The Levitical Law, also known as the Law of Moses, refers to the laws and commandments that God gave to the people of Israel through Moses. This expansive set of laws is recorded primarily in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The Levitical Law served multiple important purposes for the nation of Israel.
To reveal God’s holiness and righteousness
A major purpose of the Levitical Law was to reveal the perfect holiness and righteousness of God. Through the detailed and intricate laws governing all areas of life, God displayed his supreme standard of moral perfection (Leviticus 19:2). The laws exposed the extent of God’s holiness, showing how even the smallest details matter to him. They also revealed God’s uncompromising justice and hatred of sin. The punishment prescribed for breaking various laws demonstrated how seriously God takes sin.
The Levitical Law showed the gulf between God’s holiness and human sinfulness. It made people aware of their own failure to meet God’s standard, their need for forgiveness and grace, and their inability to earn salvation through works (Romans 3:20). The Law served as a tutor or guardian to lead people to Christ (Galatians 3:24). It prepared the way for the gospel by revealing human sin and need.
To separate Israel from other nations
The Levitical Law set Israel apart from all other contemporary cultures. At the time, pagan nations engaged in cruel and degrading practices, including child sacrifice, temple prostitution, and the worship of multiple gods. By giving the Law, God distinguished Israel as a holy nation set apart for his purposes (Exodus 19:5-6). The laws provided moral, ethical, spiritual, and societal standards unique among the surrounding peoples.
Details of the Law, such as dietary restrictions, rituals, festivals, and dress codes made it difficult for Israelites to assimilate into other cultures. Separation protected Israel from falling into the depraved practices of neighboring peoples. As a holy nation, Israel was to model the blessings of serving the one true God.
To promote social justice and communal health
Many of the Levitical laws and regulations served to protect the rights of individuals and vulnerable groups in society. Laws protected the poor, aliens, widows, and orphans from exploitation. The Law condemned oppression, commanded kindness to foreigners, and provided ways for the disadvantaged to be cared for (Exodus 22:21-27).
Laws regarding contagious skin diseases (Leviticus 13), mold in homes (Leviticus 14:33-57), bodily discharges (Leviticus 15), and sanitation (Deuteronomy 23:12-14) protected community health. Strict penalties for murder, adultery, incest, and other sins deterred moral and social corruption.
While Israel often failed to live up to it, the Law was intended to shape a just, compassionate, and ethical society reflecting God’s standards and priorities. It promoted love, justice, and holiness at individual and corporate levels.
To point to Christ
Beyond revealing God’s character and righteousness, the Levitical Law also served a preparatory purpose in salvation history. In many ways, it foreshadowed and pointed ahead to Jesus Christ.
Some regulations and institutions, like the sacrificial system, Passover, priesthood, and tabernacle/temple worship all prefigured Christ’s future sacrifice and role as the ultimate high priest and mediator between God and man (Hebrews 7-10). God designed these earthly patterns to prepare the way for the greater, ultimate reality found in Christ.
Several specific laws also reflected deeper symbolic meaning when considered in light of Christ. For example, laws prohibiting mixing types of cloth (Leviticus 19:19) or mixing different animals on a farm (Leviticus 19:19) symbolized that Christ’s righteousness is unmixed and pure. Laws about cleansing leprosy (Leviticus 14) picture Christ’s healing of spiritual uncleanness.
While the Levitical Law had many pragmatic functions at the time, it was also intentionally designed to point ahead to Christ and the spiritual realities found in him. God embedded symbols and prophetic patterns into Israel’s laws that communicated profound theological meaning when fulfilled in Christ.
To show the need for Christ’s work
A related and crucial purpose of the Levitical Law was to demonstrate human inability to gain righteousness through works. No one aside from Christ could fully obey its extensive demands. In this way, it showed people their helplessness to earn right standing with God apart from Christ.
The Law demanded complete, perfect obedience in order for the blessings of the Mosaic covenant to be received (Deuteronomy 27:26). Failure to keep the Law perfectly resulted in curses and judgment. Since no sinner could hope to fulfill the Law entirely due to human depravity, it showed the complete need for Christ’s sinless life, sacrificial death and forgiveness.
