Eden to Eternity Vol. 1, Leviticus 20-27

Mar 6, 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.

20. Molech Worship and Spiritism, Family and Sexual Offenses, and Holiness in the Land

Molech, a god the people sought to serve who was affiliated with child sacrifices, was not to be engaged with by the Israelites. God's people were not to deliver their children as sacrificial offerings. God reminds His people of the importance of refraining from mediums and psychics, adultery, incest, and interacting with unclean animals. These were common areas that people fell victim to, and holiness would not be achieved through them.

21. The Holiness of the Priests and Physical Defects and Priests

Since the priests were the mediators between the assembly of Israelites and the Lord, priests must consecrate themselves and maintain the standard set by God.

Priests were not to defile themselves for the dead, except for their family unit. Priests were not to temper with their hair, beards, or the condition of their bodies for the dead. They could not abuse the name of God. They were not to be involved with prostitution or divorce. High priests who were ordained were to wed a virgin to avoid disrupting the purity of future generations. As the connecting piece, they were to remain holy when executing the offerings for all the Israelites (21:6).

Those with deficiencies or deformities were not to approach the curtain or altar protecting the presence of God, nor were they to complete offerings. Unfortunately, anything blemished would defile something clean or holy due to its lingering connection to death and thus could not be presented to our perfect God, who represents purity and eternal life.

22. Priests and their Food and Acceptable Sacrifices

Priests and their families were to be unblemished and clean to access and eat holy things. Reiterated in verse 9, God explains,

"They must keep my instruction, or they will be guilty and die because they profane it; I am the Lord who sets them apart."

No one outside of this classification is to access and consume holy offerings like the priests. There was even a stipulation for those who may accidentally eat an offering to the Lord: present a holy offering with 1/5th of the initial value (22:14).

The conditions of acceptable offerings were also emphasized, with unblemished male animals being the standard.

"I must be treated as holy among the Israelites. I am the Lord who sets you apart, the one who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the Lord" (22:32-33).

23. Holy Days

The days of rest and festivals for worship were explained.

Sabbath
- 7th day intended for rest after 6 days of work
Passover
- 14th day of the 1st month, at twilight
Festival of Unleavened Bread
- Occurs on the 15th day of the 1st month
- Unleavened bread (bread without yeast) is to be eaten for 7 days
- Assemble on the first day and do not complete any work
- Make offerings to God
- Hold an assembly on the 7th day and do not complete any work
First Sheaf
- The Lord tells Moses that when the Israelites enter the promised land and plant food, a priest will retrieve a bundle of wheat and present it to the Lord
- Offerings must also be made with this symbolic gesture
Festival of Weeks
- Occurs 7 Sabbaths after the sheaf is presented
- Lasts for 50 days after the 7th Sabbath
- Present fresh offerings to the Lord
- Share some of the harvest with the poor
Festival of Trumpets
- 1st day of the 7th month
- Gather for a day of trumpet blasts
Day of Atonement
- 10th day of the 7th month
- Gather and practice self-denial
- No work
The Festival of Shelters (The Feast of Tabernacles)
- 15th day of the 7th month
- Lasts 7 days
- No work on the 1st or 8th day
- Present fire offerings for 7 days
- Remain in shelters to symbolize God's active provision and proximity

24. Tabernacle of Oil and Bread and a Case of Blasphemy

The Israelites were asked to retrieve oil for the lamp within the Tabernacle. It was Aaron's responsibility to ensure this lamp remained active before the Lord. Bread was also to remain in the Lord's presence.

Meanwhile, discourse occurred between men, where one individual cursed God's name. It was decided that he was to be removed from the camp and stoned. God then clarifies that if a man murders another man, he must be executed. Similarly, if the life of an animal is taken, the life of the persecutor must be taken. Whatever harm has been done by one is their consequential punishment (24:17–20).

This principle was for Old Testament law, where consequences directly correlated to the crime committed, unlike what we will see in the New Testament.

25. Sabbath Years and Jubilee

God told Moses that the Israelites were to undergo a Sabbath once they inherited the land promised to them. Meaning, the 7th year was meant to cease production to rest after growing food for six years. The land will provide resources for the people while they rest.

After forty-nine years (7 sets of Sabbath years), the Israelites were to commemorate by blowing a trumpet on the 10th day of the 7th month (Day of Atonement). The fiftieth year, their jubilee, is dedicated to their freedom. During the year of Jubilee, everyone is called to return to their tribe and their assigned land.

The expectations for selling and attaining land are also explained in this section. Expressing the significance of people returning to land they once possessed. Specifically, the Levites were granted access to previously owned property as long as it was within their clan's city limits.

