Called to be holy

"Be holy, because I am holy" (Leviticus 11:44). The call to holiness - where does it come from? Does it come from the church? Does it come from the preachers? or Are we to look beyond the church and the preachers? Are we to look to the God of perfect holiness? God calls us to …

The pathway to holiness – By grace, through faith, for good works

Leviticus 20:1-27 The life of holiness is not an expression of our own moral virtue. It is an expression of the holy character of God being reproduced in us: 'I am the Lord who sanctify you' (8). God wants us for Himself. This is why we must not live the world's way: 'I, the Lord, …

Responding to God’s Word (3): There shall be showers of blessing.

I will give you rain in due season and the land shall yield her increase and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit (Leviticus 26:40). As I was reading these words, I thought of the words of a hymn, "There shall be showers of blessing." This hymn is based on the words of …

How long will we be in this wilderness?

Sometimes, we feel like we're in a wilderness - and we can't get out of it! The first half of the book of Exodus tells of the deliverance of the people of Israel from their time of bondage in the land of Egypt. Things were looking up! Surely, there were better days ahead for them. …

Some Simple Thoughts From The Scriptures

Genesis When I was writing these words, I was thinking of some of the stories in the book of Genesis (the book of beginnings). I was thinking about Adam, Abraham and Joseph - and I was thinking about Jesus!___________________________________________ It was the genesis of my life.Things were looking so good.Then, it all went badly wrong.What …

The Lord takes great joy in every sinner who returns to Him.

Leviticus 27:1-34 'Every devoted thing is most holy to the Lord' (28). We are loved by the holy God. We are precious in His eyes. In love, He has reached out to us - through the Cross of Christ (Romans 5:8). We are 'greatly beloved' (Daniel 9:23). The Lord takes great joy in every sinner …

Leviticus 26-27

Leviticus 26:1-46 - ‘Every spiritual blessing’ is ‘in Christ’ (Ephesians 1:3).  The moment you begin to feel superior – ‘I am blessed because I am obedient’  (There is too much of ‘I’ in this!) – , remember: ‘in Christ‘.  We are blessed because God loves us and Christ died for us.  It is His grace …

Leviticus 24-25

Leviticus 24:1-25:24 -  ‘Pure’ worship is to be offered ‘continually’:  This is what God is looking for (1-8).  ‘Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?  Who shall stand in His holy place?’: No-one else but Christ – He alone ‘has clean hands and a pure heart’, He alone ‘will receive blessing from the Lord’ …

Leviticus 22:17-23:44

Leviticus 22:17-23:44 -  God says, ‘I am the Lord’ (22:30-33):  Let Him be ‘your God’ (23:14,22,28,40,43,).  We are to ‘worship in Spirit and in truth’ – ‘in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day’ (John 4:24; Revelation 1:10)  When Christ died – This was the day of atonement.  We worship Him, ‘our Passover Lamb’ (22:28; Exodus …

Leviticus 20:1-22:16

Leviticus 20:1-27 -  The life of holiness is not an expression of our own moral virtue.  It is an expression of the holy character of God being reproduced in us: ‘I am the Lord who sanctify you’ (8).  God wants us for Himself – This is why we must not live the world’s way: ‘I …

Leviticus 18:24-19:37

Holiness and love - the two belong together (1,18,34). God calls us to live a life of ho liness, a life of love. Through His Spirit - the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of love - , He enables us to live this life. We need His promises. We need His commands. Take them both together …

Leviticus 17:1-18:23

We are to be devoted 'to the Lord' (17:4-6,9): 'You are not your own; you were bought with a price' (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Underlying Christ's atoning death, there is this principle: 'the life...is in the blood...I have given it for you...to make atonement...' (17:11). Christ has shed His blood: He has given His life that …

Jesus Christ, ‘the Lamb without blemish’, has ‘made atonement’ for sin through the shedding of His ‘precious blood.’

