DCLM ADULT STS LESSON 71-THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
MEMORY VERSE: “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” (Leviticus 16:30).
TEXT: Leviticus 16:1-34
The text for this lesson opens with a solemn reminder of the tragic and untimely death of the two sons of Aaron- Nadab and Abihu – for offering strange fire before the Lord. Obviously, “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). The penalty for sin can be averted through God’s gracious provision of atonement, which is the subject of the present lesson. Atonement became necessary because of the fall of man. When Adam and Eve sinned, they became guilty and, estranged from God. Going by God’s holiness and justice, man should be punished for his sins but attributes of mercy, grace and kindness has moved Him to restore His relationship with man through the medium of atonement. This involved the transfer of the sinners’ guilt upon an acceptable Substitute who can bear the lawful punishment for man’s sins. The Lord, therefore, gave the directive through Moses to Aaron concerning the institution of the great day of the atonement-atonement-a special annual event for the Jewish nation. The sins of the entire nation were, atoned for through the shedding of the blood of prescribed animals. The tabernacle was also purified from the defilement of sin and for the next one year, the whole nation of Israel obtained a new lease of life in their walk with God. The special sacrifice and the entire programme of the day of atonement gives us an insight into the damaging consequences of sin and what it takes God to cover the sins of humanity. The service of the day of atonement was appointed to deal with any sin of the people which were not adequately covered by the daily or any other sacrifices during the year. It was instituted to be observed on the tenth day of the seventh month every year by the children of Israel. Today, the Lord Jesus Christ is our Substitute and with His blood, He has atoned for all the sins of all, once and for all.
1. PRECAUTIONS FOR PRIESTS IN THE SERVICE OF GOD
Leviticus 16:1,2; Psalm 50:3; Isaiah 52:11; Habakkuk 2:20; Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 3:23; Acts 5:1- 11
Reference to the death of the two sons of Aaron in the text was not just a mere historical excursion but a solemn warning to present-day believers who are also referred to as priests in the New Testament (1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 5:10). Aaron’s two sons died as a result of their sacrilegious acts. Their death reveals and confirms the justice of God. Though He does not delight in judgment, He judges sin so others can turn from their evil ways and live righteously. It is only God’s way and on His own terms that man’s sins can be expiated. Unwilling that any should perish, He revealed His own way of pardon through atonement. Charting a new course or way of approaching God (as in the case of Nadab and Abihu) is sin. New Testament believers must approach God’s presence with reverential fear and honor for Him (Hebrews 12:28). Atonement through animal sacrifice to cover the sin of the whole Jewish nation was necessary to bring them into favor and fellowship with God. Since atonement through the blood of sacrificed animal foreshadows Christ’s singular and final sacrifice, not only for the nation of Israel but for the whole world, a sinner’s only hope of redemption is through Christ’s atonement.
2. PROCEDURES AND PURPOSE OF THE SERVICE OF ATONEMENT
Leviticus 16:3-20;23:26-32; Exodus 30:10;Numbers 29:7-11
The procedures of the sacrifice on the day of atonement was somewhat different from the normal daily sacrifices done by the priests. On the day of atonement, the high priest alone officiated in the sanctuary. And for most of the time he had to put off his distinguished robe of glory and honor, being clad only in pure white linen garment like the ordinary priests. Special offerings were also made in addition to the normal daily sacrifices. The special sacrifices include a young bullock for a sin offering for Aaron and his family, two goats for a sin offering for the people of Israel, a ram for a burnt offering for the children of Israel. The service on the day of atonement took several stages.
One, Aaron the high priest had to bathe himself in water and put on the special sacred linen garments.
Two, he presented the sacrificial animals before the Lord at the door of the Tabernacle.
Three, he cast lots on the two goats of the sin offering for the people so as to determine which one to kill and which to send away into the wilderness as a scapegoat.
Four, the sin was made.
