Leviticus

Leviticus 19:1-37
In This, Israel Failed

There are a lot of verses to go through today, but they will get done. Although many of the laws that we will look at have absolutely no bearing on anything we would consider as relevant to our society today, some of them do. In fact, Paul and other New Testament writers mention quite a few precepts which parallel those we will see.

I won’t highlight them all because there are a lot of verses to get through, but I’ll give you enough to show you that there is a consistency in the moral precepts of the two testaments. As the law is fulfilled and annulled in Christ, we now are free from those things which are not repeated in the new. We have no prohibitions on shaving beards for example. Why anyone would want to do that is a bit hard to understand, but we are free to do so if we wish.

Tattoos. I am not a fan of them, but there is nothing in the New Testament to forbid wearing them. Our pointing finger needs to be pointed in the right direction and for the right reasons. Having said that, just imagine yourself bound to all of the rules that are in today’s passage! And then imagine that you are bound to it, your children are, and your children’s children are. There can be no slip ups, and there can be no overlooking infractions.

One violation of any of these precepts breaks the entire law. The people who cared about their state before God must have longed each year for the Day of Atonement. Outside of that, there was only the constant nagging that they had let the Lord down, time and again. Thank God for Jesus who has freed us from this!

Text Verse: “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. ²⁸ Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. ²⁹ Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, ³⁰ since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.” Romans 3:27-30

How can we boast before God when Jesus has done all the work? We are saved not by deeds of the law, but by faith in Jesus! This is the incredible marvel of what we have going for us in the New Covenant. We aren’t just saved by faith, we continue to be saved by faith. Surely the words of Scripture are true – “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

This is the truth that we will continue to see today. Israel failed, we have failed, but Jesus prevailed. Where there was condemnation, there is now peace with God. Thank God for Jesus Christ. This truth is to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

Like the words of Chapter 18, words of law lie ahead, and so the Lord again speaks directly, and only, to Moses. They are words which will include both moral and ceremonial aspects. Some will bear on what is simply morally honorable, such as rising for the gray headed in verse 32.

It should be remembered, that laws like that one would not bear any penalty if they were otherwise not given. But once the law is given, it is a precept which must be adhered to. To fail to stand for the gray headed would then be a violation of the law. As James says in his epistle, to keep the whole law, but yet to stumble in one point, one is then guilty of breaking the entire law. And to show how wide-ranging this guilt extends, we read the next words…

² “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel,

The words of this chapter are to be conveyed to kal adat, or “all [the] congregation of the children of Israel, because they apply to all. This is the only time the phrase is used in Leviticus, and it is only used one other time in the entire Torah, in Exodus 12:3 at the giving of the Passover instructions. No one is exempt, and ignorance of the law is, therefore, no excuse. The law, including every single precept – no matter how large or small – is a unified whole. All people were bound to it, and all were expected to comply. And there is a reason for this…

^2 (con’t) and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

The Chapter is subdivided into sixteen separate groupings, including the first which comprises verses 1 & 2. Each of these groupings ends with a declaratory statement, “I am the Lord,” “I am the Lord your God,” or – in this case – “I the Lord your God am holy.” The holiness of God is tied up in the laws which He gives to His people. Therefore, they were required to comply with His words in order to reflect that same holiness. In other words, holiness is the basis for, and the goal of, what is relayed.

As these laws deal with interactions between the Lord and His people, or between the people themselves, they embody much of the Decalogue itself, some directly, others implicitly. In fact, the scholar Kalisch wisely states –

“This remarkable chapter is perhaps the most comprehensive, the most varied, and in some respects the most important section of Leviticus, if not of the Pentateuch; it was by the ancient Jews regarded as an epitome of the whole Law; … it has at all times been looked upon as a counterpart of the Decalogue itself.” Kalisch.

The admonition to be holy, as the Lord God is holy, ends the first sub-grouping of the chapter.

³ ‘Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.

Two seemingly unrelated commands are given in one short verse. And yet they are intricately tied together. As a whole, they form what could be considered the two pillars of Israel’s moral governance. The first is reverence for mother and father. The second is honoring the Lord’s Sabbaths. As they are tied together here, they are actually also tied together in the Decalogue, but in reverse. They are also the only two positive commands in the Decalogue – “You shall,” instead of “You shall not.”

It is of high note that “mother” is placed before “father” here. It is also of high note that this reverence is placed before the Sabbath. In the Decalogue, the Forth Commandment is the Sabbath, and the Fifth is honoring one’s parents. And in the fifth, the father is noted before the mother. What to make of this?

Reverence of the Lord is tied up in the Sabbaths. Hence the term, shabbatotay, or “My Sabbaths.” And yet, reverence for the parents is listed prior to that of the Sabbaths. It is to teach Israel that one cannot honor the Lord properly if they do not honor their parents. And likewise, one cannot honor their parents properly if they do not equally esteem both – mother and father, or father and mother.

It is interesting, however, that the Sabbath observance for Israel is the only command in the Decalogue to be wholly set aside in Christ. Honor of the Son as our Sabbath Rest now replaces honoring of the Lord on a Sabbath Rest.

The violation of not honoring one’s parent is noted in Israel, such as in Micah 7:6. Violations of not keeping the Sabbath are noted in Scripture, such as in Nehemiah 13:15. They failed to honor the Lord their God. This ends the second sub-grouping of the chapter.

⁴ ‘Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods: I am the Lord your God.

The next command essentially embraces both the first and second commands of the Decalogue. It is first to not turn to ha’elilim or “the idols.” This is the first time the word is used. It comes from the word al, or “no,” and thus it literally means “the nothings.” Paul, understanding this nuance, repeats it in 1 Corinthians 8:4 –

“Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one.”

Understanding that these are “nothings,” the Lord then tells them to not make for themselves molded gods, as if they were making something. Psalm 118 explains that those who do such things hold the same value as what they produce – they render themselves of no value, becoming nothings –

“But our God is in heaven;
He does whatever He pleases.
⁴ Their idols are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.
⁵ They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;
⁶ They have ears, but they do not hear;
Noses they have, but they do not smell;
⁷ They have hands, but they do not handle;
Feet they have, but they do not walk;
Nor do they mutter through their throat.
⁸ Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them.” Psalm 118:3-8

The Old Testament is filled with references to violations of these two precepts. In this, Israel failed to honor Yehovah their God. This ends the third sub-grouping of the chapter.

⁵ ‘And if you offer a sacrifice of a peace offering to the Lord, you shall offer it of your own free will.

The words of this verse are more certainly rendered, “you shall offer it for your acceptance,” not “of your own free will.” When a peace offering was offered, it was to be according to a set procedure. If that was not followed, the offeror and his offering would not be accepted. Chapter 17 showed that the Israelite’s were in the habit of offering their sacrifices to the goat idols. This was now forbidden, but it was not enough to tell them to abstain from sacrificing to these demons. Instead, their offerings were to be to the Lord, and in a set manner.

⁶ It shall be eaten the same day you offer it, and on the next day. And if any remains until the third day, it shall be burned in the fire.

There were two classes of peace offerings in Chapter 7, the first class, an offering of thanksgiving, had to be eaten on the first day alone. The second class, a vow or voluntary offering, could be eaten on the next day. It is the second such class which is described here. But the same warning as given in Chapter 7 is repeated here. Anything remaining had to be burnt up on the third day.

⁷ And if it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination. It shall not be accepted.

This prohibition looks forward to Christ who was resurrected on the third day, and who saw no corruption. As this is a peace offering which is shared in by both the Lord and the offeror, eating it on the third day would be wholly unsuited to that typology.

⁸ Therefore everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned the hallowed offering of the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from his people.

To violate the typology of the unblemished, incorruptible Christ was reason for excision from the people of God. Though the people didn’t have an explanation for this, there were two reasons they needed to be obedient. First, the command has been given. That alone is justification. Secondly, when Christ came, there would be no excuse in missing the typology that they had personally participated in for so many centuries.

⁹ ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest.

The subgroup continues with a seemingly unrelated admonition to not wholly reap the land. But, as the first law, that of the peace offering, concerns a relationship with the Lord, this law is directed to a relationship with one’s fellow man. It is the same thought as uniting the honoring of parents and the keeping of the Sabbath. One cannot honor the Lord rightly if they do not care for their poor neighbors. How can one offer an acceptable peace offering to the Lord while not being a living peace offering to their neighbor?

And so Israel was instructed to leave the corners of their fields and not reap them. They were to further leave behind anything which dropped during the reaping process. They were not to bend over and pick it up. That way, the poor could follow after them and gather the gleanings. To understand this, and to see it in practice, read the book of Ruth. To understand the book of Ruth, watch or read the sermons on Ruth on the Superior Word website. This verse is a mirror of Leviticus 23:22. It contains rather remarkable Hebrew which will be looked at when we get there. Stay tuned!

¹⁰ And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the Lord your God.

Like the harvest of the field, so it was to be in the vineyard as well. Here, a unique word, peret, is seen. It essentially means single fruit, and it comes from another unique word, parat, which means “to chant.” As one improvises, or scatters, words in a chant, so single grapes are scattered on vines, and single grapes fall from bunches. When going over the vines, any clusters were to be taken, but any grapes growing by themselves were to be left. And any that dropped as the clusters were cut were to be left behind. All of this was for the sake of the poor and the stranger.

The first king of Israel, Saul, violated the law of the peace offering, as did others in the Old Testament. The word also condemns the people for oppressing the poor. In this, Israel failed to honor the Lord their God. This ends the fourth sub-grouping of the chapter.

¹¹ ‘You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.

Stealing here is a repeat of the Eighth Commandment. Dealing falsely, as well as lying, are all classed together as kindred sins. These same precepts carry through in the New Covenant as well.

¹² And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.

These words correspond to the Third Commandment. There are those who believe that the Bible implies that it is inappropriate to make any vows, or to swear, at all. This is incorrect. Vows are mandated elsewhere in Scripture. However, they are only to be made in the name of the Lord. Further, as this verse defines when one swears by the Lord’s name, it was never to be a false vow.

Stealing, dealing falsely, and lying are found throughout Israel’s time under the Law of Moses. Swearing falsely in the Lord’s name is as well, such as in Isaiah 48:1. In this, Israel failed to honor the Lord their God. This ends the fifth sub-grouping of the chapter.

^13 ‘You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning.

The word “cheat” here gives the sense of oppression. One was not to do something towards their neighbor to bring hardship upon him, nor was anyone to rob their neighbor. And positive treatment of one’s hired hand was expected as well. The word peullah, or wages, is introduced here. It means simply “labor,” but it implies that which results from the labor, and thus wages. If a person worked, they were not to have their pay withheld from them. To say, “I will give it to you in the morning,” was to deprive him of his food and bed in the night. What was owed was to be paid. This is seen still in practice at the time of Jesus as is reflected in the parable of the workers in the vineyard in Matthew 20.

