Leviticus 24 - The Lamp and the Bread of the Sanctuary

Summary https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com/2020/02/leviticus.html
"The Lord commands Aaron to regularly tend the lamps on the pure gold lampstand in the Lord's presence.  Olive oil is to be used to burn the light.  Also, every Sabbath day, Aaron is to bake 12 loaves of bread and arrange them on the pure gold table before the Lord.  Aaron and his sons are to eat the bread in a holy place as a perpetual covenant obligation.  A fight breaks out in the Israelite camp.  One of the men curses the Name of God.  Moses has him stoned outside the camp for cursing the Name of God.  If anyone curses his God, he will bear the consequences of his sin and be put to death.  If a man kills anyone, he must be put to death.  God sets up the law that we know today:  an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth!  This is the justice system of the Mosaic law in action!"

http://www.doodlethroughthebible.com/2015/05/leviticus-24.html?spref=pi

Leviticus 24 Amplified Bible (AMP)
The Lamp and the Bread of the Sanctuary

https://www.biblegateway.com

24 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the children of Israel to bring to you clear oil from beaten olives for the light [of the golden lampstand], to make a lamp burn continually. 3 Outside the veil of the Testimony [between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place] in the Tent of Meeting, Aaron shall always keep the lamps [a]burning before the Lord from evening until morning; it shall be a permanent statute throughout your generations. 4 He shall keep the lamps burning on the pure gold lampstand before the Lord continually.

https://ddominique.wordpress.com/2011/07/29/the-oil-the-light-and-the-candlestick-lev-241-4/

• BURNING CONTINUALLY.🔥✨ The Lord commanded that the golden lampstand be continually burned to light the 'outside the veil of the Testimony [between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place] in the Tent of Meeting.' This symbolizes the Lord Jesus Christ, who will be the continuous, never ending "Light of the World."

"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

"For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light." Ephesians 5:8

"As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:5

"The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world." John 1:9
 
"I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness." John 12:46

"For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:6

"And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb." Revelation 21:23
 
"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined." Isaiah 9:2

"And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil." John 3:19

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden." Matthew 5:14

5 “Then you shall take fine flour and bake twelve cakes (bread of the Presence, showbread) with it; two-tenths of an ephah shall be in each cake (loaf). 6 You shall set the bread of the Presence (showbread) in two rows, six in a row, on the pure gold table before the Lord. 7 You shall put pure frankincense [in two censers, one] beside each row, so that it may be with the bread as a memorial portion, an offering by fire to the Lord. 8 Every Sabbath day Aaron shall arrange the showbread before the Lord continually; it is an everlasting covenant for the Israelites. 9 The bread of the Presence shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a sacred place, for it is for Aaron a most holy portion of the offerings by fire to the Lord, his portion forever.”
10 Now the son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the Israelites, and he and a man of Israel quarreled and struggled with each other in the camp. 11 The Israelite woman’s son blasphemed the Name [of the Lord] and cursed. So they brought him to Moses. (Now his mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.) 12 They put him in custody until the will and command of the Lord might be made clear to them.

 https://blogthrudabible.wordpress.com/2015/05/21/leviticus-24-god-way-or-my-way/

• WHAT IS BLASPHEMY? https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/blasphemy/ 

"In English "blasphemy" denotes any utterance that insults God or Christ and gives deeply felt offense to their followers.

The Old Testament At least five different Hebrew verbs are translated "blaspheme" in English translations. Translators choose "blaspheme" when, for instance, the verbs "curse" (qalal), "revile" (gadap), or "despise" (herep) are used with God as the object. No special verb is reserved for cursing or insults directed at God.

However, to curse or insult God is an especially grave sin. It can be done by word or by deed. There is little distinction between the sinner who deliberately abuses the name of the Lord ( Le 24:10-16 ), and the one who deliberately flouts his commandments ( Nu 15:30-31 ). For both, the death penalty is prescribed. Similarly, the prayer of the Levites in Nehemiah 9 calls "awful blasphemies" all that Israelites did when they made the golden calf (9:18)."

13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 14 “Bring the one who has cursed [the Lord] outside the camp, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head [as witnesses to his guilt]; then let all the congregation stone him. 15 You shall speak to the Israelites, saying, ‘Whoever curses his God will bear his sin [through his own death]. 16 Further, the one who blasphemes the name of the Lord shall most certainly be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him. The stranger as well as the native-born shall be put to death when he blasphemes the Name [of the Lord].

• DEATH PENALTY. What the Israelite-Egyptian man did in blaspheming and cursing the name of the Lord was very wrong. God has been the One who rescued them out of slavery, provided manna from heaven, provided water (out of a rock, etc), protected them all throughout their journey in the wilderness (by pillar of cloud and fire), and yet he did that. I could only imagine what was going on with his heart ("A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45) Maybe he is a man who was heavily influenced by the Egyptian culture and religion, and he was one of the people who kept on complaining and longing to be back in Egypt. But I don't know, and I cannot judge him. All I know is I am a sinner too, and I may have blasphemed God so many times with my deeds/actions (although not in words), because of my sinfulness. Everyone falls short of the glory of God, and we need His mercy, grace and unfailing love everyday. We need salvation, and we need the Son of God, Lord Jesus Christ to pay the death penalty of our sins. What a beautiful exchange-- Jesus died and paid for my sins-- and because death could not hold him down, He is resurrected and alive forevermore, seated at the right hand throne of God.

“An Eye for an Eye”
17 ‘If a man takes the life of any human being [unlawfully], he shall most certainly be put to death. 18 The one who kills an animal shall replace it, animal for animal. 19 If a man injures his neighbor (fellow citizen), whatever he has done shall be done to him: 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; just as he has injured a man, so shall the same be done to him. 21 The one who kills an animal shall replace it; but he who kills a human being [unlawfully] shall be put to death. 22 You shall have one standard of law for the stranger among you as well as for the native, for I am the Lord your God.’” 23 Then Moses spoke to the Israelites, and they brought the one who had cursed [the Lord] outside the camp and stoned him with stones. Thus the Israelites did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Footnotes: Leviticus 24:3 Lit it in order.

• WHAT WE DESERVE. In reality, even though this law is not applicable today anymore, this is what we deserve, "fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth." The wages of sin is death and eternal separation from God, and damnation. Not only physical death, but also a spiritual one. But God, in His mercy and great love, has sent His one and only Son Jesus Christ to redeem us from this destiny. Praise and glory to God for what He has done.

