Leviticus & Numbers

Leviticus & Numbers

Leviticus & Numbers

Leviticus & Numbers

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Overview

Over 3 million LifeChange studies sold

Training toward Holiness
Leviticus was a chisel, fashioning and forming the slaves of Egypt into the people of God. Leviticus was an exercise regimen, a plan for how God’s people could embrace God’s blessings. Leviticus was a time-out, a pause in the action for training toward holiness.

After this time-out, the action continues in the book of Numbers, reminding us how difficult it is for humans to stick to the game plan that brings God’s blessings. Together, Leviticus and Numbers paint a picture of the habits of holiness and how committed God is to seeing us become who he created us to be.

LifeChange
LifeChange Bible studies will help you grow in Christlikeness through a life-changing encounter with God’s Word. Filled with a wealth of ideas for going deeper so you can return to this study again and again.

Features
  • Cover the books of Leviticus & Numbers in 12 lessons
  • Equip yourself to lead a Bible study
  • Imagine the Bible’s historical world
  • Study word origins and definitions
  • Explore thoughtful questions on key themes
  • Go deeper with optional projects
  • Add your notes with extra space and wide margins
  • Find the flexibility to fit the time you have

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781615217298
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Publication date: 02/05/2019
Series: LifeChange , #45
Pages: 144
Product dimensions: 5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author


The Navigators is an interdenominational, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people "know Christ and make Him known” as they look to Him and His Word to chart their lives.

Navigators have invested their lives in people for more than seventy-five years, coming alongside them life on life to study the Bible, develop a deepening prayer life, and memorize and apply Scripture, The ultimate goal is to equip Christ followers to fulfill 2 Timothy 2:2—to teach what they have learned to others.

Today, tens of thousands of people worldwide are coming to know and grow in Jesus Christ through the various ministries of The Navigators. Internationally, more than 4,600 Navigator staff of 70 nationalities serve in more than 100 countries.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

Lesson OneLEVITICUS 1–7

Sacrifices Pleasing to God

These, then, are the regulations ... which the Lord gave Moses on Mount Sinai in the Desert of Sinai on the day he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to the Lord.

LEVITICUS 7:37-38

1. For getting the most from Leviticus, one of the best guidelines is found in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, words that Paul wrote with the Old Testament first in view. He said that all Scripture is of great benefit to (a) teach us, (b) rebuke us, (c) correct us, and (d) train us in righteousness. Paul added that these Scriptures completely equip the person of God "for every good work." As you think seriously about those guidelines, in which of these areas do you especially want to experience the usefulness of Leviticus? Express your desire in a written prayer to God.

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2. In Jeremiah 23:29, God says that His Word is like fire and like a hammer. He can use the Scriptures to burn away unclean thoughts and desires in our hearts. He can also use Scripture, with hammer-like hardness, to crush and crumble our spiritual hardness. From your study of Leviticus, how do you most want to see the "fire-and-hammer" power of God's Word at work in your life? Express this longing in a written prayer to God.

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3. Think about these challenging words of Paul to his younger helper Timothy: "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). As you study God's word of truth in Leviticus, He calls you to be a "worker." It takes work — concentration and perseverance — to fully appropriate God's blessings for us in this book. Express here your commitment before God to work diligently in this study of Leviticus.

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4. The book of Leviticus is linked strongly with Exodus, the book it follows. What are the most important themes and events, as you understand them, in the book of Exodus?

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For Thought and Discussion: As you launch into a closer look at Leviticus, how would you summarize what you already know about this book? And how would you describe the general impression that most Christians have of Leviticus?

For Further Study: In Exodus 40:34-38, notice the facts and imagery given in that book's concluding paragraph. How might this serve to prepare readers for what is coming in Leviticus?

The Lord called (1:1). In Hebrew tradition, the opening verb "He called" also served as the title for this book. Leviticus continues God's gracious communication to His people.

5. Glance ahead through the pages of Leviticus, and look for a recurring principle or concept in each of the following verses: 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:26; 21:8. What is that principle or concept? Why is it important to God, and why is it important for you and for all of God's people in all ages?

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In Leviticus, God is in the details.

