The Book of Leviticus is the third book of the Torah written by Moses and it is called “Vayikra” in Hebrew meaning “Called.” This is a book is also called “The Book of Kedusha”, which is the Hebrew word for “holiness.” It is defined as the “the designation and the setting apart of something or someone for the service of God by formal and legal restrictions and limitations. The kedusha of time is marked by formal and legal limits on man’s activities of work and construction.”
Another definition we will need to know if the definition of “keep and observe.” These terms play a pivotal role in Leviticus. This is defined as the “incorporation of the things of God into our lives. It is staying true to the tavnit (pattern) God has given for a specific thing to be done, at a specific time, at a specific place, by specific people.” To understand Leviticus and to have a proper Tanak foundation, these two definitions must be understood and utilized.
Leviticus describes a living, working system in which the ritual purity of the central sanctuary is maintained, whether it was the Mishkan or the Temple. One of the things we need to remember when we talk about the korbanot (offerings), the altar, the priesthood and the functions of the Temple is that all of it came from God. It is where God does business with man. This system is separate and apart from the work of Yeshua. In fact, they compliment each other (John 1.17). The Temple system and the korbanot only dealt with the flesh (Heb 9.13) and Yeshua’s work dealt with the heart.
The word korban does not mean “sacrifice” as so many use the term. It means “to draw near” to God. The korbanot were seen as a restoration of the covenant relationship and a continuation of the covenant meal shared when the Torah was given in Exodus 24. The korbanot were like “near death experiences” and they speak of mortality.
There were three elements to a korban. We have the person, the korban itself and the priest. All three allude to Yeshua. The korbanot revealed God’s love for his children. Only the name of God (Yehovah) is used in relation and connection with the korbanot, never “Elohim.” Yehovah is associated with the mercy of God and Elohim (a title) is associated with judgment. So, we will look into this book and the concepts found there.
The five books of Moses are chaistic in structure. That means that Leviticus is the focal point of this structure. In the word “Vayikra” there is a small Hebrew letter “aleph” at the end of the word. The next word in Hebrew is “el” (to) and it is written with an enlarged aleph. The small aleph alludes to Moses, and the enlarged aleph alludes to Messiah Yeshua, based on Deut 18.18.
We see right away that this book is about kedusha (holiness). It is a book about priests, and people will ask, “Why learn about that? All that has been done away with anyway.” It is a book about kedusha and they will ask, “Why learn about that? God gives me that.” However, they do not understand what kedusha means.
This book has two strikes against it with most Christians, and most people, for that matter. It deals with the central sanctuary (Mishkan, Temple) and it deals with korbanot (offerings). Lev 1.2 says, “When any man (adam) of you brings an offering (korban) to the Lord.” It then goes on to describe the “who, what, where, when and why” of the korbanot. The word “adam” means “anyone”, even a heathen could send a korban to the central sanctuary. Yet, despite our inability to fully comprehend, the message is clear. The absolution of sin was not complete without the korbanot, from the “adam” to the priest.
We need to get rid of the misconception that the korbanot was a barbaric practice where someone slaughtered an animal. The Hebrew word used is not “sacrifice” as in “giving something up.” It is not an offering, as in bringing a gift or a bribe to appease a god, like we have discussed in Exodus with our comparison of monotheism and polytheism. The word the Lord used is “korban” in Hebrew and it means to “draw near.” The root for this word is “karav” and it means to have intimate contact (Isa 8.3). The korbanot is a means to come closer to God. It is for the spiritual benefit of the person doing the korban that they do this. If we eat hamburger, chicken and use leather for shoes for our physical benefit, how much more for the spiritual?
God doesn’t “need” the korbanot, they aren’t for him, they were for us. The korbanot will allude to several things. The korbanot alludes to the fact that our “animal” or base instincts took over and we sinned. That animal should be us. The blood is real and seeing it shed because of something we did should upset us. We should offer ourselves to God and it expresses gratitude and thanks. Our service to the Lord is to do his will (Torah). They also show us that we can “walk away from death” and this should touch our attitude overall.
Now, when we say “closeness” or “nearness” we are not necessarily talking about something that can be measured in feet and inches physically. A person can be “close” to someone but are many miles apart. There is a concept of space, light, mass, time and energy in the physical world, and these concepts can also be applied spiritually. Spiritual space is like the Temple, spiritual time are the festivals, the sabbath, the Yovel (fiftieth year) and the Shemittah (seventh year). Spiritual light is God’s word, spiritual mass is any entity whose function is to carry out God’s will, like the angels, good or bad. Spiritual energy is the result of that work. Spiritual movement is moving towards God or away from him (Jer 7.24). The Torah wants us to internalize its values and to make it a part of our lives. The korbanot will help us “remember” what we did.