¹⁴ You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall fear your God: I am the Lord.

These words are to be taken literally. Cursing a deaf person who cannot hear, and who then cannot respond in order to defend himself is truly wicked. But the term for deaf here also includes those who are out of range for hearing. It is inappropriate to curse someone who is not available to defend himself. Secondly, the Lord protects the blind by commanding that no person should ever put a mikshol, or stumblingblock, before them. The very thought of doing such a thing is a perverse, unholy thing. This “stumblingblock” is a new word which will be seen only fourteen times, with eight of them being found in Ezekiel.

Oppression and robbing by the people is seen elsewhere in the Old Testament. The other forms of wrongdoing are not specifically noted as having been done, but the same terms – blind and deaf – are specifically applied to Israel for failing to heed the Lord. In these things, Israel failed to honor Yehovah. This ends the sixth sub-grouping of the chapter.

¹⁵ ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.

A new word, translated as “injustice,” and which is variously spelled and spoken, is brought in now. This thought is then further defined. It is both unjust to show partiality to the poor because he is poor, and to show preference to the mighty because he is mighty. Instead, the eyes of the one judging are to be blind to the state of the person, and are to judge according to what is right, regardless of how it will affect either the rich or the poor, or how they could benefit personally off such a judgment to the rich or to the poor.

Instead, all judgments are to be in righteousness alone. This should be an obvious precept in all places and at all times, but like Israel of old, America today violates both of these, and we do it with zeal. Toss in preference because of race, political affiliation, fame, and a host of other irrelevant issues, and injustice rules the land.

¹⁶ You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.

The rakil, or talebearer, is introduced here. This is one who goes from place to place spreading false or defamatory statements. Such was to be rejected. In a similar fashion, gossips are especially spoken against in the New Testament. Along with this, one was not to take a stand against the blood, or life, of their neighbor. Injustice is spoken against numerous times. The talebearer being allowed to continue is spoken against in Jeremiah and Ezekiel, and the blood of Naboth was stood against by his neighbors in 1 Kings 21. In these and other instances, Israel failed to honor the Lord. This ends the seventh sub-grouping of the chapter.

¹⁷ ‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.

Hating one’s brother will inevitably lead to other sins. There is no way around this. Further, if a neighbor does wrong and we refrain from rebuking him, we are prone to bear sin because of his wrongdoing against us. Both are the natural course of such things. This second precept is explicitly laid out by Jesus in Luke 17:3.

¹⁸ You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

The previous words were given to rebuke an offender. These now go further. If one rebukes, and no change takes place, the offended is still to refrain from taking vengeance, or even bearing a grudge. Offense is to flow like water off the back. These words are substantially repeated by Paul in Romans 12. And in an opposing positive to what has thus far been instructed, Israel was to go even further and love their neighbors, even as one loves himself.

The precepts of verse 17 are both explicitly violated by Absalom, son of David, in 2 Samuel 13. The commands of verse 18 are not explicitly stated as having been violated by Israel, but the Lord is said to take vengeance against them for their own infractions. In this, Israel failed to honor the Lord. This ends the eighth sub-grouping of the chapter.

¹⁹ ‘You shall keep My statutes. You shall not let your livestock breed with another kind. You shall not sow your field with mixed seed. Nor shall a garment of mixed linen and wool come upon you.

The words, “You shall keep my statutes,” look to what follows. These precepts are to be followed without fail. The first is to keep types of livestock from interbreeding. The word kilayim, or kind, is introduced here. It will be seen three times in this verse and once in Deuteronomy. Such interbreeding worked against the natural order of things established in Genesis 1. Despite not allowing interbreeding, the use of interbred animals is seen in the use of mules in the Old Testament. The first such time refers to the mules of the sons of King David.

Next, to sow fields with mixed seed would stress the soil, and it would also stress the crops – one type fighting against another. Thus, this was forbidden. And finally, no garment was to be made of both linen and wool. The words “linen and wool” are a single Hebrew word, shaatnez, which is found only here and in Deuteronomy 22:11. It means “mixed stuff.” To wear a garment of two or more materials would cause the garment to wear out unevenly. Only garments of single materials were thus to be worn. These laws each carry a moral meaning which can be summed up in New Testament verses such as –

“You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.” 1 Corinthians 10:21

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? ¹⁵ And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God.” 2 Corinthians 6:14-16

These verses in Leviticus are given to point us to the spiritual truth that we are not to mix the holy with the profane. One will always stress, and often wear out the other.

²⁰ ‘Whoever lies carnally with a woman who is betrothed to a man as a concubine, and who has not at all been redeemed nor given her freedom, for this there shall be scourging; but they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.

What is seen here is a woman who is a bondwoman who is espoused to another man. She is partly free, but still partly slave. Such an espousal would not yet be considered legally complete, and so a verdict of adultery could not be made because she was not properly married to another man. Only a scourging, but not a sentence of death could be handed out in such a case. It is debated whether the scourging was to be on the woman only, or on both. However, only the man was required to bring a trespass offering…

²¹ And he shall bring his trespass offering to the Lord, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, a ram as a trespass offering.

The woman, being the property of another, and thus having no property of her own, could not bring a trespass offering. However, the man was required to do so. The laws for the trespass offering have already been given, and so the specifics of this are not detailed now. However, the symbolism, if you recall, points directly to Christ and His work in forgiving our trespasses.

²² The priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the Lord for his sin which he has committed. And the sin which he has committed shall be forgiven him.

With this offering according to what is laid out in the law, the sins are atoned for, and thus the trespass is forgiven. Although the offense may seem highly unusual to us today, it is exactly appropriate for a society which included the ownership of slaves.

²³ ‘When you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as uncircumcised. Three years it shall be as uncircumcised to you. It shall not be eaten.

The verse here is one of blessing. First, it says, “When you come into the land.” The blessing of entering the land is implied. Next, it says, “and have planted all kinds of trees.” The blessing of possessing the land in permanence is implied. Next it says, “for food.” The blessing of productive land, land which will produce food, is implied. Then it says, “you shall count their fruit as uncircumcised.” There is the blessed assurance that the plants will bear. Next, it says, “Three years it shall be as uncircumcised to you.” The blessing of healthy trees, that the land will remain in the planter’s possession, and they will continue to bear, are all implied. The mandates here only apply to trees planted after arrival in the land. Those already established were not under this law.

In this verse, the word aral, or “to count as foreskin,” meaning uncircumcised, is seen. It will be seen just once more in Habakkuk 2:16. And so what the Hebrew reads is, “and you shall circumcise its uncircumcision. The fruit itself is considered uncircumcised, and so the blossom is to be plucked off as if circumcising it. This increases the health and strength of the plant, something known for countless generations. In this law, it would keep those who were untrained in such things from causing themselves undue harm in later years because of having weak, poorly performing trees.

²⁴ But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, a praise to the Lord.

The word hillul, or “praise” is to be seen only here and in Judges 9:27. It is a festival, or rejoicing, for the harvest. The fruit was to be considered both holy, and an offering to the Lord. The priests would certainly receive it and do with it according to the law, probably going so far as to apportion it out to the poor and needy, and so on. It may also be that the fruit could be eaten in Jerusalem at a pilgrim feast as an offering and a praise to the Lord, but it could not be commonly eaten at home at this time.

²⁵ And in the fifth year you may eat its fruit, that it may yield to you its increase: I am the Lord your God.

In the fifth year, the fruit belonged to the household, except for the tithe, which certainly applied to fruit trees as well as other produce. For two years, that tithe would be eaten in Jerusalem at a pilgrim feast, or it would be exchanged for money and the money spent at the feast. In the third year, this fruit tithe would be given away as prescribed by law. The words, “that it may yield its increase” are given as a promise that if the law was obeyed, it would bear as anticipated. As Charles Ellicott states, “So far, therefore, from being losers by waiting till the fifth year, they will actually be gainers.” This ends the ninth sub-grouping of the chapter.

²⁶ ‘You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor shall you practice divination or soothsaying.

These prohibitions are given to avoid participating in any type of heathen practices. It is more than probable that this is a special reference to magic or idolatrous rites which included the eating of blood, or meals which included blood. The second prohibition is a cause of much conjecture. The Hebrew says, lo tenakhashu. Some see the word as deriving from nakhash, or serpent, and so it is divination by serpents. Another believes it is from a word meaning, “to whisper.” And so it is mutterings and incantations.

Thirdly, it says v’lo teonenu. The word comes from anan, or “cloud,” and so it is the clouding over of an enchanter for divination, or the reading of clouds for telling good or bad fortune.

²⁷ You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard.

The word naqaph, or around, is introduced here. It is what the men of war will do when going around Jericho in order to destroy it. The cutting of the hair around the head to form a hemisphere to look like one of the three stooges was done by Arabs and other worshipers of the god Orotal. The practice is mentioned in proper translations of several verses in Jeremiah.

The second practice, that of disfiguring the edges of one’s beard, is too troubling to contemplate, so we will go on… Actually, to cut off the corners of the beard was a practice of pagans. They would take the cuttings and offer them to their gods. Though these prohibitions were stated in a now-fulfilled law, one must ask himself why they would ever want to cut their beard. It’s almost incomprehensible to consider.

²⁸ You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord.

Seret, or “cuttings” which are intended for the dead, and kethobeth qaaq, or “marks tattoos” are both introduced here. This will be the only mention of tattoos in Scripture. Both were pagan practices which defiled the body, created in the image of God. They were for superstitious reasons, and in some cases it was to honor their gods. Although not all of these practices are explicitly stated as having been violated by Israel, some of them are, such as practicing soothsaying. In these ways, Israel failed to honor the Lord. This ends the tenth sub-grouping of the chapter.

²⁹ ‘Do not prostitute your daughter, to cause her to be a harlot, lest the land fall into harlotry, and the land become full of wickedness.

This was, and in parts of the world to this day remains, a common custom. Fathers selling daughters causes the practice to increase, even to the point where the entire land becomes filled with immorality. At times, the daughters were sold into whoredom for the sake of appeasing their gods, this then led to spiritual harlotry as well. One thing always leading to another, the Lord forbade this.

³⁰ ‘You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the Lord.

The admonition here is purposeful. Instead of following the pagan practices just described, the people were to observe the weekly Sabbaths, and reverence the Lord’s sanctuary. The other practices drew their hearts away from Him; these would draw them near to Him. But, the pagan practices were often followed. Whoredom in the land, both literal and spiritual flourished, and the Lord’s sanctuary was often abandoned by the people. Israel failed to honor the Lord. This ends the eleventh sub-grouping of the chapter.

³¹ ‘Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.

Ov or “mediums,” meaning necromancers, and yiddeoni, or spiritists, meaning wizards, or conjurers, are both introduced here. Israel’s recorded history is plagued with such people coming into fashion, being expelled by good kings, and coming back into fashion under bad kings. Israel failed to honor the Lord their God through this. So ends the twelfth sub-grouping of the chapter.

