Well, I can categorically say that I have more questions than answers about the book of Leviticus!

Thankfully, I began again by watching the excellent video from The Bible Project. The overview is interesting and picks out details I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise, for example, God speaking to Moses when he was outside of the tent at the beginning of Leviticus, and then inside the tent at the very beginning of Numbers.

Even having watched the video, I spent a fair amount of time thinking ‘what…?’. There’s a whole load in this book that I don’t understand and probably wouldn’t even with years of study. It occurs to me, though, that we are living in a very different society to the one Moses was living in. For example, the instructions about when to stone people.

This book helped me understand how important it was that these people try to be holy and set apart, as God is holy and set apart. We are humans and we get things wrong, but God doesn’t. In order for us to be close to him, we need to build a bridge across the gap created by what we do wrong. For this community, the building of that bridge looked like sacrifices and burnt offerings.

Speaking of sacrifices, being a priest in those times sounds very bloody and grim. I’m not sure I’d like it much, practically speaking! I was struck, though, imagining what life would be like on duty at the tabernacle, constantly facilitating this bloody ritual in which the people got right with God. Communion is a much tidier affair, but how much of my time, outside of Sunday services, is spent helping people cross that bridge and helping them get right with God?

Favourite verse: I didn’t find myself highlighting many verses or passages in this text, it probably won’t surprise you to know! So my favourite is a simple verse that I feel encapsulates the whole book. It’s part of Leviticus 11.45: ‘You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy’.

One last thing about Levitiucs. One night, when Sophia was refusing to sleep, I decided to read to her from this book until she nodded off. I have to say, it worked, and quickly!

On to Numbers.