(Leviticus chap. 16.)
The day of atonement was the most marked and important day in the year for Israel. It was the day when the claims of God were met by sacrifice, and His relationships with His people renewed for another twelve months. It had both dispensational and typical teaching in it, however ignorant they may have been of it. By it the people were maintained in outward relationship with Jehovah; but it needed the great Antitype to give that real, true, and eternal relationship with Him. The Holy Spirit has been pleased to give us His teaching of that wonderful day and its ritual in Heb., chaps. 9 and 10, and there are three things which stand out prominently in connection with it. (1) Sin was not put away (chap. 10:4). (2) The worshipers had not a purged conscience (chaps. 9:9 and 10:2). (3) The way into the holiest was not made manifest (chap. 9:8). A state of things which, while established by God in His ways, could never satisfy the desires of His heart which waited for that day and that Sacrifice which would meet His throne, and enable Him to people both heaven and earth with sinners saved by grace, who will praise Him forever.
The chapter opens with God prohibiting Aaron from coming at all times into the holiest,'' within the veil before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark, that he die not" (ver. 2). And the reason given was, "For I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat." God was there:and man could not be there except in God's prescribed way and time. " Once a year" only could Aaron approach, and "not without blood" (Heb. 9:7). God had not yet fully revealed Himself. He was shut in, and man was shut out as unable and unfit to approach Him. The way into the holiest was barred, and the high priest alone could enter, and only in God's way and time.
And these sacrifices never put away sin, they only brought it to remembrance (Heb. 10:3, 11), though by means of them the people were sanctified to the purifying of the flesh (Heb. 9:13), and thus retained in outward relationship. But their consciences were never purged (ch. 9:9). The sacrifices were deficient. They failed to meet God's holy and righteous requirement, and they failed to meet the people's condition. They could not touch the throne of God and uphold it in righteousness, nor make a channel through which the affections of His heart might flow righteously and unhinderedly; nor could they meet the deep and crying need of a sin-burdened conscience.
What a contrast we have to all this in the work of Him who said, " Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God."
(1) He was manifested once in the end of the world, for the putting away of sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Heb. 9:26). That mighty sacrificial work is done now, and is attested by the vacant grave and the occupied throne; but the full, blessed results will only be seen when God brings in "new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."
(2) The believer has a purged conscience-"no more conscience of sins" (ro:2). And God has " no more remembrance of sins" (ver. 17). Consequently, now, there is and can be "no more offering for sin " (ver. 18). (3) The way into the holiest is now open, and the believer has boldness to enter in (10:19-23).
These, surely, are most marvelous results of the death of the Lord Jesus. His offering being perfect and of infinite value, the work accomplished by it must be commensurate with it-perfect and eternal. The believer therefore stands before God, according to God's estimate of the infinite perfections and preciousness of the Person-and in all the infinite value of the work of Him who has done God's will, upheld God's throne, and opened a righteous channel for the affections of His heart to flow out unhinderedly to the vilest of His creatures on earth.
In looking at our chapter, Lev. 16, we notice that Aaron had to be robed in "the holy linen garments" (ver. 4); not in his high priestly garments for glory and beauty. Now in the robing of Aaron thus, we have him made typically what the Lord Jesus ever was personally as the holy and spotless One. Aaron looked at alone is always a type of Christ. When his sons are associated with him (ver. 6) it sets forth Christ and the Church; not as the One Body, but as a priestly family, as i Pet. 2:5. Atonement is first made for Aaron and his house, before ever the congregation is brought in. We shall see how all this comes out most blessedly in the work of Christ.
There are various and distinct actions on the part of the priest noted in this chapter; but it required them all to set forth the one truth of Atonement and what was necessary to make it. Though he went in several times in that memorable day, yet it is looked at as one going in-"once a year "-the day on which atonement was made.
Observe the first act. The priest kills the bullock which is to make atonement for himself and his house (ver. 11). Though the blood is not yet presented, death has taken place, and death is the basis of every dealing of God with sinful creatures. But notice again, before we can have the work of Christ to present to God, we must have His person, and so we find Aaron fills his hands full of sweet incense, beaten small, and takes the golden censer full of burning coals from off the brazen altar before the Lord, and puts the incense on the fire and carries it within the veil (ver. 12). In the incense, we have typified the excellencies and perfections of the person of Christ, brought out in all their sweetness and preciousness by the action of fire-judgment.
Thus we have the priest entering with his hands filled with Christ, so to speak. Then as the incense is put on the fire in the censer he stands in the presence of God who appears in the cloud on the mercy-seat. The cloud of incense covers the mercy seat. God surrounds Himself with the perfections of Christ's person brought out in all their sweetness and fragrance by the action of the fire. He looks at the priest as it were through that cloud, although no blood is taken in as yet. How beautifully typical of Him who could ever stand in the presence of the divine Majesty because of what He is in Himself, and whose perfections and excellencies ever rise up before God as sweet incense, and surround Him like a cloud through which He may look at and deal with others-Jesus needed no blood to give Him title to be there. Surely this is very precious for our souls. Christ's holy person first; Christ's precious blood next.
The next thing we notice is, the priest comes and takes of the blood of the bullock and carries it in before God. Having got the Person, he can now present the Work. The action of the priest as seen here is beautiful though very solemn. Slowly he approaches the throne of Jehovah with that which speaks of judgment executed and borne-the blood. With solemn step he nears the ark whereon was the mercy seat, the throne of Jehovah in the midst of His people. What a solemn stillness reigns in that holy place. No voice is heard. No prayer is uttered, as the living God is approached by the priest bearing the token of death which he sprinkles once on the mercy seat, and seven times before it. Why only once on it? Surely because once was sufficient for Him whose claims were being met, for He knows the value of that blood. But when it is a question of the believer having a standing before Him, it is sprinkled seven times. What wondrous grace!
In the blood taken in by the high priest, whether of the bullock for Aaron and his house, or of the goat for the people, we have the claims of God all perfectly met, so that He can act righteously in grace towards all. How sweet to think of Christ in His sacrifice as thus meeting God, and in such perfection that man, in Him, is not only justified but entitled to the glory. This we see in John 13:31, 32; 17:1, 4, 5. It is not only as having borne our sins there, but of so meeting God that He can bless man, yea, put man in glory.
Peace, too, is made by the atonement of Jesus. What a wonderful thought! Then we have the reconciliation of all things as in Col. i:20-22, for the work of Christ touches everything. The holy place -the tabernacle-the altar, are all sprinkled with blood. '' The heavenly things themselves " of course must be "purified with better sacrifices than these" (Heb. 9:23). Yea "He appeared … to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself"; and the new heaven and the new earth will be based upon, and the everlasting witness to the value of, that same wondrous sacrifice.
Lastly, we have the scape goat brought out and the priest's hands laid on it, and " all their iniquities, all their transgressions, and all their sins " confessed on it and then sent away into to a land not inhabited (ver. 21). Thus we see clearly set forth in this wonderful chapter what the apostle teaches in Col. i as I have said, (1) Peace made. (2) Reconciliation of all things. (3) And you '' hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death." May our souls dwell more and more on this wonderful sacrifice of God's beloved Son, and with increasing delight, under the illuminating influence and guidance of the Holy Ghost, till we see His blessed face who has fulfilled it all in His great atoning work at Calvary's cross. Wm. Easton