Leviticus Community and Covenant

"Come together, right now, over me."

Obviously (or not-so-obviously) this isn't a quote from Leviticus, but The Beatles sure do capture the spirit of the book. Within the text itself, God uses laws and cases to consolidate the wandering twelve tribes of Israel into a single holy nation. Moses and Aaron are the founding fathers, sure, but God makes clear that the only thing that's going to keep Israel together as a vibrant community is his holy name and nature. Oh, and that handy dandy covenant they made.

Questions About Community and Covenant

• What are the core defining traits of the Israelites as a community?
• Are there any community building strategies in Leviticus that could be useful today?
• What appear to be the leading threats to the Israelite community?
• If we had to translate Israel's sacred covenant into the language of a contract or treaty today, what would be the specific provisions?