And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,
The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tabernacle of the congregation, giving him instructions to pass on to Israel. The call opens the laws of the offerings and the sanctuary service, setting out how individuals were to bring their sacrifices through the year. The sinner brought the victim to the tabernacle entrance, laid a hand on its head in confession to transfer sin to it, slew it in his own place, and the priest carried its blood into the sanctuary in ministry for the penitent. Those sacrifices show God's hatred of sin and its penalty, were offered in faith in the Redeemer to come, and point to Jesus Christ the Lamb of God, whose blood alone can take away sin and bring peace with God. They belong to the ceremonial law spoken through Moses from the tabernacle, distinct from the moral law of the Ten Commandments spoken directly by God to the people, yet they remain profitable as an object-lesson of Christ's priestly ministry in the heavenly tabernacle.
Voice from the Tabernacle
The book opens with the Hebrew word Vayyikra, meaning And He called, from which the book takes its Hebrew name. The Lord called unto Moses and spoke unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, beginning the instructions to be communicated to Israel. That speaking from the tabernacle gave Israel the instructions about offerings, with the ceremonial law concerning offerings spoken by Moses at God's direction, distinct from the Ten Commandments which God proclaimed from the fire and spoke directly to the people. The sacrificial instructions that follow, described in Leviticus 1-7, were historical realities practiced by Jews at a temple in Elephantine long before the Babylonian captivity.
The verse introduces the laws of offerings, for the book's instructions focus largely on worship and its first four chapters concern offerings. Its first eight chapters describe different kinds of sacrifices, each with a typological connection to the work of Jesus Christ. Chapters 1 to 7 give the main features of the service of the sanctuary and the laws governing the offerings and sacrifices, showing how sin, which is hateful to God, could be put away. Their blood could not itself remove sin, but pointed to the Lamb of God and to the work by which people are justified while God remains just.
It begins the especial work for individuals as they present their particular offerings during the year. That work belongs with the daily service and daily ministry in the holy place, in the first apartment and first grand division of the ministration of the earthly sanctuary. It is distinct from the yearly work in the most holy place, with the sanctuary entrance as the place where an Israelite brought a sacrificial victim for offering on his own behalf.
Sin Borne in Type
An individual who had sinned brought an offering victim to the entrance of the tabernacle as part of the daily service and first general ministry in the first apartment. Laying a hand on the victim's head with confession of sin signified the transfer of the person's sin to it. The victim was then slain in the sinner's place, and the repentant sinner himself must take the life of the lamb, with the antitype corresponding to the type. The priest carried its blood and sprinkled it in the sanctuary in ministry for the penitent, transferring sin from the victim to the sanctuary. There repentant sins were represented as forgiven, borne by sacrifices and their blood into the sanctuary, until later removed in its yearly cleansing.
The only approach to the Presence dwelling in the holy of holies, the second apartment, was by the altar of burnt-offering and its victim's blood. Its purpose was cure for sin, healing of conscience and peace with God. The offerings show God's hatred of sin and that sin demands a penalty, and they teach safety alone in the blood of the passover Lamb. They were made as an expression of faith and hope in the Redeemer to come, and the first eight chapters describing different sacrifices each have a typological connection to the work of Jesus Christ. They are types pointing to Jesus Christ and the Lamb of God, for their blood could not itself remove sin, pointing to the work by which people are justified while God remains just.
The chapter gives directions for the burnt-offering, distinct from the sin-offering and trespass-offering for individual atonement for forgiveness. It includes kinds of animals also used in Abraham's sacrifice and the rule that a bird offering be torn but not divided, connected with the undivided birds in Genesis 15. Abel's offering tallied in all respects with the burnt-offering instructions, showing the same instructions had been given to Adam's family immediately after the fall. That early service was later enlarged and centralized in the sanctuary system given through Moses to Israel, whose sacrifices served as types pointing forward to Christ the Redeemer. The wicked have no part in carrying out the plan of redemption except to accept and live, for God would never accept a sacrifice made by ungodly men knowingly or ignorantly for themselves or another. God accepts nothing but obedience and rejects only disobedience, as shown by accepting Abel's obedient offering and rejecting Cain's offering of the fruit of the ground which He had not commanded.
