Feast of Atonement

Intro

Good morning and Welcome again to everyone here in person and online. We thank you for joining us here at Horeb as we continue to look back and look forward to coming realities while considering these Jesus Feasts. Please open your bibles to Leviticus 23:26 we’ll be reading all the way to 32.

I don’t know if you remember near the beginning of this series and a couple times after we heard about how some of the feasts were complete and how some also had a 2nd coming completion or a prophetic-ness to them. This is one of those that has past, present and future realities.

Past

Leviticus 23:26–32 ESV

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present a food offering to the Lord. And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. For whoever is not afflicted on that very day shall be cut off from his people. And whoever does any work on that very day, that person I will destroy from among his people. You shall not do any work. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict yourselves. On the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath.”

I didn’t make you read the long form version of this but we will go over its main points. If you wanted to devote some time into reading it yourself it is Lev 16 entirely.

One of the things that surprised as I began my time in this topic was that this all came about after two sons of Aaron offered up strange fire to God as worship. This was like the HR mistake that prompts an even further expansion or training on policy. Or in F1 when a team exploits a loophole, the governing body closes it. God, after making an example of two of Aaron’s sons, said this is how serious my worship is…6 chapters later we get to the feast of atonement. While feasts generally revolve around food and such, always think of that scene in hook where Robin Williams character (Perter pan) has to learn to use his imagination again in order to eat and boom all this food shows up on the table and it’s almost overwhelming. This feast has less to do with food, and more with fasting, repentance and reconnection.

So before Aaron begins he is reminded of his son’s mistake almost to say, do not forget about the seriousness of approaching me in worship. Side note: sometimes I wonder if we as his church take gathering and worshipping God serious and make it a priority? I don’t mean joyless I mean committed. Different sermon different day…This chapter sets forth the detailed and solemn procedures for the Day of Atonement, emphasizing the seriousness of sin and the need for atonement and purification before a holy God.

Lev 16:3-5

Aaron is instructed to bathe and dress in sacred garments before he can perform the atonement rituals.

The offerings required for the day are detailed: a bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering for Aaron, and two goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering for the people.

Leviticus 16:6-11

Aaron is to offer the bull as a sin offering to make atonement for himself and his house.

He is to cast lots over the two goats—one for the Lord and the other for Azazel (often interpreted as the scapegoat).

The goat for the Lord is to be offered as a sin offering, while the scapegoat is kept alive.

Leviticus 16:12-19

Aaron is to take incense and burning coals from the altar before the Lord, filling the inner sanctuary with smoke to cover the mercy seat.

He then sprinkles the blood of the bull and the goat on the mercy seat to make atonement for the Holy Place due to the impurities and transgressions of the Israelites.

Leviticus 16:20-22

After making atonement for the Holy Place, Aaron is to lay his hands on the head of the live goat (scapegoat) and confess over it all the iniquities and transgressions of the Israelites, transferring their sins to the goat.

The goat is then sent away into the wilderness, symbolically carrying away the sins of the people.

Leviticus 16:23-28

Aaron is to remove his linen garments, bathe again, and put on his regular priestly garments to offer the burnt offerings for himself and the people, making atonement for them.

The remains of the sin offering (bull and goat) are taken outside the camp and burned.

The person who releases the scapegoat and the one who burns the remains must also bathe and wash their clothes before reentering the camp.

Leviticus 16:29-34

The Day of Atonement is established as a perpetual statute, to be observed with fasting and rest, a "Sabbath of solemn rest," on the tenth day of the seventh month.

This day is set aside for self-affliction (interpreted as fasting) and for making atonement before the Lord.

The chapter concludes with the emphasis that this is to be a lasting ordinance for the Israelites to make atonement for themselves once a year.

Something so dope that comes up as a recurring theme in the concept of atonement is one of the words that makes up a portion of its description, the hebrew word Kaphar.

Old Testament root meaning was “to cover” (kaphar), referring to the lid of the ark of the covenant where the blood of the sacrifice was poured.

Kenneth Boa and William Kruidenier, Romans, vol. 6, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 475.

In the context of sin, "kaphar" implies covering or concealing sin, thereby nullifying its effects or hiding it from God's sight. This is not about deception but about dealing with sin in such a way that it no longer creates a barrier between the individual and God. The blood of sacrifices, as prescribed in the Mosaic Law, particularly on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), served this function — symbolically covering the sins of the people and rendering them clean before God (Leviticus 16).

The act of covering sin also extended to the purification of sacred spaces and objects. For example, the blood of certain sacrifices was used to "cover" or cleanse the altar, making it pure and fit for divine worship.

There was no one word to describe the theological concept of this covering until the 16th century. William tyndale is credited for the invention of this word. When Tyndale was translating the Bible into English, he encountered the Hebrew word "kaphar" and the Greek word "hilasmos," both of which needed a precise English equivalent to convey their full theological meaning, particularly in the context of Christ's work of reconciliation between God and humanity.

