Scripture: Leviticus 16:29-34

C.I.: The Day of Atonement

During the month… - Today we will begin looking at the last major feast of the Jews –
and see how this one also continues to point the Jews to their Messiah.

I. Yom Kippur: The Most Holy Day of All!

A. The Old Testament Pattern for Atonement (or, “Things I’ve Got to Do Today!”)

1. The schedule of the day’s activities for the high priest, (Leviticus 16):
a. “Bathe & Dress” - The high priest was to cleanse himself and then put on the “holy garments”
1) (v. 5), “Then he shall bathe his body in water and put them (tunic, sash, turban) on.”

b. “Fire pans & Incense”
1) “…he shall take 2 handfuls of sweet incense - & put the incense on the fire before the Lord that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat … – lest he die,” (v. 13)

c. “Get a Bull”
1) (vs. 11, 14), “…the bull of the sin offering which is for himself and his household … he shall
take some of the blood of the bull – and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the
east side - also in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood seven times.” –
2) The high priest had to first be forgiven – before he could approach God for the people.

d. “Get Two Goats”
1) He would cast lots for the 2 goats: one for the Lord (as a sin offering) – the other a scapegoat
(v. 15), “Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering - which is for the people, and
bring its blood inside the veil, - and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull.”
2) “Atone Holy Place” - Sprinkle goat’s blood on the veil – (defiled by its proximity to sin).
(v. 16), “Then he shall make atonement for the holy place, - because of the impurities of the
sons of Israel … the tent of meeting abides with them in the midst of their impurities.”
3) “Atone Altar” - Mix the bull & goat’s blood – and make atonement for the altar.
(v. 18), “…and shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the goat and put it on the altar
on all sides. …and cleanse it, and from all the impurities of the sons of Israel consecrate it.”
4) “Send Scapegoat” – (vs. 21-22), “He shall place both his hands on the head of the live goat,
- and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel … send it away into the wilderness
… – The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land.”

e. Thus, there are 2 ways God deals w/sins: Atonement (blood) & Removal (Psa. 103:12).

f. “Burn Carcasses” - Dealing with the carcasses of the bull and the goat…
1) (v. 27), “The bull of the sin offering and the goat of the sin offering, … - shall be taken
outside the camp, - and they shall burn their hides, their flesh, - and their refuse in the fire.”
2) (Heb. 13:11-12), “The bodies of those animals… Jesus also, that He might sanctify the
people through His own blood, - suffered outside the gate.”
B. A Contrast (between “Good” & “Best”) in the Priesthoods & Sacrifices:

1. Contrast between two priesthoods (Hebrews 7)
a. Priest by Genealogy versus Priest by an Oath:
1) (v. 5), It is “…the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office”
2) (Num. 18:21), “The sons of Levi … the service which they perform, the service in the tent…”
3) (Heb. 7:14), “Our Lord descended from Judah, a tribe of which Moses spoke nothing re: p.”
4) (v. 21), “They became priests w/o an oath, but He by an oath of the One who said to Him, ‘The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind, You are a priest forever.’”
b. Temporary Priesthood versus Permanent Priesthood:
1) (vs. 23-24), “Former priests existed in greater numbers, - because they were prevented by
death from continuing, - but He, because He abides forever, holds His priesthood permanently.”
c. Sinful Priests versus Holy Priest:
1) (vs. 26-27), “…we have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners
and exalted above in the heavens; - who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer
up sacrifices, first for his own sins, then for the sins of the people.”
d. Without being able to prove their genealogy – a man could not serve in the priesthood.
1) (Ezra 2:61-62), “The sons of the priests … the sons of Barzilai, who took a wife from the
daughters of Barzilai the Gileadite, and he was called by their name. – These searched
among their ancestral registration, but they could not be located; therefore they were
considered unclean and were excluded from the priesthood.”
2) Because the genealogical records were destroyed in A.D. 70, the Jews have no priesthood!
3) Yet today we have a greater High Priest & Priesthood - (Quote Heb. 4:14; I Pt. 2:9).

2. Contrast between two sacrifices (Hebrews 9-10)
a. An earthly tabernacle vs. a heavenly one
1) (v. 1), “The 1st covenant had regulations of divine worship & an earthly sanctuary.”
2) (v. 11), “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered into the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made of hands, that is, not of this creation”
b. The blood of animals – The blood of Christ.
1) (vs. 13-14), “If the blood of goats & bulls … sprinkling those who have been defiled, -
sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, - who
through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God”
c. The Old Testament sacrifices (by themselves) never did take away sins.
1) (10:4, 11), “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins … Every
priest stands daily ministering and offering the same sacrifices time after time, - which can
never take away sins.”
2) (10:12), “But He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right….”

Conclusion:
1. The cross of Jesus has always been the only way for God’s forgiveness – (cf. Rom. 3:25), “God displayed
Jesus publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. – This was to demonstrate His righteousness,
because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed.”
2. God’s previous system (law under Judaism) was intended to help His people look to a greater system that
was coming, i.e., Faith (Gal. 3:23-25)!
3. Today, God’s system of faith is the only way to be right with God.
4. Conditions of the Old vs. the New: Day of Atonement (see I. A. 1. a-f) versus Believe (Jn. 8:24), Repent
(Lk. 13:3), Confess, (Rom. 9:10), Baptism (Acts 22:16).
4. So if we want to come into the presence of God – we must do as they did - (Lev. 16:5; Gal. 3:27; Heb. 5:9)