The Means for God to Dwell With Us – SWO26 Summer

Scripture

Leviticus 16

What’s The Point?

It is often said that people quit their Bible-in-a-year reading plans once they get to Leviticus. This is in part because commitment begins to die out after a month or two, but also because people get discouraged and confused by the details of Leviticus. To be fair, it can be quite repetitive and some of the laws are very obscure. But we must not let these things discourage us because Leviticus has some beautiful Gospel symbols and metaphors.

One thing you might notice is similar to what was mentioned in our study of Exodus 25 and 40—God cares about the details. Aaron is required to offer specific animals while wearing specific clothing after bathing in a specific way on a specific day. It’s all very specific, but we know these details are because God wants to dwell with his people.

Leviticus 16 is where God gives Moses and Aaron the instructions on what the Day of Atonement should look like. The significance of this day cannot be overstated. The events and actions that took place on the Day of Atonement were to purify Israel and cleanse them of their sins before God. God had made it clear that he desired to dwell with his people, but because of the people’s sin a sacrifice had to be made. As we look at Leviticus 16 we are going to see that God made a way to dwell with his people, and we will also see how all of this points to Jesus.

After Aaron is washed and wearing the proper attire, we read that he had to “offer the bull as a sin offering for himself” (Leviticus 16:6). This makes sense. How could a sinful man come before a holy God on behalf of other sinful people? He can’t. For Aaron to make a sacrifice for the people he first had to be made pure himself. This is a major difference in the Old Testament sacrificial system and Jesus’ sacrifice. Jesus was sinless; he didn’t have to pay for his own sin. He was able to come before God as our perfect priest because no sacrifice had to be made on his behalf. Jesus is better than Aaron.

After Aaron had atoned for his own sins, two goats were taken: one to be sacrificed for the sins of the people and one to be sent into the wilderness. Let’s look at the scapegoat first—the goat sent into the wilderness. You may have heard the term scapegoat before. A scapegoat is someone/something who is blamed for the wrongdoings of another. That now common term comes from this passage in Leviticus. Some translations of Scripture have the name “Azazel” instead of scapegoat, but the main thing we are going to focus on is what that goat represents.

Leviticus 16:21-22 says the sins of the nation were symbolically put on the goat, and it was led into the wilderness. This may seem a bit weird but think about the symbolism. God, in his mercy, allowed the sins of the entire nation to be placed on an animal that is led away, never to return. Israel’s sin was being taken away; God was removing their filthiness. The five-dollar Bible word for this is expiation.

Now let’s look at what happens to the other goat. After Aaron had atoned for his own sin in the Holy of Holies he came back in and went through the same process, this time on behalf of Israel. He would kill the goat, take the blood of the goat, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat to make atonement for the sins of the nation.

In the Holy of Holies God’s glory dwelt right above the mercy seat. Just below the mercy seat was the ark of the covenant; the ark contained the tablets of the Ten Commandments, Aaron’s staff, and some manna. Israel had sinned and broken God’s law, so when Aaron sprinkled the sacrificial blood on the mercy seat it represented God looking upon the blood of the sacrifice rather than Israel’s sin.

When we look at all of this together it is clear that God’s plan for redemption through Jesus was already in motion. Everything in the Old Testament sacrificial system points to the work of Christ as the better fulfillment.

Aaron had to atone for his own sins, but Jesus is perfect and sinless. The Day of Atonement occurred every year, but Jesus died once and for all. Aaron and the priests entered the tabernacle, God’s temporary, earthly dwelling place, but Jesus entered into the throne room of God and presented his own blood to atone for our sins.

God graciously made a way for men to dwell with him in the Old Testament, but this was only a shadow of his greater plan of redemption. It seems fitting to let Hebrews 9:11-14 be the last word:

“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

Scripture Memorization

Hebrews 9:14

“How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

Prayer

Lord God, your eternal plans seem so obvious when I see how you established the Old Testament sacrificial system and how it pointed to Jesus. Your wisdom, knowledge, and power are without equal. Thank you Lord for preserving this information in your Holy Scriptures. Thank you that you have made yourself known and are continually showing me your faithfulness. I worship you, Jesus, for being my great high priest and the sacrificial lamb that was killed for my sins.

Reflection

1. Think through the ways listed above that Jesus is better. Why are each of these important?
2. Romans 8:34 says that Christ is “interceding for us.” We have an eternal high priest who is constantly coming before the Father on your behalf.
3. Also, because Christ now lives in heaven with the Father, we can be sure that we will also dwell with the Father because of the finished work of Christ.

Discussion Questions

1. There are some listed above, but in what other ways is Jesus better than the Old Testament sacrificial system?
2. Discuss the similarities and differences of the sacrificed goat and the scapegoat from the Day of Atonement.
3. Why do you think blood is so important in the Old Testament sacrificial system? (Hint: look at the verses at the end of today’s study.)