Extraordinary thankfulness is the appropriate response to extraordinary grace 

As Leviticus comes to a close, God sets forth great promises for obedience, along with great judgements for disobedience. Will Israel heed God’s word, or disregard it?

Throughout Leviticus we have discovered the God who is Holy. In the final chapter of this crucial book this Holy God reveals the importance of being wholly consecrated to him as he addressed the issues of vows of devotion. Fittingly, the book concludes with the image of God’s people called to reflect his holiness through lives of integrity in word and deed.

We’ve all got the same amount of time on our hands. But in Lev 23, God outlines how that time is to be used to reflect his holiness. Ultimately, Jesus is the one who offers the ultimate rest so we can delight in God. 

God gave his people sacred events through their calendar year - rhythms to remember His generosity and provision for them. Jesus now offers us ultimate rest in his grace and provision, but how do we enjoy what he’s offered to the full extent? 

God gives true rest, relationship with Him, as we re-orientate and remember what He's done.

Leviticus 18 outlines a series of sexual prohibitions within a family context, emphasising the importance of maintaining purity and avoiding incestuous relationships. These verses specifically forbid sexual relations with close relatives like mother, daughter, sister, granddaughter, aunt, or uncle's wife. The chapter aims to establish clear boundaries for sexual conduct and protect the sanctity of family relationships.

God made a way for His people’s lingering sins and impurities to be dealt with so that God would remain among them and continue in fellowship with them. 

As much as we try, we all miss the mark before God. No matter our earnest, diligence, and effort, we are all still tainted by sin. So how can God remain with us when we so regularly fail. How can he be with those who perpetually fail? In Leviticus 16 we explore the high point of Leviticus as God makes a way through atonement for him to live with his people. This significant day not only reveals God’s purpose for his ancient people, but points forward to something even better.

The rules in Leviticus 12-15 are a generous provision to his people to keep them safe, but Jesus offers a better way that makes us holy once and for all.

God set laws for Israel to understand not only their immoral state before him, but their unacceptable, unsatisfactory bodily state before him, which was a reminder of their sin. They were reminded of their continual death, and unworthiness, and therefore their need for atonement. In Jesus we are now cleansed and made holy, able to be used in our broken state for God’s glory. 

In Leviticus 12–15 we have a series of law relating to defilement and cleansing. At a surface level these laws seem odd to the modern reader. Yet upon digger we discover they reveal something about God’s character as well as pointing us to the good news of Jesus.

God gave his people food laws to set them apart from the nations as a distinct holy nation. This protected them from sin and idolatry, and redirected their worship back to God alone. Jesus has fulfiled the law and declared all foods clean, but still sends us out to be a distinctive people, in His name, as Holy. 

While Christians are no longer bound by the dietary laws of Leviticus 11, the heart of the passage still speaks. These laws were like training wheels, teaching God’s people to pursue holiness and to be distinct from the world. That hasn’t changed. In Christ, Christians are called to a deeper holiness—not one of outward food restrictions, but of inward purity and moral discernment. So even as we enjoy our bacon and prawns, Leviticus 11 reminds us that God's people are to reflect His character in every area of life. Our freedom in Christ isn’t a license to live carelessly—it’s an invitation to live set apart, on purpose, for Him.

There’s a right way and a wrong way to approach God. That’s why God instituted priests. Thanks to Jesus being our Great High Priest, we can approach God knowing for sure we are accepted by Him. 

In Leviticus 8–10 we have the inauguration of God’s initiated worship structure. The opening of the tabernacle was a momentous moment in the history of God’s people. More than just a big day, however, the worship structure is designed to reveal something about the character of God, as well as highlight our need for a mediator, a priest, to stand on our behalf before a holy God.

What does it take for sinful people to live with a holy God? In Leviticus 8–10, we witness the ordination of Israel’s first priests and the high-stakes moment when they begin their sacred ministry. God’s glory descends, fire falls, and the people rejoice—but the joy is quickly shattered by tragedy when two priests take matters into their own hands. We explore the weight of God's holiness, the grace of His provision, and our desperate need for a mediator. In the end, even the priests need a priest—and only Jesus can ultimately stand in the fire for us.

In the busyness of everyday life there are many moments we live unaware of God’s presence. Sadly there are many times in life we choose to actively ignore God. Whether intentional or unintentional we often miss the mark in our relationship with God through sin. This leads to either hiding from God, or feeling so ashamed that we dare not come to God. In Leviticus 4 we discover the grace of God who invites sinners to a relationship with him. Leviticus 4 reminds us that we come to God on his terms. We need forgiveness and to be cleansed, and he does this the shedding of innocent blood. In this image we have a picture of an even greater reality found in Jesus.

All people stand guilty before God, with a debt we are unable to pay. Leviticus 4-7 foreshadows the great offering God would give us in Jesus, to completely remove our guilt and make a way for us to be justified before Him.