OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY - 6

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FUNDAMENTALS OF DISCIPLESHIP

OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY – 6

LEVITICUS - WAYYIQRA

Leviticus 19:2  Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I, IAUE your Elohim am holy. 

The Book of Exodus took us from the slavery of the Hebrews in Egypt to the inauguration of the Tabernacle of Moses (circa 1600 - 1461 BC).  In Exodus 20, IAUE gave Moses the Ten Commandments, which became known as “The Law.” The time frame of the writing of the book by Moses is considered to have happened, most likely, very quickly after the inauguration of the Temple when IAUE would meet with Moses in the Holy of Holies.

The book of Leviticus is the codification of the Ten Commandments into statutes, precepts, commandments, regulations and ordinances. This became known as “The Law of Moses.”  The Ten Commandments were given directly by IAUE, written in stone by the finger of IAUE.  The Levitical Law was “from IAUE” but it “written down and given” by Moses.

It is not unlike the difference between the United States Constitution and the tens of thousands of laws and regulations that exist under the umbrella of the decrees and guidelines defined within the Constitution.  The Constitution was “given” by the founding fathers of the country; but the myriads of laws and regulations that followed were established by generations of elected officials and appointed regulators.  Such laws and regulations are always inferior to and subject to the authority of the Constitution.

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LEVITICUS:   In Hebrew it is Wayyiqra (sometimes seen as Vayikra). Its Hebrew title is taken from the first word of the book, which means, “He called.”  The Septuagint (Greek) title, “Leviticus,” refers to the tribe of Levi, the tribe of Aaron, the first High Priest. The Law of Moses was also referred to as the Levitical law.

The book can be subdivided into various chapter groupings based on the topic discussed in each chapter, i.e., the various types of offerings, their regulations, the consecration of the priesthood, laws of the clean and the unclean, the day of atonement, laws of purity, and laws of morality.  Below is a list of the chapters with their primary subject matter.

Leviticus 1. Burnt Offerings
Leviticus 2. Grain Offerings
Leviticus 3. Peace Offerings
Leviticus 4. Sin Offerings
Leviticus 5. Guilt Offerings
Leviticus 6. Regulations for Burnt, Grain and Sin Offerings
Leviticus 7. Regulations for Guilt and Fellowship Offerings; the Priests' Share
Leviticus 8. Aaron and His Sons Consecrated
Leviticus 9. Aaron Offers Sacrifices
Leviticus 10. The Sin and Death of Nadab and Abihu
Leviticus 11. Laws of Clean and Unclean Food
Leviticus 12. Purification after Childbirth
Leviticus 13. Rules for Skin Diseases, Mildew
Leviticus 14. Cleansing from Skin Diseases and Mildew
Leviticus 15. Cleansing Unhealthy Discharges
Leviticus 16. The Day of Atonement
Leviticus 17. Blood Designated for Atonement, Forbidden as Food
Leviticus 18. Laws on Sexual Relations
Leviticus 19. Idolatry Forbidden; Various Laws
Leviticus 20. Punishments for Sins
Leviticus 21. Regulations for Priests
Leviticus 22. Rules for Priests and Flawless Sacrifices
Leviticus 23. Feasts of Weeks, Trumpets, Tabernacles; Day of Atonement
Leviticus 24. The candlestick, the Shew bread, Blasphemy
Leviticus 25. The Sabbath Year and Year of Jubilee
Leviticus 26. Rewards and Punishments concerning Obedience
Leviticus 27. Vows, Redemptions and Tithes

The principle thing about the law is that it made the Hebrews a distinctive people.  No one else on earth had such laws.  The Levitical law made them distinctive among all peoples.  It made them “set apart” from all other peoples.  This being “set apart” is another way of saying, it made them “holy” unto IAUE. 

In the English language we have created such an idea about this word, “holy” that it makes holiness virtually unattainable; and yet though we see it as an impossible condition, the Scriptures command it of the people of IAUE repeatedly throughout the Scriptures in both the Old and New Testaments.

Leviticus 19:2  Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I, IAUE your Elohim, am holy.

Leviticus 20:26  And ye shall be holy unto me: for I, IAUE, am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.

Numbers 15:40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your Elohim.

Ephesians 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Ephesians 5:27  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

1 Peter 1:15  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

16  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

In Hebrew, the word used here is “qadosh” (or “kadosh”). This word is derived from the Hebrew word “qadash” (kadash). Qadash means to be “set apart.”  It is not a spiritual term or a word carrying a religious overtone.  It simply means to distinguish something as having a specific purpose or to designate it as belonging to the use of a specific person.  For example, if I set a table for guests and put name cards at each seat to show who is to sit in each seat; those seats are “set apart” for use exclusively by the person named. They have become “holy” because they have been identified for an exclusive use by the named person. 

Let’s consider this from another perspective.  if I am a senior ranking military officer and I designate a soldier (let’s say he is a Private…the lowest ranking person in the military) to assist exclusively a sergeant under my command; no one, not even an officer regardless of their rank may task that soldier to a different duty assignment.  That Private is holy unto that sergeant.

Now, here is the difference between “kadash” (being set apart) and “kadosh” (being holy).  The command for us to be holy (kadosh) is that our lives are to reflect the consequence of being set apart (kadash) unto IAUE.  It changes the way we are, the way we behave.  Being holy as a result of being set apart is that we demonstrate the effect of being set apart to IAUE.  We become unlike all the peoples on the earth that are not set apart to IAUE.  The world can SEE the effect of our separation unto IAUE by the way we live, the way we act, the way we behave in every circumstance and situation, the way we speak and the way we relate to people.

If we say we are set apart unto IAUE, but our lives do not reflect that separation unto Him; we are holy only in word but not in deed.  We would be what Messiah called a hypocrite.

The book of Leviticus is essentially the Hebrews’ manual for how to demonstrate their separation to IAUE.  There was no margin for error.  IAUE would not tolerate lip service.  He commanded His people to be holy according to a very specific standard.  They were to be holy as HE is holy.  IAUE intended His very own nature to be manifested in the lives of His people; and the only way that could happen is if they rejected all other influences that shaped and determined how they lived their lives.  

Just think of all the things we allow to influence our lives, today:  peer pressure, family pressure, television, corporate standards, societal standards, movies, newspapers, magazines, even our own personal desire to be accepted or found to be amusing, intelligent or humorous.  Now, imagine yourself being totally unmoved by ANY of those influences, acting and speaking exclusively as the oracles of IAUE as one who is “set apart” unto His service…not to be tasked by any other person or thing to act or speak on their behalf.  That is what it is to be holy to IAUE.

1 Peter 4:11  If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of IAUE; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which IAUE giveth: that IAUE in all things may be glorified through Yahushua Messiah, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen

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Kingdom heart: a heart that offers no resistance to the performance of the will of IAUE. 

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