March 30th, 2025: The Day of Atonement | Leviticus 16:11-19

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed into the Heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our profession.For we do not have a High Priest who cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

(Hebrews 4: 14-16).

Have you ever tried to atone for something wrong you have done? Apologies often seem inadequate. You may try reparations, but they can never undo what has been done. It’s actually impossible for you to make complete amends when you have harmed another, and while they may forgive you, it is impossible for them to forget. Complete forgiveness, grace, and atonement must come from outside of ourselves. They are the ministry and the mastery of Christ alone.

The sixteenth chapter of Leviticus starts off with a verse that is missing from our lesson today.   It says: “And the Lord spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the Lord, and died.” (Leviticus 16:1). As soon as God gave instructions about sacrifices and offerings, two of Aaron’s sons (Nadab and Abihu) took their sensors, added fire, and waltzed in to offer their sacrifice in their own way. The penalty for not following the instructions from God resulted in their immediate death. The entire book of Leviticus is about a Holy God who makes a way for unholy men to approach Him. Sin has separated, and obedience to the salvation plan of God restores. We cannot approach Him in any fashion we please. Man has to submit to God, who has graciously made a way to clean us, make us holy, and restore us to fellowship. This chapter gives details about a specific offering and God’s plan, which was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Let’s dive in!

The book of Leviticus is full of rules, ceremonial rules (rules for offerings, sacrifices, rituals), social rules (how to treat each other), and health rules (the prevention and treatment of disease and the handling of body fluids and illness). This chapter deals with the ceremonial rules for when and how to offer the sin sacrifice that would roll sin back from the people. This sacrifice is offered every year, year after year, and is still remembered but not practiced by orthodox Jews today. It is known as the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur in Hebrew. While faithful Jews today do not offer sacrifices because there is no temple or tabernacle standing in Jerusalem, they do set aside the day as a day of affliction, fasting, and remembrance of the holiness of God and our need for forgiveness. In the year 2025, the Day of Atonement is celebrated on October 1-2.    

And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself:

It is serious business when something is about to die in the place of someone else. The nation of Israel created for us a picture that looked forward to the ultimate sacrifice to cover sin- the cross of Calvary. Their obedience to the commandments of God and the shedding of blood, as instructed in Leviticus, covered their sin for one year. They had to perform this sacrifice on the 7th day of the 10th month every year, year after year. This ritual pictured our approach to a Holy God through the atoning blood of a sacrifice. Therefore, there were rules that had to be followed. They learned the hard way that God’s ways were higher than theirs.  Reverence and obedience were required to approach Him.

There were lots of Priests and Levites attending to the business of the Tabernacle (and later the Temple), but only a direct descendant of Aaron could become a High Priest. There was only one High Priest at a time, and only the High Priest could enter into the Holies of Holies or the most sacred part of the Tabernacle. He represented Jesus, our High Priest. As that representative, he had to follow specific rituals to become clean and pure enough to enter behind the veil into the room which held the ark of the covenant. The High Priest prepared for this service by:

• Separating himself from his family for 7 days prior. Living at the temple.

• Purifying himself- Sprinkling of ashes, not touching dead bodies or anything considered unclean, and devoting his mind and thoughts toward God.

• Washing- thoroughly cleansed at the tabernacle.

• Wearing Priestly Clothes- Went into the Holy place dressed appropriately, humbly not dressed in full priest attire.

• Offered Sacrifies- For himself and for the Tabernacle to atone for any defect or sin (known or unknown).

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After all of this, the high priest was ready to begin the atonement ceremony. 

And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil: And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not:

Can you see Aaron, the first High Priest?  Two of his sons had died because they did not prepare and follow the rules God set. Be certain that the lesson has been learned. The High Priest was to take the coals from the altar of the sacrificed bull and mix them with the incense, which represented the prayers of God’s people, and walk through the veil. The smoke from the fire filled the holy of holies. We cannot approach God without the mediator, Jesus, who makes intercession on our behalf.  The smoke would fill the room. There is a place in Heaven where Christ alone is qualified to go; He earned His position as the High Priest who goes to God the Father on our behalf. Only one High Priest could paint this picture; only Christ could fulfill this image.  We see God through His son.    

And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:

Along with the sacrifice of the bull, the High Priest cast lots to decide the fate of two male goats. Two male goats were brought to the High Priest on the Day of Atonement. He would cast lots to determine which one to sacrifice to God and which one would be the scapegoat (the goat that symbolically carried sin away). The one that was sacrificed was killed, and his blood was taken with the blood of the bullock and offered on the mercy seat for the atoning of the sins of the people. The mercy seat was a covering above the ark of the covenant. Mercy.  The blood was accepted on their behalf. It was obtained through sacrifice.

But Christ, having come a High Priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands (that is to say, not of this building),neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, He entered in once into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.For if sprinkling the unclean with the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh,how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause He is the Mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were covered under the first testament, those who are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.For a testament is of force after men are dead, otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. (Hebrew 9: 11-17).

The High Priest would lay his hands on the second goat (the scapegoat) and confess the sins of the people. The goat would then be taken away and turned loose into the wilderness.  Some consider this scapegoat as a symbol for the casting away of sin. Jewish tradition says the goat had a scarlet cord or a red piece of cloth attached to it before it was let loose with many rules. Nothing additional is recorded in scripture. However, there are many traditions created over the centuries honored on the Day of Atonement.  

And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the Lord, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.

The High Priest entered the Holy Place by himself. He was dressed in the linens of his priestly outfit. He approached humbly, he had to be cleansed and sanctified in order to perform this service. He confessed his sins, the sins of his family, and the sins of the congregation. Here we see a contrast to the sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus was the sinless High Priest. He was pure, the most perfect sacrifice, and His life was given once and for all. The number seven represents completeness in the Bible. The writer of Hebrews gave us his take on this by recording:

For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book and all the people,saying, “This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.”Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry.And by the law almost all things are purged with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.It was therefore necessary that the copies of things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.For Christ has not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.Nor yet should He offer Himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place with blood of others every year;for then would He have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once, in the end of the world, hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the Judgment,so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto those who look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin, unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:19-28).

Thank you for studying with us! God bless!