Leviticus 16-20
Chapter 16 is about the Day of Atonement which was the most important Holy-Day in Judaism. The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) was the once-per-year 'cover-all' for the sins of Israel. It was the only scheduled day of mandated fasting in Israel (most of the other Holy-days were feasts, not fasts). This was also the only day where anyone (the High Priest) went into the Holy of Holies. Furthermore, the Day of Atonement was a special Sabbath (no matter what day it fell on each year). This day taught Israel that the daily sacrifices weren't enough to take their sins away. Hebrews 10 shows that the Day of Atonement, even, was not truly enough to solve the sin problem, but since it was once a year (instead of daily) it was closer to the anti-type (Jesus once and for all death on the cross).
The day could be summarized like this:
1. High Priest washes himself
2. High Priest puts on plain linen garments (humility)
3. High Priest enters sanctuary area (with young bull and 2 goats)
4. High Priest offers bull for his own sins (and sins of his family)
5. High Priest offers 1st goat for the atonement of the people and tabernacle
6. High Priest sends 2nd goat away as the 'scapegoat' (taking away sins)
7. High Priest takes off linen garments and puts on regular garments
8. High Priest offers additional sacrifice for himself and people
9. High Priest burns fat of the sin offering
Some of this information could be wrong, as Leviticus 16 is somewhat repetitious and I am not a scholar in ancient Jewish customs. Hebrews 10 is a good NT commentary on the sacrificial system.
Chapter 17 seems to be a transitional chapter. We are moving from how to get INTO right relationship with God (1-16) toward how to STAY in right relationship with God (18-27). This particular chapter forbids the eating of blood in the Jewish diet. The chapter begins with a command toward centralized worship, but ends with the discussion of blood. It's interesting that in the early church (at the council in Acts 15), James concluded that even Gentile Christians should refrain from eating anything with blood in it. Some argue that this proves Christians are not free to eat anything with blood, but I disagree. James states his reason for this ban in Acts 15:21 (Moses' law is well known throughout the Roman Empire). His reason was not that this was a moral issue, but that it was an issue that could be culturally offensive. Paul, who was at the council, felt free to say that 'food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.' For Paul, these were matters of 'offense' against a brother. He seemed to state that the gentile Christians were free eat whatever they wished so long as they weren't offending brothers in the process (1 Corinthians 8:1-13).
Chapter 18 is a call for the Israelites to live very distinct lives from their neighbors in the area of sexuality. The Egyptians & Canaanites both practiced wickedness in these areas. The chapter forbids an Israelite man from having sexual relations with his mother, step-mother, sister, grand-daughter, step-sister, aunt, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, a mother/daughter pair, a mother/grand-daughter pair, a woman during her period, a neighbors wife, another man, or an animal. It also forbids the practice of child sacrifice. If Israel broke these laws, they would be vomited out of the Promised Land just as they Canaanites were about to be. Chapter 20 defines the punishments that went along with breaking these laws.
Chapter 19 covers a wide variety of laws. The key phrase in the chapter seems to be "I am the Lord your God" (occurs 15 times). God was someone to be listened to. It would be easier to read the chapter itself than to list all the different sins mentioned.
Chapter 20 discusses the punishments for the crimes committed in the previous 2 chapters. The punishments were, of course, very severe (usually...death). Some have argued that capital punishment for such a wide variety of sins goes against the 'loving' nature of God. But this was God's way of establishing, from the very beginning of His new nation, what was right and what was wrong. These laws were, ultimately, for the good of Israel. What's more, this is not very different from how many/most human parents govern their children. A parent may spank a young child and even use a belt on an adolescent, but once a child moves toward young adult-hood, less graphic forms of discipline emerge. This fits with the idea of progressive revelation.
The day could be summarized like this:
1. High Priest washes himself
2. High Priest puts on plain linen garments (humility)
3. High Priest enters sanctuary area (with young bull and 2 goats)
4. High Priest offers bull for his own sins (and sins of his family)
5. High Priest offers 1st goat for the atonement of the people and tabernacle
6. High Priest sends 2nd goat away as the 'scapegoat' (taking away sins)
7. High Priest takes off linen garments and puts on regular garments
8. High Priest offers additional sacrifice for himself and people
9. High Priest burns fat of the sin offering
Some of this information could be wrong, as Leviticus 16 is somewhat repetitious and I am not a scholar in ancient Jewish customs. Hebrews 10 is a good NT commentary on the sacrificial system.
Chapter 17 seems to be a transitional chapter. We are moving from how to get INTO right relationship with God (1-16) toward how to STAY in right relationship with God (18-27). This particular chapter forbids the eating of blood in the Jewish diet. The chapter begins with a command toward centralized worship, but ends with the discussion of blood. It's interesting that in the early church (at the council in Acts 15), James concluded that even Gentile Christians should refrain from eating anything with blood in it. Some argue that this proves Christians are not free to eat anything with blood, but I disagree. James states his reason for this ban in Acts 15:21 (Moses' law is well known throughout the Roman Empire). His reason was not that this was a moral issue, but that it was an issue that could be culturally offensive. Paul, who was at the council, felt free to say that 'food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.' For Paul, these were matters of 'offense' against a brother. He seemed to state that the gentile Christians were free eat whatever they wished so long as they weren't offending brothers in the process (1 Corinthians 8:1-13).
Chapter 18 is a call for the Israelites to live very distinct lives from their neighbors in the area of sexuality. The Egyptians & Canaanites both practiced wickedness in these areas. The chapter forbids an Israelite man from having sexual relations with his mother, step-mother, sister, grand-daughter, step-sister, aunt, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, a mother/daughter pair, a mother/grand-daughter pair, a woman during her period, a neighbors wife, another man, or an animal. It also forbids the practice of child sacrifice. If Israel broke these laws, they would be vomited out of the Promised Land just as they Canaanites were about to be. Chapter 20 defines the punishments that went along with breaking these laws.
Chapter 19 covers a wide variety of laws. The key phrase in the chapter seems to be "I am the Lord your God" (occurs 15 times). God was someone to be listened to. It would be easier to read the chapter itself than to list all the different sins mentioned.
Chapter 20 discusses the punishments for the crimes committed in the previous 2 chapters. The punishments were, of course, very severe (usually...death). Some have argued that capital punishment for such a wide variety of sins goes against the 'loving' nature of God. But this was God's way of establishing, from the very beginning of His new nation, what was right and what was wrong. These laws were, ultimately, for the good of Israel. What's more, this is not very different from how many/most human parents govern their children. A parent may spank a young child and even use a belt on an adolescent, but once a child moves toward young adult-hood, less graphic forms of discipline emerge. This fits with the idea of progressive revelation.
posted by matthew at 11:38 AM
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