The LORD called Moses, and spoke to him from the tent of meeting (Leviticus 1:1)
Leviticus is at the very heart of the Pentateuch, both structurally, being central among the five books, and geographically, given at Mount Sinai between Egypt and the Promised Land. We might even say it is the heart of the Pentateuch theologically as well when we consider the place and time frame in which it is placed. The Glory of God had just filled the Tabernacle at Sinai concluding all the dramatic narrative of Exodus. This happened on the first day of the first month of the year (Exodus 40:2). We see in Numbers Chapter One a year has passed, for it begins on the first day of the second month in the second year coming out of Egypt. The implication is that the instruction in Leviticus was given to Moses from the Tabernacle, just as the Ten Commandments and the Covenant Code were given to him on Mt. Sinai. Leviticus is therefore theologically central to the whole of the Pentateuch.
This poses a problem when we consider that the Levitical system within Israel was not YHWH’s original plan but happened in response to the people’s rebellion (See The Ordination of the Levites in Exodus 32-34). Does this mean the laws in Leviticus would not have been necessary if Israel had not sinned? And if not necessary, how then can they be framed as the “heart” of the Pentateuch as we are proposing here?
The Levitical Priesthood and associated laws were given to spiritually form the Israelites so they could live with YHWH in their midst after they had just proven themselves unworthy. Specifically, these laws were to teach the people what holiness is. Holiness is central to every phase of life and worship before a holy God. Therefore, even though Levitical law first emerged as an added layer of legislation, it was placed here at the heart of the Pentateuch when it took its final form, probably in the 5th Century by Ezra the Scribe. God always brings good out of human failure of which the Book of Leviticus is a prime example.
The Hebrews typically named their books by the very first word of the book, which in this case is wayyqrā′, translated “And He (YHWH) called [to Moses].” The name “Leviticus” was given to the book by the translators of the Septuagint because it deals with priestly service and the priests came from the Levite tribe. However, the Levites are hardly mentioned in this Book, esp. in comparison to the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy, and therefore the name can be misleading.
The Hebrew name is critical, however, for our understanding of the book. It is notable that it doesn’t begin with “And He said to Moses…,” but “called.” This vocabulary takes us back to Moses’ first encounter with YHWH when He “called” out to Moses from the burning bush, and later from Mount Sinai (Ex. 24:16). This book continues this idea of encounter and vocation; and it is designed to invite us readers, even though separated by millennia, to experience encounter with the Holy and a vocation of holiness. As Ephraim Radner tells us in his wonderful commentary, “If the words here are the words of God who reveals his very self, then we are called through the words themselves into an encounter with God” (p. 35).
Just as the Tabernacle was built according to heavenly design and is therefore relevant for all time, so are the words of God that emanated from this sanctuary relevant for all time. Modern boredom over this book is due to western prejudice against history in general, and law specifically. Our culture is urgent only for the present, and simply has no patience for laws that constrict freedom, especially ancient ones whose historical context is neither known nor appreciated. With this antinomian attitude, we see little appetite for neither God as He really is, nor holiness. (See Introductory Thoughts on Law under Exodus 19-24.)
We have seen earlier in Exodus the curious relationship in Hebrew Scriptures between narrative and liturgy (See History, Memory and Liturgy under Exodus 5-15). The same can be said about narrative and law. It may seem strange to the modern reader to abruptly jump into the sacrificial laws (Leviticus 1-7) right after the dramatic filling of God’s Tabernacle with His glory (Exodus 40:34-38), only for the narrative to pick up again with Aaron’s ordination and the death of his sons in Leviticus 8-10, and then back into laws for the rest of the book. This demonstrates how deeply tied the drama of life was to God’s instructions on liturgy and law in this culture. Rather than seeing these “genres” of history and law/liturgy in opposition, they existed side by side in harmonious interplay. We do well to ponder over this and see what we can learn from the text as it is.
Holiness is at the heart of the Pentateuch in the form of this book of Leviticus, and holiness should be at the center of our hearts and desires. This should make our study of Leviticus extremely relevant and interesting. In fact, we will read it as the author of the Epistle of Hebrews did, locating “the work of God depicted in Leviticus in the actual body of Christ” (Radner, p. 26). This is a very profound insight; we are challenged to leave superficiality behind and dive deeply into this book and into the humanity of our divine Lord.
Leviticus has a very sophisticated structure which we will unfold in our next post. However, we will use the simple four-fold structure the book presents to us on the surface level for our website presentation (Following G. Wenham):
- The Laws of Sacrifice (Chapters 1-7)
- Institution of the Priesthood (Chapters 8-10)
- Uncleanness and its Treatment (Chapters 11-16)
- Prescriptions for Practical Holiness (Chapters 17-27)
Takeaway: Leviticus, far from being an antiquated set of priestly laws irrelevant for today, is critical for our understanding of what it means to live in the presence of a Holy God.
Questions:
- What has been your experience with the Book of Leviticus, or what is your impression of it?
- How do you respond to this post? Does it pique any interest for you in the study of the Book of Leviticus? Explain.
Resources Used:
Alter, R. and Kermode, eds. The Literary Guide to the Bible (London: Collins, 1987). Article on Leviticus by David Damrosch.
Radner, E. Leviticus in the Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible series, (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2008).
Wenham, G. The Book of Leviticus in NICOT series (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979).