January 31, 2025
Let's talk about God's holiness.
Leviticus 21-24
Charlotte Yutzy
Big Book Idea
The way to a holy God and the way to walk with a holy God.
Key Verse | Leviticus 22:2
"Speak to Aaron and his sons so that they abstain from the holy things of the people of Israel, which they dedicate to me, so that they do not profane my holy name: I am the LORD."
Leviticus 21-24
Holiness and the Priests
1 And the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, No one shall make himself unclean for the dead among his people, 2 except for his closest relatives, his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother, 3 or his virgin sister (who is near to him because she has had no husband; for her he may make himself unclean). 4 He shall not make himself unclean as a husband among his people and so profane himself. 5 They shall not make bald patches on their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor make any cuts on their body. 6 They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. For they offer the LORD's food offerings, the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy. 7 They shall not marry a prostitute or a woman who has been defiled, neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband, for the priest is holy to his God. 8 You shall sanctify him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I, the LORD, who sanctify you, am holy. 9 And the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by whoring, profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire.
10 The priest who is chief among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose nor tear his clothes. 11 He shall not go in to any dead bodies nor make himself unclean, even for his father or for his mother. 12 He shall not go out of the sanctuary, lest he profane the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him: I am the LORD. 13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity. 1 21:13 Or a young wife 14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute, these he shall not marry. But he shall take as his wife a virgin 2 21:14 Hebrew young woman of his own people, 15 that he may not profane his offspring among his people, for I am the LORD who sanctifies him.”
16 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “Speak to Aaron, saying, None of your offspring throughout their generations who has a blemish may approach to offer the bread of his God. 18 For no one who has a blemish shall draw near, a man blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too long, 19 or a man who has an injured foot or an injured hand, 20 or a hunchback or a dwarf or a man with a defect in his sight or an itching disease or scabs or crushed testicles. 21 No man of the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a blemish shall come near to offer the LORD's food offerings; since he has a blemish, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God. 22 He may eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy and of the holy things, 23 but he shall not go through the veil or approach the altar, because he has a blemish, that he may not profane my sanctuaries, 3 21:23 Or my holy precincts for I am the LORD who sanctifies them.” 24 So Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons and to all the people of Israel.
1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to Aaron and his sons so that they abstain from the holy things of the people of Israel, which they dedicate to me, so that they do not profane my holy name: I am the LORD. 3 Say to them, ‘If any one of all your offspring throughout your generations approaches the holy things that the people of Israel dedicate to the LORD, while he has an uncleanness, that person shall be cut off from my presence: I am the LORD. 4 None of the offspring of Aaron who has a leprous disease or a discharge may eat of the holy things until he is clean. Whoever touches anything that is unclean through contact with the dead or a man who has had an emission of semen, 5 and whoever touches a swarming thing by which he may be made unclean or a person from whom he may take uncleanness, whatever his uncleanness may be— 6 the person who touches such a thing shall be unclean until the evening and shall not eat of the holy things unless he has bathed his body in water. 7 When the sun goes down he shall be clean, and afterward he may eat of the holy things, because they are his food. 8 He shall not eat what dies of itself or is torn by beasts, and so make himself unclean by it: I am the LORD.’ 9 They shall therefore keep my charge, lest they bear sin for it and die thereby when they profane it: I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
10 A lay person shall not eat of a holy thing; no foreign guest of the priest or hired worker shall eat of a holy thing, 11 but if a priest buys a slave 4 22:11 Or servant; twice in this verse as his property for money, the slave 5 22:11 Hebrew he may eat of it, and anyone born in his house may eat of his food. 12 If a priest's daughter marries a layman, she shall not eat of the contribution of the holy things. 13 But if a priest's daughter is widowed or divorced and has no child and returns to her father's house, as in her youth, she may eat of her father's food; yet no lay person shall eat of it. 14 And if anyone eats of a holy thing unintentionally, he shall add the fifth of its value to it and give the holy thing to the priest. 15 They shall not profane the holy things of the people of Israel, which they contribute to the LORD, 16 and so cause them to bear iniquity and guilt, by eating their holy things: for I am the LORD who sanctifies them.”
