Leviticus is about holiness. God laid out the rules so that the Israelites could be holy, and therefore they could worship and come into His presence.
In Exodus, God had made a covenant with Israel after freeing them from Egypt. He would be their God and they would be His people. That means God would actually live with them. The construction of the tabernacle answered the question, "Where will God live?" But when God entered into the tabernacle and filled it with His glory, the question became “How can we live with God?”
Leviticus answers that question—atonement, which means to cover or make amends. How? by offerings. Every one of the sacrifices points to Jesus.
‘Holy’ means set apart. The utensils in the tabernacle were called holy because they were set apart to be used for God. Holiness in a person is not just compliance to rules. Holiness is being completely dedicated for God alone.
The Burnt Offering (Leviticus 1) was totally consumed by fire. People saw the consequences of sin every time they sacrificed an animal. The Grain Offering (Leviticus 2) was given to thank God for who He is and all He has done. The animal sacrificed in the Peace Offering (Leviticus 3) was shared by the priest and the worshipper to eat with their family in God’s presence as an invitation to intimate fellowship with God. The Sin Offering (Leviticus 4) dealt with the penalty of sin, as well as providing purification from sin. The Guilt Offering (Leviticus 5) added 20% to the sacrifice as reparation for damage caused by the sin.
Each sacrifice points to an aspect of the wonderful salvation we have in Jesus.
The 7 festivals—Passover, Unleavened Bread, Weeks, Solemn Rest Day, Day of Atonement, Booths, Day after Booths—are all meant to remind the people what God has done for them.
The Day of Atonement, like a mountain peak, comes in the middle of Leviticus. On the Day of Atonement, a bull was sacrificed for the High Priest’s sins and the cleansing of the tabernacle. Its blood was brought behind the veil into the Holy of Holies, God’s very presence, and put on the mercy seat.
That day one goat was offered for the sin of all the people, and its blood was also brought into the Holy of Holies. Then Aaron laid his hands on a second goat and confessed all the sins of the people over it. That goat was not killed. It was taken outside the city and released into the wilderness, never to return.
As Christ-followers, we have an even better Day of Atonement because Jesus is our high priest and sacrifice. What the High Priest had to do every year, Jesus was able to do once for all. We need only one Day of Atonement, the day Jesus died on the cross. That is why we no longer have to practice any sacrifices. It is finished! The Day of Atonement is the mountain peak of our new story with God.
The laws in Leviticus 19 & 20 add specific instruction to the general laws of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20. Before and after these chapters God says, “Be holy as I, the LORD, am holy.” (Leviticus 19:2; 20:26).
Because Jesus perfectly kept the Law and perfectly took its punishments on our behalf, Jesus actually makes us holy as God is holy. He makes it possible for us to live holy lives so we can show God’s character to the world. What Leviticus and all its sacrifices and laws did partially and temporarily,
Jesus does completely and permanently!