Leviticus 16:11-17: a reflection

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, the high priest performs the central act of Israel's year: he takes the blood of the sin offering into the Holy Place, behind the veil, and sprinkles it on the mercy seat, to make atonement for himself, his household, and all the people, for all their sins. Once a year, through this blood, atonement was made for the sins of the people, that they might be cleansed and God dwell among them. It was the great, central provision for the covering of Israel's sin.

Notice what the high priest did: he entered the Holy Place with blood, to make atonement for the people's sins. Once a year, he passed behind the veil, into the most holy place, with the blood of the sin offering, to make atonement, that the sins of the people might be covered and they might be cleansed. This whole solemn act, the high priest entering with blood to make atonement, pointed forward to something greater. It could only be done once a year, and only foreshadowed; it could not fully or finally take away sin.

That Day of Atonement points forward to Christ, our great high priest, who made atonement for our sins once for all. What the high priest did yearly, entering the earthly Holy Place with the blood of animals, Christ accomplished once for all, entering the true, heavenly Holy Place with his own blood, to make atonement for our sins fully and finally. The Day of Atonement was a shadow; Christ is the substance. Rest not in the insufficient sacrifices that could only foreshadow, but in Christ, our high priest, who made atonement for your sins once for all with his own blood. Rest in the atonement Christ has made, entering the true Holy Place with his own blood to cover your sins fully and finally, as the high priest entered the earthly Holy Place with blood on the Day of Atonement; for Christ is the great high priest who has made atonement for us, once for all, fulfilling what the Day of Atonement could only foreshadow.

Lord, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest performs the central act of Israel's year: he takes the blood of the sin offering into the Holy Place, behind the veil, and sprinkles it on the mercy seat, to make atonement for himself, his household, and all the people, for all their sins. Once a year, through this blood, atonement was made for the sins of the people. It was the great, central provision for the covering of Israel's sin. Show me what the high priest did: he entered the Holy Place with blood, to make atonement for the people's sins. Once a year, he passed behind the veil with the blood of the sin offering, that the sins of the people might be covered. This whole solemn act pointed forward to something greater. It could only be done once a year, and only foreshadowed; it could not fully take away sin. Let that Day of Atonement point me forward to Christ, my great high priest, who made atonement for my sins once for all. What the high priest did yearly with the blood of animals, Christ accomplished once for all, entering the true, heavenly Holy Place with his own blood, to make atonement for my sins fully and finally. The Day of Atonement was a shadow; Christ is the substance. Keep me from resting in the insufficient sacrifices that could only foreshadow; help me rest in Christ, my high priest, who made atonement for my sins once for all with his own blood, Lord. Thank you that Christ has made atonement for me, once for all.