“Lesson 63: Leviticus 8–18,” Old Testament Seminary Student Material (2018)
“Lesson 63: Leviticus 8–18”
Lesson 63
Leviticus 8–18
Prepare to Learn
Prepare your mind and heart to learn. Remember that the way you choose to participate in this lesson influences how much the Holy Ghost can teach you as you study. Demonstrate your desire to be taught by the Spirit by actively participating in this lesson.
Begin your study with prayer.
Think of someone who has made a positive difference in your life. In what ways has this person influenced you for good?
Consider how a young man named Hector has affected others’ lives by fulfilling his priesthood duty.
Administering the Sacrament
How might the way Aaronic Priesthood holders prepare, administer, and pass the sacrament affect your experience with this ordinance?
As you study Leviticus 8–11, consider how the Lord desires priesthood holders to prepare for and administer His ordinances to His people and how He wants these ordinances to be received.
Following the Lord’s Instructions
After the Israelites had built the tabernacle, the Lord commanded Moses to fulfill His instructions to consecrate Aaron and his sons for their service as priests in the tabernacle (see Exodus 28–29). Leviticus 8 records how Moses obeyed these instructions by ceremonially washing Aaron and his sons, clothing them in their priestly robes, and anointing them with oil. Moses also offered sacrifices.
We learn in Leviticus 9 that Moses instructed Aaron to gather the people and offer sacrifices for himself and all of Israel.
Aaron did as the Lord commanded. Read Leviticus 9:23–24, looking for what happened after the people and their priesthood leaders had been obedient to the Lord in building the tabernacle and performing ordinances properly.
What principle can we learn from this experience about what can happen as priesthood holders fulfill their responsibilities?
Fulfilling Priesthood Responsibilities
An important principle we can learn from Leviticus 9:23 is that as those who hold the priesthood properly fulfill their responsibilities, they prepare others for the glory of the Lord. Consider recording this principle in your scriptures next to verse 23.
1. Answer the following questions:
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What duties do Aaronic Priesthood holders have that can help people draw nearer to the Lord?
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When have you felt closer to the Lord as a result of participating in a priesthood ordinance?
Aaron’s Disobedient Sons
Leviticus 10 explains that two of Aaron’s sons disregarded God’s warnings of punishment and transgressed the Lord’s commandments regarding how sacred ordinances were to be performed. Because of this unauthorized form of worship, they were consumed by fire sent down from the Lord (see Leviticus 10:1–2). The Lord then gave Aaron and other priests further instruction regarding their priestly responsibilities.
Dietary Laws
Leviticus 11 records that the law of Moses included commandments concerning which animals were considered clean and fit for the children of Israel to eat and which were unclean and not proper to eat. Some of the animals that were designated as clean were cattle, fish with fins and scales, locusts, and beetles (see Leviticus 11:3, 9, 22). Some of the animals designated as unclean were rabbits, swine, and sea creatures without fins and scales (see verses 6, 7, 10–12). In our day, people refer to foods that are acceptable according to Jewish law as being kosher. (Kosher comes from a Hebrew word that means “fit, proper, and ritually clean” [Bible Dictionary, “Kosher”].)
Although the Bible does not record detailed reasons for why the Lord gave these dietary laws, faithful Israelites showed their belief in and obedience to the Lord by following them even though they may not have known all the reasons for them.
Being Spiritually Clean
Imagine being physically very dirty or unclean. How would you feel if you had to go to a place where people are normally clean, such as a church meeting or a nice social gathering?
Jesus Christ dwells in a clean and holy place. Think about how you feel about being spiritually clean before Him.
Leviticus 12–15 includes the Lord’s instructions to the Israelites about becoming physically or symbolically clean. As you study these chapters, look for truths that can help us learn how to become spiritually clean.
Read Leviticus 13:1–3, looking for a circumstance that caused a person to be pronounced unclean under the law of Moses.
Learning from Leprosy
In the Old Testament, the term leprosy refers to a variety of skin diseases and conditions (see Bible Dictionary, “Leprosy”). The instructions in Leviticus 13 provided the priests with ways to diagnose leprosy and guidelines to help them determine when someone was no longer infected and contagious.