Ceremonial Law and Profit
The sacrificial and offering rules beginning here are the ceremonial law, spoken by Moses at God's direction after the Lord called him and spoke to him from the tabernacle of the congregation with instructions for Israel. That law communicated through Moses stands distinct from the Ten Commandments and moral law, which God proclaimed from the fire and spoke directly to the people at Sinai. It identifies the Levitical law as given to the children of Israel. As part of the biblical constitution given for Israel, it emphasizes the duties of rulers more than their privileges and grounds the welfare of the state in the righteousness of its citizens.
The yearly round of its ceremonies typified Christ's once-for-all ministry as priest in the heavenly sanctuary. The especial work for individuals presenting their particular offerings during the year belongs with the daily service in the holy place in the first grand division of the ministration of the earthly sanctuary, distinct from the yearly work in the most holy place, and that whole ministration by the Levitical priesthood is the example and shadow of Christ's more excellent ministry in the true tabernacle. The description of the main features of the sanctuary service in Leviticus 1 to 7 was not written in vain or without purpose. It is part of Scripture that is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect, and was written for learning that through patience and comfort of the Scriptures hope may be gained.
As part of the earthly sanctuary and its service, it is an impressive object-lesson teaching concerning the temple of God in heaven and Christ's priestly service therein as High Priest and Minister of the heavenly sanctuary, so that study of it gives clearer views of the Saviour and His work in behalf of men. Its priesthood, sacrifices and rites are worship institutions instituted by God in the Pentateuch. They are historical realities on which the New Testament account of redemption depends. The sacrificial instructions that follow the Lord's speaking to Moses from the tabernacle were practiced by Jews at a temple in Elephantine long before the Babylonian captivity.
The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tabernacle of the congregation, giving him instructions to pass on to Israel. The call opens the laws of the offerings and the sanctuary service, setting out how individuals were to bring their sacrifices through the year. The sinner brought the victim to the tabernacle entrance, laid a hand on its head in confession to transfer sin to it, slew it in his own place, and the priest carried its blood into the sanctuary in ministry for the penitent. Those sacrifices show God's hatred of sin and its penalty, were offered in faith in the Redeemer to come, and point to Jesus Christ the Lamb of God, whose blood alone can take away sin and bring peace with God. They belong to the ceremonial law spoken through Moses from the tabernacle, distinct from the moral law of the Ten Commandments spoken directly by God to the people, yet they remain profitable as an object-lesson of Christ's priestly ministry in the heavenly tabernacle.
Voice from the Tabernacle
The book opens with the Hebrew word Vayyikra, meaning And He called, from which the book takes its Hebrew name. The Lord called unto Moses and spoke unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, beginning the instructions to be communicated to Israel. That speaking from the tabernacle gave Israel the instructions about offerings, with the ceremonial law concerning offerings spoken by Moses at God's direction, distinct from the Ten Commandments which God proclaimed from the fire and spoke directly to the people. The sacrificial instructions that follow, described in Leviticus 1-7, were historical realities practiced by Jews at a temple in Elephantine long before the Babylonian captivity.
The verse introduces the laws of offerings, for the book's instructions focus largely on worship and its first four chapters concern offerings. Its first eight chapters describe different kinds of sacrifices, each with a typological connection to the work of Jesus Christ. Chapters 1 to 7 give the main features of the service of the sanctuary and the laws governing the offerings and sacrifices, showing how sin, which is hateful to God, could be put away. Their blood could not itself remove sin, but pointed to the Lamb of God and to the work by which people are justified while God remains just.
