Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy Study Guide PDF

Religion 10: Scripture | Mr. McLaughlin Study Guide for Lv, Nm, and Dt Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua LEVITICUS Why is this book so named? o Leviticus gets its name from the fact that a large part of it deals...

Religion 10: Scripture | Mr. McLaughlin Study Guide for Lv, Nm, and Dt Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua LEVITICUS Why is this book so named? o Leviticus gets its name from the fact that a large part of it deals with the concerns of ancient Israel’s priests who are Levites (i.e., of the tribe of Levi). What is this book about? o The book mainly treats matters of protocol1 within the Mosaic Covenant such as sacrifices and offerings, purity and holiness, the priesthood, the Tabernacle, and festivals/sacred days. o Leviticus also covers various behavioral, ethical, and economic issues (e.g., sexual practices, idolatrous worship, treatment of others, the sale of land, slavery). When and where does God’s presence appear? o God’s presence first appears on the top of Mount Sinai during the Great Theophany in Exodus 19. There is thunder, lighting, fire, and smoke. o Later, God gives Moses plans to build the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle (Ex 25-31 and 35-40) so that God’s presence can dwell in the Israelites’ midst. o Exodus ends with God’s presence filling the tabernacle, but Moses is unable to enter. “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the tent of meting, because the cloud settled down upon it and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” (Ex 40:34-35) o On one hand, this is the greatest development since the Fall of Adam and Eve because humanity has access to God’s presence once again. On the other hand, God is so holy and good that His divine presence was dangerous for the ancient Israelites – like the sun, they could not get too close. Therefore, God gave the Israelites special protocol to follow so that they could live near His divine presence without being harmed. This special protocol is described in Leviticus. Describe the protocol presented in Leviticus for how the Israelites were able live near God's presence without being harmed. o The protocol described in Leviticus for living near God’s divine presence has three parts. ▪ Rituals – Series of actions performed in a specific order. Such actions may involve gestures, words, and revered objects. The rituals in Leviticus include 1 Protocol means official procedure or steps to be taken to ensure things are done correctly – think of packing a parachute. 1 Religion 10: Scripture | Mr. McLaughlin a lot of animal sacrifices; some are ways of saying “thank you” to God, while others are ways of saying “I’m sorry.” Other examples of rituals in Leviticus focus on how to observe festivals/sacred days (e.g., the Day of Atonement which involves the scapegoat). ▪ Priesthood – Priests served as special representatives or mediators between God and the Israelites. Men from the Tribe of Levi were ordained into the priesthood and were supposed to live according to higher standards because they worked so closely to God’s presence. ▪ Purity laws – Purity laws ensured the Israelites knew if they are in a pure or impure state. When an Israelite was in a pure state, he/she could be in God’s presence. When an Israelite was in an impure state, he/she could NOT be in God’s presence. It was not wrong or sinful to be in an impure state. What happens when the protocol for interacting with God’s presence is not observed? Give an example from the OT. o God’s holiness is so good that it is dangerous for sinful humans. The protocol described in Leviticus protects against this danger, but it was not always observed. ▪ Example 1 – In Leviticus 10, Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu are consumed by fire after lighting incense in their censers with unauthorized fire. (Lv 10:1-2) ▪ Example 2 – In 1 Samuel, after the Ark was recovered from the land of the Philistines, 70 Israelites die because they saw the Ark but did not celebrate with everyone else. (1 Sam 6:19) ▪ Example 3 – In 1 Chronicles, Uzzah dies after touching the Ark. (1 Chron 13:9-10) NUMBERS What is this book about? o The Book of Numbers is an epic travel log about Israel’s journey through the desert on their way to the land promised to Abraham. This period in Israel’s history is also called the “desert wanderings.” o The journey could have been completed in two weeks, but it ends up taking about 40 years. (The Israelites spent about one year at Mount Sinai before moving on.) o The plot in Numbers begins at Sinai and moves to