The Book Of LEVITICUS
Leviticus 27:34 "These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for
the children of Israel in mount Sinai."
God now returns to the subject of moral purity among the children of Israel which He first addressed in chapter 18. Where that chapter listed all of the immoral acts that are forbidden for God’s chosen people, this chapter prescribes the punishments for such acts. At first glance, this passage seems to go back and forth between the various types of sexual sin instead of simply grouping together all the verses that deal with a particular sin and its consequences. Upon closer examination, however, the organizational method being used in this chapter is according to the punishment for each category of offenses. Verses 9-16 list sins that merit the death penalty. Verses 17-19 are sins that that are punishable by being excommunicated from the community. Verses 20-21 list offenses that result in barrenness or childlessness.
As with chapter 18, God again tells Moses the reason for such harsh punishments for these acts of gross immorality and idolatry: “And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.” (v.26) (Leviticus 19:2, 1 Peter 1:15-16) A secondary reason, also already given in chapter 18, is repeated in verse 23: “And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.” (Leviticus 18:3, 24, Deuteronomy 9:5) God had already judged the nations of the promised land for their sin and rebellion against Him, and He is making it clear to Moses and the Israelites that they are not to repeat those sins among themselves after conquering that land. Therefore, God lays down strict and harsh punishment for any Israelite that violates these moral laws. Verses 1-5: If it wasn’t clear in chapter 18 just how much God abhorred child sacrifice, He makes it very plain here in chapter 20. Any man or woman that offers up their child to Molech is to be put to death. (v.2) (Leviticus 18:21, 2 Kings 23:10, 2 Chronicles 33:6, Jeremiah 7:31) This verse opens with the word “again”. There are many instances throughout scripture where certain phrases – or even whole verses – are repeated in different books and chapters. (Proverbs is the best example of this.) God has a habit of emphasizing specific commands or principles which He deems important for His children to remember. Throughout the last half of Exodus and all of Leviticus, we see the Lord repeating Himself as He gives His law to Moses. This isn’t because God thinks Moses didn’t hear or understand Him the first time. Rather, God is repeating Himself for emphasis. He wants to make it clear to Moses and the Israelites just how important certain things are to Him. Sexual purity and idolatry are at the top of that list. As we’ve already seen in Exodus, the Israelites – as well as us believers today – are very prone to stray and wander from God because of our sinful flesh. We can very easily and very quickly forget just how important it is to God that we abstain from all manner of sin and evil. There’s a good reason that Jesus compared us to sheep numerous times throughout the gospels. Sheep are dumb animals that, if left on their own, will get themselves into all manner of trouble and snares. We who are the fallen progeny of Adam are no different. Therefore, God must repeat Himself in His word so that we eventually grasp the importance of certain principles that will help us in our walk with Him. Verse 2 concludes with instruction for the method of execution for the guilty parents: stoning. This was the most common method used in the ANE for capital punishment. The entire Israelite community is to be the executioners. (“…the people of the land shall stone him with stones.”) As if that isn’t clear enough, God continues in verse 3: “And I will set My face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people;”. (Leviticus 17:10) This verse concludes with the statement “…profane My holy name.” God is equating the willful, deliberate murder of a human being with profaning His holy name. In other words, it’s a sin against God Himself. (Genesis 9:6) Furthermore, the Lord will not tolerate any Israelites that turn a blind eye to those that commit this heinous act. (v.4) Them also will He cut off from His chosen people. (v.5) This particular addendum is not found in chapter 18. It’s a very sobering thought when one considers our present age. How many of us will stand before God one day and answer for why we did nothing to speak out or demonstrate against the medical community that willfully performs abortions? How many of our leaders will be condemned by God because they purposely allowed for this vile and wicked practice? Verses 6 & 27: Anyone who seeks out mediums or soothsayers or anyone that practices divination or witchcraft of any kind will be permanently exiled from the congregation of Israel. (Leviticus 19:31, 1 Samuel 28:7) Anyone among the Israelites that practices such abomination will be put to death. Verses 7-8: God commands the children of Israel to abstain from those sins described in verses 1-6 and to strive for holiness because He is the Lord their God. (v.7) The command to keep His statutes is repeated once more. (v.8) (Leviticus 19:19, 37) By doing so, the Israelites would be sanctified unto the Lord. (Exodus 31:13, Deuteronomy 14:2, Ezekiel 37:28) The same holds true for us today. We who are saved are sanctified through daily obedience to God by striving for holiness in all areas of our life. The same commandments that he laid down here in the OT for the Israelites apply to us as well. Verses 9-16: This is a list of offenses that merit capital punishment. At the top of the list is cursing one’s parents, a violation of the fifth commandment. (v.9) (Exodus 20:12) “Such cursing meant more than uttering a word in anger. ‘To curse’ was the opposite of ‘to honor.’ To honor meant investing one’s parents with the weight of authority and attention that was due to them. To curse meant making light of their authority or treating them as despicable. In the process, one might invoke the ‘gods’ to afflict one’s parents.” (The Moody Bible Commentary) God does not take lightly the disrespect and dishonor of one’s parents. This sin springs directly from the root of pride and rebellion, both of which God hates. (Proverbs 6:16-17) Adultery (v.10), specific categories of incest (v.11-12, 14), homosexuality (v.13), and bestiality (v.15-16) all merited the death penalty. (Exodus 20:14, Leviticus 18:7-8, 15, 17, 20, 22-23, Deuteronomy 5:18, 22:22, 23:17, 27:20-21, Judges 19:22, John 8:4-5) Again, the word “confusion” is used in verse 12, and it means “perversion” in this context, same as in Leviticus 18:23. All of these types of sexual sin are perversions of God’s holy paradigm that was that was instituted in Genesis 2:23-24. I can’t help but wonder what our society would be like today if we arrested, tried and convicted anyone who was guilty of these sins? Would immorality and wickedness be so prevalent today if two men or two women could be executed by the state for engaging in sexual relations with one another? Or a man and woman sentenced to death for having an extramarital affair? Or a woman and the doctor who murdered her unborn baby both executed on live TV? Those punishments seem absurdly extreme and radical to us today, but that just shows how far modern society has strayed from God. Sin that was once shunned and abhorred by God’s people has become so commonplace today that we barely give it a second thought. Would we – both saved and lost alike – be so quick to run to sin if the consequences were as great and final today as they were at the time Moses was writing down this law? These laws laid down in chapters 18 and 20 clearly show how seriously