Leviticus 1:1-2:16 Jesus Christ, 'the Lamb without blemish', has 'made atonement' for sin through the shedding of His 'precious blood' (1:3-5; 1 Peter 1:18-19). This offering of Christ - He 'loved us and gave Himself up for us' - is 'a pleasing odour to the Lord', 'a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God' (1:9,13,17; Ephesians …

Leviticus 16-19

Leviticus 16:1-34 -  God is ‘holy‘. We cannot ‘draw near’ and ‘come’ to Him without a ‘sin offering’ (1-3).  We cannot bring ‘a sin offering’ to Him.  We can only bring our sin:  Our righteousness is ‘like filthy rags’ (Isaiah  64:6).  There is a ‘way’ for sinners to ‘draw near’ to God: Christ is the …

Leviticus 14:33-15:33

Leviticus 14:33-15:33 -  You can get ‘dry rot’ in people – as well as houses (14:34; Hebrews 12:15)!  Sin is like ‘a wasting disease’ (Psalm 106:13-15).  It will only get worse – unless something is done about it!  Sin spreads. and spreads, and…  Can anything be done about this sad situation?  Look into yourself, and …

Leviticus 11:1-14:32

Leviticus 11:1-47 -  God sees only two types of people: ‘clean’ and ‘unclean’. All of us are ‘in Adam’ (sinners). Not all are ‘in Christ’ (saved) (Romans 5:12-21). How about you? – Are you cleansed, forgiven, born again, saved, committed (1 John 1:7,9; John 3:7; Acts 16:31; 2 Timothy 1:12)? Or, are you still in …

Leviticus 9-10

Leviticus 9:1-10:20 -  Aaron had to make atonement for himself and for the people (9:7). Christ did not need to make atonement for Himself – He was ‘without sin’ (Hebrews 4:15). In Christ, we are ‘accepted’. In Him, there is blessing, glory and joy (9:22-24; Ephesians 1:6,3; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; 1 Peter 1:8). God has …

Leviticus 7-8

Leviticus 7:1-38 -  As we read about the sacrifices, rejoicing in Christ – the perfect Sacrifice for sin – , let us bring our sacrifice of ‘thanksgiving’ (12-13,15). ‘Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God’ (Hebrews 13:15). Let it be ‘a living sacrifice’, the sacrifice of our lives – this is …

Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost; Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17 or Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18; Psalm 1; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Matthew 22:34-46

“The eternal God is your refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms.” ‘The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms’ (Deuteronomy 33:27): This is no guarantee of peaceful tranquillity. For Israel, there was conflict. ‘Saved by the Lord’, Israel had found true happiness. Still, there were ‘enemies’ to be ‘thrust out’and …

Give your heart to Christ.

Leviticus 11:1-47 God sees only two types of people: 'clean' and 'unclean'. All of us are 'in Adam' (sinners). Not all are 'in Christ' (saved) (Romans 5:12-21). How about you? - Are you cleansed, forgiven, born again, saved, committed (1 John 1:7,9; John 3:7; Acts 16:31; 2 Timothy 1:12)? Or, are you still in your …

Our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us what we could never do for ourselves.

Leviticus 14:1-57 We read here of our need of cleansing and of the sacrifice of a lamb as a way of removing our guilt and bringing us into peace with God (Leviticus 14:21). Spiritually, we are "poor." What we have to bring to God is not "that much." It is not enough to provide for …

Link to Rev James Philip’s notes on Leviticus

Leviticus

Overview Of The Old Testament: Leviticus

Leviticus 1-7 Jesus Christ, ‘the Lamb without blemish’, has ‘made atonement’ for sin through the shedding of His ‘precious blood’ (1:3-5; 1 Peter 1:18-19). Christ is the real thing. Israel’s sacrifices are only ‘copies of the heavenly things’, ‘a shadow of the good things to come’ (Hebrews 9:23-24; 10:1,5-10). Christ’s sacrifice covers every sin. No …

Leviticus

LEVITICUS 1:1-2:16 –  Jesus Christ, ‘the Lamb without blemish’, has ‘made atonement’ for sin through the shedding of His ‘precious blood’ (1:3-5; 1 Peter 1:18-19). This offering of Christ – He ‘loved us and gave Himself up for us’ – is ‘a pleasing odour to the Lord’, ‘a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God’ (1:9,13,17; …

Lord, You call us to “worship You in spirit and in truth.”