Acceptable Offerings
17 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “Speak to Aaron and his sons and all the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of the house of Israel or of the sojourners in Israel presents a burnt offering as his offering, for any of their vows or freewill offerings that they offer to the LORD, 19 if it is to be accepted for you it shall be a male without blemish, of the bulls or the sheep or the goats. 20 You shall not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be acceptable for you. 21 And when anyone offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering from the herd or from the flock, to be accepted it must be perfect; there shall be no blemish in it. 22 Animals blind or disabled or mutilated or having a discharge or an itch or scabs you shall not offer to the LORD or give them to the LORD as a food offering on the altar. 23 You may present a bull or a lamb that has a part too long or too short for a freewill offering, but for a vow offering it cannot be accepted. 24 Any animal that has its testicles bruised or crushed or torn or cut you shall not offer to the LORD; you shall not do it within your land, 25 neither shall you offer as the bread of your God any such animals gotten from a foreigner. Since there is a blemish in them, because of their mutilation, they will not be accepted for you.”
26 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 27 “When an ox or sheep or goat is born, it shall remain seven days with its mother, and from the eighth day on it shall be acceptable as a food offering to the LORD. 28 But you shall not kill an ox or a sheep and her young in one day. 29 And when you sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted. 30 It shall be eaten on the same day; you shall leave none of it until morning: I am the LORD.
31 So you shall keep my commandments and do them: I am the LORD. 32 And you shall not profane my holy name, that I may be sanctified among the people of Israel. I am the LORD who sanctifies you, 33 who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the LORD.”
Feasts of the LORD
1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the LORD that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts.
The Sabbath
3 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwelling places.
The Passover
4 These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them. 5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, 6 23:5 Hebrew between the two evenings is the LORD's Passover. 6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. 8 But you shall present a food offering to the LORD for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work.”
The Feast of Firstfruits
9 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, 11 and he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12 And on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering to the LORD. 13 And the grain offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah 7 23:13 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to the LORD with a pleasing aroma, and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin. 8 23:13 A hin was about 4 quarts or 3.5 liters 14 And you shall eat neither bread nor grain parched or fresh until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
The Feast of Weeks
15 You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. 16 You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the LORD. 17 You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the LORD. 18 And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 19 And you shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. 20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. 21 And you shall make a proclamation on the same day. You shall hold a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations.
22 And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.”
The Feast of Trumpets
23 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25 You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the LORD.”
The Day of Atonement
26 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 27 “Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves 9 23:27 Or shall fast; also verse 32 and present a food offering to the LORD. 28 And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God. 29 For whoever is not afflicted 10 23:29 Or is not fasting on that very day shall be cut off from his people. 30 And whoever does any work on that very day, that person I will destroy from among his people. 31 You shall not do any work. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. 32 It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict yourselves. On the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath.”
The Feast of Booths
33 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 34 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths 11 23:34 Or Tabernacles to the LORD. 35 On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. 36 For seven days you shall present food offerings to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the LORD. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work.
37 These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the LORD food offerings, burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day, 38 besides the LORD's Sabbaths and besides your gifts and besides all your vow offerings and besides all your freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD.
39 On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. 40 And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. 41 You shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, 43 that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”
44 Thus Moses declared to the people of Israel the appointed feasts of the LORD.
The Lamps
1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil from beaten olives for the lamp, that a light may be kept burning regularly. 3 Outside the veil of the testimony, in the tent of meeting, Aaron shall arrange it from evening to morning before the LORD regularly. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. 4 He shall arrange the lamps on the lampstand of pure gold 12 24:4 Hebrew the pure lampstand before the LORD regularly.
Bread for the Tabernacle
5 You shall take fine flour and bake twelve loaves from it; two tenths of an ephah 13 24:5 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters shall be in each loaf. 6 And you shall set them in two piles, six in a pile, on the table of pure gold 14 24:6 Hebrew the pure table before the LORD. 7 And you shall put pure frankincense on each pile, that it may go with the bread as a memorial portion as a food offering to the LORD. 8 Every Sabbath day Aaron shall arrange it before the LORD regularly; it is from the people of Israel as a covenant forever. 9 And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place, since it is for him a most holy portion out of the LORD's food offerings, a perpetual due.”
Punishment for Blasphemy
10 Now an Israelite woman's son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the people of Israel. And the Israelite woman's son and a man of Israel fought in the camp, 11 and the Israelite woman's son blasphemed the Name, and cursed. Then they brought him to Moses. His mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. 12 And they put him in custody, till the will of the LORD should be clear to them.