God treats these perversions and profanities against Him and His holiness. His chosen people are to look at these sins with the same amount of hatred and intolerance as the Lord their God sees them. It's important to note here that the death penalty – and other punishments listed in this chapter – are only carried out upon the unrepentant. We must keep in mind the whole of the law as we read through these books of Moses. God stated clearly in the previous chapters of Leviticus that there is forgiveness for all these types of sins through specific offerings and blood sacrifices. So the fact that such harsh and final judgment is prescribed here implies that there will be some who will refuse to repent of their sin. In those instances, God’s wrath and judgment are justified and carried out accordingly by Moses and the other leaders. And, again, the same holds true for our world today. Those who refuse to turn from their sin and wickedness will face God’s justified and eternal wrath. Accordingly, those who repent and accept the shed blood of Jesus Christ as payment for their sins will be saved from that terrible wrath. Verses 17-19: There is a distinction drawn in the text here between the incest committed by a man and his daughter-in-law (v.12) or a man and his stepmother (v.11), and all other categories of incest. (Leviticus 18:9, 13, Deuteronomy 27:22) Only those first two seem to merit the death penalty, while all the others are punished by excommunication (“…cut off in the sight of their people…”) from the Israelite community. (v.17, 19) The reason for that distinction is not explained. Suffice it to say, because God said so. A man who sleeps with a woman who is in the midst of her monthly period will also result in permanent exile for both of them. (v.18) (Leviticus 15:24, 18:19) Verses 20-21: Incest between a woman and her nephew, as well as a man and his brother’s wife (while the brother is still alive), is punished by infertility. (Leviticus 18:14, 16, Matthew 14:3-4) This type of incest is different from the others described in verses 11, 12 and 14 in that the man and woman in this instance are not related by blood but through marriage instead. This also demonstrates the extent of God’s sovereignty over all of His creation. It is only by His hand that life is allowed to be conceived within the womb, a very sobering and awesome thing to consider and meditate upon. It’s good to pause here and address a subject that I have heard often on social media from atheists, skeptics, and other critics of Christianity and the Bible. It’s actually a criticism I used to have myself before I was saved, and it’s typically phrased as follows: “Where did Cain get his wife?” Immediately following expulsion from the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were the only two people on the entire earth. We also know they had many children – both male and female – besides Cain, Abel and Seth. But scripture does not record their names or any other details about them. After telling us of the birth of Seth at the end of the chapter 4, Genesis 5 gives us a lengthy genealogy of Adam’s descendants, but it lists only the male heirs and the total years of each man’s life. That chapter gives no other explanation of where these men – especially Seth and Cain – got their wives. The answer, of course, is both simple and obvious: Seth and Cain married their sisters. It’s very plausible that Adam and Eve had a dozen or more children, and with the brothers and sisters marrying one another, and then their children marrying one another, it not only answers that question of where Cain got his wife, but also explains how the entire human race descended from only Adam and Eve. But with that answer comes the next obvious question, especially in light of the laws against incest that God laying down for the Israelites here in Leviticus. Why was marriage and sexual relations with one’s siblings or cousins acceptable for Adam and Eve’s children and grandchildren, but not three or four millennia later? Even after the Flood, when only Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives were the only humans left on the entire planet, it was okay for the children of Shem, Ham, and Japheth to marry one another in order to repopulate the world. The answer here is also simple and obvious. It’s clear that the only way for Noah’s family to repopulate the earth was through incest, and therefore God allowed it. But now, two or three thousand years later, when the world’s population has reached a size that makes intermarrying among one’s family members no longer necessary, God declares that incest is against His law and punishable by either death or excommunication from the Israelite nation. It’s also closely tied with the condition of the human genome and the physical state of the world both before and after the Flood compared to the time of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt and even compared to our world today. Remember that the consequence of sin for Adam and Eve – and all their progeny – is spiritual and physical death. Yet the physical world before the Flood, when it never rained, and the canopy of water was still locked in place above the earth, was a very different climate than the world after the Flood. Before the days of Noah, man lived for hundreds of years. After the Flood, that life span radically shortened. Abraham lived to be a hundred and seventy-five and his great-grandson, Joseph, died at a hundred and ten years old. Moses’ total years will be only a hundred and twenty. (Deuteronomy 34:7) The consequence of sin, right up to our modern age, means that our genetic structure and the general health of our DNA as a human race is nowhere near as robust and hardy as it was for Adam and Eve or Noah. Even a brief study of the kings and queens of England in the last five hundred years will prove just how weak the human genome has become. The offspring of incestual marriage now produces all kinds of genetic defects, besides being against God’s moral law, and thus it is forbidden today, just as it was for Moses and the Israelites. Not only that, but God also makes it clear here in Leviticus – and earlier in Exodus – that the heathen nations of the promised land are practicing all manner of sexual perversion, such as homosexuality and bestiality, besides incest. It can be easily inferred from the text that human morality has decayed to such an extreme state of depravity that it is now necessary for God’s chosen people to separate from that kind of immoral behavior. Therefore God is declaring a new age of dispensation in how he deals with His creation, and the new law states clearly and explicitly that marriage to one’s immediate family members – whether related by blood or through marriage – is forbidden. Verses 22-26: God reiterates to Moses His reason for these laws. The Israelites are a chosen people, called by Him to be separated from the pagan peoples of the promised land. (v.22-24.) (Exodus 3:17, 6:8, 13:5, 33:1) The Lord’s promise to Abraham of that land is part of His judgment against those heathen nations because of the abominations that they practice. God abhors them and their wickedness. (v.23) He charges Moses once more to make a distinction between the clean and unclean, the holy and the unholy, “…for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.” (v.26) (Exodus 19:5, 33:16, Deuteronomy 7:6, 14:2, 1 Kings 8:53) The holiness of God is not something to be taken lightly or casually dismissed. Those to whom He is Lord – whether the children of Israel at Mount Sinai or us today – are expected to live lives that reflect that holiness. To ignore that command or to do less than our best is to sin against Almighty God.
