By Mike Peek

Text: Leviticus 27 When a man or woman makes a difficult vow, he or she shall be valued at a set rate depending on their age and sex; however, if they are poor, the priest sets their value. Animals that can be presented as an offering were not to be redeemed, but if it is an animal that could not be used as an offering, the priest sets the value. The value of houses consecrated to the Lord are set by the priest. Fields dedicated to the Lord were to be valued proportionate to the seed required to plant the field, multiplied by the number of years until the jubilee. First born animals could not be redeemed because they are the Lords, unless it is an unclean animal which could be redeemed. Everything set apart to the Lord, is holy to the Lord. All the tithe of the land belongs to the Lord. Anything dedicated to the Lord that a man wants to redeem, one-fifth is added to the value, the price for redemption. Thus concluded the Lord’s commandments given to Moses from Mount Sinai. All human be...

Text: Leviticus 26 The Lord begins a closing discourse that refers to the Ten Commandments and the sanctuary; that if they keep his commandments in the land, he will give them abundant life. But if they do not keep his commandments in the land, the Lord will punish them in the land. The evils that he promised to take away if they observed his commandments, he will increase sevenfold. So, they may turn to him, but if not he will increase these evils sevenfold. If they remain rebellious, then the Lord will destroy their cities and scatter them among the nations. The land will get its rest but they will have it very difficult while in the lands of their enemies. When they come to repentance in the land of their enemies, the Lord will remember his covenant with Jacob and with Isaac and with Abraham and he will remember the land; the Lord will remember the covenant that he made with them when he took their ancestors out of Egypt. This is the word of the Lord to the sons of Israel. In this c...

Text: Leviticus 25 The Lord commanded through Moses to give the land a sabbatical every seven years. When seven sabbaticals had been observed a trumpet was to be blown on the day of atonement announcing the year of Jubilee. Every 50th year, all servants are released and all property returns to the owner. Thus, no Israelite or Israelite’s land can be owned by another Israelite. The Lord commanded the Sons of Israel to trust him to provide for their needs during these sabbatical years. They are to understand that the land belongs to the Lord. All property can be bought back based on the time until the Jubilee because at the Jubilee, the property reverts to the owner. However, homes in a walled city could be sold and change ownership, except for the home of a Levite. They were not to charge interest on money lended to their countrymen. If a countryman becomes poor and offers his services to another countryman, he may be considered a servant but not a slave and shall be released in the yea...

Text: Leviticus 24 Aaron was to keep the lamps on the golden lamp stand outside of the veil of testimony lite with pure olive oil as fuel from evening to morning perpetually. Every sabbath, twelve cakes of bread were to be baked, placed in two rows on the golden table before the Lord and sprinkled with frankincense; an everlasting covenant for the sons of Israel but only the priests could eat them and in a holy place.  A man whose father was an Egyptian and whose mother was an Israelite of the tribe of Dan got into a fight with one of the sons of Israel; during the fight he blasphemed, so they brought him to Moses. The Lord commanded Moses to take the man outside the camp and stone him to death and warn that anyone who blasphemes the name shall be put to death. Also, whatever a person does to another person should be done to him, whether he is a stranger or a native son. The lamps burning perpetually and the bread represent the everlasting covenant. The everlasting covenant is spok...

Text: Leviticus 23 There were several appointed holy convocations: The first is the sabbath of complete rest. The sons of Israel could work for six days but were commanded by the Lord to rest on the seventh day. In addition to the sabbath, there were appointed holy convocations throughout the year beginning with the passover, followed by the feast of unleavened bread for seven days. Next came the first fruits of the harvest. Before the sons of Israel could eat of the harvest the first fruits are presented before the Lord. From that sabbath, they were to count seven complete sabbaths and bring two loaves of bread to the Lord as a wave offering. Both of these are thanksgiving for the Lord’s provision. They were also commanded to not harvest to the edges of their fields but to leave these for the poor. The next holy convocation is the day of atonement on the tenth day of the seventh month. The day on which the priest atones for his sins and the sins of the people at the mercy seat of the ...

