CIRCUMSTANCES OF WRITING

AUTHOR: Although the book of Leviticus is technically anonymous, the evidence from the Bible and from Jewish and Christian traditions attributes it to the lawgiver, Moses (cp. 18:5 with Rm 10:5). Moses was the chief recipient of God’s revelation in the book of Leviticus (1:1; 4:1). Elsewhere, Moses is said to have written down revelation that he received (Ex 24:4; 34:28; Mk 10:4-5; 12:19; Jn 1:45; 5:46). The author of Leviticus was someone well acquainted with the events in the book, and he was knowledgeable of the Sinai Wilderness, making him most likely a firsthand witness.

BACKGROUND: About one year passed from the time Israel arrived at Sinai until they departed (Ex 19:1; Nm 10:11). During that time, Moses received the covenant from the Lord, erected the tabernacle (Ex 40:17), and received all the instructions in Leviticus and in the early chapters of Numbers. This block of material is the continuous narrative extending from Exodus 19 through Leviticus to Numbers 10:11. Since these events occurred in just one year and yet received the largest amount of space in the books from Exodus through Deuteronomy, Moses showed the special importance of the Sinai revelation to the writing of the Pentateuch. The repeated expression “The Lord spoke to Moses” throughout Leviticus leaves no doubt that its instructions were of divine origin, not the creation of Moses (Lv 4:1; 27:1).

MESSAGE AND PURPOSE

The message and purpose of Leviticus must be studied in the context of the redemption of Israel from Egypt (Ex 12), the covenant made with Israel (Ex 20-24), and the building of the tent of meeting, or the tabernacle (Ex 25-40). The Lord dwelt among Israel symbolically in the tent of meeting, which stood in the center of the camp’s tribal arrangement. In order for the Lord to reside with Israel, it was imperative that the people maintain a holy character and ethical behavior (Lv 11:44-45; 19:2; Dt 23:14; 1Pt 1:15-16). The decrees in Leviticus instructed the people in regulating this holy relationship through atonement and ritual cleansing. The sacrifices, the ordination of the holy priests, the purity laws, and the code for holy living made the benevolence of the Lord a reality through the forgiveness of sin and ceremonial purification. The purpose of Leviticus was to instruct Israel in holiness so that the Lord might abide among them and bless them. Five key words capture the message of Leviticus:

HOLINESS: The chief idea in Leviticus is the holiness of God. The priests were to teach the people to differentiate “between the holy and the common, and the clean and the unclean” (10:10). The term holy describes special persons (priests), places (tents), or things (offerings) that are captivated by or share in God’s holy presence. Thus the holiness of everything and everyone is contingent upon the Holy One who alone is inherently holy. Anything that compromises this exclusive relationship profanes (treats as common) the person or thing and thereby offends God, who is apart and “who sets . . . apart” (makes holy; 22:16).

CLEAN: Clean and unclean are ritual terms that pertain to physical substances. Any item that was a departure from its normal state was unclean. This included certain foods, skin diseases, bodily emissions, and contamination. Consequently, rites of purgation (“cleansing”) were a feature of daily life and a constant reminder of the inadequacy of the people to maintain their relationship with God apart from his provision.

SACRIFICE: The sacrifices were holy gifts presented to the Lord. They also made atonement and provided stipends for the priests and communal meals. The three voluntary offerings were the burnt, grain, and fellowship sacrifices; the required offerings were the sin and guilt offerings. Special, additional instructions for sacrifices applied to special events.

ATONEMENT: The term atone (Hb kipper) means “to reconcile two estranged parties”; theologically, God is the aggrieved party and must be appeased by the offender (26:14-45). The Lord provided the means by which the affront could be remedied and forgiven (4:20; 19:22). Genuine remorse and confession of sin, not just ritual performance, were required (5:5; 16:21; 26:40-42; Hs 6:6; Mc 6:8; Mt 9:13).

