The Day of Atonement
Notes
Transcript
Pray
What is the Day of Atonement for?
Why is is required?
The challenge to us
The joy for us
What is the Day of Atonement for?
What is the Day of Atonement for?
In ancient Israel it was the most important day of the year.
But why?
‘This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites.’ And it was done, as the Lord commanded Moses.
This is the day that all the sin of Israel is atoned for.
But What is atonement - whatr is this day for?,
1 - Atonement for Sin
1 - Atonement for Sin
Firstly, it is to pay a right price for a wrong, so that 2 parties can be at one - so they can dwell together.
Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering.
So God’s wrath and just anger at the sin of the people is averted through the sacrifice of a goat - their sin is paid for.
A substitution is made, whose blood is shed instead of theirs before God.
2 - Atonement for defilement
2 - Atonement for defilement
Atonement can also mean to make someone or something clean or pure before God becasue we are by nature defiled - unclean - either becasue of sin, or simply becasue we belong to fallen world.
And so anything we even touch can become unclean and therefore unacceptable to a gloriously perfect and moral God.
And lot’s of that is happening too in this chapter.
‘Then he shall come out to the altar that is before the Lord and make atonement for it. He shall take some of the bull’s blood and some of the goat’s blood and put it on all the horns of the altar. He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites.
3rdly the Day of atonement is a
3 - Promise of Life in God’s Holy Presence
3 - Promise of Life in God’s Holy Presence
This day is a day that responds to the disaster of chapter 10 - where the priests, Nadab and Abihu, die instantly due to their indifference to God’s command and holiness.
The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they approached the Lord.
What we learn is that to approach God in all his holiness is only achievable through absolute obedicene to His commands.
And what is plain in chapter 10 is that that is not going to be achievable by human priests having regualar or easy access to the presence of God. - they will make sinful mistakes and die.
So,
The Lord said to Moses: ‘Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die. For I will appear in the cloud over the atonement cover.
Even the High Preist - who is consecrated is now not able to approach God in his Holy of holies - they cannot pass through the thick curtain that seperates the ark from the rest of the tent of meeting.
the ark contains the 10 commandment that God gave Moses and represents the very presence and glory of God.
And so after the deaths of Nadab and Abihu - access to the precense of God is limited to 1 day of the year, under very strickt conditions.
The Holiness of God is too dangerous for humanity to have free access too - for we will die as the holiness of God consumes like fire the fallen sinfulness of humanity.
So majestic, awesome, glorious is God - that we could only dream of being in his wonderful presence.
The world around us will keep telling you how wonderful you are - well how ever wonderful you think you are you and I are nothing before this wonderful and Holy God.
So great and Holy is he - so magnificent in all his glory - that if we approach him in our common state - we will die.
So the day of atonement is actually an offer of entering the presence of God and staying alive!
Leviticus 16:3 (NIV 2011)
‘This is how Aaron is to enter the Most Holy Place: he must ...
The unthinkable can happen.
The unapproachable God - is approachable, and the high priest will live!
How foolish we are to take access to God for granted today.
4thly
What is the Day of Atonement for? Well
4 - Sin is Taken Away!
4 - Sin is Taken Away!
Normally the offerings all involve blood sacrifices - as they do on this Day of Atonement, as we saw with 1 goat already, but on this day, once a year something else happens that is visually and illustratively very powerful.
A second goat is to be spared sacrifice and instead the High Preist does this
He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a remote place; and the man shall release it in the wilderness.
You feel the relief and guilt lift don’t you as your sin before God walks off on a goat - never to be seen again.
Our sins are forgotten - they are taken outside the city gates - away says the Day of Atonement.
The Day of Atonement was a big deal then!
But you’re saying - isn’t this what all the offerings of chapters 1-7 of Leviticus were about?
Why is the Day of Atonement required?
Why is the Day of Atonement required?
well firstly becasue
1 - Human Brought Animal Offerings are Not Enough to Atone
1 - Human Brought Animal Offerings are Not Enough to Atone
Part of the point of this day is to show the people that even their approach to God with offerings and sacrifices for atonement - is not perfect - and also needs atoning for.
So as they entre the tent of meeting and bring their normal offerings they apporach and entre as unclean.
So the very tent of meeting, the alter are all exposed to uncleanness.
And so this is the day when all that defilement that has been brought to the tent of meeting is cleaned away itself!
It’s like the annual spring clean of defilement from the tent of meeting.
That’s why no-one can even be in the tent of meeting during this whole procedure.
No one is to be in the tent of meeting from the time Aaron goes in to make atonement in the Most Holy Place until he comes out, having made atonement for himself, his household and the whole community of Israel.
The tent of meeting has become unclean by the very presence of the people bringing their offerings!
