If you’ve ever gotten lost in Leviticus, stuck somewhere between burnt offerings and guilt offerings, you’re not alone. But what if all those details about law, fire, and sacrifice weren’t just ancient history but a trail of clues pointing straight to Jesus?
30 Days Through Leviticus: The Beauty Beneath the Blood is a fresh, approachable journey through one of the Bible’s most skipped-over books. Each devotional will break down the rituals, the rules, and the rich meaning behind them while discovering how it all whispers the name of Jesus.
Leviticus isn’t boring. It’s beautiful. It isn’t just ancient history, it’s a love story…and it was always meant to lead us closer to the heart of God.
Hello, dear reader, start here!
I am so glad this study ended up in your possession! I just know God has something to show you, like he did me! Before we dive into Day 1, take some time to read the intro. Before the book of Leviticus begins, some really important details take place at the end of Exodus that make Leviticus that much richer. Therefore, please take a little bit of time to read the intro & look up the verses mentioned. I’m looking forward to unraveling the beauty between the pages of Leviticus with you!
Introduction: Let’s set up the stage…
Have you read through Leviticus before? Or maybe this is your first time? I’ve read through it several times, and each time I couldn’t WAIT to finish it, ha! If I’m honest, I felt lost in a blur of sacrifices, blood, offerings, and fire wondering, “What does this have to do with me?”. I would simply skim through each chapter, chalking it up as one of the “boring books” of the Bible.
But over the past year, as I studied Scripture chronologically and dug into the languages of Hebrew and Greek, something shifted. The historical and cultural layers brought new meaning, and surprisingly, Leviticus became the book I couldn’t stop thinking about. With the Holy Spirit’s help and a side-by-side look at the Hebrew text, I began seeing stunning connections to the New Testament.
That’s when God nudged me: “Write what you see.” So I did. This study was born out of those journal entries, moments when I realized Leviticus isn’t irrelevant at all. It’s rich with meaning, foreshadowing Jesus in ways I’d never seen before.
My hope is that through this study you’ll gain a new love for Leviticus, too. We’ll uncover how every burnt offering, every drop of blood, every fire on the altar whispers the name of Jesus. And, guess what? The timing is unique because as you read each day, God is still walking me through Leviticus! That’s right, the devotion as a whole isn’t even complete as I send this first email to you!! But, God said NOW, and so I share what I do have with you. Know that each week is happening real time…and say a little prayer for me, too! Satan can be quite a poo poo head trying to get me to believe none of this matters and no one cares. I know better. And, I KNOW God didn’t have me write all the connections I was seeing between Leviticus and Jesus just for me. It’s for you, too! (Take that, Satan!)
My goal with this devotion is showing that Leviticus isn’t just about ancient rituals, it’s about a holy God who made a way for unholy people to dwell with Him. And, hidden in the seemingly endless details is a powerful foreshadowing of something, and someone, greater: Jesus, the ultimate and final sacrifice. I hope my words stay clear enough for you to see the connections between Levitical Law and Jesus.
I pray this study blesses you in a way you never saw coming, and He opens your heart to the depths of His preparation and love for none other than you.
Okay, now, let’s set up the stage for our devotion. Before we dive into Leviticus, let’s revisit where Exodus leaves off, because it sets the stage in a powerful way.
After 400 years in Egypt (Exodus 12:40), God miraculously freed the Israelites. Despite their freedom and the fact that they were no longer slaves to Pharaoh, their hearts were still enslaved to idols. Even after walking through the parted Red Sea and saw first hand God’s mighty power! I mean, could you imagine physically doing so? I can’t begin to fathom what they would have felt emotionally as they walked on dry land between giant walls of water! However, after they were freed from Egypt with the grand Red Sea exit, they quickly forgot God’s power and gathered up all their jewelry to craft a golden calf to worship while Moses met with God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 32:1–6). It was a heartbreaking betrayal to the God who just set them free.
