Devotions from the Heart:A Study of Leviticus
The Book of Leviticus is the third book of the Torah (the Pentateuch) and of the Old Testament, also known as the Third Book of Moses.Leviticus receives its name from the Septuagint (the Christian Greek translation of the OT) and means “relating to the Levites.” Its Hebrew title, wayyiqra’, is the first word in the Hebrew text of the book and means “And he [i.e., the Lord] called.” Although Leviticus does not deal only with the special duties of the Levites, it is so named because it concerns mainly the service of worship at the tabernacle, which was conducted by the priests who were the sons of Aaron, assisted by many from the rest of the tribe of Levi.The detailed procedures for sacrifices, lists of clean and unclean animals, and peculiar laws in the book of Leviticus may seem too complicated and irrelevant for us today. But as we celebrate our risen Savior for Easter, Leviticus will reveal Christ’s sacrifice to us through the pictures in the Old Testament.