I. THE SONS OF ISRAEL PUTTING OFF THE FORMER EGYPTIAN CONDUCT
The sons of Israel were charged to put off the former Egyptian conduct (18:3a). This signifies that the believers should put off the former, old way of living.
II. NOT WALKING IN THE CUSTOMS OF THE CANAANITES, INTO WHOSE LAND THEY WOULD COME
The Israelites were also charged not to walk in the customs of the Canaanites, into whose land they would come (18:3b). This signifies that, after being saved, the believers should not be conformed to the living and conduct of the worldly people.
III. HAVING GOD’S HOLY LIVING
The sons of Israel were to have God’s holy living (18:4— 20:27). This signifies putting on the new man. Living a holy life according to God’s holiness is equal to putting on the new man.
IV. BEING HOLY, BECAUSE GOD IS HOLY
These chapters emphasize the requirement that God’s people be holy because He is holy. “You shall be holy, for I, Jehovah your God, am holy” (19:2). “You shall sanctify yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am Jehovah your God” (20:7). “You shall be holy to Me, for I Jehovah am holy; and I have separated you from the peoples to be Mine” (20:26). Being holy because God is holy signifies walking according to God’s holiness, living a holy life.
V. OFFERING A SACRIFICE OF PEACE OFFERINGS TO JEHOVAH THAT IT MAY BE ACCEPTED
“When you sacrifice a sacrifice of peace offerings to Jehovah, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted” (19:5). This signifies that the breaking of bread for the remembrance of the Lord should be done in a way that is acceptable to the Lord (cf. 1 Cor. 11:17-21). We must not have the Lord’s table in an abusive way but in a proper way.
We have seen that the propitiation in Leviticus 16 involved four of the five basic offerings: the sin offering, the trespass offering, the burnt offering, and the meal offering. The issue of these offerings is the peace offering. This means that these four offerings issue in a result, and this result is that we enjoy peace with God and with God’s people. This is the peace offering.
Chapters eighteen through twenty are not concerned with propitiation but with the holy living of God’s holy people. In this kind of living it is important that we have fellowship, communion, mutual enjoyment, in peace. This is fully signified by the peace offering.
The peace offering is the Old Testament type of the Lord’s table. When we have the Lord’s table, we enjoy the peace offering. At the Lord’s table we enjoy Christ as our peace offering for our fellowship with God and with one another. This enjoyment of the peace offering issues from the trespass offering, the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the meal offering. Our enjoyment of Christ as these four offerings will have an issue, a result—the enjoyment of Christ as our peace offering for us to have fellowship with God and with our fellow believers.
Through the four offerings in Leviticus 16, our negative situation is propitiated. Thus, concerning the holy living in Leviticus 18—20, we need to take care of the enjoyment of Christ as our peace offering.
(Life-Study of Leviticus, Chapter 49, by Witness Lee)
