Jesus Returns

Greeting

Thankful for the opportunity

Thankful for a church family

Thankful for Jesus dying on the cross

Prayer

The gospel to be spread in preaching

Unity among our nation and world

Unity in our church

Raising up of a generation of young Christians

Revival in our schools

Background

I will be teaching today out of Leviticus 16. This is a vital passage to the book of Leviticus in that it is the point upon which the book hinges structurally. The chapter should be treated as a unit. It highlights the central event in the Jewish calendar, The Day of Atonement. This day is elevated above all of the holy days as you will see shortly.

1-2

The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the Lord and died,  and the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.

Verse 1 sets the timeline for the Day of Atonement as being shortly after the death of Nadab and Abihu. The account can be found in Leviticus 10. They died as a result of God’s judgement against their negligent administration of their priestly duties. Verse 2 of chapter 16 also suggests that they may have approached the Holy of Holies. Why else would the command for Moses to warn Aaron about entering the Holy Place just at any time? God wants the nation of Israel to revere this place and to show utmost respect to the room in which God dwelled in a cloud over the mercy seat. Only the high priest is to enter this part of the tabernacle and it must be on God’s terms, not on the high priest’s.

3-4

3 But in this way Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: 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 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.

It’s important to see that God is dictating how Aaron will approach the Holy Place. “But in this way, Aaron shall come into the Holy Place”. He has to do a sin offering and burnt offering. He is to wear the linen undergarment, sash, and turban. These are only a small part of the clothing that the High Priest is supposed to wear. I see this as a tone of humility that is to come in with the High Priest. I spoke about the clothing outlined in chapter 8 as offering a sense of dignity and honor. The shedding of the most ornate pieces of clothing shows me that humility is the mark of the day for the High Priest.

5-6

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.

6 “Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering for himself and shall make atonement for himself and for his house.

It is important to understand that Aaron is a sinner that is to enter into the presence of God. Given that perspective it is apparent that he would need to offer a sin offering and to bathe his body as symbolism for cleansing his spirit.

7-10

7 Then he shall take the two goats and set them before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

They are not yet in the Holy Place but at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

8 And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel. 9 And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the Lord and use it as a sin offering, 10 but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.

We aren’t entirely sure as to the meaning of the word “Azazel”. This is related to the scapegoat but is unclear. There is a great deal of discussion about this, too deep for our purposes here. What is important now is to see that one goat was destined to be a sin offering to the Lord, on behalf of the whole nation. The other goat was to be sent out to the wilderness and it was intended for this goat to never return to the camp.

11-14

11 “Aaron shall present the bull as a sin offering for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house. He shall kill the bull as a sin offering for himself. 12 And he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the Lord, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and he shall bring it inside the veil 13 and put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is over the testimony, so that he does not die.

Aaron is to make a cloud of insense “so that he does not die” according to verse 13. Again I think we need to understand that God is allowing a sinner to be in his presence. It is possible that this sort of veil of insence burning like a thick cloud obstructs Aaron’s view of the mercy seat, sheilding him from the full glory of God. Remember Aaron is still a sinner appearing before a holy God.

The mercy seat here is described as being “over the testimony” which stands in for the lengthened phrase “the ark of the testimony”. This is where Moses’ tablets are contained. The mercy seat is the lid for the ark of the testimony.

14-19

14 And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

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.

The Holy of Holies and the tent of meeting are cleansed by the blood of the sin offering of the bull and the goat. The tabernacle is cleansed for the presence of God to reside. This cleansing paves the way for the sacrifices each year.

20-22

20 “And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. 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.

Aaron lays both hands on the head of the living goat. He represents the people, confessing the sins of the the people upon the goat and then sending the goat out into the wilderness is the way of cleansing sin. The goat was typically taken out by a handler. It is reported at times that measures were taken by this handler to keep the goat from being able to return to the camp. These often involved restraining or crippling the animal. It was important that the goat does not come back as he carried the sins of the people.

23-28

23 “Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting and shall take off the linen garments that he put on when he went into the Holy Place and shall leave them there. 24 And he shall bathe his body in water in a holy place and put on his garments and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people and make atonement for himself and for the people. 25 And the fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar. 26 And he who lets the goat go to Azazel shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. 27 And the bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp. Their skin and their flesh and their dung shall be burned up with fire. 28 And he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.

Essentially, those involved with the ritual of the day are to be bathed again.

29-34

29 “And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you. 30 For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the Lord from all your sins. 31 It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; it is a statute forever. 32 And the priest who is anointed and consecrated as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement, wearing the holy linen garments. 33 He shall make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. 34 And this shall be a statute forever for you, that atonement may be made for the people of Israel once in the year because of all their sins.” And Aaron did as the Lord commanded Moses.

These verses here appear to be an address to the people, outlining the institution of this day. God wants this to be an annual holy day for Israel. It is a strict day of no work. Looking more closely at verse 31, the nation was to afflict themselves. They are most likely to obstain from food, from work and from intercorse. This is a day of cleansing.

Closing Remarks

I feel like a one trick pony sometimes on these passages concerning the priesthood but in reality, these are all in Scripture to point us to Jesus. He is our High Priest, He is our sin offering, He is our cloud of incense, He tore the veil to the Holy Place, He atoned for our sin, He cleansed our tabernacle, He, He He. It is all Jesus. Every corner you look as you visualize the day of atonement, It’s Jesus. Every action that the High priest takes, it’s Jesus.

Let’s look at the goat for a second. I hesitate to even begin comparing my lord to a goat but I mean it in deepest respect. The blood of the goat cleansed the temple and made cleansing for the sin offering, but the goat of the wilderness draws out the sin of the people. He bears the weight of confession. This goat is cast aside, he is undesired even to the point he is mutilated upon departure so that he is unable to return. Jesus was mutilated too. He bore the weight of confession too. Jesus cleansed sins of the people. He did all of these things, but guess what. He returned. Jesus returned! We not only have an atoning sacrifice but we have a continual advocate! We have a lord that is deeply invested in us. Making intercession on our behalf. On the third day he rose again to continue his work as High Priest. Praise God that Jesus returned!

If you don’t know Jesus I invite you to know him. Come to services today. Find a christian friend, a pastor. If you seek you will find. Let’s Pray.