The Book of Leviticus is one of the most serious books of the Bible, in part because of the laws it imparts to followers. Part of the Old Testament, the book emphasizes the sanctity of the Christian religion. It is split into five sections: the laws of sacrifice, the guidelines for priesthood, ceremonial rules, guidelines about holiness and rules governing religious vows.
The lessons from this book may not seem as obvious. However, as is the case with all books of the Bible, there are ways to glean narratives from the story that may be applicable in modern life.
One of the main messages imparted from the Book of Leviticus is that it is for those who have already accepted the presence of God in their lives. This indicates that the starting point is not with learning about the holiness of God but rather with accepting God into your heart.
The starting point for this book is that it is important to decide to live through an established relationship with God before understanding the laws that God has outlined for a holy life.
Many people think that the books of the Bible are all about the ways that God expects people to act in their interactions with Him or in representation of Him. However, the Book of Leviticus outlines the morality of walking in Christian faith when interacting with others. What is interesting about this Scripture is that God does not mean to act in a moral way solely to other Christians but to all other people.
The book instructs Christians to leave parts of the crop harvest for those who have no food and for businessmen to avoid withholding wages from those who labor from day to day. The Scripture also says that it is not holy to curse the deaf or put roadblocks in the way of the blind. In other words, always act as a Christian even to those who may not follow in the faith.
Prior to this book of the Bible, God has always seemed further away from His people. Yet, in the Book of Leviticus, He is closer to those walking in faith than ever. This is a shift because the last time that God lived among people was in the Garden of Eden, and everyone knows how that turned out. So, this is something of a second chance for people to once again dwell in the spirit of the Lord.
This is a good reminder that faith is about trusting in His presence at all times and in all places. Even if you cannot see God, He is never far from you. He is always walking right beside you, and trusting in that knowledge is part of what He expects from all of His followers.
The Book of Leviticus has a lot to say about being "clean" and "unclean." This is not a physical cleanliness but rather a spiritual one. The Book of Leviticus correlates cleanliness to purity and notes that God's followers should always strive to be as pure as Him.
One of the most interesting lessons found in the Book of Leviticus regarding cleanliness is that this does not mean that God expects perfection. He is well aware that all of His followers will fall down and become unclean at some point. Rather, what He expects is that as His follower, you will get back up and repurify your spirit to reflect His love for you and your commitment to Him.
Christians will always need to deal with sin and challenges in their lives. It is the ability to recognize when you are operating outside of the boundaries set forth by God that sets you apart from those not living a holy life.
The Book of Leviticus details the expectations that God has from those that lead in his name. He outlines rules for priests in this book and underscores the extent to which they are expected to answer to their higher callings with a more exceptional level of commitment.
While the average Christian may not have to follow the same rules as that of priests, it is a good reminder that Christians are expected to represent God in a way that would make Him proud. There are higher expectations of those walking in faith as you are meant to set an example that shows how God works in you and your life and that would compel others to come to Christ and dedicate their lives as well.
Bethesda Senior Living encourages seniors of faith to utilize the guidelines laid out in the Book of Leviticus to strengthen their Christian foundations and gain a closer relationship to God.