³² ‘You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the Lord.

This is given as a stark contrast to those things previously mentioned. Though they were to be rejected and ignored, the gray headed was to be honored, even with great reverence. This custom was, and is, not unknown among the pagans, but it is specifically mandated here by the Lord. Some go so far as to teach rising when they pass by, and then sitting down again so that they know you rose for them. Job says, “Wisdom is with aged men, And with length of days, understanding” (Job 12:12). Old age in the Bible is considered an honorable thing which is to be rewarded with respect. This ends the thirteenth sub-grouping of the chapter.

³³ ‘And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him.

A stranger willing to dwell with the Israelites, and who was willing to submit himself to the laws and customs of the land, was not to be oppressed. Interestingly, throughout the chapter, the Lord has been speaking to all of Israel. Suddenly, He speaks to only one person, then to all again. It says, “And if a stranger dwells with you (singular) in your land (plural), do not mistreat (plural) him. The singular must be speaking of Messiah. The verse is telling Israel that if someone dwells with the Lord, who is a son of Israel, he is to be treated as one of them. An example of this would be Ruth who chose the Lord as her God. Jesus, the Messiah of the Jews, is Christ of the Gentiles.

³⁴ The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

Israel, all of Israel, came from another land. Even if they were born in the land of Israel, their forefathers were brought out of Egypt and into the land of Israel. As the Lord loved Israel and brought them into the land, and as He treated them as the rightful owners of the land, He commanded the Israelites to so treat the foreigners who dwelt among them. This command is repeated by the Lord in Ezekiel 47:22, a time after the tribulation period. The foreigners who remain at that time are to be considered as native born. However, in Ezekiel 22:7, the Israelites violated this precept. Israel failed to honor the Lord through this. This ends the fourteenth sub-grouping of the chapter.

³⁵ ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment, in measurement of length, weight, or volume.

Fair judgment was to be imparted as well. In measurements of length, weight, and volume, there was to be a set standard. This is so much so that in Scripture a right measure is noted as coming from the Lord Himself. It is He who sets the standard, and therefore, to violate that is to violate His character. And false dealings were then considered a wicked abomination. In this verse, a new word, mesurah, is given. It is where the English word measure is derived from. It specifically speaks of measure by volume. To support this verse, we next read…

³⁶ You shall have honest scales, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

The term “honest” means that these instruments and units were to be the same for buying and for selling, and they were to be based upon a set standard. The mozen, or scales, are introduced here. In Israel, they consisted of balances. They were to be honest and would prove the weights, or amounts, accordingly. The originals of these things would surely have been maintained at the sanctuary. Any cheater could be found out by comparing with the set standard. That is, unless those in the sanctuary also dealt in an underhanded manner. But this was not to be the case. The Lord brought them out of Egypt, and He expected the people to act in accord with His divine law.

It is seen in the Old Testament that Israel failed to honor the Lord their God through these weights and measures. This ends the fifteenth sub-grouping of the chapter.

*³⁷ ‘Therefore you shall observe all My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them: I am the Lord.’

It is because of the Lord’s work, His redemption, His guarantee of their inheriting the land, His promised blessings upon them, and for watching over them while they worked, and as they slept – and for countless other reasons of blessing – He told them that they were not given license to sin, but to hold to His statutes and judgments, performing them because it was right to do so. Unfortunately, and as we have seen, Israel failed to honor Yehovah in these many ways. This ends the sixteenth and final sub-grouping of the chapter.

Having shown, once again, the failings of Israel under the law, is it any wonder that the Lord sent Jesus? Without Him, there is nothing but failure on the part of man. There is the constant falling away from what is sound, holy, and also reasonable. It is in our very nature. Israel was merely selected as God’s nation to show us this. They were given the perfect land, the most marvelous of promises, and the greatest of abundance and blessing. And yet, they continuously turned from Him to the path which was unsound.

Were it not for His covenantal promise to keep them as a people, they would have been utterly swept away with the sands of time. But He did preserve them, and through them came the Savior of the world. In all of the laws we have seen today, and in all of the countless other laws which are recorded in the Law of Moses, He never violated one. Now, through Him, restoration with God is possible. The law which stood opposed to us, and which brought us condemnation, is fulfilled in Him. By a simple act of faith in that, you can be reconciled to God, and your account will be recorded as “Not guilty. This one stands justified.” I would hope that you would make the choice today to call out to this wonderful God who is so willing to forgive, that He did all the work Himself.

Closing Verse: “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. ²⁰ Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:19, 20

Next Week: In doing good, they needed to be nudged… Leviticus 20:1-27 (In These, Israel Will be Judged) (33^rd Leviticus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if you have a lifetime of sin heaped up behind you, He can wash it away and purify you completely and wholly. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Holy Behavior Towards God and Man

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying
These are the words He was then relaying

“Speak to all the congregation
Of the children of Israel
And say to them: ‘You shall be holy
For I the Lord your God am holy, so to you I tell

‘Every one of you shall revere
His mother and his father, as in this life you trod
And keep My Sabbaths
I am the Lord your God

‘Do not turn to idols
Nor for yourselves molded gods make:
I am the Lord your God
These words you shall not forsake

‘And if you offer a sacrifice
Of a peace offering to the Lord
You shall offer it of your own free will
Pay heed to this word 

It shall be eaten the same day you offer it
And on the next day too
And if any remains until the third day
It shall be burned in the fire, so you shall do

And if it is eaten at all on the third day
It is an abomination
It shall not be accepted, not in any way

Therefore everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity
Because he has profaned the hallowed offering of the Lord
And that person shall be cut off from his people
So shall it be according to this word

‘When you reap the harvest of your land
You shall not reap the corners of your field wholly
Nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest
Heed these instructions given by Me

And you shall not glean your vineyard
Nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard too
You shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the Lord your God
So these things you shall do

‘You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another
And you shall not swear by My name falsely
Nor shall you profane the name of your God:
I am the Lord, and so these things shall be

‘You shall not cheat your neighbor
Nor rob him. Pay heed to this warning
The wages of him who is hired
Shall not remain with you all night until morning 

You shall not curse the deaf
Nor put a stumbling block before the blind
But shall fear your God: I am the Lord
These things you shall keep always in your mind

‘You shall do no injustice in judgment
You shall not be partial to the poor
Nor honor the person of the mighty
In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor

You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people
———-Pay careful heed to this word
Nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor:
I am the Lord

‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart
No, you shall not be so grim
You shall surely rebuke your neighbor
And not bear sin because of him

You shall not take vengeance
Nor bear any grudge against the children of your people
———-so you have heard
But you shall love your neighbor as yourself:
I am the Lord

‘You shall keep My statutes
You shall not let your livestock breed with another kind
———–this you shall not do
You shall not sow your field with mixed seed
Nor shall a garment of mixed linen and wool come upon you

‘Whoever lies carnally with a woman
Who is betrothed to a man as a concubine, you see
And who has not at all been redeemed nor given her freedom
For this a scourging there shall be

But they shall not be put to death, you see
Because she was not free

And he shall bring
His trespass offering to the Lord
To the door of the tabernacle of meeting
A ram as a trespass offering, according to this word 

The priest shall make atonement for him
With the ram of the trespass offering, it shall be admitted
Before the Lord for his sin which he has committed
And it shall be forgiven him the sin which he has committed

‘When you come into the land
———-and have planted all kinds of trees for food
Then you shall count their fruit as uncircumcised
Three years it shall be as uncircumcised to you
It shall not be eaten, of this law please be apprised

But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy
A praise to the Lord, and therefore shall it be

And in the fifth year you may eat its fruit
That it may yield to you its increase:
I am the Lord your God
In obedience, to you there shall be peace

‘You shall not eat anything with the blood, as I am now relaying
Nor shall you practice divination or soothsaying 

You shall not shave around the sides of your head
———-which would look weird
Nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard

You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead
Nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord; do as I have said

Do not prostitute your daughter
To cause her to be a harlot, pay heed to this address
Lest the land fall into harlotry
And the land become full of wickedness

You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary:
I am the Lord; these instructions in your heart you shall carry

Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits
Do not seek after them, to be defiled by them, so I tell you
I am the Lord your God
These things you are expected to not do

You shall rise before the gray headed
So shall you do according to this word
And honor the presence of an old man
And fear your God: I am the Lord

And if a stranger dwells with you in your land
You shall not mistreat him, please understand

The stranger who dwells among you
Shall be to you as one born among you
And you shall love him as yourself
For you were strangers in the land of Egypt:
———-I am the Lord your God; so this you shall do

You shall do no injustice in judgment
In measurement of length, weight, or volume
You shall have honest scales, honest weights
An honest ephah, and an honest hin:
———-Yes, honesty in all shall you assume

I am the Lord your God
Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, as you know
‘Therefore you shall observe all My statutes and all My judgments
And perform them: I am the Lord; it shall be so

Oh impossible law, where can I go from you?
Who will from this body of death free me?
To Jesus Christ, I will go; it is what I will do
The law is a tutor to lead me to Him, and in Him I am set free

By this law, I have a consciousness of sin
How utterly sinful sin is, by it I can clearly see
By this law, I am utterly defeated; I am done in
But by faith in Jesus, He has set me free

Thank You Lord God for the giving of Your Son
Thank You that You have broken off the yoke and set me free
By faith alone I am saved; through His cross it is done
Now I can live for You, but when I fail
———-You have already forgiven me

Thank You for the perfect life of my Lord
Who fulfilled every detail of Your perfect word

Hallelujah and Amen…

Leviticus 18:1-30
In These, Israel Will be Defiled

In today’s passage, we have some requirements which did not previously apply to the people of the world. They were things which were not forbidden before the law was given. As those things are mentioned, I will cite to you the applicable examples so that you can see this.

However, there was a time when these things became unacceptable for the Lord’s people to participate in, and the reason for this is to be explained as well. And yet, one of the laws which is mandated here is actually set aside, and even mandated to be done for a certain circumstance which will also be noted.

It is a surprising thing, the law of Moses and its many commands and precepts. And without a careful, contemplative, and detailed understanding of it, one could come away thinking there were either errors or contradictions in it. But this is definitely not so. Each difficulty we have faced has been overcome through a detailed analysis of what is presented.

One truth that stands out about the law though, is that if it were not given, then sin would not be imputed for violating its precepts. This was the case with Abraham, it was the case with Jacob, it was the case with Moses’ parents, and it was the case with others along the way as well. They lived and died without sin being imputed to them for what would suddenly become offenses punishable under the law. Paul explains how this works in detail in the book of Romans. A part of that explanation forms our text verse today –

Text Verse: “For apart from the law sin was dead. ⁹ I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. ¹⁰ And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. ¹¹ For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.” Romans 7:8-11

Apart from the law, sin was dead. But then… the law. Adam was alive apart from the law. But then came… the law. It was one simple thing, but disobeying it threw the entire human race into a catastrophic whirlwind which continues to tear humanity apart to this day. There is but one remedy to the storming gale winds, and that is found in Jesus Christ.

