Like any modern-day agreement between two parties, God’s covenant with Israel involved certain conditions. There were blessings for those who kept the covenant (26:1–13) and punishment for those who broke it (26:14–46).
Listen for the trumpet! Once every 50 years, the Israelites were to observe the Year of Jubilee. They would know it was time for the special year to begin when they heard the sound of a trumpet (25:9). The Hebrew… Read More »Listen for the trumpet!
An eye for an eye? This law (24:19–20) was not meant to encourage personal revenge. Rather, it set a limit to the penalties in cases of personal injury. In other words, “let the punishment fit the crime.”
The Feast of Weeks is known in the NT as Pentecost (Acts 2:1). It was a celebration honoring the Lord as provider of all crops and as the One who deserved the firstfruits of those crops.
The eating of holy things. Only priests and their families were allowed to eat the meat from sacrifices. Servants who were members of the household could also partake of the offerings, but hired laborers could not do so.
Private sin, public action. Though sexual immorality is often considered a private matter, it was not dealt with privately in ancient Israel. The Israelites understood that people’s religious and moral behavior affected the lives and well-being of their families and… Read More »Private sin, public action
Beards. Art from Bible times often shows Israelite men with full, rounded beards. This set them apart from the Egyptians and Romans, who were generally clean-shaven. Other peoples living in Palestine would cut or clip their beards. The Israelites were… Read More »Beards
Abomination describes a behavior or action that is utterly repulsive and detestable to God. The offenses listed in 18:24–30 defile not only the person who committed the act but the entire land.
Were the Israelites vegetarians? During their wilderness journey, the Israelites seldom ate the meat of large animals. It was eaten only on special occasions.
The Day of Atonement was the most solemn of all Hebrew festivals, focusing on personal remorse for sin. Today it is called Yom Kippur.
Could a house have leprosy? The Israelites were told what to do if a house had a “leprous disease” (14:34). This most likely referred to things like mold, mildew, or fungus.
In the OT, lepers tore their garments and veiled their faces (13:45) as signs of mourning, and to show that they were separated from public worship and community life. In the NT, Jesus had a special concern for lepers and… Read More »Lepers
Leprosy. The “leprosy” mentioned in the Bible was not what is commonly called leprosy today (Hansen’s disease). Rather, it may have been a form of psoriasis or a fungal infection. Nonetheless it was highly contagious, so those who had leprosy… Read More »Leprosy
The word unclean occurs more than 130 times in the OT, with half of those occurrences in Leviticus. It is not a statement about a person’s hygiene. Rather, it relates to holiness in worship and in personal conduct (see note… Read More »Unclean
What were the Urim and the Thummim? Mentioned in 8:8 and in various other OT passages, the Urim and the Thummim remain a mystery to modern readers. All that is known is that they were worn on the garment of… Read More »What were the Urim and the Thummim?
The account of the ordination of Aaron and his sons as priests (8:1–36) is divided into seven parts by the phrase “as the Lord commanded.” The number seven often symbolizes completion in the OT.
Sin offerings atoned for unintentional sins (4:1–35) and for sins of omission (5:1–13). The sacrificial animal was burned “outside of the camp” (4:12), rather than at the base of the altar. This foreshadowed the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, who… Read More »Sin offerings
Peace offerings were also called fellowship offerings. They expressed peace and fellowship between the person making the offering and the Lord.
Grain offerings. Grain was highly valued by nomads such as the Israelites, since it could not be grown in the desert. Grain offerings were thus an act of worship and thanksgiving.
Burnt offerings were the most costly type of sacrifice. Unlike other offerings, none of the remains could be used for other purposes.