4 Gems to Treasure from the Gold Mine of Leviticus

For years, Leviticus topped my list of passages of Scripture that seemed hard to simply get through, let alone understand and appreciate.

Well, this year marks the third time I'm starting fresh reading the Bible in its entirety. Normally, Genesis and Exodus kick off the year with a storytelling high, with characters and plot twists galore.

However, in years past by the time I got to Leviticus, I was merely bracing myself for the self-diagnosed snooze fest that was to come. I got that the Law was important, but I didn't care to fully dig into these truths, to truly appreciate every verse for its significance as the inspired, edifying, Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16). 

Rather, I skim read and hoped for the best. While God blessed even my faint-hearted efforts, I thank Him for the ways in which He has since gifted me illumination to cherish what I previously did not. 

You may think of Leviticus as the book that stops you in your tracks when you try to complete a "Bible in a Year" reading plan. Or maybe it comes off as something only a psychopath would enjoy, with all the talk about blood and sacrifice and cringe-worthy laws concerning incest and bestiality.

I'll never forget when I heard a preacher say that after a 3-month, in-depth study of Leviticus, he came away not utterly creeped out like we might expect, but more deeply moved by the gospel and nearer to the heart of God than ever before.

If we're not careful, it can be easy to disregard such statements as a nice sentiment for "those other Christians," ones who we think are somehow qualified to have a better appreciation of the Bible because of their age, spiritual maturity, or formal education. It's as if we somewhat understand the point, but don't care enough to dig deeper.

While this article isn't intended to act as an in-depth analysis or commentary on the entirety of the book, I hope to provide stepping stones to guide you to a deeper delight in Leviticus.

Here are four gems to be treasured from the gold mine that is Leviticus.

1. God is incomprehensibly holy

The word holy occurs 92 times in the book of Leviticus. To be holy means to be set apart, to be sacred. While certain things can be holy, such as a day or a festival set apart for God, He, Himself, is intrinsically, incomprehensibly holy. His holiness is the standard that we must strive after.

"Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 20:7)."

God's holiness is the only characteristic attributed to Him 3 times in a row in the Scripture, signaling perfection of that particular trait (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8).

2. Man is desperately wicked and utterly depraved

By reading through the Law laid out in this book, it becomes increasingly apparent to the reader that some laws' mere existence points to the wicked state of man's hearts. Laws about incest, bestiality, murder and more are not merely precautionary. Mankind really is so sin-bent that we desire wickedness to these extremes.

Over and over, with every law listed, follows the statement, "I am the LORD" (Leviticus 19:4, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 28, 32, 34, 35, 36 and so on). We are to obey because of who He is — Holy God.

In the beginning, it wasn't long into the history of mankind before God judged their complete and utter wickedness (Genesis 6:5).

Despite being given seemingly endless second chances throughout Exodus, God's people always fell short of their calling to obey.

Yet even their good works were as filthy rags before the LORD (Isaiah 64:6).

3. Atonement is needed by means of sacrifice

In the garden of Eden, before sin entered the world and forever altered the relationship between God and mankind, Adam and Eve were able to commune with God unhindered. When sin severed that relationship, things changed. In order to make things right again, there had to be reparation for sin.

Though God's people perpetually fell short of their righteous calling, in Leviticus God clearly and mercifully instructed them how to be made right with Him - through purification and sacrifice.

In Leviticus 16, God told Moses and Aaron about the Day of Atonement, a yearly time of cleansing for Israel. On it, two goats were chosen - one to be a sin offering and the other a scape goat. God instructed Aaron, after sacrificing the one goat, to lay his hands on the living goat and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel (Leviticus 16:21). The idea is that the goat bore their sins before being sent away into the wilderness.

4. The gospel is sweet, sweet news

You see, everything preceding this point lays the foundation upon which the gospel of Jesus Christ is such sweet news. Because God is incomprehensibly holy, and man is desperately wicked, man can't enter into God's presence on his own. Atonement is the necessary means of a right relationship with God, but the sacrifices of the old covenant were weak.

They could temporarily atone for sin, but could never take it away altogether (Hebrews 10). Christ fulfilled the Law and provides final, full atonement for our sins.

"For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (Romans 8:3-4)."

You may be inclined to think that the loving and merciful God of the new covenant cannot be the same angry God of the old covenant, but I hope that through further study of Leviticus, you will come to understand otherwise. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

The very next book of the Bible begins saying that the LORD spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting...

"In other words, now that the symbolic rituals of Leviticus are being practiced, Moses can enter God's presence on behalf of Israel. Despite their failures, God has provided a way for their sin to be covered, and they can now live with God in peace. From this perspective, the book of Leviticus is a powerful expression of God's holy and gracious mercy (The Bible Project's Read Scripture: Leviticus)."

My apathy toward this book was not a causal laughing matter. It was a gross misunderstanding and lack of appreciation for holiness, atonement and grace. My lack of knowledge was because of my own laziness, not having pressed in to God's Word as I should have and an arrogant pride in thinking I understood "good enough.”

The truth is, a right understanding of God affects everything we do and lays the foundation upon which we live our lives for His glory. Do not be destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6), but study God's Word - even and especially the things that are at first difficult to understand.