September 14, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Leviticus and Ephesians? Here’s today’s reading:
Leviticus 16 (NIV)
The Day of Atonement
1 The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they approached the Lord. 2 The Lord said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die. For I will appear in the cloud over the atonement cover.……Continue Reading
Leviticus 16
Reading this made me realize something about sin.. Sin is to be dealt with as it happens.. It doesn’t just disappear into nothing. This account reflects how God regards sin. It is to be atoned for. Thank God that because of Jesus, we don’t have to do all these rituals anymore…
Leviticus 16
Back in this time of Israel the high priest was required by law to offer up sacrifices. God commanded it to happen like this. Each year the high priest was to offer sacrifices for himself and the people of Israel. These animals had to be perfect without any blemish. But these never took away sin. They only revealed to everyone that they were all sinners. But the people still had to come before God with humility in their hearts. Romans 7:7b {I had not known sin, but by the law; for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.} But thanks be to God. He made a way for our sins to be taken away for good on the cross. For Christ became our HIGH PRIEST and not only that but He took all our sins upon Himself on the cross. So He was our HIGH PRIEST and our sacrifice. It was done one time. He took all our past, present, and future sins upon Himself. Only He could do this. He was the Perfect LAMB of GOD. Hebrews 10:11,12. {And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this man {Jesus Christ} after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God.} God bless you all.
Leviticus 16
”It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever.“
Leviticus 16:31 NKJV
Steve and I had a lengthy conversation about what it means to “afflict your soul”. The conclusion was: take a day of quietness and humility and maybe even guilt over our sin and what must be done to atone for it. We focus a lot on not feeling guilt or shame, but this is one day a year, even the “righteous” have sin and guilt they can opine on. It’s a day of solemnity not celebration. There are other days for that.
opine?
Hm, I guess that’s the wrong word. I think of opine as: hold as a thought, or opinion, or reflect on something, rather than a spoken opinion.
29 ¶ “This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you.
30 “For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.
The idea of taking a day to “afflict your soul” made me think of “godly sorrow” in 2 Corinthians 7:10
10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
We have another indicator here of why Aaron’s sons died, by entering the Most Holy place at an inappropriate time as well as in an inappropriate way. But how amazing that God made a way for the High priest to enter His presence once a year. And how fitting that he would have to address his sins before he atoned for the sin of the people. And what a neat picture the scape goat is. That their sin was not only paid for and forgiven, but it was separated from them. But in seeing all the high priest had to go through to enter the holy place, it is humbling and gladdening to think that Jesus provides the way to come to the Father any time we want, boldly and with our consciences cleansed. His blood is more precious and efficacious than animals, that as Hebrews tells us, He was sacrificed once and for all. Amazing and priceless!