Leviticus: Lessons in Leviticus

Leviticus is a much maligned and misunderstood book. Atheists, not understanding the context of what they are reading, sometimes like to quote from Leviticus to get a laugh or to mock God. For example, someone anonymously posed the following questions: Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed even though it is expressly forbidden by Leviticus 19:27. How should they die? I know from Leviticus 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean. May I still play football if I wear gloves? But it is not only unbelievers who mock Leviticus. I have frequently heard pastors make jokes about both the content and complexity of the book, perhaps not realizing that what is recorded in Leviticus are the very words of God spoken directly to Moses: Leviticus 1:1 Yahweh called to Moses, and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them..." So before we mock, or worse yet, discount what we don't understand we should take to heart the words of the Apostle Paul: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 1 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture, including Leviticus, is both inspired by God, the Creator of space and time, and given to us for our instruction. In other words, God gave us Leviticus to teach us something that is vital and necessary for our wellbeing: profitable.