Book of Leviticus
Chapter 1
Recently, my wife told me about a conversation she had with someone who said he wanted to start reading the Bible. So, he picked it up and opened it to the book of Numbers. There, he read the story about a man who was gathering wood on the Sabbath. The man was brought before Moses, and God instructed the people to stone him. (Number 15:32-36)
Naturally, this young man was shocked. His response was, “God seems so mean. The man was probably just trying to make breakfast or stay warm.”
His reaction got me thinking.
First, I remembered feeling the same way when I was younger. I tried reading the Bible and struggled to understand these harsh-sounding judgments. I couldn’t wrap my head around how a loving God could demand such severe consequences. I just didn’t get it.
It also made me realize how quickly we judge and put a label on God. After reading just a few verses, we might decide that God is cruel, unfair, or unkind. We close the book and think, “If that’s what God is like, I want nothing to do with Him.” Honestly, I am super glad my Heavenly Father doesn’t sum me up that quickly.
But that points to a bigger issue: our ignorance of God’s Word.
Opening the Bible at random and expecting it to make sense is like walking into the middle of a movie and trying to write a review after watching just one scene. Without knowing the backstory or context, we’re bound to misunderstand what’s really going on.
The same is true when we read the Old Testament. Many of the stories and laws can seem confusing or harsh unless we understand the bigger picture.
That’s why I’ve decided to start sharing some thoughts and insights from other parts of the Old Testament. My hope is to offer more clarity on the relationship between God, Israel, and the rest of the world during that time.
The most important thing to remember is this: all of this happened before Jesus fulfilled the Law. Back then, the Law was “The Standard” by which Israel lived. But even those laws were pointing forward—to Jesus. There was a reason for everything God commanded. His plan was, and always has been, redemption through Jesus.
So, with that in mind, let’s begin to discover how even in the duties and demands of the Law, we can find signs of our Savior.
The Brunt Offering
1 The LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When anyone among you brings an offering to the LORD, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock.
3 ” ‘If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you are to offer a male without defect. [Jesus was sinless, without blemish or defect] You must present it voluntarily at the entrance to the tent of meeting [Jesus was also our willing sacrifice] so that it will be acceptable to the LORD. 4 You are to lay your hand on the head [a sign of transferring guilt. We must give our heart to Jesus.] of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on your behalf to make atonement [covering] for you. [Jesus was our substitute sacrifice for sin] 5 You are to slaughter the young bull before the LORD, [this symbolized and reminds us that sin brings death, and only by death and the shedding of blood, can sin be atoned. Every sacrificial death points to the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus will die for us, so that we do not have to die eternally.] and then Aaron’s sons the priests shall bring the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar [Jesus blood was splashed on the cross for our sin] at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 6 You are to skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. 7 The sons of Aaron the priest are to put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. 8 Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, including the head and the fat, on the wood that is burning on the altar. 9 You are to wash the internal organs and the legs with water, and the priest is to burn all of it [burning and fire is a sign of judgement] on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. [God was pleased with Jesus’ offering of himself]
10 ” ‘If the offering is a burnt offering from the flock, from either the sheep or the goats, you are to offer a male [Jesus] without defect. 11 You are to slaughter it at the north side of the altar before the LORD, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall splash its blood against the sides of the altar. 12 You are to cut it into pieces, and the priest shall arrange them, including the head and the fat, on the wood that is burning on the altar. 13 You are to wash the internal organs and the legs with water, and the priest is to bring all of them [Jesus gave himself completely for our redemption] and burn them on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
14 ” ‘If the offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, you are to offer a dove or a young pigeon. 15 The priest shall bring it to the altar, wring off the head and burn it on the altar; its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar. 16 He is to remove the crop and the feathers and throw them down east of the altar where the ashes are. 17 He shall tear it open by the wings, not dividing it completely, and then the priest shall burn it on the wood that is burning on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. [Jesus gave himself to all classes of people and made himself accessible to all]