Then, Aaron killed the young bullock for his own sin offering and collected the blood. Then he entered the Holy of holies taking in one hand a censer full of live coals, which he had taken from the brazen altar, and in the other hand, sweet incense was beaten small. As soon as he entered the holy of holies, Aaron poured the incense upon the live coals in order to produce a cloud of sweet incense which covered the mercy seat. In this way, Aaron would not look directly at the mercy seat. Next, he would then go out and bring in the blood of the slain bull into the most holy place. Then he would sprinkle with his finger the blood on the eastern side of the mercy seat and then in front of it seven times. After, this, the sin offering for the people was sacrificed. That means Aaron would go out of the most holy place and kill the goat which was chosen for the Lord by lot. Then he would carry the blood into the holy of holies and the sprinkling as he did for his own bull.
Five, Aaron made atonement for the holy place by staining the horns of the golden altar seven times with the blood of the bull and of the goat. The remaining blood he poured at the base of the brazen altar in order to make atonement for the outer court of the Tabernacle.
Six, the scapegoat was taken and Aaron laid both his upon its head, confessing over it all the sins of the children of Israel. Then the scapegoat, bearing upon it the sins of the people, was sent away to the wilderness. Involved the sacrificing of the Seven, the next stage involved the sacrificing of the burnt offering. For this, Aaron went into the holy place, removed the linen garments in which he ministered, bathed himself and put on his priest’s robes before coming out into the outer court to kill the burnt offerings. He offered a ram as a burnt offering for himself and his family and a ram for the people of Israel. Next, Aaron burnt the fat of the sin offering upon the altar. The flesh and entrails of the sin offerings were carried outside the camp and burnt. Afterwards, the person who led the scapegoat into the wilderness as well as the person who carried the flesh of the sin offerings for burning would wash their clothes and bathe themselves before returning to the camp. While Aaron made atonement for the people, God commanded that the entire children of Israel maintain an attitude of penitence and sobriety. The day of atonement was observed as a special Sabbath and the children of Israel were required to spend it in self-examination, humility, fasting and genuine sorrow for their sins. This implies that atonement by sacrifice must be complemented with penitence before a person can receive pardon (Leviticus 23:27-30). This is instructive to those who feel that repentance is just to mention your sins to God, whether you feel Sorry or not, and to simply claim the benefits of Christ’s redemptive work by faith. While we cannot undermine the place of simple faith in obtaining salvation, God expects every penitent sinner to be truly sorry and turn away from their sins. David said, “For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin” (Psalm 38:18). Paul also spoke of making the Corinthians sorry for their permissiveness (2 Corinthians 2:2; 7:8-10). Such godly sorrow leads to repentance: it cannot be separated from the true penitent. As a result of the sacrifices on the day of atonement, God forgave all the sins of the children of Israel. All their trespasses and shortcomings of the previous year were covered by the blood of atonement, and as such, they could start with God on a fresh note. To emphasize this idea of a new beginning for the people of God, the trumpet of Jubilee was blown on the day of atonement. “Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land” (Leviticus 25:9). This is an indication that our liberty and release from the bondage of sin is a function of Christ’s atonement.
3. PERTINENT LESSONS FROM THE SERVICE OF PERTINENT ATONEMENT
Leviticus 16:21-34,8-10; Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 53:6,1 2; Hebrews 10:1-1 4;13:11-13
The word ‘atonement’ appears once in the New Testament “And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement” (Romans 5:11). Atonement literally means a repair done in order to restore a damaged relationship. Man’s relationship with God was damaged when he fell into sin in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-24). God, at the incidence of this breach, promised an atonement by Christ whom He called “the seed of the woman” (Genesis 3:15). The Old Testament institution of the day of atonement owes its origin as a temporary representation (type) of the promised atonement by Jesus Christ -the seed of the woman. In other words, atonement means the reconciliation of God and mankind through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For reconciliation or atonement and remission to be possible, God had to make a way of escape from sin by providing a Substitute. The Scripture says, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood, and without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). The Old Testament Day of Atonement was only the shadow of the substantive atonement which became fulfilled in Christ.
