Leviticus and Numbers
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Leviticus 16:1-34 Page 1
TWENTIETH MESSAGE, Leviticus 16:1-34 Page 1 TWENTIETH MESSAGE: THE DAY OF COVERINGS Leviticus 16:1-34 Introduction Leviticus 16 is a climax to everything that has gone before in the book of Leviticus. It is built on and combines much of what had been revealed previously in the messages from The Tabernacle. It tells of Israel’s great annual observance that came to be called the “Day of Atonement.” The Hebrew word translated “atonement” literally means “covering” (see comments on Lev. 1:4 in MESSAGE 1 under the heading to cover over him ). It refers to covering over a person or an object to protect it from the effects of sin. The word “atonement” in Christian theology refers to Jesus’ vicarious, substitutionary death to pay the penalty for sins for sinners. It applies to the pardon we receive from the penalty for our sins when we accept Jesus as our Savior. In Leviticus, the word “covering” applies to a different concept. It refers to protecting a person and his possessions from sins that come into his or her life after that person becomes a believer and is saved. “Covering” in Leviticus was granted to Israelites as the result of the person’s offering fire-offerings and performing many other actions in obedience to God. Covering did not occur from the grace of God only, as salvation does. It symbolized how God covered Israelite believers from their sins when they lived for Him, obeyed Him, and served Him. Therefore, the word is translated literally in these comments as “covering”, to avoid reading into it ideas it did not contain. -
A Life of Holiness a D’Var Torah on Parashat K’Doshim (Leviticus 19:1 – 20:27) by Sarah B
A Life of Holiness A D’var Torah on Parashat K’doshim (Leviticus 19:1 – 20:27) By Sarah B. Schweitz “K’doshim tih’yu ki kadosh ani Adonai Eloheichem.” “You shall be holy for I, Adonai, your God, am holy.” Greek translators named the third book of the Torah “Leuitikon,” and the Latin name “Leviticus” was adopted.1 Called Vayikra (“and He called”) in Hebrew, Leviticus is the core of the five Books of Moses and contains some of the most important passages of the Bible. Much of Leviticus is devoted to matters such as instructions for sacrifice and rules of ritual defilement and purification. After the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the laws of sacrifice no longer functioned;2 sacrifices were abandoned and later replaced by prayer. At the center of Leviticus is Parashat K’doshim. The first 19 verses of Parashat K’doshim are known as the Holiness Code (K’doshim), a tower of spirit and morality among religious writings of any generation. K’doshim is equal in importance to the Ten Commandments and worthy of being read aloud on Shabbat and Yom Kippur afternoon in order to teach us how to behave. The Hebrew root of K’doshim is Kadosh, which we translate as “holy,” but which embodies the idea of a spiritual separation between divine perfection and human imperfection.3 Some derivatives of Kadosh are4: Kodesh – “holiness” Kiddush – “sanctification,” applied to hallowing the Sabbath and Festivals over a cup of wine K’dushah – “holiness,” “sanctity,” or “sanctification,” as used for a series of liturgical responses Kadosh – “holy” K’doshim – “holy beings” Kiddushin – “betrothal” or formal engagement Mikdash – a place of worship Kodesh Kodashim – the innermost shrine of the Temple; the Holy of Holies 1 “Introducing Leviticus,” a commentary by Rabbi Bernard J. -
Getting Started with Leviticus by Ted Hildebrandt Copyright © 2012
1 Getting Started with Leviticus By Ted Hildebrandt Copyright © 2012 Introduction to Leviticus The book of Leviticus is torah, a set of instructions designed to teach the priests and the people of Israel the ritual requirements for living in the presence of a holy God. The Hebrew title is taken from the first word of the Hebrew text, “and he called,” which tells little about the actual content of the book. The more common title of “Leviticus” comes from the translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek (called the Septuagint/LXX ca. 200 BC) into the Latin Vulgate (ca. 420 AD) and eventually into English. The title should not, however, be understood as referring exclusively to the Israelite tribe of Levi. The term “Levite” occurs only three times in the book of Leviticus (Lev 25:32-33). However, priests [kohen], who were the direct descendants of Aaron, are referenced over 175 times in the 27 chapters of this book, despite it being the shortest book of the Pentateuch [Gen-Deut]. Thus the title “Leviticus” refers to the “Levitical priests” (cf. Deut 17:9, 18) although the book addresses the holiness of the whole people of God as well (Lev 15:2; 17:2), for Israel itself was to be a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exod 19:6). Leviticus moves away from the historical narrative approach that dominates Genesis and Exodus to a more instructional format, giving various rules, regulations, and requirements for maintaining holiness and cleanness and avoiding defilement, pollution, and uncleanness. It links into the greater narrative of the Pentateuch in its opening verse, where God speaks to Moses from the Tent of Meeting, or Tabernacle, upon which the glory-cloud of God’s presence had just descended (Exod 40; cf. -
