Leviticus

I. First impressions

1.1)What do you see in this book that tells you about the Original Reader?

The Israelites were the original reader as we can see the Ch.49:34(These are the commands that the Lord gave through Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites.).  
And through the Ch.9:5(So the people presented all these things at the entrance of the Tabernacle, just as Moses had commanded.) and Ch.9:9(Fire blazed forth from the LORD's presence and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When the people saw all this, they shouted with joy and fell face down on the ground.), 
we can find that the Israelites experienced God's presence and were afraid of God.
By the way, we can suppose that this fear made them willingly show their faith to others.  And it grew from bad to worse. And, later Jesus scold them as "You hypocrites! Isaiah was prophesying about you when he said, 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. Their worship is a farce, for they replace God's commands with their own man-made teachings.' "(Mark 7:6-7) and "How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites!"(Matthew 23:13).

1.2)What do you see in this book that tells you about the author?

Moses wrote it around 1440BC. In this book, it was described as "Then the Lord said to Moses"(Ch.4:1) many times. So, we can know he had a very intimate relationship with God.  And, according to the Ch.24:23(After Moses gave all these instructions to the Israelites, they led the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him to death, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.), we can find that the Israelites listened to Moses instructions well.

1.3)Main themes, repeated ideas and main idea:

Leviticus explains how they are to be his holy people and to worship him in a holy manner. Holiness in this sense means to be separated from sin and set apart exclusively to the Lord for his purpose and for his glory. So the key thought of the book is holiness. We can find it in the Ch.10:3 "Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD meant when he said, 'I will show myself holy among those who are near me. I will be glorified before all the people.'" And Aaron was silent.", and Ch.11:45 " I, the LORD, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God. You must therefore be holy because I am holy.".

1.4)What is the primary reason this book was written?

Leviticus is a manual of regulations enabling the holy King to set up his earthly throne among the people of his kingdom. In Leviticus spiritual holiness is symbolized by physical perfection. Therefore the book demands perfect animals for its many sacrifices (Ch.1-7) and requires priests without deformity (Ch.8-10). A woman's hemorrhaging after giving birth (Ch.12); sores, burns or baldness (Ch.13-14); a man's bodily discharge (Ch.15:1-18); specific activities during a woman's monthly period (15:19-33) - all may be signs of blemish (a lack of perfection) and may symbolize human spiritual defects, which break spiritual wholeness. The person with visible skin disease must be banished from the camp, the place of God's special presence. Before they can reenter the camp, however, they must offer the prescribed, perfect sacrifices.

II. Theme Tracing

2.1)What does this book show about the Character and Nature of God?

This book shows God is perfectly Holy and He wants us to be holy as him.  (Ch.11:45) "~ You must therefore be holy because I am holy."

2.2)What does this book show you about God's redemptive plan for mankind?

As said in 1.4), The person with visible skin disease must be banished from the camp, the place of God's special presence, just as Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden. Such people can return to the camp (and therefore to God's presence) when they are pronounced whole again by the examining priests. Before they can reenter the camp, however, they must offer the prescribed, perfect sacrifices. And, it is symbolizing the perfect, whole sacrifice of Christ for the redemption of imperfect human being.

III. Application

3.1)Personal application:

Most of all, it was very shocking that the Aaron's two sons were burned up and died because they burned the wrong fire in the ceremony of their sin offering. It was shocking not because of their death, but because of my sins which are much more bigger than the Aaron's sons. 
It make me remind that even though I could got the redemption through Jesus, I have to be holy because God is Holy and it's God's commandment. 
And, it's very shocking that I have not any pure thing to sacrifice for my sins offering. I'm so defiled and impure that I cannot go to God.  But, because of Jesus I can call God as "my Father in Heaven". How precious and graceful privilege I have!! Thanks God,Thanks Jesus!!!

3.2)Point of Passion Assignment

I want to be an evidence of existence of God. For this,I have to reveal God's perfection to the people I meet. Should I don't do anything because I am not perfect? Or should I do try to resemble Jesus's perfection?    -end-