Today we begin our readings in LEVITICUS!
Yesterday at the end of Exodus, the worship in the completed and dedicated tabernacle was started.
Leviticus is a continuation of Exodus, in the same way that Exodus is a continuation of Genesis. Leviticus also starts with the word ‘And’. The title once again comes from Latin Vulgate which was based on the name in the Septuagint. So the name does not come from the Hebrew. Because of the name, many think that this book is a handbook only for the priests. Not so. Wenham (from Constable) states:
“It would be wrong, however, to describe Leviticus simply as a manual for priests. It is equally, if not more, concerned with the part the laity should play in worship. Many of the regulations explain what the layman should sacrifice. They tell him when to go to the sanctuary, what to bring, and what he may expect the priest to do when he arrives. Most of the laws apply to all Israel: only a few sections specifically concern the priests alone, e.g., chs. 21—22. The lay orientation of the legislation is particularly noticeable in ch. 23, where the whole emphasis lies on the days that must be observed as days of sabbath rest.”
Many New Testament concepts are foreshadowed in this book, such as the seriousness of sin in God’s sight, the necessity of atonement of sin, the holiness of God, and the necessity of a mediator between God and Man. H.C. Mears says,
“In Genesis we see humanity ruined, in Exodus, humanity redeemed, and in Leviticus, humanity worshipping.”
One can’t read this book without being thankful to Christ Jesus for His sacrifice which fulfills the incredibly detailed laws about sacrifice for us.
We turn to PSALM 10.
E.C. Olsen says this Psalm has “a triple theme: the silence of God, the despair of the humble, and the pride of the wicked.” This Psalm doesn't give us all the answers, but we know God understands how we feel about these things.
Translation notes:
3 The wicked are proud of their evil desires;
[greedy people curse and reject You, Lord.//the greedy curse and reject the Lord.]
4 The wicked do not care about [You//the Lord];
in their pride they think that God doesn't matter.
5 The wicked succeed in everything.
They cannot understand [Your//God's] judgments;
they sneer at their enemies.
6 They say to themselves, “We will never fail;
we will never [get//be] in trouble.”
9 they wait in their hiding place like lions.
They lie in wait for the poor;
they catch them in their traps and drag them away. (People like me!)
16 [You, O Lord, are//The Lord is] king forever and ever.
Those who worship other gods
will vanish from [your//his] land.
We turn to LUKE 8.
At the end of Luke 7 we read about how Jesus was anointed by a sinful woman, and how Jesus answered the silent criticism of Simon, the pharisee.
Translation notes:
2 and so did some women who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases[://.] [Here are their names:] Mary [(the woman from the village of Magdala)//(who was called Magdalene)], from whom seven demons had been driven out;
8 And some seeds fell in good soil; the plants grew and bore grain, one hundred grains each [stalk].”
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