It is significant that the gate in today’s background photo is flanked on either side by large garbage cans.
The people of Israel were miraculously delivered from oppression and slavery in Egypt. No longer were they marginalized, mistreated, and abused. God had rescued them! They were now God’s very own chosen people. God loved them!
God wanted the people of Israel to get to know Him and to love Him as well. To this end, God gave the people instructions about who He was. God gave the people instructions about how to get to know Him … how to worship Him.
The book of Leviticus is an instruction manual, specifically written for the people of Israel, to teach them how to love and worship God. The people of Israel had lived for 400 years in Egypt … all they had ever known, previously, was the Egyptian worship of a vast myriad of Egyptian gods.
God’s first and foremost instruction for the newly freed people of Israel was that He alone is God! There are no other gods. He alone is God!
Just as the garbage cans flanking either side of the gate in today’s background photo are there so that garbage can be deposited before passing through the gate, in the same way, God wanted the people of Israel to “put in the garbage” their notion that a vast myriad of gods existed and could be worshiped. Put it in the garbage … and pass through the gate into relationship with your loving God.
All those former notions from Egypt about all the different sacrifices and ways to worship … put all of it in the garbage can … and pass through the gate into relationship with your loving God.
Jesus Christ can be seen all throughout the instructions given by God in the book of Leviticus.
Leviticus chapter 1:
Whole Burnt Offering – This is a picture looking forward to when Jesus Christ would offer himself as a Whole Burnt Offering for the sin of all humanity. Nothing was left undone. Jesus totally and completely paid the price for sin.
Leviticus chapter 2:
Grain Offering – The grain for the Grain Offering was grown by the people and ground up into fine flour by the people. It was the work of their own hands. It was the service of their life to God. The Grain Offering is a picture of Jesus’s sacrificial life and death as a “fine flour” which was perfectly accepted by God.
Leviticus chapter 3:
Peace Offering – This is a picture of Jesus Christ who is our Peace. We do not have to work hard to gain peace with God. Jesus Christ has already won our peace. (Ephesians 2:14 – “He is our peace.”)
Leviticus chapter 4:
Sin Offering – This is a picture of Jesus Christ, who offered the once-for-all Sin Offering to God. He came as the spotless lamb, who took away the sin of the world.
Leviticus chapter 5:
Guilt Offering – This is a picture of the death of Jesus Christ on behalf of our sins, for our guilt. Jesus paid the payment for our actions of sin. Jesus takes away our guilt.
Leviticus chapters 8-9
Instructions regarding the priests – This is a picture of Jesus Christ, our High Priest
Leviticus chapter 16
Day of Atonement – The way to come to God is through the blood of His offering … Jesus Christ.
If there are any ideas about other gods to worship or other ways to worship … God asks for it all to be put in the garbage can. Then enter through the gate of Jesus Christ … into relationship with your loving God!
