(Leviticus 16:1) And the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the LORD, and died;
In the last post, the Lord had been instructing both Moses and Aaron on the cleanliness rules for men and women with a discharge. He now spoke to Moses regarding what his actions should be after the death of his sons, when they had offered the strange unauthorized fire before the Lord. This chapter may seem out of place, like it should have been placed immediately after the incident regarding the sons of Aaron. However, Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, wrote that if this chapter was indeed transposed, it was a very ancient change as all translation versions of the Bible placed this chapter just where it now stands. Perhaps a more likely reason for the admonition here was to emphasize that that particular incident was an act of uncleanness that had to be handled in a particular way to prevent the people entering into the tabernacle unclean or defiled, whereby they would have incurred the penalty of death. Matthew Henry, in his Commentary on the Whole Bible, wrote that what followed in this chapter was the law concerning the day of atonement, and that the commandments concerning that law were given at a time after the death of Aaron's sons, and that that incident served as a perfect example for why he must now make atonement for "his house". The Lord gave instructions for how Aaron was to make atonement and how he could then approach God without incurring the same punishment as his sons.
(2) And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at all times into the Holy Place within the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat."
Aaron, the high priest (and likewise all successive high priests after him), was not to come just any old time into that most holy place within the veil where the Lord would appear in a cloud above the mercy seat of the Ark of the Testimony, lest he die because of his irreverence and presumption, like that of Aaron's sons. Matthew Henry explained and reflected on this:
"Before the veil some of the priests came every day to burn incense upon the golden altar, but within the veil none must ever come but the high priest only, and he but on one day in the year, and with great ceremony and caution. That place where God manifested his special presence must not be made common. If none must come into the presence-chamber of an earthly king uncalled, no, not the queen herself, upon pain of death (Esther 4:11), was it not requisite that the same sacred respect should be paid to the Kings of kings? But see what a blessed change is made by the gospel of Christ; all good Christians have now boldness to enter into the holiest, through the veil, every day (Hebrews 10:19-20); and we come boldly (not as Aaron must, with fear and trembling) to the throne of grace, or mercy-seat, Hebrews 4:16."
(3) “Thus Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering."
Thus, in this way, as follows in scripture, Aaron was to come first into the Holy Place, and ultimately into the Most Holy Place within the veil as mentioned in verse 2. He was to bring a young bullock for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.
(4) “He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen trousers on his body, and shall be girded with a linen sash, and with the linen turban he shall be attired; these are holy garments. Therefore he shall wash his body in water, and put them on."
The garments the high priest was to put on--the linen coat, trousers, sash, and turban--were holy garments. Therefore the priest was to wash his body in water before putting them on. Note that at this time he did not put on the grander garments--the breastplate, ephod, robe, etc. On this occasion he wore only simple white linen as this was not a day of celebration and rejoicing, but one of mourning and humiliation.
(5) “And he shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering."
The congregation was to supply to the priest two kid goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering.
(6) “And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself and for his house."
Aaron, as high priest, was to offer for himself a bullock as a sin offering to make atonement for himself, for his own personal sins and for his family's sins.
(7) "And he shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation."
Aaron was to take the two kid goats, the sin offering of the people, and present them to the Lord at the door of the tabernacle.
(8) "And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats, one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. (9) And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the LORD’s lot fell, and offer it for a sin offering."
The two goats formed one sin offering, one to be sacrificed to the Lord, and one scapegoat to be set free. This was illustrative of death and resurrection for salvation. Lots were cast to determine which goat would be used for each purpose. Jewish tradition states that there were two lots or pebble-like objects, one with the Lord's name on it, and the other with the name for the scapegoat. According to Adam Clarke, "then they put the two lots into a vessel which was called a kalpey, the goats standing with their faces towards the west. Then the priest came, and the goats stood before him, one on the right hand and the other on the left; the kalpey was then shaken, and the priest put in both his hands and brought out a lot in each: that which was in his right hand he laid on the goat that was on his right, and that in his left hand he laid on the goat that was on his left; and according to what was written on the lots, the scape-goat and the goat for sacrifice were ascertained."
(10) "But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement with it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness."
The goat upon which the scapegoat lot fell was also to be presented to the Lord as was the one to be sacrificed, but this one was presented alive, an equally important part of the sin offering, to make atonement for the sins of the people. It was to be let go into the wilderness.
(11) “And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself."
Then Aaron was to bring his own bullock sacrifice and kill it as a sin offering to make atonement for himself and for his family.
(12) "And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it inside the veil."
Aaron was to take a censer or fire pan of burning coals from the altar of burnt offering, and his hands full of sweet incense finely beaten, and bring both inside the veil into the Most Holy Place.
(13) “And he shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the Testimony, that he not die."
