The very first words found in Gordon Wenham’s 1979 NICOT commentary on Leviticus are these: “Leviticus used to be the first book that Jewish children studied in the synagogue. In the modern Church it tends to be the last part of the Bible anyone seriously looks at.”
Sad but true. As one of the inspired 66 books of the bible, Christians today need to pay close attention to this book as much as to all the others. But with its many laws and statutes, it can be a daunting read for some. The help of good commentaries and other resources can assist us in this regard.
Being 7 years old, newer commentaries were of course not mentioned there. So let me focus on just two recent commentaries that help show us the importance of this third book of the Pentateuch.
Jay Sklar
Old Testament scholar Jay Sklar has been one of the more well-known Leviticus experts. Indeed, back in 2013 he wrote a 336-page commentary in the TOTC series. But in 2023 he released a massive 845-page commentary in the ZECOT series.
A few quotes from the book’s 77-page Introduction will help us to see the relevance of this book for the believer today. In Hebrews 9:13-14 we read about how much more the blood of Jesus can cleanse us from sin than the Old Testament sacrifices. Jesus of course was the perfect priest who presented himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin.
Moreover, God graciously dwelt with his people in the OT, but in Jesus we have the perfect indwelling of God. Writes Sklar:
One of the major themes of Leviticus is that the heavenly King, in his love for his people, comes to dwell in their very midst in the tent of meeting. Jesus takes this to a whole new level. First, Jesus comes as God in the flesh to dwell among us (John 1:1, 14). God no longer dwells in a tent among the people, physically separated from them in the Most Holy Place. He now walks among them in the flesh. . . . Second, God’s presence in the Old Testament was especially associated with the tent (Exod. 40:34-35) and then later the Temple (1 Kgs. 8:10-11). But since Jesus’s death and resurrection, God’s presence is especially associated with his followers, who are described as a “holy temple in the Lord” of which “Jesus himself [is] the chief cornerstone (Eph. 2:20-21).
He continues:
But Jesus does not simply teach us about this kingdom; he has been appointed its King. Just as Old Testament kings were anointed and called “son” of God (1 Sam. 16:13; Ps. 2:7), so too was Jesus, whose baptism was like his coronation, with the Spirit of God coming and anointing him, and God proclaiming, “This is my Son, whom I love” (Matt. 3:16-17; Phil 2:9-11; Heb. 1:1-13). Indeed, Jesus ushers in the kingdom in remarkable new ways that clearly demonstrate his power as King. When he preaches and teaches about the kingdom, he heals those who are sick (Matt. 4:23) and delivers those oppressed by the evil one (Luke 11:14-20), as though he is already beginning to undo the effects of the fall and restore humanity to Eden. That is what the King of God’s kingdom can do. For this reason, we must be connected to him if we are to spread God’s kingdom in the world. Jesus is the vine; we are the branches (John 15:1-8). He strengthens us to live in the way God has intended; we are dependent on him to do this. The call of the New Testament – the call of Jesus himself – is therefore to follow him as King.
Leviticus: A Discourse Analysis of the Hebrew Bible (3) (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament)by Sklar, Jay (Author), Block, Daniel I. (Editor)
Jerry Shepherd
In his 2021 commentary in the SGBC series, OT professor Jerry Shepherd also looks at the relevance of this biblical book for the life of the church. He says this:
There have been efforts, both ancient and modern, to relativize and marginalize the Old Testament and to squeeze the teaching of the Old and New Testaments in two formulations such as law versus gospel, letter versus spirit, bondage, versus freedom, relevant versus irrelevant, and abrogated versus valid. But. … the truth of the matter is quite the opposite. Jesus and the apostles lived in the world of the Old Testament. It was their joy and delight. Jesus declared that these words from God are the very words by which we live…..
The book of Leviticus may not be as front and center in the New Testament as other Old Testament books. However, as I have already noted above, the most cited Old Testament verse in the New Testament comes from Leviticus [Lev. 19:18, “Love your neighbor as yourself”], and it could be argued that, in many ways, the teaching of the book of Leviticus “undergirds the logic of the New Testament.” Leviticus plays a major role in the Book of Hebrews. As many have argued, Leviticus seems to play a significant role in the letter in Acts 15 that the apostles send to gentile believers, instructing them with regard to the law. It has been maintained that James demonstrates a significant acquaintance with Leviticus in his epistle….
He concludes his introductory remarks this way:
In this commentary we will try to suggest ways in which the teaching of Leviticus as a whole, as refracted through the pages of the New Testament, may be improvised in our communication of the gospel and in our ways of behaving ethically and responsibly in our Christian communities, before a watching world. May God be pleased with, and add his blessings to, this effort.
So if you have not yet waded into Leviticus, please do so. And perhaps get a few commentaries or other Bible study tools to help you along the way.
4 Replies to “Leviticus, the Lord, and Lessons for Today”
The modern Evangelical church, to its shame, has woefully neglected the books of the Old Testament as a whole. Leviticus taught me to respect God’s Holiness and how holiness meant separating ourselves from sin before we ever consider approaching God.
Thanks Dave.
J. Vernon McGee once said that Leviticus was his favorite book of the Bible. Of course, I could hear him say that every book is his favorite, too! Ha. He said that if one looked closely, you could see Christ in every chapter. So I took his advice, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, I was so blessed to see Christ and His shed blood in every sacrifice (“for it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” Heb.10:4 NLT) and in every law, which Jesus fulfilled as our spotless Lamb.
While reading Leviticus in the past may have been tedious to me, I’ll remember for whom I am looking the next time that I read it.
The modern Evangelical church, to its shame, has woefully neglected the books of the Old Testament as a whole. Leviticus taught me to respect God’s Holiness and how holiness meant separating ourselves from sin before we ever consider approaching God.
Thanks Dave.
J. Vernon McGee once said that Leviticus was his favorite book of the Bible. Of course, I could hear him say that every book is his favorite, too! Ha. He said that if one looked closely, you could see Christ in every chapter. So I took his advice, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, I was so blessed to see Christ and His shed blood in every sacrifice (“for it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” Heb.10:4 NLT) and in every law, which Jesus fulfilled as our spotless Lamb.
While reading Leviticus in the past may have been tedious to me, I’ll remember for whom I am looking the next time that I read it.
Many thanks for that Jim.