Hello and welcome to today’s exciting Bible study on Leviticus 11-19. In these ninechapters, we will read and study about the laws of purity. According to biblical scholars, the events of Leviticus 11-19 occurred around 1445 B.C.
As usual, I encourage you to turn to Leviticus 11-19 in your Bible. Kindly invite the Holy Spirit to guide you as you read and study these chapters with me. I mention this in all the Bible Studies because it is only through the Holy Spirit that we get fresh revelation and knowledge to understand the word of God. No one else can teach you better than the Holy Spirit Himself. I am using the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, just in case you want to know.
Backstory on Leviticus 10
In Leviticus 10, we learn about Nadab and Abihu, who offered unauthorized fire before the Lord. As a result, fire from the Lord consumed them, and they died. Aaron and his sons were not allowed to carry Nadab and Abihu outside the tent. The Lord expects His people to approach Him with holiness, as He is a holy God.
Now, without any further delay, let us study together and learn what Leviticus 11-19 is about, shall we?
Leviticus 11-19 Summary
The Lord instructed Moses and Aaron to tell the Israelites about which animals are permitted for consumption. They may eat animals that have cloven hooves and chew the cud, but certain ones are deemed unclean, such as the camel, rock hyrax, hare, and swine. They should not touch flesh of these animals and their carcasses.
In terms of aquatic life, only those with fins and scales are acceptable to eat, while creatures without these features are an abomination. The same applies to birds; numerous specified birds, including eagles and vultures. They are unclean.
For flying insects, only those with jointed legs that allow them to leap are permissible, such as locusts and crickets. Touching the carcasses of these creatures renders one unclean until evening, requiring the washing of clothes after contact. Various creeping animals, including mice and lizards, are also unclean, and similar rules apply concerning their carcasses and any items they come into contact with.
Any consumption or handling of dead animals that are permitted leads to uncleanness until evening, and all creeping things that crawl on the earth are strictly forbidden. The instructions emphasize maintaining cleanliness and avoiding anything deemed unclean.
The Lord instructed Moses to tell the Israelites about the purification process for women after giving birth. If a woman has a son, she will be considered unclean for seven days, similar to her usual period of impurity. On the eighth day, her son should be circumcised, and she will continue to be unclean for an additional thirty-three days, during which time she must avoid sacred things and the sanctuary.
If she gives birth to a daughter, she will be unclean for two weeks and will have a purification period of sixty-six days. Once her purification is complete, regardless of whether she had a son or daughter, she must bring a lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering to the priest at the tabernacle. The priest will offer these sacrifices to atone for her, and she will then be considered clean. If she cannot afford a lamb, she may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons instead, and the priest will still provide atonement for her purification.
The Lord instructed Moses and Aaron on how to handle cases of skin conditions that resembled leprosy. When a person presents a swelling, scab, or bright spot on their skin, they should be brought to a priest for examination. The priest checks these areas for signs like white hair or if the sore is deeper than the skin to determine if it is leprosy and whether the person is clean or unclean.
If the signs do not indicate leprosy, the individual is isolated for a period and re-evaluated. If the sore has not spread and appears to have healed, the priest can declare the person clean. However, if the condition worsens or spreads, the priest will pronounce them unclean.
In cases of old leprosy, widespread leprosy, boils, or burns, the priest assesses the affected areas for specific characteristics. If certain criteria are met, the person is declared unclean; otherwise, they may be isolated for further observation. For sores on the head or beard, the same process of evaluation and isolation applies. Ultimately, the priest’s examination determines whether the person remains clean or is rendered unclean based on the condition of the sores.
Moses instructed Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, to consume the grain offering that was left from the offerings made to the Lord, emphasizing that it should be eaten without leaven in a holy place, as it was considered most holy and their due. They were also permitted to eat the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering in a clean place, along with their families, as part of their rightful share from the peace offerings.
Later, Moses checked on the goat of the sin offering and found that it had been burned up, leading him to express anger towards Eleazar and Ithamar for not having eaten it in a holy place, where it was meant to be consumed as an atonement for the congregation. Aaron defended their actions by explaining that, given the events of the day (Leviticus 10) and their offerings, eating the sin offering would not have been accepted by the Lord. Moses, upon hearing Aaron’s reasoning, felt satisfied.