Paul understood the torment of the introduction of law upon humanity, and he cried out for relief from the dilemma he faced. Where! Where can I turn to in order to be freed from what I face? And then He found Christ. He closes chapter 7 with wonderful words of release for us to consider –

“I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. ²² For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. ²³ But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. ²⁴ O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵ I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.” Romans 7:21-25

Sexual sin. It is something that many of us have faced. Maybe some of us still secretly face it. It is certainly something every single one of us must deal with. Perversion is plastered openly on the internet, on TV, and even in open society as we head down the roads of life. It is something terribly enticing, and yet it is even more destructive. And like all sin, it never satisfies. It simply leads us down a spiraling eddy from one level of perversion to the next.

The word is not silent on the subject, and so neither may we be silent on it. Instead, it is a theme which is prominently detailed in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Words of Law (verses 1-23)

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

The words which lie ahead are words of law, and thus Moses alone is the addressee. What will follow are words not of ritual and ceremonial pollution, but instead they concern the moral state of life in regards to holiness. So far in Leviticus, the idea of ceremonial uncleanness and its accompanying remedy has been noted. Now, begins moral uncleanness and its penalty.

Many of the laws of this chapter concern domestic purity, and thus they are laws which are appropriate for conduct even though the law of Moses is now set aside. In following them, there will be happiness and purity in the home. In not following them, discontent and moral perversion becomes evident. This is all the more true because the writers of the New Testament continue to warn against sexual immorality, and Jesus’ words on the final page of Scripture warn against it as well, stating –

“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. ¹⁵ But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.” Revelation 22:14, 15

The sexual perversion which is being thrust upon society in general, and upon the church in particular, in the recent past is wholly contrary to Christian conduct, and it is to be rejected. Sex has been ordained by God to be between a man and a woman who are united in the bonds of marriage. That is the extent of what is biblically acceptable.

From the words of this chapter, this will be made perfectly evident. The Lord sets His standards for sexual conduct in contrast to the practices of the surrounding nations who were engaged in all sorts of unnatural, perverse practices.

² “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘I am the Lord your God.

Two thoughts are to be derived from these words. The first is that what follows is intended for the entire congregation. “Speak to the children of Israel” means that all are to hear, and all are included in what follows. The words of the Lord proceed through the human lawgiver, Moses, to the ears of the entire congregation.

The second thought is found in the words, “I am the Lord your God.” This is a phrase that has been spoken only once so far in Leviticus, in 11:44. They are again being reminded that Yehovah is sovereign over them. They had agreed to the words of the covenant, they had agreed that Yehovah would be their one and only God, and they had placed themselves under His complete authority, including all things forbidden and all things commanded.

Three times in this chapter He will repeat, “I am the Lord your God,” and three times He will say, “I am the Lord.” The reminders are to call attention to the people that it is Yehovah who has directed, and His directions are in contrast to the workings of those of the other nations. This is then noted in the following words…

³ According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their ordinances.

Egypt is the land they had left; Canaan is the land they were heading to. Egypt was destroyed by the Lord upon their departure; Canaan’s destruction is promised to occur upon their arrival. The gods of those lands were thus shown to be nothing in comparison to the Lord, and the practices of the people, allowed under their gods, were not to be practiced.

The words, “nor shall you walk in their ordinances” means exactly that. To “walk” in the Bible indicates life conduct. To walk according to the ordinances of Egypt and Canaan would be to conduct their lives as these defeated nations had conducted their own lives.

As Egypt pictured the bondage of Satan, and as Israel was brought out from that bondage, they were not to return to its practices. As Canaan signifies the land in which these redeemed will dwell, even while walking in this world, so the Lord’s redeemed were not to re-engage in the practices of the world. These two thoughts – leaving Egypt and dwelling in Canaan – are seen in Paul’s words –

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, ² in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, ³ among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” Ephesians 2:1-3 (Egypt)

“But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; ⁴ neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. ⁵ For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ⁷ Therefore do not be partakers with them.” Ephesians 5:3-7 (Canaan)

⁴ You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the Lord your God.

The contrast is now set. There WAS Egypt, there WILL BE Canaan, and there IS the covenant of the Lord. This expression, “You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances” bears emphasis, and it is set in direct contrast to the “ordinances” of Egypt and Canaan. In essence, He is saying, “You shall observe ONLY my judgments and keep ONLY my ordinances.”

The mishpat, or judgments, are an extension of His justice. They are right, and they are intended for the good of the people. The khuqqah, or ordinances, are those things prescribed by the Lord as fixed patterns of conduct for right living and proper order.

With the observance of these determined, He again repeats the reason for this, “I am the Lord your God.” “I am Yehovah, and I am your God. Your walk will be as I direct because I have brought you out of Egypt, and we have covenanted together that you will walk in obedience to My precepts henceforward.” And there is a good and blessed reason for this…

⁵ You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.

If Leviticus 11:44 contains the central theme of the book of Leviticus, “…you shall be holy; for I am holy,” Leviticus 18:5 certainly contains the main logical reason for this, and the promised outcome for walking in holiness. It is such an important verse, that it is incorporated into the thought of Genesis 2 & 3, and it is substantially repeated several times in both the Old and New Testaments. In Genesis 2, the Lord gave a command which promised death if disobeyed. The implication then is that life would result through obedience –

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; ¹⁷ but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:16, 17

In Genesis 3, because of man’s disobedience to the Lord’s law, access to the tree of life, by which man could live forever, was denied. Death entered the world. Now a promise is made that through obedience to this law, the man shall live. Many scholars pass this off as meaning “live happily,” have a “higher life,” possess “true life,” etc. This is not at all what is being relayed here. It is a promise that if a man keeps the requirements of the law, he will live and not die. On the flip side, if one does not keep the requirements of the law, he will die and not live.

The Lord is dwelling there in their presence. Access to Him is restricted because of the sin-nature of man, but also because of the law itself. But in fulfillment of the law, access would naturally be granted once again. It could not be otherwise. The law is given to give life. If life is promised, then it must be granted.

If one doesn’t die, then he continues to live. If he lives forever, then he has eternal life. This is the implication of the words, and it is solidified by the use of a definite article in front of the word “man.” It doesn’t say “if a man does.” It says, “if the man does.” Be sure to correct your Bible. This verse is looking forward to Christ – The Man who, in fact, did keep the ordinances and judgments of Yehovah, and He thus possesses eternal life.

This is exactingly explained in the book of Romans, but elsewhere in the New Testament as well. Christ fulfilled the law, and thus the law is fulfilled. In Him, life is granted. If you are looking for access to restored paradise, and to the Tree of Life, you need look no further than Jesus Christ. He is “The Man who did.”

Nehemiah 9:29 refers to this verse after the people’s return from the punishment of exile. Ezekiel 20 repeats this verse three times showing that failure to keep the Lord’s law is what resulted in that punishment. Paul then cites this same verse twice, in Romans 10:5, and in Galatians 3:12 to show that Christ, who fulfilled the Law of Moses, is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes in Him. It is faith in His completion of this law that grants eternal life. He did the work, we must do the believing.

And so now, with the promise of life made, the laws of the Lord which began in earnest in Exodus 20 with the giving of the Ten Commandments now continues here once again. As I said earlier, the laws which follow are moral in nature. In obeying what is stated, either as a command under the Law of Moses, or a precept of holy living in the New Covenant, many troubles will be avoided.

⁶ ‘None of you shall approach anyone who is near of kin to him, to uncover his nakedness: I am the Lord.

The Hebrew uses two words which essentially both mean “flesh.” None of you shall approach anyone who is sheer besaro, or flesh of his flesh. Although nearly synonyms, the first is certainly flesh as in nearness – I am of the same flesh as my father. The second word is flesh in substance – We are all made of human flesh. The prohibitions here are based on the first word sheer. Sexual relations, stated by the term “uncover nakedness,” in near family relations is prohibited.

It has to be noted that this was not something that could have been implemented at the beginning. When the human race was getting started, or when it was expanding after the flood, it was necessary for kin to be intimate. Even Abraham married his own half sister.

However, the Lord is now mandating this for His people in order to ensure proper functioning of the family unit, and strengthening of the greater societal structure as well. In the family, a brother cannot perform the role of both a brother and a husband in the most effective manner. A mother could not be a mother and a wife to the same man and perform both roles effectively.

In society, a strengthening of families occurs when a man and a woman join together. There is a new unity which strengthens the overall community in such marriages. The Lord’s intent is for the protection and strengthening of both. To ensure that they realize this is from His wisdom and at His direction, he then once again states His name, ani Yehovah, I am Yehovah. From here, three classes of forbidden intimacy are given, 1) relations through blood; 2) direct relations by affinity; and 3) indirect relations by affinity.

⁷ The nakedness of your father or the nakedness of your mother you shall not uncover. She is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness.

The word “or” here is not correct. The second sentence explains the first. It should say, “The nakedness of your father, and the nakedness of your mother, you shall not uncover.” As the father and mother are one flesh due to their union, a son sleeping with his mother would then uncover both her nakedness and the father’s. This then is further defined by the next verse…

⁸ The nakedness of your father’s wife you shall not uncover; it is your father’s nakedness.

A man is not to have sex with his father’s wife, even if she is not the person’s mother. This would then also uncover the father’s nakedness. It is something that actually occurred when Reuben, the eldest of Jacob, slept with Bilhah, his father’s concubine. Absalom also slept with his father David’s concubines in 2 Samuel 16. It also occurred in the early church as is recorded in 1 Corinthians 5. Paul fully condemned this occurrence.

⁹ The nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home or elsewhere, their nakedness you shall not uncover.

Intimacy with either a whole sister or a half sister is forbidden. This particular law was violated by Amnon, the son of David, when he went into his half sister Tamar in 2 Samuel 13.

¹⁰ The nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, their nakedness you shall not uncover; for theirs is your own nakedness.

Intimacy between a man and his granddaughter is forbidden. Interestingly, nothing is said of a man and his daughter as was the case with a son and his mother. Some believe that was a part of this verse and that it was accidentally dropped from the original, but that is only scholarly guessing and there is no evidence of that.

¹¹ The nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, begotten by your father—she is your sister—you shall not uncover her nakedness.

This verse is actually rather complicated. If it is as the English reads, then it is simply a repetition of what was said in verse 9. That would make it superfluous. One opinion is that verse 9 is speaking of the son by a second marriage, but this verse is speaking of a son by a first marriage.

