Yom Kippur Bible Class

Text:

Leviticus 16:29–34 AV

And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever. And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest’s office in his father’s stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments: And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.

Introduction:

There are a total of (7) Jewish holidays or holy days:

Sabbat

Feast of Weeks

Passover

Feast of Pentecost

Feast of Booths

Feast of Trumpets

Day of Atonement

There are other feasts as well such as Purim, Hanukah, etc. However these feasts are not talked about or given as a commandment by God to the Israelites in the law of Moses.

Out of these seven feasts, which one is considered to be the most important day (from a Israelite standpoint). Ans: Day of Atonement.

Today is September 15th and for the Jews.....today is Yom Kippur originally called Day of Atonement. Our study tonight will involve reading and discussing about the Day of Atonement and how it pertains to us as christians.

I. What is the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).

A. The Day of Atonement was considered to be the most holy and sacred holy day on the Jewish calendar. The Day of Atonement fell on the 10th day of Tishri which falls between mid September and mid October (Read Lev 16:2-34).

B. The Day of Atonement was a day set aside for the atonement of the sins of Israel.

On the day of atonement, the high priest entered into the Holy of Holies of the tabernacle (or temple) to sprinkle the blood from the sacrifice on the mercy-seat and on the ground in front of the ark of covenant (We will discuss the procedure more in-depth shortly).

The high priest was commanded by God to go into the Holy of Holies to present the blood to cover (this is what atone means) his sins and the sins of the people. In addition, this atonement was to also cleanse the sanctuary and to also cleanse the land.

II. What happens on the day of Atonement.

The whole nation was commanded to fast and afflict their souls. It was a day of mourning and repentance.

The high priest was to enter into the Holies of All.

The high priest was to bring a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.

He must put on a linen tunic and the linen undergarments, tie a white linen sash around his waist and put on a linen turban on his head. These articles of clothing were white linen. This is a stark contrast between Aaron’s priestly garments which were considered to be extravagant. Aaron was to put these plain white clothes on, the white symbolized purity and holiness. The switch from extravagant to plain symbolized humbling one’s self in the presence of God Almighty. Just this procedure alone was prophetic and that it was a type and shadow of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ humbled himself and put on human flesh. He was humble and that he suffered at the hands of sinful man. Jesus Christ did not come in pomp and circumstance......but he came to this world and lived in this world as a humble servant. He was the one who created the world....yet.....he humbled himself. Jesus himself wrote: “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted (Matt 23:12).” Also, Paul writes “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8).

Aaron could not just put on the linen tunic and the linen undergarments. He had to wash himself before he could put it on. To be symbolically clean and holy the high priest needed to be wash......it symbolized the washing of impureness.

The bull that Aaron brought for the sin offering was offered to make himself and his family right with the LORD.

Aaron was to also get two male goats from the community of Israel. The high priest was to cast lots to see which goat was to be sacrificed and which one would become the scapegoat. When the high priest cast the lots, he was to take the goat in which the lot fell upon and offer it upon the altar as a sin sacrifice. The other goat was to be taken to the entrance of the tabernacle. The high priest was commanded to lay his hands upon the goat which signified transference of the sins of the people unto the goat, upon which the goat was to be released to go into the wilderness which signified carrying away the sins of the people.

Aaron was to present his young bull for the burnt offering to purify himself and his family before going into the Holiest of All. After presenting the sacrifice, he was to get an incense burner and two handfuls of fragrant powder and go behind the curtain of the Holiest of All. The burning incense first represented the prayers of Aaron and communing with God. Notice here, that to even get to this point Aaron’s sins had to be atoned for (covered). If the high priest followed all the instructions (that was given to Moses concerning the Hight Priest) the High Priest would not die. One of the reasons the High Priest had to wear a sash around his waist was so that the priests could pull the High Priest out of the Holiest of All, because if he didn’t follow the instructions.....the wrath of God was kindled against the high priest for disobedience and the high priest died. This is another reason why bells were sown in the fringes of the linen tunic; as long as they heard the bells....they knew the High Priest was still alive. If the priests didn’t here the bells....they knew the High Priest died and that he disobeyed the commandments of the LORD.