An Outline of the Book of Leviticus Introduction Leviticus Is One of The
An Outline of the Book of Leviticus Introduction Leviticus is one of the most difficult books for the modern reader to grasp because it is so detailed and seemingly so archaic. But it describes very important aspects of Israel’s religious life. I. Law of Offerings, General Instructions .................................... 1:1-6:7 The text instructs the Jew as to the various offerings that he must bring to the altar, and the priest as to the basic procedure to do the offering. A. Introduction ........................................................................... 1:1-2 B. Burnt Offering ....................................................................... 1:1-17 1. A bull .............................................................................. 1:3-9 2. A sheep or goat ............................................................... 1:10-13 3. A bird, turtledove or pigeon............................................ 1:14-17 C. Grain Offering ....................................................................... 2:1-16 1. Fine flour with oil (some burned, some for priests) ........ 2:1-3 2. Baked or cooked with oil ................................................ 2:4-10 3. Regulations: no leaven, no honey, salt ........................... 2:11-13 4. Firstfruits whole grain .................................................... 2:14-16 D. Peace Offering (fat on top of burnt offering) ......................... 3:1-17 1. From the herd, male or female ........................................ 3:1-5 2. From the flock, male or female lamb -
Bible Book Club Leviticus
Bible Book Club Leviticus The book of Leviticus is a collection of laws most of which are focused around the question of how best to worship God. Right at the heart of Leviticus lies the principle of holiness. God is holy and so holiness describes the deep character of God. Leviticus describes both how God can be worshipped and how his people can themselves be holy, as a reflection of who God is in the world. How long will it take? Anything tricky? Reading time: 2 hours Well yes…the whole book of Leviticus. It is Short of time? Just read 1.1-17; 11.1-47; notoriously difficult to read and make sense of. 16.1-34; 26.1-46 Some tips that might help you make more sense Though in all honesty, this is the kind of book of it: that, hard though it is, you have to read all of if Leviticus is written into a particular context – you want to understand the mindset that lies ● the worship of God in the temple of Israel – behind it. the laws are designed to help people know how to worship God, both in the temple and in their daily lives. Try to look behind the laws for what they tell you about God and Genre about worship. ● A major theme in Leviticus is ‘purity’ and Law ‘impurity’. You should not confuse these with ‘good’ and ‘sinful’. The idea that lies behind the terms is that God is holy and pure but human beings, simply by living, would become unclean and so would be Inspiring quotes unable to come close to the holiness of God. -
The Book of Psalms “Bless the Lord, O My Soul, and Forget Not All His Benefits” (103:2)
THE BOOK OF PSALMS “BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL, AND FORGET NOT ALL HIS BENEFITS” (103:2) BOOK I BOOK II BOOK III BOOK IV BOOK V 41 psalms 31 psalms 17 psalms 17 psalms 44 psalms 1 41 42 72 73 89 90 106 107 150 DOXOLOGY AT THESE VERSES CONCLUDES EACH BOOK 41:13 72:18-19 89:52 106:48 150:6 JEWISH TRADITION ASCRIBES TOPICAL LIKENESS TO PENTATEUCH GENESIS EXODUS LEVITICUS NUMBERS DEUTERONOMY ────AUTHORS ──── mainly mainly (or all) DAVID mainly mainly mainly DAVID and KORAH ASAPH ANONYMOUS DAVID BOOKS II AND III ADDED MISCELLANEOUS ORIGINAL GROUP BY DURING THE REIGNS OF COLLECTIONS DAVID HEZEKIAH AND JOSIAH COMPILED IN TIMES OF EZRA AND NEHEMIAH POSSIBLE CHRONOLOGICAL STAGES IN THE GROWTH AND COLLECTION OF THE PSALTER 1 The Book of Psalms I. Book Title The word psalms comes from the Greek word psalmoi. It suggests the idea of a “praise song,” as does the Hebrew word tehillim. It is related to a Hebrew concept which means “the plucking of strings.” It means a song to be sung to the accompaniment of stringed instruments. The Psalms is a collection of worship songs sung to God by the people of Israel with musical accompaniment. The collection of these 150 psalms into one book served as the first hymnbook for God’s people, written and compiled to assist them in their worship of God. At first, because of the wide variety of these songs, this praise book was unnamed, but eventually the ancient Hebrews called it “The Book of Praises,” or simply “Praises.” This title reflects its main purpose──to assist believers in the proper worship of God. -
