Does the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur, reconciliation, covering over) teach us that animal sacrifices did not permanently remove sin but were reminders of sin? Did Yom Kippur remind people that even the priests were but sinful men who needed an offering for their sins? Do we through Jesus now have permanent atonement and access to the Holy of Holies? Let’s look at Leviticus 16.
Is there a greater mystery here that we, who are tainted with worldly values cannot understand? Is God’s understanding of justice very different to ours?
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. (Leviticus 16:1-2 ESV)
What was required of Aaron before entering the holy of holies? Is this a reminder that every minister of God still sins?
Before entering this most holy place, you must offer a bull as a sacrifice for your sins and a ram as a sacrifice to please me. You will take a bath and put on the sacred linen clothes, including the underwear, the robe, the sash, and the turban. Then the community of Israel will bring you a ram and two goats, both of them males. The goats are to be used as sacrifices for sin, and the ram is to be used as a sacrifice to please me. (Leviticus 16:3-5 CEV)
Literally meaning the “entire removal” what was the purpose of the Azazel or escape goat? Did it picture the entire removal of sin and guilt? Was it a symbol of complete forgiveness?
Aaron will present the bull for his sin offering and make atonement for himself and his household. Next he will take the two goats and place them before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. After Aaron casts lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other for azazel, he is to present the goat chosen by lot for the Lord and sacrifice it as a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot for azazel is to be presented alive before the Lord to make purification with it by sending it into the wilderness for azazel. (Leviticus 16:6-10 HCSB)
What offerings were to be made on the Day of Atonement? Is this a reminder that every minister’s household also still sins?
Aaron is then to bring the bull for a sin offering for himself, thus making atonement for himself and his household. He is to slaughter the ox for himself. Then he is to take a censer and fill it with coals from the fire on the altar in the Lord’s presence. With his hands full of spiced and refined incense, he is to bring it beyond the curtain. Then he is to place the incense over the fire in the Lord’s presence, ensuring that the smoke from the incense covers the Mercy Seat, according to regulation, so he won’t die. He is to take blood from the ox and sprinkle it with his forefinger toward the surface of the Mercy Seat. Then he is to sprinkle the blood on the surface of the Mercy Seat with his forefinger seven times. (Leviticus 16:11-14 ISV)
What were they to do with the goat of the sin offering? Is this a reminder that a whole congregation still sins?
Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness. (Leviticus 16:15-16 KJV)
How does blood make atonement? Does it symbolize Jesus in some way? Is this a reminder that every altar is still tainted by sin?
Now when he goes in to make atonement in the holy place, no one shall be in the tent of meeting until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household and for all the assembly of Israel. Then he shall go out to the altar that is before Yahweh and make atonement for it. And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides. With his finger he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times and cleanse it and set it apart as holy from the uncleanness of the sons of Israel. (Leviticus 16:17-19 LSB)
What was the purpose of the live Azazel or scapegoat?
When he finishes atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat. Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the wrongdoings of the sons of Israel and all their unlawful acts regarding all their sins; and he shall place them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands ready. Then the goat shall carry on itself all their wrongdoings to an isolated territory; he shall release the goat in the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:20-22 NASB)
What was Aaron to do a second time and what could that be for? Is this a reminder that even after performing his duties, every minister also still requires forgiveness of his sins?
Then Aaron is to go into the tent of meeting and take off the linen garments he put on before he entered the Most Holy Place, and he is to leave them there. He shall bathe himself with water in the sanctuary area and put on his regular garments. Then he shall come out and sacrifice the burnt offering for himself and the burnt offering for the people, to make atonement for himself and for the people. He shall also burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar. (Leviticus 16:23-25 NIV)
What was the man who released the scapegoat to do? Is this a reminder that even after fulfilling his duties in the assembly, such a man is still tainted by sin?
And he who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. 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. And they shall burn in the fire their skins, their flesh, and their offal. Then he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. (Leviticus 16:26-28 NKJV)
Was this fast day also a day of complete rest for the people?
“On the tenth day of the appointed month in early autumn, you must deny yourselves. Neither native-born Israelites nor foreigners living among you may do any kind of work. This is a permanent law for you. On that day offerings of purification will be made for you, and you will be purified in the Lord’s presence from all your sins. It will be a Sabbath day of complete rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. This is a permanent law for you. In future generations, the purification ceremony will be performed by the priest who has been anointed and ordained to serve as high priest in place of his ancestor Aaron. He will put on the holy linen garments and purify the Most Holy Place, the Tabernacle, the altar, the priests, and the entire congregation. This is a permanent law for you, to purify the people of Israel from their sins, making them right with the Lord once each year.” Moses followed all these instructions exactly as the Lord had commanded him. (Leviticus 16:29-34 NLT)
Is there an atonement that once for all reconciles us to God?
By his grace they are justified freely through the redemption that is in the Messiah Jesus, whom God offered as a place where atonement by the Messiah’s blood would occur through faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because he had waited patiently to deal with sins committed in the past. (Romans 3:24-25 ISV)
Does the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur, reconciliation, covering over) teach us that animal sacrifices did not permanently remove sin but were reminders of sin? Did Yom Kippur remind people that even the priests were but sinful men who needed an offering for their sins? Do we through Jesus now have permanent atonement and access to the Holy of Holies? You decide!
