Board Thread:Monthly Bible Study/@comment-5175866-20170204203942

For Feburary 2017 we will be reading the Book of Leviticus. Leviticus is the primary place where the laws for the Hebrews. This means that for the most part, Leviticus is not a historical narrative, but a regulatory/legal book. While this is the case all of the laws presented in the book are actually given as being dialouge direct from God. Moses is the recorder and he refers to himself in third person to say "the LORD said to Moses", followed by the regulations which are God's exact words transcribed. This is helpful to keep in mind in understanding the proper context of which Leviticus was written: several one-on-one sessions between Moses and God where God provides the exact wording of the rules.

There are several chapters of historical narrative in Leviticus, many of which are "repeats" of the law. Certain portions contain the dialouge of the laws themselves where some chapters  describe how the laws were initially followed by each regulation command. Lev 8-10 and Lev 24:10-23 are the only narratives in the book.

Many historians consider Moses one of the "great lawgivers" of history, but it would be more correct to say Moses was a great law scribe. The laws in Leviticus were not the entire set of rules for Israel as many are also in Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy and even Genesis. Leviticus is not the typical legal manual that governments have today. Leviticus is a recording of oral transmission of many laws and a few cases of them followed.

The laws that come out of God's own mouth are very clear and make sure to settle any and every "what-if" scenario (like if someone cannot afford a certain sacrifice), but unless those are given the laws are assumed to be orders. There are many cases like the Fellowship offering were it is not a legal mandate, rather rules for someone who chooses to do something in special honor for God.  