Leviticus 22:17-23:44 Lord, You call us to "worship You in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). Where does true worship come from? - It comes from You. It comes from Your Spirit. It comes from Your Truth. We read the Holy Scriptures - and we begin to worship You. We open our hearts to the …

Set Free For God’s Future

"a sin offering ... an atonement ... clean" (Leviticus 12:8). We read the words of the book of Leviticus. We feel like we're out of our depth. We don't really know what to make all of this. We read about " a sin offering", we read about "an atonement", we read about being made "clean" …

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time: Leviticus 19:1-2,17-18; 1 Corinthians 3:16-23; Matthew 5:38-48

Holiness and Love Holiness and love – the two belong together (Leviticus 19:1,18,34).  God calls us to live a life of holiness, a life of love.  Through His Spirit – the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of love – , He enables us to live this life.  We need His promises.  We need His commands.  Take …

Keeping the Lord at the centre of all that we do

Leviticus 1:1-3:17; Mark 9:33-10:12; Psalm 27:1-6, The offerings were to be “made to the Lord”. They were to be “pleasing to the Lord.” These recurring phrases emphasize the importance of keeping the Lord at the centre of all that we do. We are not to argue about who is the greatest (Mark 9:34). There is …

Lord, You love us. You call us to love You.

Leviticus 8:1-36 Lord, You love us. You call us to love You. Help us, Lord, to grow in our love for You - to obey Your Word, to do Your will, to walk in Your way.

The Lord calls us to be holy.

Leviticus 20:1-21:24 The Lord calls us to be holy - because He is holy (Leviticus 20:26). We are to be like Him. He has set us apart as holy (Leviticus 21:8). We are "dedicated with the anointing oil of our God" (Leviticus 21:12). We may take this "anointing oil" as symbolic of the presence and …

Jesus Christ has made atonement for sin (Notes on Leviticus).

LEVITICUS 1:1-2:16 -  Jesus Christ, ‘the Lamb without blemish’, has ‘made atonement’ for sin through the shedding of His ‘precious blood’ (1:3-5; 1 Peter 1:18-19). This offering of Christ – He ‘loved us and gave Himself up for us’ – is ‘a pleasing odour to the Lord’, ‘a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God’ (1:9,13,17; …

Search The Scriptures: Leviticus

Leviticus 1:1-3:17 We may note the frequent recurrence of the phrase, "a soothing aroma to the Lord" (Leviticus 1:9,13,17: Leviticus 2:2,9,12; Leviticus 3:5,16). The presence of the Lord is "like a fragrance that fills the air." Not all people welcome the presence of the Lord. To some, it is "the aroma of Christ", "a life-giving …

Christ is ‘the real thing.’

For more notes on God's Word, visit From Genesis to Revelation in a Year. Leviticus 1-4 1:1-2:16 -  Jesus Christ, ‘the Lamb without blemish’, has ‘made atonement’ for sin through the shedding of His ‘precious blood’ (1:3-5; 1 Peter 1:18-19). This offering of Christ – He ‘loved us and gave Himself up for us’ – is …

The Anointing

Leviticus 8:1-9:24 Aaron was anointed with "the anointing oil", set apart or "dedicated" to the Lord for "holy duties" (Leviticus 8:12,30). Anointed by the Lord and dedicated to Him, "Aaron and his sons did everything the Lord commanded, through Moses" (Leviticus 8:36). Concerning the Lord's commands, "Moses said, 'The Lord has commanded you to offer …

There Was No Other Good Enough.

Leviticus 14:1-57 We read here of our need of cleansing and of the sacrifice of a lamb as a way of removing our guilt and bringing us into peace with God (Leviticus 14:21). Spiritually, we are “poor.” What we have to bring to God is not “that much.” It is not enough to provide for …

Give me oil in my lamp. Keep me burning.