That is how holy God is, and how unholy we are.
Even the alter must be atoned for…
‘Then he shall come out to the altar that is before the Lord and make atonement for it. He shall take some of the bull’s blood and some of the goat’s blood and put it on all the horns of the altar. He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites.
Offerings and sacrfices are the right thing to do - and they are effective to a point - but the very nature of a sinful, unclean people approaching a holy God and his Holy tent of Meeting brings a problem.
Even the sacrificial system is tainted by human sinfulness
And so we have the Day of Atonement.
a deep clean, cleansing atonement of ALL - the HP, the people, the Tent of meeting and the alter.
And then after all that, the sin of all the people - having been atoned for by sacrifice - must be sent far away into the dessert to be remembered no more.
The Day of Atonement reminds us that Human Brought Animal Offerings are Not Enough to Atone
I don’t know what you might think we can bring to God to make him look gently on our sin and unholiness - but wahtever it is,
good works, moral behaviour, service, money, deep prayer - all good things but all still tainted by our sin.
They cannot truly atone - they cannot truly allow us to entre the precese of God!
So the day of atonement also reminds us. that
2 - Sin and it’s Consequence is VERY VERY VERY HARD to Get Rid of Before God
2 - Sin and it’s Consequence is VERY VERY VERY HARD to Get Rid of Before God
Even our righteous acts - bringing a right sacrifice to God - is like a filthy rag that taints the very ground we walk on.
And You probably see the problem - well if the general offergins have to also then be atoned for on this annual day,
doesnt’ even this day leave the task unfinished.
Evne the HP has to atone for his sin through sacrifice and then atone for the rest of the people and cleanse the tent and alter.
Doesn’t even he leave a slight taint of impurity in his approach to God.
How can God dwell amoung His people?
With difficulty has to be the answer.
The Sacrifices taught Israel that sin is a huge problem.
Something we quickly forget!
But It would have been very clear to an Israelite that God dwelling with
them was no easy matter.
And so the cycle continues.
For God to dwell with them – there must be a blood sacrifice - the death of a substitute. The imagery is clear.
And then the day of atonement is carried out,
but even that needs to be done each year.
Neither the blood of the first goat nor the scapegoat have fully dealt with sin.
And so goes on the cycle.
We haven’t even yet mentioned the special clothes and washing the HP would have to carry out in v4 and 24,
The incense that had to be burnt to ‘hide’ God’s glory in the holies of holies even from the HP as he entered in v 12-13
It is VERY VERY VERY HARD to be in the presence of a Holy God.
So how should we respond to this chapter?
The Challenge of the Day of Atonement
The Challenge of the Day of Atonement
I don’t think we appreciate just how abhorrent, and problematic our sin is, and our fallen nature is, before our Holy God.
Do you think about this sort of level of holiness and sinfulness when you decide whether to priorities
God or your hobbies,
God or your laziness,
God or your internet usage,
God and your work decisions.
We’re so used to feeling free of the law as the NT tells us - that we take it as licence to take liberties with our life decisions and priorities.
it’s exactly what Paul talks about in several of his letter in the NT,
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
God is holy and his presence is not achieved lightly, or easily.
Don’t play down sin!
We need a HP to approach God and atone for our sin.
We need a blood sacrifice substitution to fully and perfectly pay for our sin,
to atone for us before God,
to take His right anger at our sin upon itself fully and finally.
We need a scape goat to take away our sin and take it so far away God cannot count it against us any longer!
DO not take sin lightly and do not take God’s holiness lightly says the day of atonement.
But the day of atonement is not just a challenge.
The Joy of the Day of Atonement
The Joy of the Day of Atonement
The day promsies the possibility of LIFE in the very presence of a Holy God!
How?
Through
Jesus - the High Priest, the atoning sacrifice, the scapegoat of sin
I’ve said alot, but don’t take my word for it.
Hebrews chapter 9 is it’s own mini-sermon on Levitius 16.
Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now. When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshipper. They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order. But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, so obtaining eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
move to v 22
In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Jesus is our perfect Hight preist - in Holy of Holies (of heaven) right now - intercedeing for US with our Holy God.
It is his blood that once for all substitutes our blood for his so we might not face the judgement of God.
He ‘takes away’, v28, the sin of us who believe - He is the scapegoat
He opens the impossible promise of life in the very presence of the Holy God of all.
So, repent and believe, and give your whole life as a pleasing sacrifice to Him.
On the cross we read
Mark 15:37–38 (NIV 2011)
With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple (to the holy of holies) was torn in two from top to bottom.
In Christ Alone we can apporach the unapporachable Holy God - too wonderful to conceieve, and we can enjoy Him eternally - Life in all it’s fullness.
Jesus is Our day of atonement!
Praise Him
Pray