Leviticus tells us what is true and of eternal benefit for our lives. Here is a book to make us wise about salvation. The things that happened to Israel in the Old Testament are symbolic pointers to the wonderful salvation we have begun to enjoy in Christ. Like Israel of old, we need to be constantly reminded of who God is, how he is to be approached and worshipped and how we should live our lives as God’s people in a hostile environment.

Leviticus indicates the kind of people God’s covenant community ought to be in the light of God’s grace.At the same time and in its own special way, Leviticus points us forward to the one who came to save his people from their sins and bring them to God. Without this book we cannot begin to understand the death of Christ and his priestly work on our behalf. Neither can we appreciate the many references to cleansing, purity, wholeness, separation and holiness that we find in the New Testament.

It is also from this book that Jesus quoted the second great commandment: "You shall love your neighbour as yourself."