2.16.25: Weeks 8, Leviticus 16:1-22, The Day of Atonement.
Key Verse for 2025, “Watch your life and doctrine closely.” 1 Timothy 4:16
Intro: In week eight, we will read Leviticus and move into Numbers. As we work through Leviticus, it’s important to remember what we’ve covered so far. Genesis presents God as the creator and covenant God, Exodus describes Him as Redeemer, and Leviticus depicts Him as the Holy One. God provided the ultimate means by which He will forgive sins—substitutionary sacrifice. The Day of Atonement is a purification ritual to provide atonement for the sins of the people and to cleanse the tabernacle itself from the uncleanness of the people’s sin. Leviticus points to the sacrificial death of Jesus, who serves as both our sacrifice and great high priest, providing atonement for us.
Discussion Chapter 16:1-22
Read versus 1-22 out loud together. Don’t rush through this passage; read it slowly so you have time to comprehend what is happening. A lot is happening, and we don’t want to miss it so that we can discuss it in more detail.
Q1: The Day of Atonement is a Jewish festival, called Yom Kippur, a day to cover sin.
What does the word atonement mean? What does the day of atonement celebrate?
Note: the atonement is the reconciliation of God and mankind. God’s acts of dealing with send to bring forgiveness. Sin broke the relationship between God and human beings, but Christ’s death brings restoration.
Q2: The Day of Atonement is a purification ritual that provides atonement for the people’s sins and purifies the tabernacle itself from the uncleanness of their sin. Take a minute and talk about what the tabernacle is and why it’s important, what holiness is, and what sin is. All of these are important to understanding Leviticus. With this in mind, how can a holy God dwell among sinful people?
Note: The holiness of God is his majestic perfection. It is essential to his nature. God’s holiness is his majestic glory, but it’s also his moral perfection. Because God is holy, he is fully devoted to his own glory and goodness.
Q3: How does this passage (vv.1-22) answer how sinful people may dwell in God’s holy presence?
Note: God’s holiness demands we approach God on his terms (vv. 1-14) 2. God requires a substitutionary sacrifice that cleanses us from sin and removes our guilt (vv. 15-22) 3. Jesus is our Great High Priest who provides atonement for us.
Q4: How will God forgive iniquity, transgression, and sin? How does this foreshadow Jesus?
Note: Through this substitutionary sacrifice in which the goat carries all the people’s iniquities, transgressions, and sin.
Q5: What does this passage teach us about the nature of God and the nature of humanity?
Note: Remember that God’s holiness is never to be taken lightly or flippantly. The steps presented were to help remind others of who they were coming before. In short, it teaches us that God is holy and human beings, as a result of the Fall, are sinful by nature. Twice in this passage, in vs 2 and vs 13, we see the phrase “so that he may not die/so that he does not die.” We know from vs 6, that even the High Priest is sinful. Before he offers sacrifices of atonement for the people, he must present a sin offering for himself.
Q6: God’s holiness demands we approach God on his terms. How do verses 1-22 illustrate God’s grace by clearly outlining what is needed to approach Him?
Note: This shows that God wants his people to approach Him because He gave the exact steps to do so. He wants to dwell with his people, but their sin separates them from him. He didn’t want people to die by doing wrong, like Aaron’s sons did, and approach Him with a wrong attitude only to be struck down. He didn’t leave them guessing. He told them how it was to be done.
Main Takeaway: Jesus is the true and great high priest without blemish and sin. His sacrifice on the cross is qualitatively better than the sacrifices offered by the Levitical priests.
Hebrews 9:13-14 says, “For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”
Reflective questions for application:
RQ1: How often do you reflect on the nature of God as holy?
RQ2: Do you view God as holy? Or is your view of God domesticated?
Note: Aaron Lewis asked this question in his sermon and by it he means tamed/controlled. “God is there to give me what I want or to help me achieve self-fulfillment.”
RQ3: If God is holy and detests sin, do you detest sin in your life? Or do you think it’s not really a big deal?
RQ4: How are you trying to atone for your sins?
Application: After reflecting on this passage and the sermon, is there anything that needs to change in your life? How can we help?