Yet God, rich in mercy, didn’t abandon them. Instead, He drew near. But first, in order to draw near, God needed a space to dwell in. He then gave Moses very detailed instructions for building a sacred space—the Tent of Meeting—where His presence could dwell among His people (Exodus 25–31). Did you know that in this moment, for the first time in the Bible, God filled a man with his Spirit?? That’s right! He appointed a man named Bezalel and filled him with the Spirit of God (Exodus 31:1–5)!! He didn’t fill him with is spirit to preach or fight, but to create. Alongside another man named Oholiab, Bezalel began to build God’s new dwelling place. He crafted the Ark, the lampstand, the intricate curtains, each detail reflecting God’s beauty and holiness. (PS: I just love that God, our Creator, filled Bezalel with His spirit to CREATE.)
When the work was complete, God’s glory filled the Tabernacle, and He called to Moses from within it: “The Lord called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting…” – Leviticus 1:1 And it’s here where we begin the journey through Leviticus… God with his people. He drew near even though they began to worship a pointless golden calf. We should recognize that the great detail in the creation of His dwelling place illustrated holiness and beauty….waaaaay more intricate than the golden calf they created! Every detail of His dwelling place was exact and precise. And guess what? It’s here where we have our first foreshadowing into the New Testament! Let me explain:
Jesus didn’t come to us in a cloud of fire or behind a thick curtain. He came by first dwelling in the womb of a virgin. Holy ground, set apart. Everything about His entrance into the world was intentional and beautiful, even if it didn’t look like what people expected. At the time of His birth, the Levitical law was still fully in effect, yet Jesus wasn’t introduced in a temple or a tent. He arrived in a stable: messy, ordinary, exposed (sounds a bit like us, right?). Unlike the Tabernacle, which only priests could enter, anyone could lay eyes on Jesus. No barriers. No curtains. Just God, in the flesh, among His people. The Tent of Meeting was glorious & beautiful, yes, but this baby was the glory. He didn’t need gold or embroidery to prove it. I know I’m getting ahead of myself here, but tuck this thought into your heart as we walk through Leviticus: Jesus changed everything. Not just for us, but for everyone who ever lived under the weight and wonder of “the law”. And I wonder…is there anything in your life that feels weight-y or maybe an old hurt that holds you back from the fullness of God, like sin and the law did for the Israelites?
Let me leave you with one last thought…something to help you extend compassion toward the Israelites as we walk through Leviticus. Imagine if, the next time you drove into town, the law had suddenly changed and you were now expected to drive on the left side of the road instead of the right. It would be disorienting, maybe even scary, and definitely hard to adjust to right away. I think the shift from God's glory in the Tabernacle to the arrival of Jesus in a manger might’ve felt just as jarring to those living under the old covenant. Everything they had known for centuries (sacrifices, rituals, priesthood) was suddenly flipped upside down when Jesus showed up! In the same way, think about how disorienting Levitical law must have been for the Israelites, too!! After generations of identifying as Egyptian slaves, they were suddenly given a whole new way of life: offerings, festivals, holy days, and specific instructions for how to live, worship, and relate to God. It was all so different. But here’s the key: God was setting them apart. He wasn’t just giving them rules, He was making space to dwell with them… a whisper of Christ, God with us, and now, through His Spirit, God in us. Yes, friend, we are walking Tents of Meetings!!!
(long sigh…..) God is SO cool, isn’t He?
Below is basic imagery to give you an idea of what the Israelites would have seen after Bezalel finished the Tabernacle aka Tent of Meeting. Refer back to it throughout the study if needed.
CLICK HERE to watch a less than two minute video for a really neat 3D video of the Tent of Meeting and its contents!
I am SO excited for Day 1! Until then, may you see God in everything you do, see, think, and learn.
REFLECTION: Is there anything in your life…past wounds, current struggles, unforgiveness, or hidden sin…that acts like a "theoretical curtain" between you and God? What would it look like to bring that barrier into the light and allow God to gently remove it?
