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Well, 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, in the Pentateuch and specifically with the book of 
Exodus, 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 die. 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 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. 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 as 
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 scapegoat 
into the wilderness. And Aaron shall bring the bull 
of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement 
for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bull as a 
sin offering, which is for himself. Then he shall take a censer 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, that 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 bull 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 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 fingers 
seven times, cleanse it and consecrate it 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 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 
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 their offal. 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, 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. For on that day the priest shall 
make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be cleaned 
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. And 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 commanded 
Moses. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father in heaven, we thank you for this instruction that we 
receive in reading scripture. We pray now that the Holy Spirit 
would guide us as we look a little further into the meanings 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 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 context, 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 1.1. 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 57 chapters in narrative 
time. This is important given the fact 
that 68 chapters precede Sinai and 59 chapters follow it. Sinai is central to the Torah. and one book that has recently 
been written by a man named L. 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, 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 on dwelling. 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 1-19, we have the narration 
concerning the Exodus itself, deliverance from bondage in Egypt. Chapters 19-24, 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 25-40 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. Adam's function was not 
primarily as a farmer. Adam was a priest, and he was 
tasked with extending that Edenic temple throughout the entirety 
of the earth. But when he sins, God casts him 
out. And so now God is purposing a 
way to dwell in the presence of His people Israel. That's 
what we see there in Exodus 25 verse 8. Notice as well Exodus 
29 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 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. Note 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 tabernacle. It's a beautiful picture, isn't 
it? God has said, build me a sanctuary and I will dwell with them. 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 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, but 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 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 said, the book of Exodus closes with a tension that is 
not resolved. After the completion of Israel's 
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 as promised in 25.8 and 29.45, Yahweh cannot 
be approached, even by Moses. And the gap between God and man 
remains insuperable. After Exodus 40, Leviticus 1-10 
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 1-9. 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 priest, so that he could burn 
it on the altar and offer it up unto the living and true God. Israel is taught in Leviticus 
1-9 that the way of approach to God is through sacrifice. It is through the shedding of 
blood. Morales says Israel's 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 1 to 9. So turn now to Leviticus 
chapter 9. We see the resolution of this 
particular problem. God dwells among the people. But heretofore, the people have 
not met with God. They implement the sacrifices 
according to the commandment of God. And in Leviticus 9, verse 
22, we read, Then Aaron lifted his hand toward the people, blessed 
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 move from dwelling place to 
meeting place, through that bloody knife and through that burning 
altar. That is what Leviticus 1-9 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 Nadab and Abihu, 
the sons of Aaron, each took his censer 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 1-9 gives the sacrificial 
system by which, through bloody knife and burning altar, Israel 
may approach her God. And then Nadab and Abihu offer 
this strange fire before the Lord, and God kills them and 
God consumes them. Leviticus 11-15 deals with cleanliness 
laws. It deals with the laws 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. Nadab and Abihu offer up strange 
fire to the Lord, and the Lord consumes them. He doesn't consume 
their sacrifice. He doesn't consume their offering. 
