K.

10 - English 4 – Group B - Semester 1/2025

Text 1: THE SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM – Leviticus 1-17

Introduction
We are going to examine Leviticus 1-17 with an emphasis upon its
explanation of the sacrificial system. The book of Exodus concludes with the
construction of the Tabernacle (Exodus 35-36) and all the articles that were to
be used in it (Exodus 37-38) including the garments for the priests (Exodus 39).
Moses and Aaron had prepared themselves according to the Lord’s directions
and then erected the Tabernacle for the first time on the first day of the first
month of the second year after they had left Egypt. Leviticus gives the
instructions for how the worship of God was to take place in the Tabernacle.
One of the lessons the sons of Israel had already learned the hard way on
the slopes of Mount Sinai was the importance of keeping His commandments
and worshiping God according to His directions. Their false worship of the
golden calf in Exodus 32 resulted in about 3,000 people being executed. Though
that sounds like a lot, it was actually merciful for the whole camp was guilty and
could have been justly subjected to the same punishment. God had been
extremely patient with their previous stubbornness and disobedience as they
were traveling through the wilderness to Mount Sinai, but His judgement fell
upon them when they were openly worshiping a false god which they had
made.
Having the presence of God among them demanded that they meet His
conditions otherwise they would end up being destroyed. Because God is holy
they must also be holy (Leviticus 11:45). 1 Peter 1:15-16 makes the same
demand of Christians. The sacrificial system was the means by which
atonement was made for their sins and by which they could enter into the
presence of God. The Lord had redeemed them from Egypt to serve Him and
Leviticus contains many of the details of how that was to be accomplished and
to live in practical holiness.
Leviticus is a book that is still important to us that live in the New
Testament age of Grace for several reasons including the following: First, the
whole book magnifies the holiness of God and the importance of how carefully
we should approach Him – an issue that is still important for us today. Second,
while the ceremonial laws do not apply to Christians, the various moral laws
included in Leviticus explain much about what God declared to be good or evil
and they are the basis for many of our own specific moral codes. Third, the
various ceremonial laws help us understand a lot of the New Testament. Fourth,

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and most importantly, the laws concerning sacrifices and atonement explain to
us the necessity for Jesus’ death as a sacrifice for our sins on our behalf.
The Sacrificial System
Leviticus 1-17 present the conditions of sacrifice. Chapters 1-7 cover the
various specific sacrificial offerings while chapters 8-10 give the laws
concerning the priests and their preparation for ministry. Chapters 11-15 cover
various laws of purity which would determine if a person was ceremonial clean
or not and what they could do to become clean. Finally, chapters 16 & 17
explain the Day of Atonement at which time a sacrifice would be made for the
nation’s sin.
It is important to understand from the very beginning that the reason for
the various sacrifices was to either bring the person into a proper relationship
with God by means of an atonement for sin or to celebrate that relationship.
There are five specific sacrifices of which two were specifically for dealing with
sin, two for celebrating the relationship with God and one which did both.
Questions: What then are these sacrifices? What was their purpose? What did
each require?
Burnt Offerings – Leviticus 1 & 6:8-13
The burnt offering was voluntary and had a dual purpose. It was to atone
for general sin and it was to demonstrate complete dedication to God. Noah is
the first one recorded offering such sacrifices. He did this after he departed
from the ark following the flood (Genesis 8:20). This is the type of sacrifice
Abraham was to make of Isaac and which was then made with the substitute
ram at God’s command (Genesis 22:2, 13). It will be found throughout the rest
of the Old Testament at significant events such as Gideon dedicating himself to
be one of God’s judges of Israel (Judges 6), at the return of the Ark of the
Covenant from Philistines (1 Samuel 6:15) and bringing it to Jerusalem (2
Samuel 6). King David offered them in staying the plague that was caused by his
sin (2 Samuel 24). King Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings at the
dedication of the Temple (1 Kings 3) and continued to offer them three times a
year after that (1 Kings 9:25). Jeshua offered them at the return of Israel to
Jerusalem following the Babylonian captivity (Ezra 3) and Ezra did the same
when he returned with the second group of exiles (Ezra 8).
The particular animal sacrificed varied dependent upon the wealth of the
one offering it. It could be a bull without blemish, a male sheep or goat without
blemish, or a turtledove or young pigeon. The animal would be slain at the side
of the altar with its blood then being sprinkled on the altar. It would then be
skinned and cut into pieces that were arranged on the altar and then all of it

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would be burned up except the skin which would become the property of the
priest.

