Leviticus Outline

==Leviticus:
Sanctification of A Nation ==

Leviticus,
the third book of the Pentateuch, focuses on the purification of the Jewish
people. It gives instructions as to how the people should live righteously;
they had been taken from Egypt, but they needed instructions in righteous
living. Geisler states: “It has been well said that it took God only one night
to get Israel out of Egypt but it took forty years to get Egypt out of them.”[1] This paper will describe
biographical details of the author, the writing date, historical background,
the people targeted, and the purpose of the book of Leviticus.

## **Author**

Moses
was the human author of Leviticus, the third book of the Pentateuch. Geisler
says that, “The same kind of arguments that indicate Moses wrote Exodus also
support his authorship of Leviticus.”[2] Those arguments included
the fact that Moses, an eyewitness to the events, was the only person with
time, interest, and ability to write about them, and the New Testament
testifies to Moses’s authorship. Another reason that one should believe that
Moses wrote Leviticus is because since he received the contents of this book on
Mount Sinai. Since the context of the book is Moses giving the people God’s
instructions on how He wanted the Hebrews to live, then it should be obvious
that Moses is given credit for writing Leviticus. Gleason L. Archer says in his
book *A Survey of Old Testament:*
Introduction: *“When all the data of the Pentateuchal text have been*
carefully considered, and all the evidence, both internal and external, has
been fairly weighed, the impression is all but irresistible that Mosaic
authorship is the one theory that best accords with the surviving historical
data.”[3] However, the best argument
for the Mosaic authorship of Leviticus is the words of Jesus. “Jesus affirmed
its Mosaic authorship when referring to the law of cleansing from ‘leprosy.’”[4]
This makes it clear that Moses did indeed write the book of Leviticus.

## **Date**

Since
Leviticus is part of the Pentateuchal canon, it stands to reason that it would
have been written around the same time as the other four books of the
Pentateuch. Geisler says that it was written between 1445 and 1405 B.C. and
that Moses probably finished it around the time their wanderings in the desert
were completed.[5]
The *Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible* says:

God revealed some of the laws in
Leviticus by speaking to Moses from the tent of meeting, or tabernacle (Lv
1:1). Other laws were revealed on Mt Sinai (26:46). Such statements show that
Moses learned the contents of Leviticus after the tabernacle had been built,
but before the Israelites left Mt Sinai. This fits in with Exodus 40:17, which
says that the tabernacle was erected exactly a year after the Israelites left
Egypt. [6]

*The*
Bible Knowledge Commentaries *says,*
“The book is the sequel to Exodus.”[7]
Thus we can safely assume that Leviticus was written immediately or shortly
after Exodus was penned.

## **Historical Background**

Penned just prior to Leviticus, Exodus describes the
departure of the children of Israel from the land of Egypt and the establishment
of the Jewish religious system.[8]
Leviticus elaborates on the system given to the Israelites by God in the book
of Exodus. God speaks directly to Moses, giving him the guidelines for the new
system. *The Bible Knowledge Commentary* says, “The Book of Leviticus deals with the worship of Israel—its sacrifices,
priesthood, laws rendering a person unclean and so disqualifying him for
worship, and various special times and seasons of worship.”[9] The
entire system was given in extreme detail, which is not surprising, considering
the fact that God was dictating it to Moses; it stands to reason that the God
of this universe has the authority to give instruction on how He is to be
worshiped. Thirty-eight times the words “to speak” appear in Leviticus,
symbolizing that it is a revelation of God.[10] So one can see that the
Jewish form of worship is no idea of mortal man, but a direct command from God.

## **To Whom It Was Written**

The book of Leviticus was written to the Jews. The
sacrificial system was given, as well as details concerning the priesthood,
laws, and times for worship.[11] These are part of the
Jewish worship system, and the system is not applicable to us today. However,
some of the principles can be carried over. The *Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible* says that the burnt offerings were
a representation of Christ, the sacrifice for our sins. It also says that
Christians can apply what God told the Israelites: “Christians are still called
to ‘be holy for I am holy’.”[12]
There are more principles that can apply to Christians today:

The practical exhortations to care
for the poor, the blind, and the deaf; to be fair and honest; and to be
faithful in marriage are just as applicable now as they were 3000 years ago.
Our Lord summed up the whole Law and the prophets with a quotation from
Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,” and
another from Leviticus 19:18, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”[13]

So in conclusion,
although the worship system is not for the Christian today, he can still take
the principles and apply them to his life.