The Law ultimately served as a custodian or tutor that pointed to and prepared hearts for justification by faith in Christ alone (Galatians 3:24). It was never intended to be a means to earn righteousness, but to demonstrate the need for Christ’s redemptive work on our behalf.
To establish Israel’s terms of blessing and cursing
On a national level, Israel’s obedience or disobedience to the Levitical Law determined whether they experienced God’s blessing and protection or judgment and curses. Obedience brought prosperity, security, and God’s favor. Disobedience resulted in foreign oppression, sickness, agricultural disaster, and exile (Deuteronomy 28).
This blessing-cursing dichotomy directly related to Israel’s performance under the Law. It taught the nation that moral behavior matters while providing incentives for obedience. It also displayed the disastrous results that came from disregarding God’s standards.
While individuals were saved by grace through faith just as people are today, Old Testament Israel as a corporate nation was blessed or cursed based on adherence to the Mosaic Law. This arrangement foreshadowed the future spiritual blessings that salvation in Christ would bring to all believers.
To reveal the depth of human sin
A further purpose of the Law was to deliberately provoke and reveal the true depth of human sinfulness and depravity. Although sin was in the world before Moses received the Law (Romans 5:13-14), God designed the Law itself to actively expose humankind’s corrupt nature and tendency toward disobedience.
Like putting a lid on a jar of carbonation, the prohibitions and restraints of the Law caused humanity’s suppressed sin to ferment and bubble up. Telling people not to covet made them aware of their natural coveting. Laws against idolatry stirred up temptation toward idolatry. Commandments illuminated the dark propensity toward evil within the human heart.
The Law aroused sin, aggravated sin, and made it utterly apparent (Romans 7:5-13). It revealed the exceeding sinfulness of sin beyond what people were consciously aware of (Romans 7:13). In doing so, it displayed the magnitude of human spiritual sickness and need for reconciliation with God.
To discipline Israel and protect human dignity
In conjunction with revealing sin, the Levitical Law served to discourage and limit damaging sinful behavior among God’s people. The Law’s commands, restrictions, penalties, and punishments acted as a disciplinarian or custodian that curbed sin and its effects (Galatians 3:19-26). While unable to change the heart, the Law constrained sin through fear of punishment.
This disciplining of sin protected human dignity, community health, and societal order. While still flawed, ancient Israel avoided slipping to the chaotic depths of depravity seen in surrounding pagan nations. The Law helped preserve basic human rights, freedom, and moral sensitivities that pagan cultures readily suppressed and exploited.
The Law demanded justice, lovingkindness, and protection of the vulnerable. It opposed oppression, murder, racism, assault, greed, and exploitation. Although limited, its discipline and justice reflected God’s care to protect life, community, decency, and justice.
To show the need for the Holy Spirit
The Levitical Law exemplified the weakness of external law to transform human desires, thoughts, and motivations – highlighting the inner work of the Holy Spirit under the new covenant.
Even as the Jews affirmed God’s Law, their personal motivations and heart attitudes were far from God. The Law could regulate outward behavior, but it could not internally change an unregenerate heart.
The Law illustrated that a new heart, revived spirit, and indwelling of the Holy Spirit would be essential under the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34, Ezekiel 36:25-27). As a custodian, it supervised and confined Israel until the promise of spiritual regeneration could come. The Law’s inability to bring inner righteousness showed God’s plan to write his law on transformed hearts.
The Levitical Law could never produce the fruits of righteousness in human nature. It took the infusion of the Holy Spirit and new birth to enable people to obey from the heart and bear godly fruit.
To establish a system of worship and sacrifice
Undergirding Israel’s ethical and social laws, the Levitical Law provided detailed guidelines for the nation’s system of worship, sacrifices, offerings, priests, tabernacle/temple, and festivals. This liturgical aspect instilled proper reverence, awe, and gratitude toward God.
Sacrifices vividly displayed the penalty of sin (death) while providing a way of atonement and cleansing. They pictured substitutionary sacrifice that would later find fulfillment in Christ. The sacrificial system enabled fellowship between sinful people and a holy God.