It begins the especial work for individuals as they present their particular offerings during the year. That work belongs with the daily service and daily ministry in the holy place, in the first apartment and first grand division of the ministration of the earthly sanctuary. It is distinct from the yearly work in the most holy place, with the sanctuary entrance as the place where an Israelite brought a sacrificial victim for offering on his own behalf.
Sin Borne in Type
An individual who had sinned brought an offering victim to the entrance of the tabernacle as part of the daily service and first general ministry in the first apartment. Laying a hand on the victim's head with confession of sin signified the transfer of the person's sin to it. The victim was then slain in the sinner's place, and the repentant sinner himself must take the life of the lamb, with the antitype corresponding to the type. The priest carried its blood and sprinkled it in the sanctuary in ministry for the penitent, transferring sin from the victim to the sanctuary. There repentant sins were represented as forgiven, borne by sacrifices and their blood into the sanctuary, until later removed in its yearly cleansing.
The only approach to the Presence dwelling in the holy of holies, the second apartment, was by the altar of burnt-offering and its victim's blood. Its purpose was cure for sin, healing of conscience and peace with God. The offerings show God's hatred of sin and that sin demands a penalty, and they teach safety alone in the blood of the passover Lamb. They were made as an expression of faith and hope in the Redeemer to come, and the first eight chapters describing different sacrifices each have a typological connection to the work of Jesus Christ. They are types pointing to Jesus Christ and the Lamb of God, for their blood could not itself remove sin, pointing to the work by which people are justified while God remains just.
The chapter gives directions for the burnt-offering, distinct from the sin-offering and trespass-offering for individual atonement for forgiveness. It includes kinds of animals also used in Abraham's sacrifice and the rule that a bird offering be torn but not divided, connected with the undivided birds in Genesis 15. Abel's offering tallied in all respects with the burnt-offering instructions, showing the same instructions had been given to Adam's family immediately after the fall. That early service was later enlarged and centralized in the sanctuary system given through Moses to Israel, whose sacrifices served as types pointing forward to Christ the Redeemer. The wicked have no part in carrying out the plan of redemption except to accept and live, for God would never accept a sacrifice made by ungodly men knowingly or ignorantly for themselves or another. God accepts nothing but obedience and rejects only disobedience, as shown by accepting Abel's obedient offering and rejecting Cain's offering of the fruit of the ground which He had not commanded.
Ceremonial Law and Profit
The sacrificial and offering rules beginning here are the ceremonial law, spoken by Moses at God's direction after the Lord called him and spoke to him from the tabernacle of the congregation with instructions for Israel. That law communicated through Moses stands distinct from the Ten Commandments and moral law, which God proclaimed from the fire and spoke directly to the people at Sinai. It identifies the Levitical law as given to the children of Israel. As part of the biblical constitution given for Israel, it emphasizes the duties of rulers more than their privileges and grounds the welfare of the state in the righteousness of its citizens.
The yearly round of its ceremonies typified Christ's once-for-all ministry as priest in the heavenly sanctuary. The especial work for individuals presenting their particular offerings during the year belongs with the daily service in the holy place in the first grand division of the ministration of the earthly sanctuary, distinct from the yearly work in the most holy place, and that whole ministration by the Levitical priesthood is the example and shadow of Christ's more excellent ministry in the true tabernacle. The description of the main features of the sanctuary service in Leviticus 1 to 7 was not written in vain or without purpose. It is part of Scripture that is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect, and was written for learning that through patience and comfort of the Scriptures hope may be gained.
As part of the earthly sanctuary and its service, it is an impressive object-lesson teaching concerning the temple of God in heaven and Christ's priestly service therein as High Priest and Minister of the heavenly sanctuary, so that study of it gives clearer views of the Saviour and His work in behalf of men. Its priesthood, sacrifices and rites are worship institutions instituted by God in the Pentateuch. They are historical realities on which the New Testament account of redemption depends. The sacrificial instructions that follow the Lord's speaking to Moses from the tabernacle were practiced by Jews at a temple in Elephantine long before the Babylonian captivity.