The Day Of Atonement
LEVITICUS 16:7-8
The immediate context needs to be noted:
§ Due care and attention required of priests in approaching God [Ch.10].
§ All men are liable to contract uncleanness which makes a person unfit to enter the sanctuary [Chs.11-15].
§ The aim of these rituals is to make possible God’s continued presence among his people.
- THE CENTRE OF ACTIVITY
1. The Presence of God
The context is access to the presence of God [16:2].
a. The Mercy Seat
The focus of the tabernacle: “the mercy seat” [16:15].
§ הַכַּפֹּ֖רֶת - “mercy seat” [16:15], ‘atonement cover’; ‘ornamental covering of the ark’
§ Instructions: “you shall make a mercy seat of pure gold” [Exo.25:17];
§ A complete cover: ‘the same size as the ark’.
b. The Ark
The focus of the tabernacle: “they shall make an ark of Shittim wood” [Exo.25:10].
i. The Contents
The deposit in the ark: “the testimony which is shall give you” [25:16].
§ “Testimony” – technical term for requirements of covenant overlord.
§ The “testimony” was reminder to Israel of how far short they had come.
c. The Cherubim
The guardians: “make two cherubim of gold…” [Exo.25:18].
§ The location: “one cherub on the one end…” [25:19].
§ The guardians: “stretch forth their wings, covering the mercy seat” [25:20].
d. The Throne of God
The presence of God: “there will I meet with you…” [25:22].
§ Throne-bearers: “the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub…” [Eze.10:1-21].
§ David: “ark of the covenant of the Lord; the footstool of our God” [1Chr.28:2].
2. The Basic Requirements
a. The High Priest
The presence of the high priest: “thus shall Aaron come…” [16:3].
§ The role: “ordained for men in things pertaining to God” [Heb.5:1].
§ The high-priestly uniform: “holy garments for glory and beauty…” [Exo.28:2].
§ Entrance into the other world: “thus shall Aaron come into the holy place…” [16:3].
§ The appearance of a slave: “the holy linen coat…linen girdle” [16:4].
b. The One Offering
The representative sacrifice: “shall take from the congregation two kids of the goats…” [16:5].
§ יִקַּ֛ח - “take” [16:5], ‘lay hold of’; ‘take possession of’;
§ עֲדַת֙ - “congregation” [16:5], ‘people assembled for worship’;
§ שְׁנֵֽי־שְׂעִירֵ֥י עִזִּ֖ים - “kids of goats” [16:5], ‘she goat’;
§ לְחַטָּ֑את - “sin offering” [16:5], ‘miss the mark’;
i. The Sin Offering
The goats are to be offered as a “sin offering” [16:5].
§ לְחַטָּ֑את - “sin offering” [16:5], ‘miss the mark’;
ii. Two Goats
One offering and two goats: “cast lots upon the two goats…” [16:7].
§ גּוֹרָל֑וֹת – “cast lots” [16:7], ‘pebbles stones used to cast lots’; ‘method of determining choice’;
§ לַיהוָ֔ה – “to the Lord” [16:8],
§ לַעֲזָאזֵֽל - “scapegoat” [16:8], ‘Azazel’; ‘one carrying away’;
3. The New Testament
God’s everlasting temple: “the tabernacle of God is with men” [Rev.21:3].
§ Heaven: “the holy place made with hands, the copies of the true…” [Heb.9:24].
§ The High Priest: “we have a great high priest…” [Heb.4:14].
Summary
The basic requirements ‘looked for a particular day’.
§ Spoke of a plan; an arrangement; a mechanism to be employed
§ Focus on a day, a high priest, an offering, a cover.
- THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
1. The Atonement
a. The Concept
The basic meaning of the word: ‘a setting at one’.
§ A process by which estranged parties are made one.
b. The Blood of the Sacrifice
The sacrifice: “kill the goat of the sin offering…” [16:15].
§ וְשָׁחַ֞ט – “kill” [16:15], ‘to slaughter’;
§ דָּמ֔וֹ - “blood” [16:15], “the life of the flesh is in the blood” [Lev.17:11];
§ הַֽחַטָּאת֙ - “sin-offering” [16:15], ‘to miss the mark’;
c. The Presence of God
i. The Action
The presence of God: “bring his blood within the veil…” [16:15].
§ אֶל־מִבֵּ֖ית – “to from the house” [16:15],
§ לַפָּרֹ֑כֶת - “the veil” [16:15], ‘fabric divider’;
§ The inner sanctuary: “between the holy place and the most holy” [Exo.26:33].
ii. The Mercy Seat & Atonement
The mercy seat: “sprinkle it upon the mercy seat…” [16:15].
§ וְהִזָּ֥ה - “sprinkle” [16:15], hiphil perfect, ‘lightly cast small quantity’;
§ הַכַּפֹּ֖רֶת - “mercy seat” [16:15], ‘atonement cover’; ‘ornamental covering of the ark’: ‘the central place where sins are forgiven’;
§ וְכִפֶּ֣ר - “make atonement” [16:16], noun is ‘to cover’; verb is ‘to ransom’;
§ The focus & testimony: “penalty demanded for infringements of sovereign commands”.
iii. The Ransom
The “ransom” [30:11-16] was paid by Israel when a census was held.
§ Payment of the ransom effected deliverance: “then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD…” [30:12].
§ Substitutionary sacrifice: “a memorial to make an atonement for your souls” [30:16].
d. The Process & The Concepts
There are two related theological concepts here:
§ Atonement: ‘to offer a sacrifice that pays the ransom price’;
§ Propitiation: ‘to render favourable’ by ‘offering a sacrifice’;
§ Propitiation: ‘brings about a change in God's attitude toward us’;
e. The Sacrifice of Christ
Jesus died as the perfect and final sacrifice: “offered himself without spot unto God” [Heb.9:14].
