Who needs Leviticus?
What in the world would Christians today have to gain from studying Old Testament books like Leviticus? After all, the ceremonial law was never intended for use after Christ fulfilled His mission on earth. And since animal sacrifices, sanctuary rituals, and "unclean" food no longer apply to believers today, why bother reading about such archaic practices?
Well, think of it this way. If the God of the universe was planning to send His only Son in order to rescue sinners like you and I, how might He decide to prepare His people for such a monumental sacrifice? How might the Lord decide to teach His people about God's holiness, man's sinfulness, and the need for atonement in order to be reconciled to our Creator?
Imagine writing 7 letters to the person you are engaged to marry in less than a year, and then writing 5 more letters over the course of your first 10 years of marriage. Would the first 7 letters still have meaning for your relationship today? Would there be any value in cherishing those early letters for the sake of remembering all that took place as the two of you were falling in love with one another? Or would you only consider the last 5 letters you wrote to be of any importance?
What if God decided to send 39 love letters to His people prior to the official "solemnization" that would take place when His Son walked down the aisle to the altar of the cross? What if the church, which is the bride of Christ, received 39 love letters during the courtship phase, and 27 letters after the marital union was sealed? Would you adore God enough to want to hang on to all of the love letters He sent to His children? Or would you discard the older letters written prior to the official union of Christ and His bride?
What if studying Leviticus and all of the Old Testament gave you a much deeper appreciation for God's love, holiness, mercy, faithfulness, and eternal plan of salvation for His people? Then what? Would it change the way you view all of God's love letters in the Bible? Would it lead you to hold on to those early letters and refer to them often as a reminder of everything God has done for His people?
If truth be told, the book of Leviticus has much to say about the nature of God, the nature of man, and the critical need for atonement between God and man. And so before you decide to just do away with those early letters from the Lord, stop and ask yourself why God decided to deliver them in the first place. Unless you are basking in the grace of God demonstrated in the sacrifice of His only Son, you may lack the motivation to continually read all of God's love letters to His people.
It boils down to a loving relationship between husband and wife, and between Christ and His bride, the church. Perhaps you would like to fall in love with God all over again, or maybe even for the first time. Perhaps you would like to get to know the Lord better. If so, you can fill your heart, soul and mind with the content of those 66 love letters. And as you delight in the Word of God, be assured that your Redeemer paid the ultimate price in order to be with you forever.