After reading, I always check out the Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik (very helpful!):   

a. Pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to make the lamps burn continually: The lamps in the tabernacle - standing on the solid gold lampstand - were the only source of light for the tabernacle. They had to be tended to continually, supplied with pure olive oil and trimmed wicks, so they would continually give light.
b. From evening until morning before the LORD continually: Jesus never stopped being the light of the world (John 8:12); He never took a break from it. As well, we are never to take a break from being the light of the world (Matthew 5:14), but we can only do this as we are continually supplied with oil (the Holy Spirit) and have our wicks trimmed (undergo training through trials).

 a. You shall take fine flour and bake twelve cakes with it: This bread of the tabernacle speaks of fellowship and communion with God - a symbolic "breaking bread" with God, and speaks of the continual fellowship God wanted with Israel.
i. This bread is called showbread in Exodus 25:30, which literally means "bread of the face" in the sense of it being eaten in the presence or before the face of God.

b. They shall eat it in a holy place: Significantly, God wanted the fellowship fresh. He didn't want a stale communion with His people, but a fresh, new relationship.  

b. The Israelite woman's son blasphemed the name of the Lord and cursed: He committed the crime of blasphemy, which is to attack someone - especially God - with your words. It is somewhat like the modern idea of "verbal abuse," but usually directed at God.
 ii. It seems that it was common for Egyptians to curse their many gods. The root of this man's sin is he considers the LORD God of Israel on the same level as the petty Egyptian gods.  

b. And let all the congregation stone him: God commanded execution by stoning for several reasons. First, stones were and are plentiful in Israel, so it was a ready means of execution. As well, it was so that the community could participate in the execution, for both a deterrent and a means of proclaiming, "This man has not only sinned against God, he has sinned against the community."

 c. Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death: To keep themselves from blaspheming the name of the LORD, the Jews, in their traditions, went to extreme lengths to avoid saying or writing the name of God - because, in their thinking, you could not blaspheme God's name if you never said it.
i. So, only the High Priest was allowed to pronounce the holy name of God (Yahweh), and only once a year - on the day of atonement. The proper pronunciation of the name would be passed on from the high priest to his successor, with the former's last breath. This is why where was confusion for many years about the exact pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton (YHWH), some mistakenly pronouncing the name "Jehovah" instead of "Yahweh" or "Yah-veh."
ii. The Jews also did not write the name of God, because if that paper were destroyed, it might be considered blasphemy or taking the name of the LORD in vain. So, they would write Adonai ("Lord") instead of Yahweh, and instead of "God" write "G-d" and refer to God with names like "the Name" instead of saying "God."

 a. Whoever kills any man shall surely be put to death: In the context of giving the penalty for the Egyptian blasphemer, God stated a fundamental principle of His justice - crimes must be punished, but in proportion appropriate to the crime.
b. Fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: Many people have taken eye for eye, tooth for tooth as a command; instead, God intended it as a limit - so no man or judge would be able to make up his own punishment. Human nature wants to hurt our attacker worse than they hurt us; God here puts a limit on the vengeful tendency of man.

i. Jesus rightly condemned the taking of this command regarding law and order in the community and applying it to personal relationships, where love, forgiveness, and going the extra mile - not equal retribution - is to be the rule (Matthew 5:38-42).

 Reference and credits to https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Lev/Lev-24.cfm © 2004 David Guzik 

Leviticus 23 - Laws of Religious Festivals

Summary https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com/2020/02/leviticus.html
"God tells Moses to speak to the Israelites and tell them about God's appointed times; the holy days of the Lord that shall be proclaimed as sacred assemblies.  This chapter mentions the Passover, the Day of Atonement, the Sabbath Day, The Festival of Unleavened Bread, and other holy days."

http://www.doodlethroughthebible.com/2015/05/leviticus-23.html?spref=pi

https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/gods-holy-day-plan-the-promise-of-hope-for-all-mankind/infographic-gods 

Leviticus 23 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Laws of Religious Festivals

https://www.biblegateway.com

23 The Lord spoke again to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The appointed times (established feasts) of the Lord which you shall proclaim as holy convocations—My appointed times are these:
 The Sabbath
3 ‘For six days work may be done, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation (calling together). You shall not do any work [on that day]; it is the Sabbath of the Lord [a]wherever you may be.

• TRUE REST IS IN JESUS. More than the physical rest, what we need is the spiritual rest of our souls in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
"Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
 
But He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?”
 
And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:23-28

The Passover and Unleavened Bread
4 ‘These are the appointed times of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times: 5 The Lord’s Passover is on the fourteenth day of the first month [b]at twilight. 6 The Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord is on the fifteenth day of the same month; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation (calling together); you shall not do any laborious work [on that day]. 8 But you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord for seven days; on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work [on that day].’”

• MINDFULNESS ABOUT SIN. Galatians 5:9 says, "A little leaven leavens the whole lump." This feast is a reminder that sin in our life is like the 'leaven or yeast' that can make the bread rise, or that can corrupt or take over our lives, if we are not careful or mindful.

 The Feast of First Fruits
9 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am giving you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the [c]sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. 11 He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord so that you may be accepted; the priest shall wave it on the day after the Sabbath. 12 Now on the day when you wave the sheaf you shall offer a male lamb one year old without blemish as a burnt offering to the Lord. 13 Its grain offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with [olive] oil, an offering by fire to the Lord for a sweet and soothing aroma, with its drink offering [to be poured out], a fourth of a [d]hin of wine. 14 You shall not eat any bread or roasted grain or new growth, until this same day when you bring in the offering to your God; it is a permanent statute throughout your generations wherever you may be.

•  JESUS IS THE FIRST FRUIT. All the festivals that God established to the Israelites while they were still in the wilderness, before entering the Promised Land, was a foreshadowing of who our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is. He is the firstborn, and the first fruit. The One who was, and is and is to come.

"But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." 1 Corinthians 15:20
 
"But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:23
"Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine." Proverbs 3:9-10
 
"Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;" Proverbs 3:9
The Feast of Weeks
15 ‘You shall count from the day after the Sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf (tied bundle of grain) of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete Sabbaths (seven full weeks). 16 You shall count [e]fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the Lord. 17 You shall bring in from your places two loaves of bread as a wave offering, made from two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven as first fruits to the Lord. 18 And you shall offer with the bread seven unblemished lambs, one year old, and one young bull and two rams. They are to be a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings. It is an offering by fire, a sweet and soothing aroma to the Lord. 19 And you shall sacrifice one male goat as a sin offering and two male lambs, one year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. 20 The priest shall wave them before the Lord as a wave offering, together with the bread of the first fruits and the two lambs. They are to be holy to the Lord for the priest. 21 On this same day you shall make a proclamation, you are to have a holy convocation (calling together); you shall not do any laborious work [on that day]. It is to be a permanent statute throughout your generations wherever you may be.
22 ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the edges of your field, nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for the poor and for the stranger. I am the Lord your God.’”
The Feast of Trumpets
23 Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Say to the children of Israel, ‘On the first day of the seventh month (almost October), you shall observe a day of solemn sabbatical rest, a memorial day announced by the blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25 You shall not do any laborious work [on that day], but you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord.’”

• TRUMPETS. "The sound of the trumpet has always denoted military strength, whether this was as a signaling instrument in battle or in a military band. ... The image of the trumpet as a symbol of authority and social standing goes hand in hand with its association with warfare." https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Trumpet_in_C/Symbolism

"Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 1 Corinthians 15:51-55

"Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” Revelation 11:15
 
"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord." 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
 
"And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." Matthew 24:31
 
"Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near," Joel 2:1

The Day of Atonement
26 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 27 “Also the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall [f]humble yourselves [by fasting] and present an offering by fire to the Lord. 28 You shall not do any work on this same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the Lord your God. 29 If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them]. 30 If there is any person who does any work on this same day, I will destroy that person from among his people. 31 You shall do no work at all [on that day]. It is a permanent statute throughout your generations wherever you may be. 32 It is to be to you a Sabbath of complete rest, and you shall humble yourselves. On the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening you shall keep your Sabbath.”