PRIESTS: The Lord appointed only Aaron and his sons as priests to serve in his house (8:30; cp. Ex 28:1,41); the Levites were the priests’ assistants in caring for the tabernacle (Nm 8:13,19,22). It was the priest who made atonement on the guilty person’s behalf (Lv 4:20) as well as for himself (16:6,24). Their role of protecting the holiness of God, the sanctity of the tent, and the Israelite people is illustrated by the intercessory action of Aaron, who “stood between the dead and the living” (Nm 16:48).

CONTRIBUTION TO THE BIBLE

Leviticus is often neglected because Christians have misunderstood its message and purpose. This was not true of Jesus, who designated “love your neighbor as yourself” (19:18) as the second greatest commandment (Mt 22:39). The apostle Paul considered these words the summation of the Mosaic commandments (Rm 13:9; Gl 5:14; cp. Jms 2:8). The writer of Hebrews relied on the images of Leviticus in describing the person and role of Jesus Christ: sacrifice, the priesthood, and the Day of Atonement (Heb 4:14-10:18). Studying Leviticus gives us a deeper devotion to Jesus Christ, a stronger worship of God, and a better understanding of daily Christian living.

STRUCTURE

Leviticus is primarily a collection of laws, with a little historical narrative. The laws contained in Leviticus can be divided into two groups. First are the commands, or apodictic law. These are both positive commands (“you must . . .”) and negative commands (“you must not . . .”). The second type of law is casuistic law. These are case laws using an example of what to do if such-and-such happened (“If someone . . .”). Some scholars seek to divide the laws further into civil laws, moral laws, and ceremonial laws, but there is no evidence that the Israelites made such a distinction.

OUTLINE

I.Laws on Sacrifices and the Priesthood (1:1-7:38)

A.Instructions on different offerings (1:1-6:7)

B.Regulations for the priests (6:8-7:38)

II.Ordination and Ministry of the Priests (8:1-10:20)

A.Consecration of Aaron (8:1-36)

B.Dedication of the tabernacle (9:1-24)

C.Warning about immoral priests (10:1-20)

III.Laws on Purity (11:1-16:34)

A.Clean and unclean animals (11:1-47)

B.Purification for uncleanness (12:1-15:33)

C.Regulations for the Day of Atonement (16:1-34)

IV.God’s Requirements for Holiness (17:1-27:34)

A.Reverence for blood (17:1-16)

B.Obedience to the Lord’s commands (18:1-22:33)

C.Appropriate worship (23:1-26:46)

D.Making and keeping vows (27:1-34)

1750-1500 BC

Moses 1526-1406

Hyksos rule Egypt. 1630-1543

18th Dynasty of Egypt 1570-1303 (includes Thutmose and Amenhotep; traditionally the pharaohs of oppression)

The New Kingdom begins in Egypt. 1540

The god Osiris is represented in Egyptian tombs as a symbol of resurrection in the world to come. 1540

1500-1450 BC

Aaron 1529-1409?

Egyptians find a way to create lubricants that last and do not burn off. 1500

Clay tablet map of the Babylonian city of Nippur. 1500

Battle of Megiddo between Egyptian forces of Pharaoh Thutmose III and a Kadesh alliance, reestablishing Egyptian hegemony in the Levant. 1479

Queen Makare Hatshepsut, daughter of Thutmose I, reigned in Egypt during a period of peace and prosperity. 1479-1457

1450-1405 BC

Joshua 1409?-1380

The exodus and defeat of Pharaoh at the Red Sea 1446

The Passover is instituted. 1446

God’s covenant at Sinai 1446

The tabernacle is built and dedicated. 1445

Events in Leviticus 1445

Exploration of Canaan by 12 spies 1445

1405-1300 BC

Musical notation, Ugarit 1400

Water clocks were invented. 1400

The Amarna letters were diplomatic correspondence between administrators in Egypt’s New Kingdom and their representatives in Canaan and other states of the Ancient Near East. They were written on clay tablets. 1345