Instructions for handling leprous plagues in houses
The Lord instructed Moses and Aaron about handling a leprous plague in houses in Canaan. If a homeowner suspects a plague, they must inform a priest, who will order the house to be emptied before examining it. If the plague is found on the walls with deep streaks, the house must be shut for seven days. The priest will assess the situation again; if the plague has spread, affected stones must be removed and discarded.
If the plague returns after repairs, the house must be completely demolished. Anyone who enters a shut-up house will be considered unclean until evening. However, if the plague hasn’t spread after repairs, the priest will declare the house clean. To cleanse it, the priest will use two birds, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop, sprinkling the house with the blood of one bird and letting the other go outside the city. This process serves as the law for addressing leprosy in homes and garments, providing guidance on identifying cleanliness and uncleanness.
The Lord instructed Moses and Aaron to communicate to the Israelites regarding issues of bodily discharges and their implications for cleanliness. If a person has a discharge, they are unclean, regardless of whether the discharge is continuous or intermittent. Any bed or seating that the person touches becomes unclean, as well as anyone who comes into contact with these items. Those who touch the person or objects associated with the discharge must wash their clothes and bathe, remaining unclean until evening.
Once a person is cleansed from the discharge, they must count seven days of purification, wash their clothes, and bathe in running water. On the eighth day, they are to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest to make atonement for their discharge.
Similarly, if a man has an emission of semen, he must wash his body and is unclean until evening. Women’s menstrual issues are also addressed; they must be set apart for seven days during their impurity, with the same washing and cleansing rules applying to anyone who touches them or the items they have sat or lain upon.
If a woman has prolonged discharges of blood, the same cleanliness rules apply as during her regular menstrual cycle. After her discharge ends, she must count seven days before being considered clean, and then also offer the required sacrifices.
These laws are intended to ensure that the Israelites remain clean, preventing them from defiling the Lord’s tabernacle among them. Someone who is unclean, whether due to bodily discharge, emissions, or menstrual issues, must follow these guidelines to maintain communal purity.
After the death of Aaron’s sons due to offering unauthorized fire, the Lord instructs Moses to tell Aaron not to enter the Holy Place casually, as it could lead to death. When Aaron does enter, he must present a young bull as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering while wearing holy garments, which he must put on after washing himself.
Aaron is to offer the bull for his own sins and then present two goats before the Lord, casting lots to determine which goat will be sacrificed and which will be the scapegoat. The goat chosen for sacrifice is to be offered as a sin offering, while the scapegoat is to be sent into the wilderness alive, bearing the iniquities of the people.
After making atonement for himself and his household, Aaron must sprinkle the blood of the bull and the goat on the mercy seat to cleanse the Holy Place from the uncleanness of the Israelites. No one else may be present while he performs these rituals. Once atonement is made for all, Aaron will lay his hands on the scapegoat, confessing the sins of the people, and release it into the wilderness.
Once the rituals are complete, Aaron must change back into his regular garments, and offer burnt sacrifices for himself and the people, and must manage the sin offerings. This procedure is to be followed yearly on the tenth day of the seventh month, during which the people must seek atonement and refrain from work.
The Lord instructed Moses to convey to Aaron, his sons, and the children of Israel certain commandments regarding the offering of sacrifices. Anyone from the house of Israel who kills an ox, lamb, or goat, either in the camp or outside, must bring it to the door of the tabernacle to offer it to the Lord. Failing to do so will result in guilt for shedding blood, and that person will be cut off from their people. The sacrifices should be brought to the tabernacle for peace offerings, where the priest will sprinkle the blood on the altar and burn the fat for a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
Additionally, anyone who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice outside of the designated area will also be cut off from their people. A strict prohibition against consuming blood is established, as it is the life force of the flesh and has been designated for atonement. The Israelites and any strangers among them are instructed not to eat blood, and anyone who hunts animals for food must pour out its blood and cover it with dust. Lastly, anyone who consumes an animal that died naturally or was killed by beasts must wash their clothes and their body to be considered clean; failing to do so will result in bearing guilt.
