Leviticus 16

Leviticus 16 focuses on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), an annual event where the high priest performs rituals to cleanse the sanctuary and the people from sin. This day symbolizes God's provision of atonement for Israel's sins through sacrifices, emphasizing the seriousness of sin and the need for reconciliation with God. The high priest, Aaron, follows strict procedures to enter the Most Holy Place, offering sacrifices for himself and the people, culminating in the ritual of the scapegoat, which carries away the sins of the people.

Leviticus 16:1-2 (NKJV)
1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered profane fire before the Lord, and died;
2 and the Lord said to Moses: "Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat."

God reminds Moses of the fate of Aaron’s two sons, Nadab and Abihu, who died because they disobeyed God’s instructions for approaching His presence. Here, God instructs that Aaron must not enter the Holy Place, particularly the Most Holy Place, whenever he chooses. The Most Holy Place contains the Ark of the Covenant and is where God’s presence dwells. To approach God without proper reverence and procedure would result in death. This underscores the holiness of God and the gravity of sin, teaching the necessity of following God's commands precisely.

Leviticus 16:3-5 (NKJV)
3 Thus Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with the blood of a young bull as a sin offering, and of a ram as a burnt offering.
4 He shall put the holy linen tunic and the linen trousers on his body; he shall be girded with a linen sash, and with the linen turban he shall be attired. These are holy garments. Therefore he shall wash his body in water, and put them on.
5 And he shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats as a sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering.

To approach God in the Holy Place, Aaron must first bring specific offerings: a bull for his own sin and a ram for a burnt offering. Additionally, he must wear special linen garments symbolizing purity and humility. These garments set him apart from his usual high priestly attire, emphasizing that he stands before God as a representative of the people, needing purification himself. Aaron must wash himself, a ritual act demonstrating that both spiritual and physical cleanliness are necessary to approach a holy God. Furthermore, Aaron takes two goats from the people for a communal sin offering, pointing to the need for corporate atonement.

Leviticus 16:6-10 (NKJV)
6 "Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house.
7 He shall take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
8 Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat.
9 And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord’s lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering.
10 But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness."

Aaron begins by making atonement for himself and his household with the bull, highlighting the personal need for cleansing even for the high priest. Then, he brings the two goats before the Lord, casting lots to determine their fate. One goat is designated as the sin offering, to be sacrificed for the people's sins. The other goat, known as the scapegoat, symbolically carries the people's sins away into the wilderness. This dual role of sacrifice and removal of sin is central to the Day of Atonement ritual, illustrating both the cost of atonement and the complete removal of sin from God's people.

Leviticus 16:11-14 (NKJV)
11 "And Aaron shall bring the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bull as the sin offering which is for himself.
12 Then he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from the altar before the Lord, with his hands full of sweet incense beaten fine, and bring it inside the veil.
13 And he shall put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the Testimony, lest he die.
14 He shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times."

Aaron offers the bull as a sin offering for himself and his household, recognizing his need for atonement before he can intercede for the people. Afterward, he enters the Most Holy Place with incense, creating a cloud to cover the mercy seat, representing God’s presence. This incense symbolizes the prayers of the people and acts as a protective veil between Aaron and God's holiness. Aaron then sprinkles the blood of the bull on the mercy seat, signifying the cleansing of his own sins before he can proceed to atone for the sins of Israel. This blood ritual demonstrates the necessity of purification through sacrifice in approaching God.

Leviticus 16:15-17 (NKJV)
15 "Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat.
16 So he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, for all their sins; and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness.
17 There shall be no man in the tabernacle of meeting when he goes in to make atonement in the Holy Place, until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself, for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel."

The goat that is chosen for the sin offering is sacrificed for the people of Israel. Just as with the bull, Aaron brings its blood into the Most Holy Place and sprinkles it on the mercy seat. This act makes atonement not just for the people, but also for the sanctuary itself, which has been defiled by the sins of the people. The ritual underscores that sin contaminates not only individuals but also the entire community and its sacred space. Aaron performs this duty alone, signifying the solemn and exclusive nature of the high priest’s mediatory role between God and Israel.

Leviticus 16:18-19 (NKJV)
18 "And he shall go out to the altar that is before the Lord, and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around.
19 Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, cleanse it, and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel."

Aaron moves to the altar, where daily offerings are made, and sprinkles it with the blood of both the bull and the goat. This blood ritual purifies the altar, symbolically cleansing it from the defilement caused by the sins of Israel. The act of sprinkling blood seven times signifies complete cleansing and consecration. It demonstrates that every part of the tabernacle needs to be purified for the people's sins to be fully removed and for their relationship with God to be restored.

Leviticus 16:20-22 (NKJV)
20 "And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the tabernacle of meeting, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat.
21 Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man.
22 The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness."

Once the cleansing of the sanctuary is complete, Aaron brings forward the live goat—the scapegoat. He places his hands on its head and confesses the sins of Israel, symbolically transferring the nation's sins onto the goat. The scapegoat is then led into the wilderness, carrying away the sins of the people to a desolate place. This vivid act illustrates how God removes sin far away from His people, providing them with a tangible sign of atonement and the removal of their guilt.

Leviticus 16:23-24 (NKJV)
23 "Then Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of meeting, shall take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the Holy Place, and shall leave them there.
24 And he shall wash his body with water in a holy place, put on his garments, come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people."

After completing the ritual with the scapegoat, Aaron removes the special linen garments worn during his entry into the Most Holy Place. These garments are left in the tabernacle, and he washes his body again, symbolizing the purity required to approach God. He then puts on his usual high priestly garments and offers burnt offerings for himself and the people. These burnt offerings signify complete devotion to God and represent the final step in making atonement, affirming that through sacrifice, reconciliation between God and His people has been achieved.

Leviticus 16:25-28 (NKJV)
25 "The fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar.
26 And he who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.
27 The bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp. And they shall burn in the fire their skins, their flesh, and their offal.
28 Then he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp."

The fat of the sin offering is burned on the altar, completing the sacrifice. The man who leads the scapegoat into the wilderness must also wash himself and his clothes before reentering the camp, signifying the removal of the defilement of sin. The remaining parts of the bull and goat used for atonement are burned outside the camp, emphasizing the idea that sin is to be entirely removed from the community. The person responsible for this burning must also undergo ritual washing, further demonstrating the seriousness of handling anything connected with sin.

Leviticus 16:29-31 (NKJV)
29 "This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you.
30 For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.
31 It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever."

The Day of Atonement is established as a perpetual ordinance for Israel. On the tenth day of the seventh month, the people are to "afflict their souls," meaning they are to humble themselves, often through fasting and self-denial. No work is to be done on this day, regardless of one’s status. The priest will make atonement on this day, offering the nation a complete cleansing from their sins. It is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath that reminds the people of the seriousness of sin and the grace of God in providing atonement. This day foreshadows the ultimate atonement through Christ.

Leviticus 16:32-34 (NKJV)
32 "And the priest, who is anointed and consecrated to minister as priest in his father’s place, shall make atonement, and put on the linen clothes, the holy garments;
33 then he shall make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tabernacle of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.
34 This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year." And he did as the Lord commanded Moses.

This final section confirms that the Day of Atonement is a lasting ordinance for Israel, to be repeated annually by the anointed priest. The priest must follow the same procedure each year, wearing the holy linen garments, and making atonement for the sanctuary, the altar, the priests, and the entire assembly. This ritual ensures that the people of Israel are cleansed from their sins before the Lord. This chapter concludes with Moses recording that Aaron did everything as the Lord had commanded, highlighting the importance of obedience in following God’s detailed instructions for atonement.