25. The Day of Atonement (Lev 16:1-19)

Once a year, only on this day, the high priest was allowed to enter the Most Holy. 

👉 Read Leviticus 16:1-19

Aaron prepared a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a (         ) offering. The congregation prepared two male goats for a (       ) offering and (             ) for a burnt offering. For the goats, he cast lots to decide one for (            ) and one for (              ). 

After a bath, Aaron put on a holy garment of (             ). He took (           ) full of coal, finely ground (                      ), and the blood of the sin offering bull and went into the curtain. He put the incense on the fire and sprinkled the blood on (                      ) for (           ) times. He did the same for the sin offering (             ).

“He is to make atonement for (                ) from the impurities of the Israelites and from their (               ), and thus he is to do for (                  ) which resides with them in their impurities.”

Then, Aaron went out and cleansed and (             ) the altar from the (             ) of the Israelites, with the blood.

Answers and Meditation

burnt, sin, a ram, the Lord, Azazel

The high priest was also a sinner, so he must present his sin offering first.

 

Linen, a censer, fragrant incense, the atonement lid, seven, goat

The high priest should humble himself by putting off the meticulously decorated Ephod and wearing a white linen garment.

The incense smoke covered the high priest, a sinner, before the Lord's presence, the atonement lid. 

Eastern face of the atonement lid: As the tabernacle faces east, the east side of the lid is the front part of it that you face as soon as you enter the Most Holy. The atonement lid covering the testimony's ark is also called Mercy Seat.

 

The Holy Place, transgression, the Meeting Tent

God's tent was defiled when it stayed among sinful people. The holy thing was defiled by human impurity. However, it is the opposite in NT. Jesus' blood cleanses our souls.

Consecrated, impurities

 

The ritual of the Day of Atonement implies their sin-offering system was not perfect. Thus, they needed to cleanse the Tabernacle and the priests repeatedly.

Eating the sin offering contaminated the priests, and the sprinkled blood contaminated the Tabernacle with the impurities of people’s sins, especially when they brought sin offerings without repentant hearts. The animal sacrifices could not fix their hearts.

Such limited atonement has been perfected by our High Priest Jesus Christ. He has gone to the Father with His blood. Christ’s offering is the ever-present atonement sacrifice. While He stays in the presence of the Father, which the Most Holy represents, the atonement is ongoing for us.