Day Of Atonement

Leviticus 23:27 – “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present a food offering to the Lord.

Leviticus 16:2-3,5,29-30,34 – The Lord said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die. For I will appear in the cloud over the atonement cover. “This is how Aaron is to enter the Most Holy Place: He must first bring a young bull for a sin offering^[a] and a ram for a burnt offering…From the Israelite community he is to take two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering…“This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work—whether native-born or a foreigner residing among you—because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins…“This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites.” And it was done, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Application:

• ·         Blood sprinkled on the lid of the ark made atonement for Israel on the Day of Atonement. In the Septuagint the word for atonement cover is the same one used of Christ and translated sacrifice of atonement.
• ·         Before Aaron could minister in the Most Holy Place for the nation, he himself had to be cleansed; not so Christ, who is our high priest and Aaron’s antitype.
• ·         No single offering could fully typify the atonement of Christ. The one goat was killed, its blood sprinkled in the Most Holy Place and its body burned outside the camp, symbolizing the payment of the price of Christ’s atonement.
• ·         On the Day of Atonement the repentant Israelite was assured of sins forgiven.
• ·         Contrast once a year with Christ’s once for all sacrifice.

All Scripture verses taken from ESV