Day Of Atonement

A Few of the Details

Source: Lev 16:1-34; 23:26-32; Num 29:7-11; Ac 27:9; Heb 9:1-14,24-28; 11:11-13.

 

  • It was Israel’s great annual day of humiliation and reconciliation with God.
  • It occurred on the tenth day of the seventh month, around our October 1 (16:29). Its corrupted and vain modern version is the Jewish Yom Kippur.
  • This Jewish holy day ran for 24 hours from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (23:32).
  • This special Sabbath day of rest allowed no work; it required affliction of soul for the sins and uncleanness of the nation (16:29; 23:27-29; Num 29:7); and it is the only required fast day in the O.T., which Paul referred to in Acts 27:9.
  • The high priest offered sacrifices for the tabernacle, priests, and the people.
  • The bullock was a sin offering for the high priest and priests (16:6,11); its blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat and around the altar to make atonement for the priests; its body was carried without the camp and burned by fire.
  • The ram was a burnt offering for the high priest and priests (16:3), which was wholly consumed on the altar as indicative of their total dedication to God.
  • The first of the two young goats, which was chosen by lot, was a sin offering for the people (16:9,15); its blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat and around the altar; its body was also carried without the camp and burned by fire.
  • These proceedings were to make atonement – put at one with God – for the priests, the people, and the tabernacle and its altar (16:6,17,24,27,33-34, etc.).
  • This atonement is further described with the redemptive and salvation terms of cleansing, hallowing, and reconciling – to cleanse them, hallow them, and reconcile them for acceptance with God (16:19,20,30).
  • The other young goat chosen by lot had the people’s sins put on its head, and a fit man took it far enough from the camp to be forever lost in the wilderness.
  • Some vainly call the scapegoat Azazel from the Revised Version (16:8,10,26).
  • Both the priests and the people provided a ram for a burnt offering, which was wholly consumed on the altar for their total commitment to God (16:3,5).