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CHAPTER 15:
Chapter 15 continues the subject of personal uncleanness that was begun in chapter 12. Whereas chapters 13 and 14 dealt with uncleanness that resulted from a specific disease, leprosy, this chapter continues with the subject of uncleanness that results from bodily discharges, whether natural or as the result of other types of disease and/or sickness. The specific examples given in this passage are related to human sexuality, specifically the discharge of semen from the men and the cycle of menstruation in women. It’s important to remember two things: 1) God created the act of procreation between a husband and wife, and thus the act itself is not sinful. God is not condemning marital sex here. 2) All of these laws pertaining to the tabernacle, the blood sacrifices, the proper and improper methods of worshiping God, the differences between clean and unclean – it’s all centered around the subject of God’s holiness. Even though God created and blessed the act of sexual union between husband and wife, there are still side effects that result from that act that can make a person unclean only as it relates to God’s holiness and the Israelites’ worship of Him in the tabernacle. (This is also the reason behind the command from Moses to the people in Exodus 19:15 when they were preparing to meet with God for the first time at Mount Sinai.) Just as childbirth is not sinful for the woman, she is still unclean for 33 days following the birth, and must present the proper sacrifices and offerings before God to restore her relationship with Him. The same principle applies here in chapter 15 where the results of natural bodily discharges can make a person unclean in the presence of a holy and righteous God. It's also important to keep in mind the many pagan rituals involving human sexuality in the idolatry of the nations surrounding Israel at this time, as well as those of the heathen peoples of the promised land. God is establishing a clear line of separation between anything related to human sexuality and the proper, holy worship of Him. Thus, any bodily discharge, or “issue” as it is described here in the KJV, automatically makes a person unclean, and he/she must make the proper restitution to God to be fully restored to right fellowship with Him. Verses 1-18: The first half of this chapter pertains to the men. The word “issue” in verse 2 has been translated from the Hebrew word “zûb” (pronounced zoob) which means “to flow freely, gush, or discharge”. (Leviticus 22:4, Numbers 5:2, 2 Samuel 3:29) Here in the context of chapter 15, it is most likely referring to not only the natural ejaculation of semen, but also any unnatural discharges due to sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea. Note from my study Bible: “This is based upon the Greek version of the Old Testament (Septuagint) and most commentators accept this diagnosis. The striking thing about the uncleanness associated with these discharges is that not only the affected person became unclean, but also people and objects that came in contact with him, and these in their turn could become secondary sources of uncleanness.” Even saliva (v.8) is considered unclean in these instances. (Numbers 12:14) Anything that the man sits upon, or touches, or the bed in which he sleeps is considered unclean. (v.4-5, 9-10, 12) (Leviticus 6:28, 11:32-33) Anyone that comes into contact with him during this time is also deemed unclean until sundown. (v.6-8, 11) Unlike leprosy and the other skin diseases, however, the man is not cast out of the camp to live in isolation while he is suffering from these issues. Though the text does not state it specifically, the man presumably remains in his house, avoiding any contact with others – except his wife and children, of course – until he is cleansed of his sickness. Once the issue has cleared up and ceased, the man is to wait another seven days in isolation. (v.13) (Leviticus 14:8, Numbers 19:11-12) During this time he is to wash his clothes and bathe himself in running water in order to be considered completely clean. On the eighth day he is bring two turtledoves or two pigeons to the priest at the tabernacle for the sin offering and burnt offering. (v.14-15) (Leviticus 14:22-23, 30-31) The sin offering removes the stain of uncleanness while the burnt offering restores the man to the Israelite community. Verses 15-18 pertain to the ejaculation of semen, either during the sexual act with his wife (v.18) or a nocturnal emission while he is asleep (what we today often refer to as a “wet dream”). The couple shall be unclean until evening and are to bathe themselves as well as wash any garments that were stained during the sexual activity. (Deuteronomy 23:10-11) Verses 19-30: The same instructions for a man’s uncleanness and methods of cleansing are the same for the woman who is going through her monthly period. (v.19) (Leviticus 12:2) She is to isolate herself in her home for seven days. Anything that she has worn or touched or slept upon shall be unclean until evening, and her husband, too, shall be unclean if he touches anything that she has come into contact with. (v.20-23) If her period – or any other cause of the discharge of blood or other bodily fluid – lasts longer than seven days, she is to remain in isolation until the issue ceases. (v.25) If her husband – or any man if she is unmarried – has sex with her while she is menstruating, he is also deemed unclean. (v.24) This is, in fact, expressly forbidden by God (Leviticus 18:19, 20:18) and punishable by death for the couple caught doing it. After the issue has cleared up she must wait an additional seven days before she is considered clean (v.28) and then she is to bring two turtledoves and two pigeons to the priest at the tabernacle for the sin offering and burnt offering on the eighth day. (v.29-30) Verses 31-33: God repeats His reason for these specific laws: “…that they die not in their uncleanness, when they defile My tabernacle that is among them.” (v.31) (Leviticus 11:47, 14:57, 22:2, Deuteronomy 24:8, Ezekiel 44:23, Hebrews 12:15) As stated before, the whole purpose of these laws in the book of Leviticus is so that the Israelites have a proper understanding of God’s holiness. There must be a clear line drawn between what is clean and what is unclean so that that holiness is not violated. CHAPTER 16: Chapter 16 gives instructions for the Day of Atonement. (Exodus 30:10, Leviticus 23:27, Hebrews 6:19, 9:7-8, 12, 10:19) Verse 1 indicates that God gave this law to Moses shortly after the deaths of Aaron’s two