Who is god in leviticus

In what ways are you growing more like Christ? View Chuck Swindoll's chart of Leviticus , which divides the book into major sections and highlights themes and key verses. Who wrote the book? Where are we? Why is Leviticus so important? God established the sacrificial system so that His covenant people might enjoy His fellowship through worship; it also allowed for repentance and renewal: When an Israelite worshiper laid his hand on the animal victim, he identified himself with the animal as his substitute.

What's the big idea? How do I apply this? Raymond B. This is a good and noble thing to do, but it is not what Leviticus is talking about. Gleaning is a process in which landowners have an obligation to provide poor and marginalized people access to the means of production in Leviticus, the land and to work it themselves. Unlike charity, it does not depend on the generosity of landowners. In this sense, it was much more like a tax than a charitable contribution.

Also unlike charity, it was not given to the poor as a transfer payment. Through gleaning, the poor earned their living the same way as the landowners did, by working the fields with their own labors. It was simply a command that everyone had a right to access the means of provision created by God.

In contemporary societies, it may not be easy to discern how to apply the principles of gleaning. In many countries, land reform is certainly needed so that land is securely available to farmers, rather than being controlled by capricious government officials or landowners who obtained it corruptly.

In more industrialized and knowledge-based economies, land is not the chief factor of production. Access to education, capital, product and job markets, transport systems, and non-discriminatory laws and regulations may be what poor people need to be productive.

As Christians may not be more capable than anyone else of determining precisely what solutions will be most effective, solutions need to come from across society.

But the gleaning system in Leviticus does place an obligation on the owners of productive assets to ensure that marginalized people have the opportunity to work for a living. No individual owner can provide opportunities for every unemployed or underemployed worker, of course, no more than any one farmer in ancient Israel could provide gleanings for the entire district.

But owners are called to be the point people in providing opportunities for work. Perhaps Christians in general are also called to appreciate the service that business owners do in their role as job creators in their communities.

In any case, the point here is the relational aspect of telling the truth versus lying. A lie is not only a misstatement of cold fact, but it is also a betrayal of a companion, friend, or neighbor.

When U. But his fellow citizens rightly felt that he had broken trust with them, and he later recognized and accepted this assessment. He had violated the duty not to lie to another. In many workplaces, there is a need to promote either the positive or negative aspects of a product, service, person, organization, or situation. Christians need not refuse to communicate vigorously to make a point. But they must not communicate in such a way that what they convey to another is false.

If technically true words add up to a false impression in the mind of another , then the duty to tell the truth is broken.

Day laborers were generally poorer people who lacked land to farm themselves. They were especially dependent on immediate payment for their work, and thus needed to be paid at the close of each day cf.

These practices are illegal in most places, but unfortunately remain common. A more controversial state of affairs concerns day laborers who lack documentation for legal employment. This situation occurs around the world, applying to refugees, internally displaced persons, rural citizens lacking urban residency permits, illegal immigrants, children under the age of legal employment, and others.

Because both employers and employees are working outside the law, such workers seldom receive the protections of employment agreements and government regulations. Employers may take advantage of their situation by paying them less per hour than legal workers, by denying benefits, and by providing poor or dangerous working conditions. They may be subject to abuse and sexual harassment. Is it legitimate for employers to treat them this way? Surely not. But what if people in such situations offer themselves for substandard employment apparently willingly?

In many places, undocumented workers are available outside garden and building supply stores, at agricultural markets, and other gathering places. Is it right to employ them? Must Christians be strict about the legality of such employment, or should we be flexible on the grounds that legislation has not yet caught up with reality? However a Christian processes these issues, Leviticus reminds us that holiness and not practical expediency must be at the core of our thinking.

And holiness in labor matters arises out of a concern for the needs of the most vulnerable workers. These commands paint a vivid picture of cruel treatment of people with disabilities. A deaf person could not hear such a curse, nor could a blind person see the block.

For example, workers with disabilities do not necessarily need the same office furniture and equipment as those without disabilities. But they do need to be offered the opportunity for employment to the full extent of their productivity, like everyone else. In many cases, what people with disabilities most need is not to be prevented from working in jobs they are capable of doing. Again, the command in Leviticus is not that the people of God ought to be charitable to others, but that the holiness of God gives all people created in his image the right to appropriate opportunities for work.

You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the Lord. This short section upholds the familiar biblical value of justice and then broadens considerably. The first verse begins with an application for judges, but ends with an application for everyone.

The wording of the Hebrew highlights the temptation to judge the external appearance of a person or issue. Do not lift up the face of the poor one and do not honor the face of the great one. With rightness you shall judge your neighbor.

The same is true of our social relationships at work, school, and civic life. In every context, some people are privileged and others oppressed because of social biases of every kind. Imagine the difference Christians could make if we simply waited to make judgments until knowing people and situations in depth. What if we took the time to know the annoying person on our team before complaining behind his or her back?

What if we dared to spend time with people outside our comfort zone at school, university, or civic life? What if we sought out newspaper, TV, and media that offer a different perspective from what we are comfortable with? Would digging below the surface give us greater wisdom to do our work well and justly? The latter part of Leviticus reminds us that social bias is no light matter. In that case, not only would it be wrong to speak biased words, but it would be wrong even to stand idly by without volunteering to testify on behalf of the falsely accused.

Leaders in workplaces must often act in the role of an arbiter. Workers may witness an injustice in the workplace and legitimately question whether or not it is appropriate to get involved.

On a larger level, Leviticus brings its theological vision of holiness to bear on the whole community. The health of the community and the economy we share is at stake.

Hans Kung points out the necessary interrelationship of business, politics, and religion:. It should not be forgotten that economic thought and actions, too, are not value-free or value-neutral Just as the social and ecological responsibility of business cannot simply be foisted onto politicians, so moral and ethical responsibility cannot simply be foisted onto religion…No, ethical action should not be just a private addition to marketing plans, sales strategies, ecological bookkeeping and social balance-sheets, but should form the natural framework for human social action.

Every kind of workplace—home, business, government, academia, medicine, agriculture, and all the rest—have a distinctive role to play. Yet all of them are called to be holy. In Leviticus , holiness begins by seeing others with a depth of insight that gets beneath face value.

There is a strong element of self-interest in working. Scripture commends this motivation 2 Thess. This is a very high call—to work as much to serve others as to meet our own needs. If we had to work twice as long to accomplish it—say one shift a day for ourselves and another shift for our neighbor—it would be nearly impossible. Providentially, it is possible to love ourselves and our neighbors through the same work, at least to the degree that our work provides something of value to customers, citizens, students, family members, and other consumers.

That God is Holy. Sin must be dealt with. God lives among His people. We are to be holy set apart for God. We are to treat others and love others as we wish to be loved and treated. The book of Leviticus gives us an understanding of the meaning of the life and death of Jesus Christ. Register now for free and receive a new devotional every day to grow closer to God.

Home » Bible » Overview of Bible books. What does God teach us in the book of Leviticus? Last updated on August 23, Key themes in Leviticus I like to find a passage in each book of the Bible that sums up what that book is all about. Zooming out: Leviticus in context Leviticus is right in the middle of the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. Learn more. Who Was Herod? This site uses cookies to analyze traffic and ensure you get the best experience.

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