My Thoughts on Leviticus' Theme of Holiness in the New Covenant
The central theme of Leviticus is the holiness of God. One of the late R.C. Sproul Sr.'s books called "The Holiness of God" plays in that theme. At first, Leviticus is very hard to study for the reason that we're no longer under the Mosaic law. Murder, thievery, adultery, homosexuality, and everything under the moral law is still condemned. However, the ceremonial law such as not eating fish without fins and scales as well as not eating pork isn't applicable today. There was a special purpose behind the kosher laws of what to eat and what not to wear. I was only looking at it at a scientific viewpoint such as that mixing wool and cotton makes inferior fabric that could make you feel hotter than usual or that many of the unclean animals are, in fact, scavengers. However, Peter eventually had the vision where God declared the unclean animals were now ready for consumption in Acts 11:8. I'd still go against wearing mixed fabric for the reason it's not a good fiber. I'd also want to avoid unclean meats as much as possible for health reasons even when I do eat pork on occasion since it's now allowed.
From the doctrinal footnotes of the "King James Study Bible" in Leviticus 19:2 - we read the theme of holiness. The prohibition of unclean meat was because pork was also a common sacrifice done by the pagans. I've read of how often the pagans in the Old Testament consumed pork. The definition of holiness means to be "separate or cut off". The primary meaning of holiness implies that God's positive quality of self-affirming purity; the secondary meaning implies separation, particularly separation from sin. This holiness of God means that He is absolutely pure and absolutely separate from (and above) all His creation and also separate from sin and evil.
God really doesn't want Israel to be like other nations but to be unique and different. Unfortunately, the Jews, like every other sinful person, is that they're not exempted from the fall. Both Jews and Gentile need a Savior. It's really evident how the Jews in the Old Testament were mostly stubborn people. They wanted to be like other nations than to be different as God commanded. In 1 Samuel, we later read that the Jews wanted a king like other nations rather than accept God's rule. They ignored Samuel's warning about what would happen if they had an earthly king. In Judges, we read how often they mingled with other pagan nations such as when the generation after Joshua intermarried with the Canaanites resulting to a mixed multitude of unsaved descendants.
One thought that can nag anyone's head in Leviticus is the sad fact that the law demands holiness but it can't supply. I think about a number of times that even the most orderly countries still have crime in them. Take Singapore for example. Singapore is known to be a very orderly nation but you still read of people having been arrested and jailed while others were rightfully executed. If the law could really abolish sin then why is it that Singapore still has a low crime rate but never a zero crime rate? Give its bad citizens chances to move to disorderly countries and they're certainly going to rebel. Besides, James 2:10-11 even makes it clear that you need to only break one standard of the Law to be guilty. Romans 3:10-19 reveals all will have to shut up when God's Law is revealed to people. Galatians 2:21 says that if righteousness were achieved by the Law then Christ died for nothing. Christ died to redeem man from the curse of the Law and to redeem man to be reconciled with the Law. All the Law did for me was to teach me how to live right and lead me to Christ. Would I know I was a sinner and what sin is if it wasn't for the Law?
The Old Testament priesthood's strict measures were really there. You can think about how the demand for holiness on the descendants of Aaron is that high. Remember how Aaron's two sons Nadab and Abihu got incinerated for sacrificing with fire that wasn't started by God Himself? The demand for the Levites to have upright lives is something. The sin of not having good priests resulted in the downfall of the House of Eli because of Hophni and Phineas. The priests were required to be married to virgins - not widows and not divorced women. This is really a picture of what God would later demand in the New Testament. 1 Timothy 3:1-7 demands bishops to be sexually pure (husband of one wife) together with an upright lifestyle. Today, every Christian is part of a royal priesthood (hence that's why we don't read of priests but pastors) in 1 Peter 2:9. Christians today are demanded high standards of holiness which can only be made easy by the grace of God. I need to remember I keep falling into sin because I fail to rely on God and continue to rely on myself. It would be foolish to believe God saves the Christian but would never equip them with the power to keep His will.
The principle of tithing also teaches holiness and that nothing we own is truly ours. Although tithing is not mentioned anymore in the apostolic letters - I believe that the principle still teaches something about why giving is part of worship. Malachi 3:8-10 has condemned the Jews for not giving their tithes and offerings. The purpose of the tithes and offerings was to make sure that there would be food in the storehouse. Giving a tenth of everything was the principle of the Old Testament. When the people refused to give their dues to support the House of God - they were actually robbing God by not providing for the Levites. The principle today is taught in cheerful giving. The Law demands you give your tithes. The New Covenant makes tithes easy because it's cheerful giving. The Law can only demand a tenth of your income. Grace makes departing that tenth of that income no longer burdensome. It's no longer tithing but cheerful giving. If you love God then you will give some money for His work. Not providing for God's work when you've got the resources is robbery. After all, who gave us the temporal benefits we enjoy and who allows it but God? That's why I still believe in teaching Christians to tithe but only out of a willing heart.
I could think of how Leviticus makes me appreciate the sin sacrifice of Jesus on the cross even more. In the past, people had to get an unblemished clean animal for sin sacrifices. Mary the earthly mother of Jesus had to get two turtledoves as a sin offering after she gave birth. Christ is pictured in the sacrifices. Today, there's no more sacrifice for sins. The Lord's supper is not a sacrifice for sins but a memorial of the sacrifice for sin that Christ did on the cross. The bloody sacrifices got abolished all thanks to Jesus' sacrificial death. Jesus' bloody death on the cross (Isaiah 53) became that final, perfect acceptable sacrifice for sins once and for all. Leviticus, even with the ceremonial law abolished, will forever have its importance because it pointed to Christ's sacrifice many centuries later.
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