A second opinion is that an error has crept into the text in verse 9 and so that is speaking of a full sister, whereas this is speaking of a half-sister. A third option is that this is referring to a Levirate marriage where a man performs the duty of rearing up a child for a deceased brother. This is outlined in Deuteronomy 25:5.

If such a relationship occurred, the two families would be near kindred, and marrying the daughter of a woman who had been given a child by the son’s father would then violate that near-family relationship. That seems the most likely. I am not a favor of claiming textual error just because a verse is difficult. It is an easy way out of complicated matters. In the end, the nearness of the relationship is what is being spoken of here.

¹² You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is near of kin to your father.

One was not to have intimacy with one’s paternal aunt. Having said that, Moses himself was the product of such a relationship. His father married his aunt, and Aaron, Moses, and Miriam were born to this union. Thus, one can see that this particular law is a divine statue rather than a natural moral law. This is evident because no prohibition is extended to one’s niece. Rather, it was an accepted practice in Israel for a person to marry one’s niece, such as when Othniel married his niece Achsah in Joshua 15.

¹³ You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is near of kin to your mother.

As with the previous verse concerning the father’s sister, a man was likewise forbidden to be intimate with his mother’s sister.

¹⁴ You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother. You shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt.

Some interpret the first sentence to mean that a man was not to commit sodomy with his uncle. That is not at all what this is speaking of. Sodomy was forbidden in all cases and at all times. It is a perversion of natural order in all circumstances. Rather, the second sentence explains the first. By having intimate relations with a wife of an uncle, a person uncovered the uncle’s nakedness.

¹⁵ You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law—she is your son’s wife—you shall not uncover her nakedness.

In Leviticus 20:12, the penalty for this is death for both offenders. It uses there a word, tevel, which is found only there and in verse 23 of this chapter when speaking of bestiality. It indicates “confusion.” For a man to sleep with his son’s wife is a confusion of the natural order. In Ezekiel 22:11, it is shown that this abominable practice was not unknown among the Israelites.

¹⁶ You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness.

This must be taken in the proper context of the Israelite society. If a brother died, and the wife had no children, the brother was under obligation by the law to go into the widow in order that she might bear a child in her dead husband’s name. The instructions for this are found in Deuteronomy 25. However, this was an exception mandated by the Lord to preserve the line. Any other intimacy would pervert the line. This law was broken by Herod Antipas who took his brother’s wife as his own in Matthew 14.

¹⁷ You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, nor shall you take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness. They are near of kin to her. It is wickedness.

If a man married a woman who already had children, he could not afterward be intimate with either her daughter or one of her granddaughters – either through a son or a daughter. As they were of the same flesh as her, such was considered wickedness. The word used to describe it is a new one in Scripture, zimah. It comes from zamah, meaning to plan. Thus, this is an especially bad plan, even a scheme of mischief.

¹⁸ Nor shall you take a woman as a rival to her sister, to uncover her nakedness while the other is alive.

This prohibition stands only during the life of the wife. Should she die, then a man might marry the sister, but not while the wife was alive. The reason for this is because polygamy was acceptable under the law of Moses, and it is something not forbidden under the New Covenant except for anyone who is an elder or deacon within the church. Other than those two exceptions, Paul never comments on such a matter. He let society determine the rules of marriage in that regard. But though polygamy was acceptable in Israel, it did not include marriage of two sisters. The lesson of Leah and Rachel proved to them that only enmity could result. Thus the Lord uses the term tsarar, or adversary, to describe the matter.

¹⁹ ‘Also you shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness as long as she is in her customary impurity.

No intimacy was to occur during the time of a woman’s period. Ezekiel notes this as one of the crimes of the people of Israel which led to exile.

²⁰ Moreover you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife, to defile yourself with her.

Here a word is introduced to ensure no mistakes were made. It is shekobeth. It means specifically intercourse. Thus this is an explicit description of a violation of the seventh commandment concerning adultery. Violations of this precept are recorded in both testaments.

²¹ And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.

u-mizarkha lo titen l’ha’abir la’molekh – “And your seed no give to pass over to Molech.” The Hebrew word translated as “descendant” here is zara, it simply means “seed.” The words, “the fire” are inserted by the translators.

This is the first mention of the Ammonite god Molech. The name simply means “king.” What this verse is speaking of isn’t as easy to determine as one might think. As the word “seed” is used, and as the term “the fire” is inserted, one must go forward in Scripture to assume that this means burning one’s children as an offering to Molech.

Further, it would then be a giant departure from the tone of the entire chapter, which is speaking of sexual intimacy. Therefore, this is probably speaking of a perverse offering of intimacy to the idol Molech where the man’s semen is made an offering, either to a prostitute of Molech, or to the idol itself. This type of sexual intimacy is still practiced by both sexes in cultures of the world today. Later, in Scripture, offerings to Molech by Israel will actually take on the form of human sacrifice through fire.

Whatever the practice is, whether sexual perversion, or actually burning a literal descendant, it is spoken against in the sternest manner by saying, “…nor shall you profane the name of your God.” By making an offering to Molech, the name of Yehovah would be profaned. Thus He ends with ani Yehovah, “I am Yehovah.” Molech is a false king, Yehovah is their true King.

²² You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.

Though this is a precept of the law of Moses, it is also something which is shown to be perverse both before the law of Moses, and which is considered as such in the New Testament as well. Despite modern teaching by many apostate churches, this is, and it continues to be, a vile practice which is wholly incompatible with proper human sexuality, and the commands of both testaments. The same is true with the next verse…

²³ Nor shall you mate with any animal, to defile yourself with it. Nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it. It is perversion.

As I said above, this is the first of two uses of tevel, or confusion, in Scripture. In this practice, there is an unnatural mixing, or confusing of the order which God created and ordained. As will later be seen, such infractions were punishable by death. It is contrary to holiness and normalcy, and so it is forbidden to be practiced by the Lord’s people. For now, it is warned against because it was something known to have been practiced in Egypt, and it was an abomination that would be seen in Canaan.

Lord God, Your word is written, Old Testament and New
And the words are clear concerning sexual sin
There is intimacy we may enjoy, and other things we may not do
One will bring us life; by the other we are done in

But the lines are blurred, even in our church today
People call evil that which is right and good
And that which is perverse is given a resounding “It’s OK!”
How can something so clear be so hugely misunderstood?

Lord God, keep us from sexual immorality which does defile
Keep us on the narrow path where life and health is found
In paying heed to your word, we shall receive a welcome smile
And in Your presence joy and peace shall evermore abound

Lead us, O God, be near and watch over us
We come to You, O Father, through our Lord Jesus

II. Words of Warning (verses 24-30)

²⁴ ‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things;

The chapter began with five verses of preamble, admonishing the people to pay heed to the instructions of the Lord. The chapter now ends with seven verses of warning concerning what has been presented. If the warnings are not heeded, the expected punishments for disobedience are also given.

^{24 (con’t)} for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you.

The Lord refers to exactly this in 2 Chronicles 33 in reference to Manasseh, King of Judah. Take time to read that today. For now, in Genesis 15, the Lord spoke these words to Abraham –

“But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” Genesis 15:16

The time has come. The longsuffering of the Lord towards the people of Canaan has ended, the land has become utterly defiled, and now after over 430 years there will be a change in ownership. Here he sets a direct challenge to the people. He uses the same word here concerning the defilement of these other people which he had just used in warning to them – “Do not defile yourselves” / “by all these, the nations are defiled.”

The promise to Abraham will be fulfilled, certainly and speedily. The Lord has spoken that He will cast out the land’s inhabitants before His chosen nation. But the warning is first given.

²⁵ For the land is defiled;

Again, the same word tame, or defiled, is used. Not only are the people defiled, but the land itself is defiled. Therefore, from the land itself, a reaction necessarily results…

^{25  (con’t)} therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants.

When man fell, creation fell. When man’s final restoration comes, so there will be restoration in creation. The land is subject to the moral conduct of the land’s inhabitants. This is expressly stated to Israel elsewhere. When they live properly and according to the law of the Lord, the land will yield its blessings. When they live improperly, the land will suffer the divine visitation of the Lord. So much so that it will vomit out its inhabitants.

This is now the first time that qo, or vomit, is used in Scripture. It will be seen only 8 times, but 3 of them will be in this chapter. In this, the land is personified. It will respond to the Lord’s divine visitation and do so by vomiting out its miserable inhabitants as if they were a stomach virus or putrid food.

²⁶ You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations, either any of your own nation or any stranger who dwells among you

It has been expressly stated that the people and the land are defiled because of their abominable practices. The Lord has likewise told them that they are to keep his ordinances and judgments in order to keep from defilement. The implication here is that if they do, they will not be cast out of the land as those there now will be.

However, these laws apply not only to them, but to anyone who dwells among them. Should they fail in this, then the land will continue to be defiled, and it will again vomit out the offenders. Divine judgment will fall regardless of how the righteous live. If the unrighteous are in the land, it can be expected. This was true at Noah’s time, it was true in the first exile of Israel, and it was true in their second exile. It has proven true in nation upon nation as well.

²⁷ (for all these abominations the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled),

The thought in this verse is quite similar to verses 24 & 25, but there the admonition was for the Israelites to not do what was done by the present inhabitants of the land and thus defile themselves and the land. Here the inhabitants of the land are specifically said to have committed these abominations, thus defiling the land. The reason is important, and is explicitly explained next…

²⁸ lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you.

This is now the eighth time in this chapter that the term “defile” is used. Israel can, and would, become just as defiled as the people of Canaan if they didn’t pay heed to the warnings now given. And the land could, and would, vomit them out just as the present inhabitants were to be vomited out. The Lord is making no distinction between them and the people of Canaan here. Instead, He is highlighting the similarity between the two.

Further, the idea of them being vomited out actually accentuates the situation in comparison to Adam’s expulsion from Eden. There he was driven from Eden, but here the Israelites would be more violently vomited out of their own promised land.

²⁹ For whoever commits any of these abominations, the persons who commit them shall be cut off from among their people.

This verse refers to all people individually. In order to keep the community free from defilement, and in order to maintain their status in the land, and to not be vomited out as promised, those who commit any of the infractions mentioned in this chapter were to be cut off from among the people. As will be shown later, some were to be stoned to death, some would face divine judgment, but all were to be excommunicated from the community and driven out from among the people.

*³⁰ ‘Therefore you shall keep My ordinance, so that you do not commit any of these abominable customs which were committed before you, and that you do not defile yourselves by them: I am the Lord your God.’”

The word translated here as “ordinance” is mishmereth. It should be translated as “watch” or “charge.” The people of Israel are being told to stay awake, be alert, and not allow themselves to fall into error by failing to be attentive to the Lord’s charge. This then is a summary of all that has been said. In keeping the Lord’s watch, they will not allow corrupt people to come in stealthily and infect the whole.

