Leviticus

by Perry Yoder

Overview

God is gracious, holy, and present. As a book about how to worship and how to live, Leviticus unfurls these critical characteristics of God in relation to humanity. In the thirty-third volume in the Believers Church Bible Commentary series, Old Testament scholar Perry B. Yoder argues that the oft-neglected book of Leviticus discloses valuable truths, symbols, and practices of the New Testament. Traversing difficult interpretive territory such as the sacrificial system, purity laws, and priestly instructions, Yoder writes with a clarity and nuance that will interest a wide swath of readers. He eloquently poses for readers the focal question of Leviticus: how to live in the presence of God.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781513801636
Publisher:	MennoMedia
Publication date:	10/31/2017
Series:	Believers Church Bible Commentary Series , #33
Pages:	346
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Perry B. Yoder is professor emeritus of Old Testament at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana. Yoder’s key interests are the Old Testament, particularly the Psalms; ecological responsibility; and peace and justice. He worked as People’s Teacher of the Word, traveling across North America doing Bible teaching 1975–77; was associate secretary for Peace and Social Concerns for the General Conference Mennonite Church, 1977–78. He taught at Bluffton College, Bethel College and Conrad Grebel College before coming to AMBS in 1985. He retired in 2005, but continues to teach Anabaptist Short Courses online.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations 8