sons, Nadab and Abihu, in chapter 10. Verse 2 refers to “…the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark…”. This is the holy of holies, the place where God dwells in the form of a cloud that covers the mercy seat. Verses 29-34 explain that the Day of Atonement is to be observed on the tenth day of the seventh month (v.29), that it is a sabbath day for all the people of Israel (v.31), and the high priest may enter the holy of holies to make an atonement for the whole nation (v.30). (Exodus 30:10, Leviticus 23:27, Numbers 29:7) Even today, when there is no temple and no official sacrificial system, every orthodox Jew still observes Yom Kippur. The Day of Atonement remains the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. Verses 3-28 describe the sacrifices and the ritual that is necessary for the high priest to not only properly make the atonement for the children of Israel, but also properly cleanse and prepare himself to enter the holy of holies. While the wording of verse 2 makes it sound like Aaron is permanently forbidden from entering the holy of holies (“…that he come not at all times into the holy place…”), it’s clear form the context of the rest of this chapter that the high priest is allowed inside on a specific day once a year and only after he has performed the proper rituals and sacrifices. The Day of Atonement “…was a reminder that the nation’s ritual uncleanness imperiled the whole nation before God. Uncleanness defiled the Lord’s tabernacle, God’s dwelling place in their midst (Leviticus 16:16, Numbers 19:13, 20), as well as the land itself (Leviticus 18:27).” (The Moody Bible Commentary) While the sacrifices and ceremonies described in this chapter are the same as all the other daily sacrifices and offerings that have already been dictated in the earlier chapters of this book, there is one unique exception: the presence of a scapegoat. And, as always, precise and proper obedience is key. That’s the reason for the reference to Nadab and Abihu in verse 1. God slew them because they had not precisely followed all of His instructions for offering up incense to Him. Verses 3-22: To begin, Aaron is to bring a young bullock for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. (v.3) He is to be properly attired in the prescribed priestly garments after fully bathing himself. (v.4) (Exodus 28:39, 42-43, 30:20, Leviticus 6:10, 8:6-7, Ezekiel 44:17-18) He is to slay the bullock and offer it up for atonement for himself and his house first before proceeding with the sacrifices for the congregation of Israel. (v.6, 11-14) (Leviticus 9:7, Hebrews 5:3, 7:27-28, 9:7) Using the censer, he is to transfer from the brazen altar to the altar of incense inside the tabernacle burning coals and sweet incense. (v.12) (Exodus 30:34-36) This will create a cloud that will cover the mercy seat. (v.13) The blood of the bullock is to be sprinkled upon the mercy seat and before it seven times. (v.14) (Leviticus 4:6, 17) Of the two goats that are designated for the nation, one is to be the scapegoat and one is to be the sin offering. (v.5, 7-9) (Leviticus 4:14, Numbers 29:11, 2 Chronicles 29:21, Ezra 6:17, Ezekiel 45:22-23) This determined by casting lots. (v.8) The goat that is designated for the sin offering is slain, and its blood is sprinkled within the holy of holies, seven times upon the mercy seat and before it, same as with the blood of the bullock. (v.15) No other man except the high priest is to enter the tabernacle during this ritual (v.17). He then returns to the brazen altar and places blood upon the horns of the altar (v.18) before sprinkling it seven times to “…cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.” (v.19) After all this the scapegoat is brought forth and presented to the Lord at the door of the tabernacle where Aaron is to lay his hands upon the animal’s head. (v.10, 21-22) He confesses all the sins of the nation of Israel (Leviticus 5:5, 26:40), transferring them to the scapegoat, and then chooses a man from the congregation to take the goat into the wilderness to be released. (Isaiah 53:5-6, Romans 3:25, Hebrews 7:27, 9:23-24, 1 John 2:2) The Hebrew word here for “scapegoat” (v.8, 10, 26) is “azâzêl” (pronounced ‘az-aw-zale’). The only time this word appears in the whole Bible (KJV 1611) is the three verses here in Leviticus 16. The purpose of these two goats is not only a blood sacrifice for the atonement of the nation’s sins, but also the symbolic removal of the guilt of those sins by the releasing of the scapegoat into the wilderness. The scapegoat “…shall bear upon him all their iniquities…”. (v.22) (Isaiah 53:11-12, John 1:29, Hebrews 9:28, 1 Peter 2:24) The death of Jesus on the cross at Calvary is again foreshadowed here in these two goats. He was not only the atonement for our sins by giving up his life and shedding his blood for us, but he was also the expiation of our guilt from those sins. The moment that we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior and we accept His sacrifice as payment for our sins, God imputes to us Jesus’ righteousness. The burden of guilt of our sins is forever removed, and God remembers it no more. All He sees now when He looks upon is the perfect and pure righteousness of His only begotten son. This is yet another reason that Christ was the final and ultimate sacrifice for all time. After His death on the cross and resurrection from the grave, there was no more need for “… the blood of bulls and of goats…”. (Hebrews 10:4) That’s the whole reason for these oft repeated sacrifices and offerings here in the OT: the blood of the animals was not sufficient to permanently remove our sin. Only the pure, perfect blood of Christ could do that. One of the many reasons I do not use any other English translation of the Bible except for the KJV is because of the way that other modern versions incorrectly translate Leviticus 16:10. Here’s some examples: American Standard Version (ASV): “But the goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel, shall be set alive before Jehovah, to make atonement for him, to send away for Azazel into the wilderness.” Common English Bible (CEB): “But the goat selected by Azazel’s lot will be left standing alive before the LORD in order to make reconciliation upon it by sending it away into the wilderness to Azazel.” English Standard Version (ESV): “But the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.” Revised Standard Version (RSV): “But the goat on which the lot fell for Aza′zel shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Aza′zel.” New Living Translation (NLT): “The other goat, the