• HUMILITY. The Lord made it clear that the people should humble themselves. They should recognize their need for atonement, sacrifice and salvation. We should recognize our need of the Lord Jesus Christ, the only One who can save us from all our sins. Who is our greatest model of humility? The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who is fully God and fully man, who left His divinity to live as a lowly, human being, just to save and redeem us to be reconciled back to the Father.

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." James 4:10 

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12

"Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life." Proverbs 22:4

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." 1 Peter 5:6

"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom." James 3:13

"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:29-30

"Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:35
 
"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love." Galatians 5:13

The Feast of Booths
33 Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 34 “Say to the children of Israel, ‘On the fifteenth day of this seventh month, and for seven days, is the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles) to the Lord. 35 The first day is a holy convocation (calling together); you shall not do any laborious work [on that day]. 36 For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the Lord. It is a festive assembly; you shall not do any laborious work [on that day].
37 ‘These are the appointed times (established feasts) of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to present an offering by fire to the Lord, a burnt offering and a grain offering, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its own day. 38 This is in addition to the [weekly] Sabbaths of the Lord, and in addition to your gifts and all your vowed offerings and all your freewill offerings, which you give to the Lord.
39 ‘On exactly the fifteenth day of the seventh month (nearly October), when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the Lord for seven days, with a Sabbath rest on the first day and a Sabbath rest on the eighth day. 40 Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, and boughs of thick (leafy) trees, and willows of the brook [and make booths of them]; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. 41 You shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a permanent statute throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You shall live in booths (temporary shelters) for seven days; all native-born in Israel shall live in booths, 43 so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’” 44 So Moses declared to the Israelites the appointed feasts of the Lord.
Footnotes: Leviticus 23:3 Lit in all your dwellings and so throughout the chapter.
Leviticus 23:5 Lit between the two evenings.
Leviticus 23:10 I.e. a tied bundle of stalks of freshly harvested grain.
Leviticus 23:13 I.e. approx one gal.
Leviticus 23:16 This is the origin of the name “Pentecost,” Greek for “fiftieth.”
Leviticus 23:27 See note 16:29.

• NUMBER 7. The word 'seventh' or 'seven' was mentioned 19 times here."When it comes to the biblical meanings of number 7, we have to say that it is the number of perfection and completeness." https://angelnumber.org/what-does-the-number-7-mean-in-the-bible/

After reading, I always check out the Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik (very helpful!): 

 a. The feasts of the LORD: This chapter introduces us to the seven annual feasts Israel celebrated. These feasts are rich with symbolic and prophetic significance.

b. The Lord's Passover: Passover was meant to commemorate Israel's deliverance from Egypt, and with the sacrifice of the lamb for each family, show how the blood of the lamb averted the judgment of God for each Israelite family.

 a. The Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD: The feast of unleavened bread was a week-long celebration the week immediately following Passover (from Nisan 15 to Nisan 21). This feast showed the purity Israel was to walk in (illustrated by eating only bread without leaven, a type of sin) after the blood-deliverance of Passover. 

 a. Then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest: The day following Passover's Sabbath was a time to give the firstfruits of the harvest to God. The idea was to dedicate the first ripened stalks of grain to God, in anticipation of a greater harvest to come.
i. "The firstfruits at Passover would be barley, which ripens in the warmer areas as early as March." (Harris)
 
a. A memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation: On the first day of the month Tishri on the Jewish ceremonial calendar, the feast of trumpets was held; trumpets were blown to gather together God's people for a holy convocation.

 a. Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement: On the tenth of Tishri, the people gathered again for a holy convocation; but this was not a celebration feast, but a day to afflict your souls in humble recognition of one's sin and need for atonement.

 a. The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles: On the fifteenth day of the Jewish month Tishri (on the Jewish ceremonial calendar); the Feast of Tabernacles was a time to rejoice in God's deliverance and provision for Israel during the time of wilderness wandering; a time when having come into the promised land, looking back with gratitude on all God had done to deliver and provide in the tough times of the wilderness.  

b. On the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath rest: The Feast of Tabernacles began and ended in rest; it was all about celebration and rest and refreshment.
i. We see here also the great social good God intended in the Sabbath and in the Feasts; in other ancient cultures, there was no day off, and there were no holidays. Here, God commands both holidays and "vacation days" - all centered on Him!
 
B. The prophetic significance of the feasts of Leviticus 23.

1. Structurally, the first four feasts are linked together, and the last three feasts are also linked - and there is a separation of time between these two groups of feasts.
2. The group of the first four feasts relate to the work of Jesus in His first coming, of His earthly ministry.

a. The feast of Passover clearly presents Jesus as our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7), the Lamb of God who was sacrificed, and whose blood was received and applied, so the wrath of God would pass us over.

b. The feast of Unleavened Bread relates time of Jesus' burial, after His perfect, sinless sacrifice on the cross, during which He was received by God the Father as holy and complete (the Holy One who would not see corruption, Acts 2:27), perfectly accomplishing our salvation.
i. We may regard the burial (or actually, entombment) of Jesus as a small thing in God's redemptive plan; but it was an essential part of Paul's gospel: For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

c. The feast of Firstfruits relates to the resurrection of Jesus, who was the first human to receive resurrection; He is the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18) and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep … Christ the firstfruits, afterwards those who are Christ's at His coming. (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23)

d. The feast of Pentecost obviously is connected with the birth of the Church and the "harvest" resulting (Acts 2); significantly, in the ceremony at the feast of Pentecost, two unleavened loaves of bread are waved as a holy offering to God, speaking of the bringing of "unleavened" Gentiles into the church.

3. Between the first set of four feasts and the second set of three feasts, there is a significant time gap - almost four months, which, significantly, was a time of harvest in Israel; even as our current age is a time of harvest for the church, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. (Romans 11:25)
4. The second group of the last three feasts relate to events connected with the second coming of Jesus.

a. The feast of Trumpets speaks of the ultimate assembly of God's people at the sound of a trumpet - the rapture of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), and of the gathering of Israel for the special purpose God has for them in the last days.

b. The Day of Atonement not only speaks of the ultimate, perfect atonement Jesus offered on our behalf, but also of the affliction - and salvation - Israel will see during the Great Tribulation.
i. It will truly be a time when the soul of Israel is afflicted, but for their ultimate salvation; as Jeremiah 30:7 says regarding that period: Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it, and it is the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.

c. The feast of Tabernacles speaks of the millennial rest of comfort of God for Israel and all of God's people; it is all about peace and rest, from beginning to end.
i. Tabernacles is specifically said to be celebrated during the millennium (Zechariah 14:16-19).

5. Significantly, there is good evidence that each of the four feasts relevant to the first coming of Jesus saw their prophetic fulfillment on the exact day of the feast.
a. Jesus was actually crucified on the Passover (John 19:14). His body would have been buried, and His holy and pure sacrifice acknowledged by God the Father during the Feast of Unleavened Bread following, and He would have risen from the dead on Firstfruits, the day after Passover's Sabbath. Additionally, the church was founded on the actual day of Pentecost.
b. For this reason, many speculate it would be consistent for God to gather His people to Himself at the rapture on the day of the feast of trumpets - on the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah. This can certainly be regarded as a possibility.  

