Lesson 86 - Senior
Memory Verse
"We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Hebrews 10:10).
Cross References
I God's Proclamation Concerning the Day of Atonement
1. God ordained that there should be a time of self-examination and sacrifice, to occur between the joyous feasts of Trumpets and Tabernacles, in the seventh month, [LEV:23:1-2], [LEV:23:4], [LEV:23:26-27]; [NUM:29:7-11]; [HEB:10:1-4].
2. No work was to be done in any part of the day, [LEV:23:28-32].
II The Events of the Day
1. God's presence in the Holy of Holies made it impossible for any but the high priest to go beyond the veil, and he only on the Day of Atonement, [LEV:16:1-2]; [HEB:8:3].
2. The high priest entered the Holy of Holies only after washing with water, putting on his linen robes, and taking with him the blood of a sin offering and a censer with burning incense, [LEV:16:3-4]; [EZE:44:17-18]; [HEB:9:6-14].
3. No one could be in the Tabernacle but the high priest while atonement was being made, [LEV:16:17].
4. Lots were cast upon the two goats, brought as a sin offering for the people, to determine which was for the Lord and which was to be the scapegoat, [LEV:16:5], [LEV:16:7-10].
5. Aaron then killed the sin offering for himself and his family taking its blood into the Holy of Holies and sprinkling it upon the Mercy Seat, which was covered by the cloud of incense smoke, [LEV:16:6], [LEV:16:11-14]; [LEV:17:11]; [HEB:7:27-28].
6. The goat brought as a sin offering for the people, by lot determined for the Lord, was killed and the blood sprinkled in the Holy of Holies, [LEV:16:15].
7. Atonement was made for the Tabernacle as a whole, [LEV:16:16-17]; [EXO:30:10].
8. The altar was sprinkled with the blood of both sin offerings, atonement thereby being made for the people's uncleanness that was upon it, [LEV:16:18-19].
9. The scapegoat was sent away into the wilderness after the people's iniquities, transgressions, and sins were confessed over it, to set forth a type of Christ bearing away our sins in His own body, [LEV:16:20-22]; [ISA:53:6], [ISA:53:12]; [1PE:2:24]; [1JN:3:3-5]; [JER:31:34].
10. Aaron washed himself again and offered the burnt offering for himself and the people, [LEV:16:23-24]; [EZE:44:19].
11. The bodies of the slain sin offerings were disposed of, and other ceremonial details taken care of, according to God's instructions, [LEV:16:25-28]; [LEV:10:17-18]; [LEV:6:30].
III The Perpetuating Statute
1. Atonement for sin was the basis for the solemnity of the day, which was to be continued throughout their generations, [LEV:16:29-31].
2. The high priests who succeeded Aaron were to serve as Aaron had served, [LEV:16:32-34]; [HEB:5:1-4].
Notes
The Kingdom of Priests
From the time of the giving of the promise to Abraham that a great nation would rise from his descendants, it was the intention of God that that nation should be a peculiar treasure to Him. When the people stood before Mount Sinai God told them, through Moses, that if they would obey His commandments and hearken to His voice he would make them a kingdom of priests and an holy nation. ([EXO:19:5-6]). It is true that Israel drew back from the way God had planned for them and would not wholly follow God, but God's purpose and plan for them still stood. In the New Testament we are given an eternal truth that "the gifts and calling of God are without repentance" (Romans 11:29); and because of this divine principle God kept dealing with the Israelites even after their failure at Sinai.
God ordained a system of sacrifices that pointed to the coming of the true sacrifice, Jesus Christ, to hep the Israelites draw near to Him. Its elaborate ritual centred around the shedding of the blood of an innocent victim for a guilty sinner; all a picture, or type, of the Innocent One who someday would die in order that repentant sinners might be free from the condemnation of their sin, and that divine justice should be satisfied.
