~~~~~Lesson: Leviticus: Chapter 19 (reading after lesson)
Note the common refrain throughout the chapter: “I am the Lord, your God.” Every single rule/verse has this at the end, as if to remind the Israelites that it wasn’t the actual external act that had highest importance. Though often the act itself was important, but overriding that was the importance of obeying the Lord. This chapter can (almost) be read as stand-along, as it follows the same formatting of larger sections, books, and covenants: “rules to be followed, than blessings/curses for following/not following above rules.” In this section, the curses include being cut off from the people. While a specific blessing isn’t mentioned, the last verse does reference the benefit that God had already given the Israelites- aka: being brought out of the land of Egypt. Many more curses are mentioned in the following verses. Do you think God rewards and punishes us today based on our actions? Do you think everything that will happen to us is pre-ordained? Do these two concepts clash? Why or why not? ~Reading: Chapter 19: Various Rules of Conduct (entire chapter) The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy. Revere your mother and father, and keep my Sabbath. I, the Lord, am your God. Do not turn aside to idols, nor make molten gods for yourselves. I, the Lord, am your God. “When you sacrifice your peace offering to the Lord, if you wish it to be acceptable, it must be eaten on the very day of your sacrifice or on the following day. Whatever is left over until, the third day shall be burned up in the fire. If any of it is eaten on the third day, the sacrifice will be unacceptable as refuse; whoever eats of it then shall pay the penalty for having profaned what is sacred to the Lord. Such a one shall be cut off from his people. “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not be so thorough that you reap the field to its very edge, nor shall you glean the stray ears of grain. Likewise, you shall not pick your vineyard bare, nor gather up the grapes that have fallen. These things you shall leave for the poor and the alien. I, the Lord, am your God. “You shall not steal. You shall not lie or speak falsely to one another. You shall not swear falsely by my name, thus profaning the name of your God. I am the Lord. “You shall not defraud or rob your neighbor. You shall not withhold overnight the wages of your day laborer. You shall not curse the deaf, or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the Lord. “You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment. Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty, but judge your fellow men justly. You shall not go about spreading slander among your kinsmen, nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbor’s life is at stake. I am the Lord. “You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. Though you may have to reprove your fellow man, do not incur sin because of him. Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. “Keep my statues: do not breed any of your domestic animals with others of a different species; do not sow a field of yours with two different kinds of seed; and do not put on a garment woven with two different kinds of thread. “If a man has carnal relations with a female slave who has already been living with another man but has not yet been redeemed or given her freedom, they shall be punished but not put to death, because she is not free. The man, moreover, shall bring to the entrance of the meeting tent a ram as his guilt offering to the Lord. With this ram the priest shall make atonement before the Lord for the sin he has committed, and it will be forgiven him. “When you come into the land and plant any fruit tree there, first look upon its fruit as if it were uncircumcised. For three years, while its fruit remains uncircumcised, it may not be eaten. In the fourth year, however, all of its fruit shall be sacred to the Lord as thanksgiving feast to him. Not until the fifth year may you eat its fruit. Thus it will continue its yield for you. I, the Lord, am your God. “Do not eat meat with the blood still in it. Do not practice divination or soothsaying. Do not clip your hair at the temples, nor trim the edges of your beard. Do not lacerate your bodies for the dead, and do not tattoo yourselves. I am the Lord. “You shall not degrade your daughter by making a prostitute of her; else the land will become corrupt and full of lewdness. Keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary. I am the Lord. “Do not go to mediums or consult fortune-tellers, for you will be defiled by them. I, the Lord, am your God. “Stand up in the presence of the aged, and show respect for the old; thus shall you fear your God. I am the Lord. “When an alien resides with you in your land, do not molest him. You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; have the same love for him as for yourself; for you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt. I, the Lord, am your God. “Do not act dishonestly in using measures of length or weight or capacity. You shall have a true scale and true weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin. I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Be careful, then, to observe all my statues and decrees. I am the Lord.”
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Leaving some of the harvest behind was a common practice in ancient cultures. It was a way to “thank” the god of fertility (or land, or whatever…depending on culture) for the harvest. The Law allows the same practice, but gives a different reason for it. The gleanings were to be left for those who were poor or aliens in the land, turning this act of pagan worship into an act of charity
Note: Chapter 17-22 are rules for practical holiness (aka- rules that may apply to everyday life). I'm going to break this section into three different lessons/readings…and they will both still be long!