THE FORBIDDEN ANIMALS in LEVITICUS* Mary Douglas
[JSOT 59 (1993) 3-23] THE FORBIDDEN ANIMALS IN LEVITICUS* Mary Douglas 22 Hillway, Highgate, London N6 6QA Introduction An anthropologist hardly needs to apologise for trying a new approach to the dietary laws in Leviticus. For one reason, the various interpretations offered so far are not agreed. For another, these rules are generally interpreted as rules of purity, whereas they are unlike any purity rules in the anthropological record. Third, the explanations offered in the book itself are ignored, for lack of interest in its rhetorical structure. A general lack of interest in the priestly work may be attributed to a long-established anticlerical tradition, which puts the priests in an unfavourable light compared with the prophets. The editors of Leviticus have the reputation of being engrossed by themes of material, especially bodily, defilement. This has entered into some of the comparisons between the priestly tradition and that of the prophets, the former being regarded as desiccated bureaucrats of religion, obsessed with material definitions of impurity, and the latter concerned with nobler spiritual teachings. The priests were evidently so focused on externals that they transformed the religion from what it was in the eyes of the prophets. Isaiah 1.10-17 is a natural point at which to divide the two alleged ly opposed modes of religious thought. The prophet delivers the mes sage that the sinful nation has forsaken the Lord, thus he (the Lord) does not want their 'vain offerings'; he rejects their burnt offerings and prayers, because their hands are full of blood (Isa. 1.15-16). -
The Perfect Priest: an Examination of Leviticus 21:17-23 Jared Wilson George Fox University
Digital Commons @ George Fox University Seminary Masters Theses Seminary 1-1-2013 The perfect priest: an examination of Leviticus 21:17-23 Jared Wilson George Fox University This research is a product of the Master of Arts in Theological Studies (MATS) program at George Fox University. Find out more about the program. Recommended Citation Wilson, Jared, "The perfect priest: an examination of Leviticus 21:17-23" (2013). Seminary Masters Theses. Paper 7. http://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/seminary_masters/7 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Seminary at Digital Commons @ George Fox University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Seminary Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ George Fox University. GEORGE FOX UNIVERSITY THE PERFECT PRIEST- AN EXAMINATION OF LEVITICUS 21:17-23 A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GEORGE FOX EVANGELICAL SEMINARY IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS (THEOLOGICAL STUDIES) BY JARED WILSON PORTLAND, OREGON FEBRUARY 2013 Copyright © 2013 by Jared Wilson All rights reserved To Courtney, Jeremiah, Micah, Jedidiah, and Adley Contents Preface....................................................................................................................................... iv Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... vi Chapter One ............................................................................................................................. -
A Tentative Codification of the Old Testament Laws
YALE LAW JOURNAL. A TENTATIVE CODIFICATION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT LAWS. The Old Testament laws in their present form are a confusing labyrinth in which the modern reader who dares to enter is quick- ly lost. Civil, criminal, constitutional, humane and ceremonial regulations are mingled together with only an occasional attempt at systematic classification. Primitive and very late laws are also grouped together without distinction, so that it is almost impossible to trace the historical development of a given institution. The in- evitable result is that this large and exceedingly important legal lit- erature is practically a terra incognita to most -students of law and religion. The prevailing confusion is primarily due to the fact that these laws come from the East, where systematic arrangement is the exception rather than the rule. The -successive re-editing of the Old Testament books in which they are found has also increased the disorder. It is perfectly obvious, therefore, that before the Old Testament laws can be intelligently read and utilized by mod- em western readers, they must be systematically codified, (i) logi- cally, according to subject matter, and (2) chronologically, within each group. so that the enactments and usages of successive peri- ods can be studied in their true historical order. The work of logical, scientific classification is here especially difficult, since the Old Testament laws in their origin, character and aims, are fundamentally different from the codes with which we are to-day familiar. In many cases the Israelitish laws do not fit into any of the modern systems cf codification, all of which are derived from Roman sources. -
