THE GREAT DAY OF ATONEMENT

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Understanding important truths from the Bible…. 

THE GREAT DAY OF ATONEMENT 

Leviticus 16:1-34

Now the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered profane fire before the Lord, and died;

² and the Lord said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.

³ “Thus Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with the blood of a young bull as a sin offering, and of a ram as a burnt offering.

⁴ He shall put the holy linen tunic and the linen trousers on his body; he shall be girded with a linen sash, and with the linen turban he shall be attired. These are holy garments. Therefore he shall wash his body in water, and put them on.

⁵ And he shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats as a sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering. 

A Prayer For Living and Dying

Verse 2

Not the labours of  my hands;

Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;

Could my zeal no respite know,

Could my tears forever flow;

All for sin could not atone,

Thou must save and Thou alone.

The Works of Augustus Toplady, page 912 

There are certain chapters in the Bible with which a Christian should be familiar.  Of these none is more important than Leviticus 16:1-34.  The whole of the why and what Christ did on the cross is pictured in this chapter.  In the fullest sense it is the type of Christ’s death.  “Thy laws demands,” and the fulfillment of those demands are the subjects of Leviticus 16 and The Cross-work of the Savior. 

The great atonement has primary facts relative to God’s people and the full reconciliation He has for them

1.  There is nothing in the world that measures up to God’s standard of Holiness.  The tabernacle with its most holy place had to be cleansed by blood.  Lev. 16:14.The Holiest of Holies is but a type and it must have its purification.  Aaron the High Priest who is the appointed mediator is not sufficient for his task until he has presented his sacrifice.  Lev. 16:16.  It is only after he has met the requirement of sacrificial blood for his sin that he can begin the work of atonement.

The uncleanness of Israel has brought the condemnation of sin upon the whole of the sacrificial system.  Lev. 16:18-19.  God’s rejection of the very best man can offer is an absolute regarding human righteousness.  There is no place for it. 

2.  The sacrifices are both common and unusual.  They are a bull, a ram, and two goats.  The bull, the ram, and one goat are sacrifices for the uncleanness of Priest, Holy Place, and people.  But one goat is taken away to the wilderness and released.

In the atonement the sins of God’s people have been paid for in the death of the sacrifice and as the goat of release shows us they have been taken away.  The forgiven sinner has been released from the bondage of sin to live for his savior. 

“Rock of Ages, cleft for me

Let me hide myself in thee;

Let the water and the blood

From Thy riven side which flowed

Be of sin the double cure.

Cleanse fro from it guilt and power.”

The Works of Augustus Toplady, page 912 

The writer of Hebrews tells us Christ suffered outside the gate and we are “to go to Him outside the camp,” and bear the “reproach” that comes with true service.  Hebrews 13:12-13, Lev. 16:27. 

There is every reason to expect the unconverted society in which we live to oppose the gospel and those who believe it as they opposed the Savior.  We have been placed in a nation and up to the recent past, a time when there has been very little cost to serving God.  This is changing rapidly. 

We are ever to remember our guilt is forgiven and we have been created for good works.  We must not be surprised when our worship, our places of worship, our demands for laws that exalt our nation, and our culture are attacked and removed with defiant arrogance.  Remember “you have not yet resisted unto the shedding of blood.”  Hebrews 12:4. 

Rejoice Our Redemption Draws Near

“Breathe thy Spirit, so shall fall

Unction sweet upon us all;

Till by odours scatter’d round,

Christ himself be trac’d and found;

Rich in peace and joy depart.”

The Works of Augustus Toplady, page 912