Tabernacle and temple worship provided a tangible place and means to draw near to God, offer gifts and offerings, celebrate festivals, and commune with God collectively. The ceremonial laws provided instructions for interacting with God’s presence and celebrating his gracious provision.
This system of worship nurtured Israel’s spiritual life and gratitude. It fostered reverence for God despite the inadequacies and limitations compared to salvation in Christ. God graciously gave these gifts to help shepherd Israel spiritually.
To prefigure Christ’s sacrifice
As mentioned previously, a central purpose of the Levitical Law’s extensive worship regulations was to foreshadow and prefigure the person and work of Christ.
Through the sacrificial death of countless animals, the Law dramatically portrayed the coming sacrifice of Christ to bear sin’s penalty and bring atonement (Hebrews 10:1-4). This ongoing object lesson prepared hearts to understand Christ’s crucifixion.
The high priest interceding between God and the people previewed Christ’s future role as our great High Priest and mediator (Hebrews 4:14-16, 7:23-28). The Passover lamb typified Christ as the ultimate Passover sacrifice (1 Corinthians 5:7).
Many other symbolic parallels could be drawn. Through vivid object lessons, God carefully arranged Israel’s system of worship to point ahead to the climactic fulfillment found in Jesus Christ.
To establish moral, ethical, spiritual standards
In addition to revealing God’s righteousness, the Levitical Law provided authoritative moral, ethical, and spiritual standards for Israel. This instruction defined what God considered good, upright, and just. The Law revealed how a holy people set apart for God should conduct themselves.
Laws against idolatry, sorcery, child sacrifice, murder, adultery, and theft established foundational moral boundaries. Ethical and judicial regulations introduced impartial justice, penal fairness, and protection of the vulnerable.
Ceremonial laws fostered holiness and purity. Specific prohibitions deterred pagan practices and occult activities. Detailing these standards in Law formed Israel’s corporate conscience as a nation belonging to God.
The Levitical Law provided ethical and moral guidance adapted to Israel’s time and context. While incomplete compared the fuller revelation in Christ, it imparted God’s righteous standards and shaped Israel’s national character as God intended.
To provide principles reflecting God’s righteousness
While containing culturally-bound laws limited to Israel’s context, much of the Levitical Law encapsulated timeless ethical and moral principles stemming from God’s righteous character. The Law expressed many universal truths reflecting God’s perspective on justice, human worth, love for neighbor, social ethics, sexual purity, and care for the vulnerable.
Principles embedded in Israel’s Law, such as care for foreigners, widows and orphans, impartial justice, sexual integrity, honesty, compassion for the poor, and neighbor love remain relevant today. Though wrapped in cultural packaging, they provide God-given wisdom and insight for moral conduct.
Aspects of the Law also reveal principles concerning God’s view of authority, property, rest, work, freedom, worship, and human value that remain applicable today. While the cultural forms differ, the principles exemplify righteousness in ways that still guide moral behavior and social ethics.
Through Israel’s Law, God communicated timeless spiritual and moral truth that transcends cultures. These righteous principles lead to human thriving when embodied either in ancient Israel or modern society.
To reveal humanity’s need for grace
A final overarching purpose behind the extensive demands of the Levitical Law was to underscore human dependence on God’s grace and mercy. The Law’s perfect standards – though given for Israel’s good – highlighted human inability to earn righteousness through works.
The sacrifices, festivals, rituals, and purity laws provided continual reminders that sin separates people from God. Constant ceremonies to atone for sin and purify from impurity accentuated the barrier between a holy God and sinful people.
Even when Israelites faithfully kept parts of the Law, infractions in other areas reminded them of their fallibility. Perpetual failures to meet the Law’s rigorous demands emphasized that sinful humanity cannot gain acceptance through rule-keeping. This fueled awareness of need for God’s patience, forgiveness, and grace.
Rather than fostering pride in human achievement, the Law underscored that righteousness could only come through faith in God’s mercy. It showed that all spiritual blessings including salvation, Come only through His grace, not human effort.