13 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 14 “Bring out of the camp the one who cursed, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him. 15 And speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. 16 Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.
An Eye for an Eye
17 Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death. 18 Whoever takes an animal's life shall make it good, life for life. 19 If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him. 21 Whoever kills an animal shall make it good, and whoever kills a person shall be put to death. 22 You shall have the same rule for the sojourner and for the native, for I am the LORD your God.” 23 So Moses spoke to the people of Israel, and they brought out of the camp the one who had cursed and stoned him with stones. Thus the people of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses.
Footnotes
[1] 21:13 Or a young wife[2] 21:14 Hebrew young woman
[3] 21:23 Or my holy precincts
[4] 22:11 Or servant; twice in this verse
[5] 22:11 Hebrew he
[6] 23:5 Hebrew between the two evenings
[7] 23:13 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters
[8] 23:13 A hin was about 4 quarts or 3.5 liters
[9] 23:27 Or shall fast; also verse 32
[10] 23:29 Or is not fasting
[11] 23:34 Or Tabernacles
[12] 24:4 Hebrew the pure lampstand
[13] 24:5 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters
[14] 24:6 Hebrew the pure table
Table of Contents
Introduction to Leviticus
Timeline
Author
As with the other books of the Pentateuch, it is best to see Moses as the source and primary author of Leviticus. In Leviticus, Moses continues the story of Exodus.
Theme and Purpose
The book of Leviticus goes into deeper detail about the divine-human relationship put in place on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19–40). Leviticus assumes that Israel is sinful and impure, and it describes how to deal with sin and impurity so that the holy Lord can dwell among his people.
Problems in Understanding Leviticus
Readers may find Leviticus difficult to understand because they lack firsthand experience of the practices it describes.
Ritual vs. ethical commands. Chapters 1–16 describe various “ritual” regulations, while chs. 17–27 focus on ethical commands. Because the rituals of chs. 1–16 are unfamiliar, they are often seen as being disconnected from the ethical emphasis of the later chapters. It is more accurate, however, to see the entire book as being concerned with Israel’s being holy to the Lord.
Unclean, clean, holy. Leviticus often uses these terms differently than today. Modern readers might think of “clean” vs. “unclean” as being the same as healthy vs. unhealthy. In Leviticus, however, these words do not refer to hygiene. Rather, they describe the types of actions a person may or may not engage in, or the places he may or may not go. For example, those who are unclean may not partake of a peace offering (7:20). A modern analogy might be registering to vote: a person who is “registered” may vote, whereas a person who is not registered may not vote. The ritually “clean” person is not necessarily more righteous than one who is ritually unclean, just as a person who is registered to vote is not necessarily more righteous than a person who is not.
Even though ritual states and moral states are different, however, the ritual states in Leviticus also seem to symbolize grades of moral purity. By constantly calling the Israelites to ritual purity, the Lord was reminding them of their need for also seeking moral purity (20:24–26).
NT relevance of commands in Leviticus. What does Leviticus have to do with the church today? The sacrificial system of Leviticus has ceased for the people of God; it has been fulfilled in the coming of Christ (see Heb. 9:1–14, 24–28; 10:1–14). However, studying these laws is important because the sacrifices point to different aspects of the meaning of Christ’s sacrifice of himself.
Second, the Holiness Code (chs. 17–27) deals with sanctification, that is, how one lives in the covenant community. The NT applies to Christians the same principle stated in Leviticus 11:44, “be holy, for I am holy” (see 1 Pet. 1:16). On the other hand, several details of the Holiness Code concern more symbolic aspects of holiness that are no longer followed in the Christian era (such as laws prohibiting garments with two kinds of cloth, Lev. 19:19, or prohibiting the shaving of the edges of a beard, 21:5). Further, the NT envisions a people of God transcending national boundaries. Therefore, current civil governments need not follow the OT civil laws (such as capital punishment for adultery; 20:10), although of course all governments must pursue justice, and Leviticus may certainly help in this regard.
Key Themes
- The holy Lord is present among his people (Ex. 40:34; Lev. 1:1). They must therefore admit their sin and impurity and strive for personal holiness.
- In order to approach God, worshipers must be wholehearted in their devotion (1:1–6:7; 22:17–30).
