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Leviticus 17 is one of the most difficult chapters in the entire book to understand. One of the main phrases that people question in this chapter is the phrase “that man [person] shall be cut off from among his people.” This chapter is not about how people were to slaughter animals for their daily meal. It is about God’s instructions about sacrifices and how sacrifices were not to be made by the people themselves, but they were to be brought to the priests so the different sacrifices were performed properly under priestly supervision.
Seven Takeaways from Leviticus 17
1. God Defines the Way We Approach Him
Leviticus 17 teaches that worship is not a matter of personal preference. Israel was not free to offer sacrifices however they wished. God established the Tabernacle, the priesthood, and the proper procedures for approaching Him. As Messianic believers, we are reminded that God still determines the terms of covenant relationship. We come to the Father through the way He has provided—through Yeshua the Messiah, our great High Priest.
2. Covenant Relationship Requires Submission
Being “cut off” was not primarily about physical death but about separation from covenant fellowship. When a person rejected God’s instructions, he was effectively removing himself from the covenant community. Likewise, every act of rebellion distances us from intimate fellowship with God. True faith is demonstrated not merely by belief but by willing obedience to His voice.
3. God Calls His People Away from Mixture
After centuries in Egypt, Israel carried remnants of pagan beliefs and practices. The command to stop sacrificing to the goat demons was a call to abandon spiritual compromise. Believers today must also examine their lives for influences that compete with devotion to God. The Holy One continually calls His people to separate from falsehood and walk in truth.
4. Peace with God Cannot Be Counterfeited
The peace offering (shelem) symbolized harmony and fellowship between God and His people. Offering it outside God’s appointed place turned that symbol into a lie. In the same way, genuine peace with God cannot be manufactured through religious activity or outward appearances. True shalom comes only through sincere covenant faithfulness and the atoning work of Messiah.
5. God Sometimes Changes His Methods to Accomplish His Purposes
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob offered sacrifices as heads of their households, but God later centralized worship through the Tabernacle. The God of Israel remains unchanging, yet He may change how He administers His covenant purposes throughout history. This prepares us to understand why God established Yeshua’s priesthood and the New Covenant while remaining faithful to His eternal promises.
6. God Cuts Away Lies to Bring Us Back to Truth
Israel was tempted by false gods and false worship. When God’s commandments exposed these errors, His purpose was not merely judgment but restoration. Many of us have followed false ideas, misplaced priorities, or worldly values. God’s correction is an act of mercy that removes deception so we can return to Him and walk in His truth.
7. The Messiah Restores Those Who Have Been Cut Off
The story of Scripture is not merely about people separating themselves from God; it is about God’s relentless desire to bring them back. Through Yeshua, those who were far away are brought near again. He restores covenant relationship, reconciles sinners to the Father, and gathers the scattered people of God. Leviticus 17 reminds us that covenant faithfulness matters, but it also points us toward the One who makes reconciliation possible.
When we see the phrase, “Then the LORD spoke to Moshe (Moses), saying…” this is something that God thought was important enough to tell Moshe to his face and to make sure all the children of Israel learned this.
Let’s put ourselves in the time of Moshe. They have no homes, no running water, no gardens, no vines, no harvests. This is in the era of the Tabernacle, not the era of the Temple. Don’t try to connect what we do in the 21st century to this text. What we see here God telling the people no to sacrifice animals to Him themselves. Animals for sacrifice were to be presented to the priests and the priests would officiate their sacrifice. Non-priests were not to officiate their own sacrifices.
We see that the consequence of disobeying this edict is, “… He has shed blood and that man shall be cut off from among his people” (Lev 17:4). This is not a reference to execution. The word off is not in the original Hebrew. This verse is more accurately translated as, “He has shed blood and that man shall be cut from among his people.” We use the phrase “cutting a deal” doesn’t mean anyone dies as a result, it’s a reference to covenant. A person who sacrifices animals to God without the priests or sacrifices animals to a god other than the Creator, he has cut himself and separated himself from God’s and God’s people.
Why is God being so “picky”?
“The reason is so that the sons of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they were sacrificing in the open field, that they may bring them in to the LORD, at the doorway of the tent of meeting to the priest, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the LORD.” (Lev. 17:5)
God is not upset at the people for slaughtering animals for their meal. He is talking about sacrifices, specifically peace offerings. All offerings, even peace offerings, are to be brought to the tabernacle.
When a שֶׁלֶם shelem (Strong’s lexicon No. H8002, peace offering) , which is an offering that says that you and God are happy with each other, outside God’s tabernacle, the peace offering was made a mockery, a lie.
Abraham, Yitskhak (Isaac), Ya’akov (Jacob) brought their own offerings for their own families in their homes, God is moving things around and bringing something to an end.
What is God ending right now? We see it in Lev. 17:7, and the Septuagint (Greek translation, circa 300–100 B.C.) has an interesting translation of this verse:
“and they shall no longer offer their sacrifices to useless things, to whom they go out to commit fornication after them. It shall be a perpetual precept to you throughout your generations.” (Lev 17:7, New English Translation of the Septuagint)
The more literal version of this verse says:
“They shall no longer sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat demons with which they play the harlot. This shall be a permanent statute to them throughout their generations.” (Lev. 17:7)
What is the “goat demon”? The Hebrew word is שָׂעִיר sa’iyr (H8163), which is a shaggy, hairy young he-goat. Israel had lived in Egypt for 400 years, so they certainly picked up some of the more objectionable Egyptian practices, which included animal sacrifices and inappropriate sexual practices.
The closest answer I could find is from a non-Jewish commentary, specifically Adam Clarke’s Commentary:
“The famous heathen god, Pan, was represented as having the posteriors, horns, and ears of a goat; and the Mendesians, a people of Egypt, had a deity which they worshipped under this form. Herodotus says that all goats were worshipped in Egypt, but the he-goat particularly ….”
If they disregarded God’s instruction in regards to the sacrifices, they would be cut off, not from life, but from the covenant with Abraham, Yitskhak and Ya’akov.
When we violated God’s law, in a sense, He cuts us off, but He also called out to us and brought us back to Himself. We followed lies but He cuts off the lies and brings us to the truth.
Reader: Jeff. Speaker:Richard Agee. Summary: Tammy.
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