The Whole Story
The people of Israel have come a long way
since the Red Sea. After God delivered the people from Egypt, God began
bringing them to their new home, the promised land. On their way there, God
begins to give the people a new way to live in relationship with Him.
The problem is that the people of God can’t
seem to stop messing things up. Right after God delivers them from Egypt, the
people start grumbling and complaining. A few chapters later, the people build
an idol in the form of a golden calf. Repeatedly, the people of God show one
default tendency: rebellion against God.
A holy God, a perfect God, a sinless God
cannot tolerate continual rebellion. Since God is infinitely good, every sin
against Him is infinitely heinous. Someone must pay for this kind of treachery.
God cannot overlook this kind of injustice. There must be blood. Nevertheless,
God, in His grace and love toward us, doesn’t want to make us pay for our sins
with our own blood. So, God makes another way.
The Old Testament sacrificial system was
established in the book of Leviticus as a way for sinful humans to be able to
live in and maintain a relationship with a holy God. God understands that human
beings are continually sinful. So, God established a system of continual
payment for sin. Sin would be paid for with the blood of a sacrifice. Repeatedly,
a sacrifice would be offered, and the blood of the sacrificed animal would
forgive the sins of the people.
The height of the Old Testament sacrificial
system was the Day of Atonement. This day came once a year, and the day was
defined by the Great High Priest offering a sacrifice on behalf of all the
people. This day was so significant for the people of Israel because it was the
day on which their forgiveness from God and relationship with God depended. The
sad part is that the ritual had to be repeated every year, year after year, because
the blood of an animal was not sufficient to save the people from their sins. The
Old Testament Day of Atonement is a reminder that we needed something more than
the Day of Atonement. We need Jesus. Jesus is here, even in the Old Testament Sacrificial
system.
Leviticus 16:1-5
16 The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of
the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the Lord and died, 2 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. 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. 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.
The
Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Le
16:1–5.
Leviticus can feel strange and distant, but
it points to Christ. The civil and ceremonial laws were fulfilled in Jesus,
while the moral laws remain because God’s character does not change.
This chapter is the pinnacle of the Torah, showing how God provided atonement for sin through sacrifice, foreshadowing Christ’s ultimate sacrifice.
Leviticus 16 reveals God's holiness through
separation (man cannot approach freely), specificity (God determines how He is
approached), and seriousness (improper approach results in death), emphasizing
the need for reverence and the necessity of Christ’s atonement.
The Day of Atonement is a shadow of the true substance to come. The shadow is the ceremony we read about in Leviticus 16. The substance is the cross of Christ were the true sacrifice died for our atonement.
God’s holiness is such that no sin can dwell in His presence. That is the entire point of the Day of Atonement: someone must pay for sin if we are to dwell with God. Thankfully, we have a Great High Priest who has paid the price for our sins. The blood of Jesus Christ purifies those who trust in Him. The most significant question in anyone’s life is this: has Jesus washed away your sin?
Discussion Questions:
God's Holiness (Leviticus 16:2)
God warns Aaron not to enter the Most Holy
Place whenever he chooses, emphasizing the seriousness of God's holiness.
Discussion: Why is God's holiness so
significant in this chapter? How does the restricted access to God's presence
help us understand His nature?
Application: How can we cultivate a greater
reverence for God's holiness in our daily lives?
God's Mercy in Atonement (Leviticus 16:30)
On the Day of Atonement, God provides a way
for the people's sins to be cleansed.
Discussion: How does this act of mercy
demonstrate God's heart toward His people?
Application: How should knowing that God
mercifully provides a way for our sin to be removed impact how we approach Him
in prayer and repentance?
Substitutionary Atonement (Leviticus 16:21-22)
The scapegoat has the sins of the people
placed on it and is sent away into the wilderness.
Discussion: What does the act of the
scapegoat teach us about the seriousness of sin and God's provision for dealing
with it?
Application: How does understanding that
Jesus is our ultimate scapegoat change how we view our sin and God's grace?
(See Hebrews 9:11-14)
Access to God's Presence through Christ (Leviticus 16:15; Hebrews 10:19-22)
The high priest enters the Most Holy Place
with the blood of a sacrifice to make atonement.
Discussion: Why was blood necessary for
atonement, and how does this point to Jesus' sacrifice?
Application: How does knowing that Jesus'
blood gives us access to God's presence shape the way we pray, worship, and
live?
