Holy Days

Exodus 23:10-11

The Day of Atonement and the Year of Jubilee

Atonement in Leviticus

“Atonement” or “atoning” appears 49 times in the book of Leviticus.

There are 102 references to this word throughout the whole Bible. About half are in Leviticus!

This word is of prime importance in the book.

It is to be expected as we have so many commands concerning sacrifices, etc.

However, the meaning of the term tells us much.

The root is to smear or to pitch.

As if we were covering the hull of a boat with pitch/tar so that it can float more easily.

It is the thought of appeasing God, providing coverage for the sin that has been committed.

“to cover, to cover sin, or to secure the sinner from guilt and punishment....This word conveys the idea both of pacification of wrath, and of the covering of transgression, but does not seem to express of itself the idea of full and adequate satisfaction for sin” -Wilson’s Old Testament Word Studies

In the NT, it is mirrored with the concept of propitiation. We will look at this more closely toward the end of the lesson.

The Day of Atonement - Leviticus 16

The context - after the death of Aaron’s sons. Lev 10:3

Leviticus 10:3 NKJV

And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’ ” So Aaron held his peace.

Aaron cannot come at just any time to the Holy of Holies.

Only when the cloud appears above the MERCY SEAT.

Aaron comes WITH blood of a bull (sin offering), and blood of a ram (burnt offering).

sin offering was mandatory for accidental or intentional sin - an offering where only the fat was burned. The meat would be eaten by the priests.

burnt offering was voluntary, symbolizing atonement for sins in general and a complete devotion to God.

Both being involved here is fascinating; both voluntary offerings and mandatory offerings were involved with the day of atonement.

Aaron PUTS ON the holy garments, AFTER he washes himself in water.

Aaron TAKES two kid goats as a sin offering, and one ram as burnt offering.

Aaron will OFFER the bull as a sin offering for himself, making ATONEMENT for himself and his house.

Aaron PRESENTS the two goats BEFORE the LORD at the DOOR of the tabernacle.

Aaron CASTS LOTS to decide which goat will be for the LORD and which is the SCAPEGOAT.

The goat for the LORD offered as sin offering.

The SCAPEGOAT is presented ALIVE before the LORD, to make ATONEMENT upon IT, and LET IT GO into the wilderness.

(If this doesn’t look familiar to us as NT students, we need to do more reading of the gospels.)

Aaron BRINGS the BULL of the SIN OFFERING, KILLS it as a sin offering for himself and his house.

Aaron TAKES a censer full of burning coals of FIRE from the ALTAR before the LORD, with his HANDS full of SWEET INCENSE, and bring the FIRE inside the VEIL.

Not strange fire! Do you think this is why it was such a problem for the fire under the altar to be different from what the Lord commanded?

Aaron puts INCENSE on the FIRE before the LORD, that the CLOUD of INCENSE may COVER the MERCY SEAT that is on the TESTIMONY, lest he DIE.

Aaron takes some of the BLOOD of the BULL and SPLATTERS it with his finger on the MERCY SEAT and BEFORE it SEVEN times.

Seven is the number of “completeness” in the Bible. This is symbolizing COMPLETE AND TOTAL propitiation of sins. Emphasis on SYMBOLIZING.

Aaron kills the GOAT of the sin offering for the people, brings its BLOOD inside the veil, and does with it what he did with the blood of the bull.

First the blood from HIS sacrifice, now the blood for the PEOPLE’s sacrifice.

In this way, Aaron makes ATONEMENT for the holy place (the tabernacle) for the sake of the uncleanness and transgressions of Israel, for all their sins.

No one else can be in the tabernacle while he does this. He does it ALONE.

He goes out of the tabernacle and does the same for the altar, makes atonement for it.

After atoning for the holy place, the tabernacle, and the altar, he brings the SCAPEGOAT, lays his hands on its head, confesses the INIQUITIES, TRANSGRESSIONS, and the SINS of the children of Israel, putting them on the head of the goat, and SENDS IT AWAY into the WILDERNESS.