scapegoat chosen by lot to be sent away, will be kept alive, standing before the LORD. When it is sent away to Azazel in the wilderness, the people will be purified and made right with the LORD.” Now, compare these to the KJV: “But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.” Notice, first of all, how the other versions capitalize a common Hebrew noun, thus turning that word into a proper name. This changes the entire meaning of the verse and makes it appear that the high priest is sacrificing the second goat to a specific person or deity. This has misled many Biblical scholars and historians of the last 200 years to speculate about who, exactly, Azazel is. Some of the commentaries of those other modern translations even suggest that Aaron was sacrificing the scapegoat in order to appease a demon of the wilderness! This is heresy, plain and simple. The KJV translators knew what they were doing when they translated this chapter of Leviticus from the original manuscripts preserved through Antioch, Syria, and not the manuscripts that were preserved in Alexandria, Egypt. It’s those latter corrupt manuscripts that are used to translate all modern English translations of the Bible except for the KJV. The word “azâzêl” is nothing more than a common noun that means “scapegoat” in English. That’s it. There’s no other significance or meaning to that word other than what is made plain in the KJV text. Secondly, look again at the ASV translation of this verse. Notice the phrasing “…atonement for him…”. Since the most recently mentioned proper name is Jehovah, which obviously is referring to God, this translation states that the scapegoat is making an atonement for God! A single prepositional word choice changes the entire meaning of a verse which, in turn, alters fundamental doctrine! God is perfect and sinless and does NOT need atonement! WE are the ones who need the atonement! This is one of many perversions of God’s word that you will find in all other English translations of the Bible. Only the King James A.V. 1611 is the divinely inspired, pure, perfect word of God! Amen! Verses 23-28: After releasing the scapegoat, both Aaron and the man selected to take the goat into the wilderness must ritually bathe themselves once more. (v.23-24, 26) (Leviticus 6:11, Ezekiel 42:14, 44:19) After this, Aaron is to finish the sin offerings for himself and the people. (v.25) The carcasses are taken outside the camp to a predesignated place to be wholly burnt. (v.27) (Leviticus 4:12, 21, 6:30, Hebrews 13:11) The man selected to do this will also bathe himself before coming back into camp. (v.28) Verses 33-34 sum up the entire chapter. This annual ritual and sacrifice is to make atonement for the holy of holies, the tabernacle, the brazen altar, the priests, and all the people of Israel. (v.33) This is to be an everlasting statute, a way of “…atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year.” (v.34) The purpose of this chapter is to emphasize two things: 1) The holiness of God, and 2) the wretched sinfulness of man. Our fallen, broken condition is such that even physically touching and interacting with sacred objects such as the brazen altar or entering the holy place causes a stain upon God’s holiness. That’s why the annual Day of Atonement was needed for the children of Israel. Like clean, white raiment that becomes stained and dirty with everyday use over a long period of time, the tabernacle and all its furnishings needed to be cleansed and purified once a year of the stain of sin brought into it by the Israelites and the priests. God’s pure, perfect holiness demanded nothing less. CHAPTER 12:
The uncleanness addressed by God in this short chapter is that which comes in the aftermath of childbirth. The Moody Bible commentary has this to say of the law given here in chapter 12: “Just as an issue as simple as food made a difference in one’s ability to approach God, matters other than food (fungi, disease, bodily discharges, etc.) could render a person unfit to approach the tabernacle. The flow of blood present after the birth of a child meant the woman was ceremonially unclean and was not to enter the sanctuary (v. 4).” Childbirth itself is not a sin. God not only created and instituted human sexuality, but he also commanded Adam and Eve to “…be fruitful and multiply…”. (Genesis 1:28) The key, then, to this chapter is the verse that the Moody commentators highlighted in the quote above. In verse 4, God says that the woman “…shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled.” The blood that continued to flow for a time after childbirth is not sacrificial blood. That’s the only kind of blood that is allowed in the tabernacle, and even then only in a specific manner delivered by only the priests. That’s the reason for this particular law of uncleanness and purification. There are also other bodily secretions that are a result of childbirth, and this is one of the reasons that the mother is commanded to isolate herself until the time of her purification is over. For the birth of a son, the prescribed time of uncleanness is seven days, which is then followed by a time of isolation and separation for thirty-three days. (v.4) For a female child, the mother’s time of purification is doubled to fourteen days and sixty-six days. (v.5) The text doesn’t give a reason for the difference, and the commentaries that I have read don’t have a definite explanation for this either. The scholars’ best guess is that the female child will herself be subject to childbirth and menstruation and that somehow that is the reason for the extra days of uncleanness. The circumcision of the son in verse 3 is, of course, due to the Abrahamic covenant. (Genesis 17:12, Luke 1:59, 2:21, John 7:22-23, Galatians 5:3) God’s promise to Abraham regarding his seed is incorporated into the Mosaic law. Circumcision is the outward sign that the Israelites are set apart as God’s chosen people, called by Him to be separate and holy. Following the days of her purification, the mother is to bring to the priest at the tabernacle “…a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering…” (v.6) (John 1:29, 1 Peter 1:18-19) and a pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering. Although the text calls this a sin offering, it is better understood as a purification offering. The mother is in a state of ritual uncleanness because of the discharge of blood during childbirth. As I noted earlier, childbirth is not a sin. If she and her husband cannot afford a lamb, then another turtledove or a pigeon is acceptable. (Leviticus 5:7) (This is the case with