LEVITICUS
By Nobuyoshi Kiuchi
IVP. 538 pages. £21.99
ISBN 978-1-84474-177-9
Leviticus by Nobuyoshi Kiuchi, Professor of Old Testament at Tokyo Christian University, Japan, is the latest offering in the Apollos Old Testament Commentary Series. The brief of this series is to provide an explanation of the biblical text while applying it to the modern reader’s context. It aims to give practical insight that will be helpful to scholars, preachers, and Bible students alike. In this commentary the author achieves this with substance, clarity, and warmth.
Kiuchi’s main argument throughout this work is that the function of Leviticus is to convince readers of the holiness of God so that their lives might be ordered accordingly. It presents people with the high standard of living which God’s character demands. It then convicts them of their own sinful inadequacy in keeping this standard. Finally, it pushes the sinner to self-despair and fresh dependence on God. In this sense the author’s approach is refreshingly evangelical in its orientation and drive.
