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welcome to everyone for our call to worship this evening I'll read from Psalm 24 Psalm 24 beginning in verse 1 a psalm of David the earth is the Lord's and all its fullness the world and those who dwell therein for he has founded it upon the Seas and established it upon the waters who may ascend into the hill of the Lord or who may stand in his holy place he who has clean hands and a pure heart who has not lifted up his soul to an idol nor sworn deceitfully he shall receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the god of his salvation this is jacob the generation of those who seek Him who seek your face say law lift up your heads o you gates and be lifted up you everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in who is this King of glory the Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in battle lift up your heads o you gates lift up you everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in who is this King of glory the Lord of Hosts he is the king of glory say law well please turn in your Trinity hymnal to him number 89 him number 89 will stand as we sing together you please be seated mr. van shakes actually in the emergency room unless they've moved him to a room I thought he had been admitted but he was in the ER so we'll continue to pray for him also josah' jl's been throwing up today so they're a bit concerned about that so we will remember them in our prayers as well past reporters in seatac he's preaching at the emmanuel baptist church so we'll pray for him also so let us pray but God and Father we gather again on this Sabbath day and the presence of a great and a glorious God the God who has made us the God who has redeemed us the God who has promised to bring us into that New Jerusalem how we bless you and how we thank you for so great a salvation that you have given to us we know it's not because of our works or our righteousness but it's solely and alone because you are a gracious God we thank you for election and predestination and for the sovereignty that you have so clearly displayed and the choice of us it's not because of anything good in US but because of your will your your good pleasure in this whole process we thank you for the life and the ministry and the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ we thank you for so great a savior one who lived in obedience to the law completely one who died as a substitute and a sacrifice and one who rose again on the third day and certainly we look forward to that day when he comes again in glory to judge the living and the dead we praise you for the ministry and the work of the Holy Spirit we thank you that when you began that work in us you drew us irresistible to the Savior you gave us a new heart and you gave us new life and you gave us the graces of faith and repentance so certainly with the prophets with the Apostles with the entirety of Scripture we declare that salvation is of the Lord and we thank you God in heaven for these times that we gather together not only in corporate worship but as well at the Lord's table we thank you for this means that you have given for the good of our souls and we pray that tonight we would these things in faith that you would increase our faith that you would increase our our realization of just what a glorious gospel we have as we eat as we drink as we do these things may it be in the remembrance of him who died for us and who rose again we pray for those in our midst that have need we do pray for mr. van schaik that whatever is troubling him they would be able to determine they would be able to figure it out and help him we also pray for Jael that she would watch over her as they hit a hit a bump in the road today we just pray that there would be peace and comfort and the hearts of Joe and Carolyn and we pray that this little one would bear up under these things and that you would bless preserve and strengthen her also be with Pastor Porter we thank you for our brother and we thank you for the ministry at seatac we do pray that you would grant him the power of the Holy Spirit is he proclaims your word tonight as well God we pray that you would grant him travelling mercies as he returns and Lord blessed that flock and strengthened that church and provide for them a man that would be able to minister the word of truth on a regular basis to them we pray our God and Father that you would just be pleased to bless this local body and strengthen us and help us God to grow in the Grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ give us opportunities to declare the gospel of free and sovereign grace to those with whom we come into contact and God help us to shine as lights in this crooked and perverse generation and may we testify concerning the goodness and the graciousness of our God even Father Son and Holy Spirit we ask that you would be with other churches in this city we thank you that we're not alone in this community and we pray for those churches that do proclaim the truth of the gospel we pray that you'd uphold them and encourage them and use them Lord God to proclaim the gospel for the salvation of sinners in the glory of God Almighty do forgive us now for our sins and our transgressions wash us in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ sanctify us by your Holy Spirit and encourage our hearts as we worship you in spirit and in truth and we pray these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well please turn with me again in your Trinity hymnals to number 416 will sing this hymn to a familiar tune number for 16 will stand as we sing together you huh please turn in your Bibles to Leviticus chapter 16 Leviticus chapter 16 the record of the Day of Atonement in Israel's religious cycle we have looked at this passage before and drawn out several lessons i hope to draw out those same several lessons this evening but prior to that I want to set the stage and put this section in its particular context and the Pentateuch and specifically with the book of Exodus but beginning in Leviticus chapter 16 at verse 1 now the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron when they offered profane fire before the Lord and died and the Lord said to Moses tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the holy place inside the veil before the mercy seat which is on the ark lest he died for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat thus Aaron shall come into the holy place with the blood of a young bull as a sin offering and of a ram as a burnt offering he shall put the holy linen tunic and the linen trousers on his body he shall be girded with the linen sash and with the linen turban