The scapegoat symbolically TAKES AWAY THEIR SINS.

Aaron takes off the holy garments, washes his body with water, then puts them back on, comes out and now offers his BURNT offering and the BURNT offering for the people, and makes atonement for himself and the people.

The animals used for the sin offering are to be taken OUTSIDE THE CAMP and BURNED.

The one who burns them must WASH HIS CLOTHES and BATHE HIS BODY IN WATER, and afterward may come into the camp.

The Day of Atonement was to be on the 10th day of their 7th month.

They were to AFFLICT THEIR SOULS. This essentially means that Israel was supposed to fast on this day.

This is the only time fasting is commanded under the Old Law. Outside of specific commands from leaders/kings to fast, this is the only time God commands the Israelites each year to fast.

They were to do no work at all on this day, whether they were locals or the strangers dwelling among them.

The Year of Jubilee - Leviticus 25

A “rest” every seven years - the land would lie fallow.

Rest not only for the land - Ex 21:2-11; Deut 15:12-18

All slaves to be freed forever, unless they want otherwise.

Rest not only for slaves - Deut 15:1-11

All debts cancelled forever.

Still, they were not idle! Deut 31:9-13

They were to be busy reading and understanding the laws of God.

Public reading is important work!

This is God painting a picture of the love He has for His people - the same love He has for all people.

Some criticize these passages because they suppose they only take care of the Israelites. For example, you don’t have to free your foreign slaves. You don’t have to forgive the debts of foreigners.

HOWEVER… isn’t it a foregone conclusion that if God wanted you to free and forgive your brethren, you should be willing to do the same for all? Luke 10:29

Holy Days of Mankind

“Special” days are not inherently wrong or sinful. Rom 14:5-6

Romans 14:5–6 NKJV

One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.

Israel was commanded to hold feasts at certain days/times in the year. Christians have no such commands.

That said, clearly there were some who observed days in the 1st century who were not condemned by God, but rather made to stand! Rom 14:4

Romans 14:4 NKJV

Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

Note again, they had convictions concerning these special days. And often, so do we!

Do we not have convictions concerning Birthdays? Valentine’s Day? Easter? Memorial Day? July 4th? Christmas? Each of us may have particular things or events we like to do at those times. Family traditions, etc. The importance is that we do it all “to the Lord”, meaning within the realm of His authority.

I have no authority to treat Christmas as if it is the celebration of the birth of Christ.

I have no authority to deify the government on July 4th or Memorial Day.

I have no authority to only observe the Lord’s Supper on Easter.

Make sure our days are not based on “weak and beggarly elements”. Gal 4:8-11; Col 2:20-23

Galatians 4:8–11 NKJV

But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.

Colossians 2:20–23 NKJV

Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Often, religious holidays look exactly like what we read in these passages.

A glorification of the senses, will-worship, etc.

Whatever special days we observe, no Christian should be observing them in these ways.

The Atonement of Jesus and the Christian’s Year of Jubilee

Jesus is the Propitiation for our sins. Acts 9:9; Rom 3:21-26; Heb 2:17; 1 Jn 2:2; 4:10

When Saul understood his sinful situation in the presence of Jesus, he afflicted his soul. Acts 9:9

Like Israel, we are all filthy and unclean before the LORD. We all need atonement, and that has been made available through Jesus. Rom 3:21-26

As the goat was made the scapegoat, so Jesus became a man in order to allow the sins of the world to be placed upon His head. Heb 2:17

Jesus did not atone only for one people, but for all peoples. This is the greatest of proofs of God’s eternal love. 1 Jn 2:2; 4:10

Jesus brings about the Year of Jubilee in our hearts. Luke 4:14–21; Gal 5:1; Phil 3:20–21; Rom 6:3–4; 1 John 1:7, 9