Context No. 2501 of 4322 · Leviticus

Leviticus 16:11-17: in context

11“Aaron shall present the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bull of the sin offering which is for himself. 12He shall take a censer full of coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil. 13He shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the covenant, so that he will not die. 14He shall take some of the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east; and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times. 15“Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with his blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. 16He shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, even all their sins; and so he shall do for the Tent of Meeting that dwells with them in the middle of their uncleanness. 17No one shall be in the Tent of Meeting when he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place, until he comes out, and has made atonement for himself and for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel.

On the Day of Atonement, before the high priest can do anything for the people, he must deal with himself. Aaron presents a bull as a sin offering for himself and his household, sprinkles its blood on the mercy seat, and only then kills the goat for the people's sin. He enters the veil behind a cloud of incense so that he will not die, and no one else may be in the Tent while he makes atonement.

The order is the point. The holiest man in Israel, on the holiest day, cannot approach on the strength of his office. He must first have his own sin covered by blood, or the whole ministry collapses. There is no standing before God, for anyone, that does not run through atonement. This is exactly what the New Testament says Christ transcended: a High Priest who had no sin of his own to cover, and so could offer himself once for all. The old ritual keeps the lesson sharp, though: I never approach God on my own merit, only through a covering he provides.

Do I approach God presuming on my own goodness, or through the atonement he has provided, aware I have no standing of my own?

Sources

Leviticus 16:11: Aaron shall present the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house.
Leviticus 16:17: until he comes out, and has made atonement for himself and for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel.
Hebrews 7:27: who doesn't need to offer up sacrifices daily... for this he did once for all, when he offered up himself.