We should note the following peculiarities of the day of atonement and their relevance to the believers in Christ.
One, regardless of the day of the week it fell, the day of the atonement was to be a special Sabbath and solemn assembly (Leviticus 16:29-31). This was an early indication that God’s true Sabbath was not limited to a particular day but to the atonement of Christ.
Two, the offerings were peculiar. The ram that was slain represented Christ dying for our sins. The scapegoat represented Him bearing our sins without the camp outside the gate and removing them far from us (Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 53:6,12). Sprinkling blood by the mercy seat typifies Jesus’ entry into heaven with His blood to atone for us, while burning the flesh of the sin offerings outside the gate symbolized Christ’s suffering without the gate so that we can be sanctified (Hebrews 13:1113). Three, the day of atonement was the only day in which the high priest was permitted to enter the holy of holies. This was an indication that the people under the Old Testament had limited access to God. Aaron was warned to “come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is the ark; the new that he die not” (Leviticus 16:2). But under the new covenant, Jesus has torn the veil that barred our access to God. Now we are commanded to draw near and come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
Four, no one was permitted to be in the holy sanctuary while Aaron made atonement for it. This pointed to Christ who trod the winepress alone (Isaiah 63:3) and He is the only One qualified to make atonement for mankind.
Five, on the day of atonement, the high priest entered the holy of holies clad in special white linen garments rather than his normal high priest’s robes. The white robe symbolized the purity and absolute perfection of Jesus our great High Priest. The laying aside of Aaron’s robe of honor and glory while making atonement also pointed to the self-emptying of Christ during His incarnation when He laid aside His glory in order to atone for our sins.
Six, the sacrifice on the day of atonement procured forgiveness and favor for the children of Israel. But this was only a shadow of the reality in Christ (Colossians 2:17). Jesus Christ has fulfilled all the details of what the day of atonement prefigured. The blood of bulls and goats could not take away their sin; it is only Christ’s blood that can (Hebrews 10:4-7). In Christ, no animal is required, only faith in His finished work of redemption on the cross. Again, both the priest and the people had to offer sacrifices for their sins, but Christ needed no sacrifice to qualify Him; He came as the just, sinless and spotless Lamb of God. The utter insufficiency of the legal sacrifices on the Old Testament Day of atonement is underlined in the Scripture: “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he [Christ] cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me” (Hebrews 10:4,5). The life of a goat or a bull being so inferior to that of a man, could not pretend to be an equivalent, as to repair the damage done by the sin of man to God’s honor. Whatever value they conferred to the people on that day of atonement was only in their typical reference to Christ. His sacrifice has procured for us both temporal and eternal blessings. In Him, we have redemption and forgiveness of sins, nearness and access to God, deliverance from the bondage of sin and Satan (Romans 5:1,2; 8:1,2; Ephesians 1:7; 2:13; Colossians 1:13,14). But just as the Israelites could enjoy the benefits of atonement only if they were penitent and humble, we also shall enjoy these benefits only if we repent of our sin, humble ourselves before the Lord and follow Him to the end. The atoning sacrifice of Christ at Calvary needs no yearly repetition. Christ need not “…offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others…but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:25,26). Every believer now has boldness and unrestricted access to enter into the holiest – presence of God, at any time. “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh” (Hebrews 10:19,20). Let us take full advantage of what Christ has done for us. For any sincere seeker to enjoy the benefits of Christ’s atonement, he must come before God in humility, honesty and godly sorrow.
QUESTION FOR REVIEW
- Why was it necessary for God to institute the day of atonement in addition to the daily sacrifices?
- Outline the procedure of the service of atonement.
- What attitude characterized the children of Israel on the day of atonement and what does this teach sinners and backsliders today?
- State the purpose of the atonement.
- Point out the benefits believers enjoy as a result of Christ’s atoning sacrifice
- How can sinners benefit from the atonement of Christ?
- What should be the response of believers to the finished atonement of Christ for their past forgiven sins?
