Eden to Eternity Vol. 1, Leviticus 10-19

Mar 2, 20247 min read

Come along with me as I complete The Daily Grace Co.’s Eden to Eternity study!

This chronological Bible study requires us to dive into the 66 books of God’s Word while encouraging self-reflection and application. In the following posts, I intend to discuss the content, existing themes, and perceived messages throughout the Bible so we may dwell in scripture together.

I hope we can approach God's word with an open heart and fall more in love with Christ, who had our eternal salvation in mind all along!

3/66 | Author: Moses | Old Testament | Pentateuch/Torah | 1445 B.C. (estimated)

The book of Leviticus displays redemptive measures for the Israelites to take to access God's presence—since they enacted sinful behaviors that restricted this sacred, holy experience.

10. Nadab and Abihu and Regulations for Priests

Aaron's sons illicitly enter the Lord's presence with a fire offering and are consequently killed by fire.

Regulations for Priests:

Alcohol could not be consumed in the tent or be present in the body when entering the tent of the meeting (10:9).
The clean and unclean must be differentiated in every process (10:10–11).

Moses reiterated the standards when presenting and handling offerings to the surviving priests.

11. Clean and Unclean Land Animals, Aquatic Animals, Birds, Insects, Swarming Creatures, and Purification

The Israelites could eat "any animal with divided hooves that chews the cud" (Leviticus 11:2, CSB). The land animals that were not to be eaten were:

Camels
Hares
Pigs

These animals were considered unclean and were not to be eaten, nor could they be touched if they were deceased.

Clean aquatic animals consisted of "anything in the water that has fins and scales, whether in the streams or the seas" (11:9).

Unclean, "abhorrent" birds (11:13):

Eagles
Vultures
Hawks
Falcons
Buzzards
Ravens
Ostrich
Owl
Pelicans
Bats

"Winged insects that walk on all flours" were unclean, but those with "jointed legs above their feet for hopping on the ground" may be eaten (11:20–22). Clean insects:

Locusts
Crickets
Grasshoppers

Animals said to "swarm" were also likened to being gross and offensive (11:41). "Anything that moves on its belly or walks on all fours or anything multiplying pairs of feet" was labeled unclean (11:42). Examples:

Weasels
Rats and mice
Lizards
Newts
Snails

Anyone who touched the deceased body of an unclean animal was to be purified by washing their bodies and the belongings that made contact. Still, they would remain unclean for an extended period (typically until the morning).

"'For I am the Lord your God, so you must consecrate yourselves and be holy because I am holy'" (11:44).

12. Purification After Childbirth

Birth to a boy: the mother was considered unclean for 7 days and must not touch anything holy until after her 33 days of bleeding had ended.
Birth of a girl: the mother was classified as unclean for 2 weeks, with the purification process lasting 66 days.
After birth, mothers were to present a burnt offering (a 1-year-old male lamb) and a sin offering (a juvenile pigeon), unless their means caused them to utilize other resources.

13. Skin Diseases and Contaminated Fabrics

A priest was to determine if any of the following ailments were considered unclean, and those with such conditions were to quarantine for 7 days and cleanse any material that they made contact with:

Swelling
Discoloration
Scabs
Rashes
Burns
Boils

More severe skin diseases called for an announcement and isolation from the community.

Any forms of mildew or fungus were to be assessed by a priest. If it was a serious issue, then the item was burned. If the mold began to fade, then that section of the fabric was cut out.

14. Cleansing of Skin Diseases and Contaminated Objects

Any house with the presence of mildew was to be inspected by a priest, and offerings were to be made, even if the property was cleansed.

15. Bodily Discharges

The release of bodily fluids was unclean and could not come into contact with other people or objects. After the individual was healed, they were to wait 7 days, wash their clothes, bathe, and present an offering. Men were to cleanse themselves after releasing semen to regain cleanliness by the morning. Men and women were expected to bathe after intercourse. Menstruation was another example of unclean discharge that defiled women and men when physically contacted.

"'You must keep the Israelites from their uncleanness, so that they do not die by defiling my tabernacle that is among them'" (15:31).

16. The Day of Atonement

After Aaron's sons died, the Lord told Moses that Aaron was no longer allowed to pass the curtain in the tent of meeting to reveal the Lord's presence "whenever he wanted" (16:2).

The Day of Atonement was recognized to occur on the 10th day of the 7th month. No one was to complete any work or engage in self-glorifying activities. Aaron will procure two goats, one to present to God in lieu of Israelites and the other to send out into the wilderness to represent the removal of sin (the scapegoat). This day was dedicated to the Israelites purging themselves of sin (16:29–34).