~~~~~Lesson: Leviticus: Chapters 17-18 (reading after lesson) In chapter 17, we cover the fact that all sacrifices must be made to God (and not to other gods) and that blood must not be ingested. Question: We no longer have to offer sacrifice in front of the temple....however, can you list an example of showing proper respect to God? Can you list an example of "sacrificing to other gods"? Chapter 18 deals with sexual conduct. When the Israelites were in Egypt, it was common practice for royalty to marry their brother/sister. God clearly states many examples of what is wrong. Question: Can you think of a practical reason for avoiding inner-family relationships? Do you believe certain things are morally wrong no matter what God you believe in? ~Reading: Leviticus: Chapters 17-18 Chapter 17: Sacredness of Blood (8-10) "Tell them, therefore: Anyone, whether of the house of Israel or of the aliens residing among them, who offers a holocaust or sacrifice without bringing it to the entrance of the meeting tent to offer it to the Lord, shall be cut off from his kinsmen. And if anyone, whether of the house of Israel or of the aliens residing among them, partakes of any blood, I will set myself against that one who partakes of blood and will cut him off from among his people." Chapter 18: The Sanctity of Sex (1-5) The Lord said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and tell them: I, the Lord, am your God. You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you once lived, nor shall you do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you; do not conform to their customs. My decrees you shall carry out, and my statutes you shall take care to follow. I, the Lord, am your God. Keep, then, my statutes and decrees, for the man who carries them out will find life through them. I am the Lord." [List of outlawed sexual acts and relationships] It was widely believed that “uncleanness” or “disfavor by God” as caused by demonic powers. The list of reasons given here is drastically different from the rules laid out by other religions (or cults) at the time. It also put forth the idea that uncleanness was a natural part of living. Everyone, in their natural lifestyle, would become unclean. It was only staying unclean- or staying separate from God and his laws- that was dangerous/sinful.
~~~~~Lesson: Leviticus: Chapters 11-15 (reading after lesson)
1) In the first section, we get lists after lists of what is allowed to be eaten. And rules about dealing with the dead bodies of both the clean & unclean animals. The ancient Israelites must have wondered just as much as we do WHY these rules existed. Luckily for both of us, God answers in verses 44-45. Because he is holy, and wants us to be the same. Question: We not longer have rules on what we can eat; however, can you think of some rules that we do follow in order to be holy? Do you think that the animals listed are something to be avoided or do you believe that God gave the rules in order for the Israelites to constantly be reminded of God's presence? 2) Chapter 12 deals with women and how they are unclean both after menstruation and after birth. After a boy's birth, she is unclean for seven days; after a girl's birth, she is unclean for fourteen days. Questions: Can you think of a good reason why a woman would be considered unclean after birth? Is there a good reason for people to avoid her and the child for a few days? Can you think of a reason for the difference in time for boys vs. girls? (There is no right answer; generally, scholars are guessing...this question is just for fun). 3) Chapters 13-15 mostly cover skin diseases. An interesting side-note is that while leprosy is referred to in the bible, it is not actually the disease we know as leprosy. It is a different skin condition that was simply translated as leprosy and then kind of stuck after awhile. Can you think of a good reason for all of the rules about skin diseases? (again, an opinion question) ~Reading: Leviticus: Chapters 11-15- Rules for Holy Living Chapter 11: 1-3, 9, 13, 20-21, 27, 29, 44-45 (1-3)The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Speak to the Israelites and tell them: Of all land animals these are the ones you may eat: any animal that has hoofs you may eat, provided it is cloven-footed and chews the cud." (9)"Of the various creatures that live in the water, you may eat the following: whatever in the seas or in river waters that has both fins and scales you may eat." (13)"Of the birds, these you shall loathe and, as loathsome, they shall not be eaten: the eagle, the vulture, the osprey...." (many more examples) (20-21)"The various winged insects that walk on all fours are loathsome for you. But of the various winged insects that walk on all fours you may eat those that have jointed legs for leaping on the ground;" (27)"Of the various quadrupeds, all those that walk on paws are unclean for you; everyone who touches their dead bodies shall be unclean until evening," (29)"Of all the creatures that swarm on the ground, the following are unclean for you: the rat, the mouse, the various kinds of lizards..." (many more examples) (44-45) "For I, the Lord, am your God; and you shall make and keep yourselves holy, because I am holy. You shall not make yourselves unclean, then, by any swarming creature that crawls on the ground. Since I, the Lord, brought you up from the land of Egypt that I might be your God, you shall be holy, because I am holy." Chapter 12: 1-2, 5 (1-2) The Lord said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites: When a woman has conceived and gives birth to a boy, she shall be unclean for seven days, with the same uncleanness as at her menstrual period." (5) If she gives birth to a girl, for fourteen days she shall be as unclean as at her menstruation, after which she shall spend sixty-six days in becoming purified of her blood. Chapters 13-15 I'm not going to copy out specific rules for this section. It covers multiple rules for skin diseases, menstruation, uncleanness as related to sexual conduct, and many more. Feel free to read the chapters in full if you so desire. Moses applies blood to the right ear, thumb, and large toe of Aaron and his sons when they are being sanctified as priests to God. There are a couple of meanings that can be derived from this. The first is that the applying of the blood to the extremities symbolized the sanctification of the whole man just as the altar was sanctified by spreading on its outermost edges. Another is that the ears receive instructions, which the hands and feet execute.
