Worship in the Wilderness #16: The Day of Atonement

 Read Leviticus 16

Background: God had put in place a system of worship with everything possible to help his people willingly come to worship Him. He had given them instructions and the ongoing help of priests to be able to come in repentance, offer sacrifices, and make their peace with God.  There was only one flaw: man's ongoing love affair with sin.  Despite being open daily, having special Sabbath services, and giving special opportunities for worship and fellowship, day by day people "got dirty" with unconfessed sin. So God made a special day, the Day of Atonement, each year to deal with all the undealt with sin of the people.

Key Verses: 29 “And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you. 30 For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the Lord from all your sins. 31 It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; it is a statute forever. 32 And the priest who is anointed and consecrated as priest in his father's place shall make atonement, wearing the holy linen garments. 33 He shall make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. 34 And this shall be a statute forever for you, that atonement may be made for the people of Israel once in the year because of all their sins.” 

Thoughts: On this one day, and only this day of the year, the High Priest would make a special offering, cleanse everything, and enter the Holy of Holies to offer incense, sprinkle the blood, and give a unique sacrifice for the congregation.  The ceremony involved two goats - one to be offered as a sin offering, and the other to be the scapegoat, to carry the sins out of the camp and far away from God's people. After handling this sacrifice and scapegoat for sin, the High Priest and the handler of the goat had to go through more cleansing.  The picture was the removal of sin from every corner of the tabernacle and every heart in the congregation.  When Christ came and accomplished His work, He removed the necessity for both.