Responding to God's Work of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29-31)
The people were called to humble themselves
and rest on the Day of Atonement.
Discussion: Why were the people commanded to
practice humility and rest as part of this day?
Application: How can we practice humble, faith-filled rest in the finished work of Jesus, our ultimate atonement?
END
Teacher Notes:
Yom Kippur
Why was access to God restricted?
What does this teach us about God’s Holiness?
How can we cultivate a greater reverence and
awe for God’s Holiness?
Worship Him in spirit and truth.
Live in obedience to His Word.
Approach Him with reverence in prayer.
Honor His name.
Study and meditate on His Word.
Repent and seek purity.
Fear the Lord in a healthy way.
Set apart time for God.
Leviticus 16 reveals God's Holiness through
separation (man cannot approach
freely), specificity (God determines how He is approached), and seriousness
(improper approach results in death), this emphasizes the need for reverence
and the necessity of Christ’s atonement.
A Holy God cannot tolerate continual
rebellion.
The Old Testament sacrificial system was
established in the book of Leviticus as a way for sinful humans to be
able to live in and maintain a relationship with a holy God. God understands
that human beings are continually sinful. So, God established a system of continual
payment for sin. Sin would be paid for with the blood of a sacrifice. Repeatedly,
a sacrifice would be offered, and the blood of the sacrificed animal would
forgive the sins of the people.
How can we cultivate a sense of reverence and
awe towards God?
Cultivating a sense of reverence and awe
towards God is a profound journey that requires intentionality, reflection, and
a deepening relationship with the Divine.
Understanding the nature of God is
foundational. God is
omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He is the Creator of the universe, the
Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end (Revelation 22:13).
Reflecting on God's attributes — His holiness, love, justice, mercy, and
sovereignty — can evoke a sense of awe.
Engaging in regular, meaningful worship is another vital practice. Worship is not
just about singing songs; it is about ascribing worth to God through our words,
actions, and attitudes.
Prayer is also a powerful way to cultivate
reverence. When we pray, we are
entering into a conversation with the Almighty. Jesus taught His disciples to
pray with reverence in the Lord's Prayer: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed
be your name" (Matthew 6:9). This opening line acknowledges God's holiness
and sets a tone of respect and awe.
Studying the Bible is crucial for developing a deeper understanding of God
and His ways. The Scriptures are God's revelation to us, and through them, we
learn about His character, His promises, and His works.
Reflecting on God's creation can also inspire
awe. The natural world is a testament to God's
creativity and power. Psalm 19:1 declares, "The heavens declare the glory
of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."
Living a life of obedience and service to God
is another way to cultivate reverence. Jesus said in John 14:15, "If you love me, keep my
commands." Obedience to God's commands is a tangible expression of our
reverence for Him.
Reading and reflecting on the lives of saints
and other Christian figures who have demonstrated profound reverence for God can also be inspiring.
Silence and solitude are practices that can
help us attune our spirits to God's presence. In our busy, noise-filled lives, setting aside time to be still before
God can be transformative. Psalm 46:10 encourages us, "Be still, and know
that I am God."
Gratitude is another powerful practice that
fosters reverence. When we
intentionally thank God for His blessings, provision, and grace, we acknowledge
His goodness and sovereignty. Cultivating a heart of gratitude helps us
recognize God's hand in our lives and respond with reverence and praise.
We Come into God’s Presence with Care
Aaron the high priest was probably highly
motivated to obey God’s instructions about the Day of Atonement. Verse 1 of
Leviticus 16 says that God gave Aaron the instructions “after the death of two
of Aaron’s sons when they approached the presence of the Lord and died.” The
story of the deaths of Aaron’s sons is recorded in the tenth chapter of
Leviticus. Their names were Nadab and Abihu, and on the altar they offered a
burnt offering that was contrary to God’s command. They disobeyed God in the
way they worshiped Him, and because of their disobedience flames leaped from
the Lord’s presence “and burned them to death before the Lord” (10:2). After
that, when God spoke, Aaron must have been ready to obey, especially when God
said that Aaron was not to enter the holy place “or else he will die” (16:2).
God repeated that warning in verse 13. Aaron knew to take God seriously.
