First Read Leviticus 16:1-34
Yesterday we looked at the overall aspects of the day of Atonement in verses 1-10. Starting in verse 11 we now look at the details of how verses 1-10 were carried out. Today we’ll look at the purification of the innermost chamber of the tent of meeting where the presence of God dwelled and could only be entered into this one day a year.
16:11 Then Aaron shall offer the bull of the sin offering which is for himself and make atonement for himself and for his household … Aaron’s first sacrifice that day was to be for himself and his household (i.e. the other priests as well). If they were going to lead the nation in the day of atonement, they had to be atoned for first.
16:12 … and bring it inside the veil. This is the first time that we see anyone allowed to go beyond the veil.
16:13 He shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony, otherwise he will die. There is a strict rule that in order to keep his life, the priest must cover the place in a cloud of incense. Why did he have to do this? Likely it was so that he did not see the presence of the LORD. Another view is so that the LORD did not look directly on a sinful/polluted man (who represented the nation) and therefore to avert God’s wrath as God is holy and cannot stand sin. Either way there was to be a boundary, if even by a smoke screen, between God and man.
16:14 Moreover, he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat … The blood is put on the mercy seat on the ark. The priest purifies the innermost place.
16:15 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. The high priest does the same with the offering of the people. Thereby the innermost place is atoned for of the sins and pollution of the high priest as well as the nation.
16:16 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. This is the why. It is necessary because of the impurities of the people and their transgressions. Because the tent, and therefore the presence of God, is located in their midst, it’s necessary for it to be cleansed if the presence of God is to remain with them.
16:17 When he goes in to make atonement in the holy place, no one shall be in the tent of meeting until he comes out … No one is to be hiding, listening by the veil.
16:18 Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it… Now the altar is to be purified as well.
In short, what this means for us today is summed up in two words: Jesus Christ! His work on the cross was the once and for all antoning sacrifice. We read that when he died the veil was ripped in two from top to bottom. His death was the once and for all sacrifice that made it possible for the Spirit of God to dwell within those who are His people. Once we start to see the life, death, and resurrection in light of Leviticus we see the magnitude of what He did and we have all the more reason to worship Him!
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. – Isaiah 53:5
eric whitman 