Leviticus God’s Concern for the Physical Chapters 11 through 15 talk about various practical concerns God has for the Hebrew people Chapter 16 gives the regulations for The Day of Atonement

Leviticus 16 6 “Aaron is to offer the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household. 7 Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the L ORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 8 He is to cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the L ORD and the other for the scapegoat.

Priest bathed, clean, properly dressed Bull is offered Enter Holy of Holies with burning coals and fragrant incense Bulls blood on cover of the ark Goats sacrificed and blood sprinkled on Arc of the Covenant Sins placed on scapegoat Scapegoat released

It is a Sabbath and a fast Once yearly for the forgiveness of sins Even the high priest could only come before the throne of God once a year

Reveals… The limited mediation of the High Priest The limited power of the sacrifice Laws might possibly force us to behave… Yet laws can’t change the heart

Leviticus Meaningless and repulsive Clean vs. unclean Taboo, bad or sinful things It is about honoring God in obedience It is about propriety It is about health

No hats indoors for men Organs and guitars At one point in history they were not welcomed in church worship like today

Leviticus 11 The L ORD said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat: 3 You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud.

40 Anyone who eats some of the carcass must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean till evening. Anyone who picks up the carcass must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean till evening.

God is concerned with what we eat Because what we eat impacts… Our health Longevity Emotions Our ability to function

Leviticus 12 The L ORD said to Moses, 2 “Say to the Israelites: ‘A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period. 3 On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised. 4 Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding.

God is concerned that we not endanger ourselves or our children They are living in the desert where heat and infection are dangerous The God who made the universe is concerned about infections These may seem odd rules for today This is God taking care of his people in the desert 3000 years ago

Leviticus 13 The L ORD said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “When anyone has a swelling or a rash or a bright spot on his skin that may become an infectious skin disease, he must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons who is a priest.

God is concerned about communicable diseases from skin or clothing God is concerned with our well-being Preventing the preventable Preventing further contamination Keeping us strong

Leviticus 14 The L ORD said to Moses, 2 “These are the regulations for the diseased person at the time of his ceremonial cleansing, when he is brought to the priest: 3 The priest is to go outside the camp and examine him. If the person has been healed of his infectious skin disease...

33 The L ORD said to Moses and Aaron, 34 “When you enter the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as your possession, and I put a spreading mildew in a house in that land, 35 the owner of the house must go and tell the priest, ‘I have seen something that looks like mildew in my house.’ 36 The priest is to order the house to be emptied before he goes in to examine the mildew…

God wants his people to be restored God wants us to be cleansed God cares not just for our bodies but also our home and property God was concerned we might become sick from our homes

Leviticus 15 The L ORD said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When any man has a bodily discharge, the discharge is unclean. 3 Whether it continues flowing from his body or is blocked, it will make him unclean. This is how his discharge will bring about uncleanness:

Bodily discharges are addresses God cares about our sexuality The importance of hygiene Being and remain healthy In all these issues God is concerned about transmission of illness, infection and disease

Our mission work in the Philippines These chapters remind that God is concerned about the well-being of the whole community It is important the we understand that God cares for us in our entirety

God cares about our… Spirit and Soul Health and well-being What we eat Sexuality Family Homes Community Healing and restoration