Creator, Father, King #90

Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

NO MATTER WHO YOU are, you must follow lots of rules in life. There are rules at home, at school, at work, on the road, on planes, in the library, in stores—everywhere!

But check out these unique rules:

• All small animals that scurry along the ground are detestable, and you must never eat them.
• Do not wear clothing woven from two different kinds of thread.
• Do not trim off the hair on your temples or trim your beards.

These rules all come from Leviticus. Let’s be honest: Leviticus is one of the toughest books in the Bible to read. Sometimes, it can sound antiquated, obscure, and overbearing.

But Leviticus—which is part of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible (or the Torah, as Jews call it)—is also inspired Scripture, just like the rest of God’s Word. So how are we supposed to understand this difficult book today, with all of its ancient rules and regulations?

What’s It Mean?

In essence, Leviticus, like the rest of the Mosaic law (including parts of Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), is a holiness code, teaching sinful Israel how to properly worship and honor a holy God as his covenant community.

But there was a three-letter problem: sin. Our sinful nature took advantage of the law, and everything the law forbade (e.g., covetousness, Exodus 20:17) sin gladly produced in our corrupt hearts (Romans 7:7-12). Subsequently, Israel could never follow Leviticus—let alone the entire Mosaic law—perfectly. “It is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law” (Galatians 3:11).

Ultimately, the law revealed that we are all miserable rule-breakers. As funny as it sounds, this was a wonderful aspect of the law, for it showed we are helpless, but not hopeless. It pointed ahead to a perfect Rule-Keeper who would fully accomplish the law’s purpose for us, as today’s verse says.

God’s Son, Jesus Christ, perfectly kept the law. As such, he was able to represent us before the Father as both our High Priest and our sacrificial Lamb. Thank you, Jesus!

Now What?

Today, Christians don’t need to follow the sacrificial system or many other ritualistic purity laws in Leviticus since we are under the new covenant of grace. But we do need to grow in sanctification, becoming more like Christ. As God says in Leviticus 11:45, “Be holy because I am holy.”

Did You Know?

Leviticus is a Latin word meaning “things concerning Levites.”