The Listener’s Bible Commentary

Special Study: How Do the Laws of Leviticus (and the rest of the Torah) Apply Today?  
Some of the Laws of the Torah seem easy to apply. For example, love your neighbor as yourself is found in Leviticus 19:18. Others feel foreign. The very next verse tells us not to wear a garment woven of two kinds of fabric (Leviticus 19:19). There are plenty of laws that seem strange or even impossible to keep in modern culture. So how do such laws apply today?
In this special study we show why one common approach--breaking the laws into civil, ceremonial, and moral-- isn't the best way to approach such laws. 
Instead we recommend treating the laws as part of God's covenant with Israel and thus no longer our covenant in Christ. We are not under the Law. But at the same time, the Law is still Scripture for us and instructive to us as Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. 
We end by recommending an approach for applying the values and wisdom of the laws to our life and world today. 
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Leviticus 18-20  
Leviticus 18-20 is usually called "The Holiness Code." It details God's instructions to Israel for holy living in routine matters of everyday life. Holiness mean different, distinct, set apart for God's purposes. If Israel is going to be a holy nation (cf. Exodus 19:6), then they need to be different from the nations around them. They must be holy as God is holy. 
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Why does the Bible say not to eat meat with blood in it? 
Leviticus 17 answers that question by focusing on the sacredness of blood. God gave animal blood for the purpose of atonement. Therefore, now that the tabernacle is operational, the only legitimate sacrifices are those offered at the tabernacle, and all meat must have blood drained from it. 
 
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Leviticus 16  
Leviticus 16 records the instructions for the Day of Atonement celebration. This annual day of fasting and worship provided atonement for the Tabernacle and for all the sins of Israel. It finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus whose death provided full and final cleansing from sin. 
 
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Leviticus 11-15, pt. 3
Leviticus 11-15 gives Israel instructions for ritual purity, so that they can honor God by drawing near to his sacred tent in a ritually pure state. These chapters make clear what causes ritual impurity and what they need to do in order to be clean again. All of this is part of God's covenant with Israel. 
This recording wraps up these instructions by looking at the instructions on ritually defiling infestations in houses and bodily discharges. It these gives some theological reflections that helps us see why these laws matter and how they prepare the way for Christ.  
 
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Leviticus 11-15, pt. 2  
Leviticus 11-15 gives Israel instructions for ritual purity, so that they can honor God by drawing near to his sacred tent in a ritually pure state. These chapters make clear what causes ritual impurity and what they need to do in order to be clean again. All of this is part of God's covenant with Israel. 
This recording focuses on Leviticus 12-14 which deals with ritual purity in matters pertaining to the body: childbirth and various skin diseases.  
 
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Leviticus 11-15, pt. 1  
Why does the Bible say not to eat pork? What about all the food laws of the Bible? 
Leviticus 11-15 gives Israel instructions for ritual purity, so that they can honor God by drawing near to his sacred tent in a ritually pure state. These chapters make clear what causes ritual impurity and what they need to do in order to be clean again. 
This recording focuses on Leviticus chapter 11 which deals with clean and unclean foods.  
 
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Leviticus 8-10  
Leviticus 8-10 recounts the opening ceremonies for the Tabernacle, and it's important to remember where we’re at in the story of the Pentateuch (Torah). 
The Israelites have come out of Egypt and they’re camped at the foot of Mt. Sinai. God has instructed them to build a sacred tent for him, so he can dwell among them. They have now done that. They just got the tabernacle set up!
Then God has moved in… his glory came down from the mountain and moved into the tabernacle. And his glory and holiness are so great that no one can enter the tabernacle, not even Moses. That’s where Exodus ended 
Leviticus picks up in chapters 1-7 with God inviting Moses to come near and God meets with Moses giving him instructions on 5 different sacrifices/offerings:
whole burnt offering 
grain offering 
fellowship offering 
purification/sin offering 
guilt/restitution offering 
Why all these offerings? Becasue these offerings are God’s gracious gift to the people so that they can draw near to God at his sacred tent and so that they can maintain their covenant relationship with him. 
So the tabernacle is set up. They now know what they need to do to draw near to God. So now, it’s time to kick things off... it’s time to launch the worship of Yahweh at the Tabernacle. 
Leviticus 8-10 details the inauguration of Tabernacle worship. 
 
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Leviticus 4-7   
In Leviticus 1-7, God is giving Moses instructions for the 5 main sacrifices for Israel's worship at the Tabernacle. Chapters 1-3 details the first three. Leviticus 4-6 detail the next two, the sin (or better, purification) offering and the guilt or restitution offering. 
These two offerings are very similar. It even says in these chapters “the guilt offering is like the sin offering.” They both deal with inadvertent wrongdoing that needs atonement. The key difference is that guilt offerings are for matters where restitution or repayment can be made as well.
Also included in these chapters are some special instructions for the priests for all five offerings. 
All of this is by way of the Lord’s gracious provision, making clear what he required and how they could come before him in a way that honors his holiness. 
 
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Leviticus 1-3  
Leviticus opens like this: “Then the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying…” This makes it clear that it is continuing the story revealed in Exodus. Exodus ended like this: 40:34 -35 - Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
So while Leviticus is a separate book in our bibles, it’s still the same story. Leviticus records events that happen immediately after the tabernacle was set up… and it provides teaching related to worship, ritual purity, and holiness all because God is now living in their midst in the tabernacle. 
The situation is this… God, the holy King of heaven and of Israel, has come to live right the middle of their camp in his own sacred, royal tent. His glory filled the tabernacle and  no one can enter, not even Moses.
Leviticus picks up at this point and it’s going to provide instructions on what Israel needs to do to be able to draw near to God at the tabernacle: atonement will be need; ritual purity must be attended to; and holiness in all of life must also be attended to. 
This is where we’re at in the story and this is what Leviticus is all about. 
So, Leviticus 1-7 begins those instructions by providing instructions for the various sacrifices. There are 5 main sacrifices (with occasional variations on some of them). But 5 main ones:
Burnt offering
Grain offering
Peace or Fellowship offerings 
Sin/Purification offering
Guilt/reparation offerings 
Leviticus 1-3 provides instructions for the first three sacrifices.
 
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