Walking with god leviticus

1. God is HOLY. Leviticus teaches about the holiness of God and His requirements for fellowship with Him

2. The sacrifices established in the tabernacle provided a means for a sinful people to APPROACH a holy God.

3. Holy days were created to for the Israelites as times to meet with him. They commemorated God’s works and were prophetic pictures of his plan still to unfold.

Passover Feast of Trumpets Unleavened Bread Day of Atonement Firstfruits Feast of Booths

Feast of Weeks

General Info

• Purposes– To remind the people of what God did for them:

miracle, victory, provision

– To rest (sabbath)

– To give thanks through offerings

– To repent and offer sacrifices

– To read the Scriptures

Passover

• Background– Commemorates God’s deliverance

of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. – Pesach means to “pass over.” – In biblical times, Passover was commemorated

with a sacrifice.– Today, it is commemorated with

a meal.

Passover

• Yeshua (Jesus)– Jesus was crucified as the “Lamb of God who takes

away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

– The Lord’s Supper is a remembrance of his sacrifice as the perfect Passover Lamb.

Unleavened Bread• Background– This unleavened bread (matzah) is made in a

hurry without yeast.

– This representshow the Lordbrought the Israelites out of Egypt in haste.

Matzah being broken

Unleavened Bread

• Yeshua (Jesus)– Matzah is a picture of Jesus, the only human

without sin.– Jesus said that the “bread of God is he who comes

down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:23).

– Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry” (John 6:35).

Firstfruits

• Background– Firstfruits are offerings given for the spring barley

harvest.

– The first ripe sheaf (firstfruits) of barley was offered to the Lord as an act of dedicating the harvest to him.

Firstfruits• Yeshua (Jesus)– Jewish people rarely

celebrate Firstfruits today.– But it has great significance

for followers of Jesus as the day of his resurrection—Easter.

Firstfruits• Yeshua (Jesus)

– Jesus rose on the third day of Passover season, the day of Firstfruits(Luke 24:46-47).

– Jesus’ resurrection gave new meaning to this agricultural holiday.

– Jesus’ resurrection is the promise of the future resurrection of believers (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).

Feast of Weeks

• Background– An offering of grain of the summer wheat harvest

was presented to the Lord to show joy and thankfulness.

– Commemorates the giving of the Law– Celebrated 50 days after Passover

(the day after seven weeks or seven Sabbaths)

Feast of Weeks• Yeshua (Jesus)– Then the sound of a

mighty wind filled the house and tongues of fire came to rest on the disciples, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

– Acts 2

Pentecost (detail) by Jean Restout, 1732

Feast of Trumpets• Background– Marks the beginning of the civil

new year.– Rosh HaShanah means “the beginning of the

year.”– In biblical times, it was a day of rest

and offerings. – It is commemorated with trumpet blasts.

Feast of Trumpets

• Background– Rosh HaShanah, the Ten Days of Repentance that

follow it, and then Yom Kippur make up the High Holy Days.

– Jewish tradition says that God writes every person’s words, deeds, and thoughts in the Book of Life, which he opens on Rosh HaShanah.

Feast of Trumpets• Background– If good deeds

outnumber sinful ones for the year, that person’s name will be inscribed in the Book of Life for another year on Yom Kippur.

Feast of Trumpets• Yeshua (Jesus)– Rosh HaShanah is sometimes referred to as

the Day of Judgment. – Jesus said he has authority to judge people (

John 5:24-27).– Paul called Jesus the judge of “the living and

the dead” (2 Timothy 4:1).– God does have a book of life, the Lamb’s

Book of Life.

Feast of Trumpets

• Yeshua (Jesus)– The only way to

have one’s nameinscribed in theBook is throughfaith in Jesus asSavior from sin, and then it is permanent.

Day of Atonement• Background– The day the high priest made atonement for

sin

– The most solemn Jewish holy day

– Yom means “day”; Kippur means “atonement” or “covering.”

– Atonement means the reconciliation of God and man.

Day of Atonement• Background– In biblical times, the High

Priest entered the Holy of Holies in the temple once a year on Yom Kippur.

– This was a time of fasting and prayer.

High Priest preparing the sacrifice

Day of Atonement• Background– The High Priest offered the

blood sacrifice of atonement on behalf of the people.

– This was an animal sacrifice to pay for his sins and the sins of the people.

High Priest preparing the sacrifice

Day of Atonement

• Background– When the high priest was finished with the

atonement sacrifice, a goat was released into the wilderness.

– This “scapegoat” carried Israel’s sins away, never to return.

Day of Atonement• Yeshua (Jesus)– The Holy of Holies

in the temple wasseparated from the congregation by a thick veil from floor to ceiling.

– When Jesus died on the cross, the veil was ripped from top to bottom.

Day of Atonement

• Yeshua (Jesus)– Christ came as high priest and entered the Holy of

Holies (heaven itself) once for all, by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12).

– Believers in Jesus accept his sacrifice on the cross as the final atonement for sin.

Feast of Booths• Background– Commemorates the 40-year wilderness

journey

– To remember God’s faithfulness and protection during the journey

– During the Israelites’ 40-year wilderness journey, they dwelt in temporary shelters, or booths.

– On this holiday, the Israelites were to build and dwell in booths for seven days to remember how they had lived under God’s care in the wilderness.

Feast of Booths

• Yeshua (Jesus)– Two ceremonies were part of the

last day:• 2. People carrying torches marched around the

temple, then set these lights around the walls of the temple, symbolizing how Messiah would be a light to the Gentiles.

Feast of Booths• Yeshua (Jesus)– When Jesus

attended this feast, on the last day, he said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me …streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:37-38).

Feast of Booths

• Yeshua (Jesus)– The next morning,

while the torches were still burning, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Feast of Booths• Yeshua (Jesus)– This feast represents the final harvest when all

nations will share in the joy and blessings of God’s kingdom.

– During that time, all believers will celebrate this feast (Zechariah 14:16).

Final thoughts on the Holy Days

– Some believe the four spring holidays –Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Weeks–were fulfilled in Messiah’s first coming.

– The three autumn holidays–Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Booths–will be fulfilled at his second coming.

4. Covenant. God PROMISES to pour out his blessings to those who kept his commands.

5. Leviticus anticipates the perfect work CHRIST would accomplish. Christ fulfills the demands of the law. The rituals cannot actually remove sin. Christ’s sacrifice was permanent and perfect.