Why does the Torah use “adam” and not “ish” when talking about mankind in Lev 1.2? It alludes to Adam, the father of all of us, and sin. The secret of the korbanot is found in Adam, and we are all related. The name Adam also alludes to the Messiah. It is spelled with an aleph, dalet, vav and mem in Hebrew. The aleph is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet and it means, “ox, power, strength, first and beginning.” It is symbolic of God. The word for blood is “dam.” Putting this together, the name “Adam” means “blood of God” or “first blood.” If you are going to serve the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, this is what holiness is. So as we read a verse, say to yourself. “Holiness is….and then read the verse
Lev 1.1-17 begins with the Korban Olah, or the burnt offering from the herd or the flock or birds.
Holiness is….
v1…Then the Lord called (Hebrew “vayikra” where the name of the book comes from; this word in Hebrew ends with a small aleph, symbolizing Moses) to (Hebrew “el” which has a large aleph, symbolizing the Messiah who will come after Moses and be a prophet like unto Moses-Deut 18.18) Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting (not from the mountain of Sinai anymore-Exo 25.22), saying,
v 2…”Speak (davar) to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When any man (adam, including a non-Jew, whose faith is recognized by Yehovah) of you brings an offering (korban) to the Lord (Yehovah), you shall bring your offering of animals from the herd or flock (there will be 11 steps to bringing a korban: the Ha’va’ah-bringing the sacrifice; the Semicha-laying on of hands; the Vidui-confession; the Shochita-slaying; the Kabalah ha Dam-receiving the blood into a mizrak by the priest; the Halacha-walking the blood as referred to by Yeshua in John 20.16; the Zerika-sprinkling of the blood; the Shefichat-pouring out the remaining blood; the Hafshata Venituach-skinning and the severing on a table or hooks; the Hadacha-rinsing; the Melacha Vehaktara-the salting and burning. Keep this in mind as we move through these offerings).
v 3…If his offering is a burnt offering (olah( from the herd, he will offer it a male without defect; he shall bring it to the doorway of the tent of meeting voluntarily before the face of the Lord.
v 4…And he shall lay his hand on the head (seat of our thoughts) of the burnt offering (called “semicha” which is a solemn attestation that the offering came from the person who is performing the semicha on the head of the animal), that it may be accepted for him to make atonement (to restore a covering) on his behalf (the korbanot are a celebratory feast, part of a continuing testimony and rededication back to our partner, Yehovah, at the covenantal center, either the Mishkan or the Temple).
v 5…And he (the offerer) shall slay (shachat or put to death) the young bull before the Lord; and Aaron’s sons the priests shall offer up the blood and sprinkle (zerika) the blood around the altar (this alludes to how the blood of yeshua would touch the four corners of the earth) that is at the doorway of the tent of meeting.
v 6…And he shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces (Paul refers to this process when he says we are to “rightly divide the word of truth” in 2 Tim 2.15).
v 7…And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altaar and arrange the wood on the fire.
v 8…Then Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall arrange the pieces, the head and the suet, over the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar.
v 9…Its entrails (alluding to our thoughts), however, and its legs (deeds) he shall wash (rachatz) with water. And the priest (kohan) shall offer up in smoke all of it on the altar for a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord (God is satisfied with the their faith and obedience.
v 10…But if his offering is from the flock (alludes to the lamb of God) of the sheep or of the goats for a burnt offering, he shall offer a male without defect.
v 11…And he shall slay it on the side of the altar northward (Yeshua was crucified north of the altar) before the Lord, and Aaron’s sons, the priests shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.
v 12…He shall then cut it into its pieces with its head (alluding to thoughts) and its suet, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar (in the shape of the animal).
v 13…The entrails (thoughts), however, and the legs (alludes to deeds) he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer all of it, and offer it up in smoke (burn it) on the altar; it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma (God is satisfied with their faith and obedience) to the Lord.
v 14…But if his offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds (alludes to Messiah Yeshua being from heaven and he is compared to doves in Song 2.12, being meek, humble, with affection and grace), then he shall bring his offering from turtledoves or from young pigeons.
v 15…And the priest shall bring it to the altar and wring off its head (“to cut it with his nail; there is no laying on of hands and the priest does the whole service himself to give it importance) and offer it up in smoke on the altar (burn it); and its blood is to be drained out on the side of the altar (wall).
v 16…He shall take away its crop (a pouch-like enlargement of a bird’s esophagus where food is partially stored), and with its feathers amd cast it beside the altar eastward, to the place of ashes (ashes were removed every morning from the altar and placed on the floor of the court on the east near the ramp).
v 17…Then he shall tear it by its wings, but shall not sever it. And the priest shall offer it up in smoke (burn it) on the altar on the wood which is on the fire; it is a burnt offering, and offering by fire of a soothing aroma (God is satisfied with their faith and obedience) to the Lord.”
