Exalting Jesus in Leviticus [Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary]

313 Pages·2016·1.92 MB·English

by  Allan Moseley

Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Series Introduction
Introduction to Leviticus
A Gospel Invitation: Leviticus 1:1-17
Giving to God in Worship: Leviticus 2:1-16
Peace with God: Leviticus 3:1-17
How God Deals with Sin: Leviticus 4:1-35
Five Eternal, Counter-Cultural Truths about God, Us, and Our
Sin: Leviticus 5:1-13
When We Are Guilty: Leviticus 5:14–6:7
Serving God in God’s Way: Leviticus 6:8–7:38
Are You Ready to Serve?: Leviticus 8:1-36
Powerful Worship: Leviticus 9:1-24
Our Response to God’s Holiness: Leviticus 10:1-20
Eating for God’s Glory: Leviticus 11:1-47
God Rules from Our Birth: Leviticus 12:1-8
Unclean!: Leviticus 13–15
God Forgives and Removes Sin: Leviticus 16:1-34
Laws of Worship Prefiguring Christ: Leviticus 17:1-16
Law, Grace, and Sexuality: Leviticus 18:1-30
Holiness and Love: Leviticus 19–20
Holiness and Leadership: Leviticus 21–22
Celebrating Our Relationship with the Sovereign Lord of Time:
Leviticus 23:1-44
In God’s Presence: Leviticus 24:1-23
A Theology of Things: Leviticus 25:1-55
Either–Or: Leviticus 26–27
Works Cited
Scripture Index

