A Study in Leviticus: Outline and Overview

Here the whooshing sound? That is the air flying past your ears as you jump, cannonball-style into the unknown territory of Leviticus.

Thanks for joining me, for challenging me, to study Leviticus.

There is encouraging, relevant and applicable truth in this book. And I am determined to discipline myself to discover it. Here’s how I’m getting ready:

Tools:

• Study Bible: I am using my new Study Bible for Women, HCSB that Shane got me for Christmas. I appreciate that someone way smarter than me has done the homework and research about Leviticus, and included notes, definitions, timelines, and overviews to help me understand the book better. If your Bible does not include study notes, I suggest having your research tools handy for tough questions.
• Research Tools: If you would like to dig deeper, I highly recommend grabbing one or both of these helpful study books. Personally, I might consult these books once or twice in my study, but not necessarily every day.
  • The Bible Knowledge Commentary
  • Zondervan Handbook to the Bible
• Journal: I plan to address 3 simple thoughts on each chapter.
  • What does this say about God?
  • How can I live in light of this chapter?
  • Did anything else stand out/ do I have any questions?
• 20 minutes of time: I take this time in the morning while I eat breakfast, while my 5-month-old twins are at their happiest. They play on the floor as I read the chapter for the day out loud to them.
• Prayer: I know I need help. This book contains a lot of ancient concepts with monumental significance. “Lord, please open my mind to understand you more clearly, and prepare my heart to follow you more closely through my time studying this book.”

I plan to read one chapter a day. I realize that it is crucial to also take a holistic approach when reading a book like Leviticus. The books of the Bible weren’t segmented into chapters when first written. I’d like to read through the whole book in one sitting, but for now, I don’t have the time or mental focus to do so. Thankfully, I have a few resources to help me grasp the overall content of Leviticus.*:

Outline:

The Study Bible for Women gives the following overview:

3 Major Themes: Holiness, Sacrifice, and Atonement

Overview:

1. Love the Lord your God with all your heart (1:1-16:34)
2. Love your neighbor as yourself (17:1-34)

The Bible Knowledge Commentary splits into these 2 sections: 

1. The Way of Approach to God by Sacrifice (Chapters 1-16)
2. The Walk of Holiness before God by Separation (Chapters 17-27)

Having different perspectives can be helpful in our study of Leviticus.

 Theme Verse:

You are to be holy to Me because I, Yahweh, am holy.” Leviticus 20:26a

Already, I am getting the chills. I began reading a book for pastors wives about understanding my current role in life. Ultimately, I kept returning to the fact that God calls me to “be Holy as I [God] am holy.” Wow, Leviticus is incredibly relevant to this stage in my journey right now!

I’ll begin blogging tomorrow about my study through Leviticus, chapter 1. It takes a certain amount of spiritual maturity to walk through the books most Christians avoid. I’ve got my big girl shoes on and am ready for the journey. Will you join me?

What resources have you found most helpful as you start to study this Old Testament book?

Feeling less than motivated to join in the study of Leviticus?

Maybe you have just need a few tips. Visit my Pinterest page “Bible Study Tips” for helpful hints and resources for almost every type of non-studier. Or click on the link below:

Bible Study Tips Series