For those who are going through or who have been through the Truth Project study you may recall in the promotional clip and in the 1st session Dr. Tacket stated that, there is no sphere of life where the Word of God does not speak. I am pulling from memory, so it might not be exact, but it is really close. You have to be amazed as you continue through Leviticus at the frankness and direct nature of God's Word...and then you think no wonder preachers don't want to preach verse by verse through Leviticus. I don't know about you, but I find myself reading about discharges and emissions and thinking, is this really in the Bible? God's Word covers EVERY AREA OF LIFE!
I know that it is a difficult shift, but God makes it in HIS Word...how do you transition from discharges to the Day of Atonement? Very abruptly!
Each of the following verses in Hebrews references Leviticus 16...the NT is the best commentary on the OT! REMEMBER EVERY WORD OF SCRIPTURE AT SOME LEVEL IS POINTING TO JESUS...IT IS ALL ABOUT HIM...WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO? IT IS COMING TO JESUS!
Heb 5:3 Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins.
Heb 6:19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,
Heb 7:27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
Heb 9:3 and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All,
Heb 9:7 But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance;
Heb 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh,
Heb 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.
Heb 13:11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp.
What is the Day of Atonement?
The great day of national humiliation, and the only one commanded in the Mosaic law. [Fasts.] The mode of its observance is described in Lev. 16, and the conduct of the people is emphatically enjoined in Lev. 23:26-32.
II. Time.—It was kept on the tenth day of Tisri, that is, from the evening of the ninth to the evening of the tenth of that month, five days before the feast of tabernacles. Tisri corresponds to our September-October, so that the 10th of Tisri would be about the first of October. [Festivals.]
III. How observed.—It was kept by the people as a high solemn sabbath. On this occasion only the high priest was permitted to enter into the holy of holies. Having bathed his person and dressed himself entirely in the holy white linen garments, he brought forward a young bullock for a sin offering, purchased at his own cost, on account of himself and his family, and two young goats for a sin offering, with a ram for a burnt offering, which were paid for out of the public treasury, on account of the people. He then presented the two goats before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle and cast lots upon them. On one lot “Fot Jehovah” was inscribed, and on the other “For Azazel.” A phrase of unusual difficulty. The best modern scholars agree that it designates the personal being to whom the goat was sent, probably Satan. This goat was called the scapegoat. After various sacrifices and ceremonies the goat upon which the lot “For Jehovah” had fallen was slain and the high priest sprinkled its blood before the mercy-seat in the same manner as he had done that of the bullock. Going out from the holy of holies he purified the holy place, sprinkling some of the blood of both the victims on the altar of incense. At this time no one besides the high priest was suffered to be present in the holy place. The purification of the holy of holies and of the holy place being thus completed, the high priest laid his hands upon the head of the goat on which the lot “For Azazel” had fallen, and confessed over it all the sins of the people. The goat was then led, by a man chosen for the purpose, into the wilderness, into “a land not inhabited,” and was there let loose. The high priest after this returned into the holy place, bathed himself again, put on his usual garments of office, and offered the two rams as burnt offerings, one for himself and one for the people.
IV. Significance.—In considering the meaning of the particular rites of the day, three points appear to be of a very distinctive character.
1. The white garments of the high priest. 2. His entrance into the holy of holies. 3. The scapegoat. The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews, Heb. 9:7-25, teaches us to apply the first two particulars. The high priest himself, with his person cleansed and dressed in white garments, was the best outward type which a living man could present in his own person of that pure and holy One who was to purify his people and to cleanse them from their sins. But respecting the meaning of the scapegoat we have no such light to guide us, and the subject is one of great doubt and difficulty. It has been generally considered that it was dismissed to signify the carrying away of the sins of the people, as it were, out of the sight of Jehovah. If we keep in view that the two goats are spoken of as parts of one and the same sin offering, we shall not have much difficulty in seeing that they form together but one symbolical expression; the slain goat setting forth the act of sacrifice, in giving up its own life for others “to Jehovah”; and the goat which carried off its load of sin “for complete removal” signifying the cleansing influence of faith in that sacrifice.
Smith, W. (1997). Smith's Bible dictionary. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Heb 13:12-16
12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. 14 For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. 15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. 16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
A difficult question that I must ask myself daily is which city am I working for, which city am I seeking? Am I trying to build a city here or am I seeking "the one to come" the City of God?
Mark 7:6-9
6 He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me. 7 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men— the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”
9 He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.
Mk 7:13-16
13 making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
14 When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand: 15 There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. 16 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Mk 7:21-23
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
What you do is important but why you do it, your heart motive, is more important! The Pharisees and Sadducees did all the right things for all the wrong reasons and they are guilty of worshiping in vain, they are guilty of being hypocrites, of honoring God with their lips, but their heart was building their own city.
Ps 48:1
A Song; a Psalm of the sons of Korah. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, His holy mountain.
Ps 48:8
As we have heard, so have we seen In the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God; God will establish her forever. Selah.
Ps 87:3
Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God. Selah.
Rev 3:12
‘He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.
Where is your citizenship...what are you working for...what am I working for? A city down here or "the one to come."