"Precisely because the rituals of Leviticus are so central to Old Testament thinking, they are often obscure to us, because the writers did not need to explain them to their contemporaries. Every Israelite knew why a particular sacrifice was offered on a specific occasion and what a certain gesture meant. For ourselves, every hint in the text must be grasped to understand these things, and a judicious reading between the lines is sometimes required."

6. The first three chapters of Leviticus deal with the three most common types of offerings in Israel. As you read over these chapters, imagine you are living in the time of Moses. Which details in these chapters would be of most interest to you?

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7. In chapter 1, what exactly was a person to offer for a burnt offering, and what exactly was he to do with it? (See verses 2, 3, 5, 10, and 14.)

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For Further Study: The theme of holiness in Leviticus has its foundation in the two earlier books of the Pentateuch. How is God's holiness portrayed in Exodus 3:5 and 15:11? And how is holiness for God's people taught in these passages: Genesis 2:3; Exodus 12:16; 16:23; 20:8-11?

Brings an offering to the Lord (1:2). This phrase represents the central human action presented in these chapters. In Leviticus, God takes the initiative to direct His people in exactly how to come into His presence. It must be according to His instructions, not according to our own ideas.

Lay your hand on the head of the burnt offering (1:4). This symbolizes an acknowledgment that the animal serves as a substitute for the person bringing the offering.

8. From chapter 1 (as well as from 6:8-13), how would you summarize the most significant procedures to be followed by the priests in regard to burnt offerings?

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9. In 1:4, what is given as the purpose for the burnt offering, and what is the significance of this? What does it teach us?

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10. In chapter 2, what exactly was a person to offer for a grain offering, and what exactly was he to do with it? (See verses 1, 4-7, 11, and 13-15.)

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11. From chapter 2 (as well as from 6:14-23), summarize the most significant procedures to be followed by the priests in regard to grain offerings.

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12. In chapter 3, what exactly was a person to offer for a fellowship offering (also called peace offering), and what exactly was he to do with it? (See verses 1, 6-7, and 12; look also at 7:12-13.)

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"Using a little imagination every reader of the Old Testament soon realizes that these ancient sacrifices were very moving occasions. They make modern church services seem tame and dull by comparison. The ancient worshiper did not just listen to the minister and sing a few hymns. He was actively involved in the worship."

For Further Study: The phrase "an aroma pleasing to the Lord" is found seventeen times in Leviticus. Earlier, its first use in Scripture was in Genesis 8:21, for an offering made by Noah after the Flood. Later, in the New Testament, how does Paul use this image in Ephesians 5:2 and Philippians 4:18?

For Further Study: From Genesis 8:21-22; 2 Samuel 24:25; 2 Chronicles 29:7-8; and Job 1:5, what do we learn about the purpose burnt offerings accomplish?

13. From chapter 3 (as well as from 7:11-34), what were the most significant regulations to be followed in making fellowship (peace) offerings?

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14. In chapters 4–6, we read about the sin offering and the guilt offering (also called trespass offering). Summarize the kinds of offenses for which these offerings were needed, according to 4:2,13,22,27; 5:1-4,15,17; and 6:2-3.

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The Lord said to Moses (4:1). More literally, "The Lord spoke to Moses, saying ..." Notice the majestic repetition of this phrase at the beginning of chapters 6, 8, 11–25, and 27, and also at 5:14; 6:8,19,24; 7:22,28; 14:33; 21:16, 22:17,26, 23:9,23,26,33; 24:13. Take note of the natural divisions they mark in the text.

"At the beginning of nearly every chapter, and often several times within a chapter, it says, 'The Lord spoke to Moses.' In other words, all the laws are set within a narrative framework. According to the author they were revealed to Moses during Israel's wilderness wanderings to meet specific problems that arose at that time."

For Further Study: Hundreds of years before the sacrificial regulations in Leviticus were given to Israel at Mount Sinai, men were offering sacrifices to the true God. Look at the following passages to see some of them: Genesis 8:20; 22:13; 31:54; 46:1.

15. For the sin offering and guilt offering, what exactly was the offending person to offer, and what was he to do with it? (See 4:1–6:7.)

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16. What were the most significant regulations to be followed in making sin and guilt offerings? (See 4:1–6:7, 6:24-30, and 7:1-10.)

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17. What is stated as the purpose for the sin and guilt offerings (see 4:20,26,31,35; 5:6,10,13,16,18; 6:7), and what is the significance of this?

