Leviticus 16:1-22
Q.1. How were Aaron and the future High Priests to prepare to enter the presence of God? What warnings were given? – (Lev.16:1-14)
The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron. He underscored the need for the High Priest to obey every detail of His instructions, lest he die (Lev.16:1-2 c.f. Lev.10:1-3). God warned Aaron – not to enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil before the mercy seat which is on the ark or he will die: For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat (Lev.16:2 c.f. Heb.9:7-12) [The Mercy Seat was the ‘propitiatory’ or place where God’s wrath was turned into acceptance through the blood sacrifice of a perfect lamb]. Before Aaron (or the High Priest) could make atonement for others, he firstly had to make a costly offering of a – … bull for the sin offering for himself, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household (Lev.16:6 & 11). He also had to – take a firepan full of coals of fire from upon the altar before the Lord and two handfuls of finely ground sweet incense, and bring it inside the veil where God chose to dwell among His people– Why? …that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony, otherwise he will die! (Lev.16:12-13 c.f. Rev.8:3-4). Any other fire would be ‘strange fire’ (Leviticus 10:1). The reason for the fire and incense was that they would provide a cloud cover, so the Glory of the Lord was hidden from human eyes.
Q.2. What were the two goats chosen to represent? What did the rams signify on the Day of Atonement? – (Lev.16:5-10, 15-22)
Aaron was to select two goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering – 8 Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9 Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the Lord fell and make it a sin offering. 10 But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat (Lev.16:8-10 c.f. Lev.16:5). Aaron would take one goat – 15 “Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat (Lev.16:15). In this way God would take responsibility for the sins of His people. The scapegoat was an ESCAPE-GOAT, symbolizing freedom from sin – 20 “When he finishes atoning for the holy place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat. 21 Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness. 22 The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness (Lev.16:20-22). One goat paid for the sins of the people with his lifeblood … the other represented the escape from the consequences of sin. God has always had a heart that longs to reconcile sinners to Himself. This ritual foreshadowed a more perfect sacrifice for sin, which was in the Person of Jesus Christ, Who provided and offers a basis for complete forgiveness, to all sinners, for all time (c.f. Heb.9:11-14; 10-14).