In the early 1980s, my wife, Jan, worked for a Humboldt, Kan., weekly newspaper as a news editor, feature writer and photographer. She developed the film for her photos. Processing the negatives into pictures involved their exposure to chemicals and light.

Developing those pictures serves as a metaphor for Leviticus’ fourth purpose, the formation of Israel’s culture. Its development is initiated through the revelation of God’s presence manifested in Israel’s individual and corporate life experiences with God.