- Those called to be spiritual leaders, such as priests, bear a heavier responsibility than the laypeople (chs. 4; 21). In addition to the outward holiness that the priests receive when they are ordained, they must maintain inward holiness (chs. 8; 9; 10; 21).
- As is seen in the Day of Atonement ritual (ch. 16), the total cleansing of sins and uncleanness happens only when the innermost part of the tabernacle is purified. Humans, by themselves, can never achieve complete purification from sin.
- Atonement is a gracious act of the Lord (17:11).
Outline
- Five Major Offerings (1:1–6:7)
- Handling of the Offerings (6:8–7:38)
- The Establishment of the Priesthood (8:1–10:20)
- The Laws on Cleanness and Uncleanness (11:1–15:33)
- The Day of Atonement Ritual (16:1–34)
- The Handling and Meaning of Blood (17:1–16)
- The Call to Holiness (18:1–22:33)
- Holy Times (23:1–25:55)
- Blessings and Curses (26:1–46)
- Vows and Dedication (27:1–34)
The Setting of Leviticus
c. 1446 B.C.
The book of Exodus finishes with Moses and Israel having constructed and assembled the tabernacle at the base of Mount Sinai. The book of Leviticus primarily records the instructions the Lord gives to Moses from the tent of meeting, but also includes narratives of a few events related to the tabernacle. (Regarding the date of the exodus, see Introduction to Exodus, and note on 1 Kings 6:1.)
Fact: The eating of holy things
The eating of holy things. Only priests and their families were allowed to eat the meat from sacrifices. Servants who were members of the household could also partake of the offerings, but hired laborers could not do so.
Fact: The Feast of Weeks
The Feast of Weeks is known in the NT as Pentecost (Acts 2:1). It was a celebration honoring the Lord as provider of all crops and as the One who deserved the firstfruits of those crops.
Fact: An eye for an eye?
An eye for an eye? This law (24:19–20) was not meant to encourage personal revenge. Rather, it set a limit to the penalties in cases of personal injury. In other words, “let the punishment fit the crime.”
Fact: A stiff penalty
A stiff penalty. The punishment for cursing God (Lev. 24:10–23), the king (Ex. 22:28), or one’s parents (Lev. 20:9) was death. Shimei cursed King David (2 Sam. 16:5–14), but later begged David’s forgiveness, and David forgave him (19:16–23).
The Setting of Leviticus
c. 1446 B.C.
The book of Exodus finishes with Moses and Israel having constructed and assembled the tabernacle at the base of Mount Sinai. The book of Leviticus primarily records the instructions the Lord gives to Moses from the tent of meeting, but also includes narratives of a few events related to the tabernacle. (Regarding the date of the exodus, see Introduction to Exodus, and note on 1 Kings 6:1.)
The Hebrew Calendar
The Hebrew calendar was composed of 12 lunar months, each of which began when the thin crescent moon was first visible at sunset. They were composed of approximately 29/30 days and were built around the agricultural seasons. Apparently some of the names of the months were changed after the time of Israel’s exile in Babylon (e.g., the first month of Abib changed to Nisan; for dates of the exile, see p. 31). The months of the Hebrew calendar (left column) are compared to the corresponding months of the modern (Gregorian) calendar shown in the center column. Biblical references (in the third column) indicate references to the Hebrew calendar cited in the Bible.
*Periodically, a 13th month was added so that the lunar calendar would account for the entire solar year.
Holy Feasts
The Sabbath principle is seen in each of these feasts, which are intended to express the divine-human relationship. Each feast requires (1) cessation from ordinary work and (2) dedication to the Lord by means of offerings.
| Feast | Reference | General time of year | Specific time of year | Modern equivalent | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sabbath | 23:3 | Weekly | 7th day | Saturday | Creation |
| Passover* | 23:4–8 | Spring | 14th of first month (Abib) | March/April (Easter) | Salvation |
| Firstfruits | 23:9–14 | Spring | 16th of first month (Abib) | March/April (Easter) | Dedication |
| Weeks | 23:15–21 | Spring | 1st of third month (Sivan) | Pentecost | Dedication |
| Trumpets | 23:23–25 | Fall | 1st of seventh month (Tishri) | September | Solemn assembly; spiritual preparation |
| Day of Atonement | 23:26–32 | Fall | 10th of seventh month (Tishri) | September/October | Redemption |
| Booths | 23:33–36 | Fall | 15th–22nd of seventh month (Tishri) | September/October | Joyful remembrance of the Lord’s historic guidance |
*The Feast of Unleavened Bread directly follows Passover, 15th–21st days of the month.