he shall be attired these are the holy are these are holy garments therefore he shall wash his body in water and put them on and he shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats as a sin offering and one ram as a burnt offering Aaron shall offer the bull is a sin offering which is for himself and make atonement for himself and for his house he shall take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat and Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord's lot fell and offer it as a sin offering but the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement upon it and to let it go as the skate go into the wilderness and Aaron shall bring the bowl of the sin offering which is for himself and make atonement for himself and for his house and shall kill the bull is a sin offering which is for himself then he shall take a sensor full of burning coals of fire from the altar before the Lord with his hands full of sweet incense beaten fine and bring it inside the veil and he shall put the incense on the fire before the Lord the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the testimony lest he die he shall take some of the blood of the bowl and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven seven times 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 bull and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat so he shall make atonement for the holy place because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel and because of their transgressions for all their sins and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness there shall be no man in the tabernacle of meeting when he goes in to make atonement in the holy place until he comes out that he may make atonement for himself for his household and for all the Assembly of Israel 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 bull and some of the blood of the goat and put it on the horns of the altar all around then he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times cleanse it and consecrated from the uncleanness of the children of Israel and when he has made an end of atoning for the holy place the tabernacle of meeting and the altar he shall bring the live goat aaron shall slay both his hands on the head of the live goat confess over at all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions concerning all their sins putting them on the head of the goat and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man the goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land and he shall release the goat in the wilderness then aaron shall come into the tabernacle of meeting shall take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the holy place and shall leave them there and he shall wash his body with water in a 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 fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar and he who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water and afterward he may come into the camp the bull 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 they're awful then he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water and afterward he may come into the camp this shall be a statute forever for you in the seventh month on the tenth day of the month he shall afflict your souls and do no work at all whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you for on that day the priest shall make atonement for you to cleanse you you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord it is a Sabbath of solemn rest for you and you shall afflict your souls it is a statute forever in the priest who is anointed and consecrated to minister as priest in his father's place shall make atonement and put on the linen clothes the holy garments then he shall make atonement for the holy sanctuary and he shall make atonement for the tabernacle of meeting and for the altar and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly there 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 command Moses a man will let us pray our Father in Heaven we thank you for this instruction that we receive and reading Scripture we pray now that the Holy Spirit would guide us as we look a little further into the meetings here into the context and may it indeed ultimately point us to that blessed son of God that lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world we know father that this this system this sacrificial system existed as a type and as a shadow and as a pointer to Israel concerning the Messiah to come and how we thank you that he has come and how we thank you that through his sacrifice we have atonement how we thank you that through his sacrifice we have the removal of guilt and all the things that we see in a passage like this we give praise and glory and adoration to you for so great a savior in our Lord Jesus Christ so fill us with the spirit forgive us of all of our sins and help us to receive with Thanksgiving your Holy Word and we pray through Christ our Lord amen well as I said I want to try and set this in its particular contact specifically relative to the book of Exodus so with reference to context I want to consider the broader and then the specific and then as I said we'll move on to a few particular lessons that I think that this day of atonement instructs us concerning in the first place concerning the time frame the events of the Book of Leviticus take place in one month we know that from Exodus 40 at verse 17 and then at numbers 11 so the children of Israel were already at Sinai where they had received the law from god and then god gives them this legislation or this instruction concerning the sacrificial system one man comments concerning the amount of time that Israel spends at Sinai he says Israel stays at Sinai for 11 months in real time and fifty seven chapters in narrative time this is important given the fact that sixty eight chapters precede Sinai and fifty nine chapters follow it Sinai is control to the Torah and one book that has recently been written by a man named el Michael Morales it's a biblical theology of the Book of Leviticus he shows how Leviticus is not only the literary but the structural center of the Pentateuch he argues as well that chapter 16 is central to the entirety of the Pentateuch I highly commend the book it's called who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord a biblical theology of the Book of Leviticus but if you go back to the book of Exodus just for a moment again as we set it in context or this day of atonement in context Exodus records for us God's deliverance of Israel out of bondage in Egypt God then demands from the people he gives them law for chapters 19 to 24 in