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In this way the priest will make atonement for them before the Lord, and they will be forgiven (6:7). "To make atonement for sin is to have the penalty paid and the guilt removed. Here lies the significance and the glory of the Old Testament sacrifices, although they were not in themselves efficacious. They were only types and shadows (Hebrews 8:5) and therefore were repeated regularly and often, until the Great High Priest should come who would in a new priesthood offer a final sacrifice to effect atonement for his people." 4

These are the regulations (6:9). Or, in many other English translations, "This is the law ..." We see this phrase used repeatedly throughout Leviticus. These regulations are a part of God's continual grace toward His people.

"The law was given in a context of grace. ... God gave his law to Israel after they had been redeemed from Egypt, not as a means for securing their redemption. God's call to Israel to be his holy people preceded the revelation of the law at Sinai, but only obedience could make holiness a living reality."

18. What do the provisions for the sin and guilt offerings teach us about God's holiness?

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19. Read closely the summary of these first seven chapters as stated in 7:37-38. What is the significance of each part of this summary statement?

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"In one sense ... the whole ceremonial law in Leviticus is obsolete for the Christian. We are interested in the sacrifice of Christ, not in animal sacrifice. But in another sense the Levitical rituals are still of immense relevance. It was in terms of these sacrifices that Jesus himself and the early church understood his atoning death. Leviticus provided the theological models for their understanding. If we wish to walk in our Lord's steps and think his thoughts after him, we must attempt to understand the sacrificial system of Leviticus. It was established by the same God who sent his Son to die for us; and in rediscovering the principles of Old Testament worship written there, we may learn something of the way we should approach a holy God."

For Thought and Discussion: How serious is God about our holiness and the purity of our worship before Him? What are His expectations in this regard?

For Further Study: For the perpetual burnt offering mentioned in 6:8-9,12-13, compare Exodus 29:38-42. What did God want His people to experience and understand through this continuous offering?

20. In what ways do you see God's grace in the system of sacrifices outlined here in Leviticus?

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21. What would you select as the key verse or passage in Leviticus 1–7 — the passage that best captures or reflects the dynamics of what these chapters are all about?

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22. What would have been the special significance of these chapters for Israel as they faced their journey across the wilderness and a new national existence in the Promised Land?

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Optional Application: In order to better please God in our personal and corporate worship, what can we learn from Leviticus 1–7?

23. List any lingering questions you have about Leviticus 1–7.

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For the Group

(In your first meeting, it may be helpful to turn to the front of this book and review together the section called "How to Use This Guide" on page 5.)

You may want to focus your discussion for lesson 1 especially on the following issues, themes, and concepts. (These things will likely reflect what group members have learned in their individual study of this week's passage, though they'll also have made discoveries in other areas as well.)

• The theological meaning of sacrifice, and the need for sacrifice

• How to please God

• The cost and injury of sin

• Atonement for sin and forgiveness of sin

• The meaning of peace

• Requirements for fellowship with God

• Appropriate worship of God

The following numbered questions in lesson 1 may stimulate your best and most helpful discussion: 6, 9, 17, 20, 21, 22, and 23.

Look also at the questions in the margin under the heading "For Thought and Discussion."

(Continues…)


Excerpted from "Leviticus & Numbers"
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Excerpted by permission of NavPress.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Table of Contents

How to Use This Guide 5

Part 1 Leviticus

Introduction-The Book of Leviticus: Blood and Fire, Grace and Law 11

1 Sacrifices Pleasing to God (Leviticus 1-7) 13

2 A Holy Priesthood (Leviticus 8-10) 23

3 Clean and Unclean (Leviticus 11-15) 33

4 Atonement (Leviticus 16) 45

5 A Call to Holiness (Leviticus 17-22) 53

6 Continuing in Holiness (Leviticus 23-27) 63

Part 2 Numbers

Introduction-The Book of Numbers: The Faithfulness of Our Covenant God 73

7 A Mighty Host (Numbers 1-6) 77

8 The Journey Launched (Numbers 7-12) 87

9 Crisis and Calamity (Numbers 13-19) 93

10 Drama on the Plains of Moab (Numbers 20-25) 101

11 A New Generation (Numbers 26-30) 115

12 Preparing for Canaan (Numbers 31-36) 127

Study Aids 135

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