Lev. 21:1–4 Ordinary priests are prohibited from contact with the dead, except in the case of their closest relatives. (The rules for high priests are given in vv. 10–15; see note.) his virgin sister. The assumption is that, once she marries, she is not regarded as one of his closest relatives, but comes under the care of her husband and his clan (see Gen. 2:24).
Lev. 21:5–6 Priests were prohibited from making bald patches on their heads, shaving off the edges of their beards, or making cuts on their body (compare 19:27–28). These are pagan mourning and burial practices. Israelite priests oversee the worship, and no Canaanite ritual is to enter the priestly system.
Lev. 21:7–8 The wife of a priest must be a woman of high moral character. She may not be a prostitute, because that is a defiling profession. She must not have been divorced. Even though divorce is allowed in the OT (see note on Deut. 24:1–4), a broken marriage falls short of the creation ideal, which the priests are to embody (compare Mal. 2:1–9).
Lev. 21:10–15 The high priest is subject to stricter holiness regulations than the ordinary priest. While an ordinary priest may marry a widow, the high priest must marry a virgin (vv. 13–14). (Perhaps this is to ensure that all the children in his home are his own.) The high priest may not participate in any mourning or burial activities (vv. 10–12; compare note on vv. 1–4). This is to keep him from any uncleanness that he might bring into the inner parts of the sanctuary.
Lev. 21:16–20 No priest who has a blemish may approach to offer sacrifices. The same requirement applies to sacrificial animals. Both the priest and the animal are to exemplify holiness and completeness (see 22:17–25).
Lev. 21:1–24 Stricter rules of holiness are required of priests because they work directly with the holy objects of the sanctuary.
Lev. 21:21–24 for I am the LORD who sanctifies them (v. 23c). Although “them” might refer to the priests with physical defects (vv. 17–23a), more likely it refers to my sanctuaries (v. 23b). While “my sanctuaries” matches the plural “them,” the references to the priests with physical defects are all singular.
Fact: The eating of holy things
The eating of holy things. Only priests and their families were allowed to eat the meat from sacrifices. Servants who were members of the household could also partake of the offerings, but hired laborers could not do so.
Lev. 22:1–3 The heavy responsibility demanded of the priests is seen in the phrase cut off from my presence, which is more severe than the ordinary formula “cut off from his people” (19:8; 20:5) which describes the punishment for laymen. The priest is exiled from the service in the tabernacle (that is, in God’s presence).
Lev. 22:4–9 For the background of these rules, see 11:1–47; 13:1–59; 15:1–33; and 17:15. Contracting uncleanness is certain, but when purification has been made, one can eat the holy offering. If purification is not made and the offering is eaten, the offender gives up his life.
Lev. 22:10–16 Priests and their families survived on food from donations to the tabernacle. The priests are to guard the holy food so that those not authorized to do so may not eat of it (vv. 15–16).
Lev. 22:17–25 Animals with defects are considered unholy and incomplete, and are not to be offered to the Holy One.
Lev. 22:29–30 A thanksgiving sacrifice was a type of peace offering (compare 7:15). on the same day (see also 7:15). This stricter rule could suggest that this offering was especially sacred or important.
Lev. 18:1–22:33 The Call to Holiness. This section applies the principle of holiness (19:1–2) to various aspects of Israelite life. Chapter 18 considers sexual behavior and how Israel is to act differently from the pagan nations. Chapters 19–20 apply the idea of holiness in various ways. The manner in which the people treat the land, their neighbors, their parents, and all other things is to be distinct. Holiness is to affect every area of Israelite life. Chapters 21–22 deal with the holiness of the priesthood.
Lev. 23:1–3 During the appointed feasts, people are to meet with the Lord. The Sabbath is a day of solemn rest and the basis for all the following feasts. The day is also one of holy convocation, or public assembly for worship (vv. 2, 4, 7, 21).
Lev. 23:4–8 The Passover is also called the Feast of Unleavened Bread. See Ex. 12:1–20; Luke 22:1.
Lev. 23:9–14 For laws relating to the firstfruits, see Ex. 23:15 and 34:18–20. The feast celebrates the harvest as a blessing from God to his people.