## **Why Was It Written**

The book of Leviticus was written so that the Jewish
people would know how to worship the God who had chosen their nation to be His
nation. The first part of the book describes how they were to go about covering
their sins before a righteous God. *Baker*
Encyclopedia of the Bible *states that: “Chapters 1–17 show how God wanted*
Israel to worship him”[14]
*Easton’s Bible Dictionary* says, “In this
section of the book (1–17), which exhibits the worship itself, there is, (1.) A
series of laws (1–7) regarding sacrifices, burnt-offerings, meat-offerings, and
thank-offerings (1–3), sin-offerings and trespass-offerings (4; 5), followed by
the law of the priestly duties in connection with the offering of sacrifices.” [15]
The sacrificial system was vitally important to the Jewish nation, as it was
the only way they could cover their sins in order to have fellowship with God. “Under
the Law *sacrifice was given by God as the*
only sufficient means for Israelites to remain in harmonious fellowship with
Himself*.”[16]*
There were two types of sacrifice: a national sacrifice and a personal
sacrifice. The national sacrifice was given by the High Priest and was an
atonement for the entire nation of Israel. The personal sacrifice was a
sacrifice given to cover an individual’s sins. The last part of the book of
Leviticus mainly dealt with the Jews’ daily lives of holiness before God. [17]

The book of Leviticus was important to the Jewish nation;
without it, they would have no basis for their system of worship. However, the
system that is laid out in Leviticus is no longer needed; Christ’s death on the
cross eliminated the need for continual sacrifice. Leviticus still contains
many principles that apply to a walk with God, and for that reason it is a book
that Christians should study.

[1] Norman L. Geisler. *A Popular Survey of the Old Testament.*
Grand Rapids, MI. Baker Book House, 1977. Pg. 65

[2] Norman L.
Geisler. *A Popular Survey of the Old*
Testament. *Grand Rapids, MI. Baker Book House, 1977. Pg. 65*

[3]Archer, Gleason L.
*A Survey of Old Testament: Introduction.* Chicago,
IL, Moody Publishers, 2007

[4] F. Duane Lindsey, “Leviticus,” in *The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An*
Exposition of the Scriptures*, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1*
(Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 163.

[5] Norman L.
Geisler. *A Popular Survey of the Old*
Testament. *Grand Rapids, MI. Baker Book House, 1977. Pg. 66*

[6] Walter A. Elwell and Barry J.
Beitzel, *Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible*
(Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1328.

[7] F. Duane Lindsey, “Leviticus,” in *The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An*
Exposition of the Scriptures*, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1*
(Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 163.

[8] John D. Hannah, “Exodus,” in *The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An*
Exposition of the Scriptures*, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1*
(Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 137.

[9] F. Duane Lindsey, “Leviticus,” in *The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An*
Exposition of the Scriptures*, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1*
(Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 164.

[10]Archer, Gleason L.
*A Survey of Old Testament: Introduction.* Chicago,
IL, Moody Publishers, 2007, pg. 213.

[11] F. Duane Lindsey, “Leviticus,” in *The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An*
Exposition of the Scriptures*, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1*
(Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 164.

[12]
Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, *Baker*
Encyclopedia of the Bible *(Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1334.*

[13]
Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, *Baker*
Encyclopedia of the Bible *(Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1334.*

[14]
Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, *Baker*
Encyclopedia of the Bible *(Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1329.*

[15] M.
G. Easton, *Easton’s Bible Dictionary*
(New York: Harper & Brothers, 1893).

[16] F.
Duane Lindsey, “Leviticus,” in *The Bible*
Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures*, ed. J. F. Walvoord*
and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 164.

[17]
F. Duane Lindsey, “Leviticus,” in *The*
Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures*, ed. J. F.*
Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 164.

## For further studies, see also:

Genesis Outline

Exodus Outline

Numbers Outline

Deuteronomy Outline