20241013 The Day of Christ’s Atonement

Welcome to Vertical Church

Acts 2:42 (LSB)

And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.

As a church we seek to uphold the values of the NT church as seen in Acts 2:42 -

We are Trinitarian - while God is one in essence, He is three in person: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit

We believe in the sovereignty of God - sovereign over all creation, sovereign over the affairs of men, sovereign over salvation

We believe in the authority of the Bible - Scripture alone is the Word of God

We are Biblical in our theology - we are a bible teaching church

We believe that the Church is not a building or a denomination but a people - those who are truly in Christ and embrace the truths that were embraced and confessed by the New Testament Church, the apostolic church.

We are evangelical - we believe that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

We are a Vertical Church - we believe that all true worship and living is Vertical, God directed and for the glory of God alone.

Scripture Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Christ Alone, For the glory of God alone - join us on Sundays

Call to Worship - Psalm 18:1-3

For the choir director. Of the servant of Yahweh, of David, who spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 1 He said, “I love You, O Yahweh, my strength.” 2 Yahweh is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I call upon Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies.

Scripture Reading - Hebrews 9:1-14

Hebrews 9:1–14 (LSB)

1 Now even the first covenant had requirements of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary. 2 For there was a tabernacle prepared: the first part, in which were the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread, which is called the holy place. 3 And behind the second veil there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, 4 having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tablets of the covenant. 5 And above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. 6 Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests are continually entering the first part of the tabernacle performing the divine worship, 7 but into the second, only the high priest enters once a year, not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance.

8 The Holy Spirit is indicating this, that the way into the holy places has not yet been manifested while that first part of the tabernacle is still standing, 9 which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, 10 since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, requirements for the body imposed until a time of reformation. 11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy places once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

The Day of Christ’s Atonement (Leviticus 16)

Introduction:

2 Timothy 3:16 LSB

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness,

I love the Bible. I love the New Testament. But if I was put into a situation where I could only take one book of the bible I would probably choose the Book of Hebrews. And if I could bring an OT book it probably Leviticus and if I could sneak in a third book it would be Acts.

But the Book of Hebrews is like reading the Pentateuch and the Prophets and the Gospels and the Book of Romans all rolled into one book.

And our scripture reading from Hebrews is relevant today because this weekend was the celebration of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement and Hebrews 9 refers to this solemn day. While other holy days in the Old Testament were celebratory feasts, this Day was a solemn day of fasting and in Acts 27 it is referred to as simply The Fast. It was a national day of mourning and repentance. This was a day when Isreal was to “humble our souls”

There was a tabernacle in the desert.

There was holy place where the priests ministered

There was the holy of holies, with the ark and inside the ark a golden jar, Aaron’s rod, and the two tablets

And only once a year could only one man enter the holy of holies - and that man was the high priest

And he could only enter with blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people

And he would sprinkle this blood on the mercy seat, the gold lid of the ark of the covenant

And this day is called Yom Kippur, that is, The Day of Atonement

Most of the procedures followed on the Day of Atonement were similar to those followed for the other offerings except that the blood of the sacrifices was sprinkled on the mercy seat in the Most Holy Place as well (Lev. 16:14). This was done lest the accumulated sin cause God to immediately punish the high priest and the people. Aaron and the later high priests also had to throw incense in the air (vv. 12–13) in front of them as they approached the ark of the covenant so as to keep them from being able to see the Lord; otherwise, they would have died (Ex. 33:12–23).

Besides the sacrifice of a bull on behalf of the priesthood, two goats were brought to the tabernacle/temple to deal with the sin of the entire nation (Lev. 16:6–10). One goat was killed and its blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat (vv. 15–19). This sacrifice on the Day of Atonement resulted in propitiation — the satisfaction of God’s wrath on a substitute in place of the people. The other goat, after hands were laid on it, was sent to Azazel in the wilderness and freed, probably meaning it was taken to a desolate mountain and killed (vv. 20–22). Here it is clear that expiation was accomplished. The sins of the people were taken away from Israel and away from the holy camp.

Let’s look at this wonderful chapter of scripture

Leviticus 16 (LSB)

1 Now Yahweh spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they came near the presence of Yahweh and died. 2 And Yahweh said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, so that he will not die; for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.

3 “Aaron shall enter the holy place with this: with a bull from the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 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.

5 “And he shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering. 6 “Then Aaron shall bring near the bull for the sin offering which is for himself, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household. 7 “And he shall take the two goats and present them before Yahweh at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

8 “And Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for Yahweh and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9 “Then Aaron shall bring near the goat on which the lot for Yahweh fell, and he shall offer it as a sin offering. 10 “But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before Yahweh, to make atonement upon it, to send it out into the wilderness as the scapegoat.

11 “Then Aaron shall bring near the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his household, and he shall slaughter the bull of the sin offering which is for himself. 12 “And he shall take a firepan full of coals of fire from upon the altar before Yahweh and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense, and bring it inside the veil. 13 “And he shall put the incense on the fire before Yahweh, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony, so that he will not die.

14 “Moreover, he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; also in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times. 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 he shall sprinkle it on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. 16 “So he shall make atonement for the holy place because of the uncleanness 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 uncleanness.

17 “Now when he goes in to make atonement in the holy place, no one shall be in the tent of meeting until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household and for all the assembly of Israel. 18 “Then he shall go out to the altar that is before Yahweh and make atonement for it. And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides.

19 “With his finger he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times and cleanse it and set it apart as holy from the uncleanness of the sons of Israel. 20 “And when he finishes making atonement for the holy place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall bring near the live goat. 21 “Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it out into the wilderness by the hand of a man ready to do this.

22 “And the goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an isolated land; and he shall send out the goat in the wilderness.

23 “Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting and take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the holy place and shall leave them there. 24 “And he shall bathe his body with water in a holy place and put on his clothes and come forth, and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people and make atonement for himself and for the people.

25 “Then he shall offer up in smoke the fat of the sin offering on the altar. 26 “And the one who sent the goat out as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body with water; then afterward he shall come into the camp.

27 “But the bull of the sin offering and the goat of the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall be taken outside the camp, and they shall burn their hides, their flesh, and their refuse in the fire. 28 “Then the one who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body with water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.

29 “And this shall be a perpetual statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls and not do any work, whether the native or the sojourner who sojourns among you; 30 for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before Yahweh.

31 “It is to be a sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls; it is a perpetual statute.

32 “So the priest who is anointed and ordained to minister as a priest in his father’s place shall make atonement: he shall thus put on the linen garments, the holy garments, 33 and make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar. He shall also make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.

34 “Now you shall have this as a perpetual statute, to make atonement for the sons of Israel for all their sins once every year.” And just as Yahweh had commanded Moses, so he did.

2 Corinthians 5:21 LSB

21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Double imputation: our sin to Christ, Christ’s righteousness to us

Christ our sin bearer, Christ our atoning sacrifice, Christ our high priest who intercedes for all those who through faith have been declared righteous

Let’s pray

May this giving God give you wisdom in your perplexities, relief in your pressures, steadiness in your troubles, and faithfulness in your temptations until Jesus comes. Amen.