Good Friday Notes

Notes

Leviticus 16:4–5 ESV

4 He shall put on the holy linen coat and shall have the linen undergarment on his body, and he shall tie the linen sash around his waist, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on. 5 And he shall take from the congregation of the people of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.

1st Goat

Leviticus 16:15–19 ESV

15 “Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that 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, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. 16 Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses. 17 No one may be in the tent of meeting from the time he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place until he comes out and has made atonement for himself and for his house and for all the assembly of Israel. 18 Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the Lord and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around. 19 And he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it and consecrate it from the uncleannesses of the people of Israel.

2nd Goat

Leviticus 16:21–22 ESV

21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. 22 The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness.

DEATH BY LOVE

Once the high priest was cleansed, he took two goats, which together represent the two-part work of sacrifice for the people of Israel. Together they showed the horror of sin. He cast lots, choosing one to show that every person was a sinner deserving death. He slaughtered it and went once again into the Most Holy Place, sprinkling some of the blood on the sacred altar, just as he done with the bull. This was to deal with the offense sin brings to the Lord. Then he would lay his hands on the other goat and confess the sins of the nation, showing that they were filthy because of their sin. He would send that goat away, showing that God takes our sin away, cleansing us of our defilement. Finally, he offered a ram as the normal sin offering, once again showing that sin leads to death. The slaughter of the innocent animals was to atone for the different dimensions of human sin.