Grain Offerings – Leviticus 2 & 6:14-23

This offering is also referred to as a meal offering or a tribute offering. This
was usually voluntary but was also required in certain cases. This offering of a
gift by which God’s favor was sought and gratitude expressed for it. It usually
accompanied the other types of offerings and especially burnt and peace
offerings.
There were three types of grain offerings. The first was made of fine flour
mixed with oil and with frankincense. A handful of it was burned on the altar
along with all of the frankincense. The remainder belonged to the priest. The
second was of unleavened cakes or wafers mixed with oil. It could be baked or
cooked over a griddle or in a pan. A portion of it would be burned on the altar
with the remainder given to the priest which he could only eat in the court of
the Tabernacle. The third type was of early ripened grain heads. A portion of it
would then be mixed with oil and incense and burned on the altar. The
remaining amount would belong to the priest. If it was a priest’s grain offering,
then all of it had to be burned up on the altar. Each type of grain offering was to
be seasoned with salt.
Peace Offerings – Leviticus 3; 7:11-36 & 22:18-30
There were three types of peace offerings. All of them were voluntary and
signified the peace that existed between God and the worshiper. This is the only
sacrifice in which the one making the offering also shared in a portion of it as
part of their fellowship with God. First, it could be given as a thanksgiving
offering because of and unexpected blessing or deliverance. An example of this
was when David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:17).
Second, it could be a votive offering to express gratitude for a blessing or
deliverance related to a vow such was part of the Nazirite rituals (Numbers 6).
Third, it could be made in general thanksgiving without regard to any particular
blessing or deliverance such as Solomon’s regular sacrifices (1 Kings 9:25).
The particular animal that was to be sacrificed would vary according to the
wealth of the worshiper. It could be a male or female from the herd, from the
flock or from the goats. These did not have to be unblemished as in the other
offerings (Leviticus 22:23). After the animal was killed at the doorway of the
tent of meeting the blood was to be sprinkled around the altar. Only a portion of
the animal was then burned on the altar including all the fat on and around the
entrails, the two kidneys with their fat and the fat which is on the loins, and the
lobe of the liver. If it was a lamb then also fat tail.

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 The priests were to take the breast and the right thigh and wave them
before the Lord and then they could keep them. The rest of the animal was
given back to the offerer who could then eat them with his family, but none of
the fat or the blood was to be eaten, for those belonged to the Lord. If it was a
thank offering then it had to be eaten that day. If it was either a votive or a free
will offering then it could also be eaten the following day.
Sin Offerings – Leviticus 4:1-5:13; 6:24-30
The sin offering was required as an atonement for sins committed
unknowingly or unintentionally. (Numbers 15:30-31 explains that the one that
sins defiantly would be cut off from the people and remain in his guilt. A sin
offering would not be accepted in such circumstances and was in fact one of the
reasons for God’s judgement of the nations of Israel and Judah later on (Isaiah
1:11f; Jeremiah 6:20f). God called such offerings worthless and abominations).
The particular sacrifice required would vary depending on the person’s
position and the wealth of the individual. An unblemished bull was required of a
priest or if made on behalf of the entire congregation. A ruler had to sacrifice an
unblemished male goat. A commoner was to bring either an unblemished
female goat or a lamb. A poor commoner could bring two turtledoves or two
young pigeons. If the person was extremely poor they could bring a tenth of an
ephah (about 3 pints) of fine flour without oil or incense.
Each type of animal was to be slain at the doorway of the tent of meeting.
The priest would take a portion of the blood into the tent of meeting and dip his
finger in it and sprinkle some of it seven times before the Lord, in front of the
veil of the sanctuary. Some of the blood was then to be placed on the horns of
the altar of fragrant incense and the rest poured out at the base of the altar of
burnt offerings. The fat portions of the animal including the fat around the
entrails, the two kidneys with their fat, the fat of the loins and the lobe of the
liver were to be burned on the altar as with the peace offerings. If the sin
offering was a bull for either a priest or on behalf of the whole congregation,
then the remainder of the animal was to be taken to a clean place outside the
camp and burned up. If it was for a ruler or commoner, then the priest could eat
of it in a holy place within the court of the tent of meeting. If the offering was of
fine flour, then the priest would burn up a handful of it on the altar and the
remainder would become his just as in the grain offering.
Guilt Offerings – Leviticus 5:14-6:7 & 7:1-7
This offering differs from the sin offering in that there could be restitution
required as well. If it was an offense against the Lord, then the sacrifice was to
be an unblemished ram as a sin offering and the priest would estimate the
monetary value and add 20% as the restitution amount which would then be
given to the priest. If the offense was against a person, then the only difference
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is that the restitution amount would be given to the person that had suffered
the loss. It could have been due to deceit, fraud, robbery, extortion or any other
act of unfaithfulness.
Laws of the Priests (Leviticus 8-10)
With the explanation of the sacrifices that were to be made, the priest then
had to prepare themselves for this ministry. Leviticus 8 records the careful
preparation Aaron and his sons made in carrying out the required washings,
making the required sacrifices and being anointed with oil. Leviticus 9 records
the first sacrifices Aaron made after being consecrated. There was a sin offering,
a burnt offering, a grain offering and a peace offering. After all the various
offerings were on the altar, Moses and Aaron came out the tent of meeting to
bless the people and the glory of the Lord then appeared to all of them. “Then
fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the
portions of fat on the altar; and when all the people saw [it], they shouted and fell
on their faces” (Leviticus 9:24).
To this point everything was going very well, but they were about to learn
another important lesson of carefully following the Lord’s commands in coming
before Him to worship. Look at Leviticus 10:1-3. “Now Nadab and Abihu, the
sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed
incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not
commanded them. 2 And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and
consumed them, and they died before the Lord. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is
what the Lord spoke, saying, ‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy,
and before all the people I will be honored.'” So, Aaron, therefore, kept silent.”
Their sin was not treating the Lord as holy demonstrated by their
disobedience to His instructions concerning the incense. Moses then instructed
Aaron’s nephews to remove the remains of Nadab and Abihu to the outside of
the camp. He also told Aaron and his remaining two sons, Eleazer and Ithamar
to remain in the tent of meeting and show no signs of mourning since they were
serving the Lord with His anointing oil upon them. The rest of the congregation
would mourn for Nadab and Abihu.
The Lord then further instructed Aaron saying 9 “Do not drink wine or
strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of
meeting, so that you may not die– it is a perpetual statute throughout your
generations– 10 and so as to make a distinction between the holy and the profane,
and between the unclean and the clean, 11 and so as to teach the sons of Israel all
the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them through Moses” (Leviticus 10:9-
11). They had the responsibility of teaching the congregation about holiness
and they had to be that way themselves in order to fulfill it. They were not to
risk inebriation while serving the Lord or they could die like Nadab and Abihu.
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In the near context of this warning, it is possible that being drunk is what led
them to be profane in offering strange incense. They disobeyed the Lord’s
commandments and so did not treat Him as holy and so incurred His wrath and
judgement.
Aaron and his sons then completed the rest of the ministry in the
Tabernacle that day. You can be sure that not only they, but the rest of the
congregation was very sober minded and careful to follow the Lord’s
instructions.
Laws of Purity (Leviticus 11-15)
Now that the sacrificial system was implemented the Lord gave Moses and
Aaron instructions for the congregation so that they could make a distinction
between the clean and the profane in matters of daily life. It is important to note
here that these are all laws of ceremonial purity that were to separate and make
the people of Israel distinct from all other peoples. While there may or may not
be health benefits related to them, the real purpose was calling Israel to Himself
and making them holy.
Leviticus 11 distinguishes between the various animals which could be
used for food and which were unclean to them. There are many groups that
make careful study of this passage and the related ones in trying to set rules for
themselves about what they should or should not eat. While there may or may
not be health benefits from avoiding certain foods while eating others, that will
not be accomplished by keeping the dietary regulations imposed in the Mosaic
Law because that was not their purpose. For example, pigs are in the restricted
list of unclean animals. It is known that eating raw pork can result in trichinosis,
a parasitic disease that can cause severe muscle pain where the worms embed
themselves and can even lead to death. The parasites are killed by cooking, and
since Jews were not to eat raw meat (nothing with its blood in it) then
trichinosis from pork would not have been a health risk just as it is not for us
today if we will but simply cook the meat.
The key phrases throughout the chapter are “unclean to you” and
“detestable to you.” That does not translate into those things being unclean or
detestable to all other people or throughout the ages. They had been clean prior
to the Mosaic Law (Genesis 9:3) and they were no longer unclean after Acts
10 when the Lord gave Peter the vision in which he is told to “kill and eat” of
every kind of animal and then specifically told “what God has cleansed, no
longer consider unholy.” Paul is also strong on this point saying in 1 Timothy
4:1-5 that it is a doctrine of demons that advocate abstaining from foods “which
God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the
truth, for everything created by God is good and nothing is to be rejected , if it is

