Month: October 2019

How to survive the journey through Leviticus

The journey through Leviticus

Leviticus is one of my favorite books of the Bible, not because of the content, but because of what it represents. Someday I’ll write a book about Leviticus. In the meantime, I’ll point out some of the cool stuff and show you how to survive the journey through Leviticus.

Orientation

Leviticus, more than any other book of the Bible, most often feels like a long, disorienting and confusing dark tunnel. If Genesis and Exodus presented challenges, but we still persevered to make it through, Leviticus is often where we give up or quit. I want to help change this for you!

Open to Leviticus

I also want to challenge you to stick it out, bear with me, and challenge yourself to open to Leviticus and read something in it. Don’t worry I’ll provide guidance and some manageable (and hopefully) rewarding options. So let’s get started.

See the connections to Genesis and Exodus

Remember Exodus 2:1 the tribe of Levi? That’s where Leviticus gets its name. These are the instructions and procedures for the priests who came from the tribe of Levi. Levi was one of Jacob’s sons. (Genesis 35:23). Moses and his brother Aaron are from the tribe of Levi. Aaron is appointed by God to be a priest. (Exodus 28:1). See the connections between the first three books of the Bible?

Intro to Leviticus

Leviticus starts out with descriptions of several types of offerings found in the first five chapters.

Ch 1-5 The offerings: burnt, grain, fellowship, sin, guilt

The next several chapters are instructions for the priests, including Moses’ brother Aaron, with a bit of narrative included. Following that are rules and regulations for dealing with that which is considered unclean.

Chapter sixteen describes instructions for a ceremony for a specific day.

Ch 16 The Day of Atonement

The rest of Leviticus is instruction from the Lord. Each section begins, “The Lord said to Moses…”

The whole book ends with, “These are the commands the Lord gave to Moses at Mount Sinai for the Israelites.” Leviticus 27:34 New International Version (NIV)

Think of Jesus

Leviticus more than any other book of the Bible is one to look at, skim over, and constantly ask, “Is there something in here that makes me think of Jesus? Is there a story in the New Testament or a situation where some of these details come up again with Jesus in the picture?”

If you keep that in front of you, you will discover some of the most jaw-dropping, sacred moments in scripture.

Challenge

I feel so strongly about the significance of Leviticus that I want to issue a challenge. Choose the option that looks most manageable, the one that speaks to you. Then challenge yourself to try the one above it.

Read the book of Leviticus.

Skim the book of Leviticus and read a section that stands out to you.

Read all the chapter headings and subtitles.

Read chapter 1-5 and 16.

Read chapter 16.

Which will you choose?

Find Your Stride – How to Navigate Exodus

Find your stride as you navigate Exodus

The bike ride didn’t get any easier, but I started to find my stride in a clunky, awkward sort of way. As you read through these first five books of the Bible, see if you can find your own stride as you navigate Exodus.

Moving from Genesis to Exodus

As I rode through the tunnel, pedaling, praying, focusing on the path, avoiding the other bikes, I started to settle into the journey, well, as much as I could under the circumstances. Though the situation was not any easier, I became accustomed to my environment and how to move in it. As we move from Genesis to Exodus in these first few books of the Old Testament, we can use some of the processes we developed in Genesis to navigate our way through Exodus, mainly looking for people or points of recognition in the contents of the book.

Exodus focuses on Moses and the Israelites

Where Genesis can be identified by recognizing who is in the storyline, Exodus focuses on Moses and the Israelites. If we remember what is happening in the storyline with Moses, we have a way to keep track of what’s in the book of Exodus.

Connection between Genesis and Exodus

Did you read Genesis? The first few verses of Exodus tie in the connection between Genesis and Exodus, setting up the story of what is coming. The rest of Exodus tells the story of Moses and the Israelites.

The story of Moses and the Israelites

Ch 1 The oppression of the Israelites

Ch 2 Moses’ birth (the baby in the basket, Exodus 2:1-10) backstory chapter 1.

Ch 3-4 Moses’ encounter with God, God’s instructions to Moses

Ch 5 Resistance from Pharaoh

Ch 6 God’s Promise

Ch 7-11 The Plagues

Ch 12 The Passover, Exodus out of Egypt

Ch 14 The parting of the Red Sea

Ch 16 Manna (Remember the reference? Now you’re in the know.)

Ch 19-20 Mount Sinai and the Ten Commandments

The next chapters include the laws and the building of the Tabernacle and instructions for the High Priest, plus the people’s big guffaw (the Golden Calf – a demonstration of impatience).

This may seem like a lot of information, but this is the kind of material that carries great significance in other areas of the Bible, especially where Jesus is concerned.

Exodus summarized

In summary:

Moses’ encounter with God

Plagues

Passover

Parting of the Red Sea

God’s instructions for laws (Ten Commandments)

The Tabernacle

The Golden Calf (the people’s mess up)

Instructions take two

See how this works? In no time you can navigate Exodus with ease.