The Heart of God: Exodus through Joshua (4)

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24.27

Read and meditate on Leviticus 9, 16, 17, and 20.
Leviticus helps us to understand God’s standard of holiness by explaining the system of sacrifices, offerings, and holy days God established to help His people stay right with Him. It’s always easy to drift or fall away from God; but returning to Him, and remaining in Him, can be costly.

For reflection
1.  What are your general impressions from reading these four chapters? What role did priests, sacrifices, and holy days fulfill in God’s covenant at this time?

2.  In Leviticus 9.22-24, how did God show that He was pleased with the response of His people to this further development of His covenant? What is God saying to His people about their response and His glory? How did the people respond as God manifested His glory among them?

3.  The shedding of blood played an important part in Israel’s ability to maintain a right relationship with God. According to Leviticus 16 and 17, why was this so (cf. esp. 17.11)? According to Hebrews 10.1-8, what did these sacrifices actually accomplish? To what did they point?

4.  Review Leviticus 16.29-34. How can you see in the work of the high priest a foreshadowing of the work of our Lord Jesus Christ?

5.  Review Leviticus 20. What does it mean to be a holy people unto the Lord? What lengths is God willing to go to in order to help His people be holy (cf. Heb. 12.3-11)? What is involved in pursuing holiness in the fear of God (2 Cor. 7.1)?

Summary
God commanded His people to be holy, but for them to fulfill this, He would have to provide means of grace to lift them out of their sin. Priests, sacrifices, offerings, a place of meeting, the Sabbath, feast days – all these were given to encourage the people to seek the Lord and not to become complacent about their sins, nor to lapse into the ways of the surrounding nations. What means of grace has God provided for us to be holy, as He is holy?

Closing Prayer
O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak;
O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O LORD—how long?
Return, O LORD, deliver me!
Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake!

Psalm 6.1-4

T. M. Moore

Two books can help you gain a fuller understanding of the terrain we will be covering in this series. Kingdom Documentsprovides a concise overview of the primary teaching of the Old and New Testaments, and shows, through early Church creeds, how our forebears understand the primary teachings of God’s Word. (click here to order). I Will Be Your God develops more fully the idea of God’s covenant and leads us to consider the practical implications of our covenant relationship with God (click here).

Visit The Ailbe Seminary, where our course, Introduction to Biblical Theology, offers a parallel study of our theme in this series, using brief video presentations and the workbook God’s Covenant: An Introduction. All courses at The Ailbe Seminary are available without charge.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.