The book of Leviticus is an instruction manuel for holy living. It bewilders most who read it, angers those who read it out of context, is misquoted to make a bad point, and often avoided altogether by Christians. The hard work of digging into this book makes me cringe and want to cower in the corner, rather than read it as I journey through the Bible this year.

On top of my reading plan, the seminary class I'm currently taking is a survey of the Old Testament (OT), which means Leviticus and I will be spending some quality time together.

As I dove into the first 4 chapters last night, I was in need of some help, I consulted my ESV Study Bible for some visual aids to provide perspective, and my brand spanking new textbook for clarification. I hope to share some insights in the coming days, but would like your input as well.

At it's core, Leviticus lets us know that holiness in the presence of a holy God is not optional. As you read it, you must keep the rest of the story in the forefront of your mind, that Jesus fulfilled the sacrificial system with his death, so much of Leviticus is moot, but still infinitely important.

We are told that the meaning of the OT was to make us long for Christ and to make us overwhelmingly aware of our failures and frailties, so that we would cling to the cross, and glorify God with our lives evermore. It's not a list of rules, regulations or how to's. The OT is the story of relationship formed after the fall, and the lengths God will go to in the rescue and redemption of his creation.

Leviticus was written at a unique time in Asian culture where a multitude of other beliefs existed, all with animal sacrifice and holiness codes, but none like these followers of the one true God. Mesopotamians would sacrifice animals to tell the future, reading their entrails. The Jewish sacrifices were directly linked to the RELATIONSHIP formed with God, not as a way to appease him. God sought sacrifice for his people to be clean, not to make him happy. (This of course was foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Christ in the future, when the entire system would be done away with) The holiness codes separated the Jews from their near neighbors by even greater margins, making them an even more different group of people, for the world to behold.

As we read through the first 4 chapters, nothing alarming, other than the minute details of how exactly the offerings are to be received. In addition, it is made quite clear that those in service as priests will be held to a higher standard than anyone else, and that professional ministry should not be entered into lightly.

More to come tomorrow.