Week 16 Study Page - Psalm 22-41, Leviticus 1-10
Week #16 Study Page
Psalm 22-41
Leviticus 1-10
Suggested Daily Reading Breakdown
Sunday - Psalms 22-26
Monday - Psalms 27-31
Tuesday - Psalms 32-36
Wednesday - Psalms 37-41
Thursday - Leviticus 1-4
Friday - Leviticus 5-7
Saturday - Leviticus 8-10
Degree of difficulty: 6 out of 10 (explanation:). Psalms is easy reading. You should take extra caution to mentally reset in-between chapters of Psalms to keep from feeling like it is repeating itself. Each chapter of Psalms should be treated as an independent, miniature-book of the Bible. Then we're on to Leviticus. Leviticus is a famously difficult book of the bible to read; it contains the detailed laws to the Israelite people regarding sacrifices, priests, cleanliness, and festivals. I think that the first 7 chapters of Leviticus are the hardest to read. Those seven chapters detail the correct process for a number of different kinds of sacrifices to be offered in the tabernacle. To the Israelites, these instructions would have been immensely valuable and practical, but to us, there is no practical import. They are still really important however, in showing us how our God regards gilt, repentance, and forgiveness. We'll try to help organize all the different kinds of sacrifices below, and discuss what they show us about our God.
When we arrive at Leviticus this week, We've returned to near the beginning of the Old Testament. Our reading plan this year is designed to take us through the story of the Bible in four cycles. Each cycle begins with books from early in the story of the Old Testament, and ends with the reading of a Gospel and some New Testament books. This cycle (the second of four) through the story of the Bible will feature much less historical writing and much more prophetic literature than the first. we'll be in the Old Testament for two months, and then back into the New Testament for five weeks beginning with the Gospel of Luke.
About the Book(s)
Psalms
About: "Psalm" is a translation of the Hebrew word mizmor, which is is a technical term for a song sung to the accompaniment of musical instruments. The book of psalms or the "Psalter" came into being over a period of centuries. It is a collection of songs / prayers which are sung / spoken to God. There is a Psalm attributed to Moses (Psalm 90) and Psalms which almost certainly date to post-exilic Israel - no earlier than the 6th century BC. The Psalter is divided into five books, each ending in a doxology. This week's reading will bring us to the end of Book 1, then we'll move on to Leviticus. Psalms is the only book of the Bible that we're not reading straight through.
Leviticus
Date of Authorship: Leviticus was written during the Exodus, while God's people were in the wilderness, likely just after the completion and dedication of the Tabernacle in Exodus 40. While the Israelites were in the wilderness, they were not 'wandering' yet, as these instructions (Leviticus) are given before the Israelites rebel against God in Number 14. When you read Leviticus, you should think of a people preparing to enter the promised land immediately.
Author: Moses is traditionally considered to be the author of the first five books of the Bible. This is a collection called The Pentateuch and Leviticus is the third of those five books.
Title: The title Leviticus was assigned to this book by the editors of the Greek translation of the Old Testament dating to the ~second century BC. This title was given because the Levites were the tribe of Israel that was assigned to carry out the duty of priests (Aaron is a Levite). However, the the Hebrew title for the book is taken from the first word of the book, "and he called," which emphasizes that Leviticus is a continuation of the Exodus story line.
Purpose: The Israelites have a new covenant relationship with God, and now the Lord is sending Moses forth to the nation with instructions for proper worship. Where Exodus ended by emphasizing where to worship God, Leviticus deals with how to worship him. After listing the regulations for the various types of sacrifices that may be offered to God, Leviticus deals with the priesthood and the topics of cleanness and holiness.
As you Read Notes
Psalm 23:6 Dwelling In the House Of the Lord
Psalm 23 is one of the most famous and popular chapters in the Bible. it is a declaration of God's protection and providence. I want to focus in on its closing words: "I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Because this passage is so popular, we may be used to repeating these words without consideration of what such a clause means.
The "house of the Lord" in the time of David would certainly have meant the Tabernacle (we studied the Tabernacle in the week 4 study notes). There are no beds or living quarters in the Tabernacle. It is just not a place meant for someone to "live" except for the presence of the Lord of course. So what does David mean by these words?
