Leviticus Laws--Comments please?

[GaryWish]

I have been a Christian for many years and never really read the Bible. (was always weak in that area). In recent years I vowed to read thru the Bible each year. I am currently on my 3rd year and stuck in Leviticus.

I am currently struggling with the idea of all the clean and unclean rules that relate to sexual acts, dead animals, and discharged blood and other liquids and how they are considered details of God's commands. I can recall someone in my past
discussions that said, God gave the Israelite people these laws and rules to help them survive sicknesses and germs (ie dont touch dead animals, and keep people with skin lesions away from the general population).


The reason I struggle with it is there are so many verses that tell us to meditate on "The Book of the Law" (Joshua 1:8) and many other OT references to meditating on God's Law and Commandments. Even in the NT, we are told to meditate on God's Word, which includes all of the OT (All Scripture).

Anyway, just looking for how other people relate to the OT laws handed down in their walk with God.. DO you just read them informationally thanking God you didnt live in that time? DO you read and thank God that we do not have to make all those sin and peace and wave offerings anymore because of Jesus?

What are other thinking?

Thanks

 

[Elin]

I have been a Christian for many years and never really read the Bible. (was always weak in that area). In recent years I vowed to read thru the Bible each year. I am currently on my 3rd year and stuck in Leviticus.

I am currently struggling with the idea of all the clean and unclean rules that relate to sexual acts, dead animals, and discharged blood and other liquids and how they are considered details of God's commands. I can recall someone in my past
discussions that said, God gave the Israelite people these laws and rules to help them survive sicknesses and germs (ie dont touch dead animals, and keep people with skin lesions away from the general population).


The reason I struggle with it is there are so many verses that tell us to meditate on "The Book of the Law" (Joshua 1:8) and many other OT references to meditating on God's Law and Commandments. Even in the NT, we are told to meditate on God's Word, which includes all of the OT (All Scripture).

Anyway, just looking for how other people relate to the OT laws handed down in their walk with God.. DO you just read them informationally thanking God you didnt live in that time? DO you read and thank God that we do not have to make all those sin and peace and wave offerings anymore because of Jesus?

What are other thinking?

Thanks

There is a thread in Bible Discussion Forum, "Leviticus: Seedbed of NT Theology," which presents information on the first 15 chapters of Levitics, and on the Tabernacle, which you may find helpful.

 

[psychomom]

There is a thread in Bible Discussion Forum, "Leviticus: Seedbed of NT Theology," which presents information on the first 15 chapters of Levitics, and on the Tabernacle, which you may find helpful.

I'd be very surprised if someone does not find it helpful.

but, Gary, be prepared for 'shock and awe' kinda stuff.
it's so great I printed it so my hubby and I could study it properly.

welcome to CC.
-ellie

 

[HEIsRiSen]

God wanted his people to be sanctified or set apart from the rest of the world. He did not want them doing things after Egypt or Canaan(Lev18:3)

A lot of people don't realize that many of our laws and practices here in the USA and abroad are taken from or patterned from the levitical laws.

- Wash our hands after coming into contact with anything unclean.
- Don't have sexual relations with near kin (incest).
- Disease and illness can be contracted from contact with blood or exposure to those infected.

These are all things that seem like common sense to us living today and we don't give much thought to it, but apparently people back then did not know these things. Maybe this is what was meant when it was said I will put my laws into their mind and write them in their hearts (Heb8:10)

 

[RedTent]

There is a website that gives explanations of Old Testament by a man who spent eight years in the far east studying the times and culture of OT times. I find that for every book of the bible, understanding the thinking and times it was written to helps a lot with our understanding of the God principles the book is expressing.

This man tries his best to keep to the facts and keep out any of what HE thinks, but I think he sometimes fails at that. However, we are intelligent enough to take advantage of the site and not get side tracked by personal opinions of the author. God is our authority, not any man. But it certainly doesn't hurt to learn about the people mentioned in the bible, their county and how their people thought. For instance.

This man says we are now blessed with much understanding of bible culture. The dead sea scrolls opened up knowledge of language so the ancient writings, found in archeology, could be read. Slowly, scholars are sorting it all out and reporting on what they find.

The website is 'torahclass". Click on Old Testament and you will see a list of the chapters the commentary covers. Then click on the chapter you are studying.

 

[TomL]

I have been a Christian for many years and never really read the Bible. (was always weak in that area). In recent years I vowed to read thru the Bible each year. I am currently on my 3rd year and stuck in Leviticus.

