Every year, on the 10th day of the 7th month, Israel was to observe a Day of Atonement. The purpose for this day was to provide cleansing and forgiveness for all the people because of all their sins. They were to observe this day with fasting and no work. In other words, this was to be a day of worship for them. They were to sit and think and pray and thank God for what was taking place on this day. One more time, their sins were being taken care of by God’s provision!
This day required 1 bull, 2 rams, and 2 goats in order for full atonement to be achieved. Aaron was in charge of the process (later would be the High Priest). He was to first make atonement for himself and his house so that he could continue to the process. Then he was to make atonement for the Holy Place, the tent of meeting, and the altar because even these were tainted from a year’s worth of the people’s sin. Finally, he made atonement for the people involving the two goats. One goat was slain and its blood sprinkled on the altar. In this way, payment was made for the people’s sins. With the other goat, Aaron confessed the people’s sins upon its head, and then it was led out into the wilderness and set free. In this way, the people’s sins were removed from them. Therefore, at the end of the Day of Atonement, their sins were dealt with completely, forgiven and removed!
In the New Testament, a final Day of Atonement took place with the death of Christ. His one perfect sacrifice fulfilled the role of both goats once and for all. He paid for the sins of God’s people and totally removed them from their account! “Christ offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins!” (Heb 10:12) The cross was our Day of Atonement, and our response can only be worship!
Regarding Lev.15-16: reading these chapters reminds me of finding myself caught by the photographs in some of the medical journals Steve receives. I don't have any reason to look, I'M not studying how to better diagnose and treat patients, but there is both a repulsion and a fascination in seeing what diseases have done to people's bodies. Usually faces, or at least eyes, are blocked out of the photograph for the privacy of the subjects, but every once in a while there is a photograph with EYES staring back at me. Then I can't help but see a PERSON: suffering, embarassed, angry, hopeful or despairing of a cure, maybe poor or isolated and lonely. Occasionally, in the middle of chapters in which priests are examining boils or sores, teaching the people of Israel about uncleanness and purification rituals, I catch a glimpse of the EYES of an Israelite man or woman, maybe even a child.
ReplyDeleteI'm confused about the scapegoat (Lev.16). It's easy enough to see how a sacrificial animal (the goat that dies) symbolized Jesus' ultimate sacrifice, but the goat that goes "free", carrying sins into the wilderness (or this "Azazel" demon idea in the ESV notes)--is this also a picture of Jesus bearing our sins away from us? If so, why the double picture? And why the "Azazel"? Any comments, Wil?
The two different goats picture two different aspects of the atonement. Jesus pays for our sin, and Jesus takes our sin away.
ReplyDeleteIt is clear that you spend some time musing over your reading. That is a great and rewarding exercise. Keep it up!