LEVITICUS BECOMING HOLY LEVITICUS THEMES Legal Ceremonial Text
LEVITICUS BECOMING HOLY
LEVITICUS - THEMES Legal Ceremonial Text Instructions for Purity 1. Obedience to God 2. Preserve Jewish Identity 3. Preserve Jewish Unity
ALL AT Mt SINAI ONE MONTH LONG � 1 -7 Holy worship regulations (sacrifices/offerings) � 8 -10 Priests must be holy to worship � 11 -15 People must be clean and pure � 16 Israel needs atonement � 17 -26 Holiness code � 27 Vows and tithes
SIN �High-handed “Thus the priest shall make atonement on your behalf, and you shall be forgiven. ” Lev 4: 31 c “High handed sins…native or alien… affronts the LORD and shall be cut off from the people. ” Num 15: 30 “By this Jesus everyone who believes is set free from all those sins from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. ” Acts 13: 39
SACRIFICES & OFFERINGS � Burnt Offering – voluntary, entire animal for God-bull, sheep, goat, dove, pigeon; devotion & atonement (Gen 8: 20 -Noah) � Cereal Offering – voluntary, priest eats some-bread baked, grilled, fried, roasted, cereal; seasoned (oil & frankincense-pleasing odor), unsweetened, unleavened � devotion and gratitude (Lev 2) � Peace Offering – voluntary, people eat some, right thigh to priest-cattle, sheep, goat; consecrated fellowship meal between 2 parties & God, leftovers burnt � Sin Offering – mandatory atonement, unintentional sin (Lev 4), priests eat some; lay hands on bull, killed, sprinkle blood in front of veil & altar horns � � Guilt Offering – mandatory atonement, priests eat some- ram or silver to make restitution repay debt of sin (reparation); 1/5 of silver to priest
PURITY: MIXING HOLY WITH UNHOLY Chemical Reaction Holy wins Unholy loses Ritual Impurity Sin +/Contagious Human realms o Nadab & Abihu Lev 10: 1 -3 o Uzzah & Ark 2 Sam 6: 7 o Aninas & Sapphira Acts 5: 1 -10
IMMORAL PURITY Power of Sin is contained and mitigated, but not defeated. Sin Severe cancer Contagious disease Radioactivity
PURITY – GOD’S REALM All mortal sins are impure - Idolatry and murder Loss of body fluid (life) - Blood or intimacy - Wholeness/Holiness Closer to God † Higher Purity Mixing Realms o o o Crossbreed animals Mixed fiber garments Cross dressing Inappropriate relations Marriage outside faith Kosher laws
REGAINING PURITY Purifying Agents o Blood – most powerful o Water - mikvah Bath o Smoke – incense, sacrifices o Fire – highest realm (God)
KEEPING KOSHER - OBEDIENCE Dietary and Food Prep Laws Hebrew word – kasher (proper or pure) Certification of a Rabbinical Organization overseeing production
KOSHER LAWS – THE BASICS o Certain animals and derivatives are never eaten. o Permitted birds and mammals must be killed o o according to Jewish law. All blood must be drained or broiled out. Certain parts of permitted animals are not eaten. Permitted meats cannot be eaten with dairy. Grape products made by non-Jews forbidden.
ANIMAL REALMS Genesis 1 – water, earth, sky Fish Need fins/scales Not Kosher shellfish/mammals Not Kosher (impure) Mixed realms Death association o Carnivores o Predators o Serpent-like
HINGE OF LEVITICUS Day of Atonement Yom Kippur: Chapter 16 Sin/burnt offerings – priest & people “For on this day atonement shall be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins you shall be clean before the LORD. It is a Sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall deny yourselves; it is a statue forever. ” Wilderness goat (16: 21 -22) Lev 16: 30 -31 Specific date God’s presence/mercy seat Priest purification/garments Censor with coals and sweet incense Bull’s blood sprinkled 7 x @ Mercy seat and on sacrifice altar Deny yourself, no work, a Sabbath
BOOK OF NUMBERS Two Censuses 1 -10 At Sinai (Census, camp design 10 -12 To Kadesh (Quail, Mariam/Aaron 13 -20 At Kadesh 12 spies, Korah’s rebellion 20 -36 To Jordan Moses’s sin, Balaam
PRIESTLY BENEDICTION The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the Israelites. You shall say to them: “The LORD bless and keep you; The LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; The LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. ” Num 6: 22 -26
BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY 2 nd Law Moses’s Last Words Heartbeat of OT Catechism of Torah Quotes 83 x in NT -Jesus in desert
DEUTERONOMY - OUTLINE 1 -4 Moses retells salvation story (to 2 nd generation) 5 – Ten commandments repeated 6 -28 Law as commentary on ten commandments (6 -11 about loving God) (12 -28 about relating to others) 27 -28 Blessings & Curses (Lev 26) 29 -30 Renewing the Covenant Cliffhanger 31 Moses commissions Joshua God’s command: 32 Song of Moses Leave Sinai and invade the Promised Land! 34 Moses’s last blessing & death
GOD’S LAW vs LAW OF MOSES Ezekial 20: 25 – criticizes old covenant law CCC 122 – OT contained matters imperfect and provisional o harem warfare o divorce Mosaic Covenant placed beside the Ark (31: 26)
THESIS OF DEURONOMY “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. ” Deut 6: 4 -5 Obey commandments – Blessing! (Land, children, livestock, food, defeat enemies, work, honor, rain, wealth) Disobey commandments – Curse! (Cursed, food, fertility, offspring, livestock, disaster, panic, frustration, destroyed, perish quickly, pestilence cling to you, drought, consumption, fever, inflammation, blight, mildew, enemies will defeat you, object of horror, madness, blindness, confusion of mind, abused, robbed, wife raped, kids stolen, kids eaten, exiled, trembling heart, failing eyes languishing spirit)
RATIFY BLESSINGS & CURSES Schechim Mt. Ebal (curses) Mt. Gerizim (blessings) Deut 11: 29 – Josh 8: 30 -35
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Have you experienced God’s blessings? Have you experienced consequences of sin (curse)? When have you experienced God’s presence? How do we as Catholics get purified?
Shalom berakhah ve-tovah שלום ברכה וטובה Peace, blessing and (all) good (to you).
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