Leviticus: The Purpose Of the Law

The law was given to the nation of Israel not the Gentile nations.

·       Le 26:46, 27:34.

What the law was never intended to do: did not justify, did not make perfect.

·       Acts 13:39; Gal 2:16, 3:11 could not justify

·       Heb 7:19, Heb 9:9 the law made nothing perfect

·       Being justified in the sight of God is being perfect

Ø    Rom 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Ø    No one was justified and no one was made perfect under the law because justification could only come through a sacrifice that rose from the dead, the perfect sacrifice

Gal 3:18 The purpose of the law was not to bring in the promise. The promise made to Abraham depended upon God not Israel keeping the law.

Gal 3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law?

The purpose of the Law:

One: To reveal the true nature of God and the glory do His name.  

·       The first five of The Ten Commandments concern man’s responsibility to God, the one exalted as head above all.

·       Ex 20:2-8; 40:35; Deu 5:23-24

Two: The law revealed sin and made man accountable for individual sins and that sin required a sacrifice to be made

·       Ro 4:15 before the law there was no transgression, there was no set standard no moral standard to pass over. 1Jo 3:4

·       Rom 5:13 Before the law was delivered God did not keep account of a man’s individual sins.

·       Rom 7:7-8 Sin was dead. Sin was not known before the law.

·       Rom 5:14 [Rom 6:23] nevertheless death still reigned, even those who have not made a conscience choice to sin. [babies, ect.]

·       1Co 15:56 The connection between sin and death was made manifest.

·       The dispensation law dealt with every thing listed in Romans 1:16-32.  

Three: To reveal the true nature of man.

·       Gen 6:5, 8:21

·       Cain offered the fruit of the ground: thorns and thistles

·       Malachi 1:-13 Israel showed they did not believe God deserved the best.

·       Israel openly and consciously broke every one of the ten commandments

·       Man says in his heart God is not exalted as head above all.

·       Mic 2:1; Rom 1:32

·       Ps 9:16; the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Isa 2:8

Forth: Worshipping God through the dispensation of the law.

·       Once Adam gained the knowledge of good and evil man could no longer walk with God or offer acceptable worship on his own. The loss of innocence doomed worshipping God through conscience. The conscience choice evil over good doomed worshipping God through human government and the promise.

The law offered Israel a schoolmaster to help to choose between good and evil. The law offered forgiveness when they sinned. By keeping the physical commandments of the law Israel was able to offer worship to God that He would accept.

·       Le 16:30 For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.

·       In Ten verses in Leviticus [4:20,26,31,35; 5:10,13,16,18; 6:7; 19:22] this phrase is seen  priest shall make an atonement for and it shall be forgiven.

·       Atonement was made and forgiveness was given and the iniquity was born by the high priest. [Ex 28:38; Lev 16:21]

Five: Lev 11:44;  I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. “Bringeth” is a continuing acting.

·       The desire to return to Egypt remained in the hearts of those twenty and older that came out of Egypt the LORD knew they would die in the wilderness. The LORD Jehovah was bringing the 19 and under generation that came out of Egypt above what they were in Egypt. They were not to worship the gods of Egypt; they were not to eat what they ate in Egypt. The LORD was working to bring Egypt out of his people. [Lev 18:1-5]

Six: To make the nation of Israel the envy of the Gentile nations.

·       The law was to be the standard by which Israel was to live when in the land. They were to do the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments before the gentiles.

·       De 4:1,5; 5:3; 12:1

·       The witness to the gentiles: De 4:6-8; 1Kings 8:41-42; Isa 43:10,12; 44:8

·       Psalm 96

Seven: Today the law points men to Christ. Gal 3:24

The law placed man in the shadow of the good things to come: The dispensation of God’s Gospel of Grace [1Co 9:17; Eph 3:2; Col 1:25]

·       Eph 2:5,8-9

·       Col 2:16-17,  Heb 10:1