“Allan Moseley is one of my favorite preachers and Old Testament scholars.
This work on Leviticus is vintage Moseley. Anyone preaching through this
challenging book will be tremendously assisted by this superb exposition. I will
be sure to take advantage of it myself when teaching through a book of the Bible
that so beautifully points us to our atonement and sacrifice, the Lord Jesus
Christ.”
Daniel L. Akin, president, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake
Forest, North Carolina
“For many pastors, perhaps even most, preaching through Leviticus presents
itself as a formidable and even fearsome task. Allan Moseley is both an Old
Testament scholar and a pastor, and his gifts are evident in this work. He has
provided preachers and teachers with an indispensable resource for an important
but too often avoided book of the Bible.”
Ken Keathley, professor of Theology and director of the L. Russ Bush Center
for Faith and Culture, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest,
North Carolina
“No one can question the courage of anyone who is willing to write an
expositional commentary on the book of Leviticus—perhaps among the least-
read, hardest-to-wade-through books in the entire Bible. Dr. Moseley has done
the nearly impossible—take a difficult book and break it down into simple truths
and take ancient concepts of conduct and character and transform them into
relevant twenty-first-century principles. All of God’s Word is inspired and
deserves study. Thanks to this warm-hearted effort a much-neglected book may
once again become a greatly respected book where God’s truth is still marching
on.”
James Merritt, lead pastor, Cross Pointe Church, Duluth, Georgia
“Leviticus is one of a handful of biblical books that preachers avoid like the
plagues of Egypt. No more does the shepherd have that luxury, if he ever did.
Dr. Allan Moseley, premier expositor and seasoned pastor, has brought Leviticus
to rich life and prominence in this volume of Christ Centered Exposition. Take
Moseley to your study and Leviticus to your people.”
Paige Patterson, president, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort
Worth, Texas
“It is my pleasure to write this endorsement for Allan Moseley’s work on
Leviticus in the Christ-Centered Exposition series, produced by B&H.
“Following excellent opening statements that introduce the text to be studied,
Moseley explains the practical teaching of each biblical section of Leviticus.
Each preaching unit is outlined, focusing on preaching points from the text that
apply directly to the believer’s life. The points of the outline are presented as
timeless principles that apply the ancient biblical text to a modern contemporary
audience. In the sermon content itself Moseley provides excellent, pertinent
illustrations that help bring to life the theological points and teaching of the text.
In these discussions of the meaning of each section of Leviticus, theological
connections are made to the teaching of the Bible as a whole and are correlated
to the teaching of the New Testament.
“This volume is vital for those preachers and Bible teachers who make it their
mission to proclaim ‘the whole counsel of God’ to the church today. It is
difficult to imagine that a modern preacher who desired to preach the inspired
text of Leviticus would not consult this well-written and vital volume. This book
represents one of the few models that demonstrate how to preach the Old
Testament to the modern church. I highly recommend Allan Moseley’s work on
Leviticus and look forward to using it as I seek to gain a deeper understanding of
Christ’s atonement.”
Mark F. Rooker, senior professor of Old Testament and Hebrew,
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
“Allan Moseley is one of the godliest people I know, and his depth of character
shows through in the pages of this commentary. This theologically conservative
and practical work will bring the book of Leviticus alive for modern-day readers
and challenge us all to be more like Christ. It is a must-read for anyone serious
about studying God’s Word.”
Thomas White, president, Cedarville University
Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary: Exalting Jesus in Leviticus ©
Copyright 2015 by Allan Moseley B&H Publishing Group Nashville, Tennessee
All rights reserved.
ISBN 978-0-8054-9782-3
Dewey Decimal Classification: 220.7
Subject Heading: BIBLE. O.T. LEVITICUS—COMMENTARIES \
JESUS CHRIST
Unless otherwise stated all Scripture citations are from the Holman Christian
Standard Bible®, copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009
by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The Holy Bible,
English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles,
a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission.
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 • 20 19 18 17 16 15
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SERIES DEDICATION
Dedicated to Adrian Rogers and John Piper. They have taught us to love the
gospel of Jesus Christ, to preach the Bible as the inerrant Word of God, to pastor
the church for which our Savior died, and to have a passion to see all nations
gladly worship the Lamb.
—David Platt, Tony Merida, and Danny Akin March 2013
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Several people deserve my profound gratitude for their help in the production
of this book. First, my wife Sharon supports me in every endeavor, every
day. Her life and ministry have always been the perfect complements to mine,
and I am thankful that God gave such an amazing gift to me. Second, I am
grateful to Drs. Danny Akin and Tony Merida for their invitation to write this
volume in the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series. Though I do not
know what motivated the invitation, when I accepted, something G. K.
Chesterton once wrote came to mind—“Even a bad shot is dignified when he
accepts a duel” (Chesterton, Heretics/Orthodoxy, 169). So I accepted, and
readers may judge whether my aim has been true or off the mark. Third, I am
grateful to the staff and elders at Christ Baptist Church. Their faithful service for
God and constant attention to the flock allowed me to devote the time necessary
to teach, preach, and write. I am especially thankful for the staff members, who
worked every day to complete tasks made necessary by the part-time status of
their pastor. Special gratitude is due to Carrie Kelly and Jade Thomas, two very
bright and capable people who gave assistance as I completed the manuscript.
As for the progress in my thinking about Leviticus, I am indebted to many. I
have learned much from the authors cited in this commentary. I always
encourage students and pastors to use as many good resources as possible in
sermon preparation. The “Works Cited” section at the end of this book reflects
my own effort to learn from a wide range of sources, and I hope students of
Leviticus will use this book as one of at least several volumes. I have also
learned from my colleagues and students at Southeastern Baptist Theological
Seminary. Interaction with Doctor of Ministry students about interpreting Old
Testament law has been especially helpful. For several years I have been
exploring ways the church should think about and apply the law. Working
through Leviticus was helpful in that project, and I hope my understanding will
continue to grow.
This book is dedicated to Christ Baptist Church. Your encouragement as we
journeyed through Leviticus was another reminder that you are the most
wonderful church family in the world. Preaching God’s Word each week to you
has been an immeasurable source of joy for me, and preaching from Leviticus
was no different.
Finally, I am grateful for Jeremy Howard, David Stabnow, and the team at
B&H Publishing Group. Thank you for your encouragement and assistance in
bringing this volume to completion and publication. It is a privilege for me to
participate in what you are doing for the good of the church and to the glory of
God.