Leviticus: an interesting relic of the past, but nothing more

As a potential future lawyer, Leviticus holds special interest for me. Leviticus is notable for setting down the laws of the Israelites, and for setting up the rules for a relationship with God. Leviticus may seem pretty long and boring compared to Genesis and Exodus, but the fact that almost the entirety of the Israelite legal code can be found in this small portion of text is pretty incredible! Nowadays the average person has only a rudimentary understanding of the law, and specialists in law are required for numerous transactions, and even lawyers often divide themselves into sub-specialties! However, anyone can understand Leviticus. It really speaks to the common man, and it’s very special in that way.

That said, the laws laid out by God are notable in that there are certain facets of God’s law which would today be considered progressive and liberal, but there are also certain facets of God’s law which would be considered regressive, and at times downright tyrannical!

“progressive” aspects:

• People were more important than property
• There was no hierarchy of social classes
• The punishment fit the crime
• Forms of social welfare for the poor

“regressive” aspects

• Immoral sexuality was not tolerated
• “Attitude” mattered (love your neighbor as yourself)
• Extremely harsh punishments for sin
• Animal sacrifice an acceptable (required!) form of atonement
• Slavery is considered acceptable

I place progressive and regressive in quotes because the terms are loaded with bias, and I for one don’t regard each as progressive or regressive. For example, I don’t feel that restraining sexual immorality is a regressive thing, but by today’s standards I believe this is what it would be considered.

These laws are interesting because they display at times the law of a God who is merciful (forms of social welfare), and yet also a God who is unforgiving (cursing your father or mother requires a capital punishment! (20:9)).

The laws are at times so harsh, that it suggests that God made the laws as harsh as they are so as to say, “you cannot possibly afford to sin!” Many sins require that the sinner be cast away from his people, some require the death penalty, and at the very least, a sin requires an animal sacrifice, which in those times would be something you could hardly afford to make very often! It’s almost reminiscent of the Soviet regime, which would punish it’s civilians so harshly that it terrified its populace into being virtually devoid of crime.

All in all, Leviticus makes a lot of sense for the time it was conceived in. By having such harsh punishments for sins, the Israelites probably promoted a very safe and crime-free existence. Indeed, in those old days, to be free from the sins that plagued other peoples may have been very instrumental in allowing the Israelites to prosper and continue.

But what can Leviticus offer us in this day and age? How many people have animals that they can sacrifice? Are we still to believe that slavery is permissible, and that a man may take more than one wife? Do Christians consider Leviticus extant? Or are the laws laid down by it no longer of importance since Jesus established a new covenant? How do modern day Jews reconcile Leviticus with the world they live in?

It seems to me that, much like the Code of Hammurabi, Leviticus was of great practical use for its time, but is now of little use other than as a relic of the past. Following all the laws of Leviticus wouldn’t be very practical for a modern people, and although admirable, it must be moved past.