David is drawing on the significance of the Tabernacle - the presence of the Lord himself among his people. The presence of the Lord was only given to his chosen people, and, as we'll learn as we get into Leviticus, required purity. Being welcomed into God's presence is an incredible gift - the greatest blessing. so much of the sacrificial system and purity laws given to the Israelites were meant to preserve this gift, to keep from losing it. David says that God's providence will allow him to enjoy this gift forever. This imagery is precisely what we are told about heaven - the world of the saved after the return of Christ at judgement day. Revelation 21:3-4.
I heard a loud voice from the throne say, “God lives with humans! God will make his home with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There won’t be any more death. There won’t be any grief, crying, or pain, because the first things have disappeared.”
Psalm 36:7: "In the Shadow Of Your Wings"
the phrase "Shadow of Your Wings" appears four times in the Bible, and all four of those instances are in the book of Psalms. What could it possibly mean? Is God a bird? Does he have wings like we think of an angel having? Probably not; The wings mentioned here could be an allusion to the winged cherubim that stretch over the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant (pictured).
Another option for understanding this phrase is as a polemic against the Canaanite goddess Anat. Anat is often depicted as a winged goddess of personal protection - especially for the king. often times the Psalms and the prophets speak of Yahweh as having qualities of deities from the religions of Israel's neighbors as to show that it is Israel's God who really provides the gifts that other gods are being praised for. When David says that he has refuge in the shadow of [yahweh's] wings he could be pointing out to his readers that it is Israel's God who provides protection - not Anat of the Canaanites.
Structure of Leviticus
The "Bible Project" video above (if you're reading online) does a very good job of introducing the structure of Leviticus. This book is organised as a chiasm around the instructions for the Day of Atonement. We'll talk more about this special festival next week. Here is a visual depiction of the Leviticus chiasm:
A) Holy Practices - Sacrifices and Offerings (1-7)
B) Holy Priesthood (8-10)
C) Holy People (11-15)
X) Day of Atonement (16)
C) Holy People (17-20)
B) Holy Priesthood (21-22)
A) Holy Practices - Sabbaths & Festivals (23-25) then Closing Instruction (26-27)
5 Sacrifices of Leviticus 1-7
Leviticus 1-7 provides instructions for five different kind of sacrifices that could be offered at the Tabernacle. These sacrifices were not offered inside the tent itself, but on the altar of burnt offering (brazen altar) in the courtyard of the tabernacle. This altar, not the holy place, or holy of holies, was the center of priestly activity and service in the Tabernacle. Some of the blood was taken into the holy place to be splattered before the curtain or applied to the horns of the incense altar (just outside the inner curtain). These offerings performed at the altar of burnt offering served two purposes, the worship of God, and forgiveness.
"forgiveness is the intended result of the purification and reparation offerings. the verb forgiveness only takes God as the subject, never humans, and does not rule out punishment (see numbers 14: 19-24). We must therefore conclude that the concept concerns relationship (with God) rather than the judicial issue of punishment. The one who is offering these sacrifices seeks reconciliation with God, not pardon from punishment. (The IVP Bible Background Commentary notes on 4:13-32)
Burnt Offering
typical Hebrew offering, dominant throughout Old Testament History
male animal required (or substitute based on financial ability)
sacrifice is completely burned up
Grain Offering
frequently accompanies burnt and peace offerings
grain is mixed with oil and incense
portion burned on altar, remainder eaten by the priests
Peace (Fellowship) Offering
the basic form of sacrifices brought on feast days
a celebrative offering consumed by humans after the internal organs and select portions are burned to the Lord
three sub-types: thanksgiving, vow, freewill.
Sin Offering
Emphasizes the act of purification through forgiveness
after the organs and select portions are burned to the Lord, the rest of the offering is burned outside of the Tabernacle / Temple if the blood was brought into the tent of meeting, otherwise the remaining portion was to be eaten by the priest
prescriptions on this offering depend on who committed the offense; categories include: priests, congregation, rulers, and individuals.