The term comes from "at-one-ment," essentially meaning to make or become one, signifying the reconciliation or the restoring of a relationship that had been broken by sin. It encapsulates the idea of reparation or satisfaction for a wrong or injury, which in Christian theology refers to Christ's sacrificial death on the cross that reconciles sinners with God.

The New Bible Dictionary, Third Edition I. The Need for Atonement

The need for atonement is brought about by three things, the universality of sin, the seriousness of sin and man’s inability to deal with sin. The first point is attested in many places: ‘there is no man who does not sin’ (1 Ki. 8:46); ‘there is none that does good, no, not one’ (Ps. 14:3); ‘there is not a righteous man on earth, who does good and never sins’ (Ec. 7:20). Jesus told the rich young ruler, ‘No one is good but God alone’ (Mk. 10:18), and Paul writes, ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Rom. 3:23). Much more could be cited.

This day was a shadow, a mere outline of the glorious reality to come in Christ. Hebrews 10:1 reminds us, "For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near."

Present

Fast forward to the present, where the shadow gives way to reality. In our present reality, the idea of covering is taken to a new level through the atonement made by Jesus Christ. His sacrificial death is seen as the ultimate covering for sin, not just concealing it but dealing with it entirely and reconciling humanity with God. This is echoed in the New Testament, where the sacrificial language is often applied to Christ's work on the cross (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 2:17). Christ, our High Priest, entered not a man-made sanctuary, but heaven itself, to appear for us in God's presence (Hebrews 9:24). His sacrifice wasn't with the blood of goats or calves but with His own, securing an eternal redemption for us. This is our present reality.

Steve Lawson reminds us, "In Christ's finished work, we find our peace and assurance. His one-time sacrifice underpins our continual forgiveness and standing before God."

In this present age, we embrace this completed atonement. We cling to 1 John 1:9, which assures us, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." This isn't just a historical fact; it's a present reality that we live in every day.

The covering aspect in Christian atonement also includes the concept of imputed righteousness. Christ's righteousness is "covered" over believers, so when God looks at them, He sees not their sinfulness but the righteousness of Christ. This imputation ensures that believers are judged as righteous in God's sight, a fundamental aspect of justification by faith.

An excellent example of this is the parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22. ending the parable

Matthew 22:11–12 ESV

“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.

In these times it was customary to provide party garments for your guests. and this person thought that his clothes were better than what the king can provide, but the reality is that there is no better garment than the righteousness of Jesus.

Future

Looking forward, we hold onto a glorious hope. Revelation 21:4 offers a glimpse: "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Jesus reconciling work extends to all those who believe.

Revelation 20:15 shows that anyone not found written in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire, similar to the ending of the afore mentioned parable, but believers, covered by Christ's atonement, have their names in this book.

Jon Moffitt conveys, "Our future hope isn't just a concept; it's a promise of God, assuring us that the atonement secures not just our present but our eternal destiny."

1 John 3:2–3 ESV

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

The atonement ensures believers' resurrection and glorification, promising a future where they will be freed from sin and its consequences, including death. As 1 Corinthians 15:52-53 explains, in the future, believers will be raised imperishable and will be clothed with immortality, an event intimately tied to Christ's atoning work.

The atonement has future implications for the final judgment. Because of Christ's atoning sacrifice, believers can face the judgment with confidence, not fear. They are assured of their standing before God—not based on their righteousness but on Christ's atoning work (Romans 8:1).

Family we have the opportunity remember all these things as we sojourn in this life. We live with constant opportunity to hope in hopeless times because our hope is anchored in Jesus.

The future reality of atonement also has ethical implications for believers' lives here and now. The hope and assurance of future redemption motivate believers to live in a manner that reflects their future glorification, pursuing holiness and godliness as they anticipate the coming age (1 John 3:2-3). Hence the fruit of the Spirit.

Jon Moffitt of Theocast says, "Our future hope isn't just a concept; it's a promise of God, assuring us that the atonement secures not just our present but our eternal destiny."

Brothers and sisters, do not think for a second that I forgot about the scapegoat. In OT times the high priest would lay hands on the scapegoat, confessing and laying the sins of Israel on it as it’s sent out into the wilderness. Imagery that is reflected in Psalm 103.

The high priest wouldn’t just lazily lay hands on it, He would lean with all the conviction and weight of sin almost as if to transfer the load to it. Just as our sin was transferred to Jesus. He is our scapegoat. He carries our sins into to the wilderness far away from us and has covered us in His righteousness and has promised to return and bring a fulfilled restoration to all who believe. Let us hope in christ as live in his victory and sojourn throught this life.

Psalm 103:11–13 ESV

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.