Portion 24 of 54 · Leviticus
וַיִּקְרָא
Vayikra
The offerings begin — and the smallest, cheapest one is described with the same care as the largest.
Start by reading it
Leviticus 1:1–5:26
5 chapters. About 20 minutes at an unhurried pace.
Paired reading from the prophets: Isaiah 43:21–44:23
What happens
- 01
God calls to Moses from the tent, not from the mountain. The address has moved closer.
- 02
Burnt offerings, grain offerings, peace offerings, each with its own shape.
- 03
Offerings for wrongs done in ignorance, and for wrongs discovered later.
- 04
If someone cannot afford an animal, birds are accepted; if not birds, then flour.
The thing most people walk past
The poor person's offering is not a lesser offering
A handful of flour from someone with nothing is described in the same language as a bull from someone with land. The system is built so that no one is priced out of standing before God.
One verse to carry
And the LORD called unto Moses, and spoke unto him out of the.
Exodus ended with Moses unable to enter. Leviticus opens with an invitation. The book that looks like rules begins with being called by name.
A question to sit with
Why would a book about worship spend so long on what to do when you did wrong without knowing it?
There is no answer key. This is the part you take with you.