Leviticus 11:44
For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. ESV
Genesis 2:17
but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” ESV
Genesis 3:24
He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. ESV
ATONEMENT: ‘covering’ sin had to be covered, taken away, paid for
Leviticus 16:1-3
The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the Lord and died, 2 and the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. 3 But in this way Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: ESV
Chapter 16 is about The Way Aaron had to come into the Holy Place on the DAY OF ATONEMENT:
1. Aaron had to Prepare for Day of Atonement. (16:4)
Then he would take a censor of hot coals into the Holy of Holies to create a cloud of smoke. (16:12-13)
After setting up the smoke, he would go back out the tent to sacrifice the Bull Offering: (16:11-14)
Why all the blood?
Leviticus 17:11
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. ESV
Then Aaron would go back outside the tent and sacrifice the 1st of two Goat Offerings. (16:15-19)
Next Aaron would go back outside the Tabernacle to lay his hands on the 2nd Goat. (16:20-22)
Finally Aaron would go back into the Holy Place to remove the holy linens, bathe, and put back on his priestly garments. (16:23-28).
In the last part of the instructions a commission is given concerning The Day of Atonement:
Leviticus 16:32-34
32 And the priest who is anointed and consecrated as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement, wearing the holy linen garments. 33 He shall make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. 34 And this shall be a statute forever for you, that atonement may be made for the people of Israel once in the year because of all their sins.” ESV
Understanding Leviticus is vital for us today because there are
4 things we don’t take seriously enough:
- The Presence of God (in our public/private worship)
- The Extent of our Sin (confession/repentance)
- The Mercy & Love of God (praise/thankfulness/gratitude)
- The fulfillment of the Day of Atonement in Jesus Christ
(rest of our time exploring this)
Every Day of Atonement in the OT pointed to the Day when Christ would make a final and lasting atonement for all sin.
Listen to some of the ways Jesus fulfilled The Day of Atonement:
1. In Preparation for Day of Atonement, the High Priest prepared for a week, prayed all night, put on holy linens before going in.
Jesus spent The Passion Week getting ready, prayed all night in the garden, was stripped of his garments, but given burial linens after the crucifixion.
2. The High Priests had to fill the Holy of Holies with smoke so that he couldn’t see God.
When Jesus died on the cross the sky grew dark as if the sin Christ was bearing on the cross made it so God could not look upon him.
Matthew 27:45-46
45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” ESV
3&4: The Hight priest took the blood of the bull and goat into the holy of holies to sprinkle it over the mercy seat to atone for his sins, the priests’ sin, the people’s sin, and for the Tabernacle itself which had been contaminated by the people’s sin..
**
Jesus himself took as priest & sacrifice took his on blood into the heavenly holy of holies:
**Hebrews 9:22-23
22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
The tabernacle/temple were actually copies of real Temple in heaven. Only blood from a perfect sacrifice and only a perfect priest, and only a perfect ‘new Adam’ could enter the real and perfect heavenly temple
That is why only Christ could enter…
Hebrews 9:24
For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.
People ask, ‘where did Jesus go when he died on a cross?’ AT least one place we know for sure: He went into the heavenly temple before God to show that atonement had been made for our sins by his blood!
5. After exiting the tent, the High Priest put his hands on a Scape Goat to bear the sins of the people out into the wilderness.
Jesus was our scape-goat, bearing away all our sins, as far as the east is from the west…
Hebrews 9:26-28
But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. ESV
For all those who are waiting on Jesus (all those who have faith) he has already bore your sins away when He was crucified outside the city, so that on judgment day you will not be cast out into hell forever along with the Devil & all his demons!
If the 2nd goat went to Azazel (the place of the demon) did Jesus go anywhere besides the heavenly Temple after he died on the cross bearing all the sins?
1 Peter 3:18-20
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, ESV
Like the scape-goat went to Azazel, Jesus went to proclaim to at least some of the demons that your sins have been born away, that their schemes to destroy you have been thwarted, that they cannot hold you captive because of any sin you have committed.
6. The high priest took off his white linens in the holy place, bathed, put on his priestly garments, and then sent the meat of the sin offerings outside the camp to be burned.
Jesus was also taken outside the city…
Hebrews 13:11-12
For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. 12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.
Jesus was crucified outside the city, died, then put in burial clothes and closed up in a tomb. But when he rose again, he left those clothes in the tomb where the disciples found them. Now he is clothed in white, in his heavenly priestly garments, representing all His people before God as the perfect high priest forever.
Do you see now why the Day Christ died and atoned for your sins was the most important date in all history?
Let God use the most important day
your life to turn today into the most important day
your life.
Here is How:
Hebrews 10:19-22
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ESV
Today can become the most important day in your life through Faith!
TS: 4 important days on God’s calendar…
1. THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
2. THE DAY JESUS FULFILLED THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
3. THE DAY YOU PUT YOUR FAITH IN JESUS’ ATONEMENT (today?)
TS: what is the 4th important day on God’s calendar?
Hebrews 10:23-25
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. ESV
- THE DAY JESUS COMES BACK TO SAVE THE ATONED
Are you one of the atoned? If not, will today be the most important day in your life? The day you become a person of faith?