This in turn would keep them from being defiled, and this in turn would keep them as a nation from being vomited out of the land. One thing will inevitably lead to the next. In the end, without attentiveness, there will be only defilement leading to disaster. And disaster is certain if defilement occurs.

The final words, ani Yehovah elohekem, “I (am) Yehovah your God,” are the same words which introduced the section to the ears of the people of Israel. Now they close out the same section. They are a signature of finality. The Lord is present, He is watching, and so the people are likewise to watch. The choice is theirs, but the laws are His. When the two conflict, Israel will be on the losing end of the deal.

Though this passage, like many more to follow in the near future, are somewhat lacking in Christological pictures, Christ is there nonetheless. He is there as THE MAN who did fulfill this law. He is THE MAN who then accepted the punishment for all violations under this law for those who would be willing to trust Him with their eternal souls. He is THE MAN who then died under this law which He fulfilled, taking it to the cross with Him. Thus the law died with Him. And He is THE MAN who rose again in order to justify those who have trusted Him.

But the Lord has not stopped calling us to holiness. The same idea of sexual purity in Israel is also expected in the church. Though the Law of Moses is annulled through His work, His moral standards are set, and they are repeated in the writings of the apostles.

Land was defiled by people both before the law came into effect, and it was defiled by those under the law. The land continues to be defiled by the same perverse acts today. And the worst part of the matter is that the church has begun to take the lead in both accepting and even promoting these vile actions of sexual impurity. And this brings us to the final use of “vomit” in Scripture. It is in Revelation 3, to the church at Laodicea. Let’s read that now (go read Revelation 3:14-22).

Not just localized lands, but the entire earth, has become defiled. The true and faithful church has retreated to almost a remnant in comparison to the false, wicked group who claim they are a part of the body. Judgment cannot be far off, but until it comes, we must do our part to maintain purity within the churches we attend.

We must provide the world with a view as to what they are doing wrong, so that when we are gone, they will have some sense of what is also expected of them. They must turn to the Lord, refuse the mark of the beast, and be willing to give their own lives up in order to gain what is true and eternal life.

But we would hope and pray that any listening to this message now would be wise enough to turn and call out to Christ, even before that time of worldwide judgment arrives. Christ Jesus is the answer, and He can bring your heart, defiled by sin, to a right state once again. But first you must call out to Him. Make today the day.

Closing Verse: “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife! ² And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. ³ For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. ⁴ In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁵ deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” 1 Corinthians 5:1-5

Next Week: Leviticus 19:1-37 Lots of people should have been stoned or jailed… (In This, Israel Failed) (32^nd Leviticus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if you have a lifetime of sin heaped up behind you, He can wash it away and purify you completely and wholly. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Laws of Physical Intimacy

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying
These are the words He was then relaying 

“Speak to the children of Israel
And say to them; as I now proclaim:
‘I am the Lord your God
So you shall pay heed to My name 

According to the doings of the land of Egypt
Where you dwelt, you shall not do
And according to the doings of the land of Canaan
Where I am bringing you, you shall not do such too

Nor shall you walk in their ordinances
You shall observe My judgments, and My ordinances keep
To walk in them: I am the Lord your God
Is it blessings or curses you wish to reap? 

You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments
Which if a man does, he shall by them live
I am the Lord
And these instructions to you I now give

‘None of you shall approach anyone
Who is near of kin to him, so I now say
To uncover his nakedness
I am the Lord; you shall not act in this way 

The nakedness of your father
Or the nakedness of your mother
You shall not uncover
She is your mother; her nakedness you shall not uncover 

The nakedness of your father’s wife
You shall not uncover
It is your father’s nakedness
It is his and not for another

The nakedness of your sister
The daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother
Whether born at home or elsewhere
Their nakedness you shall not uncover 

The nakedness of your son’s daughter
Or your daughter’s daughter, as to you I address
Their nakedness you shall not uncover
For theirs is your own nakedness 

The nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter
Begotten by your father; heed the words I express
She is your sister
You shall not uncover her nakedness 

You shall not uncover the nakedness
Of your father’s sister as you know
She is near of kin to your father
Near her you shall not go

You shall not uncover the nakedness
Of your mother’s sister as well
For she is near of kin to your mother
Pay heed to the words I now tell 

You shall not uncover the nakedness
Of your father’s brother also
You shall not approach his wife
She is your aunt; near her you shall not go 

You shall not uncover the nakedness
Of your daughter-in-law; heed this address
She is your son’s wife
You shall not uncover her nakedness 

You shall not uncover the nakedness
Of your brother’s wife; this you shall not do
It is your brother’s nakedness
Pay careful heed to the words I instruct to you

You shall not uncover the nakedness
Of a woman and her daughter; refrain from this
Nor shall you take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter
Such a thing is truly amiss

To uncover her nakedness, as I to you address
They are near of kin to her; it is wickedness

Nor shall you take a woman
As a rival to her sister; such a thing you shall not do
To uncover her nakedness while the other is alive
Pay heed to the words that I instruct to you

‘Also you shall not approach a woman
To uncover her nakedness
As long as she is in her customary impurity
This shall not be done as to you I so express 

Moreover you shall not lie carnally
With your neighbor’s wife, this you shall not do
To defile yourself with her
To your neighbor you shall be faithful and true 

And you shall not let any of your descendants
Pass through the fire to Molech, according to my word
Nor shall you profane the name of your God
I am the Lord 

You shall not lie with a male as with a woman, my holy nation
It is an abomination 

Nor shall you mate with any animal
To defile yourself with it
Nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it
It is perversion, as to you I now submit

‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things
For by all these are defiled the nations
Which I am casting out before you
For committing these abominations 

For the land is defiled
Therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it
And the land vomits out its inhabitants
For the perversions they did commit

You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments
And shall not commit any of these abominations; you shall not do
Either any of your own nation
Or any stranger who dwells among you 

(For all these abominations
The men of the land have done, so to you I say
Who were before you
And thus the land is defiled to this very day) 

Lest the land vomit you out also
When you defile it, if these things you do
As it vomited out the nations
That were before you 

For whoever commits any of these abominations
The persons who commit them, such I will repay
Shall be cut off from among their people
Pay careful heed to all I say

‘Therefore you shall keep My ordinance
So that you do not any of these abominable customs commit
Which were committed before you
And that you do not defile yourselves by them, so I now submit

I am the Lord your God
You shall in holiness before me trod

Yes, it is so. You are the Lord our God
And to You we owe all heart and soul
You have brought us from the wayward path we trod
And have instructed us in a life of self-control

We were defiled by sin, even sin of the flesh
We had walked in a manner contrary and impure
With the world’s ways, our lives we did enmesh
Judgment was looming, but then came the cure

You sent Jesus to cleanse us from sin and defilement
He fulfilled the law, and then offered Himself for us
Upon His cross, all Your wrath was spent
Thank You, O God, for our Lord Jesus

For Him and through Him we shall give you all our praise
And we shall do so evermore! Even for eternal days

Hallelujah and Amen…

Leviticus 17:1-16
The Sanctity of the Blood

Some years ago, Louie Giglio, did a now very famous sermon on the substance known as laminin. The technical definition of laminin is that it “is the most abundant glycoprotein molecule found in basement membrane, [it] has multiple functions in eukaryotic tissues. It serves to attach epithelial cells to basement membrane, aids development and migration of specific cell types in growth and maturation, and has been implicated in tumor metastasis and some types of infection.” (PubMed)

In essence it could be equated to a glue for holding cells to a foundation of connective tissue in the body of animal life, including humans. This glue then ensures proper functioning of the cells. And… it has a shape amazingly similar to the Christian cross.

That was all Louie needed to whip together the wonderfully inspiring sermon that was based on this substance. His conclusion is that it confirms Colossians 1:17. That speaks of Jesus and says, “And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”

The word “consist” there is translated by the NIV as “hold together.” It is an uplifting sermon, and one will go away from it feeling much better about life because it is, after all, a life application sermon. There is nothing wrong with this for the most part, but we need to remember that the truth of the Bible isn’t based on the shape, or lack of shape, of anything in the human body.

Nor is it dependent on anything else which is unknown to be true. In other words, until Louie Giglio did the sermon, the truth of the Bible was never in question because of there being laminin, or there being no such thing as laminin. One could say that the Bible is confirmed as true because a substance (we will call it Trinitarium) is discovered inside atoms which is the basis for all generated power, and which is shaped like the Trinity model used by seminaries to explain the relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This then would logically and completely confirm Romans 1:20 which speaks of God’s eternal power and Godhead, wouldn’t it. Well, as no such thing is yet discovered, then that would imply that Romans 1:20 isn’t yet true, and it won’t be true until we find Trinitarium. I really hope we find it soon…

Text Verse: “For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, ²⁰ and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.” Colossians 1:19, 20

I’m not into life application sermons, and other than the intro to sermons, I don’t like to get far from the word, unless it is to demean my own physical appearance, or to make note of how exceptionally lovely my wife and this congregation are. The Bible doesn’t need me to make stuff up in order for it to be sound, reasonable, and self-confirming.

We’ve been through so many internal confirmations of Scripture in the past, that – really and honestly – only a fool would say, “This book has no merit at all.” As a text verse, I shied away from Louie’s Colossians 1:17, and I went right to the heart of the matter. The truth of the cross isn’t found in something that looks like the cross, be it laminin or an Egyptian Ankh, or any other random or purposeful fabrication of something.

Rather, the truth of the cross is found in what it symbolizes – reconciliation between God and man. One can logically determine what God’s divine attributes are. He can then logically determine that there is no peace with God because in order to make nice with one attribute, He would have to violate another one of His attributes. In other words, there is a tension which exists between God and man which cannot be resolved apart from what God has done in Jesus Christ. This is logically so. Everything about God is logical, it is orderly, and it results in inescapable truths.

The resolution to this tension exists, it cannot be resolved by us, and yet it can be resolved. God tells us how, and then he shows us what that resolution actually looks like. Laminin bears an uncanny resemblance to it, but my hope in what God has done is not based on something as dubious as that. My hope, and what should be your hope too, is based on the cross of Jesus Christ, and the blood which was shed there.

There is sanctity in the blood, there is power in the blood, and the blood itself makes atonement through the soul that is in it. What that means will be explained to you in our verses today. They are verses which, as always, point us to the Person and work of Jesus Christ. It’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Blood at the Altar of the Lord (verses 1-7)

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

Chapter 17 begins the second major section of the book of Leviticus. The first major section went from chapter 1 to chapter 16. As we saw, it covered mostly laws for sacrifice and for purification, all of which culminated in, and were highlighted by, the laws for the Day of Atonement in Chapter 16.

This second major section will go from chapter 17 to the end of the book in chapter 27. For the most part, these chapters will look to the process of sanctification in the lives of the people. The regulations to be laid down will govern common, everyday life. They are intended to instill in the people holiness as they live in the Lord’s presence. This section will be highlighted in the instructions for the sabbatical years and the year of jubilee.