The Lord instructs Moses to convey His commandments to the children of Israel, reminding them that He is their God and they should not follow the practices of Egypt or Canaan. Instead, they are to observe His judgments and statutes to live by them.
The Lord prohibits incest and sexual relations, emphasizing the importance of maintaining familial boundaries and moral purity. The laws specifically prohibits uncovering the nakedness of close relatives and highlights the wrongness of adultery, sexual acts with animals, and other forms of sexual immorality.
The land is described as defiled due to these abominations practiced by other nations, which leads to divine punishment and expulsion. The Lord expresses the importance of adhering to His ordinances to avoid similar consequences, reiterating His authority as their God and the need for the Israelites to distinguish themselves from the nations around them.
The Lord instructed Moses to convey to the children of Israel the importance of holiness, as God Himself is holy. The people were to respect their parents, observe the Sabbath, and avoid idols. When offering peace sacrifices, they should do so willingly and consume the offerings within two days, as anything remaining past that should be burned.
During harvest, they were to leave portions for the poor and not take everything from their fields or vineyards. The commandments also emphasized honesty, forbidding theft, falsehood, and injustice in judgment. The Israelites were warned against harboring hatred and were instructed to love their neighbors as themselves.
Other laws included restrictions on mixing different types of livestock and seeds, guidelines for sexual conduct, and instructions for caring for trees and their fruits. They were not to consume blood, practice divination, or engage in tattoos. Additionally, the Lord commanded them to honor the elderly and to treat strangers with kindness, reflecting their own experiences as former strangers in Egypt.
Finally, the people were reminded to use honest measures in trade and to observe all of God’s statutes and judgments, emphasizing the significance of acting justly and with integrity.
Leviticus 11-19 Commentary
1. Leviticus 11:12
Many of the animals that the Lord declared as unclean are not the healthiest choices for the human body. And, there is a reason for this guidance. For example, consider sea creatures that lack fins and scales, such as prawns, lobsters, and crabs. Although these seafood options may be delicious, they are also among the most common allergens for many people. Numerous individuals experience severe allergies to these foods or feel unwell after consuming them.
2. Leviticus 12,13,14
These chapters cover various laws regarding rituals of purification after childbirth for women, as well as laws concerning leprosy. It’s interesting to observe that other diseases receive far less attention compared to leprosy, which occupies almost two full chapters. People of that time viewed leprosy as a direct manifestation of God’s judgment on an individual’s sin, disobedience, or pride. This illness represented divine punishment, prompting the community to isolate the afflicted person completely to prevent the spread of impurity. Society regarded lepers as utterly unclean, both physically and spiritually. According to ancient Jewish laws, leprosy ranked just below contact with a dead body in seriousness. And, at the time, no cure existed for it.
Furthermore, leprosy serves as a direct representation of sin itself, which defiles the human spirit, soul, and body. However, in the New Testament, we see Jesus healing lepers. While sin separates a person from God, redemption is made possible through Jesus.
3. Leviticus 15
This chapter discusses the topic of discharge, whether it pertains to a man or a woman. They were considered unclean in the sight of the Lord. It reminds me of the woman with the issue of blood. She was healed by touching the hem of Jesus’s garment. She suffered from this condition for 12 years, meaning she had been bleeding for over a decade. According to Levitical laws, she was categorized as an outcast and could not simply walk into town. This is why she approached Jesus stealthily, trying to avoid being seen by the crowd.
Since she was deemed unclean by the laws, she was not supposed to touch anyone. However, she reached out to Jesus. And when He asked, “Who touched me?” she felt afraid of being judged for breaking the rules. Yet, Jesus set her free, showing that He liberates each of us from the curse of the law.
4. Leviticus 16-17
These chapters discuss the Day of Atonement and Aaron’s duties on that day, as well as the sanctity of blood. The Israelites were not allowed to consume blood because the life of any living thing is in the blood. Blood is considered sacred and is used for atonement. In these Levitical laws, we see that animals were sacrificed, and their blood atoned for the sins of the Israelites. “Atoned” means to pay the price for their sins. The wages of sin is death. Instead of the people who committed the sins dying, the animals were sacrificed to pay for the sins of the people.
