Day of Atonement

Leviticus 10:1-10: Leviticus 16

The Day of Atonement was a cleansing, purging and purifying day of sacrifice for the sanctuary and for the people of Israel.

And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.Leviticus 16:29-30

The high priest was to take a ram to sacrifice to cleanse himself before he could make sacrifice for Israel.

And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.Leviticus 16:6

The high priest took one goat and sacrificed it and sprinkled its blood on the mercy seat as covering for the sins of Israel.

Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:Leviticus 16:15

The high priest took the live goat and confessed the sins of Israel upon it and sent it to the wilderness, never to return. The goat then bore the sins of Israel and took them away permanently.

And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.Leviticus 16:21-22

The high priest then removed his priestly garments and changed into his everyday attire.

And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there:Leviticus 16:23

The remaining portions of the sin sacrifice should be taken outside the camp and burned.

And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung.Leviticus 16:27

While the high priest would change into more elaborate clothing, Jesus would be stripped of His garments.

Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.John 19:23-24

Jesus needed to make no offering for His own sins before making sacrifice for ours.

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.Hebrews 4:15

Just as the goat’s blood on the mercy seat, Jesus’s blood on the cross covered our sins before God. This is where we get our word propitiation.

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:Romans 3:24

And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.1 John 2:2

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.1 John 4:10

Jesus was the scapegoat who our sin was placed upon and He carried it away never to be seen again. This is where we get our word expiation.

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.2 Corinthians 5:21

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.Psalm 103:12

The covering of our sin by the blood of Jesus is propitiation. The assumption and carrying away of our sin on Jesus is expiation.

Once Our High Priest had made sacrifice, He would be changed into His “everyday attire.”

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.Hebrews 9:28

The death of Jesus was the final Day of Atonement.

In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.Hebrews 10:6-10

Just as the Day of Atonement purified Israel from sin, Jesus’ sacrifice purifies us from our sin.

The Day of Atonement was about making the people acceptable to God again. This has been accomplished for us through the cross and Jesus’ infinite atonement.

We are not cleansed by annual religious sacrifice, but cleansed by the grace of a loving Father.