These eleven final chapters, which form this major section, are subdivided starting with Chapters 17-20 which deal in matters concerning the general holiness of the people. In these chapters, a great distinction between Israel and the heathen people of Canaan is made. In essence, “They do evil things, but you are to conduct yourselves in holiness.”

Chapters 21 & 22 deal with holiness in relation to the priests and their offerings. Chapters 23-25 mostly cover the feasts of the Lord, and the years of Sabbath and Jubilee, but which also cover a few other important points. Chapter 26 bears words spoken in the first person to the people of Israel by the Lord. Those words define the anticipated blessings and curses which will come to pass based on their conduct as His chosen people. And finally, Chapter 27 will cover vows which are made by the people.

It is Moses who is first addressed in opening this section. As the designated lawgiver, the Lord speaks directly to him, but with words which then follow on to the entire congregation, as is noted in the next words…

² “Speak to Aaron,

Words for the mediator of the covenant; for the high priest who will oversee the covenant; and for the one who is to render judgments in accord with that office of overseer.

^2 (con’t) to his sons,

Words for the priests who will perform the regular duties of the priesthood, including whatever son of Aaron who will eventually assume the position as high priest.

^2 (con’t) and to all the children of Israel,

This is the first time that this specific phrase is made. What Moses is commanded includes words for the entire congregation as well. In designating these three categories in one sentence, the requirements are for all alike. In essence, the priestly class, including the high priest himself, are placed on the same level as any other in the congregation. The words are binding on all without distinction. Though the priests may administer the law for the people, they are equally bound to every precept of the law.

^2 (con’t) and say to them, ‘This is the thing which the Lord has commanded, saying:

The words are from the mouth of the Lord, having passed through Moses the lawgiver, and which are now to be presented to the entire congregation without distinction. As the instructions for the Day of Atonement were just given, these words must be taken in relation to that. Laws are forthcoming which will actually necessitate that most solemn annual occurrence to be conducted. The stern hand of the law will be made known, but the provision of grace for ignorant violations of the law has already been revealed.

³ “Whatever man of the house of Israel who kills an ox or lamb or goat in the camp, or who kills it outside the camp,

The meaning of the words of the thought now being presented are widely debated. For now, and concerning just verse 3, instructions are being given concerning the slaughtering of an ox, lamb, or goat – either inside or outside of the camp.

The word used for “kills” is shakhat, meaning “to slaughter,” but it is not necessarily a sacrifice. It is simply the killing of an animal. The word for “camp” means just that. In this case, it is the camp of people currently traveling on their way to Canaan. It is used when the people are in the land of Canaan when designating a camp of people who are prepared for battle, but it is not a word used to speak of the entire nation of Israel in the land of Canaan. Understanding these words will help clear up scholarly confusion.

⁴ and does not bring it to the door of the tabernacle of meeting to offer an offering to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord,

While Israel is in the camp which surrounds the tabernacle, and until the time they would come to the land of Canaan and begin to live in cities, it was required that these sacrificial type animals were to be slaughtered as an offering to the Lord.

Some scholars say that this means that “when” they are slaughtered as sacrifices this was the case, but if they were simply killed for food, this was not the case. Thus, it would be ensuring that sacrifices were only made to the Lord, and only at His temple. This is not correct. The law, rather, is for any of these animals, regardless of whether it is a sacrifice or merely for food. It was to first be offered as an offering to the Lord. This is certain because of the word used which simply means “to slaughter.”

However and despite this, the implication is that the animal – regardless if it was only meant to be eaten – was considered as a sacrifice by the people. As they were not in a habitable land, any slaughter of such an animal would be considered a rarity. They were fed with manna, and there was no actual need to slaughter such an animal, and so any such slaughtering would be considered as a sacrifice by the one slaughtering it. Therefore, it had to be first offered to the Lord.

^4 (con’t) the guilt of bloodshed shall be imputed to that man.

Because of the implied use of such an animal as a sacrifice, a person would be guilty of bloodshed if it was not presented first to the Lord. This is actually seen when speaking of the people in Isaiah’s time, where first the term shakhat, or “slaughter” is used, and then the term zabakh, or “sacrifice” is then used –

“He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man;
He who sacrifices a lamb, as if he breaks a dog’s neck;” Isaiah 66:3

^4 (con’t) He has shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people,

If anyone so slaughtered an animal without first offering it to the Lord, then the guilt of bloodshed was upon him, and he was to be cut off. In this case, “cut off” means death. If a person was guilty of bloodshed, implying the blood of a man, the penalty was death.

But the question is, “Why would slaughtering an animal in this way bring on blood guilt?” The answer is that an animal sacrifice is typical of the one, final sacrifice of Christ. To kill an animal as a sacrifice, but not present it to the Lord, would be a denial that only Christ’s blood is sufficient to save.

The Israelites were just coming out of Egypt where they had participated in the religious worship of the Egyptians. They were now to have those false systems of worship purged from their lives, and to only make offerings to the Lord. In failing to do so, they would be denying the Lord who redeemed them, and that their redemption is only fully realized in the coming of Christ.

In the section of Leviticus which concerned dietary laws, the question of “what” could be eaten was defined. Here in this chapter, the question of “how” something could be eaten is now defined. This is the first of such instructions, pointing directly to the coming Person and work of Christ.

⁵ to the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they offer in the open field, that they may bring them to the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, to the priest, and offer them as peace offerings to the Lord.

This verse explains the difficulties of verse 4. The word zebakh, or “sacrifice” is now used. In fact, it is used four times in this verse. It first says, “that they may bring their sacrifices which they sacrifice.” Then at the end, it repeats itself saying, “and sacrifice sacrifices.”

Any slaughtering of such an animal, whether it was actually intended as a sacrifice or not, was deemed as such by the Lord. He has provided manna, and He will provide meat for the people as well, and so their needs are met. Anything beyond that is to be deemed by the Lord as a sacrifice, regardless of its end use in the minds of the people. Therefore, they are now to be fully considered as sacrifices, requiring priestly rites.

In this verse, there is a contrast between the “the open field,” and “The door of the tabernacle of meeting.” The words in Hebrew are pene ha’sadeh, and petakh ohel moed. One is literally, “the face of the field.” The other is “door tent of meeting.” The reason for this contrast will be explained in verse 7. In the case of these sacrifices, they were to be brought to the tent door, to the priest, and offered as “peace” or “fellowship” offerings to the Lord.

If you remember, it is an offering where there is a mutual sharing between the Lord and His people, just as in our Lord’s Supper today. Thus, this peace offering is, in type and picture, an anticipatory look ahead to what we now look back on –

“For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; ²⁴ and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” ²⁵ In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

²⁶ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

These peace offerings were an anticipatory commemoration of the body and blood of Christ. They were proclaiming the Lord’s death till He came; we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes again.

⁶ And the priest shall sprinkle the blood on the altar of the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and burn the fat for a sweet aroma to the Lord.

This is describing the part of the peace offering which is for the Lord. Without giving all of the types and pictures of Christ which were minutely detailed in Chapter 3, it is enough to say that the blood is typical of Christ’s blood, and the fat – of which there are specific parts mandated solely to the Lord, picture the most intimates aspects of Christ. They are the essence of who He is. These were returned to the Lord.

The word “sprinkle” for what is done with the blood is incorrect. It was cast, or splashed, upon the altar, not sprinkled. It is to signify a complete surrender of Christ’s will to the Lord. Along with the casting of the blood, the fat – the essence of Christ the Man – was to be burned to the Lord as a fragrant offering, a sweet aroma to the Lord. It is Christ upon the altar as Paul notes –

“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. ² And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Ephesians 5:1, 2

Further, this is now the third time that the pethakh, or “door” of the tent of meeting is mentioned in three verses. But this time is is used in conjunction with mizbakh Yehovah, or “altar (of) Yehovah.” It is the altar of sacrifice which is set before the door. The sacrifice at the altar is what symbolically allows access through the door.

Here we have three specific pictures of Christ. He is the Altar of the Lord; He is the Sacrifice; and He is the Door. Along with these are the many other references – the blood, the splashing of the blood, the tent of meeting, etc. Each and every one of them is directing us to Christ Jesus.

⁷ They shall no more offer their sacrifices to demons, after whom they have played the harlot.

The public “altar of Yehovah” of verse 6 is named as a direct contrast to the many private altars which were used by the people when they offered to the seirim, or goats, signifying “demons.” The word saiyr, or “goat,” literally means “hairy goat.” It is the same animal which was used in Chapter 16, and presented before the Lord for selection by lot, one for the Lord, and one for Azazel.

What this is telling us, is that Israel had been sacrificing to demons in the open fields. This was to the Lord a form of harlotry. Just as a person leaves their spouse and goes into a harlot for intimacy, thus denying the spouse their marital rights, so Israel had gone to these demons for intimate worship, denying the Lord His rights as their betrothed Husband.

The word “harlot” here however, certainly carries a double force to it. When sacrifices were made to demons, it also carried with it the idea of pagan revelry and licentiousness. This was seen in the incident of the golden calf.

The open spaces are contrasted to the altar of the Lord. Private sacrifice to the demons is contrasted to public sacrifice to the Lord. Intimate perverse conduct, is contrasted to intimate holiness and fellowship. What had been was no longer to be allowed. There can be no fellowship between the Lord and demons. Paul explains –

“Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? ¹⁹ What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? ²⁰ Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. ²¹ You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. ²² Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?” 1 Corinthians 10:18-22

^{7  (con’t)} This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations.”’

The meaning of these words must be considered in context. In Deuteronomy 12, the mandate that these particular animals be brought to the sanctuary is terminated. There it says –

“When the Lord your God enlarges your border as He has promised you, and you say, ‘Let me eat meat,’ because you long to eat meat, you may eat as much meat as your heart desires. ²¹ If the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, then you may slaughter from your herd and from your flock which the Lord has given you, just as I have commanded you, and you may eat within your gates as much as your heart desires.” Deuteronomy 12:20, 21

These are the same animals which are now forbidden in Leviticus to be slaughtered except in the presence of the Lord. And so the words, “statute forever” are not speaking of the slaughtering of the animals, but of the offering of the animals to the hairy ones, or demons. Instead, they were to always be offered to the Lord alone.

Before continuing on, three main points must be raised concerning what has been seen. First, is that these verses are given as pictures of Christ’s coming ministry. That has been clearly presented.

Secondly, we are to see the failure of the people under the law to meet these requirements. Throughout the rest of the Old Testament, it is shown that the people failed by offering to demons. It is recorded specifically in Jeremiah 13:27, Ezekiel 20, and in Hosea 9:10 & 12:11 – among other places. But more directly, it is recorded in Amos 5:25 that the people even continued to offer to these demons in the time of the wilderness wanderings. This is repeated by Stephen in Acts 7.

