Leviticus 25 ~ The Year of Jubilee

The year of Jubilee

Not only were the people to observe the Sabbath and keep it holy but the promised land also was to observe the Sabbath in that it would be worked for six years and the sixth it would rest. Whatever the land produced would be consumed by the landowner, his family, his servants and his slaves during the the 7th year. After seven cycles of seven years on the 10th day of the 7th month a trumpet shall sound throughout the land and will re-echo over the land. Liberty will be proclaimed for all inhabitants. During the 50th year, the year of Jubilee people would return to their homeland. 

God went on to tell them they would have plenty of harvest so they would not need to work the land in the 7th year to provide for their families and went on to explain to them how he would like them to conduct their real estate dealings. 

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Leviticus 24 ~ An Eye for an Eye

This chapter deals with a few different issues. 

Keep the oil lamps burning. 

God spoke to Moses and advised how they were to be kept burning. They were to be placed on pure gold tables. vs 1 -4

Bread offered to God

They were to take 24 pounds of flour and bake 12 loaves of bread with 12 loaves on each tables of pure gold. God gave implicit directions on how the food was to be placed and offered because bread was a very holy part of food offered to the Lord for the priests. vs. 5-9

Just and fair punishments.

This is where the saying "an eye for an eye" originated. If someone wronged someone in a certain way, they could expect retribution in the same way. vs. 10-23

Thanks go to Anne and Bible Facts Plus for the unique illustrations today.Thank you so much for visiting me today. May God richly bless you and the reading of His word.

Leviticus 23 ~ Religious Festivals

God spoke to Moses about high holy days, days of festival and the Sabbath. God provided Moses with rituals which were to be strictly adhered to and advised that on these specific days, which he listed, there was to be no work performed. God also made provisions for the poor and needy by advising the children of Israel to leave some grain behind especially on the perimeters of their fields for those who were wandering and hungry. 

Thanks go to Anne and Bible Facts Plus for the illustration today. Thank you so much for visiting me today. May God richly bless you and the reading of His word.

Leviticus 22 ~ Holy Offerings

God's children were urged not to eat anything that had been either killed by a wild animal or had died of natural causes. The priests were advised not to partake of sacred foods when unclean. Sacred foods were only to be eaten by the priest and his family or slaves which were born in their home. If the daughter moves from the home and marries outside the priesthood she is no longer to partake of the sacred meal. Animals used for offering were to be blemish free. A newborn animal and it's mother was not to be sacrificed the same day. Newborn animals were not to sacrificed before the age of 8 days. Meat was to be eaten the same day and none was to be saved for eating on the following day. 

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Leviticus 21 - The Sanctity of Priesthood

Moses' brother, Aaron's sons were priests. This was the most elevated position of the day and because of this the standards of purity were at the highest. The Lord spent much time instructing Moses on the conduct He required. He touched upon cleanliness of body and behavior. They were not allowed to handle the dead as was required for preparation of burial, nor were they allowed to marry a woman who had not kept her honor. A priest maintains a high position; one that is sacred because God is sacred. 

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Leviticus 20 ~ The Penalty of Sin is Death

God told Moses that He had brought the people to Israel and He did not want them to participate in the worldly habits of those there. People in the country sacrificed their children to God, practiced immoral sex worshiped false Gods and visited mediums and sorcerers.

The country flowed with milk and honey and was a rich country. The inhabitants were being chased out to make a new home for the Israelites. Those who could not or would not listen would be put to death. God promised this that they would be set apart as a chosen children and as such needed to obey his laws and live justly and respectfully.

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Leviticus 19 ~ Moral and Religious Laws

God said to Moses that He wanted the community of Israel to know that He is their Lord and God and such is holy. He advised that they are to be holy and respectable also. He advised them of laws which would help them to carry themselves in a fair and respectful way, advising against speaking to mediums or astrologers or worshiping false idols. He also advised them be good neighbors and against cheating and lying.

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Leviticus 18 ~ The Sanctity of Sex

God told Moses to instruct the Israelites that they were not be sexual immoral as were the Egyptians. He was bringing them into Canaan and He wanted Moses to impress upon them that they were not to behave as the Canaanites either. They were not to have sexual relations with relatives, spouses of relatives or family members of any relatives, nor were they to sleep with their neighbor or a member of their own sex. 

God was very clear in His instructions to be given to the Israelites as to the sanctity of sex wanting them to respect themselves and one another. 

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Leviticus 17 ~ Bloodshedding

The Lord told Moses to speak to Aaron and his sons regarding the sacrifice of ox, sheep or goats advising that anyone who slaughters an animal without first bringing it to the temple and first offering it for sacrifice at the temple is guilty of blood shedding. If anyone was out hunting and caught a bird or other animal the blood should be buried before the animal was prepared for eating. Blood of animals as well as humans was considered to be sacred and not disposed of in a careless fashion. There also was protocol to follow in cleaning the garments and bodies of those who came in contact with the shed blood.  

