The books of Leviticus and Numbers are not easy for believers to study today. For one thing, no book of the Old estament presents a greater challenge to the modern reader than Leviticus, which requires imagination to picture the ceremonies that form the bulk of the book. But, it is important to understand the rituals in Leviticus because, first, they enshrine and teach values and ideas that a society holds most dear. Second, these values are foundational for understanding New Testament concepts of sin, sacrifice, and atonement related to the death of Christ. The book of Numbers wraps up the long and eventful stretch of time spent by the people of Israel near Mount Sinai, where God prepared them for entering the Promised Land. But their journey is sidetracked for four decades spent in the wilderness.