The Law-11

God’s Law is more than just the 10 commandments, as important as they are to all of us. So why is there such a resistance to even obey these 10? Our inherent sin nature is far more dangerous to our eternal health than we truly contemplate. All sin must be accounted for and forgiven by God. Many still say that God could not or would not hold us accountable for every violation of all these Laws! As we rebel from these absolutes, we must once again consider the words of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 5:17  "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.  5:18  "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

With HIS words still in front of us, let us continue.

Leviticus 16:1  Now the LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they had approached the presence of the LORD and died. 16:2  The LORD said to Moses: "Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, or he will die; for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. 

16:3  "Aaron shall enter the holy place with this: with a bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 

Expository preaching often leaves many subjects from being introduced, especially if they are in the OT. We often take for granted how we are to approach a holy GOD.

16:4  "He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and the linen undergarments shall be next to his body, and he shall be girded with the linen sash and attired with the linen turban (these are holy garments). Then he shall bathe his body in water and put them on. 

Aaron had to be visibly clean to enter in the Holy of Holies, which is God’s throne on earth. What is cleanliness to us? It is spiritual, inward, and mostly known only to us and GOD!

16:5  "He shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering. 16:6  "Then Aaron shall offer the bull for the sin offering which is for himself, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household. 16:7  "He shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 16:8  "Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for the scapegoat. 16:9  "Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the LORD fell, and make it a sin offering. 16:10  "But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat. 

Blood had to be sacrifice. Innocent life had to end. The scapegoat had to be banished, but the sin offering had to die. Jesus was not released to the wilderness, He willingly died on a cross.

16:11  "Then Aaron shall offer the bull of the sin offering which is for himself and make atonement for himself and for his household, and he shall slaughter the bull of the sin offering which is for himself. 16:12  "He shall take a firepan full of coals of fire from upon the altar before the LORD and two handfuls of finely ground sweet incense, and bring it inside the veil. 16:13  "He shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony, otherwise he will die. 16:14  "Moreover, he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; also in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times. 16:15  "Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering which is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. 

Aaron had to first offer a sin offering for himself and his family. Aaron was not sinless. He was just as in need for forgiveness as anyone else.

16:16  "He shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel and because of their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and thus he shall do for the tent of meeting which abides with them in the midst of their impurities. 

16:17  "When he goes in to make atonement in the holy place, no one shall be in the tent of meeting until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household and for all the assembly of Israel. 

16:18  "Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the blood of the goat and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides. 16:19  "With his finger he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times and cleanse it, and from the impurities of the sons of Israel consecrate it. 

The blood exemplifies the severe penalty for sin. This blood shall be brought right up the ark of the covenant and mercy seat. This is to satisfy God’s righteous requirements and atone for sin. This is just an example as to what or who will come later.

16:20  "When he finishes atoning for the holy place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat.  16:21  "Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness. 16:22  "The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness. 

Sin had to leave the camp. Sinful men and women will not be able enter in to God’s kingdom on their own merit.

16:23  "Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting and take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there. 

16:24  "He shall bathe his body with water in a holy place and put on his clothes, and come forth and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people and make atonement for himself and for the people. 16:25  "Then he shall offer up in smoke the fat of the sin offering on the altar. 

16:26  "The one who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body with water; then afterward he shall come into the camp. 

These constant and visible reminders of cleanliness are to be a solemn reminder of how God views sin.

Isaiah 64:6  For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Forgiveness should not be treated lightly, as it is the very core of the gospel. God expects, demands more of us than we are often willing to give.

More next Saturday.