Leviticus 24:1-23 If our light is to be keep on burning continually, we need pure oil (Leviticus 24:2). The emphasis here is on keeping close to God. It is only through closeness to God that our light will be kept burning. In Leviticus 24:15, we read, "Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin." This …

Through the shed blood of Christ

Leviticus 17:1-18:30 Through the shed blood of Christ, we have peace with God and eternal life (Leviticus 17:11; Romans 5:1-2,8-10). We have received new life in Christ. Now, we are to leave our sinful past behind us. We are to live a new life as those who belong to Christ (Leviticus 18:1-5; Romans 6:12-14; Romans …

Leviticus 15-27

Leviticus 15:1-16:34  Each of us is unclean before God. Each of us needs Christ, who has given Himself as "a sin offering" to "make atonement" for us (Leviticus 16:16). Christ is the perfect Saviour, who "bears all our iniquities" (Leviticus 16:22). Concerning His great sacrifice for us, the Word of God says, "On this day …

Leviticus 1-14

Leviticus 1:1-3:17 We may note the frequent recurrence of the phrase, "a soothing aroma to the Lord" (Leviticus 1:9,13,17: Leviticus 2:2,9,12; Leviticus 3:5,16). The presence of the Lord is "like a fragrance that fills the air." Not all people welcome the presence of the Lord. To some, it is "the aroma of Christ", " a …

Holy living expresses itself in both worship and service.

Leviticus 22:1-23:44 Our careful obedience to God's Word is not to be a purely legalistic thing. We must never forget that God is the God of redemption. Our holiness is grounded in Him: He is holy, and He sets us apart as holy (Leviticus 22:31-33). Holy living expresses itself in both worship and service. We …

Set Apart For The Lord

Leviticus 27:1-34 The underlying theme of this final chapter is giving ourselves to the Lord to belong to Him, to be dedicated to Him, to be set apart for Him, to be holy. Such dedication to the Lord is to affect the whole of our life. We learn this from the variety of details in …

Living A Holy Life

Leviticus 10:1-11:47 It is vital that we know "the difference between what is holy and what is unholy" (Leviticus 10:10). God calls us to "be holy", to "live holy lives" (Leviticus 11:44). This is the central point we must see in all the many unfamiliar details of ancient Jewish worship. This is the "permanent law" …

How can I be made clean?

Leviticus 12:1-13:46 How can I be made clean (12:8)? - This is the vital question to which the Gospel gives its emphatic answer. We ask, 'What can wash away my stain?'. The answer is given, 'Nothing but the blood of Jesus'. We ask, 'Has atonement been made for my sin' (12:8)?'. The answer is clear: …

You shall love your neighbour as yourself (Travelling Through God’s Word: Leviticus, Part Five).

Leviticus '"You shall love your neighbour as yourself. And when a stranger sojourns with you, you shall not do him wrong. He shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God." Again, we …

Our call to holiness is grounded in God’s work of redemption (Travelling Through God’s Word: Leviticus, Part Four).

Leviticus, "For I am the Lord your God; consecrate, yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. I brought you up out of Egypt, to be your God; you shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy." Here, we have the call to live a holy life. Again, we are reminded …

The glory of the risen Lord (Travelling through God’s Word: Leviticus, Part Three).

Leviticus "When Moses and Aaron came out of the tent of meeting they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all." We have read about the sacrifices, offered to make atonement for sin. Our thoughts have turned to Jesus, the atoning sacrifice for sin, Here, we catch a glimpse of the …

A hint of something more (Travelling Through God’s Word: Leviticus, Part Two).

Leviticus Here, we focus on three short phrases: "without blemish", "make atonement" and "as the Lord commanded." Each of thesce phrases point us forward to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. What a wonderful Saviour he is! In perfect obedience to God the Father, the sinless Son of God, offered himself as "the Lamb of …

We begin with what the Lord has done for us and, then, we start thinking about our response to him (Travelling Through God’s Word: Leviticus, Part One).

