The High Priest Cleans House
Only a cleansed and pure High Priest can purify the tabernacle and it's furnishings.
Leviticus 16 is describing the day of Atonement, one of the most sacred days of the year for Israel. On this day the High Priest, temple and its altars are purified for the new year of operation in the worship practices of the nation.
The Temple was bound to get dirty. All year long it would receive sinners and their blood sacrifices. Israelites would come to God for forgiveness and offer an appropriate sacrifice for sins. That meant one thing, the temple, even though a place for sinners to meet with God would become ritually unclean more and more over time during the year. Every sacrifice offered was offered by someone who needed cleansing. They may have left cleansed but they walked in dirty.
All this called for a day of Atonement. All the sins that came into that temple had to be expunged in a symbolic ritual with blood sacrifices and other practices by ONE man - the High Priest of Israel. One of the common misconceptions about the day of Atonement is that it had to do with forgiving the people its sins. But forgiveness is not mentioned once and the main Hebrew word, "kippur" means to "cleanse" or "purify" or "wipe away." Sins were not forgiven of individuals in this moment, God's people had their impurities wiped away from the Temple so that God could dwell with them in their midst and they could still come to Him for grace and forgiveness throughout the year.
The procedure of the High Priest is significant. He first had to cleans himself and offer a sacrifice.
Leviticus 16:6 (ESV) “Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering for himself and shall make atonement for himself and for his house.
Then the priest commenced cleansing the temple with the blood of the offerings. What is important to note is that he cleaned house from the inside out. First he started with the most holy artifact - the Mercy Seat on the top of the Ark where God literally dwelt in a cloud in the Temple.
Leviticus 16:14 (ESV) And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.
He then cleansed the holy place.
Leviticus 16:16 (ESV) Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses.
Next he moved out to the golden altar and the inner court.
Leviticus 16:18 (ESV) Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around.
Leviticus 16 is describing the day of Atonement, one of the most sacred days of the year for Israel. On this day the High Priest, temple and its altars are purified for the new year of operation in the worship practices of the nation.
The Temple was bound to get dirty. All year long it would receive sinners and their blood sacrifices. Israelites would come to God for forgiveness and offer an appropriate sacrifice for sins. That meant one thing, the temple, even though a place for sinners to meet with God would become ritually unclean more and more over time during the year. Every sacrifice offered was offered by someone who needed cleansing. They may have left cleansed but they walked in dirty.
All this called for a day of Atonement. All the sins that came into that temple had to be expunged in a symbolic ritual with blood sacrifices and other practices by ONE man - the High Priest of Israel. One of the common misconceptions about the day of Atonement is that it had to do with forgiving the people its sins. But forgiveness is not mentioned once and the main Hebrew word, "kippur" means to "cleanse" or "purify" or "wipe away." Sins were not forgiven of individuals in this moment, God's people had their impurities wiped away from the Temple so that God could dwell with them in their midst and they could still come to Him for grace and forgiveness throughout the year.
The procedure of the High Priest is significant. He first had to cleans himself and offer a sacrifice.
Leviticus 16:6 (ESV) “Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering for himself and shall make atonement for himself and for his house.
The next step was casting lots between two goats he brought with him. One to bear the sins of the people, and one for the Lord.
Leviticus 16:9–10 (ESV) And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the LORD and use it as a sin offering, 10 but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.
Leviticus 16:14 (ESV) And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.
He then cleansed the holy place.
Leviticus 16:16 (ESV) Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses.
Next he moved out to the golden altar and the inner court.
Leviticus 16:18 (ESV) Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around.
Finally he would pronounce all the sins of the nation over the live goat while placing both hands on its head and then send the goat away into the wilderness.
This was to be a perpetual practice for Israel.
Leviticus 16:29–31 (ESV) “And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you. 30 For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the LORD from all your sins. 31 It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; it is a statute forever.
How can this find fulfillment? In Christ. We are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Our High Priest has gone to work on us to cleans us from the inside out. Not only that, but He is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He is purifying a people for Himself right now, forever! Only He who is without sin can completely cleanse those who are sinners. In Christ we have a better and final High Priest who sees to it that sin does not linger in our hearts.
Hebrews 7:23–25 (ESV) The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
1 Peter 1:22 (NLT) You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.
Comments
Post a Comment