the book of Exodus and then the largest section in Exodus extends from Exodus 25 to 40 and the emphasis there is unde Welling God will dwell in the midst of his people note specifically Exodus chapter 25 and verse 8 Exodus 25 and verse 8 and let them make me a sanctuary again the progression thus far in Exodus 12 19 we have the narration concerning the exodus itself deliverance from bondage in Egypt chapters 19 to 24 God commands the people he gives them the Ten Commandments and then he gives them the case laws that is to be a concrete application of that decalogue and now in 25 to 40 he highlights the intention his dwelling among his people Israel so 25-8 and let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them ever since Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden of eden man had lost that blessed privilege of God dwelling among them Eden was a temple Eden was a place where God dwelt with his people Adams function was not primarily as a farmer Adam was a priest in he was tasked with extending that identic temple throughout the entirety of the earth but when he sends God casts him out and so now God is purposing away to dwell in the presence of his people Israel that's what we see there in Exodus 25 verse a notices well Exodus 20 9 and verse 45 I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God if you were to do a study of the biblical covenants this is the recurring theme this is the refrain this is what God does in covenant as he promises to be our people and we will be or he promises to be our God and we will be his people and then to some extent or to some degree this goal is realized at the end of the book of Exodus you can turn to Exodus chapter 40 notes specifically in verse 34 then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting they had constructed the tabernacle according to the law received by Moses from God they had put it into practice they had built the temple or the tabernacle rather everything was in place everything was in order and then in verse 34 it says then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the temple or tabernacle it's a beautiful picture isn't it God has said built me a sanctuary and I will dwell with that but now note the particular problem still facing the people verse 35 and Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting because the cloud rested above it and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle so you see God now dwells in the midst of Israel but because of sin and because of his holiness Israel cannot meet with God so we have the dwelling place of God in place but it's not become a meeting place yet imagine if we knew that God was going to be in this building that he was dwelling amongst or in this building but we were not able to access the building we were not able to come into the building it would be a dwelling place it was not a meeting place until such time as God can bring us close so that we can enjoy his presence so there's a tension created at the very book at the end of Exodus and thus comes the Book of Leviticus it provides the way of access so that man can meet with God in the dwelling place one man has says the book of Exodus closes with a tension that is not resolved after the completion of Israel sanctuary Moses is not allowed inside the tent specifically because the latter the tent is filled with the Divine Presence the glory of Yahweh in other words although he is present among his people is promised in 25 8 and 2945 Yahweh cannot be approached even by Moses and the gap between God and man remains insuperable after Exodus 40 Leviticus 12 tan recounts the gradual abolishment of this gap so you see as you're reading through Exodus and Leviticus hopefully you stumble upon that problem at the end of chapter 40 and you say well how can this be well Leviticus deals with the particular issue in view now the solution is proposed by God in Leviticus 129 Israel was taught to sacrifice Israel was taught to shed blood Israel was taught to bring an animal the best from their flock to the tabernacle to push their hand upon its head to cut its throat to turn it over to the priests so that he could burn it on the altar and offer it up onto the living and true God Israel is taught in Leviticus 129 that the way of approach to God is through sacrifice it is through the shedding of blood Morales says Israel sins must be dealt with expiated that means removed he says only a cleansed humanity may belong to Yahweh he says the way to God then is through a bloody knife and a burning altar and that is precisely the movement in Leviticus chapters 129 so turn now to Leviticus chapter 9 we see the resolution of this particular problem God dwells among the people but here too for the people have not met with God they implement the sacrifices according to the commandment of God and then enact Leviticus 9 at verse 22 we read then Aaron lifted his hand toward the people bless them and came down from offering the sin offering the burnt offering and peace offerings and Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting and came out and blessed the people then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar when all the people saw it they shouted and fell on their faces we moved from dwelling place to meeting place through that bloody knife and through that burning altar that is what Leviticus 129 addresses we move into Leviticus chapter 10 and you will see how this all jives with Leviticus 16 in just a moment but in Leviticus chapter 10 note what happens verse 1 then nay dab and by who the sons of Aaron each took his sensor and put fire in it put incense on it and offered profane fire before the Lord which he had not commanded them so fire went out from the Lord and devoured them and they died before the Lord and Moses said to Aaron this is what the Lord spoke saying by those who come near me I must be regarded as Holy and before all the people I must be glorified this is another problem this is another tension Exodus ends God is dwelling but no one can enter in Leviticus 129 gives the sacrificial system by which through bloody knife and burning altar Israel may approach her God and then they'd a band a by who offer this strange fire before the Lord and God kills them and God consumes that Leviticus 11 to 15 deals with cleanliness laws it deals with the law concerning cleanness and uncleanness and the point is simply this to be clean is to be fit for the presence of God and that brings us to Leviticus 16 in the specific context notice verse 1 now the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron see it's closely connected to Leviticus 10 need a bana by who offer up strange fire to the Lord and the Lord