LEVITICUS: AN INTRODUCTION

 

The Nature of the Book

To most of us today Leviticus is the least literary (and perhaps most boring) book in the Old Testament. On the other end of the spectrum are scholars who describe the book using glowing terms like “dramatic” and “lyrical.” The truth probably lies somewhere in between.

It forms the centerpiece of the Pentateuch. One literary feature that this book shares with Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy is an alternation between blocks of narrative and legal material. But in Leviticus, the legal prevails to an overwhelming extent.

“Leviticus is a book of laws set within a narrative framework...Leviticus is...more than a description of past historical events and more than a collection of dated laws. It tells us about God's character and will, which found expression in his dealings with Israel and in the laws he gave them.”

“What is found...is a sophisticated patterning of both narrative and legal sections, which often serve each other as 'breaks' or shifts.”

The narrative framework of this book is expressed in two ways, both of which help us to understand the overall literary structure of the book.

A. The repeated use of the phrase “The LORD spoke to Moses,” or variations thereof, throughout the book stresses the original historical setting of the various regulations and often acts as an indicator that a new section is beginning.

B. The other appearances of narrative material in Leviticus occur in larger blocks: chapters 8-10, chapter 16 and chapter 24.

A literary analysis of the book's overall organization demonstrates that the book is much more than just a random collection.

As leader of the teaching team in our Sunday school class years ago, I once devised a series of lessons entitled “God's Law: Old and New.” Since Leviticus in many ways is the epitome of the OT law while the Sermon on the Mount forms the NT equivalent, I paired up appropriate passages in both as a framework for the semester's classes. The parallel passages I came up with are given below and may be helpful to class leaders who wish to do the same thing or simply as a useful guide for individual study.

Subject                                                     Lev. (chs.)             Sermon on the Mount

The Sacrifices of Believers                      1-3                          Matt. 5:21-26

Sin Offerings / Prayer                              4-7, 16          Matt. 6:7-13; 7:7-11; Luke 6:17-19

Disobedience vs. Godly Leadership         8-10          Matt. 5:13-20; 7:15-20; Luke 6:39-42

Moral Instructions                                  18-20              Matt. 5:27-32, 43-48; 6:19-24; 7:12

Holy/Unholy and Clean/Unclean             11                          Matt. 7:6; 8:5-13

Removal of Disease & Impurity            12-15              Matt. 4:23-25; 8:1-4; Luke 6:17-19

Public and Private Worship                  17, 21-22                 Matt. 6:1-6, 16-18

The Feasts                                              23-24:9                     Matt. 6:25-34

The Penalty for Sin                               24:10-23             Matt. 5:38-42; 6:14-15; 7:1-5

The Sabbath                                             25                         Luke 6:1-11

Blessings and Curses                               26                 Matt. 5:1-12; 7:13-14, 21-27

Vows to God                                            27                         Matt. 5:33-37