Which, if either, of these meaning do you prefer? (Source for today’s information: The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. 1990. Editors: R.E. Brown; J.A. Fitzmyer, S.J.; R.E. Murphy, O.Carm.) ~~~~~Lesson: Leviticus: Chapters 8-10 (reading after lesson)
In the first section, I copied out all of the details of how Aaron's sons were first anointed. These details tend to get lost amid all the other details of the offerings and setting up of the tent, and the many other things we read of. The reason I put these down is because I wanted to point out that it was not the actual actions, in their specific order, that was important to God. It was the fact that Moses, Aaron, and the others FOLLOWED his orders that was important. Do we sometimes confuse what is important to God? (aka- is it the actual crucifix that is important or that we are showing faith? Is it the actual church building that is important or the fact that we use it as a gathering of the spiritual body of Christ?) Aaron and his sons followed all of God's orders. And then Aaron's own two sons go and disobey those orders! God kills them. Why do you think they disobeyed God's orders so quickly? (This is opinion, there is no wrong answer). Do you think God's punishment was too harsh? Why or why not? Moses then counsels Aaron on why God's actions (aka- killing Aaron's two sons) was a good thing. Aaron says nothing. He doesn't agree....but he also doesn't disagree. (At least, that is how I read it). Reading that section, do you think Aaron agrees or disagrees? (He later says something that pleases Moses, but remains silent at first.) ~Reading: Leviticus: Chapters 8-10 Chapter 8:1-13, 33-36 (1-13) The Lord said to Moses, "Take Aaron and his sons, together with the vestments, the anointing oil, the bullock for a sin offering, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened food. Then assemble the whole community at the entrance of the meeting tent." And Moses did as the Lord had commanded. When the community had assembled at the entrance of the meeting tent, Moses told them what the Lord had ordered to be done. Bringing forward Aaron and his sons, he first washed them with water. Then he put the tunic on Aaron, girded him with the sash, clothed him with the robe, placed the ephod on him, and girded him with the embroidered belt of the ephod, fastening it around him. He then set the breastpiece on him, with the Urim and Thummim in it, and put the miter on his head, attaching the gold plate, the sacred diadem, over the front of the miter, at his forehead, as the Lord had commanded him to do. Taking the anointing oil, Moses anointed and consecrated the Dwelling, with all that was in it. Then he sprinkled some of this oil seven times on the altar, and anointed the altar, with all its appurtenances, and the laver, with its base, thus consecrating them. He also poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head, thus consecrating him. Moses likewise brought forward Aaron's sons, clothed them with tunics, girded them with sashes, and put turbans on them, as the Lord had commanded him to do. (33-36) "Moreover, you are not to depart from the entrance of the meeting tent for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed; for your ordination is to last for seven days. The Lord has commanded that what has been done today be done to make atonement for you. Hence you must remain at the entrance of the meeting tent day and night for seven days, carrying out the prescriptions of the Lord, otherwise you shall die; for this is the command I have received." So Aaron and his sons did all that the Lord had commanded through Moses. Chapter 9:1-5 (1-5)During this time Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers and, strewing incense on the fire they had put in them, they offered up before the Lord profane fire, such as he had not authorized. Fire therefore came forth from the Lord's presence and consumed them, so that they died in his presence. Moses then said to Aaron, "This is as the Lord said: 'Through those who approach me I will manifest my sacredness; In the sight of all the people I will reveal my glory.'" But Aaron said nothing. Then Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron's uncle Uzziel, with the order, "Come, remove your kinsmen from the sanctuary and carry them to a place outside the camp." So they went in and took them, in their tunics, outside the camp, as Moses had commanded. Though there isn’t solid evidence, some scholars believe that honey was forbidden as a sacrifice to God (by the Israelites) because it was widely used in Canaanite cultic practices.
