Leviticus, Week 19 “Barriers + Tents”
To understand Leviticus, we must understand the world in which it first appeared. The book is part of a larger story, one about a God unlike any other who wants to transform humanity into a people unlike any other. This week’s message, the final in our series, offers a recap. It describes how each of the 27 chapters in Leviticus can be arranged into seven categories, which mirror one another, pointing us to the central message of the book.
We look at the various laws regarding rituals, the priesthood, and purity. Through this, we learned that there has always been a barrier between God and people. For generations, we’ve tried to cross that barrier in our own way in order to get to God. That hasn’t worked, which is why God chose to cross the barrier and dwell among his people. In Leviticus, he generously taught his people how to draw near to him, and showed them where he resides. This barrier is fully and finally broken by Jesus. God first dwelt in a tent to teach us who he is. He then came and dwelt among us as Jesus to teach us how we might live with him and one another.
Chapter 27 stands somewhat alone from the rest of the book because it tells us how God wants us to respond to his generosity. When we are generous like God, people become aware of his Spirit at work. We help bridge the distance between God and other people. This is an invitation extended to each of us today. We can be a people unlike any other people by the presence of the Spirit who will reside in all of us if invited.