Jesus did exactly this. It is through His precious blood that our sins are atoned. Ideally, according to Levitical law, an animal would need to die and shed its blood to pay for our sins. Jesus intervened and paid the price with His own blood for all our sins—past, present, and future. He paid it once and for all by becoming the ultimate sacrifice. Because of His sacrifice, no further animal sacrifices are needed to pay for our sins. And He said on the cross finally ‘It is finished’. I interpret it as the atonement is finished. The price has been paid on the cross.
5. Leviticus 18
Leviticus 18 outlines laws regarding sexual immorality. In today’s society, many individuals seem to normalize behaviors that God has forbidden. Sexual immorality, including homosexuality, adultery, and fornication before or outside of marriage, is considered a sin. Just because the world embraces these actions does not mean that believers should approve of them. Like the Israelites, who were meant to be set apart from other nations, we as believers are called to do the same. The Lord instructed the Israelites not to indulge in the practices that were prevalent in Egypt and Canaan, where sexual immorality was rampant. People in these areas acted according to their own standards without regard for divine laws.
The land becomes corrupted and defiled due to people’s sins. These sins include sexual immorality, innocent bloodshed, and other abominations in the sight of the Lord.
6. Leviticus 19:9-10
The Lord instructs the Israelites not to be greedy by gleaning their vineyards completely. Rather they are instructed to be generous to the poor and strangers by leaving some of the harvest for them. The blessings we receive are not meant for us alone. They are also intended to benefit the downtrodden and the less fortunate.
7. Leviticus 19:16
The Lord disapproves of gossip and those who spread other people’s personal matters. A talebearer is someone who shares the stories of others and spreads them to people who may not be aware of them. It is wiser for us to focus on our own lives and keep our attention on the Lord.
8. Leviticus 19:26,31
The Lord is opposed to divination, which involves predicting the future through magic, such as fortune-telling and tarot cards. Engaging with mediums and familiar spirits leads to corruption and sin. People are instructed not to seek these practices. Instead, they should seek God. It is important not to pursue familiar spirits for information about the future. They are nothing but evil entities that may have knowledge from past generations. It gives an open door to the enemy to wreak havoc in your life. The enemy comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. Remember, your future is safe and secure in God’s hands. Therefore, seek the Lord concerning all matters.
Leviticus 11-19 Lessons/Revelations
What can we learn from Leviticus 11-19?
1. People were not the lawmakers and lawgivers, but God was
All through Leviticus 11-19 we see that the Israelites did not create their own laws; the law was given directly by God. Without this law, there would be no clear distinction between right and wrong. In the absence of law, anything could be considered acceptable, including acts of dishonesty, deception, theft, and sexual immorality. The law serves to define what is right and what is wrong.
If individuals were to establish laws based on their personal preferences, what one person views as right might be seen as wrong by another. In this context, God established the laws unequivocally. There was no room for questioning or ambiguity. People were required to obey these laws, and failure to do so would result in guilt and sin.
2. Be set apart from the world
We simply cannot behave like the world around us—meaning those who are not in covenant with the Lord. In the chapters of Leviticus, we see that God wanted His people to be set apart from others. They were to be a standard in a sinful world, separate from the practices of neighboring lands, and they were to follow the Lord exclusively. This principle also applies to us as believers. Although Jesus has set us free from the curse of the law, that does not give us a license to sin or to act like the world does.
For instance, if the world celebrates sexual immorality, we as believers should not endorse it, nor should we participate in it under the guise of open-mindedness. Instead, we must focus on the Lord and do what is right in His eyes. Our goal is not to please people or to worry about their opinions on our actions. We are here to please God at all times and to do what is right in His sight.
Conclusion
This concludes the bible study on Leviticus 11-19. I hope you enjoyed this free bible study and found it helpful in your Bible study journey. Feel free to share it with your friends and family. Also, share your thoughts and what the Holy Spirit has revealed to you about Leviticus 11-19. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Until next time!