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received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and
prayer.”
Leviticus 12 gives laws concerning ceremonial impurity related to
childbirth and the requirements for purification following it. Leviticus 13 & 14
give laws concerning all sorts of leprosy. This is more than just Hansen’s
disease which is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae, for it also
includes “leprosy” of clothing and houses which would be certain molds and
mildews. There were precise ways in which the priest was to determine if it was
a “leprosy” or not and what would have to be done for purification. Leviticus
15 has laws concerning various bodily discharges and what have to be done to
be purified after the discharge stopped. Again, there would be certain health
benefits to some of these laws, such as isolating certain infectious diseases from
spreading, but again the primary focus of these laws was ceremonial purity in
order to come before God with the congregation. As Leviticus 15:31 points out,
it was to keep the sons of Israel separated from their uncleanness, lest they die in
their uncleanness by their defiling My tabernacle that is among them.”
Laws of Atonements (Leviticus 16,17)
Leviticus 16 & 17 are crucial to our understanding of holiness and purity
for they explain not only the yearly the Day of Atonement – Yom Kippur – in
which atonement would be made for the holy sanctuary, the tent of meeting and
altar, the priests and all the people of the assembly (Leviticus 16:33), but they
also explain how the sacrifices actually make atonement.
The yearly Day of Atonement was to be carried out with particular
sacrifices and rituals. It was to occur on the tenth day of the seventh month
which is usually late September or early October in our calendar. It was a to be
a sabbath of solemn rest for the purpose of humbling their souls before God.
The bull for the sin offering was for the high priest and his household. It
differed from the normal sin offering for a priest in that he was to bring some its
blood inside the veil into the holy of holies along with firepan full of coals with
finely ground sweet incense on it. He was to take some of the blood and sprinkle
it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side and then sprinkle some
more with his finger in front of the mercy seat seven times.
After this he was to take two goats and cast lots for them. One would be
offered as a sin offering for the people. He was to take some of the blood and
sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side and then sprinkle
some more with his finger in front of the mercy seat seven times to make
atonement for the sin of the people and for the holy place and the tent of
meeting. This was the one time of year that he was to enter the holy of holies
and come before the mercy seat which was on the ark of the covenant. While he
was inside no one else was to be in the tent of meeting. When he came out from
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it he was to take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat
and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides and sprinkle it seven times.
After this he was to take the live goat and lay both hands on its head and
confess over it all the iniquities and transgressions of the sons of Israel and lay
them on the head of the goat. The goat was then to be led away into the
wilderness where it would be set free. The symbolism is that it would bear the
sins of Israel away from them. (We get from this our phrase “scapegoat,”
meaning someone who is innocent but upon whom all the blame is placed).
After changing from the linen garment, he wore into the holy of holies, the
high priest would burn the fat portions of the bull and goat sacrificed as sin
offerings and then the remainder of them were to be taken outside of camp and
burned up.
Leviticus 17 explains the restrictions on sacrifices and the means by which
they made atonement. Sacrifices were only to be made at the tent of meeting.
Anyone that slaughtered their sacrifice outside the camp would be cut off from
among the people. The laws concerning sacrifices were to be taken very
seriously.
In addition, there was also a very serious restriction on eating the blood of
an animal whether it was for sacrifice or not. Leviticus 17:10 states that the
Lord would set His face against every person that eats blood and they would be
cut off from among the people. This law applied to all the sons of Israel and any
alien sojourning among them. The reason is given in verse 11 and repeated in
verse 14. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the
altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that
makes atonement.” It is not the blood, but the life that has been sacrificed that
makes the atonement. This is a very important point for there are those that
make God out to be bloodthirsty, which He is not. There are others that want to
make the blood into some sort of physical payment system by which they can
buy off God, which they can’t. There are others that want to carry this over to
the blood of Jesus and make it into some magical substance, which it is not.
Leviticus cannot make it any clearer. It is not the blood itself; it is the life which
it represents that makes atonement. If it was the blood itself then all that would
be needed is a small injury by which some blood could be collected, but the
reality is that the animal must die or there is no atonement. Let me also quickly
add that the idea that this passage prohibits blood transfusions is preposterous.
That is one of the absurd doctrines of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. A transfusion is
not “eating” blood. Blood transfusions are good. They are in a real sense the
transfer of the means of life, for life is in the blood.
But why does their have to be this loss of life in a sacrifice?