Fact: The Feast of Weeks
The Feast of Weeks is known in the NT as Pentecost (Acts 2:1). It was a celebration honoring the Lord as provider of all crops and as the One who deserved the firstfruits of those crops.
Lev. 23:15–22 The Feast of Weeks is also called the “Feast of Harvest” (Ex. 23:16) and “the day of the firstfruits” (Num. 28:26). In the NT it is called “Pentecost” (Acts 2:1). This celebration recognizes the Lord as provider of the harvest, who deserves the first of all produce.
Lev. 23:23–25 At the Feast of Trumpets, trumpet blasts and a solemn assembly call the people to prepare for the most sacred month of the Hebrew calendar. It also marks the end of one agricultural year and the beginning of another. Following the Babylonian exile, Jews celebrated this day as Rosh Hashanah, or New Year’s Day.
Lev. 23:26–32 During the Day of Atonement, the people are to humble themselves (see note on 16:29–34) and not do any work. Otherwise, they will be cut off from their people.
Lev. 23:33–36 The Feast of Booths was a weeklong feast celebrating the people’s salvation from Egypt.
Holy Feasts
The Sabbath principle is seen in each of these feasts, which are intended to express the divine-human relationship. Each feast requires (1) cessation from ordinary work and (2) dedication to the Lord by means of offerings.
| Feast | Reference | General time of year | Specific time of year | Modern equivalent | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sabbath | 23:3 | Weekly | 7th day | Saturday | Creation |
| Passover* | 23:4–8 | Spring | 14th of first month (Abib) | March/April (Easter) | Salvation |
| Firstfruits | 23:9–14 | Spring | 16th of first month (Abib) | March/April (Easter) | Dedication |
| Weeks | 23:15–21 | Spring | 1st of third month (Sivan) | Pentecost | Dedication |
| Trumpets | 23:23–25 | Fall | 1st of seventh month (Tishri) | September | Solemn assembly; spiritual preparation |
| Day of Atonement | 23:26–32 | Fall | 10th of seventh month (Tishri) | September/October | Redemption |
| Booths | 23:33–36 | Fall | 15th–22nd of seventh month (Tishri) | September/October | Joyful remembrance of the Lord’s historic guidance |
*The Feast of Unleavened Bread directly follows Passover, 15th–21st days of the month.
The Hebrew Calendar
The Hebrew calendar was composed of 12 lunar months, each of which began when the thin crescent moon was first visible at sunset. They were composed of approximately 29/30 days and were built around the agricultural seasons. Apparently some of the names of the months were changed after the time of Israel’s exile in Babylon (e.g., the first month of Abib changed to Nisan; for dates of the exile, see p. 31). The months of the Hebrew calendar (left column) are compared to the corresponding months of the modern (Gregorian) calendar shown in the center column. Biblical references (in the third column) indicate references to the Hebrew calendar cited in the Bible.
*Periodically, a 13th month was added so that the lunar calendar would account for the entire solar year.
Lev. 23:1–44 This chapter presents the calendar for feasts in Israel (compare Ex. 23:10–19; 34:18–26; Numbers 28–29; Deut. 16:1–17; see chart). Keeping this calendar sets Israel apart from all the surrounding nations.
Lev. 23:37–44 These six appointed feasts are to help the people worship the Lord and remember his work on their behalf. Verses 39–44 return to discuss the Feast of Booths.
Holy Feasts
The Sabbath principle is seen in each of these feasts, which are intended to express the divine-human relationship. Each feast requires (1) cessation from ordinary work and (2) dedication to the Lord by means of offerings.
| Feast | Reference | General time of year | Specific time of year | Modern equivalent | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sabbath | 23:3 | Weekly | 7th day | Saturday | Creation |
| Passover* | 23:4–8 | Spring | 14th of first month (Abib) | March/April (Easter) | Salvation |
| Firstfruits | 23:9–14 | Spring | 16th of first month (Abib) | March/April (Easter) | Dedication |
| Weeks | 23:15–21 | Spring | 1st of third month (Sivan) | Pentecost | Dedication |
| Trumpets | 23:23–25 | Fall | 1st of seventh month (Tishri) | September | Solemn assembly; spiritual preparation |
| Day of Atonement | 23:26–32 | Fall | 10th of seventh month (Tishri) | September/October | Redemption |
| Booths | 23:33–36 | Fall | 15th–22nd of seventh month (Tishri) | September/October | Joyful remembrance of the Lord’s historic guidance |
*The Feast of Unleavened Bread directly follows Passover, 15th–21st days of the month.
