Leviticus - An Overview

Most people have a love-hate relationship with the book of Leviticus.  On one hand, it is the central book of Torah and is prophetic of Messiah in so many beautiful and exciting ways.  On the other, it reads like a to-do list with very little interaction or plot and a whole lot of detail. 

Even structurally, Leviticus appears kind of, well bleh.  As the very center of the Pentateuch chiasm, I was expecting layers upon layers of overlapping patterns.  Truth be told, that may indeed be the case but I have yet to identify them.  However, is the lack of complex patterns intentional?  If so, why?  In the heart of “The Greatest Story Ever Told” why is there no story? Perhaps it is this abrupt and surprising structural detail that will once again show us YHWH’s heart.

Leviticus, or Vayikra, begins with 7 chapters of instructions for the different types of offerings.  The word translated ‘offering’ is H7126 qorban.  The root of this word means “to draw near.” 

The book begins with instructions for the ritual offerings and closes with instructions for the rituals of the Moedim – the appointed days.  This transition foreshadows the offerings becoming obsolete, but even so, we can still draw near to YHWH through His feasts!

Dayenu! YHWH has and will always make a way for us to draw near him.  He wants to be our God, and us to be His people.  However, the manifold wisdom of Scripture gives us even more if we are patient.

It is easy to become fixated on or overwhelmed by all the fascinating details in Leviticus – do we sprinkle the blood and pour the oil or burn the oil and smear the blood?  Who eats what and where? These are all good questions but I will not be going into these details. 

Over the next several days, I will be sharing sections of Leviticus that highlight the structure of the information – why it is shared, how it is shared, where is it shared – in hopes of exposing YHWH’s heart for His people.

Go to website to see the overall structure.