Pronunciation Guide 9

Series Foreword 15

Author's Preface 17

Introduction to Leviticus 21

A Book of Worship and Life 21

Why Leviticus? 22

God Is Gracious 23

God Is Holy 24

Ethics Matter 24

God Is Present 25

Leviticus Is about Being God's People 25

Reading Leviticus Helps Us Understand the New Testament 26

Ritual Texts 27

A Road Map to Leviticus 30

The Method of This Commentary 32

The Essays 33

Using This Commentary 34

Part 1 (1:1-15:33): Rituals for God's Presence

1A (1:1-7:38): Sacrificial Rituals 39

Introduction, 1:1-2a 41

Rituals for Pleasing God: The Whole Burnt Offering, 1:2b-17 44

Rituals for Pleasing God: The Grain Offering, 2:1-16 50

Rituals for Pleasing God: The Peace Offering, 3:1-17 55

* Words and Ritual 58

* Sacrifice for Jesus and the Early Church 59

* Grace and Worship 60

+ Prayer as Sacrifice 61

Forgiveness Rituals: Inadvertent Sins, 4:1-35 62

* Forgiveness 70

+ In Praise of Negative Commands 71

Forgiveness Rituals: The Penalty Offering, 5:1-6:7 73

* Forgiveness and Relationships 81

+ The Elements of Public Worship 82

Priestly Instructions for Sacrifice, 6:8-7:38 84

1B (8:1-10:20): Inauguration of Worship 93

The Installation of the Priesthood, 8:1-36 95

The Dedication of the Sanctuary, 9:1-24 101

A Tragic Act of Worship, 10:1-20 104

* The Apparent Violence of God 108

* Dynasty and Temple 110

+ Specialized Functions and the Rest of Us 112

1C (11:1-15:33): Rituals for Purity 114

Rituals for Food Impurity, 11:1-47 118

Birthing Rituals, 12:1-8 123

Rituals for Blemishes, 13:1-14:57 126

Rituals for Reproductive Impurities, 15:1-33 137

* Individual Impurity but Social Consequences 142

* Requirements for Entering God's Presence 143

* Jesus and Paul on Ritual and Social Implications 144

+ The Relevance of Purity 145

Part 2 (16:1-17:16): A Hinge

The Day of Cleansing, 16:1-34 152

* What Is Sin? 160

* The Effects of Sin 161

* Getting Rid of Sin 161

* Sin as Understood in the New Testament 162

+ Forgiveness Rituals and Purification Rituals 163

Why Blood Has Power of Removal, 17:1-16 166

* Eating Blood 171

* The Noachian Laws 172

+ Eating Blood in the Early Church 172

Part 3 (18:1-27:34): Living in Light of God's Presence

3A (18:1-22:33): Holy Living 178

Forbidden Sexual Practices, 18:1-30 179

* The Law Gives Life 185

* Paul and the Law 186

+ Latent Anti-Semitism 187

+ Leviticus and Jesus 187

+ Practicing Christians 189

Holiness in Daily Life, 19:1-37 191

* Love Your Neighbor 203

* Love for Each Other 204

Holiness as Obedience, 20:1-27 206

* Is Israel Special? 210

* Sexual Prohibitions 211

+ The Significance of Sexual Prohibitions 212

Holiness for Priests, 21:1-22:33 214

* Holy Things, Holy People 221

* New Testament Holiness and Ethics 222

+ Holy Places and Holy People 223

3B (23:1-25:55): Holy Time 226

Celebrating Religious Festivals, 23:1-44 227

* The Festivals in the Bible 234

+ Festivals and the New Testament 235

Duties and a Case of Blasphemy, 24:1-23 237

* Homicide and Capital Punishment 241

+ Humans as the Image of God 243

The Sabbatical and Jubilee Years, 25:1-55 246

* Was the Jubilee Ever Practiced? 256

* The Jubilee Idea 257

* Social Justice and Mission 258

+ The Use of Resources 259

3C (26:1-46): The Promise and Danger of Covenant 261

* Curses and Covenant 268

* Covenant and Continuation 268

* Jews and Christians 269

+ Jews, Gentiles, and Christians Today 270

3D (27:1-34): Addendum: Vows, Dedications, and Tithes 272

Outline of Leviticus 279

Essays 287

Aaron 287

Anointing 287

Atonement 288

Atonement as Transfer 291

Atonement in Christian Thinking and Leviticus 292

Bearing/Removing Iniquity or Sin 294

Blessings and Curses 295

Calendar 295

Cleansing Offering 297

Covenant 298

Cut Off 299

Forgiveness 300

Hebrews and Leviticus 300

Holy and Holiness 302

Jubilee Year 304

Law 304

Leadership 306

Levites 306

Literary Style 306

Noachian Covenant 307

Plain-Sense Interpretation 307

Pure 309

Radical Reformation and Mennonite Use of Leviticus 310

Ransom 312

Sacrificial System in Leviticus 313

Scapegoat 316

Sin (see TBC on Lev 16, p. 160) 317

The Tabernacle 317

Taboo 318

The Traditional Western Method of Exegesis 318

Worship and Ethics 320

Yahweh 321

Mop of Palestine for Leviticus 322

Map of the Ancient Near East for Leviticus 323

Bibliography 324

Selected Resources 333

Index of Ancient Sources 336

The Author 343

Editorial Reviews

"Focusing on the text of Leviticus surfaces the question, 'How do people live with a holy God?' Perry B. Yoder guides the reader to consider obedient purity requisite for knowing and worshiping God. Reading with the text leads to the surprising discovery that God is gracious, not angry; friendly, not an exacting bookkeeper."

Reviews - Lynn Jost

"Perry B. Yoder teaches readers that Leviticus is not a book of ancient, cryptic rules but rather an invitation to encounter a gracious and holy God. Throughout his commentary, Yoder adeptly narrates Leviticus for followers of Jesus today. Yoder's insightful, well-researched, and pastoral commentary will be a gift to preachers and students who seek to understand one of the Old Testament's most underestimated books."

Reviews - Melissa Florer-Bixler

"Perry B. Yoder provides an engaging study of Leviticus for the serious Bible student and the practicing Christian, disclosing a gracious God who invites obedience as well as sacrifice as a response of gratitude to God's love. Yoder provides a measured approach to key New Testament texts and the doctrine of atonement."

Reviews - Robert W. Neff

"Perry B. Yoder is a consummate teacher, with a singular gift for illuminating the biblical text, and with an eye to how it informs the church today. That gift is very much evident as he leads us into Leviticus, revealing a holy, gracious, and forgiving God, with directions for how to worship and live."

Reviews - Gerald Gerbrandt

"Perry B. Yoder's clear and approachable study of Leviticus works with the most recent scholarship to unlock key theological ideas such as atonement, the holiness of an ethical life, and divine grace. This commentary will be of enormous help to both pastors and educated laypersons seeking to understand what can seem like a puzzling but fascinating biblical book."

Reviews - David Janzen

"Focusing on the text of Leviticus surfaces the question, 'How do people live with a holy God?' Perry B. Yoder guides the reader to consider obedient purity requisite for knowing and worshiping God. Reading with the text leads to the surprising discovery that God is gracious, not angry; friendly, not an exacting bookkeeper."--Lynn Jost "Reviews"

"Perry B. Yoder is a consummate teacher, with a singular gift for illuminating the biblical text, and with an eye to how it informs the church today. That gift is very much evident as he leads us into Leviticus, revealing a holy, gracious, and forgiving God, with directions for how to worship and live."--Gerald Gerbrandt "Reviews"

"Perry B. Yoder provides an engaging study of Leviticus for the serious Bible student and the practicing Christian, disclosing a gracious God who invites obedience as well as sacrifice as a response of gratitude to God's love. Yoder provides a measured approach to key New Testament texts and the doctrine of atonement."--Robert W. Neff "Reviews"

"Perry B. Yoder teaches readers that Leviticus is not a book of ancient, cryptic rules but rather an invitation to encounter a gracious and holy God. Throughout his commentary, Yoder adeptly narrates Leviticus for followers of Jesus today. Yoder's insightful, well-researched, and pastoral commentary will be a gift to preachers and students who seek to understand one of the Old Testament's most underestimated books."--Melissa Florer-Bixler "Reviews"

"Perry B. Yoder's clear and approachable study of Leviticus works with the most recent scholarship to unlock key theological ideas such as atonement, the holiness of an ethical life, and divine grace. This commentary will be of enormous help to both pastors and educated laypersons seeking to understand what can seem like a puzzling but fascinating biblical book."--David Janzen "Reviews"

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