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 Remember back in Genesis 2:17 that God told Adam that if he disobeyed
Him and ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he would surely die.
When Adam did to do that very thing, his sin caused a separation between him
and God (spiritual death) and the physical death process began. Sin brings
death.
Adam’s shame caused him to attempt to hide from God, but you cannot hide
from a being that is everywhere present (omnipresent) and knows all things
(omniscient). When Adam realized he was naked he tried to cover himself with
fig leaves, but fig leaves are not durable and so they are not suitable for
clothing. Genesis 3:21 tells us that “the Lord God made garments of skin for
Adam and his wife, and clothed them.” The clothing would cover the shame of
their sin as revealed in their nakedness. The word atonement means “covering.”
God killed an animal to use its skin as to make a covering, an atonement, for
Adam and Eve. Again, sin brings death, but in this case it was a substitute death.
The animal died instead of Adam or Eve.
However, animal sacrifices have essential deficiencies as an atonement for
sin in three areas. First, they are not of the same nature as those who sinned.
Second, they are not of sufficient value to make satisfaction for sin. Third, they
could not themselves consent to being offered up as a substitute. This is
why Hebrews 10:4 states directly that it is impossible for the blood of bulls and
goats to take away sins. The Old Testament also has many statements that say
the same thing or explain the inadequacies of an animal sacrifice and what the
Lord actually wanted. Jeremiah 7:21-23 gives an historical explanation. “Thus
says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Add your burnt offerings to your
sacrifices and eat flesh. 22 “For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them
in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings
and sacrifices. 23 “But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and
I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way
which I command you, that it may be well with you.’ Hosea 6:6 states is
succinctly, “For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of
God rather than burnt offerings.”
Why then were animal sacrifices offered? Because it is what God
commanded. The worshiper was to place their faith in God’s mercy and grace to
accept the sacrifice as a substitute. Faith was in God, not the sacrifice itself. No
one could demand God accept them based on animal sacrifices. God placed the
sacrificial system upon the people as a continually reminder of their sinfulness,
guilt and condemnation so that they would seek God’s forgiveness. Salvation
has always been based in faith in a gracious God and not on works.
Consider Psalm 40:6-8 which says, “Sacrifice and meal offering Thou hast not
desired; My ears Thou hast opened; Burnt offering and sin offering Thou hast not
required. 7 Then I said, “Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me;
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8 I delight to do Thy will, O my God; Thy Law is within my heart.” There is
also Psalm 51:16-17 which says “For Thou dost not delight in sacrifice, otherwise
I would give it; Thou art not pleased with burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God
are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.”
Animal sacrifices were not sufficient and only a shadow of what was
needed and was to come (Hebrews 10). God would provide the perfect sacrifice
in Jesus Christ for He is of the same nature as we, He is of more than sufficient
value to make satisfaction for sin, and He willingly consented to being offered
up as the redemption price. He substituted His life for ours.
Jesus is the fulfillment of the sacrificial system. As the burnt offering His
sinless life was wholly dedicated to God. As a grain offering He gained the favor
of God who was well pleased with Him. As the sin offering His substitutionary
death was the atonement for sin. As the guilt offering He paid the price of
redemption so that what was unclean is made holy. As the peace offering He has
brought about the blessing of reconciliation so that there is peace and
fellowship between God and man.
It is by humbly coming to Jesus Christ with faith in Him and His atoning
sacrifice that man can be reconciled with God. It is the only means by which
man can come to God.
In a few moments we will celebrate communion which is done in reflection
of Jesus’ becoming the sacrifice for our sin, for in partaking of the elements, the
bread signifying His body, and the cup, signifying His blood, we show forth His
death until He comes (1 Corinthians 11:23-30).

