Don’t Run from Leviticus’ Unparalleled Value: All (7) Feasts Show us the Christ

This is for those of us (you even) who are Biblically curious, yet feel distant, lost or even uncomfortable with many of the Books of the Bible. There are a great number of readers (many are Christians and others are Judaizers) who work to steer clear of the Torah [Books of Moses, GOD’s Written Word and “the” Law]. It may possibly be understood by some that Christians don’t “run” from the “5” because of the vast catalog of things to know, or because it’s irrelevant. They sprint because it’s uncomfortable, foreign, and misunderstood; and we humans know, when something feels foreign and uncomfortable, people instinctively avoid it.

One of the toughest Books of Moses I have read is Leviticus. I have to say though, outside of Deuteronomy (Cliff Notes of the five), Leviticus is growing to take the second or third spot.

…for the curious, Leviticus focuses on “holiness, how a Holy GOD dwells among His people and how they are to live in relationship with Him.” Why would that concept be outdated? Is that not the whole of all the Scriptures 66? Here are some specific areas, barring quite a few I will overlook.

I believe some of the problem is—we have is that we don’t care enough, or love Jesus enough to understand why He implemented these steps and statutes for the people to employ.

Leviticus repeatedly emphasizes that the LORD is holy and calls Israel to reflect His character: “Be holy, for I am holy.”

Leviticus also explains the sacrificial system (burnt, grain, peace, sin, and guilt offerings) and the role of the priesthood, showing how sinful people can approach a Holy GOD through making amends and reparations through humility. No, we don’t do these specific functions any longer, but the premise of each of them (go take a look at them to see that they are not burdensome, they are actually precursors to how the rest of the 61 Books Teach of to “Love one another and the GOD of Israel.” They are all offerings, which should cause us to think Biblically about how we are to offer ourselves to the same GOD, but WE are the “living sacrifices,” along with “our willingness to surrender what is needed to repair and restore what is broken amongst us and between us and the LORD GOD.”

Laws about ritual cleanliness, bodily conditions, food, and sacred space teach the difference between what the LORD GOD see as Holy and common, Clean and unclean. Instead of us seeing and being willing to work towards obedience, and to understand why He laid these out, we trust choose one of the humans who are working to disobey Him and “follow their lead into the ditch.” Do I really need to remind you that all of these things are against the laws we have on the books today in the Judiciary System?

Leviticus clearly connects worship with daily life—justice, sexuality, honesty, compassion, and love for neighbor are all expressions of holiness. Does THIS sound familiar? What part of this has been “done away with?”

The Book of Leviticus assumes GOD’s Presence in the Tabernacle at the center of Israel’s camp and gives Instructions so that His Presence is not defiled. Is this something churches are trying to emulate today? If not, the model you are using is off.

The problem we have is that we don’t care enough, or love Jesus enough to understand why He implemented these steps and statutes for the people to employ. Keep in mind, they had just come out of an Egyptian system that allowed for people to be mistreated and live like loving their neighbor was not an option or consideration. The Words of GOD given through Moses was the initial start-up for the world to be purged from them. …a task that was to work out 400 years of evil, selfishness and multiple god belief structure. 

Shall we ALL take a GIANT step and consider Leviticus 23and theseven yearly Feasts. Each of them is often viewed as a prophetic "timeline" of the Messiah's Mission from His Father. They are divided into four Spring Feasts, which depict Jesus' first coming, and three Fall Feasts, which point toward His future return. If you are still reading, are you becoming even a little more interested?

The first four “spring” Feasts were fulfilled by Jesus (Yeshua) on the provided Biblical days they were observed.