Leviticus 17, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (2)

Our reading today is Lev. 17 which my copy of the NKJV entitles “The Sanctity of Blood.”  The subject of this post is from Lev. 16, “The Day of Atonement.”  The two clearly go together.  We will come back to this in the next post.

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, was a day like no other.  It was not just a regular Sabbath.  It was a day to “afflict your souls.”  This refers to fasting, which is not just going without food but is a time of sorrow and humiliation for sin.  It was a day for self-examination and repentance.  It was also a time to recognize that only God has the solution for sin and the sinner.  There must be a just covering for sin if God was to live among the people of Israel.  By “just” we mean that God’s righteous anger had to be satisfied.  This is what Yom Kippur was about.

Here is a survey of Lev. 16.

·       v1-2: This describes the “mercy seat” in the Holy of Holies.  Aaron was not to enter this area any time he wanted.  Death was the penalty for disobedience.

·       v3-5: Here are the items needed by the Priest to enter the holiest: a bull for his own sins, two goats and a ram.  Aaron began by washing himself and putting on the holy clothing.

·       v6: First, Aaron was to offer a bull for his own sins (cf. Heb. 5:3; 7:27f; 9:7).  Christ did not have to do this because He had no sin.  Thus He was qualified to be both Priest AND sacrifice (the Lamb of God).  The ram was offered at the same time (cf. v3,24).

·       v7-10: The lot was cast for the two goats; one would live (the scapegoat), the other would die (for the LORD).  Both goats, of course, are necessary as a picture of Christ.  He bled for our sins, and He removed our sins far from us.  In Eph. 1:7 this is redemption and forgiveness.

·       v11-14: First, the bull was a sin offering for the sins of Aaron.  He took the censor with coals from the fire and incense into the Holiest; he also sprinkled blood from this sacrifice on the mercy seat.

·       v15-17: Then he dealt with the goat that is for the LORD.  Again he sprinkled blood on the mercy seat, but this was for the sins of the people.

·       v18-19: He then took blood from both offerings and sprinkled it on the altar to consecrate it for the many sacrifices to be offered in the coming year.

·       v20-22: Then he brought the scapegoat and laid his hands on it as he confessed the sins of the nation.  It was led into the desert and released where it could not return.

·       v23-28: When the Priest reappeared from the Holiest it was an indication his work on behalf of the people had been accepted by God.  Thus the work was done and Aaron after the appropriate clean-up.

·       v29-34: There are lasting ordinances regarding this day.  It is always the 10^th day of the 7^th month Tishri (Sep/Oct).  They were to “deny themselves” (fast) and have a Sabbath (no work).  It applied to all who live in the land, Israelites and others.  ONLY the High Priest could do the necessary work, and only once a year.

Note what it took to typify Christ, our propitiation: a High Priest, properly clothed, plus two lambs/goats.  Christ laid aside His glory and clothed Himself with humanity.  Again, these two animals reveal the perfect provision of Christ: He satisfies God’s holiness (by His death) and meets man’s need (by taking man’s sin on Himself).  Again, we see how Christ’s death deals with both the act of sin and the resulting condition of guilt.  Thus we can say that we don’t need a “Day of Atonement;” that day is past, done once and for all.  But we do need the times of afflicting the soul and the heart attitude of humility before the Lord.