The Day Of Atonement

The Day of Atonement

(Forgiving and Removing Sin)

Leviticus 16

You know, over the past few weeks, our Sunday School lessons have focused on becoming a kingdom of priests and a holy nation; the building of the tabernacle and how it became a place for God to dwell among His people; the creation and ordination of the priesthood who would act as mediators between God and man; and the various offerings and sacrifices that would be offered up to God as a sweet smelling aroma.

But one might wonder why the Sunday School lessons would focus on things like this in the weeks before Easter. I mean, shouldn't we have been focusing on topics that lead up to Lent, Palm Sunday, and Easter rather than all these Old Testament things concerning the tabernacle, priesthood, and sacrifices?

Now, on the surface, it might appear that these things don't seem to line up with the season we're currently in, but in fact, they line up quite well when you consider that everything, we've been studying these last few weeks in the OT are a picture of what's to come. Friends, simply put, the OT points us to Christ as the ultimate, perfect, and final sacrifice for sin. The deliverance from Egypt, the tabernacle, the priesthood, the whole sacrificial system of worship that we've been studying these last few weeks--it all points us to Jesus as the fulfillment.

Our previous studies have provided the necessary background for what is to come. Our comprehension of these things, these interactions between God and the Hebrews, serve as the foundation of our faith. Today's study, along with next week's study in Hebrews, clearly illustrates this. God's desire to dwell among humanity is hindered by our sinfulness, creating a barrier between us. To bridge this gap, He established a way for us to return to fellowship with Him through the Day of Atonement, where our sins are forgiven and removed.

Leviticus 16 describes the Day of Atonement, a significant event in Israel where the high priest would seek atonement for the sins of the people. This chapter gives instructions on how Aaron, the high priest, was to enter the Most Holy Place, stressing the importance of purification and the offering of sacrifices. The rituals involved the presentation of two goats - one for sacrifice and the other as the scapegoat, symbolizing the removal of sin from the community.

This annual event highlighted the holiness of God and the need for cleansing to maintain fellowship with Him. However, as we will see, the ultimate fulfillment of this day is seen in the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, providing atonement for the sins of humanity once and for all. No longer do we need to kill animals and sprinkle their blood on an altar day in and day out, because Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, gave His body and blood as our perfect and complete sacrifice for sin. And He did this because of...

I. The Reality of Sin

God saved His people from slavery in Egypt and led them into the wilderness and covenanted with them at Mount Sinai and gave them His law. The law was to show them the level of perfection needed for them to have fellowship with Him. However, the perfect law given to imperfect people led to their failure to live by that law. So, when they sinned, would God give up on them? Would He lower His standard of holiness and expect less from them?

No. He graciously gave them a system of sacrifices that would atone for their sins and be reconciled to Him and continue in a relationship with Him. He also ordered that on one day each year, the high priest would offer special sacrifices for himself, for the people, and for the tabernacle and its furniture.

Leviticus 16:3-6 "Aaron shall enter the holy place with this: with a bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and the linen undergarments shall be next to his body, and he shall be girded with the linen sash and attired with the linen turban (these are holy garments). Then he shall bathe his body in water and put them on. He shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering. Then Aaron shall offer the bull for the sin offering which is for himself, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household."

Lev 16:11-16 "Then Aaron shall offer the bull of the sin offering which is for himself and make atonement for himself and for his household, and he shall slaughter the bull of the sin offering which is for himself. [12] "He shall take a firepan full of coals of fire from upon the altar before the LORD and two handfuls of finely ground sweet incense, and bring it inside the veil. [13] "He shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony, otherwise he will die. [14] "Moreover, he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; also in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times. [15] "Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering which is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. [16] "He shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel and because of their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and thus he shall do for the tent of meeting which abides with them in the midst of their impurities.