Certainly this must be one of the great days in history, the day God moves into His new home.
Leviticus 1:1 reads, “Now the Lord called to Moses, and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting.” Three vital facts stand out. First, this is a book from God. More than 50 times in these 27 chapters we read “the Lord spoke to Moses” or “the Lord commanded Moses” or something similar. The book should be taken seriously because God is speaking. Second, contrary to the higher critics, Leviticus was communicated to the world through Moses. The Lord Jesus also agreed, quoting this volume often in His ministry (e.g., Mt 5:33, 38, 43; Mk 7:10). Third, we see the difference with the previous book, Exodus, which was spoken from the heights of Sinai. Now the Lord has ratified His covenant with the nation of Israel, specifically to live among them. Clearly, God is IN and we sinners are OUT. But God in His matchless love found a way to bring us near. The following lessons about sacrifices and priesthood were given both as temporary arrangements for Israel, and physical illustrations of the spiritual realities that must await the incarnation of the Son of God. So if we’re looking for a reason to study this book, we have many from which to choose. 1. It reveals the heart and character of God—His righteousness, justice, mercy, and love. 2. It shows the pathway to holiness for the believer, realizing that, though the Levitical sacrificial system has been set aside, believers today are nonetheless priests and have many sacrifices of a spiritual nature that we are to offer. 3. It shines the white light of the New Testament accounts of Christ and His sacrifice through the prism of Old Testament types so we can see the distinctive beauties in their varied glories. Yes, Leviticus will be well worth our diligent study!