14).

Scapegoat may come from an Aramaic word that means “to remove.” The setting free of the live goat pictured God’s forgiveness of their sins (Psalm 103:10–13), but this required the death of the other goat. Salvation is free, but it is not cheap.

The only price for sin that God will accept is blood, for the blood is the life of the creature. The sacrifice of blood means one life given for another. We should respect all life and not treat the blood as something common. The Jews were not to bring sacrifices of game (Leviticus 17:13), because those cost them nothing. (See 2 Samuel 24:24) The animals shed their blood involuntarily, but Jesus gave His life willingly for the sins of the world.

One place. While in the wilderness, the Jews had to do all their slaughtering at the brazen altar and make each animal a peace offering to the Lord. (This law was modified when they entered the land - Deuteronomy 12:20–28) No other place was acceptable to God. The blood of Jesus Christ, shed at Calvary, is the only acceptable sacrifice for sin in God’s sight.

Do you look upon each meal as an offering to the Lord, and do you eat and drink to His glory (1 Corinthians 10:31)?

Leviticus 14-15: How to be made Clean!

This ceremony of restoration for the healed leper pictures our Lord’s work of redemption. Jesus went

Leviticus 11-13: Dealing with Defilement

Chapters 11–15

Leviticus 9-10: Sin in the Priesthood

The day of dedication began a week of consecration (Leviticus 8:31–36), and the week ended with Aaron’s blessing the people and the Lord’s accepting the sacrifices (Leviticus 9:22–24). The glory of the Lord appeared (Leviticus 9:6, 23), which is the purpose of sacrifice and service. Can people say of our worship, “God is truly among you” (1 Corinthians 14:25)?

It did not take long for sin to enter the priestly family. After a great experience with the Lord, beware the

Leviticus 7-8: Priests & the Altar

Altar

Leviticus 4-6: Sin and Trespass Offerings

The sin offering was for unintentional sins of ignorance and not for deliberate sins of disobedience. For