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IBT – K.10 - English 4 – Semester 1/2025
Text 2: GOD’S MORAL STANDARDS - Leviticus 18-27
Introduction
We continue to discuss the laws God gave to the sons of Israel concerning
sacrifices and ceremonial purity. If God was going to dwell in the Tabernacle in
the midst of their camp, then they needed to know how to approach Him
properly, otherwise they were at risk of being destroyed. God is loving,
merciful, kind, gracious, patient and longsuffering, but He is also holy, righteous
and just. Sin cannot continue in His presence without judgement coming. The
sacrificial system was set up so that there could be atonement for sin, and the
purity laws were set up so that they would not come before God in an unclean
state.
I am going to give you an overview of the laws in Leviticus 18-27. These
chapters contain both ceremonial laws that separated the Jews from all other
people and moral laws which define right and wrong, good and evil. Familiarity
with the ceremonial laws can help us understand Jewish culture in both the Old
and New Testament as well as give insight into the many ways in which Jesus
fulfilled the types within those laws. The moral laws still have application for us
today since they are repeated or referred to in the New Testament. Both types
of laws give us insight into the character and nature of God.
I will be pointing out both types of laws, but I will be putting greater
emphasis upon the moral laws since they do give us standards for our own
conduct. We live in a time in which our freedom in Christ is emphasized so
much that many professing Christians have become licentious in their manner
of life. They believe that since they are saved from the punishment of Hell by
Christ’s death that they can do whatever they want. Many of them will often use
religious terminology of some type to justify what they do, but the reality is that
they are openly practicing things that are sinful and bring shame to the name of
Christ. Just because a person claims that they are being led by God or the Spirit
does not mean that the claim is true. Claiming your conscience is clean may only
reveal that your conscience has been seared. Neither what we believe, or how
we feel, or what our conscience dictates is the source of truth nor do they set
the standards for our conduct. The source of truth is the Word of God, the
Scriptures, and they set the standards of our conduct. Your beliefs are to be
changed to match the Bible. Your conscience is to be trained according to its
standards so that you might not sin against God (Psalm 119:11). Your feelings
are to follow after you have committed yourself to the truth and put it into
practice.

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 Throughout the New Testament there are many calls for the believer to set
aside their sinful practices and walk in holiness. In Romans 6 Paul gives the
command “do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its
lusts” but instead to “present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead,
and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Romans 6:12, 14).
Paul adds that being under grace instead of the law is not an excuse to sin (vs.
14f). In Colossians 3:5 we are told to “consider the members of your earthly body
as dead” to various sinful practices. Galatians 5:24 tells us, “Now those who
belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” The
Apostle Peter tells us that we are to be “obedient children” and not to be
conformed to our former lusts for we are to be holy (1 Peter 1:14-16). In 2
Peter 3:11 he asks the rhetorical question, “what sort of people ought you to be
in holy conduct and godliness” in light of the fact that this world will be burned
up and a new heaven and earth would be created.
What then are the standards by which we should live? The moral laws in
Leviticus and other Old Testament books can give us additional insights in to
the commands and principles that are given to us in the New Testament.
Laws on Immoral Relations – Leviticus 18
Leviticus 18 begins with the Lord’s instructions for what Moses was to
teach the people. Verse 3 begins, “You shall not do what is done in the land of
Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where
I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes. 4 ‘You are to perform My
judgments and keep My statutes, to live in accord with them; I am the Lord your
God. 5 ‘So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live
if he does them; I am the Lord.” They were not to be like the Egyptians or the
Cannanites, and there would be blessings if they would obey the Lord and
curses if they did not. Among the practices of the Egyptians and Cannanites
were various kinds of immorality for which they were judged (vs. 24-25).
Leviticus 18 gives the specific prohibitions and warnings that those who
practiced them would defile themselves and be cut off from among their people
(vs. 6-30).
The New Testament gives many commands concerning immorality. There
are the specific commands against adultery and fornication such as in Romans
13:9, 1 Corinthians 6:9; Hebrews 13:4 and James 2:11. Adultery is an immoral
sexual relationship outside of marriage. Fornication is an immoral sexual
relationship prior to marriage. There are also the more general laws against
immorality such as 1 Corinthians 6 which says that the body is not for
immorality and that we are to flee it (vs. 13, 18). Galatians 5:19 lists immorality
as one of the deeds of the flesh which are contrasted with the fruit of the
spirit. Ephesians 5:3 &5 tell us that we are not to let immorality or impurity be