Aaron once he entered the Holiest of All, was to take the incense burner on burning coals so that the cloud of incense will rise over the Ark’s cover (mercy seat). He then was to take the blood of the bullock (that was offered for himself and his family) dip his finger in it and then sprinkle blood seven times with his finger in front of the atonement cover (mercy seat).

The high priest was now had to offer the first goat as a sin offering, take its blood behind the inner curtain sprinkle its blood on the mercy seat and on the floor in front of the Ark. In doing so he purified himself and the people.....when he sprinkled blood on the floor in front of the Ark he purified the Holiest of All and the entire tabernacle, because of the defiling sin and rebellion of the people (the Israelites).

Know one was allowed to be inside the tabernacle when the high priest conducted this purifying ritual. Why? Ans: Because Aaron conducted a ritual to cover himself, he (the high priest) was the only person allowed to be in the tabernacle period. No one was allowed to enter back into the tent of meeting (tabernacle) until the high priest purified himself, his family, and all the congregation of Israel.

Afterwards, the high priest was to take the blood of the bull and the blood of the goat and sprinkle both on the four corners of the altar. He then was to sprinkle the blood with his finger seven times to cleanse the altar to cleanse the altar from Israel’s defilement.

The scapegoat that the high priest was to lay his hands on was then placed at the entrance of the camp. The high priest laid his hands on the goat and the goat was let go into the wilderness symbolizing that after all of the purification rituals were completed their Israel’s sins were carried away.

The high priest was then to come back into the tabernacle, take off the linen clothes, wash himself, put back on his priestly garments, and make another sacrifice (burnt offering) for himself and the people. The individual who drove the scapegoat into the wilderness was to wash himself and his clothes and then he was allowed to return to the camp.

The remains the bull and goat that were upon the altar (after it was consumed by fire) was to be taken off the altar and placed outside the camp. The animals, hide, internal organs, and dung were to remain on the altar and burned up completely. The person who takes the remaining body parts off the altar were to place the remains outside the camp. After-which the man that burns the remains and takes it outside of the camp was instructed to wash himself and his clothes before returning to camp.

III. How does the Day of Atonement pertain to me if I am a Christian?

The whole purpose of the Day of Atonement and the purifying rituals was for what? Ans: To purify the high priest and his family, the people, the Holiest of All, the Tabernacle, the altar, and also the land from Israel’s sin and disobedience. By bringing the incense into the Holiest of All in front of the mercy symbolized Israel’s communion and relationship with God Almighty. In order to have continued fellowship and communion with God sin had to be dealt with. The LORD provided a way of fellowship with Himself by atonement for the sins of the people. God is a Holy God.....he demands that his people be holy. Through these observances, the people became knowledgeable of sins impact on their relationship with God. Sin hinders their/our relationship with God and it has to be dealt with. Be engaging in this yearly sacrifice, it averted (turned away) God’s wrath and judgement. The day of atonement was not only a time of fasting and repentance, but it was also a day of renewal. In addition, it was a rest day (sabbath) and no work was to be done, the LORD wanted the people to focus on penitence and the depth/impact of their sins. Anyone who worked and did not observe the solemn day was to be excommunicated from the nation of Israel.

What does this day (Yom Kippur) have to do with me? It has a lot to do with us believe it or not. No we are not Hebrews (Jews) but we benefit from this day. Let me tell you how.

Hebrews 9:9–15 AV

Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

Hebrews 9:22–28 AV

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

So Jesus showed us a better way. He was a better high priest, he was a better sacrifice for us. So much so that when Jesus offered himself, for our sins, the one who knew no sin, the one who did not practice sin, the one who had not been tainted by sin.....the sinless offered himself for the sinful!

The old sacrifices simply covered sin.....on the outside the were clean but the inwards was still messed up (Illustration with a cloth and an object) but when Jesus offered himself, he offered himself to not just clean us up on the outside (water baptism) but to clean us on the inside and work on our consciousness (baptism of the Holy Ghost).

Let’s compare the Old System with the New System.