consumes them he doesn't consume their at their sacrifice he doesn't consume their offering it's probably the same day the legislation concerning cleanliness and uncleanliness and 11 to 15 doesn't take a long time so when he reminds them of this the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron when they offered profane fire before the Lord and died so the reminder of the problem was not difficult because it was the same day the reminder concerns the death of nade a bana by who and persons have speculated as to why God killed Nate Avenue by who go back to Leviticus 10 for just a moment two reasons given in this particular chapter verse one they offered profane fire they offered strange fire God had commanded what kind of fire they were to present they were to offer they present profane fire so the Lord God kills them others have connected it with verse 9 notice it says do not drink wine or intoxicating drink you know your son's with you when you go into the tabernacle of meeting lest you die some have suggested that nade a band a by who took a little nip before they went in and God killed them as a result of that but I think the answer is in Leviticus 16 note what God says verse 1 now the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron when they offered profane fire before the Lord and died and the Lord said to Moses tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the holy place inside the veil probably what they did is they went inside the veil probably what they did is they went into the holy of holies or what is called here the holy place the profane fire probably it was not authorized to even bring it in to that Holy of Holies the whole idea of intoxicating drink I don't know how much that bears upon it but the problem probably is is that they sought to go into the holy place that was forbidden to them and the Lord God killed them as a result of that so hence Leviticus 16 Leviticus 16 explains the procedure to go into the holy place Leviticus 16 explains the way of atonement on the Day of Atonement in the holy place by the high priest himself and also we need to understand that this was to be repeated Morales says inserting those laws the cleanliness laws between 11 and 15 before the day of atonement legislation demonstrates that this ceremony is not a specific and merely occasional response to a particular incident but rather that this purification ceremony will be the regular resolution to Israel's uncleanness and defilement of the tabernacle so let's just summarize God is holy and man is not and for man to stand or dwell in the presence of this holy God in this Old Covenant arrangement it was through bloody knife and burning altar it was through the day of atonement that was prescribed for a once a year event in the seventh month on the tenth day and only the high priest was to enter he was to go behind the veil and he was not to go behind the veil without blood he was not to go behind the veil without that which God had demanded and when we consider this and when we survey this and when we see this we will understand why in Psalm 24 the people of God would ask who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord who can stand in his holy presence this was most likely gate liturgy and it formed or it it informed or instructed Israel in the need for this sacrificial system so that they sinful men and women could approach a holy and a righteous God so as we come to some specific lessons concerning Leviticus 16 the first thing I want to present is the holiness of God you see I think we speak of it we sing of it we consider it but do we really contemplate God's holiness consider the church today consider the fact that we oftentimes rush into the presence of God we enter into the presence of God with little to no concern whatsoever of his holiness of his majesty of his greatness of his awesomeness now it's easy for us to pick on our minions or it's easy for us to pick on charismatic it's easy for us to pick on all those people out there but how are we doing when it comes to entering in to the presence of a thrice holy God is it something that we take for granted is it something that we do not ponder is it something that we do not consider I mean if we realize that we are in the presence of the God of heaven and earth it is absolutely and utterly and completely holy then hopefully we won't fall asleep hopefully our minds won't wonder hopefully we won't be thinking more about lunch or about dinner or about a date or about a business proposition but the holiness of God will strike fear in our hearts the reality as he exhibits or as he expresses rather to Moses in Leviticus chapter 9 may this frame our hearts each and every Sabbath day each and every Lord's Day may we hear these words rate by those who come near me I must be regarded as Holy and before all the people I must be glorified that's why we come to church we don't come to church first and foremost to get our batteries recharged we come to church to glorify God we come to church to praise God we come to church to exalt god it's the lord's day it's the Lord Sabbath it's what he has given to man for our good God knows our chief good is to worship Him it is to praise Him it is to honor him in the language of the fur the first question of the shorter catechism what is the chief end of man man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever brethren this holiness of God as we see it displayed in the Book of Leviticus don't just say oh this is some antiquated system for a barbaric nomadic people that has no bearing on us today oh it absolutely does read the book of Hebrews I really don't know how someone can understand the book of Hebrews without understanding the Book of Leviticus I really don't get how somebody could appreciate the book of Hebrews without understanding what's happening in the Book of Leviticus but the holiness of God is underscored he dwells amongst us real Moses who is the mediator himself can't even go into the presence of God that's a problem brethren when your mediator can't go into mediation because of the holiness of one of the parties and so Leviticus resolves the tension God demands God commands God says bring blood burn it on the altar and then you may approach me and then they'd AB and AB I who offer profane fire going in behind the veil most likely and God kills them as a reminder by those who come near me I must be regarded as Holy and before all the people I must be glorified I think we ought to appreciate the great contrast between chapters 9 and 10 at the end of chapter 9 what happens God sends fire down and consumes their offering and the people shout it's probably a shout to praise and joy and