Leviticus 16

Leviticus 16:29-34

The institution of the annual solemnity of the day of atonement, or expulsion has much of the gospel in it, Heb. ix. 7, 15c. The whole service of the day is committed to the high-priest. (1.) He must never come into the most holy place but when this day, ver. 1, 2. (2.) He must come dressed in the linen garments, ver. 4. (3.) He must bring a sin-offering and a burnt-offering for himself, ver. 3. after his sin-offering, ver. 6—11. then go within the wall with some of the blood of his sin-offering, burn incense, and sprinkle the blood before the mercy-seat, ver. 12, 13, 14. (4.) Two goats must be provided for the people, lots cast upon them, and, 1. One of them must be a sin-offering for the people, ver. 5, 7, 8, 9. and the blood of it must be sprinkled before the mercy-seat, ver. 15, 16, 17. And then some of the blood of both the sin-offerings must be sprinkled upon the altar, ver. 18, 19. 2. The other must be a shape-goat, ver. 10. the sin of Israel must be confessed over him, and then he must be sent away into the wilderness, ver. 20, 21, 22. and he that led him away must be ceremonially unclean. (5.) The burnt offerings were then to be offered, the fat of the sin-offerings burnt on the altar, and then flesh burnt without the camp, ver. 23, 24, 25, 27, 28. (6.) The people were to observe the day religiously by a holy rest, and holy manning for sin; and this was to be a statute for ever, ver. 29—34.

1. AND the LORD spake unto Moses after ’the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offer K k ed

ed before the LORD, and died: 2. And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail, before the mercy-feat, which is upon the ark; that he did not: for ‘I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy-feat. 3. Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place; ‘with a young bullock for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering. 4. ‘He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with the linen girdle, and with the linen more shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore ‘shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.

9. 1—4. Aaron had sustained a heavy loss in his two sons, and might well fear to minister before such a jealous God. He is therefore now to begin to make the annual atonement for himself and his house, as well as the people. One day in a year only must he come before the mercy-feat, where God appeared in the cloud; and then alone, with the blood of the sin-offering, in his ordinary garments of service, to donate that, as a sinner, he was on a footing with his brethren. Such was the bondage, darkness, and diffance of that disposition. But now, since Jesus is now for us entered, every believer hath bullocks and accels to the mercy-feat continually; and, instead of fearing death from the presence of the Lord, finds his nearness the true and happy life of his soul.

10. And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel, two kids of the goats for a sin-offering, and one ram for a burnt-offering. 6. And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin-offering, which is for himself, and ‘make an atonement for himself, and for his house. 7. And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 8. And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the same-goat. 9. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’s lot fell, and offer him for a sin-offering. 10. But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scape-goat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scape-goat into the wilderness. 11. And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin-offering which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin-offering, which is for himself. 12. ‘And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of ‘fewer incense, beaten small, and bring it within the vail. 13. And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy-feat that is upon the testimony, that he did not. 14. And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and ‘sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy-feat, ealward: and before the mercy-feat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.

11. 9—14. The whole bullocks of this day pertained to the high-prise alone; or, in case of sickness or uncleanness, to his deputy. After the daily burnt sacrifice (which always was offered after dredging the lamps and burning incense) he began the extraordinary service with changing his garments and washing, which was often repeated; he then brought his sin-offering for himself, his hands being laid on the head of the bullock, with solemn confession of his own sins, and those of his house. The two goats for the people’s sin-offering were next presented before the Lord; lots are cast on them, and the scape-goat a second time presented. Then the bullock for the sin-offering was killed, and whilst the blood was stirred to keep it fluid, Aaron carried a censer with incense within the vail, the smoke and perfume of which filled the place: on this he retired, and immediately returned with the blood of his sin-offering, and with his finger sprinkled it seven times before the mercy-feat. Now, Jesus, our better high-prise, is for us entered into the holy place, with nobler blood, even his own; an atonement which, once offered, is compleat and equalizing; and having no personal sins to atone for, he hath by one oblation perfected his people for ever. Blessed be God for such an high-prise!

12. ¶ 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-feat, and before the mercy-feat. 16. And “he shall make an atone-

ment for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that ‘remains among them, in the midst of their uncleanness. 17. ‘And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation where he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel. 18. And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it, and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about. 19. And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.

9. 15—19. Having made atonement for his own sins and his house, the people’s sin-offering is then, with the blood of which he again returns into the most holy place, sprinkling it as before, and when he comes out he must mix the blood of the bullock with that of the goat, and sprinkle the outer tabernacle therewith seven times, and with his finger put some of this blood mixed around the golden altar of incense on its horns, to signify the purifying of all those from the uncleanness contracted by standing in the midst of such a people. During this whole solemnity all the prickles stood without, as unworthy to enter till the atonement had thus been made. Now, (1.) One must subsum service until pardon; even our prayers and duties must be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus. (2.) When Jesus gave himself for us, of the people there was none with him. The work was all his own, and to him be all the glory of it ascribed.

10. ¶ And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the fire goat: 21. 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. 22. 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. 23. 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. 24. And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt-offering, and the burnt-offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people. 25. And “the fat of the sin-offering shall be burn upon the altar. 26. And he that let go the goat for the scape-goat, shall wash his clothes, and ‘bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp. 27. ‘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 not carry forth without the camp, and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung. 28. And he that burneth them, shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.

11. 20—28. The work of reconciliation within the tabernacle being finished; the scape-goat is brought to the door of the tabernacle. Aaron, with both his hands on his head, confesses all the transgressions of the people, and transfers them to this devoted beast. Thus all the iniquities of his Israel are laid on their great Redeemer and Saviour by imputation. The goat hereupon was sent and let go into the wilderness, bearing their burdens. And thus hath our divine Lord carried away our sins into the land of forgetfulness; where they shall never more be found to condemn us. The high-prise hereupon, atonement being compleated, put off his robes of humiliation, and washed. After this he put on his beautiful garments, and offered the burnt-offerings of thanksgiving: for pardoning mercies justly deserve sacrifices of praise. The flesh of the sin-offerings was then removed, and burnt without the camp; for our sins, when forgiven of God, must be renounced and cast out by us. The persons who performed this office, as well as he who led the scape-goat into the wilderness, were unclean, and must wash their clothes and bathe, before they pertained to come into the camp. Such is the defiling nature of sin. At last the high-prise, having brought out the censer from within the vail, re-

Schochich tiers; and the evening sacrifice closes the Solemnity of the day.

29. ¶ 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. 30. 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. 31. It shall be a Sabbath of rest unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls by a statute for ever: 32. And the priest whom he shall among, and whom he shall ye consecrate, to minister in the priest’s office in his father’s stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy gowns. 33. And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar; and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. 34. And this shall be an everfalling statute unto you, ’to make an atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.

The perpetual observation of this Solemnity is enjoined; it must be a day of sacred rest, and fasting, and humiliation. Note, (1.) They who receive the pardon of sins will ever loath and abhor themselves in their own sight, even when God is pacified towards them. (2.) Whosoever are in this body we shall be continually repenting and grieving for our daily and yearly transgressions: though the redemption is completed, we are yet in the valley of humiliation; ’tis only when in glory sin shall be utterly destroyed in us, as well as for us, that sorrow and sighing shall be no more. (3.) We must never forget that ’tis not our own repentant sorrows, but the efficacy of our divine sacrifice that can cleanse us from all our sins, and open a way for us into the presence of God.