The Priests

Leviticus 8

About the Sermon

How can we know abundant life with God in his presence forever? Leviticus 1–7 gave us the beginning of God's answer to that question: we need sacrifice. Leviticus 8 continues with another stage in God's plan: we need a priesthood. We need a hard-reset on the idea of a priest, an essential part of God's salvation plan and yet, for a variety of reasons, a confusing role.

About the Series

Life. That’s not what typically comes to mind for modern readers of Leviticus. This is that book filled with animal sacrifices. Life with God might sound even more out of touch. The many laws in this book may give us the impression that the Lord intends to keep his distance. Yet Leviticus is not about distance but nearness. The story of Exodus closed out with a problem: the Lord came to his tabernacle but Moses could not enter. How then can any of us get back to Eden? In Leviticus, the Lord answers that question. Yet the tabernacle and its laws are not the end of the story, but a shadow. Together they are a model of the entire cosmos, God’s heavenly dwelling, and the way to fullness of life with God.
Life. That’s not what typically comes to mind for modern readers of Leviticus. This is that book filled with animal sacrifices. Life with God might sound even more out of touch. The many laws in this book may give us the impression that the Lord intends to keep his distance. Yet Leviticus is not about distance but nearness. The story of Exodus closed out with a problem: the Lord came to his tabernacle but Moses could not enter. How then can any of us get back to Eden? In Leviticus, the Lord answers that question. Yet the tabernacle and its laws are not the end of the story, but a shadow. Together they are a model of the entire cosmos, God’s heavenly dwelling, and the way to fullness of life with God.

Sermons in the Series