exultation or exaltation and then in chapter 10 no longer or no sooner do we get in an eighth Avenue by who God sends fire down again but it's not to consume the offering it's to consume the offeror's who in their arrogance and who in their forgetfulness and who in their sinfulness and uncleanness went behind the veil and did what God had never they breached his holiness and God sent fire down to consume them to kill them and to bring them out ultimately brethren the holiness of God is something that we appreciate the holiness of God is something we love to read about and to preach about but may the holiness of God frame our hearts are right for the worship of God when we come here it's not to do with men and women it is to do with the living and the true God in the second place I think this day of atonement instructs us concerning the pervasive power of sin the pervasive power of sin note in Leviticus 16 Aaron must first offer in order to have atonement for Aaron Aaron must first be purified before he goes behind the veil notice specifically in Leviticus 36 and 11 the Aaron verse three shall come into the holy place with the blood of a young bull as a sin offering and of a ram as a burnt offering six Aaron shall offer the bull is a sin offering which is for himself and make atonement for himself and for his house verse 11 and Aaron shall bring the bowl of the sin offering which is for himself and make atonement for himself and for his house and shall kill the bull is the sin offering which is for himself Aaron the high priest and the mediator of this particular covenantal situation needs atonement for his sin sins per se a pervasive power is seen in that the holiest man in israel needs to come to God via bloody knife and burning altar of course the book of Hebrews makes this contrast Aaron brought sacrifice for his own sins Christ did not offer sacrifice for his own sins Aaron brought the blood of bulls and goats Christ offered his own blood Aaron brought a sacrifice once a year as prescribed in Leviticus 16 30 for Christ's sacrifice was once for all Aaron brought sacrifice in terms of types and shadows and points Christ is the substance and secured eternal redemption for his people we see the pervasive power of sin in the life of Israel as a whole they needed atonement due to their scent this was the whole purpose on the Day of Atonement these two goats one would be caught up and one would be burned and would be offered to the Lord the other was the scapegoat by which the high priest would push his hands onto that goat and he would confess the sins of Israel and would drive that goat out into the wilderness what a blessing and a beautiful tip a picture for them remember this morning we saw a picture of the gospel when that young lady went into the water we see a picture of the gospel as we eat this bread and we drink this cup imagine the Israelite on that day of atonement he didn't see the high priests go into the holy of holies he didn't see the blood sprinkled on the mercy seat but he saw and he heard when that I priest laid his hands on that scapegoat he heard when his sins were confessed along with the other Israelites and he saw visibly the expiation or the removal of said when that goat was sent out into the wilderness that's that goat took the sin of Israel and took it away from the camp of Israel truly was a beautiful thing but it highlighted the need for atonement for Israel due to sin and as well we need to appreciate something that I think bears reference to the work of Christ when we talk about the work of Jesus Christ we talk about particular Redemption we talked about definite atonement we say with Scripture that he didn't die for all men without exception he died for all men without distinction men from every tribe and tongue and people in Asia but he died for the sins of the elect he died for those whom the father gave him he died for those whom God preordained from the foundation of the world to be those for whom Jesus would die that particular atonement or that definite atonement or that particular redemption or some call it limited atonement faiz finds its taproots here when history when Aaron confess the sins of Israel he wasn't confessing the sins of Jeb you sites he wasn't confessing the sins of Hittites he wasn't confessing the sins of Hittites he was not offering the blood of atonement for the pagans around them it was limited atonement limited to the objects by which God had purpose to redeem to forgive to cleanse and to atone for so the pervasive power of sin is seen in the atonement for Aaron the atonement for Israel but as well for the very or the atonement of the very tabernacle itself it's interesting isn't it the cleansing of the tabernacle verse 16 so he shall make atonement for the holy place because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel and because of their transgressions for all their sins and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness the tabernacle the holy place the Holy of Holies all must be atoned for they must all be rendered fit to stand in the presence of God and then in verse 18 it says to us that he make must make atonement for the very altar itself bonar comments in his commentary on Leviticus he says strange that the altar should need to be purified isn't it think about it the altar needs to be purified he asked the questioner says this strange that the altar should need to be purified and yet what spot had more connection with sin he says was not every sin confessed there was not every sin laid down there was not that the spot where wrath was ever falling here is a strange combination sin and the atonement for sin it may have been typical of the fact that the foul lyst sin and the fullest atonement were found at the cross so we see the holiness of God the pervasive power of sin a third lesson is the necessity of blood the necessity of blood it must be through bloody knife and burning altar that sinful man stands before a holy God note specifically in verse 17 there shall be no man in the tabernacle of meeting when he goes in to make atonement in the holy place until he comes out that he may make atonement for himself for his household and for all the Assembly of Israel this speaks to the need of a mediator the high priest mediates on behalf of Israel and as he goes about that mediatorial task he does not go empty-handed he takes blood he takes that spilled by an animal and he presents it to the living and the true God this is to occur each and every year on this one day of the year tishri the tenth specifically as well blood must be offered for aaron blood must be offered for israel there's two kids of the goats one for sacrifice the other