I have just written an assignment on Leviticus 16, the Day of Atonement. Leviticus is often a book that we can find challenging to read. We wonder what relevance the food, hygiene and sacrifice laws have today. Yet, Leviticus 16 sits at the heart of the first five books of the Bible (Pentateuch) and provides an answer to the big problem: how can sinful humanity be in the presence of a holy God.
The Day of Atonement was a yearly event in the Israelite calendar. God had made the tabernacle His dwelling place and, on this day, the high priest would enter the innermost part, the very centre of God’s dwelling. Coming at any other time, and in a way other than how God prescribed would result in death. This reminds us of the seriousness of our sin and how we are cut off and cannot possibly approach God in our sinful state. As the high priest entered God’s presence, he would first offer a sacrifice for himself and then for all the people. To enter God’s presence required sacrifice. But as he made sacrifice for sin, we are reminded that all the people’s sin was forgiven. One goat was laden with all the sins of the people and carried them away never to return.
This ceremony wonderfully points us forward to Jesus. Hebrews describes Jesus as the great high priest without sin. Jesus made sacrifice for sins on the cross and after he did this
“He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence” Hebrews 9:24
As we trust in Jesus, we can be certain that every single one of our sins has been cleansed, even those we are unaware of, and that we will one day be in God’s presence.