PRAYER: Father,
Thank You for tearing the veil and inviting me into closeness with You. Still, I confess there are things…hurts, habits, shame, or fears…that I let stand in the way of our connection. I don’t want anything to separate me from the fullness of Your presence. Show me what I’m holding onto that you’re asking me to lay down. Heal what’s wounded, restore what’s broken, and help me to walk in the freedom Jesus made possible. I want to experience the depth of Your love with nothing in the way.
Amen.
Interesting fact: at first, the “Tent of Meeting” was a simple tent set up outside the Israelite camp where Moses met with God face-to-face. When Moses entered, a pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance, signaling God’s presence. However, after Bezalel built the Tabernacle, crafted with sacred precision according to God’s instructions, it became the new Tent of Meeting. From that point on, the terms were often used interchangeably, because the Tabernacle was now the central place where God’s presence dwelled among His people.
Day 1: Let’s enter the Tent of Meeting together.
Today we begin by reading Leviticus chapter 1, a chapter full of detailed instructions about offerings: what kind, who should bring them, and how they should be prepared. As you read, try to imagine what it must have been like for Moses standing in the Tent of Meeting hearing these instructions directly from God.
Below you’ll see a few key points for chapter 1, but once you’ve finished the chapter, don’t rush out. Let’s linger a little longer…let’s pause and imagine ourselves inside the Tent of Meeting (hypothetically, of course!), noticing what it reveals about God’s heart, His holiness, His plan, and His desire to dwell among His people while they lived in the wilderness.
Chapter 1 Key Points
Lev 1:3 Right off the get go, God mentions the offering shall be a herd animal, male without defect. This definitely mirrors the perfect sacrifice to come, Jesus!
Lev 1: 9, 13, 17: You’ll notice a phrase that repeats like a gentle rhythm:
“It is a pleasing aroma to the Lord.” The Hebrew word for aroma is “rêach”, a word that simply means scent or smell. But in the sacrificial language of Leviticus, it’s paired with another word: “nichoach,” meaning soothing or restful. Together, “rêach nichoach” doesn’t just describe the smell of burning offerings, it describes the posture of a heart. It paints a picture of something offered freely, obediently, and with reverence. It’s not the aroma of meat on fire that moves God. It’s the surrender behind it. The obedience. The repentance. The pleasing aroma symbolized a moment of connection when sinful people came close to a holy God through the way He provided. Every offering they gave whispered to God, “I want to be right with You.” And God, in return, received it…not because He needed it, but because He delighted in their desire to draw near.
If I had to use one word to describe chapter one, it would be surrender. Because it was a brand new law, the Israelites had to completely surrender to their old ways and become obedient in a brand new way of living…a way that would point them right towards God’s perfect plan. Now, come into the Tent of Meeting with me…God has a few things for us there. As you read through this next part, imagine Moses with God in the Tent during chapter one.
The tent had three main sections (refer back to imagery from last week’s intro):
1. The Courtyard
This was a large open area surrounded by linen curtains. It was where the people, men and women, could come to worship and bring their sacrifices to atone for their sins. Right inside the courtyard stood the altar, like a giant grill for burning offerings. People brought animals (sheep, goats, bulls), and the priests sacrificed them as a way of saying:
“God, we’re sorry for our sins, and we know we need Your forgiveness.”
The fire on the altar was to burn continually (Leviticus 6:12–13). It showed two things:
Sin must be paid for
God provided a way to be forgiven
Also in the Courtyard sat the Bronze Basin, where priests washed before serving.
2. The Holy Place
This was the first room inside the tent. Only the priests (Aaron and his sons) could enter here. It held:
The Lampstand: Represented God’s eternal light and presence among His people. The lampstand held seven lamps which were fueled by pure olive oil, not wax candles.
The Table of Showbread: Symbolized God’s provision and fellowship, displaying the bread of His presence.
The Altar of Incense: Signified the prayers of the people rising to God, creating a sweet aroma before Him. The incense was a special, sacred blend of fragrant spices specifically commanded by God in Exodus 30:34–38. Yes, God was the first aromatherapist! It included ingredients like frankincense, onycha, and galbanum. Once we journey to chapter 2, you’ll see the significance of these oils and why God may have hand picked them with purpose! The sacred blend was not to be replicated or used outside the sanctuary.