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named among us and that no immoral man has an inheritance in the kingdom of
Christ and God. Colossians 3:5 calls on us to consider our bodies as dead to
immorality. 1 Thessalonians 4:3 states directly that the will of God is our
sanctification which includes abstaining from sexual immorality. Leviticus
18 tells us what God declares to be immoral.
Included in the list of prohibitions were rules on incest which would
include immediate family including step parents and siblings and in-laws as
well as consanguinity (marriage to too near a relative) which would include
aunts and uncles, and in a polygamous family, marriage to women who are
blood relatives. Also listed as immoral are adultery, homosexuality and
bestiality.
Leviticus 20:10-21 gives further explanation on immoral behaviors stating
the specific penalties beyond being cut off from the people that would occur. All
those involved in cases of adultery, incest, homosexuality or bestiality were to
be put to death and their blood guilitiness was to be upon them. Those who
married an aunt, uncle or sister-in-law would bear their sin and die childless.
The same penalty was given in the case of marriage to a sister-in-law. This is
assumed to be a marriage following a divorce, not death, for Deuteronomy
25:5 gives the law of a kinsman redeemer in which a brother is to take his
sister-in-law if his brother dies and raise up a son in his brother’s name.
There are those that will incorrectly use these laws and based on them
claim that Abraham could not have been godly since he was married to his half-
sister, a relationship excluded under these laws. Remember what I pointed out
back in Genesis 4 when discussing Cain and his descendants. It would not have
been wrong for him to have married a sister for three reasons. First, there was
no other choice since with the exception of his mother, every woman in
existence was his sister. Second, God gave no commands against such a
marriage until the Mosaic Law which we are now examining in Leviticus 18.
Third, there would not have been genetic defects in the first humans, and it
would have taken some time for an accumulation of mutated chromosomes to
become a genetic load dangerous to their offspring. It is the accumulation of
errors in the genetic code that cause the physical problems of closely interbred
families. While marriage to a sister had been acceptable in prior times, God was
now banning it.
Leviticus also has laws specifically against harlotry for it profaned the
woman and the land by filling it with lewdness (19:29). Levites were not
allowed to take a woman profaned by harlotry as a wife (21:7) and were only
allowed to marry a virgin of his own people (21:14). A priest’s daughter that
profaned herself by harlotry was to be burned (21:9). Paul addresses this issue
specifically in 1 Corinthians 6:15-20 stating that Christians who practice

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prostitution are joining Christ to the harlot and warning us to flee all
immorality. Why? Because “every [other] sin that a man commits is outside the
body, but the immoral man sins against his own body, and our bodies are the
temple of the Holy Spirit and have been bought with the price of Jesus’ death, so
that we should glorify God with our bodies.
That same New Testament admonishment applies to all cases of
fornication. While Leviticus deals with that issue in more general terms,
Deuteronomy gives instruction about particular situations in seeking to protect
women from men who would force themselves upon them, while at the same
time bringing punishment upon those that willingly participate in fornication.
Why have I spent so much time on this subject? Because we live in a society
that has lost its moral bearings and now openly advocates nearly every type of
immorality as normal and good. I have heard professing Christians use the same
justifications and excuses for their immorality as non-Christians. God’s
commands concerning human sexual relationships have not changed, and they
are simple. Within marriage, it is yes. Anything else is perversion and God
warns about its consequences including that it is a sin against one’s own body
(1 Corinthians 6:18). What needless tragedy people bring upon themselves by
their sexual immorality. The emotional pain is only the top layer of the
calamities suffered, for there are also the physical and medical traumas and
diseases, some of which are not only painful and debilitating but can also cause
sterility, and some such as syphilis and AIDS lead to death. After all these
natural consequences there is still God’s judgement that has to be faced. This
brings additional condemnation upon the non-Christian (1 Corinthians 6:9-10),
and while Christians can be forgiven in Christ, there are additional
consequences for them too. Do not ever think that being a Christian gives you
license to sin. The Christian that sins is brought under conviction by the Holy
Spirit, is to be admonished and corrected by fellow believers and is subjects to
God’s direct chastisement (Heb. 12:4-11). If those things do not happen, then
you have fooled yourself and you do not belong to the Lord, for if you are
without His discipline, you are illegitimate and not a son (vs. 8).
Let me add here that Jesus also made it clear that immorality was a
condition of the heart because the heart was the source of the immoralities
(Matthew 15:18-20). That is why Jesus equated looking at a woman to lust after
her with adultery (Matthew 5:28). Christians are to set their minds on the
things above and not the things of this earth (Colossians 3:2). We are to “put on
the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to [its]
lusts” (Romans 13:14). We should set no worthless thing before our eyes (Psalm
101:3). These commands cover a host of issues from girl (or guy) watching to
every form of pornography regardless of its source. You need to destroy any
pornographic materials you have including any printed matter, film, videos or
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graphics files. Any computer you use should have filters and blocking programs
activated to help protect you from the garbage on the internet. It is also wise to
set up accountability programs to further reduce temptation. You also need to
be discerning and discriminating in what movies, videos and DVDs you see as
well as television programing, for even the commercials and coverage of
sporting events are now often filled with sexually provocative and even
pornographic images. Make sure what you watch matches the criteria
of Philippians 4:8.
Laws on Idolatry & False Worship
Leviticus 19:4 and 26:1 cover general issues of idolatry which are in reality
just expansions of the first two of the Ten Commandments not to have other
gods and not to make idols or graven images to worship them. To these
prohibitions are added other objects of false worship such as sacred pillars and
figured stones. Leviticus 18:21 and 20:2-5 also cover the particular issue of the
worship of the false god, Molech, which was practiced by some the Canaanites.
This was spiritual harlotry which was why it is included in the list of
immoralities. One of its rituals included passing children through fire in
dedicating them to Molech. One idol form was a bronze statue with a bull’s head
and outstretched arms. It was hollow and could be heated and the child would
be laid in and burned in the arms of the statue. Depending on the heat and
length of time the child was left in the arms it could be a ritual passing with
minimal harm to the child, or it could be a sacrifice of the child’s life by fire to
Molech. Those who practiced such worship were to be stoned, and if the people
of the community did not do so, then the Lord would set Himself against those
people and cut them off.
The New Testament also gives warning of idolatry. The apostle John
concludes his epistle “Little children, guard yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21)
and Peter and Paul both warn against it (1 Peter 4:3; 1 Corinthians 10:7). Paul
includes it the list of the deeds of the flesh (Galatians 5:20) and states that
immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed amount to idolatry
(Colossians 3:5). While most do not think of Americans as idolatrous since
statues and graven images of false gods are not as common here as in other
lands, these equivalents of idolatry are quite common in our society and also
ordinary temptations to Christians, so the warnings against idolatry are
directed to us too. In addition, the worship of statues and graven images has
increased dramatically as people with idolatrous practices have immigrated
here, and their ideas and practices do influence our society. There are also
religious groups that profess to be Christian that do use statues or graven
images in their worship rituals and their people are called to bow to them in
veneration. All of that is idolatry.

