Leviticus begins where Exodus leaves off: God has come to dwell among His people in the Tabernacle, but because He is holy and humanity is sinful, the people cannot simply enter His presence. The book of Leviticus reveals God graciously making a way for His people to draw near to Him. Even its Hebrew name, Vayikra, meaning “He called,” points to a God who desires relationship with His people. Yet that relationship must be on God’s terms, not ours. The sacrifices, rituals, and laws of Leviticus were not meaningless religious practices but shadows pointing forward to Jesus, showing both the seriousness of sin and the incredible grace of God in providing a way for sinful people to come into His presence.

The burnt offering in Leviticus 1 demonstrates that drawing near to God required atonement and a costly, unblemished sacrifice. The worshiper placed his hand on the animal, identifying with the sacrifice that would die in his place, providing a picture of what Jesus would ultimately accomplish for us. Christ became the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice whose blood truly cleanses from sin and gives eternal redemption. Because of His finished work, believers can now draw near to God with confidence, but God still calls for wholehearted worship and surrender. Rather than bringing an animal sacrifice, Christians are called to present their entire lives as living sacrifices, giving God nothing less than all of themselves as they live in relationship and communion with Him.