God gave Aaron directions about everything he
was to do on the Day of Atonement. God also told Aaron how and where he was to
do them. God was specific. That illustrates a truth that is expressed in
various ways throughout the Bible — we are not to approach God in a haphazard
way or in the way that suits us at the moment. We submit to what God says in
His Word about how to approach Him. He is God, not man. He is our sovereign
Lord, not our buddy, and we come into His presence with a keen awareness of that
fact. In Matthew 6:9 Jesus taught us to begin prayer by saying, “Our Father in
heaven, Your name be honored as holy.” Holy, revered, be Your name, O God. The
psalmist wrote in Psalm 100:4, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His
courts with praise.” We don’t come into His presence naming our demands or
imposing our opinions; we come into His presence giving Him praise as God and
bowing our hearts in reverence out of fear of His holiness and awesome power.
After God sent fire to consume Nadab and Abihu for not treating Him as holy,
God said, “I will show My holiness to those who are near Me” (Lev 10:3). We
come into God’s presence with care.
Why was atonement so important?
How does God's provision of atonement show
His Mercy?
What are some ways we can live in greater
awareness of God’s Mercy?
The height of the Old Testament sacrificial
system was the Day of Atonement. This day came once a year, and the day was
defined by the Great High Priest offering a sacrifice on behalf of all the
people. This day was so significant for the people of Israel because it was the
day on which their forgiveness from God and relationship with God depended. The
sad part is that the ritual had to be repeated every year, year after year, because
the blood of an animal was not sufficient to save the people from their sins.
The Day of Atonement is a shadow of the true
substance to come. The shadow is the ceremony we read about in Leviticus 16.
The substance is the cross of Christ were the true sacrifice died for our
atonement.
What is the significance of the scapegoat?
How does it foreshadow Jesus' work on the
cross?
How does knowing Jesus bore your sins change
how you approach confession and repentance?
This event with the two goats occurred on the
Day of Atonement. The two goats represented the two ways God was dealing with
Israel’s sin:
·
He was
forgiving their sin through the first goat, which was sacrificed
·
He was
removing their guilt through the second goat; the scapegoat was sent into the
desert.
This was repeated every year. Jesus’ death
replaced this system once and for all. We can have our sins forgiven and guilt
removed by placing our trust in Christ. (Hebrews 10:1-18)
Sin was removed from the community,
demonstrating God's provision for forgiveness.
"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin
for us.” - 2 Corinthians 5:21
Jesus is our scapegoat who bears our sins and
removes them completely (Hebrews 9:28).
Blood symbolizes the cost of forgiveness and
the gravity of sin.
Jesus' blood was shed once for all, making
ongoing sacrifices unnecessary.
How does knowing that Jesus' blood gives us
access to God's presence shape the way we pray, worship, and live?
Why were the people commanded to humble
themselves and rest?
Humility acknowledges our need for atonement,
while rest demonstrates trust in God's work.
We rest in the finished work of Jesus (Hebrews 4:9-10).
Why was atonement so important?
We sin. Therefore, atonement for sin is
necessary for us to be in God’s presence, and being in God’s presence is
important. Atonement is doing what God says is necessary to reconcile us to
Him. In the old covenant period God said to atone for sin through the
sacrifices and ceremonies He prescribed.
Sacrificial atonement for sin is necessary
because of God’s justice. Since God is just, He must punish sin. God
commanded Israelite judges to be just, clearing the innocent and punishing the
guilty (Exod 23:6-8; Deut 1:16-17). In one of King Solomon’s prayers, he
expressed his confidence that God is just, “condemning the wicked man by
bringing what he has done on his own head and providing justice for the
righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness” (1 Kings 8:32). A
judge who lets a guilty person go free with no punishment for his wrongdoing is
not a good judge; he is not upholding justice. However, God must let guilty
people go free if He is going to save guilty sinners like us. God is merciful
and loving, so He doesn’t want us to perish for our sin. So how can the justice
of God and the mercy of God be reconciled?
Atonement for sin through sacrifice is God’s
answer to the tension between His justice and mercy. God expressed His justice against sin in
the death of the sacrifice, and God expressed His mercy to the sinner by
allowing the sacrifice to substitute for the sinner. The sacrifice died, not
the sinner. God’s penalty for sin was applied, but it was applied to the
sacrifice, not the guilty. The old covenant sacrifices atoned for sin, they
taught the world the meaning of sacrificial atonement, and they prepared the
world for the sacrifice of Jesus. When Jesus died on the cross for our sins,
He provided the final, perfect, once-for-all sacrificial atonement for sin.
Thank God, He offers us atonement for sin!
Click Play to Watch
