The Gospel According to Leviticus

If you’ve ever read through the Bible, what did you do when you reached Leviticus? Did you cringe? Try your best to plow through it? Skip it altogether?

This year I’m reading through the Bible with a group of amazing women. But I wanted to do more than read through the Bible, I wanted to understand, learn, grow, and maybe, just maybe, know the God behind it all just a tiny bit better.

To reach that end I’ve been diving into podcasts, online bible studies, books, and other resources for each book as we read through it. Cue up Leviticus. What could possibly breathe a little life into a book filled with many, many detailed instructions on sacrifices and law after law after law.

No small task. But one taken by a very enthusiastic and dynamic preacher, teacher, speaker. I’ve been listening to Rob Bell since his Mars Hills days and I’ve actually read his books to see if all the hype and hatred have been warranted. They have not. His books bring a much needed perspective into faith conversations today. I still listen to his podcast, although I do wish he’d go back to teaching scripture. Because he’s amazing at it.

Some call Leviticus a “primitive and outdated and barbaric and strange book” but Rob describes it as “a book about justice and caring for the poor and living with intention and being a good steward of creation and making amends with someone that you’ve wronged-which are exactly the kinds of issues we’re still dealing with, thousands of years later.” Seems like we all could pay a little more attention to these sorts of things.

When he first released Blood, Guts, and Fire several years ago (only available on audio format), I definitely wanted to listen. Rob did not disappoint. In true Rob form, he brought this book of the law to life in a way that I can’t even explain. I can actually say Leviticus is one of my favorite books in the Bible and I look forward to reading it again. Blood, guts, fire, and all.