Mary and Joseph in Luke 2:24.) Only after these two sacrifices for atonement will the mother be considered clean and pure before God. (v.8) CHAPTER 13: Chapters 13 and 14 describe the uncleanness that is caused by various diseases of the skin. The modern English word “leprosy” comes from a Greek translation which, in turn, was translated from the Hebrew word “tsâra’ath” which meant “to become diseased in the skin”. This Hebrew word also referred to mold or mildew that was found in clothing or in the walls of a home. The word “leprosy” in the Bible refers to a variety of skin diseases, not just Hansen’s disease, which is the modern medical diagnosis of leprosy. According to the Moody Bible Commentary, “The translation ‘leprosy’ derives from the third-century B.C. Greek Septuagint mistranslation of the Hebrew text. For the word ‘tsara’at’, the translators erroneously used the word ‘leprosum’, the adjectival form of the Greek word lepra, leading to the English mistranslation ‘leprosy’ instead of the correct ‘skin disease.’” One of the clearest and obvious signs of sin in our fallen world is disease and sickness. It’s one of the symptoms of our broken bodies’ progression towards physical death. Even though ailments such as leprosy are not always a direct judgment from God, His holiness still cannot abide by uncleanness, and that’s the reason for the laws given in chapters 13 and 14. But they are also for the protection and the health of the whole congregation of Israel. Chapter 13 deals with various skin diseases (v.1-46) as well as the resulting contamination of external things such as clothing worn by the victim (v.47-59). Verse 1: This time God speaks to both Aaron and Moses. While the priest is not a physician, God places the responsibility of examining and isolating the victim of leprosy on Aaron and his sons. Jesus references this law when he tells the ten lepers to go and show themselves to the priest in order to be healed. (Luke 17:14) Verse 2: Some of the symptoms listed here are a swelling under the skin, or a scab, or a discoloration (usually white). (Deuteronomy 28:27, Isaiah 3:17) The victim is ordered to present himself to the priest for examination. (Deuteronomy 17:9, 24:8, Malachi 2:7) Verses 3-39: A few different “if, then” scenarios are described in these verses. Various symptoms are listed, and an isolation period of seven days is prescribed at the onset of initial symptoms. Depending upon the second examination at the end of that week, the priest either declares the man clean or a second week of isolation is prescribed. After the third examination, depending on the type and severity of the symptoms, the priest will declare the victim clean or unclean. Verses 40-46: Another series of symptoms and scenarios are described, this time involving the appearance of leprosy on the face or head. Baldness, in particular, is mentioned, though the loss of hair itself is not necessarily a symptom of skin disease. If the presence of leprosy is confirmed, then the priest “…shall pronounce him utterly unclean…” (v.44). When that happens the man or woman is to tear their clothes and cry out for all to hear, “Unclean, unclean!” (v.45) (Isaiah 6:5, 64:6, Lamentations 4:15, Luke 5:8) The victim is sentenced to exile outside the camp, either alone or with other lepers. (v.46) (Numbers 12:14, 2 Kings 7:3, 15:5, 2 Chronicles 26:21, Psalm 38:11, Luke 17:12) Verses 47-59: Any clothing that belongs to the leper is to be examined and observed for seven days. If the mold, mildew or fungus (v.49) spreads beyond the initial area of uncleanness then the whole garment is to be burned. But if not, then it may be thoroughly washed and closely observed for another seven days. If the mold or fungus is still present, the garment is to be burned. (v.55) But if the spot changes color, indicating that the mildew or fungus is gone but only a stain remains, the priest is to cut out that piece of the clothing. The rest of the garment is considered clean. (v.56) CHAPTER 14: The first half of this chapter contains instructions for the sacrifices and offerings that the victim of leprosy is to bring to the priest once he is declared clean. (v.1-32) The second half gives instructions for the cleansing of one’s house when mold, mildew or fungus have been found in the walls. (v.33-57) “God, in His grace, provided for the restoration of the person rendered unclean by a skin disease. The priests did not cure the person affected. They only diagnosed the disease and helped with the religious rituals subsequent to a person’s healing. Chapter 14 points to the grace of God, who made provision for the people affected by disease to return to the community of the faithful.” (The Holman Bible Commentary) Leprosy here in Leviticus is symbolic of the effect that sin has in one’s life. It separates us from God. The first half of chapter 14 describes the restoration to God of one who has been cleansed of leprosy. It’s an occasion of great joy and celebration. Verse 1: Even though it is Aaron and his sons that will be performing these sacrifices, God speaks only to Moses in this first half of the chapter. Verses 2-32: The one who is cleansed of leprosy needs to restore his fellowship with God. The great tragedy of diseases such as this is not necessarily the sickness itself. It’s the fact that the victim is forced to live in isolation outside the camp, cut off from his family, friends, and God. Because the tabernacle, which houses the presence of God, is within the camp, and for the physical safety of the rest of the Israelites, the leper must dwell outside the camp. Throughout the book of Leviticus people and things that are considered unclean or unrighteous are taken outside the camp. It’s a place where ashes are dumped (4:12, 21, 6:11, 8:17, 9:11, 16:27), corpses are buried (10:4-5), illegitimate sacrifices are offered (17:3-4), blasphemers are executed (24:14, 23), and where those with skin diseases such as leprosy are banished. The priest needs to go outside the camp to examine the leper. (v.3) (Luke 5:12, 14, 17:14) If he is indeed fully healed then he needs to bring two birds, alive and clean, along with cedar wood, scarlet and hyssop to the priest. (v.4) (Exodus 12:22, Numbers 19:6, 1 Kings 4:33, Psalm 51:7, John 19:28-29, Hebrews 9:19) Hyssop is plant that is often used throughout the OT in rituals – such as the blood sacrifice described here in chapter 14 – whose purpose is ceremonial cleansing and atonement. The Believer’s Bible commentary has this to say about the cedar wood and the hyssop: the fact that they come “…from a lofty tree and a lowly