I am currently struggling with the idea of all the clean and unclean rules that relate to sexual acts, dead animals, and discharged blood and other liquids and how they are considered details of God's commands. I can recall someone in my past
discussions that said, God gave the Israelite people these laws and rules to help them survive sicknesses and germs (ie dont touch dead animals, and keep people with skin lesions away from the general population).


The reason I struggle with it is there are so many verses that tell us to meditate on "The Book of the Law" (Joshua 1:8) and many other OT references to meditating on God's Law and Commandments. Even in the NT, we are told to meditate on God's Word, which includes all of the OT (All Scripture).

Anyway, just looking for how other people relate to the OT laws handed down in their walk with God.. DO you just read them informationally thanking God you didnt live in that time? DO you read and thank God that we do not have to make all those sin and peace and wave offerings anymore because of Jesus?

What are other thinking?

Thanks

I don't have any answers. Just wanted to say, interesting topic.

 

[kenisyes]

Torah is the laws of the universe shared with the people of God, so they can conform themselves into harmony with the universe and become a living witness society of what God can do. At least, that's the Jewish thinking. Obviously, in Jesus, we have the heart of God (at least ideally), and so we will penetrate to the purpose of creation, and keep the intention of the laws automatically.

Without Jesus, the Jews had no choice but to aspire to the heart of God by meditating on the Law; it was all they had. To me, the laws are like signposts to get me the right road, but Jesus is already way farther down the right road, so if I follow Him, I keep the purpose of the laws. Kind of like a child can never go in the street, because Daddy said so, but we have grown past that as adults. Neither the child or the adult get hit by the passing car, but we, as adults, keep the law automatically, because we understand why.

 

[loveme1]

This came to me to share.

Matthew 22

36Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

 

[Earlmayknowornot]

Look, It is good for us to study the OT so that we can better understand the New Covenant (testament). Everything in the OT points to the new. When Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected. The law passed away. Things such as touching the dead, eating pork, and burnt offerings passed away. Because, Jesus was and is the ultimate sacrifice. No man can truly follow the law. First of all there is no temple, secondly there is no brazen altar.

Look at it this way, when you have worked with windows 95 and you get a new computer with windows 8. you fully understand the benefits of the new operating system.

In the new covenant, when you accept Jesus as lord. You become the Temple God and are to present yourself as so.

This is why the baptism of the Holy Spirit is so important. Because He will guide you in all things. When we err he convicts our hearts. Then, we either repent or not.

As far as sex goes, it is not between man and women. but, rather husband and wife.

 

[RedTent]

We are so blessed to be living in an age where we can study Leviticus. We weren’t told anything about it or allowed to read it for 1,000 years, from the 5h to the 15[SUP]th[/SUP]century. The church said they were the only ones allowed to read the bible.

When we could read this book, it seemed to be filled with strange and unexplainable rites that involved killing animals. Gross. Besides, the church taught that the Jews were not saved, they deny Christ, what is of the Jews is to be avoided. God gave these rites to the Jews.

This book is all about Christ. Only the most ancient rabbis were aware of that.

Less than 50 years ago a language that was the way ancients communicated was finally understood: the Akkadian language. There were clay tablets that had been found,but no one could make out what the markings on them meant. Now they can be read. What they found opened up new understanding of those strange rites Leviticus tells us of.

As you read them, especially if you have the help of a good interpreter, you will find what Christ has done for us. How Christ restores our relationship to God, and what forgiveness through Christ means for us. The NT tells us Christ died for our sins, Leviticus gives us details from the heavenly realm.

 

[kenisyes]

You are so right. So much has changed just in 20 years, when the theologians started reading Egyptian, as well. All the roots, Sumerian, Akkadian, Egyptian, all just over 200 years old now. Unknown before that, since about 400AD.

 

[PS]

I have been a Christian for many years and never really read the Bible. (was always weak in that area). In recent years I vowed to read thru the Bible each year. I am currently on my 3rd year and stuck in Leviticus.

I am currently struggling with the idea of all the clean and unclean rules that relate to sexual acts, dead animals, and discharged blood and other liquids and how they are considered details of God's commands. I can recall someone in my past
discussions that said, God gave the Israelite people these laws and rules to help them survive sicknesses and germs (ie dont touch dead animals, and keep people with skin lesions away from the general population).


The reason I struggle with it is there are so many verses that tell us to meditate on "The Book of the Law" (Joshua 1:8) and many other OT references to meditating on God's Law and Commandments. Even in the NT, we are told to meditate on God's Word, which includes all of the OT (All Scripture).