Introduction to the Book of Leviticus
The Book of Leviticus by William D. Barrick, Th.D. Bereans Sunday School Class Placerita Baptist Church 1.0 The Significance of the Book of Leviticus ? Why would we want to study a book that dedicates seven chapters to the sacrificial system of ancient Israel and five chapters to details concerning indelicate matters like the emission of a variety of bodily fluids? ? “It is perhaps the most neglected of the neglected biblical books.” — Samuel E. Balentine, Leviticus, Interpretation (Louisville, Ky.: John Knox Press, 2002), 1-2. Jewish children once commenced their biblical studies with the Book of Leviticus. — Bernard J. Bamberger, Leviticus, The Torah: A Modern Commentary, 5 vols. (New York: Union of American Hebrew Congregations, 1979), 3:xix. “Genesis is the book of beginnings, Exodus the book of redemption, and Leviticus the book of atonement and a holy walk. In Genesis we see man ruined; in Exodus, man redeemed; in Leviticus, man cleansed, worshiping and serving.” — Merrill F. Unger, The New Unger’s Bible Handbook (Chicago: Moody, 1984), 85. “Leviticus is thus a work of towering spirituality, which through the various sacrificial rituals points the reader unerringly to the atoning death of Jesus, our great High Priest. An eminent nineteenth-century writer once described Leviticus quite correctly as the seed-bed of New Testament theology, for in this book is to be found the basis of Christian faith and doctrine. The Epistle to the Hebrews expounds Leviticus in this connection, and therefore merits careful study in its own right, since in the view of the present writer it is pre- eminent as a commentary on Leviticus.” — R. -
Rationales Are Theology in the Holiness Code
Rationales Are Theology in the Holiness Code Jacob Milgrom H and P are two priestly sources. H stands for the Holiness Code (Leviticus 17–27) and P for the Priestly Code (Leviticus 1–16). H is a supplement to and the editor of P. Both P and H are also distributed in large portions of Exodus and Numbers, but this essay will focus only on the rationales of H in Leviticus 17–27. From the Holiness Code, I shall select one example: Leviticus 20:24–25. This selection is especially important because it fuses two major theological planks in H’s program—separation and holiness—and anchors their foundation in the basic themes of creation and life. Separation (hivdîl; Leviticus 20:24–26) is the leitmotif of the creation story (see Genesis 1:4, 7, 14, 18) as embodied in the Priestly Code. Separation of the elements and species produces order out of chaos1 and allows for life to multiply and ll the earth (see Genesis 1:22–28). Similarly, Israel’s dietary code (Leviticus 11), which declares most of the meat in the animal kingdom off limits (sheqets, “abomination,” or tāmēʾ, “impure”), is based on a reverence-for-life principle, an aspect of P’s life-versus- death theme2 throughout all of its impurity laws (Leviticus 11–15). As shown recently by Jan Baersema,3 P does not limit this principle to forbidden esh. It states that a carcass (of the eight impure sherets; Leviticus 11:29–30) falling on moist seed (but not on dry seed) renders the seed impure (Leviticus 37–38), probably because the moist seed has germinated; it has produced life, and life must not come into contact with death (the carcass). -
Sharing in God's Holiness
SHARING IN GOD'S HOLINESS John W Kleinig, Luther Seminary, Adelaide We come upon a rather amazing claim in Hebrews 12:10. There the writer of the epistle says that we Christians are to share in God's holiness. Indeed, he claims that our heavenly Father who has made us his children, instructs us by various means so that we become even better fitted to share in his holiness. That's the point of his dealings with us. But I fear that such talk of holiness tends to fall on rather deaf ears even in Lutheran circles for a number of reasons. First, we are traditionally accustomed to equate holiness with morality. Sanctification is then regarded as nothing more than the life of moral renewal and good works which follows on justification. Secondly, we have been told, and some of us have even been convinced, that Jesus got rid of the primitive, half-pagan distinction between the sacred and the profane. After all, didn't Jesus, and Paul after him, maintain that everything which God has created was good, and therefore holy? Thirdly, much modern scholarship tends to regard those parts of the Old Testament which are dominated by the language of holiness, like the 'priestly' sections of the Pentateuch and the book of Ezekiel, as corrected by the prophets and superseded by our Lord. Fourthly, we are uneasy about too keen an interest in holiness, for we tend to associate it largely with Catholic sacramentalism, Calvinist rigorism, Methodist revivalism and Pentecostal enthusiasm. Lastly, and perhaps most significantly, we have been so indoctrinated by the cultural secularism of our desacralised society that we have lost a sense for what is holy.