Leviticus Sermon Illustrations
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Leviticus Sermon Illustrations Sermons Illustrations Book of Leviticus Today in the Word Copyright Moody Bible Institute. — Used by permission. All rights reserved Our Daily Bread -Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved Related Resources Multiple Commentaries and Sermons on Leviticus Leviticus Sermon Illustrations - Today in the Word Leviticus Sermon Illustrations 2 - F B Meyer Our Daily Homily Alexander Maclaren Sermons on Leviticus See also - Our Daily Bread Devotionals on Leviticus See also - Spurgeon's Devotionals on Leviticus Randy Kilgore (Our Daily Bread) has this devotional... Do I really have to read Leviticus?” A young executive asked me this in earnest as we talked about the value of spending time in reading the Bible. “The Old Testament seems so boring and difficult,” he said. Many Christians feel this way. The answer, of course, is that the Old Testament, including Leviticus, offers background and even contrasts essential to grasping the New Testament. While Isaiah challenges us to seek God (Isa 55:6), he also promises us that God’s Word accomplishes what the Lord wants it to accomplish (Isa 55:.11). Scripture is alive and powerful (Heb. 4:12), and it is useful to teach, correct, and instruct us (2 Tim. 3:16). God’s Word never returns void (Isa. 55:8-11), but sometimes it is not until later that God’s words come to mind as we need them. The Holy Spirit uses the truths we’ve stored from reading or memorization, and He helps us to apply them at just the right time. For example, Leviticus 19:10-11 speaks of business competition and even caring for the poor. The Spirit can remind us of these concepts, and we can use them, if we’ve spent time reading and contemplating that passage. Reading the Bible turns our minds into storehouses through which the Spirit can work. That’s a great reason to read Leviticus and the other 65 books as well. Lord, I want to learn to love Your Word more and more. Teach me and help me to hide it in my heart so that I can live it, be encouraged by it, and help others to know it too. Amen. To understand the Word of God, rely on the Spirit of God. Leviticus 1:1-17 It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. - Leviticus 1:17 TODAY IN THE WORD The book of Leviticus is essentially a handbook of regulations for Israel’s religious life under the Law. The title means “pertaining to the Levites,” which points out that the priests and Levites were responsible for seeing to it that these regulations were followed. Historically, Leviticus picks up where Exodus left off. The Israelites had just built the tabernacle and begun receiving the Law. As God revealed to Moses the further rules found in Leviticus, the people remained encamped at the foot of Mount Sinai for about a year. We’ll study several key themes in Leviticus this month, including worship, purity, obedience, and our identity as God’s people. The first section (ch. 1-10), the sacrifices and priestly duties, focuses on worship and holiness. Part two (ch. 11-16) deals with issues of purity in daily life. The third section (ch. 17-22) explores what it means to be God’s chosen people. And the final section (ch. 23-27) lays out special days and festivals in the Jewish calendar. The primary purpose of the sacrificial system was worship. As Charles Ryrie has noted, the root of the word offering means to “draw near” to God. This is reflected in David’s words: “May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice” (Ps. 141:2). Burnt offerings were made voluntarily, and seem to have been the most common type of sacrifice (cf. Ex. 29:38-43). They purified a worshiper from general sin and thus prepared him to draw near to God. This offering was completely burned up to show that it was completely dedicated to the Lord. To “make atonement” (v. 4) meant that the animal died a substitutionary death in place of a worshiper. By laying hands on it, worshipers showed an understanding of sin and a repentant heart. We know that the blood of these animals did not actually remove sin–only the blood of Christ can do that–but the sacrifices did purify people outwardly and make it possible for them to be in the presence of God (Heb. 9:11-14). TODAY ALONG THE WAY As you begin this study of the book of Leviticus, pray over God’s purposes for you personally this month. What would He have you learn? What attitudes would He have you change? What actions would He have you take? Leviticus 1:1-17 It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. - Leviticus 1:17 TODAY IN THE WORD What pleasant memories do you associate with certain smells? Does the odor of freshly-mown grass evoke images of a perfect summer day? You may think of your husband or wife every time you smell his or her favorite cologne or perfume. For others, smells from the oven bring back memories--fresh bread after school, pumpkin pie at holidays, or chicken soup when you were sick. Prompted by these or other meaningful smells, our minds return to significant moments or people in our lives. Scripture describes God’s response to certain “smells” in a similar way, as illustrated in today’s verse. When the scent of true worship rose from the altar, He was pleased. When people’s hearts were not right, though, He could “smell” that, too. These are key points to remember as we examine the burnt offering of the Old Testament. The burnt offering is the first of five offerings we will explore. We will spend three days examining each offering, looking at: (1) a basic description of the offering; (2) a key spiritual principle involved in the offering; and (3) one way in which Christ fulfills the offering. The main purpose of the burnt offering was propitiation for general sin. Propitiation means to satisfy, and the burnt offering was given to satisfy God’s holy wrath over sin. A burnt offering was offered every morning and evening for the whole nation of Israel (Ex. 29:38-43). If an individual wanted to present it, he was required to bring a perfect male animal (Lev. 1:3, 10). He would lay his hand on it, signifying identification, then kill it, signifying that the animal was a substitutionary sacrifice (vv. 4-5). The penalty for sin was-- and still is--death, but the animal died instead of the worshiper. TODAY ALONG THE WAY One principle from the burnt offering still instructs us today: each person gave according to his ability. A leader sacrificed a larger animal than an ordinary Israelite; a poor family usually had the option of sacrificing a less expensive bird (Lev. 1:3, 10, 14 with Lev. 12:8). Leviticus 1:4 (Faith's Checkbook) A Completed Sacrifice “And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering: and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him” —Leviticus 1:4 IF by that laying on of his hand, the bullock became the offerer’s sacrifice, how much more shall Jesus become ours by the laying on of the hand of faith? “My faith doth lay her hand On that dear head of Thine, While like a penitent I stand, And there confess my sin.” If a bullock could be accepted for him to make atonement for him, how much more shall the Lord Jesus be our full and all-sufficient propitiation? Some quarrel with the great truth of substitution; but as for us, it is our hope, our joy, our boast, our all. Jesus is accepted for us to make atonement for us, and we are “accepted in the Beloved.” Let the reader take care at once to lay his hand on the Lord’s completed sacrifice, that by accepting it he may obtain the benefit of it. If he has done so once, let him do it again. If he has never done so, let him put out his hand without a moment’s delay. Jesus is yours now if you will have Him. Lean on Him; lean hard on Him; and He is yours beyond all question; you are reconciled to God, your sins are blotted out, and you are the Lord’s. Leviticus 1:4a (Morning and Evening) "And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt- offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him." - Leviticus 1:4 Our Lord's being made "sin for us" is set forth here by the very significant transfer of sin to the bullock, which was made by the elders of the people. The laying of the hand was not a mere touch of contact, for in some other places of Scripture the original word has the meaning of leaning heavily, as in the expression, "thy wrath lieth hard upon me" (Psalm 88:7). Surely this is the very essence and nature of faith, which doth not only bring us into contact with the great Substitute, but teaches us to lean upon him with all the burden of our guilt. Jehovah made to meet upon the head of the Substitute all the offences of his covenant people, but each one of the chosen is brought personally to ratify this solemn covenant act, when by grace he is enabled by faith to lay his hand upon the head of the "Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world.