plant, picture the judgment of God on all men and on all that the world contains, from the highest to the lowest things.” The piece of scarlet cloth calls to mind Isaiah 1:18. The Moody Bible commentators state that the cedar wood and the scarlet are possibly symbols of the blood of the life that is being restored to fellowship with God. The former leper is to kill one of the birds in an earthen pot while water is poured over it. (v.5) Then the cedar wood, the piece of scarlet, the hyssop and the living bird are all dipped in the blood (v.6) before the priest sprinkles that blood upon the healed man seven times. (v.7) (2 Kings 5:10, 14, Psalm 51:2) The priest pronounces him clean and then releases the living bird to fly away. According to the notes in my study Bible, the living bird represents the new life for the cleansed leper. The next step in the restoration ritual is for the former leper to wash all of his clothes, shave his head, bathe himself and then come back into the camp where he is to spend seven days outside of his tent. (v.8) (Leviticus 11:25, 13:6, Numbers 8:7) On the seventh day, he is to shave his head once more as well as his entire body – including his eyebrows and his beard – before bathing himself and washing all of his clothes again. (v.9) (Numbers 19:19) One the eighth day the cleansed leper is to bring to the priest at the tabernacle two male lambs and one ewe lamb, all without spot or blemish, as well as flour and oil for a trespass offering, a sin offering, a burnt offering, and a meat offering. (v.10) (Leviticus 2:1, Numbers 15:4, Matthew 8:4) Along with the trespass offering is also a wave offering. (v.12) (Leviticus 5:6, 18, 6:6) This particular offering in this instance is unique because it’s the only blood sacrifice wherein the entire animal is waved before the Lord before being slain. The priest then dips his finger in the blood of the lamb and dabs it on the right earlobe, the right thumb and the big toe of the right foot of the cleansed leper. (v.14) This is the same ritual that was done for Aaron and his sons at their consecration in Leviticus 8:24, and the symbolism here is the same as it was for them. The healed man should always be listening for God’s voice, doing His work, and always walking in His ways. Next, the priest sprinkles the oil seven times “…before the Lord…” (v.16) before dabbing it on the right earlobe, the right thumb, and the big toe of the right foot of the former leper, mixing it with the blood that has already been placed there. (v.17) The rest of the oil is poured upon the head of the man being cleansed. This is a propitiation, “…an atonement for him before the Lord.” (v.18) The priest then performs the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the meat offering as prescribed in the earlier chapters of this book. After all this, the former leper “…shall be clean.” (v.19-20) As noted in earlier chapters, if the man is too poor to afford three lambs he may bring only one for the trespass offering and two turtledoves or young pigeons for the sin offerings and burnt offerings. (v.21-32) Verses 33-57: God now reminds Moses and Aaron of His promise to deliver into the hands of the Israelites the heathen nations that are currently occupying the promised land of Canaan. (v.34) (Genesis 12:7, 13:17, 17:8, Numbers 32:22, Deuteronomy 7:1, 32:49) In this verse, God makes it clear that one method of His judgment against those nations will be the plague of leprosy. If the Israelite who is now occupying the house that once belonged to a Canaanite sees evidence in the walls of mold or mildew (v.37), he will summon the priest. The house is to be emptied of the owner’s possessions (v.36) and then the priest will go in to perform an inspection. If the priest confirms the presence of the plague of leprosy, the house will be shut up for seven days. (v.38) After that time, and after a second inspection by the priest, and if the mold, mildew or fungus has indeed spread, then the portions of the affected wall are to be carved out and carried away to a safe place outside the city to be destroyed. (v.40) All the walls inside the house are to be scraped and cleaned and the resulting dust is to be taken outside the city to an unclean place. (v.41) New stones are then brought in to replace that which was carved out of the walls. (v.42) A final inspection is performed by the priest (v.48), and if there’s no more signs of the plague then he will declare the house to be clean. But if, even after all of that, there is a second outbreak of the mold, mildew or fungus in the walls of the house, the priest is to be summoned for another inspection. (v.43-44) If he confirms the presence of leprosy, then the entire house is to be demolished. (v.45) All the stones, wood and mortar are to be carried outside the city to a predesignated unclean place to be properly disposed of. Anyone that goes into a house after it has been declared unclean and shut up by the priest will be considered unclean and defiled until sundown. (v.46) (Leviticus 11:24, 15:5) He is to wash all his clothes and (presumably) bathe himself. (v.47) Verses 49-53 describe the same blood sacrifice and offering as that in verses 4-7. But there is no need for any of the other offerings that are required when a person is declared clean. A building does not need to restore its relationship with God. Verse 57 sums up chapters 13 and 14: “To teach when it is unclean, and when it is clean: this is the law of leprosy.” (Leviticus 11:47, 20:25, Deuteronomy 24:8, Ezekiel 44:23) Chapters 11-15 of Leviticus deal with sources of uncleanness and ritual purity for God’s chosen people. Chapter 11 addresses which kinds of animals the Israelites may consume for food and which ones they are commanded to avoid. The whole of this chapter is summed up in verse 47, which echoes verse 10 of the previous chapter: “And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;”. (Ezekiel 44:23, Malachi 3:18) The Hebrew word for “unclean” is “tâmê’” (pronounced taw-may), and the definition from Strong’s Concordance says, “Foul in a religious sense; defiled, polluted.” By contrast, the Hebrew word for “clean” is “tâhôr (pronounced taw-hore), and its definition is “That which is pure in a ceremonial or moral sense.” These words are first used in Genesis 7:2-3, 8-9 where God is describing to Noah which kinds of animals to bring aboard the ark. In that instance, the terms “clean” and “unclean” pertained to the blood sacrifices that Noah offered up at the end of the flood. Here in Leviticus 11, the distinction now applies to the dietary restrictions for the Israelites.