Lev. 24:1–9 These verses may have been a reminder not to forget the daily tabernacle activities in between the annual festivals described in ch. 23.
Lev. 24:5–9 The twelve loaves symbolize the 12 tribes of Israel as they stand in God’s presence. In Ex. 25:30 the loaves are called “the bread of the Presence.” New loaves are to be set out on each Sabbath.
The Table for the Bread of the Presence
The wooden table, overlaid with pure gold (Ex. 25:23–30; 37:10–16), was 3 feet long, 1.5 feet wide, and 2.25 feet high (1 m x 0.5 m x 0.7 m). It held the 12 loaves (Lev. 24:5–9) of the bread of the Presence, which were holy (1 Sam. 21:4). Wooden poles, overlaid with gold, were inserted through the rings of the table when the table was transported.
Lev. 24:10–12 The command against misusing God’s name (Ex. 20:7; 22:28) is mentioned again. The Exodus passages did not specify a penalty.
Lev. 24:13–16 let all who heard him lay their hands on his head. This may have been done to pass onto the one who cursed the guilt of all who had heard his curse and had thus become defiled. Or, it may have been done simply to indicate who it was that had uttered the curse.
Fact: An eye for an eye?
An eye for an eye? This law (24:19–20) was not meant to encourage personal revenge. Rather, it set a limit to the penalties in cases of personal injury. In other words, “let the punishment fit the crime.”
Lev. 24:10–23 These verses are an example of the laws in Israel that arose in response to specific situations.
Lev. 24:17–23 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. This proverbial phrase means “the punishment must fit the crime” (compare Ex. 21:18–19). The law was intended for judges in a court of law; it was not intended as a way for individuals to “take the law into their own hands.”
Fact: A stiff penalty
A stiff penalty. The punishment for cursing God (Lev. 24:10–23), the king (Ex. 22:28), or one’s parents (Lev. 20:9) was death. Shimei cursed King David (2 Sam. 16:5–14), but later begged David’s forgiveness, and David forgave him (19:16–23).
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Listen NowDive Deeper | Leviticus 21-24
Over the past few years, the book of Leviticus has been especially special to me. In Leviticus, I see God's kindness and His longing to be near His people, which is why, even centuries before Christ, He provides detailed instructions for how wicked humanity can approach a holy God.
In Leviticus 21-22, we see that the priests in particular must be set apart in holiness because they represent God to the people. In my own humanity, it feels harsh that the priests with blemishes couldn't offer bread to God, but this points to the reality that none of us are worthy of approaching a holy God and that, ultimately, we need a perfect Priest to stand in the gap for us.
Hebrews 4:15-16 reminds us, "We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Because of Jesus' perfect work on our behalf, we imperfect people can now with confidence approach God's throne, expecting to receive mercy and grace in our great need.
In Leviticus 23, God gave the feasts of Israel as opportunities to point back to God and demonstrate the bigger redemptive story of the gospel. For example, the Sabbath invites us to a weekly rhythm of rest in which we remind ourselves of God's work done for us. The Passover reminds us that only through the blood of the Perfect Lamb Jesus can our sin be covered. The Feast of Unleavened Bread reminds us that, through the perfect Lamb Jesus, we, too, can live pure lives free from the "leaven," or sin, that once held us captive. The Day of Atonement is a somber reminder that our sin must be atoned for, but that there is One who would willingly lay down His life, forever tearing down the barrier between God and man.
This month's memory verse
"The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, 'The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.'"
– Exodus 34:6
Discussion Questions
1. Is Leviticus or any other Old Testament book especially difficult for you to reckon with in light of the rest of the Bible? Were there any parts of today's reading that felt harsh or unfair?
2. Throughout Leviticus, God gives civil, ceremonial, and moral laws to this unique nation state of Israel. Is it difficult for you to distinguish the laws that are still applicable for believers in Christ today?
3. What, if any, daily, weekly, and yearly rhythms do you currently have in place in your life to point you back to God and to remind you of the gospel? How have they enriched your life or brought you closer to Jesus?
4. Are there some rhythms you are hoping or desiring to incorporate into your life that have felt unattainable so far? If so, what would be helpful in getting you there?