Reference and credits to https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Lev/Lev-23.cfm © 2004 David Guzik 

Leviticus 22 - Various Rules for Priests, Flawless Animals for Sacrifice

Summary https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com/2020/02/leviticus.html
"God instructs Aaron and his sons to deal respectfully with the holy offerings to the Lord.  The offerings of the Israelites have been consecrated to the Lord, so they must be careful not to profane the name of the Lord.  No one outside a priest's family is to eat the holy offering.  Last, God speaks about acceptable sacrifices for all the various kinds of offerings.  No animals with defects are to be offered as a sacrifice to the Lord.  There is to be no blemished animal sacrifices."

 

 https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com/2020/02/leviticus.html

Leviticus 22 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Various Rules for Priests

https://www.biblegateway.com

22 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Tell Aaron and his sons to be careful with the holy things (offerings, gifts) which the children of Israel dedicate to Me, so that they do not profane My holy name; I am the Lord. 3 Say to them, ‘Any one of your descendants throughout your generations who approaches the holy things which the Israelites dedicate to the Lord, while he is [ceremonially] unclean, that person shall be cut off from My presence and excluded from the sanctuary; I am the Lord. 4 No man of the descendants of Aaron who is a leper or has a discharge may eat the holy things [the offerings and the showbread] until he is clean. And whoever touches any person or thing made unclean by contact with a corpse or a man who has had a seminal emission, 5 or whoever touches any crawling thing by which he is made unclean, or any person by whom he is made unclean, whatever it may be, 6 the person who touches any such thing shall be unclean until evening and shall not eat the holy things unless he has bathed his body in water. 7 When the sun sets, he will be clean, and afterward he may eat the holy things, for it is his food. 8 He shall not eat that which dies [of natural causes] or is torn by a predator, becoming unclean by it; I am the Lord. 9 Therefore the priests shall observe My ordinance, so that they will not bear sin because of it and die if they profane it; I am the Lord who sanctifies them.

• I AM THE LORD WHO SANCTIFIES THEM. It just struck me that as Aaron and his sons (as High Priest and priests) followed and obeyed the Lord's commandments about cleanliness and purity, it is actually God Himself who is purifying and cleansing them, and not the "ritual" or ceremony. This is important to remember because it is not about the outside works or deeds of obedience, but it's all about the condition of our hearts. As we obey God's commandments, we trust and believe in His mighty power and mercies to cleanse and sanctify us from the inside out.

"By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
Hebrews 10:10 

"But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth." 2 Thessalonians 2:13   

 https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/377106168774914038/

10 ‘No layman [that is, someone outside of Aaron’s family] is to eat the holy gift [which has been offered to God]; a foreigner residing with the priest or a hired man shall not eat the holy thing. 11 But if a priest buys a slave as his property with his money, the slave may eat the holy thing, and those who are born in the priest’s house; they may eat his food. 12 If a priest’s daughter is married to a layman [one not part of the priestly tribe], she shall not eat the offering of the holy things. 13 But if a priest’s daughter is a widow or divorced, and has no child, and returns to her father’s house as in her youth, she shall eat her father’s food; but no layman shall eat it. 14 But if a person unknowingly eats a holy gift [which has been offered to God], then he shall add one-fifth of its value to it and give the holy gift to the priest. 15 The priests shall not profane the holy things the Israelites offer to the Lord, 16 and so cause them [by neglect of any essential observance] to bear the [a]punishment of guilt when they eat their holy things; for I am the Lord who sanctifies them.’”
17 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them, ‘Any man of the house of Israel or any stranger in Israel who presents his offering, whether to fulfill any of their vows or as any of their freewill (voluntary) offerings which they presented to the Lord as a burnt offering— 19 so that you may be accepted—it must be a male without blemish from the cattle, the sheep, or the goats. 20 You shall not offer anything which has a blemish, because it will not be accepted for you. 21 Whoever offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord to fulfill a special vow to the Lord or as a freewill offering from the herd or from the flock, it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish in it. 22 Animals that are blind or fractured or mutilated, or have a sore or a running wound or an itch or scabs, you shall not offer to the Lord nor make an offering of them by fire on the altar to the Lord. 23 For a freewill offering you may offer either a bull or a lamb which has an overgrown or stunted member (deformity), but for [the payment of] a vow it will not be accepted. 24 You shall not offer to the Lord any animal which has its testicles bruised or crushed or torn or cut off, or sacrifice it in your land. 25 Nor shall you offer as the food of your God any such [animals obtained] from a foreigner, because their corruption and blemish makes them unfit; there is a defect in them, they shall not be accepted for you.’”
26 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 27 “When a bull or a sheep or a goat is born, it shall remain for seven days with its mother; and after the eighth day it shall be accepted as an offering by fire to the Lord. 28 And whether [the mother] is a cow or a sheep, you shall not kill both it and its young in one day. 29 When you sacrifice an offering of thanksgiving to the Lord, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted. 30 It shall be eaten on the same day; you shall leave none of it until the next morning; I am the Lord. 31 So you shall keep My commandments and do them; I am the Lord.
32 “You shall not profane My holy name [using it to honor an idol, or treating it with irreverence or contempt or as a byword]; but I will be sanctified (set apart as holy) among the Israelites. I am the Lord, who sanctifies and declares you holy, 33 who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the Lord.”
Footnotes: Leviticus 22:16 Lit iniquity.

• UNBLEMISHED AND FREEWILL OFFERING. The word "unblemished" and "freewill" offering always point me to who Jesus is, and what He has done for us. He is the unblemished, perfect lamb of God that was offered for the atonement of all our sins, and He also did it willingly. Out of His freewill, out of His great heart and great love for us-- and His great love and obedience to the Father.

https://thescripturesays.org/2020/02/09/bible-art-leviticus-22-23-to-be-accepted-it-must-be-perfect-there-shall-be-no-blemish-in-it/

Jesus the Good Shepherd 

"Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
 

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
 

“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” John 10:7-18

"By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." 1 John 3:16

"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another." John 15:12-17

After reading, I always check out the Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik (very helpful!): 

 a. Who goes near the holy things which the children of Israel dedicate to the LORD, while he has uncleanness upon him, that person shall be cut off: Because the Old Covenant was a covenant of shadows and types, pointing to the glory of the New Covenant (Colossians 2:16-17; Hebrews 8:4-5; 10:1), the idea that a priest could not minister in a ceremonially defiled (unclean) state was important. Israel needed to know that drawing close to God was to be pure.

 b. And when the sun goes down he shall be clean. The Jews start their days at sundown, not sunrise or midnight. With this description, God indicates that one can start the new day clean and pure to the LORD. No matter how we might have failed the day before, we can begin each new day pure and close to the LORD. His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23).
i. In application, we can stop beating our self up for yesterday's sin. We should confess it, repent of it, and then get on with the business of walking with the LORD today.

 b. For I the LORD sanctify them: This shows why the offerings had to be regarded with special care. These offerings were specially sanctified by the LORD. 

 a. Whatever has a defect, you shall not offer: Blemished or deformed animals were obviously unacceptable to the LORD, and the priests had a responsibility to make sure that the animals brought before them by the people were good enough to bring to the LORD. God didn't want the cast-offs from the people; He had right to their best. 

 ii. This also was a foreshadowing of Jesus, our perfect sacrifice. He was perfect in His nature as both God and man, perfect in His motive, perfect in His personality, perfect in His obedience, perfect in His sacrifice for sin on our behalf.

 a. Therefore you shall keep My commandments, and perform them: God commanded Israel - and especially the priests - to keep His commandments and to honor His name because of who He is (I am the LORD), because of what He is (My holy name), because of what He is doing (I am the LORD who sanctifies you), and what He has done (who brought you out of the land of Egypt).

b. I am the LORD: Surely, these four things are true of the believer in relation to God today - and are each valid and important reasons for obedience.

