Lesson&#20&

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Exodus'20'through'Levi2cus'26'expresses'God’s'covenant'with'the'Israelites'in'its'totality.''Levi2cus'27'then'func2ons'much'like'an'appendix'to'the'covenant,'and'its'topic'is'vows&and'dedica1ons—giEs'to'the'sanctuary'which'cons2tute'a'large'part'of'the'income'needed'to'implement'the'covenant,'operate'the'Tabernacle'and'compensate'the'priests.'

In'Lesson'#19'we'examined'these'vows'and'dedica2ons'in'detail,'focusing'especially'on'the'differing'redemp2on'prices'for'men'and'women,'and'on'the'act'of'placing'“under'the'ban”'an'irredeemable,'conquered'people—a'very'troubling'concept'to'modern'readers.'

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Chris2ans'oEen'view'Levi2cus'as'an'impenetrable'tangle'of'ancient'laws'and'rituals,'things'en2rely'superseded'by'the'sacrifice'of'Christ'on'the'cross'and'the'inaugura2on'of'the'New'Covenant.'

Nothing'could'be'farther'from'the'truth!''For'Jews,'Levi2cus'sits'at'the'very'heart'of'the'Torah:''from'God’s'lips,'to'Moses,'to'you.''As'we'noted'in'Lesson'#1,'from'the'Middle'Ages'onward'Jewish'children'are'introduced'to'Scripture,'not'with'the'great'stories'of'Genesis,'Exodus,'Numbers'or'Deuteronomy,'but'through'the'study'of'Levi2cus,'following'the'great'rabbi'Rashi’s'slogan,'“Let'the'pure'ones'come'and'study'laws'of'purity.”'

For'a'Chris2an,'studying'Levi2cus'and'penetra2ng'to'the'deeper'levels'of'the'anagogical'(future'events'of'Chris2an'history),'typological'(how'events'in'the'Hebrew'Scriptures'foreshadow'those'in'the'New'Testament)'and'tropological'(the'“moral”'meaning'of'the'stories'and'how'they'are'applied'to'Chris2ans'today),'gives'us'the'clearest'picture'we'have'of'God’s'plan'of'redemp2on'and'of'the'person'and'work'of'his'Son,'our'Lord'Jesus'Christ.'

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In'this'concluding'lesson'we'review'and'summarize'what'we'have'learned'from'Levi2cus,'placing'the'book'in'its'proper'context'within'the'overall'linear'narra2ve'of'Scripture.'

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When'we'began'our'study'of'Scripture'we'laid'out'a'set'of'principles'to'guide'us.'''We'noted'that'the'world'of'the'Bible'is:'

• Patriarchal'• Monarchial'• Polytheis2c'• Slaveholding'These'were'unques2oned'reali2es'of'the'ancient'Near'Eastern'world;'it'would'never'occur'to'anyone'to'consider'an'alterna2ve'world'view.'

And'we'noted'that'all'works'of'art'mirror'the'2me'and'culture'from'which'they'emerge,'including'the'Bible.'

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What’s'more,'we'noted'that'although'wricen'over'a'period'of'at'least'1,500'years,'with'each'book'of'the'Bible'passing'through'the'hands'of'editors'and'redactors,'and'each'book'of'the'Bible'having'its'own'more'or'less'complex'textual'history—the'Bible,'as'we'have'it'in'its'full'72ebook'Septuagint'canon—is'a'unified'literary'work:'

• the'curtain'rises'in'Genesis'and'it'falls'in'Revela2on'• the'main'character'is'God'• the'conflict'is'sin'• the'theme'is'redemp2on'

The'Chris2an'canon'of'Scripture'has'a'set'of'concrete'images'that'create'textual'cohesion,''and'it'moves'in'a'straight'line'from'Genesis'through'Revela2on,'with'recapitula2on'throughout'the'linear'progression.'

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Our'story'begins'in'Genesis''with'crea2on.'