Guilt Offering
devoted to restitution and reparation
after the organs and select portions are burned to the Lord, the priest (or males in his family) is to eat the remainder of the sacrifice
Leviticus 10:1-5: The Death of Aaron's Sons
Of course the installation of priests at the Tabernacle would not go smoothly. I say that because the story of the Israelites who have been liberated from Egypt has featured their tendency to rebel against God and misunderstand his purposes and plans. When the priests are first ordained and sacrifices are first offered, God's presence (a pillar of fire) alights the altar. Two of Aaron's sons ( Nadab and Abihu) decide that they need to light censers of incense (which produce smoke) presumably to shield the people from seeing the Lord's Glory (see Leviticus 16:13). This was not a bad idea, but we are told that they offered "unauthorized fire" meaning that they did not get the coals for their censers from* the main altar as was instructed (because it was consumed by the fiery glory of God presumably). For this transgression they are struck dead. This is certainly a severe punishment. Through it, God showed the Israelites the implications of his holiness (that he could not tolerate transgression), and the gravity of the instructions that he had just given the priests through Moses. The Israelites - especially the priests - would have learned quickly and publicly that God was very serious about the rules they were being given about Tabernacle worship.
In Review. Nadab and Abihu were killed for getting the fire / coals for their incense censers from the wrong place. Strangely enough the instruction regarding where they were supposed to get the coals for their censer from does not appear until Leviticus 16:13. Stranger still, after this event, in what appears to be a reaction to what happened, Moses instructs the priests to not drink alcohol while serving in the tabernacle under penalty of death; so that may have come into play here.
Leviticus 10: 16-20: Refusal to Eat Priests' Share
Later in the same chapter, a sin offering had been performed, presumably because of what had happened to Nadab and Abihu. There are two options for the sin offering detailed in Leviticus 6:24-30
the Priest shall eat the portions of the sacrifice which are not burned at the altar (internal organs and fat burned on the altar)
the priest shall offer the internal organs and fat on the altar of burnt offering and then take some of the blood into the tent of meeting to make atonement before the Lord, then the entire remainder of the sacrifice should be burned up outside of the tabernacle.
Aaron's remaining sons (Eleazar and Ithmar) do not do either of these, they offer the prescribed portions on the altar, do not take any blood into the tent of meeting, and burn up the remainder of the sacrifice outside of the tabernacle. Moses is angry when he hears this, but accepts Aaron's explanation that eating the sin offering, in this instance, would have angered the Lord. the IVP Backgrounds Commentary explains why this might be the case:
"The sin offering was believed to absorb the impurities that it was presented to remedy...When a great amount is absorbed (as on the day of atonement), the entire offering is burned so as to dispose of the impurity. But on most occasions the priest eating of the prescribed parts plays a role in the purification process. Milgrom suggests that it symbolized holiness swallowing up impurity. if this is so, Milgrom is right in understanding Aaron's explanation to Moses here as reflecting his fearful caution. The presence of his sons' corpses in the sanctuary area may have greatly increased the amount of impurity absorbed by the purification(sin) offering, making it lethal to the priest."
Study Questions:
Psalm 25 is a plea for forgiveness. verse 11 indicates why (or at-least one reason why) David wants to be forgiven. What is that reason? have you ever desired to be forgiven for that reason?
In Psalm 30:11, the psalmist writes that God "turned my wailing into dancing; and removed my sackloth and clothed me with joy." has God ever done that for you? how is God able to affect this change? can God do this for you today?
What did David do in order to have God forgive his sin according to Psalm 32:5? do you remember to do this important step? when was the last time?
Psalm 39:5 describes how fleeting and brief our earthly life is. How should this truth affect the way we understand time and spend our lives?
Leviticus 4 lists the instructions for sin offerings. three different times, this sacrifice is prescribed when someone, or a group of people "realize their guilt." how does this principle relate to Christ's sacrifice for our sins? what must you acknowledge before you can be forgiven?
In Leviticus 7:14 we're told that a fellowship offering (sacrifice) could be performed as "an expression of thankfulness." We don't practice animal sacrifices anymore, but what are some things that we can do as "an expression of thankfulness?"
in Leviticus 10, Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu were punished because of God's holiness. What implcations does God's holiness have on your relationship with him?