Leviticus 23

After reading chapter 23:

*This chapter is about special days and events and how to observe them.

- The Sabbath: every seventh day is a day of rest

-The Passover: starts at twilight on the 14 th day of the first month. On the first day is a sacred assembly and no work. For seven days unleavened bread is eaten. This is called the feast of unleavened bread. Every day an offering is to be made to the lord by fire. On the seventh day is another sacred assembly and no work. There is no mention of a Passover lamb.

-The next event is not named here but my study bible says it must be the Feast of First Fruits, also held in the first month of the year, right after the Passover week was over. It is to be held on the day after the  Feast Of Unleavened Bread's seventh day Sabbath. The first grain harvested is to be waved before the lord and a one year old lamb is to be sacrificed as a burnt offering, together with flour, oil and wine. The Israelites are not to eat anything made from that year's grain until this offering is made.

-Again, the next event is not named here but the study bible says it was the Feast of Weeks. From the date of the last event, seven weeks are counted, or 50 days to the day after the seventh sabbath. This is what came to be known as Pentecost. It is a big slaughter event with the sacrifice of seven lambs, a bull, and two Rams as a burnt offering. Plus, there is to be the sacrifice of a goat for a sin offering and two lambs as a fellowship offering. The lambs are to be waved in front of the lord. They are a sacred offering to the lord, for the priests. That is also a day with no work.

-On the first day of the seventh month, there is another day off and sacred assembly with an offering by fire. This is a day for blasting trumpets. Why? It doesn't say.

-On the tenth day of the seventh month, is the day of atonement, which we covered in Leviticus 16. This is a day of enforced rest and fasting.

-On the fifteenth day of the seventh month begins the Feast of Tabernacles which lasts for seven days.
The first day is a sacred assembly and no work. Every day offerings are to be made to God by fire. On the eight day is no work, an assembly and an offering. On the first day they are supposed to rejoice with fruit and Palm branches, somehow. They are also to live in booths, or mini tabernacles (tents?) for the seven days of this festival, to remind them of their time in the desert, which they were supposedly still experiencing when these laws were given.

*These specific events and offerings are required and are lasting ordinances for the generations to come. Of course, we all know the Jews no longer make sacrifices by fire. Why don't they? Well, the short answer is these lasting ordinances had some nuances that changed over the generations, which eventually made it impossible for the Jews to follow this tradition in the way they believed they must. We will see how that plays out as we make our way through the bible.  A longer answer is Here. 

Remember, we are basically looking at a plain reading of the bible. Jewish believers do not practice Sola Scriptura, but  have a rich tradition of extra- biblical commentary and interpretation which is beyond the scope of this reader.

Leviticus chapter 16

After reading chapter 16:

*After the deaths of Nadab and Abihu, Yahweh told Moses to tell Aaron that he couldn't come into the most holy place, were the ark was behind a curtain inside the tabernacle, whenever he wanted. He had to follow a special procedure first. He must wash and put on special clothes and underwear. He was to sacrifice a bull to atone for his sins. Then he takes a censer with fire and incense into the part of the tabernacle tent where the ark is. The smoke from the fire will keep him from seeing the lid of the ark, called the atonement cover, or he would die. Even though he can't see it because of the smoke, he is to sprinkle some of the bull's blood on it. No one but Aaron is allowed in the tabernacle during this ritual. (Why couldn't Yahweh give these instructions to Aaron himself? Who is really in charge here? )

*Then Aaron is to take  two goats to front of the tabernacle. One goat is to be sacrificed as a sin offering for the sins of Israel. Again, he takes its blood behind the curtain where the ark is and sprinkles the goat's blood on the lid. This is to atone for the sins of the Israelites for the most holy place.Then he repeats the blood sprinkling procedure for the tabernacle itself, and again for the altar, to cleanse it from the uncleanness of the Israelites.

*The second goat is the "scapegoat." Aaron puts his hands on its head and confesses all the sins of the Israelites over it. This transfers the sins to the goat. Then it will be sent out into the desert. After that, Aaron goes back into the tabernacle, takes a bath and changes to his regular clothes. Then he sacrifices a ram as a burnt offering and  burns the fat of the sin offering. The people who help with the scapegoat and the disposal of the remnants of the sacrifices must wash themselves and their clothes afterward.

*All this is to be done on the 10th day of the seventh month every year. It is the day of atonement, a lasting ordinance. It will also be considered a sabbath day, an enforced day of rest.  Whoever is current high priest is the official  who performs the duties described. It will clean the Israelites' sin slate for the year, in a manner of speaking.

*I find the whole thing depressing. Why would an eternal, omnipotent, benevolent, purely spiritual, God make a tribe of desert nomads perform such elaborate bloody rituals for him, or else? Sin and uncleanness are abstract concepts not concrete things. People don't walk around with actual piles of sins on their shoulders, that disappear when some animals are killed. Sins can't be transferred from people to goats. Notice that first the Israelites had to be told how unclean they were, then they were given a way to get rid of the uncleanness. God is giving them the medicine for the sickness he invented. He still does this for christians today.

*One way religious people get around the obvious wierdness of all these laws and rituals is to claim that they have metaphorical significance that trumps the literal meaning. If that is so, the text certainly gives no indication of it. Also, the death threats for non compliance appear to be quite literal.