Leviticus: A Love for the Law?!

“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” Psalm 119:18

The book of Leviticus. Probably one of the most confusing books of the Bible. So far, for me as well. So many laws that we don’t understand. Why do the Israelites have to perform all these offerings? Why do sick people need to live outside the camp? Why do mediums have to be put to death? Or why should a boy who blasphemes be stoned? We can easily get frustrated by all these laws. Our frustration and our critical mind can make us easily forget the characteristics of the God we know. His loving character seems to get overshadowed by these (sometimes cruel) laws.

All these laws seem very foreign to us, but the laws in Leviticus were certainly not new for the Israelites. Surrounding Eastern cultures also had laws for their sacred spaces and priests, for unclean animals and diseases. And there were similarities in these laws. And while some suggest that the laws were given in order to protect the Israelites' health, this doesn't always appear to be the case when you take a closer look. It seems like the laws were just something to be accepted and not about God caring for His people. Reading in the dictionaries about the historical background for this book made the laws feel less special and my (already little) love for the law started the crumble. How can Israel be God’s chosen nation when their laws were influenced by surrounding cultures instead of a divine revelation (so it seems)?

In order to understand Leviticus, we have to understand the context and the audience. We have to look at the Bible as a whole. What happened before Leviticus and what was the relationship of the Israelites with God?

Leviticus in context

Let's start at the beginning. Genesis. God’s original plan for this earth was to create a good place that people could have dominion over. His desire was to walk with His people in perfect fellowship. That was His plan. That was Eden. Of course, this went wrong, and people decided to do it on their own. They wanted to determine for themselves what is good and what is evil. They sinned against God. Their sin made them unholy in Eden, a holy place. Holiness drives out sin like light drives back darkness, so when Adam and Eve sinned, God evicted them from His garden. But not without a plan. Someday reconciliation will take place. He promised destruction of the serpent, the evil one (Genesis 3:15):

"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."

We saw God’s desire to be with people, his original plan with the earth, in Genesis (see previous post), but we also see it in Leviticus, although it is hard for us to understand. In Exodus God gave the Israelites the command to build a tabernacle and at the end of the book God’s presence fills the tabernacle. God’s presence now is in the midst of them. Literally. They have this tent in the middle of their camp and… God. is. there. But there is one problem. God is still holy, and His people are not.

And the people of Israel know that. They know He is this God that is to be feared. Hebrews 12:18-21 describes this fear:

"For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, "If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned." Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I tremble with fear." “

These people were really afraid of God. They didn't all know God like we know Him now. And now He is in their midst. He is in the middle of their camp. That is why God gives them these laws. He gives them His standard of holiness. He gives them ways to worship and approach Him, to be with Him. Realizing this helped me see God’s loving character in the book of Leviticus. God is so loving that He will go to any measures necessary to dwell among His people.

Yes, but the sacrifices are disgusting.

So is our sin.

But the laws are so strict. No one can keep them!

That’s why Christ fulfilled them.

Well, the laws are offensive to me.

Yes. And our sin is offensive to God.

The book makes God look so angry!

How would you react if someone or something defiled one of your children?

Leviticus points us to the heart of a Father longing to dwell with His people. The tabernacle points us toward heaven. The sacrifices point to His mercy. The laws point to our protection.

This still isn’t easy to understand, but maybe this is the beginning of understanding God’s heart in the book of Leviticus. We can still wrestle with the hard questions, but we have to keep in mind that we have a limited understanding and that God’s ways are higher than ours.

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These posts are about what I'm learning in my School of Biblical Studies and reflect my personal opinion. I invite you into the conversation. Let's talk about the Bible!

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