Reference and credits to https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Lev/Lev-22.cfm © 2004 David Guzik

Leviticus 21 - Regulations concerning Priests

Summary https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com/2020/02/leviticus.html
"In this chapter, God lays out more guidelines for the priests to follow.  Also, God instructs the Israelites that priests who have various physical defects must not go near the altar in the tent of meeting to present offerings to the Lord."

http://www.doodlethroughthebible.com/2015/05/leviticus-21.html

Leviticus 21 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Regulations concerning Priests

https://www.biblegateway.com

21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them:
‘No one shall defile himself [that is, become ceremonially unclean] for the dead among his people [by touching a corpse or assisting in preparing it for burial], 2 except for his relatives who are nearest to him, his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, and his brother, 3 also his virgin sister, who is near to him because she has had no husband; for her he may become unclean. 4 He shall not become unclean as a relative by marriage among his people, and so profane himself. 5 The priests [a]shall not shave their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor make any cuts in their body. 6 They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God; for they present the offerings by fire to the Lord, the food of their God; so they shall be holy. 7 They shall not take [as a wife] a woman who is a prostitute, nor a woman who is divorced from her husband; for the priest is holy to his God. 8 You shall consecrate him, therefore, for he offers the food of your God; he shall be holy to you; for I the Lord, who sanctifies you, am holy. 9 The daughter of any priest who profanes herself by prostitution profanes her father; she shall be burned in fire.

• THE CALL TO BE HOLY. After establishing regulations and laws for all the Israelites, God now specifically command the chosen "priests" from the Tribe of Levi, sons of Aaron-- to be holy, as He is holy. Being a priest, and serving God in His tabernacle was a great privilege that comes with great responsibility as well. They are the ones 'offering' the food for God, therefore they should avoid defilement, physically and spiritually-- and they should be consecrated or 'set apart' for God's holy purposes.

"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." Romans 12:1 

"And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was. So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him,
“You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”; Hebrews 5:4-5   

10 ‘But he who is the high priest among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil has been poured and who has been consecrated to wear the [sacred] garments, shall not uncover his head nor tear his clothes [in mourning], 11 nor shall he approach any dead person, nor defile himself [by doing so, even] for his father or for his mother; 12 nor shall he go out of the sanctuary nor profane (make ceremonially unclean) the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him; I am the Lord. 13 He shall take a wife in her virginity. 14 He may not marry a widow or a divorced woman or one who is profaned by prostitution, but he is to marry a virgin from his own people, 15 so that he will not profane or dishonor his children among his people; for I am the Lord who sanctifies the high priest.’”

• BEING MARRIED TO THE RIGHT WOMAN. God cares for every area of the lives of Israelites, especially the priests, and High Priest that He has anointed. The High Priest was to marry a woman that is a virgin and undefiled, and she must also come from his own people, the priestly tribe of Levites. I think this way, the wife/spouse will be more patient and understanding that service to God comes first in the life of the High Priest. She will understand the great calling of her husband.

16 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “Say to Aaron, ‘Throughout their generations none of your descendants who has any [physical] defect shall approach [the altar] to present the food of his God. 18 For no man who has a defect shall approach [God’s altar as a priest]: no man who is blind or lame, or who has a disfigured face, or any deformed limb, 19 or a man who has a broken foot or a broken hand, 20 or a hunchback or a dwarf, or one who has a defect in his eye or eczema or scabs or crushed testicles. 21 No man among the descendants of Aaron the priest who has a [physical] defect and is disfigured or deformed is to approach [the altar] to present the offerings of the Lord by fire. He has a defect; he shall not approach [the altar] to present the food of his God. 22 He may eat the food of his God, both of the most holy and of the holy things, 23 but he shall not go within the veil or approach the altar [of incense], because he has a defect, so that he will not profane My sanctuaries; for I am the Lord who sanctifies them.’” 24 So Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons, and to all the Israelites.
Footnotes: Leviticus 21:5 These practices were mourning customs associated with paganism.

 https://blogthrudabible.wordpress.com/2015/05/18/leviticus-21-set-apart-as-holy/

"We need to understand holiness is not something we can achieve on our own.  God said to the priests; ‘I make you holy’.  This tells me we need God’s help to live a holy life. We need to yield and work in agreement with His Spirit so we can daily live a life that is holy and pleasing before Him."

• JESUS AS THE UNBLEMISHED SACRIFICE. Just like the animal sacrifices or offering that should be unblemished, and without defects-- the Lord also set a high standard for the priestly tribe in who is allowed and not allowed to approach the altar of God to present the food. I believe the physical defects (deformities, etc) just symbolizes 'imperfection' before God that's why God was not allowing them to approach the altar. It's not about discrimination, but it's more about the deeper, spiritual meaning of who the Lord Jesus (the High Priest) is. He is the unblemished, perfect, without sin-- sacrifice, Lamb of God-- who will take away the sins of the world. 

After reading, I always check out the Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik (very helpful!):  

a. Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron: The priests came from a particular family of the tribe of Levi - the family of Aaron. The priests, because of their special responsibility to represent God before the people and the people before God, had a special call to holiness and ritualistic purity.i. The purpose behind these laws was to illustrate the purity and separation from sin that was to characterize the priest; a dead body is a picture of sin's result in this world, especially in the way it rapidly decays.

 a. They shall not take a wife who is a harlot or a defiled woman: Priests were only to take virgins for wives, again as an illustration of the commitment and purity that was required of priests. A priest - under the Old or New Covenant - was only to set their affections on that which is pure.

 a. Shall not uncover his head nor tear his clothes: These were extreme signs of mourning for the dead. The high priest was not allowed to mourn in this extreme way for any dead person - even his father or mother.

 b. And he shall take a wife in her virginity: The high priest also had to take special care in selecting his wife; not just any woman would do. A woman would have to have a unique purity and a unique calling to be the wife of a high priest.
i. "The mention of a harlot is intended to remind the Israelites that cultic prostitution of the Canaanite variety had no place whatever in the life of the covenant community, since such behaviour would profane God's holy name." (Harrison) 

 a. No man of your descendants in succeeding generations, who has any defect, may approach to offer the bread of his God: This obviously shows God's standard for those who would come before Him in service as priests. The prohibition against those with physical defects was meant to point to the even more obvious need to be free from spiritual defect when coming to God.
 b. He may eat the bread of his God: This indicates that those in priestly families could be supported by the priesthood. The barring of physically defective persons as priests was no bar to fellowship with God, only a bar against the public service of God in the tabernacle itself. 