Text: Leviticus 22 The Lord is holy, therefore, he was to be sanctified among the sons of Israel and among the priests of Israel. The Lord said, “You shall not profane my holy name.” If a priest or member of his household was unclean regarding any of the previously mentioned uncleannesses, then he could not eat of the gifts given to the Lord by the Sons of Israel. The gifts given by the sons of Israel were to be without defect or injury. The Lord set apart the sons of Israel from all of the people on the earth. It was the Lord who brought them from the land of Egypt, to be their God. If a priest touched or ate the gifts of the sons of Israel while unclean he profaned the gift. If a son of Israel gave a gift that was not perfect he profaned the name of the Lord. The Lord is holy and perfect, therefore, the gifts given to him should be perfect in reverence for his name and the priest who ate the gifts should not have any uncleannesses.  The ceremonial laws are given to make us unders...

Text: Leviticus 21 The office of priest to the Lord was to be held in high regard because he was the one who approached the Lord, offering up in fire the food of the Lord on behalf of the people of God. The priestly line of Aaron had restrictions placed on them that were greater than that of the sons of Israel. They could not touch a dead body unless is was the body of a near relative and they could not take a wife that had been touched by any other man; harlotry, divorced or widowed. However, I do not think that we should focus our attention on the priests. The precepts given for the priests in this chapter are intended to focus our attention on the holiness of the Lord our God. The Lord is holy, therefore, those who approach the Lord must be holy less they profane the Lord’s sanctuary.  The reason for death is sin. For this reason, touching a dead body defiles the priest to the Lord. Physical deformities are not the fault of the deformed person, however,  they are a result o...

Text: Leviticus 20 The Idolatry, human sacrifice and immorality of the people who were in the land of Canaan, before the sons of Israel, is repeated in this chapter. However, this time it isn’t, “You shall not,” but “If you do.”  This chapter serves as a warning for the people chosen by God. The people of God are to be holy, because the Lord is holy. (Lev. 20:24) Death is always the result of sin. The Lord declared a death sentence for those who practiced child sacrifice to some god named Molech, for mediums and spiritus, for adultery, for cursing ( a curse is a death wish) father and mother, incest, and homo-sex. And many others that will result in being cut off from the people of God. If the people do not cut them off, the Lord promises to cut them off.  I believe that there are four principles that we should take from this chapter: All human life has value because all were created in the image of God. The Lord hates idolatry and the seeking other gods and spirits. The Lord ...

Text: Leviticus 19 When asked, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law? (Mt. 22:36) Jesus answered with two Scripture quotations: Deuteronomy 6:5, and Leviticus 19:18. Then he summed up by saying, “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Mt. 22:40) During his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus summed up his teaching by saying, “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Mt. 7:12)  Leviticus 19 begins by saying, you shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am Holy. During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt. 5:48) Much of what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount can be related to what the Lord spoke to Moses in Leviticus 19. This entire chapter is about loving God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might; and loving your neighbor as yourself.  The apostle Paul wrote, “O...

The Lord takes sexual immorality very seriously. In fact, he calls any perversion and abomination. It is evident in this text that the Lord wanted it to stop. He commanded, “You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes.” (Lev. 18:3) Through a series of commands on what the Sons of Israel are not to do, we get a picture of what was going on in Egypt and Canaan. The Lord said, “Because of these abominations the land is defiled. (Lev. 18:27) The Lord warns that anyone who does these abominations shall be cut off from among their people. (Lev. 18:29) All of the commandments in this chapter are bookended with the statement, “I am the Lord your God.” (Lev. 18:4, 30)  So, what was going on in Egypt and in Canaan? They were having sexual relations with their next of kin, their neighbors wives, men with men and with animals. All of these the Lord calls an...