~~~~~Lesson: Leviticus: Chapters 5-7 (reading after lesson)
There were/are many special cases listed in the bible in which offerings were required, but this one in particular struck me: "or if someone, without being aware of it, rashly utters an oath to do good or evil, such as men are accustomed to utter rashly, and then recognizes that he is guilty of such an oath; then whomever is guilty in any of these cases shall confess the sin he has incurred" How often do we speak without thinking, and then realize later what we have said? Now read that section again. God knows that we do this. He understands that we are not perfect. BUT once we realize our actions, we must confess them to God and accept that we did them; not deny that we did anything wrong or say "Well, I didn't MEAN to do that". Question: What is an example of you rashly speaking, promising, etc. without thinking? How did you mend this? The next section we read (5:14-17) talks about someone who accidentally cheats God of what is "due." Do you think anything is required in giving to the- whatever one you attend/used to attend/might want to attend- church? Why or why not? Is there a difference between accidentally not giving what is due and willfully not giving what is due? Which is worse, in your opinion? God commands that the fire put on the altar for the daily holocaust not be put out. We can apply this to us....instead of an actual fire on an alter burning meat, we can look at the fire of our love for God in our hearts. How can we keep our fervor and love for God always burning? ~Reading: Leviticus: Chapters 5-7 Leviticus 5:1-6, 14-17 (1-6) "If any person refuses to give information which, as a witness of something he has seen or learned, he has been adjured to give, and thus commits a sin and has guilt to bear; or if someone, without being aware of it, touches any unclean thing, as the carcass of an unclean wild animal, or that of an unclean domestic animal, or that of an unclean swarming creature, and thus becomes unclean and guilty; or if someone, without being aware of it, touches some human uncleanness, whatever kind of uncleanness this may be, and then recognizes his guilt; or if someone, without being aware of it, rashly utters an oath to do good or evil, such as men are accustomed to utter rashly, and then recognizes that he is guilty of such an oath; then whomever is guilty in any of these cases shall confess the sin he has incurred, and as his sin offering for the sin he has committed he shall bring to the Lord a female animal from the flock, a ewe lamb or a she-goat. The priest shall then make atonement for his sin." (14-17) The Lord said to Moses, "If someone commits a sin by inadvertently cheating in the Lord's sacred dues, he shall bring to the Lord as his guilt offering an unblemished ram from the flock, valued at two silver shekels according to the standard of the sanctuary shekel. He shall also restore what he has sinfully withheld from the sanctuary, adding to it a fifth of its value. This is to be given to the priest, who shall then make atonement for him with the guilt-offering ram, and he will be forgiven. "If someone, without being aware of it, commits such a sin by doing one of the things which are forbidden by some commandment of the Lord, that he incurs guilt for which he must answer...." Chapter 6:5-6 (5-6) The fire on the altar is to be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest shall put firewood on it. On this he shall lay out the holocaust and burn the fat of the peace offerings. The fire is to be kept burning continuously on the altar; it must not go out. Chapter 7:33-35 (33-35) The descendant of Aaron who offers up the blood and fat of the peace offering shall have the right leg as his portion, for from the peace offerings of the Israelites I have taken the breast that is waved and the leg that is raised up, and I have given them to Aaron, the priest, and to his sons by perpetual ordinance as a contribution from the Israelites. This is the priestly share from the oblations of the Lord, allotted to Aaron and his sons on the day he called them to be the priests of the Lord..." Many ancient cultures offered sacrifices. While most believed that the food sacrifices were actual food that the gods needed, the Hebrews viewed the sacrifices as a “gift” to God. Offerings ranged all types of foods and drinks, with each culture having their own “sacred” sacrifices and foods/drinks that were forbidden
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Jennifer Becker Landsberger
Who am I? Freelance writer (magazines, websites, & copywriting), Catholic, military wife, and Mensan. Double Bachelor's in History & Psychology. Witnessing by charity and love are above all. Studying the Bible and beyond helps me on this quest. Feel free to join my walk into the Bible.
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If you found the information helpful, even a small donation would be wonderful! Thank you & God bless you. ~~~Prayer before Writing-
Oh creator of the universe, who has set the stars in the heavens and causes the sun to rise and set, shed the light of your wisdom into the darkness of my mind. Fill my thoughts with a loving knowledge of you, that I may bring you like to others. Just as you can make even babies speak your truth, instruct my tongue and guide my pen to convey the wonderful glory of the Gospel. Make my intellect sharp, my memory clear, and my words eloquent, so that I may faithfully interpret the mysteries what you have revealed. Categories
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To my readers & fellow writers,
I promise: 1. I will pray that God's grace helps illuminate all of our interactions- both those of simple reading and more active conversations. 2. I will communicate with you respectfully and civilly. These are (rightly) issues which we feel passionate about. But even in disagreements, I will respect you fellow "seekers of truth." 3. I will not fall into negative behavior or words, such as insinuations, exaggerations, blames, or personal attacks. I respectfully ask you to do the same. 4. I will pray we will all find the truth and strive to fulfill the two greatest commandments: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30-31) This site will occasionally feature paid posts! I always 100% verify everything I endorse. You will not see posts for products or sites I would not use myself.
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