This sacrificial system included morning and evening burnt offerings, trespass offerings, sin offerings, peace offerings, thank offerings, and meat offerings of various kinds. Every offering had its place in God's plan as Moses and those under him who were appointed to do that work, taught it to the people. But, in addition, several times a year special feasts or ceremonies were carried out that also pointed to specific provisions of the atoning death of Christ and the benefits we receive from God through and because of that Atonement. We have already studied about the Passover and will soon take up the Feast of Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles and the offerings that were made on those days. Another great time of rejoicing was the Feast of Trumpets, which took place on the first day of their civil year. This was also the first day of the seventh month of the religious year that began the first of the month when the Passover was eaten.
The Great Day of Atonement
Between two of these joyous feasts, on the tenth day of the seventh month, one of the greatest days of the whole Jewish religious year was celebrated. This was called the Day of Atonement. It was a day of great importance to the nation, a time of great solemnity; a day set aside as a commandment which halted work of all kinds on this day and called the entire nation to prayer and self-examination, that His great plan of Redemption might be brought to them with greater force and deeper meaning.
On this day the idea of atonement rose to its highest Old Testament expression in the grand comprehensive series of events. It gives a better representation of the complete and perfect atonement of Christ than can be found in any of the individual sacrifices, even though the offerings on that day were general in nature and the benefits they brought had respect to the entire nation as a whole more than to the individual person.
This fact teaches us a great evangelical truth, that Jesus "died for all" -- "gave himself a ransom for all" -- tasted death for every man -- and is "the propitiation" for the sins of the "whole world." It denies any theory of an atonement limited to a few who have been set aside by God to receive its benefits. There was a variety of offerings made on the day ([NUM:29:8]), but these were not ordained by God to show that Christ would suffer more than once, or that there was another offering besides His. Their purpose was to show that His one offering was for all kinds of sin and uncleanness. "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (I John 1:7). (Read [HEB:9:24-28]; [HEB:10:1-14].)
What the Atonement of Christ Gave Them
A individual who transgressed against the law of God obtained forgiveness whenever he came in sincere repentance and faith, bringing a trespass offering which was killed to show, in type, the fact that the Innocent One would someday die for his sins. The seeker after heart-cleansing came with his appropriate sin offering when he sought the experience of sanctification -" which we know was given to Old Testament people as well as to us. Other offerings were brought by individuals for thanksgiving and praise, or when deeper consecrations were being made. All these were individual and personal sacrifices and pointed to the coming of Christ and were necessary because they were a part of God's plan.
But on the Day of Atonement they were reminded again of the fact that Christ would someday come and die in their stead to take away their sins, cleanse them from all their uncleanness, and fulfil all the typical blessings He had provided for them through His great Sacrifice, Jesus Christ. They looked forward to this great Sacrifice, as today we look back to Calvary.
What It Means to Us
All our hopes are based upon the great Atonement. Everything that we receive from God in this life, especially from the time we are born again and become children of God, is made possible by that great price paid on Calvary. Our spiritual needs are amply provided for; our bodies are healed, strengthened, and renewed; our spirits are revived in the hour of trial and test; and many of our temporal needs supplied by and through that precious Blood. And it is comforting to consider the fact that God has given this great provision of His love and grace that men and women of every clime and nation might have an opportunity to come under its benefiting influence.
To aid those who lived in the period of time before the promised Seed came to die as the perfect Sacrifice for sin, the tabernacle worship, as well as the sacrifices offered since the very beginning of the world's history, have been pictures or representations of the coming Atonement that was to be made. Wonderful are the ways of Almighty God!
"King of my life, I crown Thee now,
Thine shall the glory be;
Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow,
Lead me to Calvary.
"Lest I forget Gethsemane;
Lest I forget Thine agony;
Lest I forget Thy love for me,
Lead me to Calvary."
Questions
1. Why did God inaugurate the Day of Atonement for Israel?
2. What great truth does it teach us?
3. Who performed the ritual of the day, and where was it centred?
4. Why must only one person perform the service?
5. What did the Israelites do on that day?
6. If any of the Israelites failed in their duty what penalty was imposed upon them?
7. Describe the different sin offerings offered on that day, and tell what was intended and typified in each one.
8. How often was the Day of Atonement observed?
9. It was a day of solemnity, and was preceded and succeeded by days of joy and feasting. What lesson should we get from its position between these days of joy and feasting?
10. Who is our High Priest now, and why do we not have a regular Day of Atonement as Israel did?