Lev 2.1-16 tells us about the meal offerings of flour, wheat of barley, prepared with oil and frankincense called a Korban Minchah. Bread alludes to the humanity of Yeshua as the bread that came down from heaven and the word of God. There are thirteen bread offerings; the Solet is wheat, fine flour with oil, with a kometz (three-fingered scoop taken to the altar, and the rest is for the kohanim; the Machavat is wheat, mixed with oil and fried on a griddle, with a kometz to the altar and the remainder to the kohanim; the Marcheshet is wheat mixed with oil and fried in a pan, with the kometz going to the altar and the remainder to the kohanim; the Challot is wheat mixed with oil and baked in an oven, with the kometz going to the altar and the remainder to the kohanim; the Rekikim is wheat baked in an oven with oil smeared on it, baked in wafers, with the kometz going to the altar and the remainder to the kohanim; the Kohen’s Minchah is wheat and prepared in any of the above ways and burned on the altar; the Chavitin of the high priest is wheat mixed with oil and scalded with hot water, baked and fried, and it is burned entirely on the altar, half in the morning and half in the afternoon; the Consecration of the Kohen minchah is wheat mixed with oil, scalded in hot water, baked and fried and burned on the altar; the Chata (sinners) minchah is wheat made with raw flour, with the kometz going to the altar and the remainder to the kohanim; the Sotah (jealousy) minchah is barley and is made with raw flour, with the kometz going to the altar and the remainder to the kohanim; the Omer minchah is barley mixed with oil with the kometz going to the altar and the remainder to the kohanim; the minchah Nesachim is wheat mixed with oil and burned on the altar; the minchah Nesachim that is accompanying the Omer is wheat mixed with oil and burned on the altar.
Holiness is…
v 1…”And when anyone (Hebrew “nefesh” or soul) presents a grain offering (Korban Minchah) as an offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour (solet) and he shall pour oil (shemen) on it and put frankincense (levonah) on it.
v 2…He shall then bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests; and he shall take from it his handful (three fingered scoop) of its fine flour (called a “kemitza”) and of its oil with all its frankincense. And the priest shall offer it up in smoke (burn it) as its memorial portion (to put the Lord to mind of his covenant and the offerer; remember me) on the altar, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord (whos is satisfied with their faith and obedience).
v 3…And the remainder of the grain offering (minchah) belongs to Aaron and his sons; a thing most holy (“kodshai kodeshim” meaning it can only be eaten by priests within the sanctuary) of the offerings to the Lord by fire.
v 4…Now when you bring an offering of a grain (minchah) offering baked in an oven (“ma’afeh tenur”) it shall be of fine flour cakes(solet chalot) unleavened (matzot) mixed with oil (shemen), of unleavened wafers (rekik matzot) spread (“meshuchim” or anointed) with oil (shemen).
v 5…And if your offering (korban) is a grain offering (minchah) made on the griddle (hamachavat), it shall be if fine four (solet), unleavened (matzah) mixed with oil;
v 6…you shall break it into bits and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering (minchah).
v 7…Now if your offering is a grain offering (mincha) made in a pan (“marcheshet” or deep pan), it shall be made with fine flour (solet) with oil (shemen).
v 8…When you bring in the grain offering which is made of these things to the Lord, it shall be presented to the priest and he shall bring it to the altar.
v 9…The priest shall then take up from the grain offering its memorial portion (remember me), and shall offer it up in smoke (burned) on the altar as an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord (he is satisfied with their obedience and faith).
v 10…And the remainder of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons: a thing most holy (“kodsha kodeshsim”-eaten by them in the sanctuary), of the offerings by fire to the Lord.
v 11…No grain offering (minchah), which you bring to the Lord, shall be made with leaven, for you shall not offer up in smoke (burned) any leaven or any honey (to be burned on the altar; honey was used by pagans as a favorite food of their gods; a type of “natural sweetness” alluding to fleshy works) as an offering by fire to the Lord.
v 12…As an offering of first fruits you shall bring them (leaven and honey) to the Lord (but not on the altar) to the Lord, but they shall not ascend for a soothing aroma on the altar.
v 13…Every grain offering of yours, moreover, you shall season with salt (a preservative against putrefaction, leaven and honey produce it; salt is a symbol of the everlasting covenant); so that the salt of the covenant (Yeshua’s death “preserves” us; it is eternal and will not cease; a type of friendship; it purifies-Ezek 16.4; salt prevents fermentation and removes moisture; so the salt covenant denotes the perpetuity of God’s covenant-Num 18.19) of your God shall not be lacking from your offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.
v 14…Also if you bring a grain offering of early ripened things (bikurim/first fruits) to the Lord, you shall bring fresh heads (aviv in the spring-Nisan) of grain roasted in fire, beaten out of full ears (makes the finest flour).
v 15…You shall then put oil on it and lay incense on it, it is a grain offering.
v 16…And the priest shall offer up in smoke the memorial portion (that which is taken out of it, like a kemitza), part of the beaten grain and its oil with all its incense as an offering by fire to the Lord.
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