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Leviticus 16 ~ The Scapegoat

In chapter ten of Leviticus, Aaron's two sons were consumed with fire for incorrectly approaching the Lord. God referred to this when speaking to Moses about protocol in approaching the sanctuary. God asked Moses to instruct Aaron in the appropriate fashion of not only entering the temple but preparing sin offering. He advised him also that a young bullock was to be given for offering and how the sins were to be placed upon the head of a goat and the goat led out into the desert. This is where the term "scapegoat" appears to have originated as the goat bore the sins of the people and then was sacrificed. 

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Leviticus 15 ~ Running issues and cleanliness

Two Squatter Pigeons

Much as a father would speak to his children and give him or her proper training to teach them how to safeguard their health, our heavenly father spoke to Moses about running issues and cleanliness. He instructed Moses how to speak to the people about cleanliness of both male and females and how after being cleansed of the issue they were to take two turtles or pigeons to the priestat the door of the synagogue. The priest then would offer a burnt offering for their atonement but when they were still with their issue, they were to take caution not to cause anyone else to be infected and to limit their contact. These instructions were given for the protection of all.

 

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Leviticus 14 ~ Cleansing of Lepers

hyssop

The 14th chapter of Leviticus has 55 verses which cover an extremely detailed instructional for priests regarding the purification of lepers. The priest was assigned the responsibility of examining the leper and determining whether she or he was healed and able to join the others. He also performed the offering for forgiveness of sin and purification of the leper. Two birds were required, hyssop, and cedar wood for only one part of the ceremony. There were days of instructions to follow involving other sacrifices and precise steps which had to be maintained such as:

"And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that it is be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot;"

While reading this chapter it struck me that all the specific instructions required obedience and faith.      Perhaps, and I do not claim to be a Bible scholar, but just perhaps the Lord was testing the Priests and the people, creating step after step to follow creating a closer bond to Himself with the people while maintaining cleanliness and protection from disease because their faith and obedience would help them to regain their health?

Note: Hyssop is a herb which is anti-viral and also used as an expectorant, found in many natural cough remedies. Chemicals and nutrients found in hyssop are diosmine, essential oils, flavonoids, marrubin and tannins. Poultices were created which sped up the healing of wounds. 

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Leviticus 13 ~ Being Clean and Respectful

Lepers shouted unclean!

In this chapter God describes how lepers are to be examined by the priests and how they are to be quarantined from the rest of the population until considered clean again. In those days people who had highly contagious diseases such as leprosy understood the importance of keeping their distance and maintaining it for the safety of others. It was a sign of respect. 

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Leviticus 12 - The Purification of a Woman after Childbirth

 

God gave Moses very specific instructions for the purification of the mother after birth of her child. He compared the issue of blood resulting from childbirth to a woman's menstrual cycle which is used to purify her and designated how long she was not to touch anything holy with a designated amount of days for a son of 41 days and for a daughter of 66 days. During this time she was not allowed to attend temple. At the end of the time she was advised to bring her offering to the entrance of the tent and the ritual would be performed to take away her impurity and allow her to be "ritually" cleaned. A different offering was allowed for the mother who could not afford a lamb; she could substitute two pigeons or doves.

 
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LEVITICUS 11 - Clean and Unclean Meat

The Lord explained to Aaron and Moses that there were animals which were clean and those which were unclean. Animals which were cloven footed, parted hoof and chewed cuds were considered clean but not the camel as it's hoof is not parted. God went on through the many animals expressing which ones could and could not be used for sacrifice or for human consumption.

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Leviticus 10 - Aaron's Sons are Consumed by Fire

 

Fire consumes Nadab and Abihu

God was very specific in how offering was to be presented.

Two of Aaron's sons disobeyed the Lord's instructions on how the offering was to be performed and presented. As they were burning incense in a way that was unpleasing to God suddenly the Lord sent  fiery flames and consumed them.

Moses told Aaron that this was what God meant when he said:

I demand respect from my priests, and I will be praised by everyone!

Moses then instructed the family not to show their sorrow and to mourn as God would be angry. Moses provided them with clarification again of how to perform and present offering that it might by pleasing in God's sight. They were then obedient.

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Leviticus 9 - God Sends a Fire

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After the ordination rites were completed for Aaron and his sons a fellowship meeting was held among the Israelites and an offering exactly as God commanded. After all the sacrifices were completed as ordered Aaron raised his hands and blessed the people, then stepped down. Moses and Aaron went into the Tent of the Lord's presence and after they had spent time with God there they came out glowing from a dazzling presence. As they appeared before the people, God sent a fire down to consume the rest of the burnt offering. As the people saw this they shouted and bowed down with their faces to the ground.

Thank you so much for visiting me today. May God richly bless you and the reading of His word.