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William'Blake.''”The'Ancient'of'Days'Sehng'a'Compass'to'the'Earth”&(Relief'etching'with'hand'coloring),'1794.&&Plate'from'Europe&a&Prophecy&(1794),'copy&K.&&

Fitzwilliam&Museum,&Cambridge&University.&

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And'it'was'good,'indeed.''In'the'2nd'crea2on'story'God'walks'with'Adam'and'Eve'in'the'Garden'of'Eden'in'an'

in2mate,'loving'rela2onship.'

And%he%said%.%.%.%% 10%

Hieronymus'Bosch.''Garden&of&Earthly&Delights&[detail]'(oil'on'oak'panel),'c.'1490e1510.'Prado'Museum,'Madrid.'

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But'very'quickly'conflict'enters'our'story:''sin.'

In'Genesis'3'we'define'sin,'not'as'an'act'that'we'commit,'but'as'a'condi2on'that'we'are'in,'a'condi2on'of'aliena2on'and'separa2on'from'God'that'manifests'itself'in'outward'sinful'ac2on.'

And'we'learned'that'sin'has'four'characteris2cs:'

1.   Sin'is'subtle'2.   Sin'distorts'our'judgment'3.   Sin'escalates'4.   Sin'cascades'down'through'genera2ons'

And%he%said%.%.%.%% 12%

William'Blake.''Tempta1on&and&Fall&of&Eve&(watercolor),'1808.'Museum'of'Fine'Arts,'Boston.'

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Exactly'who'or'what'is'this'serpent'who'tempts'Adam'

and'Eve?'At'the'end'of'our'story'in'Revela2on'20:'1e3'we'are'told:'

“Then&I&saw&an&angel&come&down&from&heaven,&holding&in&his&hand&the&key&to&the&abyss&and&a&heavy&chain.&&He&seized&the&dragon,&the&ancient&serpent,&which&is&the&Devil&or&Satan,&and&1ed&it&up&for&a&thousand&years&and&threw&it&into&the&abyss,&which&he&locked&over&it&and&sealed,&so&that&it&could&no&longer&lead&the&na1ons&astray&.&.&..”&

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And'where'did'Satan'come'from;'how'did'he'get'into'

the'Garden'of'Eden?'Revela2on'12:'7e9'gives'us'a'hint.''In'a'flashback'to'events'prior'to'Genesis'1,'we'read:'

“Then&war&broke&out&in&heaven;&Michael&and&his&angels&baPled&against&the&dragon.&&The&dragon&and&its&angels&fought&back,&but&they&did&not&prevail&and&there&was&no&longer&any&place&for&them&in&heaven.&&The&huge&dragon,&the&ancient&serpent,&who&is&called&the&Devil&or&Satan,&who&deceived&the&whole&world,&was&thrown&down&to&earth,&and&its&angels&were&thrown&down&with&it.”&

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Isaiah'14:'12e15'gives'us'addi2onal'imagery'associated'with'Satan:'

“How&you&have&fallen&from&the&heavens,&&O&Morning&Star,&son&of&the&dawn!&

How&you&have&been&cut&down&to&the&earth,&&you&who&conquered&na1ons!&

In&your&heart&you&said:&&‘I&will&scale&the&heavens;&

Above&the&stars&of&God&&I&will&set&up&my&throne;&

I&will&take&my&seat&on&the&Mount&of&Assembly,&&on&the&heights&of&Zaphon.&

I&will&ascend&above&the&tops&of&the&clouds;&&I&will&be&like&the&Most&High!’&

No!&&Down&to&Sheol&you&will&be&brought&&to&the&depths&of&the&pit!”&

This'is'the'Scriptural'context'for'John'Milton’s'Paradise&Lost'of'1667,'the'greatest'epic'poem'in'the'English'

language.'

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William'Blake.''Satan&Arousing&the&Rebel&Angels&(watercolor),'1808.'Victoria'and'Albert'Museum,'London.'

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William'Blake.''God&Judging&Adam&(color'relief'print'with'pen,'ink'and'watercolor),'c.'1795.'Metropolitan'Museum'of'Art,'New'York.'

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Once'banished'from'Paradise,'Adam'and'Eve'struggle'with'pain,'sickness'and'death,'the'direct'consequences'of'sin.'

