What's so special about seven?

It’s here we give up in our resolve to read the Bible from cover to cover

We start strong—Genesis is full of fascinating stories as God begins to sort out the mess. Exodus is thrilling, with Moses leading the Israelites to freedom. So far, so good.

Then comes Leviticus.

Page after page of rituals, sacrifices, and laws—it feels more like a step-by-step manual for priests than an inspiring book for daily faith.

Take one of the opening verses:

"If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you are to offer a male without defect. You must present it at the entrance to the tent of meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord." (Leviticus 1:3)

And that’s just the beginning—seven chapters of sacrifice instructions follow.

So why read Leviticus? What does this strange book offer to our daily walk with Christ?

Leviticus belongs to an ancient world that disappeared in 70 AD when the Romans destroyed the Jerusalem temple, ending the entire Jewish sacrificial system. But to understand God more deeply, we sometimes need to step outside our modern mindset and enter this foreign land.

I’ve been reading Peter Hatton, a retired Methodist minister with a contagious enthusiasm for Leviticus. Here God is holy, holy, holy, with a name YHWH which is not ever to be spoken.

"Although YHWH’s loving kindness and goodness were undoubted, there was also a deep sense of his immense power and his unpredictable ‘otherness,’" he writes. 

Leviticus teaches that approaching a holy God is not to be taken lightly. Just as nuclear power must be handled with care, ancient Israelites followed strict rituals to enter God’s presence safely.

Ancient religions across the world practiced sacrifice, but Jewish worship stood apart in profound ways.

Burnt offerings, as described in Leviticus, were a striking contrast to pagan practices. In many cultures, sacrificial meat was consumed by priests or sold in markets. In Israel, the entire offering was burned—a complete act of devotion to God.

To human eyes, this may seem wasteful, but as Kristy Bruce notes: “Sometimes, what some see as waste, God sees as worship.”

It’s a theme echoed in the New Testament—like the woman who poured pure nard on Jesus’ feet. Worship isn't about efficiency; it’s about surrender.

Unlike the religious elites of other cultures, Israel’s priests—the sons of Levi—weren’t allowed to accumulate wealth or own land. They relied entirely on the tithes of the people, emphasizing their role as servants rather than rulers.

Worship was also centralized in one place—the temple in Jerusalem. While other ancient religions had shrines scattered across cities and towns, Israel's worship was focused and distinct, guarding against idolatry. But holiness wasn’t confined to the temple—it was meant to shape everyday life

Leviticus is often seen as a book of rituals, but at its heart, it reveals a radical way of life. Holiness isn’t just about sacrifices; it’s about how we treat others.

There’s a real concern for the vulnerable.  “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:9)

Truth telling and justice are to be standard;  “‘Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.” (v11)   And more:  “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord.” (v18)

The number SEVEN features largely in Leviticus, although it does not explain what’s so special about seven.  There’s nothing inevitable about the seven day week – other cultures had eight or ten day cycles.  And no one, not even the Babylonians with their seven day cycle, marked out a special Sabbath day. 

Above all, the number SEVEN takes a leading role in how the people of Israel view their land:  they are merely leaseholders with God himself as the owner. 

So every seven years the land is left fallow.  “But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest, a sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards.” (Leviticus 25:4)

And every Jubilee, after 7x7 years, all land is to be redeemed, that is returned to their original leaseholders, the great reset.  This Year of Jubilee is the inspiration for the release of debts, even today in international economics.

Well, I’ve run out of space.  But try and take a second look at this neglected gem in the Old Testament.  Okay, you will need to speed read much of it – but God’s grace, though it abounds, is by no means cheap and easy. 

Even more so for us as we come to terms with the cross of Jesus, the love that God has for us is awesome to the extent that it demands my soul, my life, my all.