Leviticus The Lord called Moses, and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, "Speak to the people of Israel... ." Hearing the Word of God comes before speaking the Word of God. First, we hear the Word of the Lord. Then, we speak the Word of the Lord. "a pleasing odour to the …

We are sanctified by the Lord.

Leviticus 21:1-22:16 We are sanctified by the Lord (21:8,15,23; 22:9,16). It is His doing - God's call to holiness is founded in His gift of holiness: 'the Holy Spirit... has been given to us' (Romans 5:5) - 'every virtue we possess...every victory won...every thought of holiness, are His alone' (Church Hymnary, 336). When we are …

Redeemed By The Lord, Let Us Serve Him.

Leviticus 25:1-55 This chapter is full of the Lord’s instructions concerning the Jubilee to be celebrated by Israel. Why was it so important for Israel to hear and obey the Word of the Lord? – “The Israelites belong to Me as servants. They are My servants. I brought them out of Egypt. I am the …

Believe in the Lord Jesus.

Leviticus 25:25-55 Moral conduct is to be grounded in divine redemption. Throughout the detailed ethical instructions, there is the recurrent emphasis on God's salvation: 'I am the Lord your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt (Salvation) to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God (Sanctification)...For to …

Knowing The Difference

Leviticus 10:1-11:47 It is vital that we know “the difference between what is holy and what is unholy” (Leviticus 10:10). God calls us to “be holy”, to “live holy lives” (Leviticus 11:44). This is the central point we must see in all the many unfamiliar details of ancient Jewish worship. This is the “permanent law” …

Holiness – In Every Part Of Our Life

Leviticus 27:1-34 The underlying theme of this final chapter is giving ourselves to the Lord to belong to Him, to be dedicated to Him, to be set apart for Him, to be holy. Such dedication to the Lord is to affect the whole of our life. We learn this from the variety of details in …

Pure worship

Leviticus 24:1-25:24 'Pure' worship is to be offered 'continually': This is what God is looking for (1-8). 'Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? Who shall stand in His holy place?': No-one else but Christ - He alone 'has clean hands and a pure heart', He alone 'will receive blessing from the Lord' (Psalm …

Redemption And Holiness

Leviticus 22:1-23:44 Our careful obedience to God’s Word is not to be a purely legalistic thing. We must never forget that God is the God of redemption. Our holiness is grounded in Him: He is holy, and He sets us apart as holy (Leviticus 22:31-33). Holy living involves both worship and service. We are to …

Redeemed, Grateful And Obedient

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high" (Leviticus 26:13). God had done something very wonderful for His people, Israel. He redeemed them. He …

Take your sin to Christ. He has made atonement for sin.

Leviticus 1:1-2:16 Jesus Christ, ‘the Lamb without blemish’, has ‘made atonement’ for sin through the shedding of His ‘precious blood’(1:3-5; 1 Peter 1:18-19). This offering of Christ - He ‘loved us and gave Himself up for us’- is ‘a pleasing odour to the Lord’, ‘a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God’(1:9,13,17; Ephesians 5:2). Read of …

Look Beyond The Old Testament Sacrifices – To Jesus Christ, Our Saviour.

Leviticus 5:1-7:38 In the descriptions of different offerings, we catch a glimpse of our need and Christ’s salvation. There is the “offering for sin” (Leviticus 5:6), the “fellowship offering of thanksgiving” (Leviticus 7:15), the “guilt offering” (Leviticus 7:34), the “ordination offering” (Leviticus 7:37). There is teaching here which we must build on in our understanding …

What great love, Lord, You have for us.

Leviticus 27:1-34 What great love, Lord, You have for us. There is no love like Your love for us. It's the best love! What joy You give to us - the joy that comes from knowing that we are loved with "everlasting love" (Jeremiah 31:3). Help us, Lord, to rejoice in Your love, to be …

Lord, You love me. Help me to love You.

Leviticus 26:1-46 Lord, help us never to think, "We are blessed because we are obedient." Help us always to say, "We are blessed because You love us and Jesus died for us." Your love for us, Jesus' death for us:  This is where the blessing comes from - and it's where our obedience comes from! We think of …