Read Leviticus Lately?

“Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” Hebrews 9.27-28

I just finished preparing for my Old Testament classes tomorrow. We are studying the book of Leviticus, and I am teaching them about the sacrificial system and the role and rules for the priest. As I teach this often-neglected Old Testament book, I am again awed at how the passage in Hebrews above is so much more easily understood in light of Leviticus!

They used to sacrifice animals and sprinkle the blood everywhere to atone for sin. They, the priests, not even the people. Once a year every year the high priest would have to cleanse himself and offer sacrifices before he went into the Most Holy Place of the tabernacle to atone for sin with another sacrifice and more blood. This is getting bloody!

I go into the meat section of the grocery store and hold my breath as the clerk weighs my ground beef. The fish and chicken and pork loins fill my nose and overwhelm my senses. I can’t imagine the bloody job of a priest!

But as it says above, Christ was the sacrifice that became bloody once for all. If you read the whole chapter you find that he was not only the perfect sacrifice but he was the perfect priest too! He went into the Most Holy Place as a high priest, but the sacrifice he brought was himself! Wow, that is incredible! Thank the Lord for Leviticus, but more than that, praise the Lord for Jesus Himself who bore our sin and will bring us salvation!

Let us put our faith in Jesus and eagerly await his return!