Leviticus

God speaks from the tabernacle and gives instructions for the burnt offering, which can be a bull, sheep, goat, or bird. The animal must be without defect, and the worshipper lays hands on it as a symbol of identification. The entire animal is burned on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

The grain offering is described, made of fine flour with oil and frankincense. It can be baked, cooked on a griddle, or presented raw. No leaven or honey is to be included, but salt must be added to every grain offering as a sign of the covenant.

The peace offering or fellowship offering is detailed. The worshipper may bring cattle, sheep, or goats, and shares the meal with God and the priests. The fat and blood belong to God and must never be eaten. This offering celebrates fellowship between God and His people.

The sin offering addresses unintentional sins by priests, the whole community, leaders, and common people. Different animals are required depending on who sinned — a bull for the priest, a male goat for a leader, a female goat or lamb for ordinary people. Blood is sprinkled to make atonement.

Further provisions for the sin offering address specific situations: failing to testify, touching something unclean, or making a rash oath. The guilt offering (trespass offering) is introduced for sins involving sacred things. A sliding scale allows poorer people to bring lesser offerings.

God gives further instructions to the priests about maintaining the altar fire, which must never go out. Detailed procedures are given for the grain offering, the priestly ordination offering, and the sin offering. The priests are to eat their portion of the offerings in a holy place.

Instructions continue for the guilt offering, peace offering, and thanksgiving offering. A warning is given that anyone who eats fat or blood will be cut off from the people. The chapter concludes with a summary of the entire sacrificial system given at Sinai.

Moses consecrates Aaron and his sons as priests in a public ceremony. He washes them, dresses Aaron in the priestly garments, anoints the tabernacle and altar with oil, and offers sacrifices for their ordination. The priests remain at the tabernacle entrance for seven days to complete their consecration.

On the eighth day after ordination, Aaron begins his priestly ministry by offering sin and burnt offerings for himself and the people. When he finishes, the glory of the Lord appears to all the people and fire comes out from God's presence to consume the offerings. The people shout for joy and fall on their faces.

Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's sons, offer unauthorised fire before the Lord and are immediately consumed by fire from God's presence. God commands Aaron not to mourn publicly and forbids priests from drinking wine before serving. This severe judgment underscores the holiness required in approaching God.

God gives detailed dietary laws distinguishing clean and unclean animals. Land animals must chew cud and have split hooves; water creatures must have fins and scales. Various birds, insects, and creatures are prohibited. The purpose is to set Israel apart as holy to the Lord.

Laws address a woman's ceremonial uncleanness after childbirth — seven days for a boy, fourteen for a girl, followed by further purification periods. After the purification period, she brings a burnt offering and a sin offering to the priest to be declared clean.

Detailed instructions help priests diagnose various skin diseases and determine ceremonial uncleanness. Symptoms like swelling, rashes, and discolouration are evaluated through quarantine periods. Contaminated garments must also be inspected and may need to be destroyed. The affected person lives outside the camp crying unclean.

The cleansing ritual for someone healed of a skin disease involves two birds (one killed, one released), cedar wood, scarlet yarn, hyssop, washing, shaving, and sacrifices over eight days. Similar procedures address contamination in houses, involving inspection, quarantine, and possible demolition.

Laws address bodily discharges that cause ceremonial uncleanness for both men and women, including chronic discharges, seminal emissions, and menstruation. Detailed purification procedures are prescribed, including washing, waiting periods, and offerings. These laws maintained the purity of the camp where God dwelt.

God prescribes the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the most sacred day in the Israelite calendar. The high priest enters the Most Holy Place once a year with blood to make atonement for the nation. Two goats are used — one sacrificed and one sent into the wilderness as the scapegoat bearing the people's sins.

God centralises all sacrifices at the tabernacle to prevent idolatrous worship at other locations. The chapter strictly prohibits eating blood, explaining that the life of the creature is in the blood and it is given for atonement on the altar. Any animal killed for food must be properly drained of blood.

God commands Israel not to follow the practices of Egypt or Canaan. He lists forbidden sexual relationships — incest, adultery, homosexuality, and bestiality. Child sacrifice to Molech is also prohibited. God warns that the land itself will vomit out those who defile it with these practices.

God calls Israel to be holy as He is holy and gives a wide-ranging collection of ethical, social, and religious laws. These include respecting parents, keeping the Sabbath, leaving gleanings for the poor, not stealing or lying, paying workers promptly, and the famous command to love your neighbour as yourself.

God prescribes penalties for various sins including child sacrifice to Molech, consulting mediums, cursing parents, adultery, incest, and other sexual sins. Many offences carry the death penalty. God emphasises that Israel must be holy and distinct from the nations He is driving out before them.

Special holiness requirements are given for priests — restrictions on mourning practices, marriage, and physical disqualifications for service. The high priest has even stricter requirements: he must not uncover his head, tear his garments, or go near any dead body, even his parents.

Further regulations ensure that priests serve in a state of ceremonial cleanness. Unclean priests may not eat the sacred offerings until purified. Rules govern who in a priest's household may eat holy food. Sacrificial animals must be without defect — no blind, injured, or diseased animals are acceptable to God.

God establishes Israel's seven annual festivals: Sabbath, Passover and Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles. Each festival commemorates God's acts and foreshadows His future plans for redemption.

God commands that pure olive oil be kept burning continually in the lampstand and twelve loaves of showbread be set on the table each Sabbath. A man who blasphemes God's name is stoned to death, and the chapter establishes the principle of eye for eye, tooth for tooth — equal justice for all.

God institutes the Sabbath year (every seventh year the land rests) and the Year of Jubilee (every fiftieth year). In Jubilee, all land returns to its original owners, slaves are freed, and debts are cancelled. God promises to provide enough in the sixth year to sustain through the rest period.

God presents the blessings and curses of the covenant. Obedience brings rain, harvests, peace, and God's presence. Disobedience brings terror, disease, famine, exile, and the land made desolate. Yet even in judgment, God promises that if they confess their sins, He will remember His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The final chapter addresses vows and dedications to God — how to value persons, animals, houses, and fields dedicated to the Lord. Redemption prices are set for those who wish to buy back what was vowed. The tithe of grain, fruit, and livestock is declared holy to the Lord and not to be substituted.