It's probably the same day. The legislation concerning cleanliness 
and uncleanliness in 11-15 doesn't take a whole 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, So, the reminder of the problem was not difficult 
because it was the same day. The reminder concerns the deaths 
of Nadab and Abihu, and persons have speculated as to why God 
killed Nadab and Abihu. Go back to Leviticus 10 for just 
a moment. Two reasons given in this particular 
chapter. 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 nor your sons with you, when 
you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. Some have 
suggested that Nadab and Abihu 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 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 Arminians, or it's easy for us to pick on Charismatics, 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 that is absolutely and utterly and completely holy, 
then hopefully we won't fall asleep. Hopefully our minds won't 
wander. 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 rang 
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's 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 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 could 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 Israel. 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 Nadab and Abihu 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 of praise 
and joy and exaltation. And then in chapter 10, no sooner 
do we get into Nadab and Abihu, God sends fire down again, but 
it's not to consume the offering, it's to consume the offerers, 
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 commanded them. 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 aright 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 3, 6, and 11. Thus Aaron, verse 3, 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. 6. Aaron shall offer 
the bull as 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 
bowl as the sin offering, which is for himself. Aaron, the high 
priest and the mediator of this particular covenantal situation, 
needs atonement for his sin. Sin's 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 1634. Christ's sacrifice 
was once for all. Aaron brought sacrifice in terms 
of types and shadows and pointers. 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 sin. This was the whole purpose on 
the Day of Atonement, these two goats. One would be cut 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 blessed and 
a beautiful 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 priest 
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 high 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 sin when that 
goat was sent out into the wilderness. That goat took the sin of Israel 
and took it away from the camp of Israel. It 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 talk 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 
and nation, 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, finds its taproots here. When Aaron 
confessed the sins of Israel, he wasn't confessing the sins 
of Jebusites. He wasn't confessing the sins 
of Hittites. He wasn't confessing the sins 
of Hivites. 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 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 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 asks 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 foulest 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 10th, specifically. As well, blood must be offered 
for Aaron. Blood must be offered for Israel. There are 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 him 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 of 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 10th, 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, us sinful men, 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 goat's 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 
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 concerning all their sins." Those are comprehensive 
terms, aren't they? Look at what he does. He lays 
his hand, he confesses 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 
a 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 
Israelite 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 probably pride on our part 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 woe? There is something that speaks 
of one made a curse for us. Why is he left alone, defenseless, 
trembling amid a 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's solitary cry 
is re-echoed 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 
offerer, 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 sacrifices, a reference to the 
old covenant sacrifices that we've argued are types, shadows, 
prefigurements of the sacrifice of Christ. But in those sacrifices, 
there is a reminder of sins every year. See, the point of Hebrews 
is that the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin. 
I mean, that system was efficacious, that system was blessed, that 
system was real, it wasn't a fake, it wasn't a farce, but the virtue 
of it was 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 1 Corinthians 11, specifically 
verses 24 and 25. Do this in remembrance of me. So while the faithful Israelite, 
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 flocks, and we need to 
keep cutting their throats, and keep giving them to the priests, 
so that through bloody knife and through burning altar, we 
can approach Yahweh, who is altogether holy. There is a reminder of 
sins each and every year as they gather 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 Hughes 
says the gospel transforms, the Greek word 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 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 we're in the presence of the great king. If we were 
going to meet, even with Justin Trudeau, we would put on a suit, 
we would put on our finest duds, we would be on time. We wouldn't 
come in at 11.03 if we had an audience with the Prime Minister. 
We would make sure we're a little early before we meet with him. 
And 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 priest took the incense into the Holy of Holies? When he went 
behind the veil, he had that burning censer 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 
beholding the majesty and the excellence and the purity and 
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 Shemesh 
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 Gethsemane, 
and Judas, that traitorous, betraying wretch, brings that detachment 
of troops into that garden where our Christ is praying. When they 
ask Jesus if He is who Judas says He is, He says, I am. Well, 
those who have read John's Gospel know that many times Jesus uses 
that phrase, I am. It's a reference to Exodus 3.14, 
when Yahweh reveals himself 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 affectionately 
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 stills 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 produce jokesterism. It doesn't produce chatty preachers 
with hands in pocket and latte sipping and them just entertaining 
the crowd or giving you a little moral boost 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, and we see the Bible. For, you know, 
18, 19 centuries, that satisfied the people of God. Well, now 
we want to entertain people. We want to have three-ring circuses. 
We want to have jugglers. We want to have clowns serve 
us the Lord's Supper. We want to have men repel 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 worship Him in an acceptable manner with reverence 
and godly fear, for our God is a consuming fire. Brethren, let 
that frame your hearts and minds on the Sabbath day. He's holy. 
He's holy. He's holy. 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 presence, 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 at a tabernacle because it's no longer there. You can't 
bring a goat or a bull out of your flock, cut its throat, lay 
your hand on its head, and give it over. 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. But your 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, honor, and as we eat 
and drink 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, and we thank You for the way it all fits together, 
ties together, and points us always to the Lord Jesus. 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 aright 
as we come before You in worship. May they frame our hearts aright 
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 has 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.