Key Text: (Leviticus 16:15-16, KJV)
"Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness."
Imagine, if you will, a world where our mistakes could be wiped away, where our wrongdoings could be forgiven, and where we could start anew each year. This isn't just a fantasy; it was a reality for the ancient Israelites, and it points to an even greater reality for us today.
In the book of Leviticus, we find a fascinating ritual that God instructed His people to perform. It's called the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur in Hebrew. This wasn't just any ordinary day; it was the most solemn and important day in the Israelite calendar. On this day, something extraordinary happened – the sins of the entire nation were dealt with.
Let's break down what happened on this day. The high priest, who was the only person allowed to enter the Most Holy Place of the tabernacle, would take a goat – not just any goat, but one specifically chosen for this purpose. This goat was called the sin offering for the people. The high priest would kill this goat, and then do something that might seem strange to us: he would take its blood into the Most Holy Place.
Now, you might be wondering, "Why blood? Isn't that a bit gruesome?" Well, in the Bible, blood represents life. When God established this system, He said, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul" (Leviticus 17:11, NKJV). So, when the high priest brought the blood into the Most Holy Place, he was essentially bringing the life of the goat as a substitute for the lives of the people.
Once inside the Most Holy Place, the high priest would sprinkle this blood on the mercy seat. The mercy seat was the lid of the Ark of the Covenant, where God's presence dwelt among His people. This act of sprinkling the blood was a powerful symbol. It showed that the sins of the people, which separated them from God, were being covered and forgiven.
But it didn't stop there. Our key text tells us that the high priest would "make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins." This is a crucial point. The sins of the people didn't just affect them; they affected the very place where God dwelt among them. Sin has a way of contaminating everything it touches, doesn't it? It's like spilling a drop of ink in a glass of water – soon, the whole glass is tainted.
So, the high priest had to cleanse not just the people, but also the holy place itself. This shows us how seriously God takes sin. It's not something He can simply ignore or overlook. It needs to be dealt with, cleansed, and removed.
Now, you might be thinking, "That's all very interesting, but what does a 3000-year-old ritual have to do with me today?" Great question! You see, this Day of Atonement wasn't just a standalone ritual. It was a shadow, a preview of something much greater to come.
In the New Testament, we learn that Jesus Christ is our great High Priest. The book of Hebrews tells us that "Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9:11-12, NKJV).