Reference and credits to https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Lev/Lev-21.cfm © 2004 David Guzik

Leviticus 20 - On Human Sacrifice and Immoralities

Summary https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com/2020/02/leviticus.html
"God reminds the Israelites to only worship Him, the one true God.  God warns and forbids the Israelites to not worship false Gods, such as Molech.  God says to respect, and not curse, your mother and father.  God gives very specific instructions concerning adultery, and what sexual perversions and abominations to avoid.  God reminds the Israelites of the covenant He gave to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  God promised to deliver them to the land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey.  In addition, God states that the Israelites are to keep all His statutes and all His ordinances.  If the Israelites follow and keep these laws, the land where God is delivering them to will not vomit them out."

http://www.doodlethroughthebible.com/2015/05/leviticus-20.html

Leviticus 20 Amplified Bible (AMP)
On Human Sacrifice and Immoralities

https://www.biblegateway.com

20 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Moreover, you shall say to the children of Israel,
‘Any Israelite or any stranger residing in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech (the god of the Ammonites) [as a human sacrifice] shall most certainly be put to death; the people of the land shall stone him with stones. 3 I will also set My face against that man [opposing him, withdrawing My protection from him] and will cut him off from his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them], because he has given some of his children to Molech, so as to defile My sanctuary and profane My holy name. 4 If the people of the land should ever tolerate that man when he gives any of his children [as a burnt offering] to Molech, and fail to put him to death [as My law requires], 5 then I shall set My face against that man and against his [extended] family, and I will cut off from their people both him and all who follow him in [a]playing the prostitute (commit apostasy) with Molech.

https://www.alittleperspective.com/leviticus-20-and-21/

• ONE SIN THAT COULD LEAD TO MORE. God is making it crystal clear, sin leads to death-- and here, the horrible sin of 'human sacrifice' to false god Molech will mean instant death. It's too awful to be compromised, or perhaps to be "atoned" for? It reminds me of the picture of what "leavening" agent or yeast can do to the dough or bread, a little can increase or rise up the bread. A sin like this, if unchecked and unpunished, can blow up and corrupt the whole community of Israel. Turning to idols by offering a human sacrifice is a complete defilement to God and their own lives, and also an act of 'adultery.' How could one forget how God saved and rescued them out of the slavery in Egypt? And yet, this is the condition of our sinful hearts.

6 ‘As for the person who turns to mediums [who consult the dead] or to spiritists, to play the prostitute after them, I shall set My face against that person and will cut him off from his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them]. 7 You shall consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am the Lord your God. 8 You shall keep My statutes and do them. I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
9 ‘If anyone curses his father or mother, he shall most certainly be put to death; he has cursed his father or mother; his blood is on him [that is, he bears full responsibility for the consequences].
10 ‘The man who commits adultery with another’s wife, even his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall most certainly be put to death. 11 The man who lies [intimately] with his father’s wife has [b]uncovered his father’s nakedness; both of them shall most certainly be put to death; their blood is on them. 12 If a man lies [intimately] with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall most certainly be put to death; they have committed incest; their blood is on them. 13 If a man lies [intimately] with a male as if he were a woman, both men have committed a detestable (perverse, unnatural) act; they shall most certainly be put to death; their blood is on them. 14 It is immoral and shameful if a man marries a woman and her mother; all three shall be burned in fire, so that there will be no immorality among you. 15 If a man has intimate relations with an animal, he shall most certainly be put to death; you shall kill the animal also. 16 If a woman approaches any animal to mate with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal; they shall most certainly be put to death; their blood is on them.
17 ‘If a man takes his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, so that he sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace; and they shall be cut off in the sight of the sons of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he bears [responsibility for] his guilt. 18 If a man lies [intimately] with a woman during her menstrual cycle and uncovers her nakedness, he has exposed her flow, and she has uncovered the flow of her blood; both of them shall be cut off from their people [excluding them from the atonement made for them]. 19 You shall not uncover the nakedness of (have intimate relations with) your mother’s sister or your father’s sister, for such a one has uncovered his blood relative; they will bear their guilt. 20 If there is a man who lies [intimately] with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered his uncle’s nakedness; they will bear their sin. They will die childless. 21 If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is a hated and unclean thing; he has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They will be childless.
22 ‘Therefore keep all My statutes and all My ordinances and do them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out [as it did those before you]. 23 You shall not follow the statutes (laws, practices, customs) of the nation which I am driving out before you; for they did all these things, and therefore I have loathed them. 24 But I have said to you, “You are to inherit and take possession of their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land [of plenty] [c]flowing with milk and honey.” I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples (pagan nations). 25 You are therefore to make a distinction between the [ceremonially] clean animal and the unclean, and between the unclean bird and the clean; and you shall not make yourselves detestable by animal or by bird or by anything that crawls on the ground, which I have set apart from you as unclean. 26 You are to be holy to Me; for I the Lord am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples (nations) to be Mine.
27 ‘A man or woman who is a medium [who pretends to consult the dead] or who is a spiritist shall most certainly be put to death, and be stoned with stones; their blood is on them.’”
Footnotes: Leviticus 20:5 I.e. abandon the true God for an idol.
Leviticus 20:11 See note 18:7.
Leviticus 20:24 This phrase referred to the abundant fertility of the land of Canaan. Milk (typically that of goats and sheep) was associated with abundance; “honey” referred mainly to syrups made from dates or grapes and was the epitome of sweetness. Bees’ honey was very rare and was considered the choicest of foods.

• OLD COVENANT VS. NEW COVENANT. King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 1:9, "That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun." Every sin that was mentioned in Moses' time, is still happening today in the world-- but it doesn't mean instant 'physical' death anymore. However, a spiritual death and/or moral decay happens. That is why God sent His one and only Son Jesus to be the ultimate and perfect sacrifice for all of our sins. When we receive Him, our sins are forgiven and He will make us a new creation through the help and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. We can be 'holy' and sanctified as our Heavenly Father God is holy.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23



After reading, I always check out the Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik (very helpful!): 

b. I will set My face against that man and against his family: The penalty for Molech worship was death and if the sentence was not carried out by Israel, God declared He would set My face against that man and against his family. God will prosecute if the legal system of Israel failed to.
i. Sadly, even a man as great as Solomon at least sanctioned the worship of Molech and built a temple to this idol (1 Kings 11:7). King Ahaz of Judah gave his own son to Molech (2 Kings 16:3). One of the great crimes of the northern tribes of Israel was their worship of Molech, leading to the Assyrian captivity (2 Kings 17:17). King Manasseh of Judah gave his son to Molech (2 Kings 21:6). Up to the days of King Josiah of Judah, Molech worship continued, because he destroyed a place of worship to that idol (2 Kings 23:10).