The priests came daily to tend to the lamps and offer incense. Not only was the Courtyard and Tent of Meeting a site to see, but also a wonderful scent to smell! Is there a scent that reminds you of a past time? When I smell musk or cucumbers I’m reminded of my Grandmother. Her favorite perfume contained musk and her lotion cucumber melon. Those two scents take me back to happy memories. I’d imagine that people within the camp, or journeying through, would have understood the scent as something Holy and sacred, reminding them of a God who dwelled with His people.
3. The Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies)
The final and most sacred section of the Tent of Meeting aka Tabernacle was the Most Holy Place, also called the Holy of Holies, hidden behind a thick heavy curtain. This section housed the Ark of the Covenant and symbolized the very dwelling place of God’s presence on Earth. No one could enter except the high priest, and even he could step behind the curtain only once a year, on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). There he would offer a blood sacrifice for the sins of the entire nation. Why such restriction? Because God is holy, set apart, pure, and blazing with unapproachable righteousness. The curtain was a visible barrier between God and humanity, a symbol that sin still separated the people from direct access, intimate fellowship, and a deep, personal relationship with their Creator.
Hebrews 9:8 explains that this curtain served as a sign: as long as the first tabernacle system was still in place, the way into God's presence had not yet been revealed. The Holy of Holies stood as both a sacred reality and a shadow…a whisper of something better to come. It pointed ahead to Jesus, our perfect High Priest, who wouldn’t step into a man-made tent, but into heaven itself bringing not the blood of animals, but His own, poured out once and for all to make a way for us to have direct access to God (Hebrews 9:11–12). Jesus tore the curtain! No more middlemen. No more yearly sacrifices. Through Jesus, we now step into God’s presence with confidence. (Hebrews 10:19–22).
Back to the Ark of the Covenant. In Hebrew, it's called aron habberit, the "chest of the covenant." Inside were sacred reminders of God's relationship with His people: the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments (the law they could not keep), a golden jar of manna (a symbol of God’s provision), and Aaron’s staff that budded (God’s choice of a mediator between his people and Him / high priest). All of these foreshadowed Jesus. He is the Word made flesh who fulfilled the law perfectly, the Bread of Life who sustains us daily, and the eternal High Priest (Jesus) chosen by God to intercede for us forever. The connections are so neat, aren’t they? God’s plan is perfect!
Now that we’ve read Leviticus chapter one, have begun to understand the new law, and stepped inside the Tent of Meeting with fresh eyes, we can clearly see a God who never stayed distant or detached. He came near drawing close to His people and saying, “I’m with you, and I am holy.”
Friends, I am so thankful that Jesus came as the ultimate sacrifice. You don’t have to bring a goat. You don’t need a priest. You don’t have to keep a fire burning in the courtyard. The fire of forgiveness burns eternally because the final sacrifice has already been made!!
And, not only did Jesus tear the curtain wide open so we could have a one on one relationship with God without doing all the rituals, but His Spirit now takes up residence in a brand new space!!!!
So let this truth settle in deep:
That brand new space is YOU. You are a living Tent of Meeting. God is not far. He dwells in you.
REFLECTION: Do you live like someone who has full access to God? What kind of aroma is your life giving off? Is it self-sufficient, striving, distracted… or is it surrendered, thankful, and present? What would you change in your prayers, your decisions, or your daily life if you truly believed God’s presence is not only available to you, but already dwelling within you? Offer yourself again. Let your prayer and worship rise…not as smoke, but as the sweet scent of a heart that longs to dwell with Him.
PRAYER: Father, thank You for making a way, first in the wilderness, and now through Jesus. As I journey through Leviticus, help me see not just rules, but love. Not just rituals, but redemption. Remind me that because of Jesus, I can boldly come near. Let Your presence fill me like the Tent of Meeting, and help me surrender to my ways so I can carry Your light, Your holiness, and Your fragrance into every part of my day. Amen.