“and the Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. But in this way Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with a bull from the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. He shall put on the holy linen coat and shall have the linen undergarment on his body, and he shall tie the linen sash around his waist, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on. And he shall take from the congregation of the people of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.’ ” (v2-5)
This chapter details the step-by-step process of how the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) was to be performed. The high priest (Aaron) was to bring a sin and burnt offering for himself, then an offering for the people. Most of the same procedures are followed for those two types of offerings.
The two unique parts of the that differ from any other day are:
– the sprinkling of blood on and in front of the Mercy Seat (the lid of the Ark of the Covenant)
– the second sin offering goat for the people is prayed over with the laying on of Aaron’s hands, and then it is set free out in the wilderness away from the camp
This is the one time each year the high priest is allowed beyond the veil into the Holy of Holies. The atoning blood of the sacrifices is sprinkled directly in God’s presence where He resides between the cherubim on the mercy seat.
The significance or releasing the second goat alive into the wilderness was symbolic of Israel’s sin being cast out of the camp, never to be seen again. (Trivia tidbit for you: this is the origin of the term “scapegoat”) This scenario reminds me of this famous verse: “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” (Psa 103:12)
What does this mean for us today? Interestingly, Yom Kippur 2019 is coming up: it begins at sunset Oct 8 and concludes at sunset Oct 9 (Jewish tradition counts days by sunset to sunset, not from 12:00am to 11:59pm). Here’s a link to some basic information if you’re interested: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_Kippur
More relevantly, it is important to have a consistently repentant posture before God. When we sin: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn 1:9)
Thankfully, we can confess our sins anytime/anywhere, we no longer need an earthly high priest to help us with this: “Consequently, [Jesus] is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.” (Heb 7:25-28)
Jesus, praise be to You the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Father thank you for providing Jesus as our scapegoat. Thank you for tearing down the veil that kept us from Your presence. We confess any and all sin, including that of which we are unaware, and humbly ask Your forgiveness. Please purify us, cleanse our hearts, and clothe us in the righteousness of Jesus. Amen.
~ Conqueror in Training