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Peter'Paul'Rubens.''Cane&Slaying&Abel&(oil'on'oak'panel),'c.'1608e1609.'Courtauld'Ins2tute'of'Art,'London.'

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And'by'Genesis'6:'5e6'we'read:'

“When&the&Lord&saw&how&great&the&wickedness&of&human&beings&was&on&earth,&and&how&every&desire&that&their&heart&conceived&was&always&nothing&but&evil,&the&Lord&regrePed&making&human&beings&on&the&earth,&and&his&heart&was&grieved.”&&

So'Genesis'6:'11'–'9:'17'God'in'brought'the'flood'to'wash'the'board'clean'and'give'humanity'a'second'chance.'

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John'Mar2n.''The&Deluge&(oil'on'canvas),'1834.'Yale'Center'for'Bri2sh'Art,'Paul'Mellon'Collec2on,'New'Haven.'

And%he%said%.%.%.%% 23%

Turkey'

Iran'

Armenia'!'

"'Mt.'Ararat'

Photography&by&Ana&Maria&Vargas.&&

Photography&by&Ana&Maria&Vargas.&&

Photography&by&Ana&Maria&Vargas.&&

Photography&by&Ana&Maria&Vargas.&&

Photography&by&Ana&Maria&Vargas.&&

Photography&by&Ana&Maria&Vargas.&&

Not'me.''

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That’s'not'Noahs'ark!%

I’ll'bet'it'is!'

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Once'the'Flood'subsided,'Noah'got'off'the'ark,'planted'a'vineyard,'got'drunk,'cursed'his'children'and'we'ended'up'at'the'Tower'of'Babel'in'

Genesis'11:'1e9.'

It&happened&all&over&again!&

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Pieter'Brueghel'the'Elder.''The&Tower&of&Babel&(oil'on'panel),'1563.''Museum'of'Fine'Arts,'Vienna.'

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Clearly,'leE'to'our'own'devices'humanity'cannot'resolve'the'issue'of'sin,'so'in'Genesis'12:'2e3'God'takes'macers'into'his'own'hands'and'introduces'the'plan'of'redemp2on,'making'a'covenant'with'Abraham,'a'covenant'which'involves'both'progeny'(people)'and'property'(land).'

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In'the'Abraham/Isaac'story'we'have'our'first'hint'that'God’s'plan'of'redemp2on'will'involve'something'far'more'than'God'building'Abraham'and'his'wife'Sarah'into'a'na2on'and'giving'them'land.'

It'will'also'involve'the'sacrifice'of'God’s'own'son,'foreshadowed'in'the'story'of'the'sacrifice'of'Isaac'in'Genesis'22:'1e19.'

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Rembrandt.'Sacrifice&of&Isaac&(oil'on'canvas),'1635.'Hermitage'Museum,'St.'Petersburg,'Russia.'

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So,'God'makes'good'on'his'covenant'with'Abraham:''Abraham'and'Sarah'have'Isaac;'Isaac'and'Rebekah'have'Jacob;'and'Jacob'and'his'wives,'Leah'and'Rachel'(and'his'concubines'Bilhah'and'Zilpah)'have'twelve'sons'who'become'the'founders'of'the'twelve'tribes'of'Israel.'

We'leave'Genesis'with'the'en2re'family'of'70'in'Egypt'with'their'brother'Joseph'who'is'“Prime'Minister”'of'Egypt,'second'only'to'Pharaoh'himself.'

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When'we'turn'the'page'to'Exodus,'400'years'flash'by,'and'Jacob’s'family'of'70'have'become'nearly'2'million—and'they'are'now'slaves'in'Egypt.'

We'shouldn’t'be'surprised.''In'Genesis'15:'13,'God'said'to'Abraham:'“Know&for&certain&that&your&descendants&will&reside&as&aliens&in&a&land&not&their&own,&where&they&shall&be&enslaved&and&oppressed&for&four&hundred&years.”&

Why'would'God'do'that?'

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1.   Slaves'don’t'assimilate.''With'400'years'of'slavery'God'ensured'that'Jacob’s'family'of'70'would'not'assimilate'into'the'dominant'Egyp2an'culture,'thereby'enabling'them'to'achieve'cri2cal'mass,'retaining'their'iden2ty.'