"Then the land will yield its fruit, so that you can eat, be satisfied, and live securely in the land" (25:19).

Supporting a struggling neighbor is important to God. No one is to take advantage of their challenge by charging them interest for profit. Laborers may be purchased from nearby nations. Should any Israelite offer to work for another, they were not to be treated as slaves as they were in Egypt.

26. Covenant Blessings and Discipline

God calls for His people to refrain from false idols.

"For I am the Lord your God. Keep my Sabbaths and revere my sanctuary; I am the Lord" (26:1-2).

Further, God offers sustenance to His people. He explains that following His commands grants the Israelites:

Rain at the proper time (26:4)
Food in abundance (26:5)
Peace in the place of fear (26:6)
Victory over enemies (26:7–8)
Fertility and fruitfulness (26:9)
God Himself (26:11–12)
Freedom (26:13)

But should the Israelites be disobedient, they would face

Dread, illness, bitterness, and resentment (26:16)
Defeat and enslavement (26:17)
Shame and insecurity (26:19)
Desolation (26:20)
Plagues 7x the extent of the ongoing sin (26:21)
Loss (26:22)
Animosity and revenge (26:24—25)
Hunger (26:26)
Destruction, rejection, and devastation (26:30-32)
Anxiety (26:36)

If, after these things, the Israelites repent, then God will act on His covenant with Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham and forgive the Israelites (26:42–45).

27. Funding the Sanctuary

Vows are broken down in terms of the dedication of individuals, animal offerings, properties, and their respective values. These reserved things are holy to God.

Accompanying Daily Grace Reflection Questions (pgs. 125 & 127):

How do we see the fulfillment of the gospel in Leviticus 22-24?
In what ways do the holy festivals encourage you to set times to remember God's faithfulness?
What does it mean to belong to God?

We have observed glimpses of foreshadowing throughout the Old Testament. Leviticus is not exempt from hinting at what is to come.

Leviticus chapters 22 through 24 mention acceptable sacrifices that are pleasing to God, expectations of priesthood when interacting with the Lord on behalf of the people, and artifacts throughout the tent of meeting that fulfilled a sacred role. All of which symbolize Jesus. Let's connect the Levitical laws of the Old Testament to the gospel.

Priests were vital since they acted as a mediator between God and His people. Much of Leviticus discusses the importance of priests enacting processes and procedures so they may atone for themselves, and then their community.	"Consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession" (Hebrews 3:1). "Because He remains forever, He holds His priesthood permanently. For this is the kind of high priest we need: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens" (Hebrews 7:24-26).
Leviticus 23 mentions festivals that each point directly to Jesus and His bondage-breaking sacrifice.	Passover - "For Christ, our Passover lamb has been sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7). Festival of Trumpets - "The seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, 'The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever'" (Revelation11:15).
"Command the Israelites to bring you pure oil from crushed olives for the light, in order to keep the lamp burning regularly" (Leviticus 24:2).	In John 7:12, Jesus told the Pharisees, "I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life."
"For [the bread] is the holiest portion from the fire offerings to the Lord" (Leviticus 24:9).	Jesus said, "I am the bread of life," in John 6:35.
Offerings must consist of a clean, unblemished male, free of flaw or error to be acceptable (Leviticus 24:19-20).	"You were redeemed... with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb" (1 Peter 1:19).

Jesus broke through these barriers "because we could not fulfill the law in our own strength" (Eden to Eternity, Vol. 1, pg. 123, 2021).

The section about the holy days was eye-opening since God was outwardly expressing His longing to spend time with His people. This is still a relevant and reasonable request today. It is an opportunity to recognize who God is to us, what He has delivered us from, and where He is taking us. I felt convicted since there have been many nights when prayer, worship, or allowing communication through His word were placed on the back burner. God doesn't bless us with things so that they override His place in our lives. It is still Him who deserves the glory and praise. Why aren't we normalizing putting work and self-glorification aside to be present with our Waymaker and Provider? (Being "too busy" is not a justifiable excuse!)

Belonging to God means living for Him, as He intended for us. Belonging to God means quieting our flesh and sharpening our spirits. This also leads to selfishness morphing into selflessness. Most importantly, belonging to God means receiving the inheritance of Jesus; a peaceful and everlasting life.

Gratitude List:

God is intentional with the unconventional
Kitty cuddles
The sense of security (not to be mistaken as only pertaining to finances, but emotions and relationships!)
Speedy work days that lead to even faster work weeks
Talking about the future
Dreaming big with my bestie
Bubble baths and books
Discovering new trails
Sundays that are reminiscent of carefree summers
Purging closets (if it's cropped, doesn't have a stretchy waist, or isn't 2x my regular size, then it is no longer for this lazy, aging lady)