The regulations governing Jewish religious life and worship, especially sacrifices, ritual cleanliness and food laws. By the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ these rituals have been fulfilled and play no part in the new covenant.
The purpose of ritual sacrifices
To atone for sin
Leviticus 5:12–13 See also Exodus 29:38–43; Leviticus 1:3–13, Leviticus 4:1–3, Leviticus 4:13–14, Leviticus 4:20–23, Leviticus 4:26–28, Leviticus 4:31–35, Leviticus 5:13, Leviticus 6:1–7, Leviticus 7:1–7, Leviticus 16:1–34
He is to bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful from it as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar atop the food offerings to the LORD; it is a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for him for any of these sins he has committed, and he will be forgiven. The remainder will belong to the priest, like the grain offering.”
To maintain fellowship between God and his people
Leviticus 3:1–5, Leviticus 7:11–15 The offering was part burnt and part eaten in a fellowship meal and expressed covenant relationship with God.
To express worship and gratitude to God
The grain offering was the only bloodless offering but it accompanied the other offerings and was burnt whole to express gratitude to God for the harvest and for particular blessings: Leviticus 2:1–3, Leviticus 2:8–16, Leviticus 6:14–23, Leviticus 7:9–10, Leviticus 9:4; Numbers 6:14–17, Numbers 28:3–13
Rituals for purification from ritual uncleanness
Childbirth
Luke 2:22–24 See also Leviticus 12:1–8
And when the time of purification according to the Law of Moses was complete, His parents brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord: “Every firstborn male shall be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer the sacrifice specified in the Law of the Lord: “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
Unclean diseases
Mark 1:40–44 parallels Matthew 8:2–4, Luke 5:12–14 See also Leviticus 14:2–7
Then a leper came to Jesus, begging on his knees: “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him, and the man was cleansed. Jesus promptly sent him away with a stern warning: “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
Unclean discharges
Touching dead bodies
Rituals relating to food
Clean and unclean foods
Leviticus 11:1–2 See also Leviticus 11:44–47
The LORD spoke again to Moses and Aaron, telling them, “Say to the Israelites, ‘Of all the beasts of the earth, these ones you may eat:
The eating of blood is forbidden
Genesis 9:4–5; Leviticus 17:11–12; Acts 15:20
Rituals relating to the priesthood
Leviticus 8:30 See also Exodus 29:1–9
Next, Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and their garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments, as well as Aaron’s sons and their garments.
Rituals relating to the place of worship
2 Chronicles 29:4–5 See also Leviticus 16:15–20; 1 Kings 8:62–63 parallel 2 Chronicles 7:4–5; Ezra 6:16–17
Then he brought in the priests and Levites and gathered them in the square on the east side. “Listen to me, O Levites,” he said. “Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Remove from the Holy Place every impurity.
Rituals relating to special days
Festivals
The Sabbath
Exodus 31:12–17; Matthew 12:2 parallels Mark 2:24, Luke 6:2
The initiation ritual of circumcision
Ritual only has meaning when accompanied by obedience
Romans 2:25 See also Isaiah 1:11–17; Matthew 15:16–20 parallel Mark 7:18–23; Matthew 23:25; Romans 2:28–29; 1 Corinthians 7:19, 1 Corinthians 8:8
Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.
Rituals of the old covenant are fulfilled by Jesus Christ
Colossians 2:17 See also Mark 2:27–28; Colossians 2:11; Hebrews 10:1–3, Hebrews 10:8–10
These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.
Old covenant rituals are abolished under the new covenant
Hebrews 9:10 See also Mark 7:19; Acts 10:9–15; Romans 7:6, Romans 14:14, Romans 14:20; Galatians 5:6, Galatians 6:15; Ephesians 2:15; Colossians 2:13–16
They consist only in food and drink and special washings — external regulations imposed until the time of reform.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.