 a. I will set My face against that person and cut them off from his people: In this specific passage, God gave nothing for Israel to do regarding the penalty. He simply said that He would execute the penalty. Involvement in such occultic practices invariably separates someone from God.
i. This was the driving force behind the Ephesian church's dramatic renunciation of magical and occultic materials (Acts 19:17-20). Having seen the reality of spiritual warfare, they wanted to draw close to the LORD and remove anything that might hinder that drawing close.
ii. 1 John 4:2 makes it clear there are spirits who are not from God; such occultic, Jesus-denying spirits must be rejected completely. 

 b. Sanctify yourselves … I am the LORD who sanctifies you: These are two important aspects of our walk with God. God will not force you to be separate to Him. He does the work, but He does it through our own cooperating efforts and yielded will.

 a. They shall be cut off in the sight of their people: The penalty for these sins does was not death (as in the previously mentioned sexual sins), but rather to be cut off - that is, exiled or sanctioned within Israel until the sin was atoned for or cleansed through a ceremonial cleansing.

b. They shall bear their sin; they shall die childless: Other aspects of the penalties here belong to God alone - they shall be childless is a penalty only God can apply.

 a. You shall not walk in the statutes of the nation which I am casting out before you: The Canaanites who presently lived in the Promised Land were deeply involved in these sins, and because of that, God would use Israel to judge them and drive them out.

b. That the land where I am bringing you to dwell may not vomit you out: God pleaded with Israel to obey Him, that the same fate would not befall Israel. Unfortunately, eventually it did - and the land did cast out Israel, resulting in the exile both for the northern nation of Israel and the southern nation of Judah.

c. That you should be Mine: These laws were not only given so that Israel could possess the land; they were also so God could possess Israel - so they would be holy to Me, for I the LORD and holy … that you should be Mine.

i. Sometimes we think what God mostly wants is our obedience; but there is a sense in which we can give God our obedience without giving Him ourselves (such as perhaps the Pharisees did). What God really wants is us - and if that is truly given, the obedience will follow. 

Reference and credits to https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Lev/Lev-20.cfm © 2004 David Guzik

Leviticus 19 - Idolatry Forbidden

Summary https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com/2020/02/leviticus.html
"God tells Moses to tell all the Israelites to be holy because God is holy.  Everyone is to respect their mother and father; keep the Sabbath; do not turn to idols or make gods for yourselves.  Other statutes and commands are given to the Israelites in this chapter that closely mirror and expand upon the Ten Commandments.  The Israelites are to obey these commands because God makes the rules and God says so!"

http://www.doodlethroughthebible.com/2015/05/leviticus-19.html

Leviticus 19 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Idolatry Forbidden

https://www.biblegateway.com

19 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. 3 Each of you shall [a]respect his mother and his father, and you shall keep My Sabbaths; I am the Lord your God. 4 Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods (images cast in metal); I am the Lord your God.
5 ‘Now when you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted. 6 It shall be eaten the same day you offer it and on the day following; and if anything remains until the third day, it shall be burned in the fire. 7 But if it is eaten at all on the third day, it is repulsive; it will not be accepted [by God as an offering]. 8 Everyone who eats it will bear [the responsibility for] his wickedness, for he has profaned a holy thing of the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them].

• CONFORMED INTO HIS IMAGE. God said in Genesis 1:26-27, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." We were created according to God's image, but because of "sin", we fell away and got deceived by the enemy. Still, God loved us and cared for us-- He saved and redeemed us, through His Son Jesus. In the time of Moses, God established laws and commandments to set them apart from other pagan/false god nations. God made a way for them to be holy (clean), as He is holy. Everything is a prelude and a foreshadowing of the coming of the promised Messiah, and the "temporary" (physical) sacrifices or atonement that was repeated showed that it can never save or atone for our sins. We need a "Savior" that will once and for all finish the atonement and salvation.

"So prepare your minds for action, be completely sober [in spirit—steadfast, self-disciplined, spiritually and morally alert], fix your hope completely on the grace [of God] that is coming to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. [Live] as obedient children [of God]; do not be conformed to the evil desires which governed you in your ignorance [before you knew the requirements and transforming power of the good news regarding salvation]. But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your conduct [be set apart from the world by your godly character and moral courage]; because it is written, “You shall be holy (set apart), for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:13-16


"For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified." Romans 8:29-30

• HONOR YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER. God seems to emphasize and give much importance to this command. It is a commandment that comes with a blessing. Ephesians 6:1-3, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 
• NO TO IDOLS. Once again, God reminds the Israelites, to not turn to idols and made-up molten gods-- He is the one, true God, and if they did, it's gonna be so bad for them. John 4:24 says, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Various Laws
9 ‘Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings (grain left after reaping) of your harvest. 10 And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather its fallen grapes; you shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger. I am the Lord your God.
11 ‘You shall not steal, nor deal deceptively, nor lie to one another. 12 You shall not swear [an oath] falsely by My name, so as to profane the name of your God; I am the Lord.
13 ‘You shall not oppress or exploit your neighbor, nor rob him. You shall not withhold the wages of a hired man overnight until morning. 14 You shall not curse a deaf man nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God [with profound reverence]; I am the Lord.
15 ‘You shall not do injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor show a preference for the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. 16 You shall not go around as a gossip among your people, and you are not to act against the life of your neighbor [with slander or false testimony]; I am the Lord.

• GOD CARES FOR THE POOR. Throughout Leviticus (and even throughout the Bible), we can see how God cares for the poor by the way He include and make considerations for them in the commandments (Ex. turtledoves as sacrifice/offering if they cannot afford a bull/goat, etc.) God is no respecter of men, He does not favor one over the other-- whether we are poor or rich, God sees our hearts, and He loves us the same. In His eyes, we are all sinners who needs His mercy and salvation in His Son Jesus. 

“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.” Proverbs 19:17 (NIV)

“Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.” Proverbs 22:9 (ESV)

“Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother.” Zechariah 7:10

17 ‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart; you may most certainly rebuke your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him. 18 You shall not take revenge nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor (acquaintance, associate, companion) as yourself; I am the Lord.
19 ‘You are to keep My statutes. You shall not breed together two kinds of your cattle; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor wear clothing of two kinds of material mixed together.
20 ‘Now if a man has intimate relations with a woman who is a slave acquired for [marriage to] another man, but who has not been redeemed nor given her freedom, there shall be punishment [after an investigation]; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free; 21 but he shall bring his guilt offering to the Lord to the doorway of the Tent of Meeting, a ram as a guilt offering. 22 The priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering before the Lord for his sin which he has committed; and he shall be forgiven for his sin.
23 ‘When you enter the land and plant all kinds of trees for food, then you shall consider their fruit [b]forbidden. For three years the fruit shall be forbidden to you; it shall not be eaten. 24 In the fourth year all the fruit shall be holy, an offering of praise to the Lord. 25 In the fifth year you may eat the fruit [of the trees], this is so that their yield may increase for you; I am the Lord your God.
26 ‘You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor practice divination [using omens or witchcraft] or soothsaying. 27 You shall not trim and round off the side-growth of [the hair on] your heads, nor mar the edges of your beard. 28 You shall not make any cuts on your body [in mourning] for the dead, nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves; I am the Lord.
29 ‘Do not profane your daughter by making her a prostitute, so that the land will not fall to prostitution and become full of wickedness. 30 You shall keep My Sabbaths and revere My sanctuary. I am the Lord.
31 ‘Do not turn to mediums [who pretend to consult the dead] or to spiritists [who have spirits of divination]; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.
32 ‘You shall rise before the gray-headed and honor the aged, and you shall fear your God [with profound reverence]; I am the Lord.
33 ‘When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress or mistreat him. 34 But the stranger who resides with you shall be to you like someone native-born among you; and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.
35 ‘You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measurement of weight or quantity. 36 You shall have just and accurate balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just [c]hin. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. 37 You shall observe and keep all My statutes and all My ordinances and do them. I am the Lord.’”
Footnotes: Leviticus 19:3 Lit fear; the Hebrew can refer to respect or reverence as essentially healthy forms of fear.
Leviticus 19:23 Lit uncircumcised.
Leviticus 19:36 Approx one gallon.