Anyway, just looking for how other people relate to the OT laws handed down in their walk with God.. DO you just read them informationally thanking God you didnt live in that time? DO you read and thank God that we do not have to make all those sin and peace and wave offerings anymore because of Jesus?

What are other thinking?

Thanks

Don't worry about it. The law you are reading about is Judaism not Christianity and it is this Jewish law that separates Jew from Gentiles which is something that troubled Jesus deeply so-much-so that when Jesus died the middle wall of partition that separated Jew from Gentile was broken down.

That is what kept Jew and Gentile apart, it was the "law of commandments expressed in ordinances." These are what you are reading about and they do not apply to anyone else apart from the Jews. In Ephesians 2:15-16 we read that Jesus "By abolishing the "law of commandments expressed in ordinances", created a new law in himself in place of the two, so making peace, that He might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility between Jew and Gentile."

What you are reading in Leviticus is finished.

 

[RedTent]

Don't worry about it. The law you are reading about is Judaism not Christianity and it is this Jewish law that separates Jew from Gentiles which is something that troubled Jesus deeply so-much-so that when Jesus died the middle wall of partition that separated Jew from Gentile was broken down.

That is what kept Jew and Gentile apart, it was the "law of commandments expressed in ordinances." These are what you are reading about and they do not apply to anyone else apart from the Jews. In Ephesians 2:15-16 we read that Jesus "By abolishing the "law of commandments expressed in ordinances", created a new law in himself in place of the two, so making peace, that He might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility between Jew and Gentile."

What you are reading in Leviticus is finished.

Oh my!!! "the middle wall of partition that separated Jew from Gentile was broken down"!! Where did THAT come from? "law of commandments expressed in ordinances". "Leviticus is finished". So you better not read scripture? Sounds like you are coming straight out of the dark ages.

 

[crossnote]

Heb 7:11-12 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

We have a complete new Priesthood including a different High Priest therefore the Levitical system has passed. Read the book of Hebrews to see a better Way.

 

[RedTent]

Heb 7:11-12 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

We have a complete new Priesthood including a different High Priest therefore the Levitical system has passed. Read the book of Hebrews to see a better Way.

I so enjoy the book of Hebrews.

It was written to a people who knew the OT thoroughly, now they need to grow in Christ beyond what was. We usually read it as gentiles who thoroughly know the NT, and we don’t see it as a book telling how to grow beyond childhood. We are like children trying to make it in high school without having gone to grade school. Hebrews isn’t a book about getting rid of anything, but of growing beyond. It clearly says so in this book. What was gotten rid of was blood only symbolic of Christ and replace it with the real thing. What was added was the Holy Spirit for everyone.

When the curtain was split it was saying Christ had died for our sins, now we had his blood and all the symbols of that blood were unnecessary any more, the real thing had come. We were to grow.

What do you think Christ thinks when we say that “You told us that we shouldn’t even learn from what your Father did for us in the temple”. Or that the splitting of that curtain was a symbol of something against His people or His Father.

 

[Elin]

I so enjoy the book of Hebrews.

It was written to a people who knew the OT thoroughly, now they need to grow in Christ beyond what was. We usually read it as gentiles who thoroughly know the NT, and we don’t see it as a book telling how to grow beyond childhood. We are like children trying to make it in high school without having gone to grade school. Hebrews isn’t a book about getting rid of anything, but of growing beyond.

Well, actually Hebrews states that the law has been set aside (Heb 7:18-19),
the Levitical priesthood has been replaced (Heb 7:11) and
the Mosaic covenant has been made obsolete (Heb 8:13).

So, yes, they are no more.

When the curtain was split it was saying Christ had died for our sins, now we had his blood and all the symbols of that blood were unnecessary any more, the real thing had come.

The purpose of the curtain was to separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

Jesus died at the time of the evening sacrifice on a solemn feast day when the priests would be officiating in the Temple, and would therefore be eye witnesses that the veil was rent by an invisible power. The Most Holy Place was 15 ft high, and the veil which hung from the top was torn from the top down, rather than the bottom up. No one could reach the top of it to tear it from the top, not to mention it was as thick as the width of a man's hand.

The veil of the Temple was rent at the same time the temple of Christ's body was rent from its spirit, "with a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom." (Mt 27:50-51).

It was a sign of the revealing of the meaning in the OT ceremonial law:
--the mercy seat (atonement cover) was a sign of Christ the great atonement,
--the pot of manna was a sign of Christ, the bread of life,
--the removing of the closure between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place was a sign of the removing of the partition wall between Jews and Gentiles, making them one (Eph 2;14-16), as the two rooms were not made one,
--it was a sign of the opening of a new and living way to God (Heb 10:19-20), a door opened in heaven (Rev 4:1).