was the scapegoat the significance of the blood the significance of the animals themselves speak to the whole idea of substitution there must be death there must be bloodshed it's either you or the goat it's either you or the animal now hopefully you've got your new covenant ears on and you will see why John the Baptist when he lays eyes upon Jesus he says behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world notice that the person standing around and didn't say John what are you talking about they had been taught by this sacrificial system they had been taught by this cult cult here doesn't mean bad like Jehovah's Witness but cult means a religious approach to God they had been tutored by the cult to understand the need for animals to stand in their place such that they could find atonement so that when John lays eyes upon Jesus he says behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world that's what this system stood for that's what this system pointed Israel toward that's what this system was about it was to teach them that without the shedding blood there is no remission Hebrews 9 22 it is altogether clear the death of Christ was not haphazard the death of Christ was not just some convention the death of Christ didn't just occur but it was ordained by god it was prefigured by these goats it was prefigured in this whole sacrificial system it was an elaborate plan for God to instruct Israel concerning sin concerning holiness concerning mediation concerning the mediator himself and it was a means by which the faithful would be encouraged would be strengthened would be helped along so this tishri the tenth this one day out of the year when they went through this particular process the faithful would have been blessed the faithful would have been helped the faithful would have been encouraged much like I hope and pray that the supper is for us we find refreshment here we find encouragement we are called upon to remember what our Lord Jesus did on our behalf this holy God a sinful man this mediator that through his own sacrifice through his own death shed his blood on our behalf thus rendering us fit for communion with our God and then the final lesson I think we ought to appreciate is the blessing of atonement the blessing of it the privilege of it the joy of it the encouragement of it all the sin offering we've already mentioned or referenced the fact the first goat was slain the first goat had its blood shed the first goats blood was sprinkled on that mercy seat the scapegoat notice in verse 20 and when he this is aaron has made an end of atoning for the holy place the tabernacle of meeting and the altar he shall bring the live goat aaron shall slay 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 concerning all their sins those are comprehensive terms aren't they look at what he does he lays his hand he can fases all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions concerning all their sins you say how did he know this because Aaron knew his own heart remember he had to make atonement for himself as well and because he was a priest he shucked and jived with the people of God and he knew their sins and as well Aaron knew the Ten Commandments how do you confess all your iniquities you just run through the commandments I hope you do this from time to time I hope you say Lord God Almighty please forgive me for the idolatry that's in my heart forgive me for the blasphemy and the Sabbath breaking that's in my heart forgive me for the insubordination to my parents or to the governing authorities that's in my heart forgive me for the murder that's in my heart forgive me for the adultery that's in my heart and the theft and the lies and the covetousness you see the law of God provides for us that rule of life that standard that perfect benchmark by which we know that we have transgressed the holy God so when Aaron comes and he lays his hands upon that scapegoat and he's confessing all their sins he's confessing their transgressions and their iniquities the faithful Israelites standing there is hearing this and he's with him and he's confessing and he is finding the mercy of God through Jesus Christ the promised Savior the promised Messiah notice concerning all their sins putting them on the head of the goat and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man the goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land and he shall release the goat in the wilderness again isn't it a beautiful picture you know it's it's probably pride on our parts to say oh this is some barbaric thing this is you know bloody it probably smelled it was you know this thing that these ancient peoples did what a blessed thing for them to see that goat run into the wilderness what a blessed thing to say my sin oh the bliss of this glorious thought my sin not in part but the whole is laid on this goat and I bear it no more praise the Lord praise the Lord it was probably such an encouragement for the people of God not everybody was saved to be sure but there were faithful Israelites bonar again from his commentary says follow the scapegoat and see its doom is there not here a criminal led along there is something that speaks of the Man of Sorrows made sin for us is there not here a criminal led away to unknown whoa there is something that speaks of one made occurs for us why is he left alone defenseless trembling a middle wilderness there is here enough to remind us of Jesus left to suffer without sympathy he looked on his right hand and there was none refuge failed him no man cared for his soul the scapegoat solitary cry is rhia code by the barren rocks and the howling of beasts of prey terrifies it on all sides the gloom of night settles down upon it and shrouds it in deeper terror the Day of Atonement brethren brought cleansing from sin and expiation or the removal of sin thus the scapegoat in a book called pierced for our transgressions they say thus the scapegoat is depicted in Leviticus 16 as bearing the sin guilt and punishment of the people and being condemned to death in their place so before you read this and say I don't need anything to do with the Book of Leviticus this is all about Jesus this is all Christ that's what Hebrews does it takes Leviticus and reads it through the lens of the Messiah King reads it through the lens of the high priest reads it through the lens of the one who is not only priest but he is victim he is not only offer her but he is the offered he is not only the one that stands before God but he is the one slain before God in sacrifice now in Hebrews 10 specifically at verse 3 it tells us in those sacrifice as a reference to the Old Covenant sacrifices that we've argued or