Sunday School Bible Survey:      LEVITICUS

Theme: Access to God. The book of Leviticus "may be viewed as a book about atonement, the provision of access to God" — Charles C. Ryrie.


Key words:

  • The word "Leviticus" is derived from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, and means, "pertaining to the Levites."
  • The word "holy" is found 94 times. "Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy" (Lev. 19:2; cf. 20:26; I Peter 1:15, 16).
  • The words "offering" and "offerings" occur 293 times. The offerings indicate God's provision for man being brought into nearness with Himself.
  • The words "sacrifice" and "sacrifices" occur 46 times. "No man could bring his own offering, perform his own sacrifice, it was necessary that somebody should stand between the sinner and God and present the offering for him. And so we see three ways in which man's sin is dealt with so that he can communicate with God — substitution (some other life taking the place of the sinner), imputation (the transference of the sinner's guilt to another), and death (the death of the substitute, the one upon whom the guilt has been laid). Thus an animal was always taken and used in Hebrew worship, for an animal stands for sinless life, for no animal has ever sinned" — Eric W. Hayden (Preaching Through the Bible).
  • The words "priest" and "priests" occur 187 times. The book of Leviticus is a manual for the priests.
  • The word "blood" is found 88 times. "For it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul" (17:11b).
  • The word "atonement" is found 49 times.

    • Key verse: "And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses" (Leviticus 16:34)


    WRITER: The first five books of the Bible were written by Moses. About 56 times in Leviticus, it is said that the LORD spoke to Moses (Lev. 4:1; 5:14; 6:1, 8, 19, 24; 7:22, 28; 8:1; 11:1; 12:1; 13:1; 14:1; etc.). In Mark 1:44, our Lord said to the cleansed leper, "Go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them" (cf. Lev. 13:49).


    DATE: The book of Exodus ends with the setting up of the tabernacle in the wilderness. "And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up" (Ex. 40:17). The book of Leviticus was probably written after that.


    OUTLINE: (from Ryrie Study Bible)

    I.                   THE WAY TO GOD: SACRIFICE (110)

    A.   Through the offerings (1—7)

    1.     The burnt offering (chap 1)

    2.     The grain offering (chap 2)

    3.     The peace offering (chap 3)

    4.     The sin offering (4:1—5:13)

    5.     The trespass offering (5:14—6:7)

    6.     Added instructions concerning the various offerings (6:8—7:38)

    a.      The burnt offering (6:8-13)

    b.     The grain offering (6:14-23)

    c.      The sin offering (6:24-30)

    d.     The trespass offering (7:1-10)

    e.      The peace offering (7:11-38)

    B.   Through the priests (8:1—10:20)

    1.     The consecration to priestly service (chap. 8)

    2.     The inauguration of priestly service (chap. 9)

    3.     The sacrilege of priestly service (chap. 10) (Nadab & Abihu)

     

    II.                THE WALK WITH GOD: SANCTIFICATION (11—27)

    A.   Laws concerning purity (11—15)

    1.     In relation to food (chap 11)

    2.     In relation to childbirth (chap 12)

    3.     In relation to leprosy (chaps 13, 14)

    a.      Classifications of leprosy (chap 13)

    b.     Cleansing for leprosy (chap 14)

    4.     In relation to the body (chap 15)

    B.   Law of the Day of Atonement (chap 16)

    1.     Preparations (16:1-4)

    2.     Offerings (16:5-28)

    3.     Instructions (16:29-34)

    C.   Laws concerning sacrificing (chap 17)

    D.   Laws concerning standards for the people (chaps 18-20)

    1.     Concerning sexual relationships (chap 18)

    2.     Concerning daily life (chap 19)

    3.     Concerning heinous offenses (chap 20)

    E.    Laws concerning standards for the priests (chap 21)

    F.    Laws concerning offerings (chap 22)

    G.   Laws concerning festivals (chap 23)

    1. The Sabbath (23:1-3)

    2. The Passover and unleavened bread (23:4-8)

    3. Firstfruits (23:9-14)

    4. Pentecost (23:15-22)

    5. Trumpets (23:23-25)

    6. The Day of Atonement (23:26-32)

    7. Tabernacles (23:33-44)

    H.   Laws concerning the oil, bread, and blasphemy (chap 24)

    I.       Laws concerning the sabbatical year (25:1-7)

    J.      Laws concerning the year of jubilee (25:8-55)

    K.   Laws concerning obedience (chap 26)

    L.    Laws concerning vows and tithes (chap 27)


    These are simple Sunday School survey notes. They are not for sale. The author used many outlines from popular Bible teachers such as C.I. Scofield and J. Vernon McGee, and he has tried to give credit when using their material.


    —  Pastor James J. Barker  —