https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/leviticus-19-18

• I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD. Here in Leviticus 19, God said "I am the Lord" 15 times, and "I am the Lord your God." 8 times, after re-iterating His commandments to the Israelites. This means, to always remember and fear the Lord, to be able to follow His commandments in being kind, loving, and fair to other people. When we do that, we will not only think about ourselves, and we will consider the welfare and the best of other people too. As sinful human beings we cannot do this on our own, but when we trust and hope in God, He will help and give us grace to obey Him-- in loving Him and loving others.

https://www.gotquestions.org/greatest-commandment.html

"Question: "What is the greatest commandment?"

Answer: Jesus was asked this very question by a Pharisee who was considered to be “an expert in the law” (Matthew 22:34–36). Jesus answered by saying, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37–40).

Jesus gives us two commandments that summarize all the laws and commands in Scripture. The Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 deal with our relationship with God and then our relationship with other people. One naturally flows out of the other. Without a right relationship with God, our relationships with others will not be right, either. The cause of the world’s problems is that man needs to be reconciled to God. We will never love our neighbor as ourselves if we do not first love God with all our heart, mind, and soul. All of man’s best efforts toward world peace will fail as long as men are living in rebellion against God.

When asked by another Pharisee how one could “inherit eternal life,” Jesus answered that it is by keeping these two commandments (Luke 10:25–37). Only two commandments to obey, yet how often do we, like this Pharisee, try to “justify” ourselves because saying we obey these commandments is much easier than really living according to them.

When carefully considered, Jesus’ answer was really a perfect response not only to the Pharisee of His day, but also to all modern-day “Pharisees” who try measure a person’s righteousness by how well he conforms outwardly to a series of laws or commandments. Both the Pharisees of Christ’s day and today’s many versions create a whole system of rules and regulations for people to live by and yet are guilty of breaking the most important commandments of all because they “cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but not the inside” (Matthew 23:25–26).

When we prayerfully consider Jesus’ words and the fact that all the laws and commands in Scripture can really be summarized by these two commandments, we understand just how impossible it is for us to keep God’s commandments and how often we fail to do so and can therefore never be righteous before God on our own accord. That only leaves us with one hope, and that is that God “justifies the ungodly” (Romans 4:5). God’s law and our failure to keep it “brings about wrath” (Romans 4:15), but “God demonstrates His own love toward us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

While we will never keep God’s commandments or be righteous before Him by our own efforts, Christ did. It is His sacrificial death on the cross that causes our sins to be imputed to Him and His righteousness imputed to us (Romans 4—5). That is why “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9–10). After all, the gospel of Christ “is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes,” for “the just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:16–17).

Because Jesus answered this very question and His answer is recorded in Scripture, we don’t have to wonder or search for the answer ourselves. The only question left for us to answer is do we live according to these commandments? Do we truly love God with all our hearts, all our souls, and all our minds, and do we really love our neighbor as ourselves? If we are truthful with ourselves, we know that we do not, but the good news is that the law and commandments were given as “a tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24). Only as we realize our sinfulness and hopelessness will we turn to Christ alone as the only hope of salvation.

As Christians, we strive to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and as our hearts and minds are transformed by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit we are able to begin to love others as ourselves. Yet we still fail to do so, which again drives us back to the cross of Christ and the hope of salvation that stems from the imputed righteousness of Christ and not from any merit of our own."



After reading, I always check out the Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik (very helpful!):

a. You shall be holy: The idea behind the word holy is "separate." As it is applied to God, it describes God's apartness. It means that God is different than man and from all other beings in the greatness and majesty of His attributes. He has a righteousness unlike any other; a justice unlike any other; a purity unlike any other - and love, grace, and mercy unlike any other.
i. Part of this idea is that God is not merely a super-man; His being and character are divine, not human.

b. Be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy: God is separate from man and from all creation. Yet because humans are made in the image of God, they can follow in His steps and also be holy.
i. Being holy means being like God, separating ourselves unto Him and His truth - and naturally, separating ourselves from those things that are not like Him and not according to His truth.

a. Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father: Honor for parents is an essential building block for the stability and health of all society. If the younger generations are constantly at war with older generations, the foundations of society will be destroyed.

b. And keep My Sabbaths: Reverence for parents is linked to reverence for the LORD. Submitting to parental authority is a step to submitting to Divine authority.

a. Do not turn to idols: The word for idols literally means nothings. Idols represent gods that are not real and do not really exist.

b. Nor make for yourselves molded gods: Israel had significant trouble with the worship of idols until the Babylonian captivity (some 800 years from the time of Leviticus). The attraction was not so much to the molded gods themselves, than as to what they represented - financial success, pleasure, and self-worship.
i. After the Babylonian captivity, Israel was cured of gross idolatry of molded gods and began a more insidious form of idolatry - idolatry of the nation itself, idolatry of the temple and its ceremonies, and an idolatry of tradition.

a. You shall not wholly reap the corners of your field: This was one of the public assistance programs in Israel. Farmers were not to completely harvest their fields, so the poor and needy could come and glean the remains for themselves.
i. This is exactly what Ruth was doing when Boaz noticed her (Ruth 2:2-3).

a. You shall not curse the deaf: God commanded Israel to not mistreat the handicapped. Cursing the deaf is cruel because they can't hear your curse, though others can. To put a stumbling block before the blind is just mean.
i. An accurate and revealing measure of our humanity is how we treat the weak and unfortunate.

a. You shall do no injustice in judgment: These were primarily instructions to judges and magistrates, giving them principles for making legal decisions. However, they also are relevant to everyday relations with those around us.
i. Jesus reminded us what this principle is all about: We should only judge others with the standard we are willing to be judged by because God will apply that same standard to us (Matthew 7:1-2).

b. I am the LORD: 15 times in this chapter, God declared that He is the LORD - and the one with the right to tell us what to do. This is something that God expected ancient Israel to respect, and expects His modern day followers to also respect.
i. The relationship between a lord and his people meant that the people had obligations to their lord, but the lord also had obligations toward his people. The lord was obligated to care for his servants, and our LORD God certainly cares for His people.

Reference and credits to https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Lev/Lev-19.cfm © 2004 David Guzik