The call to Holiness(Leviticus1:1-4)

The Call to Holiness(Leviticus1:1-4)

“Now the LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying,”

Honestly, we Christian don’t like reading Leviticus. 

Leviticus is a boook about holiness. So it is difficult for a human being who is not holy to read the book of Leviticus. 

Then, why did God give us Leviticus?

Because God invites us, who are not holy, to be holy. 

What does the Bible mean by holiness?

Holy is ‘kadash’, meaning to be ‘set apart’

God is set apart from this world. This world cannot defile God or dishonor Him. 

Before, We were sinners by nature. But we have become children of the holy God, so that our nateure has changed. 

That is why we also become holy..

this is the core of Leviticus. 

The core of Leviticus is not the sacrificial laws. 

The core of Leviticus is the restoration of our relationship with God, so that we become holy as God is holy. 

1. In Leviticus 20:8,, God says, “I am the Lord who makes you holy.”

We are not able to be holy ourselves.

God makes us holy. Amen?

Our role is to listen to God’s word and try to live by it 

If you hold on to one word of God and live by that word for today, 

and even if you are busy on Sunday and have to do many things, or you want to hang out, if you set this Sunday apart(aside) from those desires, and come to the Lord and worship Him, God will make it the key to sanctifying you. 

The a verse of the Bible that you read today is the seed of your santification today.

This worship that you are offer now is the door that opens and enters your sanctification. 

The rest is God’s work. God makes you holy.

2. The Hebrew Bible title of the book of Leviticus is “Waiqra”.

It is a combination of the conjunction of “waw” and “Kara”, which means “call”.

so the Hebrew title of the book of Leviticus means “and called.”

Originally, Leviticus and Exodus were one book. 

In Exodus, God had ordered to build the tabernacle for that God dwell among the Israelites.

In other words, God prepared everything in Exous to be present to His people, and God called Moses…”Waiqra el Moese..”in the beginning of Leviticus.

God has done the preparation to meet the people of Israel in Exodus and called(invited) them and meet them in Leviticus. 

The book of Leviticus is where God meets His people, as a result the relationship between God and His people is restored, and people become holy, purified, and children of God. 

Therefore, the book of Leviticus is not just filled with boring sacrificial laws or purification rites. It is a book that shows God’s sovereignty, God’s salvation work through we are transformed by God’s grace. 

3. This book of Leviticus leads to Jesus Christ and points out to Jesus Christ 

When you read this book you could find Jesus Christ. 

Leviticus 1:4 the Israelites are commanded to bring a sacrifice to God and lay their hands on its head. 

Here, laying hands on the animal is transferring the sins of the person laying hands on the sacrifice.

Then, who lays hands on it?\

it it the priest? Or the person who brought the animal to offer the burnt offering?

The person who came to offer the burnt offering had to lay his hand on the animal’s head that he brought. 

Through the laying hands, the sins of the person are transferred to the animal. 

This concept of transfer of sin is the core of Leviticus.

but is it natural or passable for your sins to go to an animal when you lay your hands on it? No..

but it became possible , because God declared that God will do so. 

If you lay your hands on this sacrifice(Jesus), God will transfer your sins to this animal. 

This is love of God. 

God allows us, who are destined to die because of our sins, to pass fate of death on to another being. 

This is the core of love of God.

By this, God created the basis for that Jesus Christ to die for our sins. He allowed animals to be imputed with our sins, thereby opening the way for our sins to be imputed to Jesus Christ. 

Verse 4,  after, laying the person’s hands on the sacrifice, it may be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf.

The atonement for him will be made. 

The way for atonement for sins is opened. 

Jesus took our sins upon Himself and died in our place, and God received His death as a result, our sin were forgiven. This is the core of Leviticus and the core of the entire Bible

Anyone who denies this and says anything else is a heretic. 

The God is calling you to holiness today through the book of Leviticus.

God is calling you that, You do not be in sin, don’t drink the sins, do not die in there. 

Come out from there. Come to me. 

Let us come before God who completed tabernacle to meet God and calling us with repentant heart. And remember the sacrifice,Jesus for our atonement.

God bless you!