He was to put the incense on the fire that was in the burning coals in the censer which created smoke or a "cloud of incense" that would cover the mercy seat on the Ark of the Testimony. This was done just as directed so that he not die. Matthew Henry described it this way: The high priest "set the coals down upon the floor, and scattered the incense upon them, so that the room was immediately filled with smoke. The Jews say that he was to go in side-ways, that he might not look directly upon the ark where the divine glory was, till it was covered with smoke; then he must come out backwards, out of reverence to the divine majesty; and, after a short prayer, he was to hasten out of the sanctuary, to show himself to the people, that they might not suspect that he had misbehaved himself and died before the Lord."
(14) "And he shall take some of the blood of the bullock and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times."
After creating the cloud of incense, the high priest came out of the Most Holy Place to fetch some of the blood of the young bull that had been collected in a basin and held by another priest, according to what I have read on the subject. He was to first sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat eastward, which would be the eastern side of it. Since the head of the sanctuary where the Ark within the Holiest of Holies was, stood westward, then eastward or the eastern side would be toward the entrance of the tabernacle and toward the people. It seems to me that sprinkling on the east side of the ark and sprinkling in front of it would all take place on the same side of it. However, whether or not blood was actually sprinkled on the Ark itself is what seems to be in question. Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Entire Bible, pointed to the Mishnah, apparently the first written record of the Oral Law, which stated that the high priest sprinkled one time above the mercy seat and seven times below or in front of it. Dr. Gill and Matthew Henry both pointed to Jewish history and tradition which stated that no drops of blood actually fell on the mercy seat itself, but rather fell to the ground in front of it. It seemed to be more about the upward and downward motions of the sprinkling rather than about different areas that were sprinkled.
(15) “Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat."
After sprinkling the blood of the young bull which was for himself (v. 11), the priest was then to go out from the Most Holy Place, outside the veil, into the courtyard, and was to kill the goat of the sin offering for the people. He was to do with the goat's blood as he had done with the bull's blood, and sprinkle it above and in front of the mercy seat.
(16) "And he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins; and so he shall do for the tabernacle of the congregation that remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness."
Thus the high priest would make atonement for the Holy Place because of the uncleanness of the sinful children of Israel. The sins of the people would have normally rendered even the Most Holy Place to be an unfit habitation for their most holy Lord, but by the sprinkling of the blood described above, atonement was made. It was made for the Most Holy Place and also for the part of the tabernacle, the courtyard, where the people in their uncleanness were admitted. The tabernacle was allowed by God to remain among them even in their uncleanness because of the atonement made.
(17) "And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goes in to make atonement in the Holy Place, until he comes out, and has made an atonement for himself, for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel."
There was to be no one, not even other priests, inside the tabernacle when the high priest went in to make atonement for himself, his family, and for all the congregation. Not until the high priest came out having made atonement for them all, could anyone else enter.
(18) “And 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 bullock and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around."
After sprinkling blood from the bull and from the goat in the Most Holy Place, the high priest then went to the golden altar of incense outside the veil, but said to be "before the Lord". He was also to make atonement for it, taking blood from the young bull and from the goat and putting it on the horns of the altar all around. Dr. John Gill wrote that according to the Mishnah, the blood of the two animals was mixed together and the priest went around the horns of the altar putting blood on them once, and not two separate times as was sprinkled in the Most Holy Place.
(19) "And he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel."
After putting blood on the horns of the altar, the priest was then to sprinkle the altar seven times, seven being that number of perfection, to cleanse it and sanctify it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
(20) “And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat."
When the priest had finished the atonement for the Most Holy Place, the altar, and the tabernacle of the congregation as a whole, he was to bring forth the live goat, the scapegoat, from verse 10.
(21) "And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a fit man. (22) And the goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness."
Aaron, as high priest, was to lay both his hands on the head of the live goat and confess the sins of Israel. Dr. John Gill pointed out that three words were used to describe what was being confessed--iniquities, transgressions, and sins; this included all sins, "greater or lesser, sins of ignorance and presumption, known or not known". With both hands on the goat, he transferred all those sins he confessed onto the head of the goat, with all the punishment that the people deserved now put upon the animal. The goat was then sent away into the wilderness by a "fit man", which meant one fit for this purpose, possibly one well acquainted with the wilderness who could take the goat far into the wilderness into an uninhabited or literally separated land signifying the removal of their sins far away from the people and out of God's sight.
(23) "And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the Holy Place, and shall leave them there."
After laying his hands on the goat and having it led into the wilderness, Aaron, the high priest, was to come back into the tabernacle and take off the linen garments he had put on when he went into the Most Holy Place (verse 4). Those garments were to be left in the tabernacle, probably in some particular chamber within it, never to be worn again say Jewish writers, according to Matthew Henry; they were to make new linen garments every year for the annual day of atonement.
(24) “And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, put on his garments, come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people."
The high priest was then to wash himself in the "holy place", which would seem to be actually at the laver in the court right outside the Holy Place, unless another wash basin was brought inside the so-called "holy place". It is very likely that it was "a" holy place, rather than "the" holy place, but it is really not explicitly clear where he washed himself.