types shadows prefigure mints of the sacrifice of Christ but in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year to the point of Hebrews is that the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sent in that system was efficacious that system was blessed that system was real it wasn't a fake it wasn't a farce but it was the virtue or the virtue of it was the the coming Messiah those bulls those goats those heifers those kids whatever they were they pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ and so the author tells us in Hebrews 10 3 in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year it's another place where that word reminder is used it's in first Corinthians 11 specifically verses 24 and 25 do this in remembrance of me so while the faithful Israelites standing there watching that scapegoat run into the wilderness seeing his sins expiated he knew that we were going to go through this again next year so in a sense it was a reminder of sin we need to go through this every year because we keep sinning against God we need to go through this every year because we keep violating a holy God we need to keep bringing animals out of our out of our flots we need to keep cutting their throats and keep giving them to the preso that through bloody knife and through burning altar we can approach always altogether holy there is a reminder of sindh each and every year as they gathered together on this month of tishri but the Apostle tells us that we are to do this in remembrance of Christ the Lord's Supper is repetitious but in this remembrance it's yes of our sins but of the reality of Christ who atoned for those sins Philip you says the gospel transforms the Greek word and anamnesis from a remembrance of guilt to a remembrance of grace and that's what we have in the supper tonight the typical significance of Leviticus 16 points us to the Lord Jesus the bloody knife and the burning altar is accomplished by Christ at Calvary so that sinful guilty vile helpless wretched sinners like us can be brought into the presence of a thrice holy God it's truly an amazing thing that we have in the gospel of our Lord and Savior so brethren in conclusion please remember the holiness of God please ponder that reality pray that God will give you more of a consciousness for it when you come into church on this on the Sabbath day it shouldn't be the case that we're all so somber and serious that there's no joy in our hearts but it ought not to be the case that this looks like a three-ring circus it ought not to be the case that we forget were in the presence of the great gang if we were going to meet even with Justin Trudeau we would put on a suit we would put on our finest guns we would be on time we wouldn't come in at 1103 if we had an audience with the Prime Minister we would make sure we're a little early before we meet with him if we don't respect a man personally we respect his office we're coming into the presence of the king of heaven and earth the presence of the great I am Yahweh of Israel the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ the one in whom we see in Isaiah 6 the angels they have six wings with two they fly with two they cover their feet and with two they cover their eyes you know why Morales says that the priests took the incense into the holy of holies when he went behind the veil you had that burning sensor and he put the incense there it was to shield his eyes from seeing the glory of God it was to shield his eyes from be holding the majesty and the excellence in the purity in the glory of God that incense served a purpose so that the naked eye of man in his sinfulness wouldn't behold the glory of a holy God remember those men of Beth Shemesh in the book of 1st Samuel they want to peer into the Ark of the Covenant what happens God kills each and every one of them what do the men of beth shemish who remain say who can stand before this holy God when Jesus Christ displays his majesty remember in John's Gospel when Christ is in death semin e and Judas that traitorous betraying wretch brings that detachment of troops into that garden where r Christ is praying when they asked Jesus if he is who Judas says he is he says I am will those who have read John's Gospel know that many times jesus uses that phrase I am to reference to Exodus 3 14 when Yahweh reveals himself to to Moses as i am and when Jesus says this do you know what the troops do they fall down on the ground we have no reason to believe whatsoever that those troops were all converted we have no reason to believe whatsoever that they had all been effectually called by the spirit no they're in the presence of the holiness of Jesus Christ and they fall down when our Lord Jesus Christ skills the sea when our Lord Jesus Christ hushes the waves when our Lord Jesus Christ stops the wind from blowing the disciples say what kind of a man is this you see that's what the holiness of God produces it doesn't produce triviality it doesn't pre to a produce jokes tourism it doesn't produce chatty preachers with hands in pocket and latte sipping and then just entertaining the crowd or giving you a little morale boost for your for your unhappy lives no we are in the presence of the thrice holy God our business is the business of eternity and when we meet with this God we need to remember this God and we need to humble ourselves before him we need to listen and take to heart what the book of Hebrews says in Hebrews chapter 12 we are to worship God in an acceptable manner sometime probably in the 20th century man began to think that it's him who determines what an acceptable manner is you see up until that point all the people of God always believed that we do what God says that God defines for us what acceptable worship is in other words we sing the Bible we pray the Bible we read the Bible we preach the Bible when we see the Bible for you know 18 19 centuries that satisfied the people of God well we want to entertain people we want to have three ring circus we want to have jugglers we want to have clowns serve us the Lord's Supper we want to have men rappel into the services we want to have all of these shenanigans why because we have forgotten that our God is a consuming fire that's the argument in Hebrews right out of the book of Deuteronomy our God is a consuming fire therefore or or worship Him in an acceptable manner with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire brethren let that frame their hearts and minds on the Sabbath day he's only he's only he's only now by God's grace we have access we can go behind the veil because our Christ has taken us there but that doesn't minimize the necessity for us to be a holy people to dwell in