2.   And'400'years'of'slavery'taught'the'Israelites'very'important'moral'and'ethical'lessons'about'oppression,'jus2ce'and'social'equality,'lessons'that'would'become'cri2cal'for'the'Israelites,'God’s'vehicle'for'redeeming'humanity.'

There'are'two'reasons:'

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But'400'years'of'slavery'is'enough!'

In'God’s'own'2me'he'raised'up'Moses'who'would'lead'his'people'out'of'Egypt.''Finding'him'in'a'basket'in'the'bulrushes'of'the'Nile'River,'Pharaoh’s'daughter'adopted'Moses'and'brought'him'up'as'a'prince'of'Egypt.''''

We'all'know'the'story'of'Exodus'2:'1e15.'

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Paul'Delaroche.''Moses&in&the&Bulrushes&(oil'on'canvas),'1857.'Private'Collec2on.'

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Moses'spent'the'next'40'years'as'a'fugi2ve,'living'in'the'land'of'Midian,'in'northwestern'Saudi'Arabia'of'today.''There'he'married'Zipporah,'daughter'of'Jethro,'and'he'tended'sheep'belonging'to'his'fathereinelaw.''

Quite'the'comedown'for'a'prince'of'Egypt!'

But'in'Exodus'3'God'chose'Moses'to'perform'a'great'task.''

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Henri'Eugène'Pluchart.''God&Appears&to&Moses&in&the&Burning&Bush&(oil'on'canvas),'1848.'St.'Isaac’s'Cathedral,'St.'Petersburg,'Russia.'

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It'took'the'10'plagues'to'convince'Pharaoh'to'free'the'Israelites,'and'when'he'does,'they'leave'Egypt'a''devastated'land,'ravaged'by'supernatural'disasters'and'the'death'of'every'firstborn'Egyp2an'child'and'animal.'

The'plagues'did'three'things:'

1.   they'taught'the'Israelites'who'God'is;'2.   they'taught'the'Egyp2ans'who'God'is;'

and'3.   they'brought'judgment'on'the'

Egyp2an'gods.'

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Once'out'of'Egypt'and'across'the'Red'Sea'the'Israelites'make'their'way'to'Mount'Sinai,'where'in'Exodus'19'God'reaffirms'the'covenant'with'them.'

Land'of'Goshen'Rameses'!#'

Succoth'!#'

#'"'Marah'

#'"'Elim'

"'Mt.'Sinai'

#'"'Rephidim'

"'Bicer'Lakes'

"'Via'Maris'

Mt.'Sinai'

Photography&by&Ana&Maria&Vargas&

At'midnight,'Dr.'Creasy’s'intrepid'band'of'students'prepare'to'climb'Mt.'Sinai.'

Photography&by&Ana&Maria&Vargas&

Dr.'Creasy'leads'the'way'up'the'mountain'in'the'black'of'night!'

Photography&by&Ana&Maria&Vargas&

Unlike'Moses,'we'stop'halfway'up'for'coffee'and'cookies,'served'by'the'Bedouins!'

Photography&by&Ana&Maria&Vargas&

Sunrise'from'atop'Mt.'Sinai.'

Photography&by&Ana&Maria&Vargas&

Early'morning'on'the'mountain'of'God.'

Photography&by&Ana&Maria&Vargas&

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Accep2ng'the'terms'of'the'covenant,'God'gives'his'people'two'great'giEs:''the'Law'and'the'Tabernacle.'

1.   The'Law'is'ten'principles'by'which'a'covenant'people'are'to'live'with'God'and'one'another;'and'

2.   The'Tabernacle'is'a'physical'structure'that'enables'a'sinful'people'to'gain''access'to'a'holy'God.'

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Turning'the'page'to'Levi2cus,'we'learn'how'to'apply'the'Law'and'how'to'use'the'Tabernacle.'Importantly,'the'Tabernacle'provides'a'bridge'between'God'and'humanity,'a'bridge'mediated'by'the'priesthood'and'enabled'by'the'“5'Great'Sacrifices”:'

1.   Burnt'offering'2.   Grain'offering'3.   Peace'offering'4.   Sin'offering''5.   Guilt'offering'

The'Tabernacle'

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The'Law'and'the'Tabernacle'have'great'intrinsic'value'in'their'own'right,'but'viewed'through'a'Chris2an'interpreta2ve'lens,'they'speak'of'the'person'and'work'of'Christ.'

