Page 78 - Pentateuch

Chapter 11: Pentateuch Part IV:
The Day of Atonement and Sabbath Rest: Leviticus 16-17, 23-27

Connect…

We are rearranging Leviticus for this study. Having already looked at clean/unclean and holy/common, we
now turn to God’s laws, communicating salvation and forgiveness of sin and trust in him.

The Day of Atonement (Ch. 16) provided a more general remedy for uncleanness and more serious sins. We
are reminded again of recent events. “The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron
who died when they approached the LORD (16:1).” If they were in danger for activities done improperly in
the tabernacle, how much more serious are infractions committed while in the holy of holies! Chapter 16
focuses on the Most Holy Place (vv. 2, 3, 16, 17, 20, 23, 27, 33) and the atonement cover (vv. 2, 13, 14, 15)
as well as the more general “before the Lord” (vv. 7, 10, 12, 13, 18, 30). The Day of Atonement is the most
important in the calendar, the only day of the year when the high priest enters the Most Holy Place, the
dwelling place of God on earth.

References to the Sabbath have been sprinkled throughout the Pentateuch. The first was in Genesis 2:2, 3,
when God rested after creating the world. The seventh-day rest is the pinnacle of all God’s work. Little is
found until the exodus of Israel. The people were not to collect manna on the Sabbath (Ex. 16:23-29). This
practical demonstration of God’s purpose for the Sabbath was put into law at Mount Sinai in the longest of
the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:8-11; 31:13-17; 35:2, 3). Mention is made of the seventh day and the
seventh year of rest without great detail (Ex. 23:10-12). No connection is made between the Sabbath and
the three annual festivals (Ex. 23:14-19). Moses ends Leviticus with a thorough explanation of God’s rest for
his people. Rest in Yahweh is supremely important.

The Lesson ...

The Day of Atonement and Sabbath Rest

On this day, different clothes were worn by the high priest. His
appearance is simple. Aaron is required to sacrifice a bull for himself
first. This sacrifice is distinct from those carried out at his initial
consecration. This is a yearly sacrifice. The bull is a sin offering for
himself and his household (v. 6). He must take coals and incense into
the Holy of Holies to conceal the atonement cover (vv. 12-13). Then
he takes some of the blood into the Holy of Holies and sprinkles it on
the atonement cover (v. 14). The high priest, with all the priests, needs Fig. 58: Clothing for day of atonement
forgiveness to approach God for anyone else. The next step is to take
two goats to make atonement for the congregation. One is offered as a sin offering. Aaron sprinkles its
blood on the atonement cover as he did with the bull’s blood. (Blood from both is also sprinkled on the
altar seven times, vv. 18-19.) Now, the entire nation is safe from tainting the tabernacle with their
uncleanness.

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