the presence of a holy God and to maintain that in the present specifically in corporate worship as well we need to consider the pervasive power of sin if we are not Christians if you are not a Christian tonight sin is a powerful influence in your life and heart there is only one way of atonement you can't go to the day of tishri in Old Covenant Israel you can't show up out of tabernacle because it's no longer there you can't bring a go to a bowl out of your flock cut its throat lay your hand on its head and give it over till you can't do that the way of access now is one and one only it is through Christ the Lamb of God it is through faith in him it is through repentance unto life it is through looking and living your problem tonight if you are not a believer is not that you've got you know personal issues or economic issues or any whatever it is those are problems and they're real which problem is God is angry with the wicked every day and the only way of salvation is by grace through faith in Christ and the necessity of blood is seen through the atoning sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ through what he went through on our behalf at the cross so all those who are outside of Christ believe all those who are in Christ praise worship glorify on her and as we eat and tonight do so in remembrance of him and may there be godly fear and may there be reverence and may there be joy unspeakable and full of glory in our hearts when we consider the reality that our God has dealt with our sin through his son well let us pray our Father we thank you for your word we thank you for the way it all fits together ties together and points us always to the lord jesus what a what a gracious word it is God to do this for us and we pray that you would help us to ponder these things help us to reflect upon your holiness and may these things frame our hearts are right as we come before you in worship may they frame our hearts are right when we conduct ourselves in this world may we glorify and honor you and may we ever be thankful and may we ever be joyful over what Christ is accomplished on behalf of his people we thank you for the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and we pray in his Most Blessed name amen well you can turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 26 will read these portions of the Lord's Supper for the situation concerning the Lord's Supper as we take tonight remember it's the Passover Feast Jesus convenes his disciples together and in the midst of the disciples he Institute's or nod rates the New Covenant in his blood and he also does away with the Passover and he implements the Lord's Supper and this is recorded for us in Matthew 26 26 to 30 so I'll ask the brothers to come and to pass out the bread and while they do that we'll sing a hymn and then we'll read this section concerning the bread and we'll take the bread together so we'll sing number 704 while they pass out bread 704 you can remain seated you well as we point out often this ordinances for believers for those who by God's grace have come to Christ who have turned from sin and who own Christ as Lord and Savior certainly believers but not perfect believers if we were perfect we would not or if we were only able to take if we were perfect we would never be able to take Paul's admonition in first Corinthians 11 in terms of examining ourselves does not mean to determine that there are no sins whatsoever but to determine that we are by God's grace dealing with sin seeking to maintain short accounts with God and with men so as redeemed sinners the supper comes to us as I said to encourage to strengthen our faith to feed and nourish us and to call us to remembrance of our Lord Jesus Christ so I'll just read the section concerning the bread Matthew 26 verse 26 and as they were eating Jesus took bread blessed and broke it and gave it to the disciples and said take eat this is my body will let us pray our Father in Heaven we thank you for so great a sacrifice we thank you God that when it came to save sinners you sent the son of your love you sent the best the only begotten Son and how we thank you Lord for this transaction how we thank you that you made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him we give you praise and honor and glory and we do remember our Lord's work on our behalf that broken body at Calvary's tree for the sins of his people we thank you and we praise you through Christ our Lord amen I'll take together well we'll sing number 188 as the brothers pass out the wine the juice is in the outer ring the outside ring contains the juice the inside is the wine so 188 again remain seated as we sing you you then he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying drink from it all of you for this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins but I say to you I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my father's Kingdom and when they had sung a hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives well let us pray our God and Father we thank you for the blood of the new covenant shed by our Lord Jesus Christ we thank you that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin and you sent your son to remit you sent your son to bring forgiveness through his own life and through his own death how we thank you that he rose again he sits enthroned at the right hand of God Almighty and how we thank you that he ever lives to make intercession for us we bless you and we praise you for the gospel we bless you and we praise you that you've included us in these blessings and we pray that you would help us to find great joy in the presence of our God that we would walk in communion with you each and every day and we pray through Christ our Lord amen we'll take together let's stand and sing number 175 175 Oh you No the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace father go with us now and may these things be true in our hearts and in our lives may you walk with us may you encourage us may you strengthen us so that we may be faithful witnesses to our Lord Jesus and His gospel in this world watch over the sick among us be with all of the brethren and encourage their hearts be with mr nufeld mr. Proctor and mr. van schaik and all those who suffer with ongoing issues and challenges God we know that you are good and though the outer man decays we know the inner man is renewed day by day encourage each of us spiritually as we all face many temptations and struggles and trials we pray that by your spirit and for your glory we would strive to honor you in this world go with us now we pray and we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well please be seated you