Paran and then Moab, with two shorter travel digressions in between – see below. Moab is right across the Jordan River from the Promised Land. What does the name of the book mean? How does the name relate to what the book contains? o The Hebrew name for the Book of Numbers (Bemidbar or ‫)ב ִמ ְּדבַּ ר‬ ְּ means “in the Wilderness,” which summarizes the plot of the book. o “Numbers” refers to the two censuses of Israel that are taken in the book, one at the beginning and one at the end when they are getting ready to enter the Promised Land. Describe how the Israelites act throughout the Book of Numbers. How does God react to their behavior? o The Israelites start off strong but then things go horribly wrong due to their disobedience. o For example, people complain about their hunger and thirst, and then even Moses’ brother and sister badmouth him in front of everyone. 2 Religion 10: Scripture | Mr. McLaughlin o At one point, Israel sends 12 spies to scout out the Promised Land. Two return to say that the situation looks favorable, while the other ten are freaked out and don’t trust God – they think Israel will be annihilated if they try to enter the Promised Land. These ten start a mutiny and try to appoint a new leader to lead the Israelites back to Egypt. The point is that the Israelites refuse to enter the Promised Land. o God pronounces that this generation will wander for 40 years and die in the Wilderness, so that only their children will enter the Promised Land. o God continually loves and cares for Israel despite the repeated disobedience. God never gives up on them. DEUTERONOMY What is this book about? o Deuteronomy is the epic conclusion to the Torah. It begins as the Israelites are preparing to enter the Promised Land and consists of a speech by Moses addressed to the new generation of Israelites born during the “Desert Wanderings.” Remember, we learned in Numbers that their parents, the generation that left Egypt in the Exodus, died in the desert due to their disobedience. o Moses’ speech has three large sections and serves as a “pep talk.” What does the name of the book mean? How does the name relate to what the book contains? o Deuteronomy is Greek for “second law.” A large part of Deuteronomy gives a second, more detailed version of the Law contained in Exodus. What are the main parts of Moses' speech in the book of Deuteronomy as he prepares the new generation of Israel? o The Book of Deuteronomy is basically one long speech from Moses to the Israelites that is divided into three parts. ▪ Part 1 – Highlight’s Israel’s rebellion and resistance to God and the Covenant during the last 40 years. Moses challenges the new generation to be different from their parents. He reminds them of the 10 Commandments and gives them the Shema, the prayer recited twice daily by Jewish people. The Shema emphasizes the Israelite's exclusive commitment to their God, the one true God who loved them who rescued them from slavery (keywords are “listen” and “love”). ▪ Part 2 – A large block of laws and commands, many of which appear in Exodus. Why repeat them? Deuteronomy expands upon and clarifies the Covenant laws and commands first given in Exodus. 3 Religion 10: Scripture | Mr. McLaughlin ▪ Part 3 – Describes Israel’s choice of whether to obey God and the Covenant as between life or death, blessing or curse. Moses knows Israel won’t change, and he foreshadows the Exile that will take place about 700 years in the future. Moses also says that God promises to somehow transform the hearts of Israel after the Exile. Joshua is named as Moses’ successor and the new leader of Israel. Moses climbs to the top of a mountain to see the Promised Land from afar and dies. What comes after Deuteronomy? o Deuteronomy is the epic conclusion to the Torah. The first book in the OT after the Torah is the Book of Joshua, named after Moses’ successor. The Book of Judges is next. o The Book of Joshua begins right after Moses has died as the Israelites are ready to enter the Promised Land. The plot continues as Joshua leads the Israelites into the Promised Land where they battle with the Canaanites and eventually score victories, notably Jericho. He then divides up the Promised Land among the 12 Tribes. o The Book of Judges begins with the death of Joshua and then tells the story of Israel’s total failure to keep the covenant. The name of the book comes from the type of leaders Israel had during this period. Before Israel ever had a king, the 12 Tribes were governed by judges. These people are not judges in a legal sense, such as one you would find in a courtroom; rather, Israel’s judges were regional political/military leaders. 4