What do you think Christ thinks when we say that “You told us that we shouldn’t even learn from what your Father did for us in the temple”. Or that the splitting of that curtain was a symbol of something against His people or His Father.

Not to worry. . .the NT says neither.

It says the old order has passed away and the new order has come (Heb 9:10), and
a new and living way has been opened to God (Heb 10:19-20).

 

[DiscipleDave]

I have been a Christian for many years and never really read the Bible. (was always weak in that area). In recent years I vowed to read thru the Bible each year. I am currently on my 3rd year and stuck in Leviticus.

I am currently struggling with the idea of all the clean and unclean rules that relate to sexual acts, dead animals, and discharged blood and other liquids and how they are considered details of God's commands. I can recall someone in my past
discussions that said, God gave the Israelite people these laws and rules to help them survive sicknesses and germs (ie dont touch dead animals, and keep people with skin lesions away from the general population).


The reason I struggle with it is there are so many verses that tell us to meditate on "The Book of the Law" (Joshua 1:8) and many other OT references to meditating on God's Law and Commandments. Even in the NT, we are told to meditate on God's Word, which includes all of the OT (All Scripture).

Anyway, just looking for how other people relate to the OT laws handed down in their walk with God.. DO you just read them informationally thanking God you didnt live in that time? DO you read and thank God that we do not have to make all those sin and peace and wave offerings anymore because of Jesus?

What are other thinking?

Thanks

Greetings,
The Law was created, to test the Israelite's to see which would follow the laws and which would choose not too. God knew full well that by the time His Son would come to the Earth, that they would not be able to abide by the 600 plus commandments given to them, that they would be lost and would need a Savior.
The Law was created knowing full well they would not be able to keep them, but they were to try to keep them nonetheless.
God knew full well that He was going to create another covenant, because He knew they would not be able to keep the first one.
To be Saved under the old covenant, was to keep ALL the commandments perfectly, and if you failed any one of them, then you were to sacrifice a living animal to have that one sin forgiven, once that was done, you were once again in good standing with God. Under the New Covenant, you are Saved by Believing in Jesus AND -LOVING ONE ANOTHER. Two different covenants.

^i^

 

[TomL]

Oh my!!! "the middle wall of partition that separated Jew from Gentile was broken down"!! Where did THAT come from? "law of commandments expressed in ordinances". "Leviticus is finished". So you better not read scripture? Sounds like you are coming straight out of the dark ages.

How about this, Red, "the veil of the temple was rent in two." Matthew 27.51, ASV.

 

[TomL]

I so enjoy the book of Hebrews.

It was written to a people who knew the OT thoroughly, now they need to grow in Christ beyond what was. We usually read it as gentiles who thoroughly know the NT, and we don’t see it as a book telling how to grow beyond childhood. We are like children trying to make it in high school without having gone to grade school. Hebrews isn’t a book about getting rid of anything, but of growing beyond. It clearly says so in this book. What was gotten rid of was blood only symbolic of Christ and replace it with the real thing. What was added was the Holy Spirit for everyone.

When the curtain was split it was saying Christ had died for our sins, now we had his blood and all the symbols of that blood were unnecessary any more, the real thing had come. We were to grow.

What do you think Christ thinks when we say that “You told us that we shouldn’t even learn from what your Father did for us in the temple”. Or that the splitting of that curtain was a symbol of something against His people or His Father.

I don't have a problem with folks that want to be well versed in the Old Testament. But, I think it is more important to be well versed in Christ.

 

[TomL]

Greetings,
The Law was created, to test the Israelite's to see which would follow the laws and which would choose not too. God knew full well that by the time His Son would come to the Earth, that they would not be able to abide by the 600 plus commandments given to them, that they would be lost and would need a Savior.
The Law was created knowing full well they would not be able to keep them, but they were to try to keep them nonetheless.
God knew full well that He was going to create another covenant, because He knew they would not be able to keep the first one.
To be Saved under the old covenant, was to keep ALL the commandments perfectly, and if you failed any one of them, then you were to sacrifice a living animal to have that one sin forgiven, once that was done, you were once again in good standing with God. Under the New Covenant, you are Saved by Believing in Jesus AND -LOVING ONE ANOTHER. Two different covenants.

^i^

I beg to differ. We Americans keep thousands of laws everyday.