I sometimes find it helpful in my study to see a diagram of the tabernacle. There are many fine diagrams to be found on the internet; this one is free to use from Wikimedia Commons:
After washing, he was to put on his rich priestly garments as described in Leviticus 8:7-9 and elsewhere. He was then to "come out" which would seem to indicate he had been inside the Holy Place and not at the laver in the courtyard. He was to come out and offer both his own and the people's burnt-offerings (the rams from verses 3 and 5 above), and thus make atonement for himself and for the people.
(25) "And the fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar."
The fat of Aaron's sin offering (the bullock from verse 3 and verse 6 above) was to be burned at the same time as the burnt offerings.
(26) “And he who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he may come into the camp."
The "fit" man who had released the goat into the wilderness (v. 21) was to wash himself and his clothes before he could come back into the camp.
(27) "And the bullock for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, their flesh, and their dung."
The body of Aaron's young bull for his sin offering, the fat of which had just been burned on the altar, and the body of the goat of the people's sin offering (v. 15), both having had their blood sprinkled within the veil to make atonement, were to be carried outside the camp, and their skins, flesh, and dung were to be burned in the fire.
(28) "And he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp."
The person or persons who burned the parts of the animals outside the camp were to wash their clothes and bathe their bodies before they were allowed to come back into the camp.
(29) "And 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."
This, that is, what had been before described and the summary of which followed, was to be a statute forever, or at least until the end of the Aaronic priesthood, when the Messiah came and put an end to all the rites, ceremonies, and sacrifices. The seventh month, the month of Tisri, the seventh month from Nisan, which was appointed to be the first month, would have been part of our September and October. I have read that "afflict your souls" was an old term for fasting, but it was probably more than that with the original word meaning humbled or humiliated, brought low. They were to do no work at all on this tenth day of the seventh month, this day of atonement, not the natives of their country, nor the stranger or foreigner who dwelt among them. Compare this command in the seventh month, or sabbatical month, as it has been called, to God's command for the sabbath day:
"But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates." - Exodus 20:10
(30) “For on that day atonement shall be made for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD."
On that day of atonement, atonement would be made for the people, to cleanse them from their sins, so that they could stand pure and clean before the Lord.
(31) "It shall be a sabbath of rest to you, and you shall afflict your souls, by a statute forever."
That day of atonement was to be a sabbath rest to the people and they were to cease their work, other than the work of the Lord as described above. Dr. John Gill pointed out that this was symbolic of the "cessation from the performance of sinful works, at least from a sinful course of life, and from a dependence on works of righteousness, when a man is brought to believe in Christ, and in the atonement which he has made." In this day of sabbath rest, they were to afflict their souls, which Matthew Henry detailed this way: "They must refrain from all bodily refreshments and delights, in token of inward humiliation and contrition of soul for their sins. They all fasted on this day from food (except the sick and children), and laid aside their ornaments, and did not anoint themselves..." Once again, this was to be a stature forever, or as long as the ceremonial law lasted, until the coming of the Messiah. Actually, it IS forever, when you consider that Christ fulfilled all these things for us--"For we who have believed do enter that rest..." (Hebrews 4:3).
(32) “And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's place, shall make atonement, and put on the linen clothes, the holy garments; (33) And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation."
The priest who is anointed and consecrated to be high priest in his father's place shall then be the one to make atonement, and put on the linen clothes and holy garments. "He" in the beginning of verse 32 probably refers to Aaron, the high priest, anointing his successor. In the same manner that Aaron as high priest made atonement for the holy place and the tabernacle (v. 16 above), for the altar (v. 18), for the priests, that is, for himself and his family and his sons the priests (v. 6), and for all the people of the congregation (v. 17), so was his successor to do.
(34) "And this shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year.” And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.
Dr. John Gill pointed out that this was the third time (see verses 29 and 31) that this was stated must be a statute forever, indicating just how important this day of atonement was and that it was to continue in perpetuity. He, Aaron as the first high priest, did exactly as the Lord had commanded to Moses be done.
Some of the old commentaries are always quick to add that whatever was being spoken of as being a statute forever was just meant to be a statute until the Messiah came. Although that certainly could be said to be the case with regard to the actual ceremonial rites and laws, once again I am struck by the fact that this IS an everlasting statute in that we must receive perpetual atonement by the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ. While He died once for all and once was sufficient, are we not continually sinning and continually repenting and looking to Christ and His atonement? I wonder how many times in my past study have I accepted the commentator's point that the particular statute I was studying was a statute forever until the end of the Aaronic priesthood, or until Christ came. While the rituals may have ended, it's not that the statute ended, it was fulfilled in Christ! As Jesus Himself said:
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For verily I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." - Matthew 5:17-18
As Matthew Henry stated, the annual day of atonement or "the annual repetition of the sacrifices showed that there was in them only a faint and feeble effort towards making atonement; it could be done effectually only by the offering up of the body of Christ once for all, and that once was sufficient; that sacrifice needed not to be repeated." The apostle said it this way in Hebrews:
"For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: 'Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, "Behold, I have come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me) to do Your will, O God."'...By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." - Hebrews 10:1-7 and 10)
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