First Read Leviticus 16:1-34
Because of the depth of this chapter, we’ll look at it in sections. Today will be focused on the first 10 verses.
Chapter 16 deals with one of the most sacred days of the year for the Israelites: The Day of Atonement. One day per year it was necessary to purify and clean the innermost part of the sanctuary; from the pollution of Israel, if God was to continue to live with His people. Chapter 16 is broken up as such:
verses 1-10 are an overview. 11-28 focus on the details of how 1-10 are carried out. 29-34 give the command to do this every year.
16:1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the 2 sons of Aaron, when they had approached the presence of the LORD and died. This statement places the chapter in the narrative. Aaron’s 2 oldest sons had died when they tried to worship God in a way He hadn’t commanded. Because chapter 16 deals with the high priest going into the holiest room on earth (the holy place inside the veil) it was necessary to know exactly how he should do this so he didn’t suffer the same fate as the sons.
16:2 …he shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil… The high priest couldn’t go in whenever he wished. It was only when God allowed him in on the day of atonement that he could enter.
16:3 Aaron shall enter the holy place with this: with a bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. The high priest had to enter with 2 offerings.
16:4 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. These garments were no where near the splendor of his high priest garments. Before men the high priest office was reflected in the great garments he wore, but before God, his garments radically changed to reflect his standing as a servant.
16:5 He shall take form the congregation of the sons of Israel 2 male goats for a sin offering and 1 ram for a burnt offering. Offerings must not only be made for the high priest himself, but also for the people.
16:10 But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as a scapegoat. One is killed as an offering to God, the other is sent off in to the wilderness.
One day a year the high priest was allowed to come in and purify the innermost chamber in the tent of meeting. To do so he had to change his clothes to reflect his standing before God as well as bring in offerings on behalf of himself and the nation of Israel. While one of Israel’s offering would be sacrificed, the other was sent off as a scapegoat.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US:
- Our standing before God is always as a humble servant. After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” – Isaiah 7:9-10
- Christ was the ultimate atoning sacrifice on our behalf. Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. – Isaiah 53:4-6
eric whitman 