Atonement

Once a year, the Israelites had a day of atonement.  Basically, this was a day that people would confess their sins before God and in a graphic way, God showed the people how true atonement would one day come.

Some interesting notes about the day of atonement.  First, no one was to do any work on that day, because,

on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins. (Leviticus 16:30)

The picture was very clear here.  The Israelites themselves could do nothing to atone for their own sin.  Atonement would be made for them.  No work they could do could purify their sins.  Only the work of the high priest.

In the same way, no work we can do can purify us from our sins.  Our own efforts can’t save us.  Only the work of our High Priest, Jesus Christ could, when he died on the cross.

Second, only the high priest would enter the Tabernacle into God’s presence.  Not even the other priests could come in when the high priest went inside to make atonement for the people.

In the same way, when Christ made atonement for our sins on the cross, he was the only one who could do the work.  No other person, not the apostles, not any of the priests, nor anyone else could do it.  Only Christ.  As Jesus said,

I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

Third, two goats were chosen.  One was chosen to die for the sins of the people.  The high priest then put his hands on the head of the live goat and confessed all the sins of the people.  The goat was then released into the desert, never to be seen again.

This is a beautiful picture of what Christ did for us.  He took the punishment for our sins by dying on the cross.  And as he bore our sins, he took them completely away from us.

As Psalm 103:12 says,

As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Lord, I thank you for your love for us that as our High Priest, you atoned for our sin, when we could do nothing to save ourselves.

Lord, I thank you for bearing our sin, and taking them completely away from us, that as far as the east is from the west, so far have you removed us transgressions from us.

Thank you so much for your mercy and grace in our lives.  For being our High Priest, for being our scapegoat, so that we could draw close to God.  I love you and praise you.  In Jesus’ name, amen.