§ The High Priest: “holy harmless and undefiled…” [Heb.7:26].
§ The sacrifice: “this he did once when he offered himself” [Heb.7:27].
§ The ransom price: “to give his life as a ransom for many” [Mar.10:45].
§ Jesus died as the perfect and final sacrifice that the ransom price might be paid and “going into the greater and more perfect tabernacle…he entered the most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption” [Heb.9:11-12].
Application
The atonement money “covered” the debt that the Israelite owed the Lord for his preservation.
§ The atonement cover indicated the divine provision of a facility.
§ The “ransom” was the means of implementing the “atonement”.
2. The Reconciliation – The Human Focus of Atonement
a. The Concept
The basic meaning of the word: ‘to restore harmony’.
§ The thought: “can two walk together unless they are agreed” [Amo.3:3].
b. The Blood of the Sacrifice
The atonement: “make atonement for the holy place…” [16:16].
§ וְכִפֶּ֣ר - “make atonement” [16:16], ‘to cover’; ‘to ransom’;
i. The Focus
The focus of the action: “the holy place…” [16:16].
§ עַל־הַקֹּ֗דֶשׁ - “holy place” [16:16], ‘sanctuary’; ‘tabernacle’;
§ לְאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד – “tent of meeting” [16:16], “tabernacle of the congregation without the veil” [Exo.27:21].
§ הַמִּזְבֵּ֛חַ - “altar of the Lord” [16:18], ‘place of the offering’;
ii. The Ceremonial Uncleanness
The problem: “the uncleanness of the children…” [16:16].
§ מִן - “because” [16:16], literally ‘from’; ‘arising from’;
§ מִטֻּמְאֹת - “uncleanness” [16:16], ‘impurity’; ‘ceremonial uncleanness’;
§ וּמִפִּשְׁעֵיהֶ֖ם - “because transgressions” [16:16], pesa‘, ‘rebellion, revolt’;
§ לְכָל־חַטֹּאתָ֑ם - “in sins” [16:16], hatta, ‘miss the mark’; ‘go astray’;
c. The Sacrifice of Christ
The sacrifice of Christ effected this: “the ministry of reconciliation” [2Cor.5:19-21].
§ The purifying: “blood of bulls and goats sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh” [Heb.9:13].
§ The sanctifying: “wherefore Jesus also that he might sanctify the people suffered without the gate” [Heb.13:12].
Application
The sins of the people that caused the defilement - barrier to ‘God with them’:
§ The ritual had to take care of the cause of the pollution as well.
§ This day was God’s way of cleansing the sanctuary so that the people could continue to come into his presence.
§ Sin and rebellion defiled the tabernacle when they worshiped.
§ The focus = ‘point of contact of people’ + ‘point of contact of God’;
3. The Expiation
a. The Concept
The basic meaning of the word: ‘to remove’; ‘to completely eradicate’;
§ From Latin ex = from; piare = to make amends;
§ Emphasis on ‘removal of guilt by ransom’;
b. The Sin Offering
i. The Imputation
The action of the high priest: “Aaron shall lay both his hands…” [16:21].
§ וְסָמַ֨ךְ - “lay” [16:21], qal perfect, ‘to press, lie heavily’;
§ וְהִתְוַדָּ֣ה - “confess” [16;21], hithpael perfect, ‘make an admission’;
ii. The Identification
The transfer of the sins: “putting them on the head…” [16:21].
§ וְנָתַ֤ן - “putting” [16:21], ‘place an object in the possession of another’;
§ רֹ֣אשׁ - “head” [16:21], ‘the top, leader’;
c. The Expiation
The expiation of sin: “he shall send him away…” [16:21].
§ וְשִׁלַּ֛ח - “send away” [16:21], piel perfect, ‘to send away’;
§ וְנָשָׂ֨א- “bear” [16:22], ‘to lift up, carry’;
i. The Destination
The destination: “into the wilderness” [16:21].
§ הַמִּדְבָּֽרָה - “wilderness” [16:21], ‘desert’; ‘wasteland’;
§ אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ גְּזֵרָ֑ה - “land not inhabited” [16:22], ‘land of cutting off’;
§ A place “cut off” from the camp of Israel, so that the animal had no chance of returning to Israel and bringing back the guilt of their sin.
§ Later times records show that the goat was led to a steep cliff and pushed over backward to kill it.
ii. The Scapegoat
The live goat: “other lot for the scapegoat” [16:8].
§ לַעֲזָאזֵֽל - “scapegoat” [16:8], ‘Azazel’; ‘one carrying away’; ‘complete destruction’; ‘rocky precipice’;
§ Possible: `az can mean "goat"; and 'azel is from a verb that means "go away";
d. The Sacrifice of Christ
i. The Imputation
The imputation of sin: “the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” [Isa.53:6].
§ Sin-bearer: “who his own self bear our sins in his own body…” [1Pet.2:24].
ii. The Destination
The cross-experience: “darkness over all the land…” [Mat.27:45].
§ Cry of desolation: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” [Mat.27:46].
iii. The Forgiveness
The forgiveness of sins: “blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin” [1Joh.1:7].
§ The forgetting: “I will forgive their iniquity and will remember their sin no more” [Jer.31:34].
§ The distance: “as far as east is distant from the west…” [Psa.103:12].
Application
The force of both words: ‘sin is exterminated from Israel’;
§ The goat which is driven away from the camp, into the wilderness, never to return, symbolizes the even greater agony of our Lord, His separation from the Father.
§ This is the agony which caused Him to agonize in the Garden of Gethsemane.
§ The visible evidence of the “scapegoat”; the cry of dereliction.
