The Bible in ninety-days challenge brought us to the book of Leviticus today. To read Leviticus as your devotional reading for the day can be tough on MANY people but I don’t want us to miss the beauty of it either. I’ll admit, it is VERY difficult to read sometimes, but I believe there are some subtleties that speak VOLUMES to our New Testament theology (and if you study it in depth, there are amazing correlations to the New Testament). If we’re not careful we can read right over them. This week I want to share a couple of things that I have got out of Leviticus and some things I even saw for the FIRST time reading through it this week.
I think there are some key phrases in Leviticus. One I saw today that I had never noticed before but I think it is important. We need to remember that many, if not most, of the things in the Old Testament are a picture of the New Testament and of Christ. The Old Testament, is a perfect set up for the New. EVERYTHING points to Jesus. Leviticus is no different.
This one phrase is all through Leviticus, and it jumped out at me today: “Through this process the priest will purify you from your sin, making you right with the Lord, and you will be forgiven.” It shows up 14 times in the first 14 chapters. I think I underlined them all. It was always said after instructions on offering a sacrifice. “Sprinkle blood here…. Pour blood here… Burn this here…” When reading it, you might think, “Why in the world is God doing this?” Here I think is the answer. God is saying “You do it MY WAY or there is no forgiveness. THIS IS THE PROCESS by which you will be forgiven.” Sound familiar?
Acts 4:12 speaking of Jesus “There is salvation in NO ONE ELSE! God has given no other name under heaven by which men must be saved (emphasis added)”. In other words “This is the process”
Galatians 3:22 “But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.” In other words “This is the process” And there are MANY other New Testament examples.
God was establishing the PLAN of forgiveness. Not only that a sacrifice was needed, but that sacrifice can ONLY be God’s way. And Jesus is that Way!
Finding Jesus in Leviticus,
Jeff
And just as a reminder to the people that Moses brought from Egypt, even the most high people mess up and are punished. Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu paid the price of this with their death because they did not follow God’s laws, and this was just after they were annointed as priests!