NOTES for Lev 1:1-17
We begin reading the book of Leviticus, a kind of priestly rulebook for conducting worship - first at the tent of meeting, and later in the Jerusalem Temple. Although this book has not been used as such a rulebook for more than nineteen centuries (the Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D.), it has lost neither its authority for believers, Christians and Jews, nor its relevance. It remains part of the sacred canon and therefore the Word of God addressed to each of us.
Here we will find definitions of sacrifice, service, and purity that are fundamental for Christianity. We will see how the understanding of community, holiness, and reverence before God developed. And we will find one of the two greatest commandments on which, according to the Savior's word, the Law and the Prophets depend: the commandment to love one's neighbor as oneself, as the foundation of holiness and belonging to God.
And from the very first chapter, Leviticus shows us why sacrifice is offered. It is not simply some handout to a deity, meant to obtain certain benefits from him; that is how ancient and modern pagans mostly understand sacrifice. It is a pleasing aroma to the Lord, serving to express faith, to establish peace with the Lord, and to receive forgiveness of sins - that is, above all, for communion in love with one's Creator.