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 There were additional laws related to other forms of false worship. These
were expansions on the first or third of the Ten Commandments not to have
other gods or not to take the Lord’s name in vain.
Leviticus 19:12 commands not to swear falsely by the Lord’s name for it
profanes it. Jesus told us not to swear at all by the Lord but to let your “yes” be
“yes,” and your “no” be “no,” for anything beyond that was of evil (Matthew
5:37).
Another form of false worship was not following the Lord’s commands
concerning ceremonial purity and worshiping Him properly (Leviticus 19:5-
8; 21:1-24:9; 27:1-34). There was various punishments depending on the
violation ranging from paying restitution and a fine, to make a sacrifice, to be
cut off from the people, to capital punishment for certain offenses such as
blasphemy. While Christians are not under obligation to keep the ceremonial
laws, those laws do give us some insight into the principles of worshiping the
Lord properly. Christians are to worship the Lord in spirit and truth (John 4:24)
which includes not only coming before God with the proper reverent and
humble attitude (James 4:6; Hebrews 12:28; 1 Peter 5:5), but also making sure
we are paying attention to God’s doctrines and not the myths, teachings and
commandments of men (Ephesians 4:11-15; 1 Timothy 1:4; 4:1-7; Titus
1:14; Hebrews 13:9, etc.). God’s kingdom and righteousness are to be sought
first (Matthew 6:33), and we are to walk in a manner worthy of Him (Ephesians
4:1), for God is worthy of our best.
Another form of false worship is given in Leviticus 19:26, 31 which warn
against occultic practices such as divination, soothsaying and consulting
mediums and spiritists. The Lord would set His face against those who did such
things and they were to be cut off from among the people (Leviticus 20:6). They
were also warned against following particular customs and practices used by
the Canaanites in their pagan religious rituals. These included certain hair
styles, cutting themselves for the dead and religious tattoos (Leviticus 19:27-
28; 21:5). While we have more freedom in the New Testament we still have the
principle of avoiding those things that are clearly identified with the worship of
false gods. We are not to take our worship practices from them nor are we
appear to be like them.
The Thessalonians were commended for their obvious turning from their
pagan idolatry to the worship of the true God (1 Thessalonians 1:9). The
Ephesians believers brought their books of pagan magic rituals and burned
them though they had great monetary worth (Acts 19:17). 2 Corinthians 6:14-
18 calls for us to be separate from Belial, unbelievers and idols and cleanse
ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit. That does not mean not having
any association with unbelievers, for then we would have to go out of the world

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(1 Corinthians 5:9-10), but it does mean we are not to be yoked with them and
there are to be distinctions between us because we are to walk in holiness. (See
the Holy, but Free sermon series). (Being “all things to all men” – 1 Corinthians
9:22 – does not mean participating in unholy practices).
Laws Related to Stealing and Coveting
Leviticus 19:11 states directly “You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to
one another.” The New Testament repeats these same commandments
(Ephesians 4:25, 28; 1 Corinthians 6:8-11). Included in this would be
oppressing a neighbor, robbing him or withholding the wages of a hired man
(Leviticus 19:13), having just measurements in weights and capacities
(Leviticus 20:35-36), doing no wrong to strangers (Leviticus 20:33-34).
Laws Related to Love & Kindness
Leviticus 19:18 commands “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Paul
repeats the command in Galatians 5:14 saying that it is the fulfillment of the
law. James 2:8 calls it the “royal law.” Jesus repeated it several times including
in Matthew 22:39 where He said that the whole Law and prophets depended on
it and the command to love God with all your heart, soul and mind. In Matthew
5:43-48 Jesus went beyond this to also command His followers to love their
enemies and pray for those that persecuted them.
Among the ways Leviticus says that love to a neighbor was to be shown
included not hating them, bearing a grudge against them or taking vengeance
upon them, but you could reprove a neighbor as needed (19:17-18). Cruelties
such as cursing a deaf man or putting a stumbling block in front of a blind man
were forbidden (Leviticus 19:14). Another kindness was to leave the corners of
a field unharvested for the care of the poor who were also allowed to glean the
fields (Leviticus 19:9-10). This was a way to provide for the poor while still
allowing them the dignity of labor. I know some people think the poor should be
provided for without making them work, but Paul said in 2 Thessalonians
3:10 “if anyone will not work , neither let him eat.” The New Testament follows
the same principles as the Old Testament.
Justice and kindness were also shown in the various laws of redemption in
Leviticus 25. These were means by which property, including people sold into
servitude, would be restored or freedom gained by either waiting to the year of
jubilee or by someone else paying the price of redemption to gain the freedom
or restore the property before that time. Jesus’ death was the redemption price
by which we were redeemed from our bondage to sin and Satan (Titus 2:14; 1
Peter 1:18). Leviticus 25:35-38 required them to care for the poor among them
and restricted them from charging usury or interest on anything borrowed or
given to the poor. A Christian that has the means and sees a brother in need is

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to meet that need (1 John 3:17). In fact, one of the reasons for working is to
have the means to be able to meet such needs (Ephesians 4:28).