Making a sacrifice out in the field was a very serious offense. In fact, the person that did so, bloodguiltiness was reckoned to the man. Because he shed blood, he was to be cut off from the people. Life, whether man or beast was to be considered precious. The life of all living beings on the earth is in the blood; therefore, the sons of Israel, or any foreigners who lived with them were not to eat blood. All animals were to be taken to the doorway of the tent of meeting to be slaughtered by a priest; whether the sacrifice was a peace offering, burnt offering, or sin offering. The sons of Israel were to think of themselves as one people and their king was the Lord. The Lord had designated Aaron and the sons of Aaron as priest to the Lord. The Lord had designated the tent of meeting as the place to make sacrifices. The Lord had commanded that the sons of Israel eat no blood, because the life is in the blood; therefore, it is the blood that makes atonement. The Lord’s portion of any sacr...

What does it say? The Lord commanded Moses: Tell Aaron to not enter the holy place beyond the veil anytime or he will die. However, once a year, on the tenth day of the seventh month, he was to enter. He must wash his body with water and put the priestly garments. He must sacrifice a bull to atone for his sins and those of his household. Then he shall take a fire pan full of coals from the altar before the Lord and two handfuls of incense and put the incense on the fire before the Lord inside the veil. Then he was to sprinkle some of the blood of the bull on the mercy seat, on the east side and in front of the mercy seat seven times. From the congregation he shall take two male goats for a sin offering. He shall present the two goats at the doorway of the tent of meeting and cast lots, one for a sin offering and the other for a scapegoat. The sin offering was to be slaughtered and the blood was to be sprinkled in the same manner as the bull. He was to come back out and put some of the ...

What does it say? When a person has a bodily discharge he or she was considered unclean and anything that he or she touched was considered unclean. If another persons touches him or her they must wash with water and are themselves unclean until evening. Earthen vessels were smashed but other items that the person with the discharged touched could be washed. Seven days were counted from when the discharge stopped. The person took a bath and washed his or her clothes. Then on the eight day two turtle doves or two pigeons were given to the priest; one for a burnt offering and one for a sin offering. Seminal emissions meant uncleanness until evening for both a man and his wife. When a woman has a menstrual discharge she was unclean for seven days and if a man laid with her during her mensuration he was unclean for seven days. However, if she had a discharge that went beyond seven days, the law for a bodily discharge applies just as if it were a discharge from a break in the skin. What does...

What does it say? If a person becomes healed of his skin affliction, then the priest is to come to him outside of the camp to see if he has been healed of his skin affliction. If the priest sees that he is healed, then the priest slaughters a bird, in a jar, over running water. Then he dips a live bird, a branch of cedar wood and a scarlett string in the water. He then sprinkles the person with the water seven times and declares him clean. This same ritual is done to cleanse a house. The man must stay outside of his tent for seven days. Then on the eight day, he is to shave all of the hair off his body, bath and change his clothes. The priest who declared him clean is to present him before the Lord at the doorway of the tent of meeting. The man is to bring a guilt offering; a male lamb and a log of oil. A sin offering, another male lamb or a pigeon if he is poor. A burnt offering, which includes a yearling female lamb or pigeon if he is poor, with an ephah of grain. The guilt offering ...

What does it say? One of the jobs given to the priest, was to inspect persons and articles for leprosy. If a person had an open area on the skin, he or she was to go to the priest for inspection. If the suspect area was obviously leprosy, the person was to be considered unclean by all the congregation. If leprosy was not obvious to the priest, the person was quarantined for seven days, then reinspected by the priest. If the infected area grew during the week of quarantine, he or she was to be considered unclean but if the area did not grow he or she was to remain in quarantine for another seven days and reinspected by the priest, who would then declare him or her clean. Persons who had an infected area on the skin lived outside the camp. They were to look disheveled and cry, “Unclean! Unclean!” The priest also inspected articles of clothing that had some suspect area on them. If these had infection, they were destroyed but care was made to determine if it was an infection before destro...

