(1) Leviticus 1-16, the fundamental ordinances of Israel's fellowship with Jehovah;

(2) Leviticus 17-27, the laws for hallowing Israel in this covenant fellowship. Privilege and duty, grace conferred and grace inwrought, go hand in hand.

First;

(1) The law of offerings, Leviticus 1-7.

(2) Investiture of Aaron and consecration of priests, Leviticus 8-10.

(3) Rules as to clean and unclean, Leviticus 11-15.

(4) The day of atonement, the summing up of all means of grace for the nation and the church, annually.

Second;

(1) Israel's life as holy and separate from heathendom, in food, marriage, and toward fellow men, Leviticus 17-20; the mutual connection of Leviticus 18; Leviticus 19; Leviticus 20, is marked by recurring phrases, "I are the Lord," "ye shall be holy, for I ... am holy."

(2) Holiness of priests and of offerings, Leviticus 21-22.

(3) Holiness shown in the holy convocations, sabbaths, perpetual light in the tabernacle, shewbread, Leviticus 23-24.

(4) Perpetuation of the theocracy by the sabbatical and Jubilee years, the perpetual tenure of land, the redemption of it and bond servants (Leviticus 25); and by fatherly chastisement of the people and restoration on repentance, Leviticus 26.

(5) Appendix on vows, which are not encouraged especially, yet permitted with some restrictions (Leviticus 27).

The only history in Leviticus is that of Aaron's consecration, Nadab and Abihu's death, and the doom of the blasphemer (Leviticus 8-10; Lev 24:10-23), a solemn exhibition of Jehovah's laws in their execution. Aaron's "holding his peace" under the stroke is a marvelous exhibition of grace; yet his not eating the sin offering in the holy place shows his keen paternal anguish which excused his violation of the letter of the law in Moses' judgment. As Jehovah drew nigh Israel in the tabernacle, so Israel drew nigh Jehovah in the offering. The sacrificial ordinances fall into three divisions, each division consisting of a Decalogue of directions, a method frequent in the Mosaic law. Many of the divisions are marked by the opening, "and the Lord spoke unto Moses" or such like, or by closing formulas as "this is the law," etc. (Lev 7:37-38; Lev 11:46-47; Lev 13:59; Lev 14:54-57; Lev 15:32-33).

The direction as to the people's offerings is distinguished from that as to the priests' by a repetition of the same formula (Lev 1:2; Lev 6:9; Lev 6:19-20; Lev 6:24-25; Lev 6:21; Lev 6:22). In Lev 5:6 translated not "trespass offering" which is the term for one kind of sin offering (Lev 5:14), namely, for an injury done to some one, "a fine offering" (Num 5:5-8), but "he shall bring as his forfeit," etc., asham. Also in Lev 23:2 for "feasts" translated "the appointed times." The Epistle to the Hebrew is the New Testament commentary on Leviticus, showing the correspondence yet superiority of the Antitype to the typical sacrifices. Peter (1Pe 1:16) quotes Lev 11:44, "be ye holy, for I am holy;" but New Testament holiness rises above the restrictions as to meats, seasons, and places (Joh 4:20-24; Acts 10,15).

Psa 89:15; "blessed is the people that know the joyful sound, they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of Thy countenance," alludes to the Jubilee year enjoined in Leviticus; Isa 61:1-3, and our Lord's application of the prophecy to Himself, show that the gospel dispensation is the antitype. The exhaustive consummation and final realization of the type shall be in the "times of restitution of all things," "the regeneration" of the heaven and earth," "the creature's deliverance from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God," "the adoption, to wit the redemption of the body" (Act 3:19-21; Rom 8:19-23; Mat 19:28-29). Leviticus 16 is the grand center of the book. Previously it was shown that God can only be approached by sacrifice, next that man is full of "uncleanness" which needs cleansing.

The annual atonement now teaches that not by several cleansings for several sins and uncleannesses can guilt be removed. One great covering of all transgressions must take place to meet God's just wrath, and then Israel stands accepted and justified typically (Lev 16:16; Lev 16:20). Hebrew 9 and Hebrew 10, explains antitypically how Christ by one offering once for all and forever perfected them that are being sanctified. In Lev 18:18 the prohibition against marriage with a wife's sister is during the wife's lifetime. In Lev 17:11 translated "the soul (nephesh) of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood which makes atonement by means of the soul." The two reasons of prohibiting blood as food are: