Lead:

Have you ever thought about what worship is? And how does the sacrificial system fit into the story?

Intro:

Have you ever thought about what worship is?

I think it’s useful to use a memory tool of calling it worth-ship. It’s adoration and reverence, and ascribing of worth to something. That’s why idols of wood or silver make us laugh, idols of money or sex make us think, and the reality of a God who created you and sustains you and actually desires relationship with you should make us…well…respond.

Hey, happy Monday and welcome to a new week. This week we kick off the book of Leviticus which is basically a continuation of Exodus. All of it was given to Moses in the month following the completion of the temple.

Our reading today is a little shorter, AND tomorrow’s is quite long. So today I’m going to add something at the end of today’s program that I hope you’ll stick around for — a description of the sacrificial system — because it helps put context around this stuff.

A big picture view from the ESV Study Bible notes:

1. The holy Lord is present in the midst of his people (Ex. 40:34; Lev. 1:1). The people of Israel must therefore properly address their sin and impurity and must strive for personal holiness.
2. In order to approach God, worshipers must be wholehearted in their devotion (1:1–6:7; 22:17–30).
3. Those who are called to be spiritual leaders, such as priests, bear a heavier responsibility than do the laypeople (chs. 4; 21). In addition to the outward holiness that the priests are granted when ordained, they are constantly commanded to maintain inner holiness (chs. 8; 9; 10; 21).
4. As seen in the Day of Atonement ritual (ch. 16), the total cleansing of sins and uncleanness is done when the innermost part of the tent of meeting is purified. Ultimate purification of uncleanness is impossible from the human side.
5. Atonement is a gracious act of the Lord by which sins and impurities can be dealt with (17:11).(1)

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Old covenant:

Passage: Leviticus 1-3
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 50
Words: ~1364

Wisdom:

Passage: Psalm 27
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 14
Words: ~230

New covenant:

Passage: Hebrews 2
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 18
Words: ~410

Commentary:

BTW, the stuff on the sacrificial system comes from the CSB Apologetics Study Bible.(2)

Do support them for graciously allowing me to use the CSB for this podcast.

Love you!

-R

ForTheHope is a daily audio Bible + apologetics podcast and blog. We’ve got a passion for just keepin’ it real, having conversations like normal people, and living out the love of Jesus better every single day.

Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in digitally-extended communication and connection, an award-winning speaker, award-winning author, and a passionately bad guitarist. Follow him on Twitter -- @RogerCourville and @JoinForTheHope – or his blog: www.forthehope.org.

Sources and resources:

(1) Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 213.

(2) Mark F. Rooker, “Leviticus,” in CSB Apologetics Study Bible, ed. Ted Cabal (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 125–126.

#1026: Leviticus 1-3 | Psalm 27 | Hebrews 2 | Sacrificial system