What does it say? When a woman gives birth to a male child she was ceremonially unclean for 7 days but for an additional thirty three days she was to be considered as in mensuration. On the eighth day, the flesh of the male child’s foreskin was to be circumcised. For a female child, all of the waiting periods were doubled. At the completion of her separation, forty days for a male child and eighty days for a female child, she was to bring to the doorway of the tent of meeting a one year old lamb for a burnt offering and a turtle dove or pigeon for a sin offering, but if she was poor, she could bring two turtle doves or two pigeons instead of a lamb, so that the priest could make atonement for her. What does it mean? In our society there is a lot of emotion involved when males and females are considered and treated differently. Genesis 1:27-28 (NASB) God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to t...

What does it say? The Lord gave Moses and Aaron commandments about which animals the sons of Israel could eat and could not eat. Of the animals on the earth, they could eat animals that had a divided hoof and chewed the cud. If an animal did not have both of these characteristics it was to be considered unclean to the sons of Israel. Of the animals in the water, the sons of Israel could eat any fish that had fins and scales. If a water creature did not have both of these characteristics it was to be considered unclean to the sons of Israel. Of the the birds in the air, they could not eat flesh eating birds. Of the winged insects that walked on all fours, they could eat those who have jointed legs for jumping but all other four legged insects were to be considered unclean to the sons of Israel. Not only could they not eat the unclean creatures but touching the dead carcass of on of these creatures made a son of Israel unclean for the remainder of that day. Not only the person, but if a ...

What does it say? Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron offered strange fire before the Lord; therefore, fire came out from the presence of the Lord and they died because of there irreverence. Aaron and his other sons (Eleazar and Ithamar) remained in the tent of meeting and did not become ceremonially unclean but their relatives came forward and carried the bodies outside the camp. The Lord commanded Aaron and his sons to never drink wine or strong drink when they come into the tent of meeting. Then the Lord commanded Aaron and his sons to eat the priest’s portion of the grain offering beside the altar but the breast of the wave offering and thigh of the sin offering they are to eat in a clean place. However, Aaron could not eat the sin offering because of the sadness in his heart, for he believe that he could not eat the offering when his heart was not right before the Lord.  What does it mean? The third of the Ten Commandments of the Sinai covenant says: You shall not take the name...

What does it say? Aaron and his sons were in the tabernacle for seven days, but on the eight day, Aaron came out and spoke to the people. Aaron told them to prepare for the glory of the Lord. Aaron made a sin offering of a calf and a burnt offering for his own purification. Then he made a sin offering, burnt offering and peace offering on behalf of the people, to purify them for the glory of the Lord. He did this work according to the word of the Lord, just as the Lord commanded Moses. When Aaron completed making the offerings, he raised his hands and blessed the people. He and Moses went into the tent of meeting. When Aaron came out again, he blessed the the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. A fire came out from the Lord that consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar. This caused the people shout and fall to their faces. What does it mean? Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and he was buried, and he was raised...

What does it say? The Lord told Moses to gather the congregation for the consecration ceremony of Aaron and his sons. Moses washed Aaron and his sons with water, and he clothed them in the priestly garments. Moses took the anointing oil and he consecrated the tabernacle, all of the articles, the altar and utensils. Then Moses offered up a bull as a sin offering on behalf of Aaron and his sons as the Lord commanded. Then Moses offered up a ram as a burnt offering on behalf of Aaron and his sons as the Lord commanded. Moses presented a second ram of ordination, a wave offering, as the Lord commanded. Moses took the anointing oil and some of the blood off the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his sons. Aaron and his sons ate the bread and meat of the ordination offering; however, what they did not eat was taken and burned outside the camp. Aaron and his sons stayed in the tent of meeting for seven days where they were consecrated by the Lord.  What does it mean? To become an inter...