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2BC BIBLE STUDY NOTES

Wednesday in the Word

Second Baptist Church

January 16, 2019

Leviticus 16:1-34

  1. Verses 1-2. The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron. Nadab and Abihu were struck down by the LORD because they came into the Holy Place and offered profane fire before the LORD (Leviticus 10). Aaron could not come into the Holy Place any time he pleased, but only at God's invitation and at the appointed time and place. The same is true today: We can only come into God's Holy Place at His invitation. The Good News is that access has been opened wide because of Jesus’ work on the cross for us. Romans 5:1-2 specifically says that because of Jesus' work on our behalf, we have standing access to God.

  2. Verses 3-5. Aaron must come with sacrificial blood to cleanse his own sin and the sin of the nation. He shall put the holy linen tunic and the linen trousers on his body: Aaron must come clothed with garments of humility. Over his ornate garments for glory and for beauty (Exodus 28:2), he wore a holy linen tunic and the linen trousers. He was clothed in simple, humble white. Aaron must come washed. Traditionally, this washing was done by immersion. Aaron must come with two goats and one ram to complete the offering of atonement. This was extensive preparation for an important day. To the ancient Jews, the Day of Atonement was called “the great day” or sometimes even just “the day.” It was and remains the only day of commanded fasting on the Jewish calendar. Modern Jews still regard Yom Kippur an important day of fasting, soul searching, and righting wrongs - yet they offer no sacrifice for sin.

  3. Verses 6-10. After sacrificing the bull as a sin offering for himself (detailed in Leviticus 16:1l-14), the high priest cast lots to choose between the two goats. The Talmud stipulated that the two goats be as alike as possible - in size, color, and value. Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the LORD and the other lot for the scapegoat: One goat was for the LORD and would be sacrificed as a sin offering and one goat would be the scapegoat and would be released to the wilderness. Each goat had an important role on the Day of Atonement. The scapegoat was literally the “escape goat.” It escaped death and went into the wilderness. Scapegoat translates the Hebrew word azazel. “The meaning of this word is far from certain. The word may perhaps signify ‘removal’ or ‘dismissal.’ Probably the best explanation is that the word was a rare technical term describing ‘complete removal.’” (Harrison). Jesus is the sacrificial goat and the scapegoat all at the same time.

  4. Verses 11-14. Before the high priest could make atonement for the nation, he had to make atonement for himself (Hebrews 7:26-28). The blood of this sin offering had to be sprinkled on the mercy seat, which was the lid to the Ark of the Covenant, which sat in the Holy Place. When he came into the Holy Place, he had to come with a smoking censer that gave off a cloud of incense. According to Jewish tradition, it was on the Day of Atonement that the high priest - and only the high priest - could pronounce the name of God, the sacred Tetragrammaton YHWH. When he entered the Holy Place with the blood of the goat set apart to the LORD, he would utter the name. He was the only one, and that was the only time, when the name could be uttered, and the high priest was to pass on the exact pronunciation of the name of God to his successor with his dying breath. The idea was that God was above the mercy seat (Leviticus 16:2), and as He looked down upon the Ark of the Covenant. He saw the sin of man. Man's sin was represented by the items in the Ark of the Covenant: Manna Israel complained about, tablets of law Israel broke, and a budding almond rod given as a response to Israel's rebellion. Then, the high priest sprinkled atoning blood seven times on the mercy seat - covering over the emblems of Israel’s sin. God saw the blood cover over the sin, and atonement was made. This captures the thought behind the Hebrew word for atonement: Kipper, which means, “to cover.” Sin was not removed, but covered over by sacrificial blood. The New Testament idea of atonement is that our sin is not merely covered, but removed - taken away, so there is no barrier between God and man any longer.

  5. Verses 15-19. The goat that was sacrificed was also like Jesus, in that the goat was spotless, was from the people of Israel (Leviticus l6:5), was chosen by God (Leviticus 16:8), and the goat’s blood was taken to the Holy Place to provide atonement. This blood was applied to the mercy seat, but also the tabernacle and altar itself. This blood cleansed the house of God itself, which was made ceremonially unclean by man's constant touch.

  6. Verses 20-22. After the high priest's sin was dealt with and after the tabernacle itself was cleansed, Aaron then dealt with the sin of the people through the transference of sin and release of the scapegoat. This was a perfect demonstration of atonement under the Old Covenant, before the completed work of Jesus on the cross. Sin could be put away, but never really eliminated. The sin-bearing goat, bearing the sin of Israel, was alive somewhere but put away.

  7. Verses 23-28. After releasing the scapegoat, the high priest and the one who released the scapegoat washed and the sin offering and burnt offering would be completed. The priest took off the linen garment and put on his normal priestly garments: When atonement was finished, the priest emerged from the tabernacle in glory - with the humble garments taken off and in his normal clothes for glory and beauty. On» the Day of Atonement, the high priest was humble (Leviticus 16:4), he was spotless (Leviticus 16:11), and he was alone (Leviticus 16:11-14), and he emerged victorious - just like Jesus was in accomplishing our work of atonement.

  8. Verses 29-31. In contrast to other national days of gathering and festivals, the Day of Atonement was a day of soul searching. It was a day of fasting and rest - a Sabbath of solemn rest. God wanted them to afflict themselves so they could identify with the sacrifice for sin. Afflicting the soul brought the Israelite into sympathy with the afflicted sacrificial victim, even as the believer identifies with Jesus Christ on the cross. This Sabbath of solemn rest demanded a cessation of works, even as the believer is justified and finds atonement apart from his own works, being justified by the work of another. This means that all the charity, all the sufferings, all the study of the law in the world cannot atone for sin - we must rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ on our behalf.

  9. Verses 32-34. This meant the priest and only the priest, only once a year could enter into the Holy Place and come near the presence of God. (Hebrews 9:24-28).

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