
DCLM CHILDREN STS LESSON 19 – THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
TEXT: Leviticus 16:1-34.
Atonement is the satisfactory payment for an offence or injury. It is a process that produces reconciliation (Exodus 30:16). In the Bible atonement means the covering of man’s sins through the shedding of blood. In the Old Testament, God instructed the children of Israel through Moses to set a day apart during each year as the day of atonement. It was held on the tenth day of the seventh month.
On this day, the children of Israel were to abstain from work and consecrate themselves through prayers, fasting, and sacrifice for their Sin. The day also marked the only entry of the high priest into the innermost part of the Tabernacle the holy of holies. There, the high priest will use the blood of the sacrificial animal to plead for mercy on behalf of the people.
The day of atonement became a yearly ritual that points to the work and sacrifice that Christ would make on our behalf. Jesus came into the world, died and shed His blood on the cross for the removal of our sins. We do not need any other sacrifice, for Christ has paid it once and for all. All we need to do to have our sins forgiven and our debts cancelled is to believe in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross of Calvary.
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AMAZING FACTS ABOUT THE DAY OF ATONEMENT:
Leviticus 16: 1-34; 23:26-32; Numbers 29:7-11
The day of atonement was the most important holy day for the children of Israel. On this day, the high priest, wearing his sacred garments first prepared himself by bathing with water. Then before making atonement for the sins of the people, he had to offer a young bullock for his own sins. Next, he took two goats and cast lots. One of the goats became the sacrifice, the other became the scapegoat. He killed the first goat, took its blood, entered the most holy place behind the curtain and sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat thus, making atonement for the sins of the whole nation (Leviticus 16: 15, 16).
As a final step, he took the live goat, laid his hands on its head, confessed over it all the sins of the people and sent it away into the wilderness (Leviticus 16:21,22). The scapegoat carried away the sins of the people to the wilderness. This process of atonement had to be repeated every year because it cannot permanently remove sin. The priest who offered the sacrifices were sinners too and had to make atonement for themselves before they could make it on behalf of others (Hebrews 9:7).
This was the reason Christ came to the world, suffered, shed His blood and died on the cross for us. Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse and remove sin from the heart of men. As the day of atonement was special to the children of Israel, so there is always a special day that every believer turns from sin to the Saviour. Today can be that day for you. If you have not been cleansed from your sins, repent now and surrender to Christ for the cleansing of your heart.
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ATONEMENT THROUGH THE PERFECT SACRIFICE OF JESUS CHRIST:
Leviticus 16:1-10, 15, 16; Hebrews 9: 11-28; 10:1-12
When the Old Covenant high priest entered the most holy place, he took the sacrificial animal’s blood with him. This was a sign that an innocent substitute had died for the guilty sinners so that the barrier to God’s presence through sin might be removed. Jesus Christ, the great High Priest offered Himself as the sacrifice, and through His shed blood, obtained eternal salvation from sin for us all. It is this sacrificial death that cleanses a repentant sinner’s guilty conscience.
Ceremonial cleansing through animal sacrifices has been replaced by actual cleansing through Christ’s sacrifice. Jesus Christ entered into God’s presence on account of His own blood, and He did so only once. His death is sufficient to remove completely the sins of the whole world, past, present and future (Hebrews 9:24-26).
God’s plan was not that animal sacrifices be offered forever, but that they prepare the way for Jesus Christ. As the man who came from God, Jesus spent His life doing God’s will, even though it led Him to offer His life as a sacrifice for sin. His death puts an end to all the old sacrifices. Christ died once and gained eternal salvation for those who trust Him.
By His death, repentant sinners are forgiven and their sins are taken away. They will enjoy the fullness of their salvation when Christ comes to take them to be with Him be in washed heaven clean forever. To be a partaker of His heavenly kingdom, you must be washed clean in the blood of Jesus. Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
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ABUNDANT BENEFITS THROUGH CHRIST’S ATONING SACRIFICE:
Leviticus 16:33,34; Hebrews 10:1-22
Access to God’s presence was limited under the old covenant. Only the high priest could pass through the curtain that closed the entrance to the holy of holies, only at specific periods and under strict conditions. But now that Jesus Christ, by His death, has atoned for our sins and opened the way to God, we are able to come before Him, to enjoy all the benefits that His sacrifice provides.
These benefits include:
(i) Salvation and freedom from sin. A sinner who hears the word of God accepts that he is a sinner, repents and asks for forgiveness and cleansing of his sins, becomes free. This is the greatest benefit Christ’s sacrifice on the cross has brought mankind. If you are still a sinner, do not delay. Pray and ask for forgiveness and cleansing of your sins with the precious blood of Jesus.
(ii) Sanctification and holiness of life. “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.” (Hebrews 13: 12) Jesus’ blood is the only means by which a saved child can be sanctified. You must therefore develop a strong desire for the experience, pray in faith and you will receive.
Spirit Baptism. With a sanctified heart, the Christian child must press on to also thirst for and pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is a free gift that Jesus has promised and also made available through His resurrection power.
Sound health, healing and deliverance from the powers of darkness. Success, prosperity, victory over Satan and his host, and abundant life. As you continue to follow Jesus and serve Him, He will keep and preserve you till you make it to heaven at last.
QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW:
- What is the meaning of atonement?
- How did the Old Testament priest perform the sacrifices on the day of atonement?
- Was the Old Testament sacrifice able to permanently remove the sins of the people?
- Who made the perfect sacrifice for our sins?
- How can a sinful child receive cleansing through Christ’s atoning blood?
- Mention the benefits of Christ’s atoning sacrifice.
MEMORY VERSE: “And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses“ (Leviticus 16:33,34).
LESSON: Jesus Christ shed His blood once and for all to atone for our sins.
THOUGHT: I am cleansed by the blood of Jesus.
ACTIVITY: Read Leviticus 16:3-6 and Hebrews 9:12-15 and write out in your notebook the similarities and differences between the old and new covenants.
CONGREGATIONAL SONG: GHS 40 – WASH ME, O LAMB OF GOD
CHORUSES:
(1) The Blood of Jesus, the Blood of Jesus sets me free.
(2) There is power mighty in the blood.
(3) All the way to Calvary.
HOMEWORK: Tell a sinner in your neighbourhood what Christ has done for him/ her on the cross.
BIBLE WORD SEARCH
Find the meaning of these words. You can use your dictionary:
- Atonement
- Consecrate
- Sacred
- Scapegoat
- Substitute.