We'learn'in'Hebrews'8:'1e6'that'the'Tabernacle'is'“a&copy&and&shadow&of&the&heavenly&sanctuary,”&and'we'learn'that'the'5'Great'Sacrifices'have'a'deeper'spiritual'meaning,'as'well:'

1.   Burnt'offering'='Christ'offers'himself'wholly'to'God;'

2.   Grain'offering'='Christ'is'flawless'in'his'humanity;'

3.   Peace'offering'='Christ'is'our'peace,'with'whom'we'share'a'meal,'his'body'and'blood'in'the'Eucharist;'

4.   Sin'offering'='Christ'takes'our'sin'upon'himself;'''5.   Guilt'offering'='Christ'pays'the'penalty'for'our'

sins,'making'res2tu2on'to'God'on'our'behalf.'

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Exodus'20'through'Levi2cus'26'encompass'the'en2rety'of'God’s'covenant'with'Israel,'following'the'standard'6epart'structure'of'ancient'Near'Eastern'covenants'between'sovereigns'and'vassals:''

1.   Preamble,'or'introduc2on'of'the'speaker;'2.   Historical'prologue;'3.   S2pula2ons;'4.   The'document;'5.   Calling'the'gods'as'witnesses;'and'6.   Blessings'and'curses.'

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When'we'leave'Levi2cus'and'move'on'to'Numbers,'we'count'the'people,'organize'them'and'march'toward'the'land'of'Canaan,'the'“Promised'Land”:'

• In'Deuteronomy'Moses'tells'the'new'genera2on'their'story,'in'light'of'spending'40'years'in'the'wilderness;'• In'Joshua'the'Israelites'conquer'the'land'of'Canaan;'and'• In'Judges'the'Israelites'secle'it.'

By'the'end'of'Judges,'however,'the'Israelites'have'shacered'the'covenant:''they'are'far'from'being'“a&kingdom&of&priests&and&a&holy&na1on,”&a'“light&to&the&Gen1les”;'rather,'we'read:&&“In&those&days&.&.&.&everyone&did&what&was&right&in&their&own&sight.”&&

The'Israelites'had'forgocen'God,'en2rely.''

Not'me.''

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So,'once'again'sin'corrupts'humanity.''We'really'do'need'

Christ.%Stay'tuned'for'the'rest'of'the'

story!'

1.   Adam'and'Eve'live'in'paradise,'a'flawless'garden'where'everything'is'as'God'intended:''yet'they'fall.''Why?'

2.   The'Abrahamic'covenant'consists'of'two'promises.''What'are'they?''

3.   How'does'the'sacrifice'of'Isaac'foreshadow'the'sacrifice'of'Christ?'

4.   Why'were'the'Israelites'enslaved'in'Egypt?'5.   When'God'reaffirmed'his'covenant'with'the'

en2re'Israelite'community'at'Mount'Sinai,'he'gave'them'two'great'giEs.''What'are'they?'

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Copyright'©'2015'by'William'C.'Creasy'

' All' rights' reserved.' No' part' of' this' course—audio,' video,'photography,' maps,' 2melines' or' other' media—may' be'reproduced'or'transmiced'in'any'form'by'any'means,'electronic'or' mechanical,' including' photocopying,' recording' or' by' any'informa2on' storage' or' retrieval' devices' without' permission' in'wri2ng'or'a'licensing'agreement'from'the'copyright'holder.'

[All'Tabernacle'illustra2ons'in'these'lectures'are'taken'from:'''

Paul'F.'Kiene.' 'The&Tabernacle&of&God&in&the&Wilderness&of&Sinai,'trans.' by' John' S,' Crandall.' Grand'Rapids,'Michigan:' ' Zondervan'Publishing'House,'1977.''Used'by'permission.]''

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