Daily reading
Today’s reading is: Lev. 7-8
Video
Leviticus Chapter Seven
- Additional instructions for the guilt offering (Lev. 7:1-10). These instructions are primarily for the officiating priests whereas the earlier descriptions were centered more on the person bringing the offering.
- Additional instructions for the peace offering (Lev. 7:11-36). A significant concentration of “cut off from his people” is featured here (Lev. 7:20,21,25,27).
- כָּרַת kārath #3772 this idiom (not simply the word) has already been seen once in Genesis (Gen. 17:14) and three places in Exodus (Ex. 12:15,19; 30:33,38; 31:14).
- Leviticus is where this idiom really takes off (Lev. 7:20,21,25,27; 17:4,9,10,14; 18:29; 19:8; 20:3,5,6,17,18; 22:3; 23:29).
- Jacob Milgrom has an excellent exposition of this idiom (AYBC). Milgrom, Jacob. Leviticus 1–16: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 3. New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008. Print. Anchor Yale Bible.
- The summary statement concludes this first portion of Leviticus (Lev. 7:37,38).
Leviticus Chapter Eight
- The second portion of Leviticus deals with the Aaronic/Levitical Priesthood (Lev. 8-10).
- The priesthood is consecrated (Lev. 8).
- The priesthood begins their ministry (Lev. 9).
- The priesthood is defiled (Lev. 10).
- The consecration of Aaron and his sons occurred in the full view of the entire congregation of Israel (Lev. 8:2-4 cf. 1st Tim. 4:14,15; 6:12; 2nd Tim. 2:2).
- Moses supervised the elaborate ordination ritual for Aaron and his four sons (Lev. 8:5-36 cf. Ex. 29).
- Spiritual gifts and ministries are appointed by the Sovereignty of God (Heb. 5:4,5).
- All that we are, and all that we have, are gifts of Divine grace (1st Cor. 15:10).
- The narrative of this chapter helps us to see the differences between the Mediator (Moses) and the High Priest (Aaron). These are separate offices and conflating them is not possible in the Law, and problematic in Hebrews.