“Day of Atonement“

Leviticus 16:15–28 Easy: Aaron must kill the goat for the sin offering. It is a gift from the people. He must take the blood behind the curtain. He must shake the blood on the lid of the Covenant Box as he did with the bull’s blood. And he must shake the blood in front of the lid of the Covenant Box. This will make atonement for all the sins of Israel’s people. This will make the Holy Place clean. Aaron must do the same for the Tent of Meeting. That is because the people have done bad things in the camp. The Tent of meeting is in the middle of the camp. Aaron must give the offerings to God. He must give them for his family and he must give them for his servants. He must give them for all the people. Nobody can go into the Tent of Meeting while Aaron is in the Most Holy Place. He must be alone when he goes in. And he must be alone until he comes out. He must be alone when he gives the offerings to God. Those offerings make atonement for himself, for his family and for all Israel’s people. He must go to the altar that is in front of the Lord. He must make atonement for it. He must take blood from the bull and blood from the goat. He must put the blood on the horns of the altar. He must shake blood on the altar seven times to make it clean. A goat will carry away all the bad things that the people have done. Aaron must first atone for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of meeting and the altar. Then he must bring the goat that is alive. He must put his hands on the goat’s head. He must speak aloud all the bad things that Israel’s people have done. Then all the bad things will be on the goat’s head. Aaron must tell a man that he must send the goat away into the desert. The goat will carry all the sins of the people into the desert. The man must send it away into the desert. Aaron must go into the Tent of Meeting. He must take off his special linen clothes. The holy clothes must stay in the Tent of Meeting. He must wash his body in a holy place. He must put on his own clothes. He must leave the holy place. Then he must sacrifice the burnt offerings. They will make atonement for himself and for the people. And he must also burn the fat from the sin offering on the altar. The person who sent the goat away must wash his clothes and his body. He can return to the camp. Aaron had killed a bull and a goat. He took their blood into the Most Holy Place to make atonement. Someone must carry their dead bodies outside the camp. He must burn them. That man must burn the skin, the meat and the inside parts. The man who burnt the animals must wash his clothes and his body. Then he can return to the camp.

These verses show how God deals with sin both by cleansing what is holy and by removing what defiles the community. The high priest’s careful work, sprinkling blood for atonement and sending the scapegoat into the wilderness, teaches that forgiveness is costly, communal, and restorative: sin is not ignored but dealt with so God’s presence can dwell among his people. Remember that this ritual points forward to the greater work of Christ, who both purifies and carries our guilt away. Let this passage reassure you that God’s mercy makes space for holiness and peace.

Holy Father God, thank You and praise You for the mercy that cleanses and the justice that removes what separates us from You. Purify our hearts, carry away our guilt, and restore Your peace among us. Help us live in the freedom Your atonement provides and to walk in holiness that honors Your presence. Love You, thank You, praise You and give You all the honor and glory in Your Precious Mighty Name Jesus Amen.