1. The Book of Leviticus: Why It Matters to Christians
“Ritual Cleanliness”
Leviticus 11-15
References:
Primary
Dr. Constable’s Notes on Leviticus.
Secondary
International Study Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews
Matthew Henry Commentary
JFB Commentary

2. Announcements
Announcements

3. Prayer List
Prayer List

4. Leviticus Week Date Topic 1 08 Sep 10 Leviticus Introduction 2
Sacrifices: Leviticus 1-7 3
22 Sep 10
Priesthood of Aaron: Leviticus 8-10 4
29 Sep 10
Ritual Cleanliness: Leviticus 11-15 5
06 Oct 10
Day of Atonement: Leviticus 16 6
13 Oct 10
Holiness of Conduct: Leviticus 17-20 7
20 Oct 10
Holiness of Priests: Leviticus 21-22 8
27 Oct 10
Sabbath and Feasts: Leviticus 23 9
03 Nov 10
Preparation and Punishments: Leviticus 24 10
10 Nov 10
Sanctification of the Land: Leviticus 25 11
17 Nov 10
Promises and Warnings: Leviticus 26 12
24 Nov 10
Thanksgiving 13
01 Dec 10
Vows and Redemption of Tithes: Leviticus 27

5. Today’s Objectives Review the last week’s lesson from last week
Learn how the concept expressed in Leviticus 10:10 translate into laws found Leviticus 11-15
Review possible sources of uncleanness and how God requires purification
Learn about acceptable and unacceptable animals
Learn about uncleanness due to childbirth
Learn about uncleanness due to skin diseases
Learn about uncleanness caused by the body
Legislation of ideas expressed in Leviticus 10:10
Explains possibly sources of uncleanness and how God requires cleansing and purification
Chapter 11
Acceptable and unacceptable animals (and insects) to consume, resulting in uncleanness for hours
Chapter 12
Uncleanness related to childbirth, lasting months
Chapter 13 and 14
Uncleanness due to skin diseases, lasting years
Chapter 15
Uncleanness from bodily discharge, lasting hours to years

6. Last week Reviewed the last week’s lesson from last week
Learned about the selection and consecration of the priesthood and Aaron’s preparation
Learned about how the Israelites were to approach God
Learned about the importance of acceptable worship
Learned about God’s instructions to Aaron
Learned how the sons of Aaron violated the worship and saw God destroy them
Reviewed New Testament parallels to Leviticus

7. Tabernacle
Ark
Laver
Altar of burn offering

8. Altar

9. 9

11. Early Israelite Timeline
1875 BC Jacob Moves to Egypt
Israelites Enslaved
1845 BC
Mosaic Covenant
1446 BC
Exodus
Conquest of Promised Land
1395 BC
Early Israelite Timeline
Egypt
430 Years in Egypt (Ex 12:40-41; Gal 3:17)
400Years of Bondage
(Gen 15:13, 16; Acts 7:6)
About 450 Years of bondage, wandering, and conquests (Acts 13:19-20)

12. Key To Studying Leviticus
We must examine the messages and determine what the passage represents in order to see the riches God has for us
Does the passage provide a spiritual truth?
Is this passage or verse a picture of New Testament spiritual truth that we obey today?
If it is, is that its only importance?
If this answer is yes, once we have determined the meaning of the picture, our interpretation is finished
If not, then we ask if it is a moral or physical command 12

13. Key To Studying Leviticus
Is it a moral or physical command:
Why did God give this verse/passage to the Israelites?
Is the command reflective of God's moral nature, and therefore one we need to follow, even today?
Did he want them to be different from the people around them?
If so, is the specific command relevant for us today, so that we might be different?
Did God give the command to them for health reasons? If so, is it relevant today? If we conclude that the specific command is not relevant for us, we must ask, What is the principle behind the commands of God? How does the principle apply to us? 13

14. Sacrifices To God God designed these offering to
Enable the Israelites to worship God
Taught the Israelites conditions necessary to restore and maintain the believers’ communion with God in view of their sin and defilement
Each offering involved three objects
The person bringing the offering
The object being offered (animal, for example)
The mediator (priest)
Differences in offerings
Each offering was different from the other offerings
Within each offering there were different options of what the offerer could present and how he could present it 14

