The Book of Leviticus

Day Verses:

First Day

We're going to study a special book this week.  It's one of the books in God's Book, the BIBLE!.  It's the third book.  See who can find it--say its name out loud!  Let's all look for it! LEVITICUS!  Can you find the name of one of Jacob's sons in that name?  LEVI!  God said that the men who were born into the Levi family were to serve him as priests.  Who is a priest?  He is one who serves God and the people.

Look again at the name of this book in the Bible. LEVITICUS!  It means "instructions for the priests."  Did you know if you're a Christian, you are a priest?  Peter and John both wrote about that, so the instructions in Leviticus are not only for the family of Levi but for all of us who are called his priests.

Who gave these instructions?  The Lord God?  Who is He?  He is the HOLY ONE!  He wants us to never forget this.  In Leviticus His holiness is mentioned nine times!  What does it mean--God is Holy?  It means He is without sin; He is perfect, He is always right, never wrong.  He cannot sin.  One of God's names is HOLY.  "Holy is Thy Name!"  The angels around His heavenly throne cry, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord!" (Isaiah 6:3)  When God gave the instructions to the priests, from where did he speak?  The Tabernacle--tent!

This wasn't the first time God spoke to people.  Let's go back to the beginning--in the book of Genesis.  God, who is holy and perfect made everything.  He made the heavens and the earth, the seas and mountains, the sun, moon, stars, the birds and the fish and the animals and He made the very first man, Adam, and He put Adam in the lovely Garden of Eden.  He gave Adam a wife, named Eve.  he made her for Adam.  Everything was wonderful and good because there was no sin!  Just think!  God, who is holy, could come down into the garden and fellowship with Adam and Eve because they had never sinned.

Now God had asked Adam and Eve to obey Him in one thing.  In the middle of the garden God had put two trees--the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and God told them not to eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  If they did, God said they would surely die. 

But one day when Eve was alone the devil came to her in the form of a serpent and he said, "Did God tell you not to eat of every tree in the garden?" 

"Oh no, we may eat the fruit of all the trees, but this one.  If we eat of it, we shall die."

Satan told them not to listen to what God said.  He said, if you eat of it, you will be as wise as He is.  You will know good and evil.  Look how pleased the serpent is--it's good for good and it will make you wise.  Eve took it and ate it.  Then she gave some to Adam who ate it too and they saw they were naked.  They became ashamed and they made themselves some coverings from fig leaves.  SIN always does that.  It makes us ashamed and we try to cover it up and hide our sin.

Now God still loved Adam and Eve, so He came down to talk to them.  They tried to hide from Him!  Can anyone hide from God?  No!  God said, "Adam, where art thou?"  Adam said, "I'm hiding.  I heard Your voice and I was afraid."  You see, SIN makes us afraid of God, because He is a HOLY GOD; we know that He must punish sin.

God had to make special clothes for Adam and Eve out of the skins of animals.  He had to make them leave the Garden of Eden.  The Bible tells us that this is how sin came into the world, and now we're all sinners.

In the second book of the Bible, Exodus,  we read about another time God spoke.  This time it was to a whole nation.  He spoke to Israel!  At a place called Mt. Sinai.  He wanted His people to know how Holy He was, how much He hated sin, and that He had to punish sin.  So He came down upon Mt. Sinai with thunder and lightning and a thick cloud.  The mountain quaked and the people were frightened, and they cried out, "We don't want God to speak to us.!"  You know why I said this?  They were afraid because God is Holy, and they were so sinful.  This is the place where God have the Ten Commandments.

1.  Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.

2.  Thou shalt not make any graven image.

3.  Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord in vain.

4.  Thou shalt keep the Sabbath Day Holy.

5.  Honor thy father and thy mother.

6.  Thou shalt not kill.

7.  Thou shalt not commit adultery.

8.  Thou shalt not steal.

9.  Thou shalt not bear false witness.

10  Thou shalt not covet.

No wonder they were afraid.  They knew they had not obeyed God in these things. 

But God who is Holy, loved them, took pity on them.  He wanted their fellowship, to be with them, so He made a WAY.  God told Moses, the leader of His people to build a tabernacle--tent.

He gave Moses the exact pattern for it.  When Moses had finished it all, there it stood in the midst of the people for all to see, the presence of God came down into the tabernacle, for God said--"I will DWELL there!"  Exodus 25:8

All around the tabernacle were high curtains of white, so every time one of His people looked in that direction they were reminded how clean and white and pure God was.  How high He was above them.  How HOLY He was and  how sinful they were!

There in the book of Leviticus God spoke again--this time from the tabernacle, this time to tell people they could come to Him, and not be afraid of Him because of their sin.

Here is an Israelite, an ordinary person, just like you and me--a sinner.  Oh, He wanted to come to God.  But could he?  God said he should bring an offering.  His offering had to be a bullock or a goat or a lamb or a turtle dove.  He was to bring it to the priest, and he was to place his hand on the animal's head, meaning this lamb is taking my place.  Then the animal was killed.  The death and the blood of this animal reminded the sinner that some day Jesus death and blood would pay for his sin.

Jesus had not come to die yet in those days, and so the only way a sinner could come to God, who is Holy, was with an animal offering.  This showed he believed God was Holy, that he was a sinner, and that he believed in Jesus.

Quiz for Day 1

Can you answer these questions about Lesson 1:

1.  Spell Leviticus

2.  Quote Hebrews 9:27

3.  Quote Romans 6:23

4.  What was the name of Jacob's son from whom the priests came?  

5.  Name the first man and woman.  

6.  What did they do to disobey God?

7.  What did God make to clothe them with?

8.  What made them afraid of God?

9.  Who tempted them to sin?

10. Name the mountain where God spoke to His people?

11.What did they say to God?

12. Give five of the Ten Commandments.

13. Give five of the Ten Commandments

14. What did God tell Moses to build?

15. What was all around the tabernacle?

16. What did God remind the people of?

17.  Where did God tell Moses His presence would be?

18.  What four things could the people bring for their offering?

19. What was the first thing the people saw when they entered the court of the tabernacle?

20.  What did the man have to do with his offering before the priest killed it and put it on the altar?

21.  What is a priest?

22.  What do we bring to God for our offering?

Answers to Quiz for Lesson 1

1.  Leviticus

2.  Hebrews 9:27

"And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment." 
Hebrews 9:27

3.  Romans 3:23

"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."
Romans 3:23

4.  Levi

5.  Adam and Eve

6. ate the forbidden fruit

7.  skins of animals

8.  sin

9.  devil

10.Mt. Sinai

11.Do not speak to us

12.  See below

(1.  Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.

2.  Thou shalt not make any graven image.

3.  Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord in vain.

4.  Thou shalt keep the Sabbath Day Holy.

5.  Honor thy father and thy mother.)

13. See below

(6.  Thou shalt not kill.

7.  Thou shalt not commit adultery.

8.  Thou shalt not steal.

9.  Thou shalt not bear false witness.

10  Thou shalt not covet.)

14. a tabernacle

15. white curtains

16. God is holy

17. in the tabernacle

18. bullock, goat, lamb, turtle dove

19. altar

20. put his hand on its head

21. Christian

22. Jesus

ChristArt

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