Sadly, it appears, the Book of Leviticus has been retired to a secondary status in the Church today. Christians have largely relegated the punctilious details about such things as sacrifices and purity laws to a bygone era. There is, of course, some good
reason for that. While rabbinic commentary teaches that this is the first book of Scripture that children should learn (aged 5), modern readers often view Leviticus as tedious and dull. Reading Leviticus
was in the words of a third century church scholar, like having to eat unfit food.
The practices in Leviticus may seem distant and mysterious to the modern western world yet there are fundamental elements in the Book of Leviticus that are both universal and relevant to the
contemporary scene. What Christian would say that love your neighbor as yourself, the second greatest commandment, should be relegated to the past?
Here, one of the most oft cited verses in
the New Testament is a command that appears first in the Book of Leviticus. But it doesn’t stop there. Hebrews particularly expounds on Leviticus; it is close to impossible to comprehend parts of
Hebrews without reference to Leviticus. This can be said with regard to passages in the Gospels as well.
ISBN: 9781845500443
Catalogue code: N/A
Publisher: CHRISTIAN FOCUS - published 15/09/2007
Format: Hardback