17. Forbidden Sacrifices

"Blood will be charged" against the person slaughtering an ox, sheep, or goat without intending to use it as a sacrificial offering (17:4). This principle was to encourage people to trust God with their resources. Blood from living things was always regarded as atonement, as it was not to be eaten. When men were hunting, the blood was to be drained from animals before consumption.

18. Prohibited Pagan Practices

Israelites were not to:

Follow worldly practices (18:3).
Engage in incest (18:6–17)
Have sex with a woman who is on her period (18:19)
Have sex with a neighbor (18:20).
Sacrifice children for any reason (18:21)
Speak in a blasphemous manner by taking the Lord's name in vain (18:22)
Participate in same-sex relations (18:23)
Engage in bestiality (18:23)

"'If you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it has vomitted out the nations that were before you'" (18:28).

19. Laws of Holiness

"The Lord spoke to Moses; 'Speak to the entire Israelite community and tell them: Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.'" (19:1).

Respect your parents
Uphold the Sabbath and regard it as holy
Deny false idols
Offer and sacrifice appropriately, according to the previously discussed practices
Be generous to those in need
Do not steal
Do not lie or be exploitative
Do not make an oath in the name of the Lord
Pay your dues
Do not take advantage of anyone
Fear God
Practice fairness
Do not defame your neighbor
Avoid bitterness and revenge
Do not breed contrasting animals, plant intermixed seeds, or wear clothing made of more than one kind of material
Men who slept with slaves were to be punished
If a tree was planted as a food source, people were asked not to eat from it for the first 3 years, then to offer the yield to God in the 4th and enjoy the fruit in the 5th year
Do not eat blood
Avoid witchcraft
Men were to maintain their hair and beards accordingly
No gashes or markings on the body for the dead
Keep daughters from prostitution
Avoid mediums and psychics
Respect the elderly
Do not oppress any people from any land
Be honest when recording and reporting measurements and calculations

Reflection Questions generated by the Daily Grace (pgs. 115-119):

What insight does the disobedience of Nadab and Abihu shed on sin?
The day of atonement included two goats—how does Jesus perfectly fulfill these two purposes?
What does Leviticus 17-18 reveal about the fallenness of mankind?

The processes were lengthy but intentionally specific since living things containing flaws were associated with death, which is not in God's likeness. Leviticus is intimidating, but it must be used to recognize that God wanted the company of His people so much that He was willing to lead the stubborn Israelites to the purity they lost.

Nadab and Abihu's decision to supersede God's orders and act as they see fit, resulting in death, emphasizes the severity of sin when trying to access God's holy presence. Bringing death into this sacred place was not a possibility; thus, sin was to be cleansed and refuted. The magnitude of God's perfect holiness is ironically dangerous to disobedient sinners because the two were never designed to coexist. I am thankful that God remained faithful and that we, today, are regarded as valuably sanctified due to our Savior. I am also thankful that God wants more for us! He prioritizes our eternal life more than momentarily comforting our flesh.

When Jesus died on the cross, Matthew 27:51 mentions that the "curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom." Jesus removed the curtain that Nadab and Abihu recklessly barged past, which once separated the people from God, establishing indefinite redemption for all. Jesus ensured that our flaws would no longer interfere with our relationship with our Most High. We no longer strive for self-purification through sacrificial offerings or symbolic scapegoats because Jesus' life overruled the principles of the Old Testament by fulfilling them. The holiest Lamb came to earth to ultimately and simultaneously atone for all our sins once and for all. Following God was never meant to be a strict, legalistic system we were to conform to, but instead, a lifelong relationship sought out of mutual love and respect.

God asked the Israelites to remove themselves from the customs of the Canaanites, a community that participated in self-indulging behaviors that led to calamity. Chapters 17 and 18 are reminders of how Christians are set apart from those who live to serve their flesh. Out of love, we are called to uphold higher standards for ourselves beyond the culture of this declining world. To live with God is to be in awe of the renewal Christ achieves. Thank you, Lord, for loving us so deeply that You were willing to save us from our self-imposed havoc!

Gratitude List:

Exploring local churches with Christ-devoted friends
Unexpected testimonies from strangers
Breezes and blue skies
The gift of communicating and feeling truly heard
Booktok
Girl Scout cookies
Saturdays in coffee shops
Successfully parallel parking on my first try (a small win but a win nonetheless)
Adding songs to the playlist
God's gracious time (Praise God because He never makes us feel awkwardly early, in a rush, or tardy!)
What is, and what is to come