The second book of the law, Exodus means “going out,” or “departure.” Along with the remaining three books (Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), Exodus tells the sweeping story of the birth and odyssey of a nation as well as the biography of the great Jewish hero, Moses. It opens about four hundred years after the close of Genesis; the children of Israel are now slaves. Exodus tells the dramatic story of two events that led to nationhood—the escape from slavery and the revelation of God’s law(“torah”).

After the big sweeps of history in Genesis and Exodus, the book of Leviticus offers a respite since it only covers about one month of time. Even though the title refers to the duties of the Levite priests in the tabernacle, the book also covers duties of the entire population.  It’s interesting to note that physical health is stressed as much as spiritual health; many of the regulations have to do with food and sanitation. The way ritual is stressed in Leviticus gives it the feel of a picture book to help the people of Israel understand more clearly their relationship and responsibilities to God. For example, each sacrifice had its own particular meaning, but it also carried spiritual and symbolic meanings. Much later, Christians saw much in this book as foreshadowing Jesus.

When the book opens, the children of Israel are at Mt. Sinai; they have already been told how to build the tabernacle and how to set up the institute of  priesthood to  carry on service in this holy place. The organization of the book appears to focus on how to love God(the first half) and how to love your neighbor(the second half). The concluding sections dealing with the economics of land and property lead to Numbers and Deuteronomy, the last books in the Pentateuch, in which the people prepare to possess their promised land.