Read Leviticus 21:1-24:23 at Bible Gateway.
lev 21:2-24:23, emor chiastic structure 2012 may 12
lev 20-21, standards for the priests 2011 feb 25
lev 22-23, feast days of the Lord 2011 feb 26
lev 24-25, death swallowed up in life 2011 feb 27
the teaching tools of scripture
The paragraph divisions for emor are as follows:
Lev 21:1-15 s The priests shall not defile themselves for the dead or with a defiled woman;
Lev 21:16-24 p No man of the house of Aaron with a defect shall offer the bread of God;
Lev 22:1-16 p The law of the separation of the holy things + offerings given to the LORD
Lev 22:17-25 s No sacrifice with a defect shall be offered as the bread of God;
Lev 22:26-33 p Sacrifices become acceptable on the eighth day + the LORD sanctifies Israel
Lev 23:1-3 p The law of the Sabbath
Lev 23:4-8 p The law of Passover and Unleavened Bread–
Lev 23:9-14 s The law of the Firstfruits of the Barley Harvest
Lev 23:15-22 p The law of the Firstfruits of the Wheat Harvest–
Lev 23:23-25 s The law of Trumpets
Lev 23:26-32 p The law of Atonement
Lev 23:33-44 p The law of Tabernacles
Lev 24:1-4 p The law of the tending the menorah
Lev 24:5-9 s The law of tending the showbread
Lev 24:10-12 p The Egyptian’s son who blasphemed YHVH
Lev 24:13-23 p The law of the death penalty
I had previously posted the chiastic structure for emor, but it was nagging at me. This is the revised structure:
1a) Lev 21:1-5, The sons of Aaron shall not defile themselves for the dead among their people;
1b) Lev 21:6-22:33 {s+p+p+s+p} The bread of God and those who offer it shall be without defilement or defect;
1c) Lev 23:1-3 {p} The Law of the Sabbath;
1d) Lev 23:4, These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim;
1e) Lev 23:5, Passover precedes Unleavened Bread;
1f) Lev 23:6-8 {p} The week long feast of Unleavened Bread;
1g) Lev 23:9-14 {s} Firstfruits of the Barley Harvest, when Jesus arose, the firstfruits of the resurrection (1 Cor 15:20-23);
central axis) Lev 23:15-22 {p} Firstfruits of the Wheat Harvest (Weeks), on which the Torah and the Spirit was given (Exo 19-20, Act 2);
2g) Lev 23:23-25 {s} Trumpets, when will be the resurrection of those who are His at His coming (1 Cor 15:52, 1 The 4:16);
2f) Lev 23:33-36a, The week long feast of Tabernacles;
2e) Lev 23:36b, The 8th Day follows Tabernacles;
2d) Lev 23:37-44 {p} These are the feasts of the Lord which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations;
2c) Lev 24:1-4 {p} The Law of the tending the menorah;
2b) Lev 24:5-9 {s} The Law of tending the showbread (the bread of God);
2a) Lev 24:10-23 {p+p} Those who are to be put to death among the people of Israel.
First, the Lev 23:26-32 {p} strong paragraph on the Law of Atonement is not present in this structure. It doesn’t fit. It might be that it is supposed to be included with 2G, and read Trumpets + Atonement (Trumpets announces Atonement). Or it might be that it will make a pair by itself with a greater structure in Leviticus as we have seen other out of place elements do. We will see.
But what is most interesting is the C pair: the Law of the Sabbath/ the Law of tending the menorah. They are forced together by the elements surrounding them, but how do these pair?
When we do not neglect Sabbath, the foundation of the annual feast cycle (and by extension, the annual feasts) our observance shines a continual light of witness. Isn’t God and His word amazing!
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