Read Leviticus 1-2 at Bible Gateway.
Let us not be afraid of Leviticus; God’s paragraph divisions are going to help us understand it! If the Torah were in the form of a chiastic structure, Leviticus would be the central axis! God places neon flashing lights around this book for a reason, and we are going to mine for gold for the few weeks while we are in this book!
“When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of the livestock — of the herd and of the flock.” Lev 1:2
january 2011 sunset off the gulf coast of florida
“Offering” is in Hebrew, Strong’s H7133, qorban. The primary root is H7126, quph – resh – bet in the ancient Hebrew pictographs. The quph is a pictograph of the sun on the horizon. When the sun is on the horizon, the light seems to leave the earth and sky and gather itself to the sun. Have you ever noticed that? All the light is concentrated in the sun. So this pictograph can mean concentrate, and also, gather, as the light gathers itself back to its source. The resh is the head of a man. The bet is the house, so also the family which dwells within that house. The story the ancient pictographs is telling of qorban, is of gathering or drawing the man home.
Where is man’s home, from God’s perspective? With Him! Man was created to dwell with God and the history we have read so far is revealing God’s plan to bring man back home to God. So the purpose of bringing a qorban, an offering, is to cause to draw near to God or gather us home with God. It is a form of worship.
For further study: Tomorrow we are going to start looking at the different kinds of qorban that the Scripture is telling us about. Mark God’s paragraph divisions of these chapters in your Bible (the Hebrew Bible in English will have them). Write out their topics.
Finding Messiah: What fellowship does Messiah have with Moses and the Torah? He is the end, the goal of Torah, and all of Torah prophesies of Him, including Leviticus!
“If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD. Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.” Lev 1:3-4
That Messiah was a male without blemish:
“… you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Pet 1:18-19
That Messiah had our sins put upon Him, transferred to Him, by the laying on of hands:
All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Isa 53:6
That Messiah’s death was substitutionary:
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Cor 5:21
That Messiah’s death made atonement for us:
And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Rom 5:11 KJV
For further reading:
The Old Testament Offerings (Broken link, active February 16, 2011) – a Christian perspective (not the last word)
Substitutionary Atonement of Jesus Christ – Christian Apologetics and Research
leviticus 3-4 –>
leviticus index ::: ::: ::: one year reading schedule
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