15. God’s Appeal for Holy Living
1st Peter 1:13-16
“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’”
We are to be holy because God is holy
Not an arbitrary, or changeable requirement
Holiness is defined by the nature of God, not the customs of men
Holiness should be present in every aspect of a Christian’s conduct 15

16. Overview of Leviticus 11-15
Legislation of ideas expressed in Leviticus 10:10
Explains possibly sources of uncleanness and how God requires cleansing and purification
Chapter 11
Acceptable and unacceptable animals (and insects) to consume, resulting in uncleanness for hours
Chapter 12
Uncleanness related to childbirth, lasting months
Chapter 13 and 14
Uncleanness due to skin diseases, lasting years
Chapter 15
Uncleanness from bodily discharge, lasting hours to years 16

17. Causes of Uncleanness Moral transgressions Ceremonial defilement
Caused spiritual defilement (moral uncleanness)
Ceremonial defilement
Did not necessarily mean that the defiled person had sinned
Some practices that resulted in ceremonial uncleanness were not morally wrong
Example is childbirth
Therefore, unclean does not equal sinful, but it means impure
Impurity restricted Israelite participation in worship at the tabernacle 17

18. Uncleanness from Animals (Ch 11)
Six major different distinctions between clean and unclean animals (why some were/some were not)
Arbitrary – God was only testing obedience
Avoid animals used in pagan or cultic practices
Certain animals were more likely to carry disease
Symbolic – unclean animals were like sinful people
Aesthetic – liked only the “good looking” animals
Ethical – Animals chosen were somehow more reverent
Jews ultimately regarded food laws as symbolic of the division between themselves and Gentiles
Read Acts 10:14, 28
Distinctions – see Constable notes on Leviticus 2010 edition
Mark 7:19 Jesus pronounces many of these animals fit to eat. 18

19. Clean (Chapter 11) 19

20. Unclean (Chapter 11)
Distinctions – see Constable notes on Leviticus 2010 edition
Mark 7:19 Jesus pronounces many of these animals fit to eat. 20

21. Clean versus Unclean (11:1-47)
God begins positively (vs. 1-8)
God tells them what they can eat first
Regarding water creatures (vs. 9-12)
Limited to those that had fins and scales for movement
Insects (vs )
Some varieties of locust clean, as an example
Insects that seem to swarm were unclean
Defilement from animal carcasses (vs )
Uncleanness caused by swarming insects (vs )
Further directions about the uncleanness of animals that died (vs )
Extorts His people again to be holy (vs. 44) 21

22. Childbirth (Chapter 12) Ritual purification lasted 40 days
First seven days she was contagiously unclean (15:31)
Had to offer a sin (purification) offering
Several purposes were served
New mother to regain her health
And to regain her ritual purity
Circumcision was not a purification rite (Gen 17:9-14)
Timeframe was twice as long with a female child
Potentially considered the redemption time more effective (see Lev 27:2-7)
Mary, mother of Jesus, practiced this Levitical law
See Luke 2:22-24 22

23. Unclean Skin (Chapter 13-14)
Contains three sections
Diagnosis and treatment of skin and clothing abnormalities (Ch 13)
Ritual cleansing of abnormalities in human skin (14:1-32)
Ritual cleansing of abnormalities in houses (14:33-53)
Abnormalities of the skin (13:1-46)
Swelling, scab, bright spots (vs. 2-28)
Infection on the head or beard (vs )
Bright spots on the skin (vs )
Priests were charged with distinguishing between the clean and unclean, remember Lev 10:10-11
Abnormalities in clothing (vs ) 23

24. Ritual Cleaning of Skin (14:1-32)
Procedures were not cures but were rituals
God explains how priests could recognize healed skin so the affected individual could continue worship
The first event took place outside of camp (vs. 1-9)
One bird killed, one bird released
The second event took place before the altar of burnt offerings – restoring fellowship (vs )
Ritual cleansing of abnormalities in houses (vs )
God prescribes a purification rite for houses
Summary of ordinances (vs )
Emphasis on God’s provision for cleansing 24

25. Review Reviewed last week’s lesson
Learned how the concept expressed in Leviticus 10:10 translate into laws found Leviticus 11-15
Reviewed possible sources of uncleanness and how God requires purification
Learned about acceptable and unacceptable animals
Learned about uncleanness due to childbirth
Learned about uncleanness due to skin diseases
Learned about uncleanness caused by the body
Next week: Leviticus 16