Laws Related to Justice

Leviticus 19:15-16 required impartial justice which included not
slandering a neighbor or acting against him. This was in keeping with the ninth
commandment not to bear false witness. Deuteronomy 19:15-21 added the
requirement of having two or three witnesses in order to establish a matter
which made it more difficult for a false witness to bring a charge. Christians are
also charged not to slander (Ephesians 4:31; Colossians 3:8) and the
requirement for multiple witnesses is also repeated (2 Corinthians 13:1; 1
Timothy 5:19).
Leviticus 24:17-23 places restrictions on punishment by limiting it to only
the harm that the person had caused. This was to be the standard for everyone.
The common response of mankind is to carry out a punishment greater than the
harm caused and especially if they are a foreigner.
Laws Related to Giving Honor
Leviticus 19:3 repeats the commands to reverence your mother and father.
That is a command repeated in the New Testament in Ephesians 6:1-3 for it is
the basis of the command for children to obey their parents. Related to this is
the command in Leviticus 19:32 to “rise up before the grayheaded and honor the
aged.” This is a means of showing respect. This would be included in the New
Testament regarding the treatment of those who are older. We are to render
custom and honor to those to whom it belongs (Romans 13:7). The younger are
to be in humble submission to their elders (1 Peter 5:5). Widows are to be cared
for (1 Timothy 5:3-16). Older people are not to be sharply rebuked, but rather
are to be appealed to as a father (1 Timothy 5:1).
Laws Related to the Sabbath
Leviticus 19:3; 20:30, and 26:2 repeat the command to keep the Lord’s
Sabbaths. This would include the special Sabbaths such as those related to the
required religious feasts detailed in Leviticus 23 as well as the regular weekly
Sabbaths. The Sabbath and feast commands are not repeated in the New
Testament to Christians, but understanding that they are but shadows of what
is to come and that the real substance belongs to Christ (Colossians 2:16), we
are to regard and observe each day as we believe the Lord would desire us to do
(Romans 14:5-6).
Blessings and Penalties – Leviticus 26

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 In Leviticus 26 the Lord details the blessings for obeying His commands
and the penalties for disobedience. These will be detailed again in Deuteronomy
27-30. We will see these promises put into action throughout the
rest of the history of Israel for they were blessed when the followed God and
they were cursed when they did not.
The specific blessings included the proper seasonal rains, bountiful crops,
peace in the land from enemies and wild beasts, victory in battle, abundance of
children and a confirmed covenant in which God would make His dwelling
among them and walk among them.
The specific curses increased as the disobedience continued. Curse for the
first level included terrors, consumption and fevers, crops that would be eaten
by their enemies for they would be defeated by them and ruled by them.
Continued disobedience would result in a curse on the land so that it would not
yield its produce or fruit. Continued disobedience would result in plagues, wild
beasts that would kill their children and animals. Continued disobedience
would bring the curse of invasion by enemies resulting in sieges and famines.
Continued disobedience would result in famine so bad they would turn to
cannibalism, their sites of false religious worship would be destroyed along
with their cities and the land which would be left desolate. The land would
remain in that condition until all the days of Sabbaths which were not observed
would be fulfilled. The people that would be left would be fearful and be carried
away by their enemies. However, even in captivity God would not forget them
or break His covenant with them. Their only hope would be to confess their sins
and the sins of their forefathers so that God would remember His covenant and
restore them.
Conclusions
God is the same today as He was then. He still requires His people to walk
with Him in holiness. His moral laws are still to be upheld. If there is a parallel
in the New Testament it is legitimate to look to the Old Testament for examples
of how to carry out the principles. Deuteronomy contains additional specific
insights into God’s moral standards for His people. Our civil laws were
originally set up on this basis God still blesses for obedience and curses for
disobedience. The church is not Israel, so the specific blessings and curses are
very different, but the general principle is the same. While the Christian has no
promise of avoiding trouble by obedience to God, for we are warned that “all
who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12), we
can know His peace and the joy of fellowship with Him even in the midst of such
things. If our lives are marked by disobedience the Lord will bring His discipline
upon us (Hebrews 12:4-11). In the case of the Corinthian Christians this

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included not only admonishments, but also sickness and even death for some (1
Corinthians 11:30).
What is your relationship to God’s moral laws? Are they of concern to you?
Are you familiar with what they are? Are you striving to walk in them? I pray
that your answer is “yes” to all of them. If they are not of concern to you, then I
will pray and ask the others here to pray that God will get your attention so that
they become a concern to you. You cannot walk with God and glorify Him
properly unless they are. If your familiarity and ability to walk in them lacks,
then understand that is one of the reasons for the body of Christ and this local
church in particular. We exist to glorify God by making disciples of Jesus Christ
and that includes teaching people whatsoever He has commanded (Matthew
28:20). Opportunities for this range from our basic individual discipleship
ministry through advanced training classes. Talk with me or any church leader
so that we can direct you to the next step you can take in learning to properly
walk with God for His glory.

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