Verses 44-45 give a more detailed explanation for these laws. God had brought the Israelites out of Egypt, called them to be His chosen people, and they had agreed to serve, obey and worship Him alone, forsaking all else. “For I am the Lord your God…ye shall be holy; for I am holy…” (v.44) Being holy before God means more than just bringing sacrifices to the tabernacle once a day or observing the annual rituals and feasts. Holiness is a way of living every waking moment of one’s life. God demands us to always be striving for holiness in all that we say and do. For the Israelites, that included their daily meals. There is no specific reason given in the text for why some of the animals listed in this chapter are considered clean or unclean by God. Scholars have speculated that some of these animals of this time period were more susceptible than others to various diseases that would have been deadly to the Israelites at that time due to a lack of proper refrigeration and other similar preservation methods. (This certainly makes sense for the birds listed as prohibited in verses 13-15.) Another possibility is that the animals which God deemed unclean were used regularly in the pagan rituals and idol worship of the heathen nations of the ANE. It’s also possible that these distinctions are arbitrary and based solely on God’s desire for the Israelites to separate themselves from the gentiles. The reason for this explanation is found in Acts 10:14-15. God tells Peter that the categories of “clean” and “unclean” that He laid down in this chapter for the Israelites no longer apply to the New Testament church. The Holman Bible commentators put it this way: “Although there may have been some hygienic benefit derived from keeping the food laws, the prohibited creatures were not consistently unhealthy for human consumption. More likely, these laws reflected the distinctive kinds at creation (Genesis 1:26) and thereby taught the Israelites that there was an ordained pattern of conformity. The instructions showed the Israelites that they must conform to their creation as a holy people, avoiding assimilation with their pagan neighbors by adopting their domestic habits.” Based on the passage from Acts 10 as well as Colossians 2:16, this explanation seems the best reason for the categories of clean and unclean given here in Leviticus. Verses 1-8: Those beasts whose hooves are split in two and that also chew the cud are acceptable for the Israelites to eat. (v.3) The most common of this example are the bovine, sheep and goat families. What then follows is a list of examples of animals that are not acceptable: the camel (v.5), the rock badger or hyrax (v.5), the rabbit (v.6), and the pig (v.7). The first three don’t have cloven hooves, and the swine doesn’t chew cud. The Moody Bible Commentary suggests that because God limits what is acceptable for the blood sacrifices and offerings, the dietary prohibitions in this chapter are following a similar pattern. Therefore, only the cow, sheep or goat families are also acceptable for eating from the category of land animals. NOTE: Rabbits, according to Answers In Genesis, actually do chew cud. “Rabbits normally produce two kinds of feces, the more common hard feces as well as softer fecal pellets called cecotropes. Cecotropes are small pellets of partially digested food that are passed through the animal but are then reingested. As part of the normal digestive process, some partially digested food is concentrated in the cecum where it undergoes a degree of fermentation to form these cecotropes. They are then covered in mucin and passed through the anus. The rabbit ingests the cecotropes, which serve as a very important source of nutrition for the animal. Is this the same as cud? In the final analysis, it is. Cud-chewing completes the digestion of partially digested food.” Verses 9-12: Only those sea creatures that use fins and scales as forward movement are acceptable to eat. (v.9) All others – such as mackerels, eels and shellfish – are considered unclean. (v.12) (Deuteronomy 14:9) This is one reason that many orthodox Jews today will not eat shrimp, crab or oysters. Verses 13-19: Most of the birds considered unclean are of the predator (eagle, hawk, owl) or carrion (vulture, buzzard, raven) families. This list make sense according to health and sanitary precautions. Birds that eat the flesh of other animals, especially carcasses that have been laying in the desert sun for some time, are more prone to carry a greater number of diseases than those birds that don’t. That might also explain why swans, pelicans, storks and herons are also forbidden, as they eat many types of fish and sea creatures, some of which are forbidden for the Israelites to consume. (Refer back to verses 9-12.) The reason the bat also falls into the category of birds is because the Hebrew word for “bird” contains a broader meaning than the English translation. “Ôph” is translated as “flying thing”. Certain species of bat (such as the vampire bat) are also notorious for feeding on the blood of other creatures, something that God had already made clear was forbidden to His people. (Leviticus 7:26) Verses 20-23: Only those insects with jointed legs above their feet (v.21) are acceptable to eat, mainly the locust, cricket and grasshopper. Verses 24-28: Anyone that touches or handles the carcass of an unclean animal in any way is himself considered unclean until sunset. (v.24) He must bathe and wash his clothes while presumably also isolating himself from others. The remains of animals such as cats, dogs, lions, tigers, bears (oh my!), etc. are also considered unclean. (v.27) Anyone whose task is to remove these carcasses away from the camp is considered unclean until sundown. (v.28) Verses 29-31: Another short list of unclean animals, this time of the rodent family: weasel, mouse, ferret and mole; the reptile family: lizard and chameleon; the snail; and the tortoise. Verses 32-38: Anything that comes into contact with the carcasses of these unclean animals is deemed contaminated. This includes utensils, vessels and clothing. All of it must be washed, and any earthen vessel is to be destroyed. Any food in the contaminated vessels is to be thrown out. This is another indication that these laws are probably more for sanitary and general health reasons rather than a particular prejudice by God against these specific animals. There are, however, two exceptions to this rule: a freshwater spring or a cistern is not considered unclean if it comes into contact with an animal carcass(v.36); and a seed that has been set aside for planting is not contaminated unless it has come into contact with water first. (v.37-38) Verses 39-40: Even clean animals that die of natural causes are considered unclean. The rules are the same for the handling of their carcasses as those of the unclean animals. (v.24-28) Verses 41-47: These are the closing statements for this set of laws. As I noted at the beginning of this chapter, God is setting a standard of holiness for His chosen people, dividing the clean animals from the unclean. Those that are clean are considered safe for consumption, while the unclean are to be avoided and shunned. (v.47) Why? “For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” (v.45) (Exodus 6:7, 20:2, Leviticus 22:33, 25:38, 26:45, Psalm 105:43, Hosea 11:1) |
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