Sunday School - the law and sacrifices (7) the Day of Atonement

The priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. (Heb 9:6-7).

Going near God is not something you want to do carelessly.

After Aaron was set apart as high priest, fire came from the presence of God and burned up everything on the altar: the fire of God's approval. Soon afterwards, Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu approached God their own way rather than God's way, and fire came from the presence of God and burned them up: the fire of God's judgement. (Lev 9-10)

Going near God is not something you want to do carelessly.

I don't know about you, but I wouldn't have wanted to be in Aaron's shoes (or rather, Aaron's bare feet) on the Day of Atonement.

This was the day when the man who had seen God burn up 2 of his 4 sons had to go into the Most Holy Place. He had to go behind the curtain which must have seemed like an impenetrable barrier the other 364 days of the year.

Going near God is not something you want to do carelessly.

Why was it necessary? Why did Aaron need to go into God's presence at all? Why not stay on the other side of the curtain?

However careful the priests and people were, it was inevitable that some would become unclean without realising it and take that uncleanness into the temple. However many sacrifices were offered, the sins of priests and people mounted up over a year.

Once a year, the tabernacle, right in to the Most Holy Place, had to be cleansed from the built-up sin and uncleanness of the Israelites, so that the holy God could continue to live among his people.

God gave exact instructions about the Day of Atonement. Aaron had to be careful about what he wore, what he brought with him into the Most Holy Place, what he did, and most of all, what he saw.

Going near God is not something you want to do carelessly.

We told the story of the Day of Atonement from Leviticus 16 as a drama. Here's how it went:

On the day the high priest went into the Most Holy Place, he didn't dress like a king. You can't go into God's presence saying, "Look at me! I'm so good! I'm a king!". On the day the high priest went into the Most Holy Place, he dressed like a slave. He washed himself and dressed like a servant, in plain white tunic, plain white sash, and plain white turban.

He took a bull, put his hands on its head, and killed it. It was a sin offering for the sin and uncleanness of himself and the priests. He put some of its blood in a bowl. He put some of the coals from the altar into a censer, or fire-pan. He sprinkled incense on top of the coals, so that when he went into the Most Holy Place the smoke would rise up and he wouldn't see God's glory and die.

He went into the Most Holy Place and sprinkled blood on the lid of the ark - God's throne - and in front of the ark 7 times. The blood cleansed the Most Holy Place from the sin and uncleanness of himself and the priests.

He came out. He took 2 goats. He cast lots for the 2 goats - perhaps by taking 2 coloured stones out of an urn - to decide which was the sacrificial goat and which the scapegoat.

He killed the sacrificial goat as a sin offering for the sins and uncleanness of the people. He put some of its blood in a bowl. He put some of the coals from the altar into a censer, or fire-pan. He sprinkled incense on top of the coals, so that when he went into the Most Holy Place the smoke would rise up and he wouldn't see God's glory and die.

He went into the Most Holy Place and sprinkled blood on the lid of the ark - God's throne - and in front of the ark 7 times. The blood cleansed the Most Holy Place from the sin and uncleanness of the people.

He came out and sprinkled blood on the Holy Place and the altar. The whole tabernacle was now cleansed from the sin and uncleanness of priests and people.

He put his hands on the head of the scapegoat and confessed - told God about - the sins of the people. A man took the scapegoat away into the desert. It carried the sin and uncleanness of the people away with it into the desert.

The high priest put on his normal, kingly clothes. He took 2 rams and sacrificed them as burnt offerings for the sin and uncleanness of priests and people.

Now the tabernacle was cleansed from the sins and uncleanness of priests and people for a whole year. Now the holy God could continue to live in the tabernacle among his people.

One day there was a far greater Day of Atonement. This was the day when Jesus died, and took away all our sins and uncleanness for all time. On that day, something amazing happened: the curtain in front of the Most Holy Place tore from top to bottom.

The way was opened into God's presence for anyone who trusts in Jesus. We can pray anytime, any where. One day we will walk straight into God's presence and stay there forever.

The way is open. We don't need to be scared about going near God. The way is open. Jesus died, and the curtain is torn in two. The way is open.

Since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. (Heb 10:19-22)

The way is open. Come!

Here's the page for our book this week. Yellow for the glory of going in to God's presence.

If you'd like to see my Sunday School material on the law and sacrifices, the fruit of the Spirit, Proverbs or Romans, please contact me.

image of the Holy Place is from Music of the Bible