레위기 Chapter 16

Translation: ESV

1

The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the LORD and died,

Key Message

The way of approaching God must be the way God himself has prescribed; approaching arbitrarily is not permitted.

▸Leviticus 16 begins after the death of Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10).

Leviticus 16 begins after the death of Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10). Their death illustrated the danger of approaching God's holy presence without authorization. Now God prescribes the only permissible way for the high priest to enter the Most Holy Place.

Related Verses

but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people.
2

and the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.

Key Message

God's holy presence cannot be approached carelessly; it must be approached only in the prescribed manner.

▸'Do not come at any time' is a solemn warning.

3

But in this way Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with a bull from the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.

Key Message

The limitation of the human high priest is that he too is a sinner; only Jesus can be the perfect and eternal high priest.

▸To enter the Most Holy Place, the high priest had to offer a sin offering (bull) and a burnt offering (ram) for himself.

4

He shall put on the holy linen coat and shall have the linen undergarment on his body, and he shall tie the linen sash around his waist, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on.

Key Message

True greatness before God is expressed in humility and purity, and Christ accomplished our atonement in perfect humility.

▸On the Day of Atonement, the high priest wore not his elaborate regular vestments but simple white linen garments.

7

Then he shall take the two goats and set them before the LORD at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

Key Message

Christ's salvation includes two aspects: bearing the penalty of sin (the slaughtered goat) and removing sin itself (the Azazel goat).

▸The two-goat ceremony, one of the central rituals of the Day of Atonement, begins.

8

And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for Azazel.

Key Message

God's atonement completely removes sin from the community, and this is perfected in Christ's redemptive work.

▸The roles of the two goats are determined by casting lots.

10

but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.

Key Message

Our sins are completely removed through God's atonement and do not return.

▸The Azazel goat is not killed but sent away alive into the wilderness.

12

and he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and he shall bring it inside the veil

Key Message

Protection and reverence are needed when approaching God's glorious presence; in Christ, we are now able to approach with boldness.

▸The high priest was required to burn incense when entering the Most Holy Place.

15

"Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that 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, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat.

Key Message

The blood atonement, from the repeated rituals of the Old Testament, is perfected in Christ's once-for-all eternal atonement.

▸After the sin offering for his own sins (the bull), the high priest enters the Most Holy Place again with the blood of the goat, the sin offering for the people's sins.

21

and Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness.

Key Message

All our sins were transferred to Jesus Christ, and he bore all our sins and carried them away.

▸The high priest lays both hands on the head of the Azazel goat and confesses, transferring all the sins of Israel.

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.

Key Message

Humbling oneself before God and repenting of sin is the human dimension of all atonement.

▸The Day of Atonement is set on the tenth day of the seventh month.

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." And Aaron did as the LORD commanded Moses.

Key Message

The incompleteness of the annually repeated Day of Atonement makes Christ's once-for-all eternal atonement shine all the more brightly.

▸As the conclusion of Leviticus 16, the Day of Atonement is established as a permanent statute for atoning once a year for all of Israel's sins.