Many of the skin diseases and conditions described as leprosy in Leviticus 13 would heal with time. However, before a leper could be considered clean under the law of Moses, he or she needed to participate in two rituals outlined in Leviticus 14. One of these involved the sacrifice of lambs. While physical infirmities like leprosy did not make a person morally unclean, these rituals could teach the people about the Savior’s Atonement and help them understand principles of repentance.
Read Leviticus 14:1–3, 12–14, 19–20, looking for what we can learn from these rituals about what we must do to be cleansed from our sins.
Quiz 1
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Match the following subjects on the left to the words they could symbolically represent on the right.
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Receiving Forgiveness
The rituals recorded in Leviticus 14 can help us understand the following truth: To be forgiven of our sins, we must turn to the Lord and obey the conditions of repentance He has given.
It is important to know that lepers were not allowed to perform these offerings for themselves. It was necessary to go to the priest. Similarly, repentance for some sins may require that we seek help from our bishop or branch president.
If a person has committed serious sin, such as sexual transgression or indulging in pornography, those sins must be confessed to the bishop (see Dallin H. Oaks, “Be Not Deceived,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2004, 45). The bishop holds priesthood keys and has the authority to receive revelation to help the individual through the process of repentance.
2. How can a bishop or branch president help an individual to receive the blessing of forgiveness through the Savior’s Atonement?
Seeking Repentance
Repentance is a gift from the Lord, which we receive through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, that helps us to be forgiven of our sins. We can use this gift whenever we have sins we need to repent of.
Participating in Yom Kippur
What day of the year do you consider to be the most holy? Why?
In Leviticus 16, we read that the Lord gave instruction that helped Israel learn about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. This chapter describes a sacred ceremony the Israelites were commanded to perform on one day each year called the Day of Atonement (also known today as Yom Kippur). On this day the high priest offered sacrifice for all the people. Many Jewish people today consider Yom Kippur to be the holiest day of the year.
As you study Leviticus 16, consider what this chapter can teach you about the Savior’s Atonement.
Aaron Offering Sacrifices
We read in Leviticus 16:1–6 that Aaron, who served as the high priest, was required to change into special linen clothing and offer sacrifice for himself before he could enter the tabernacle and perform the sacrifices the Lord required on the Day of Atonement.
Read Leviticus 16:7–10, looking for what Aaron was commanded to do.
The Sacrificing of Two Goats
According to Leviticus 16:7–10, Aaron was instructed to cast lots to select which goat would be sacrificed to the Lord and which goat would be the scapegoat, released into the wilderness.
Read Leviticus 16:15–16 and Leviticus 16:21–22, looking for how the rituals involving these two goats might have taught the children of Israel about the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
3. What are some lessons that the Israelites might have learned through these rituals performed on the Day of Atonement?
Understanding Jesus Christ’s Atonement
Understanding the rituals performed on the Day of Atonement can help us identify doctrine similar to the following: Through His Atonement, Jesus Christ took away the sins of the world by taking them upon Himself. Jesus Christ’s Atonement included His infinite suffering and the shedding of His blood in Gethsemane and on the cross.
The Savior’s Atonement also included His Resurrection, which enables all humankind to be resurrected and overcome physical death.
“I Stand All Amazed”
The following truths were identified in this lesson:
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As those who hold the priesthood properly fulfill their responsibilities, they prepare others for the glory of the Lord.
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To be forgiven of our sins, we must turn to the Lord and obey the conditions of repentance He has given.
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Through His Atonement, Jesus Christ took away the sins of the world by taking them upon Himself.
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Jesus Christ’s Atonement included His infinite suffering and the shedding of His blood in Gethsemane and on the cross.
Consider singing or reading the words to “I Stand All Amazed” (Hymns, no. 193). Look for phrases in the song that relate to what you have learned today.
4. Thinking about what you have learned today, write your feelings about or testimony of the importance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ in your life.
Answer Key
Quiz 1: (1) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b