This continued failure of the people, from their very inception of being called under the Law of Moses is noted to show them their need for grace – thus the Day of Atonement, and thus Christ whom that prefigures. It was intended to then show them, and us, that the law is incapable of saving anyone. And it was intended to show us our desperate need for something else – again, to lead us to Christ.

And thirdly, it is then to show us that only Christ can bring us to God. The pethakh ohel moed, or door of the tent of meeting, is the only access which is given for us to meet with the Lord. As Christ is that Door, then we must go through Him, and none other, in order to be right with God.

The soul of the flesh is in the blood
And it is this then that makes atonement for you
Only through the precious, crimson flood
Can you be cleansed, spotless, and new

There at the Altar, the blood is cast
And it is this Sacrifice which will open the Door
Through it is new life; gone is the past
Through that death, comes life evermore

Be sure and know that there is but this One way
No other avenue can reconcile you to Me
But in coming through My Son, you start a new day
One which will continue unabated for all eternity

II. The Soul of the Flesh is in the Blood (verses 8-16)

⁸ “Also you shall say to them: ‘Whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice,

These words now go to any specific burnt offering or sacrifice. The previous verses looked to any slaughter of an animal in general, which was to be taken by the Lord as an intended offering of fellowship with Him instead of a demon. Now, any Israelite man, or even a foreigner, was instructed concerning any burnt offering or sacrifice they might make. A new limitation is placed on them…

⁹ and does not bring it to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, to offer it to the Lord, that man shall be cut off from among his people.

When such an offering is made, but it has not been brought to be presented to the Lord at the door of the tent of meeting, it is to be considered an offense worthy of excommunication. Rather than death, excommunication is probably intended here. Three times in this chapter, it says man’s offense is worthy of being “cut of from his people.” However, only here is “people” plural in the Hebrew. Thus, rather than being cut off from the body of people, Israel, it seems to imply the body of people which are his father’s kin.

Only the Lord’s appointed place of worship was acceptable for burnt offerings or sacrifices, and only the Lord’s designated priest was acceptable to handle such. To fail in this would be a grievous offense, worthy of excommunication. The reason for this prohibition is that no person was any longer allowed to mediate for himself or his family. In the past times, this was the head of the household’s responsibility. No longer would it be so in Israel.

This then looks forward to Christ as the sole Mediator between God and man. There is no end-around to be made where we can go directly to God apart from Christ. Only through Him as our High Priest, and only through a sacrifice or offering that is in anticipation of His coming, could Israel find access to God, and also be able to remain in fellowship with his own people.

¹⁰ ‘And whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people.

The eating of blood was forbidden all the way back in Genesis 9. In fact, it is the very first prohibition given to man after the flood of Noah. All animal life was given to man to eat, but no flesh with the blood in it could be eaten. Thus, the eating of blood here includes the eating of flesh which had not been bled out first. This applied to the Israelite as well as to the stranger who dwelt among the people. This was necessary in the camp of Israel during the wilderness wanderings, but later when they were about to enter the land of Canaan, this rule was relaxed in Deuteronomy 14 –

 “You shall not eat anything that dies of itself; you may give it to the alien who is within your gates, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner; for you are a holy people to the Lord your God.” Deuteronomy 14:21

For the Lord to set His face against someone means, literally, to pour out His anger on him. In this, there were two ways this could happen. If it was known by others that he had done this, he would receive the just punishment from the leaders. But if done in secret, the Lord Himself would pursue and render judgment on him.

¹¹ For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’

In this verse, one word is translated as both “life” and “soul.” This somewhat confuses the sense of what is being said. The Hebrew reads, “For soul the flesh in (the) blood it.” The blood is actually the seat of life within the flesh of the body. A person can lose the use of their legs, but the legs still live. But if the blood is cut off from them, they die and corrupt.

Understanding this about the blood gives us the first reason for the prohibition. The nature of the blood being the soul of the flesh is the first reason for the command. And secondly, the Lord says it is because, “I have given it to you to make atonement for your soul.” Blood is consecrated by the Lord for sacrificial worship.

And then with that understanding, we come to the final clause. Many translations say, “for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” But what the Hebrew is saying takes us back to the use of “soul” in the first clause. Because the blood is the soul of the flesh, it is what provides atonement. Therefore, rather than saying it makes atonement for the soul, meaning the one being atoned for, it says, “the blood itself makes atonement through the soul that is in it.” It is speaking of the soul of the blood in the sacrifice, and what it does in relation to the atonement process. Although seemingly nitpicky, it means that something must die, giving up its soul, in order for atonement to be made.

If merely blood itself could provide atonement, one could bleed out a quart of blood, keep living, and atone for sin. But it is the soul of the flesh itself, which is the blood, and which animates the flesh, that provides atonement. The validation that death has occurred through the shed blood provides atonement. It is why Paul says this about Christ in Romans –

“For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. ⁷ For he who has died has been freed from sin.” Romans 6:5-7

As Christ died for our sin, then we who are in Christ have died with Him. Our sins are once and forever atoned for. Therefore, the prohibition against eating meat with blood in it no longer stands. It was a type and picture of Christ alone until He had finished the work of the law. If you are one to eat bloody steaks, you are free to do so. It doesn’t personally interest me. Mine are pretty much chewy leather, but should my preferences ever change, so be it.

The prohibitions in Acts concerning blood were for a set purpose, and are not repeated in the prescriptive letters of the epistles. It is those letters, especially those of Paul, from which we derive our church-age doctrine. Thus this prohibition is no longer in force.

¹² Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘No one among you shall eat blood, nor shall any stranger who dwells among you eat blood.’

The prohibition of eating blood was given because it is the vehicle of life. For this reason, the Lord reserved all blood to Himself. To eat the blood was to assimilate into oneself something which belonged to Him alone. It was therefore idolatrous to use it in any other way than designated by Him. If it was not used in the rites of the tabernacle, it was to be poured out and covered with earth.

¹³ “Whatever man of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who hunts and catches any animal or bird that may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust;

Up to this point, only the animals of sacrifices have been discussed. There was the positive command of offering the blood to the Lord, but there was also the negative of not eating the animal’s blood. This negative command now continues to extend, coming to agreement with the prohibition given to Noah so long ago. Any creatures which were clean and used for food by the Israelites were to have the blood drained out first, and then that blood was to be covered with dust.

This prohibition also extended, as before, to the strangers who dwelt among Israel. If any such stranger didn’t follow this practice, it would then quickly spread to the people of Israel, causing them to fall into sin by their failure to act in accord with the law. There is a sense of finality in the words here. The first time that aphar, or “dust,” was used in the Bible was in Genesis –

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground.” Genesis 2:7

Immediately after that, in the same verse, it then says,

“…and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”

From the dust man was made, but he wasn’t yet alive. Only in the breathing of the Lord into the nostrils of man did he become a nephesh khayah, or “soul living.” Therefore, when eating an animal, the life was to be poured out and covered with the dust. In man or animal, when the life is poured out, the dust reclaims ownership over what is left.

This is true with but one exception. It is Jesus, the Lord God who breathed life into man. And yet, He then descended from the man He breathed life into. In the shedding of His blood upon the ground from which His earthly body came, He gave up His soul, and yet the ground found no victory over Him. The life returned, the soul reanimated, and by the power of the Lord God, He walked out of that tomb. Atonement for us was made with the pouring out of His soul, and yet He lives. Only in Him is true and eternal life. This is why He stated the following –

 “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.⁵⁴ Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁵⁵ For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. ⁵⁶ He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. ⁵⁷ As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.⁵⁸ This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” John 6:53-58

¹⁴ for it is the life of all flesh. Its blood sustains its life. Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.’

Again as before, the word “soul” is used three times in this verse, not the word “life.” It says, “for the soul of all flesh is its blood with its soul (meaning its blood and soul together). Therefore, I said to the children of Israel, you shall not eat the blood of any flesh, for the soul of all flesh is its blood.”

The animals here in discussion are not sacrificial animals, and yet, the prohibition still stands. It shows that it is the soul of the animal, meaning the blood, where the focus is directed. If one were to eat the soul of the animal, it would be for the purpose of life. But Colossians 1 tells us that only Christ is the true Source and Sustainer of life. Therefore, blood was forbidden. The physical aspect of what is presented is showing us spiritual truths concerning Christ.

¹⁵ “And every person who eats what died naturally or what was torn by beasts, whether he is a native of your own country or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. Then he shall be clean.

No reason for this allowance is given, but it clearly shows that the prohibitions here are spiritual in nature, and this for several reasons. An animal which died by itself, or one which was killed by other beasts, did not have the blood drained out of it. The animal is dead because its lifeblood has stopped flowing.

To eat this animal cannot be compared to eating blood itself, because the soul had departed. And yet, it is still true that the blood remained in the animal. Such meat was forbidden to be eaten in Leviticus 7:24. But if it were out of necessity, accident, or trickery by another, or whatever other reason, the person was merely considered unclean.

As there was no intent here, but because he still ate something forbidden, it shows the spiritual nature of the mandate. And then secondly comes the means of purification from defilement. The first is washing the clothes, and the second is bathing. Both of these are external acts. They have absolutely nothing to do with what went into the man. And yet, they are required in order to be considered purified.

And finally, the last part of the purification was to wait until sundown, at which time he would be clean again. If he ate his meal at 6:55 pm, and the day started at 6pm, then he would be defiled for 23 hours and 5 minutes. If he ate and then washed at 5:45pm, then he would only be defiled for 15 minutes. Clearly this shows us that the defilement is spiritual and not actual. Further, it pertained to an Israelite and stranger alike. In order to be considered clean, the command stands for both.

As we have seen already, the washing of the garments points to trampling out sin in one’s life. The bathing points the purification of one’s life by Christ. And the evening time points to the time that Christ died and was placed in the tomb. With His death and burial, all defilement of man was truly washed away. This ceremonial period of defilement simply looked forward to the cleansing from all defilement provided by the Lord.

*¹⁶ But if he does not wash them or bathe his body, then he shall bear his guilt.”

What this means is that he was guilty of sin because of not going through the necessary purification rituals. In this case, he would have to offer an offering for his sin in accord with the trespass offering of chapter 5. If he failed to offer that, and if he then defiled the sanctuary, or ate of sacred things such as the tithes, then he would be subject to even greater punishment.

Again, as we close out this section, we need to think on why we have been shown these things. It is the same as earlier. First, we are being shown pictures of what lay ahead in the ministry of Christ. Those have been clearly laid out. Secondly, we are again to see the failure of Israel in meeting these requirements. In 1 Samuel 14, we will read this –

“Now they had driven back the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. So the people were very faint. ³² And the people rushed on the spoil, and took sheep, oxen, and calves, and slaughtered them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood. ³³ Then they told Saul, saying, ‘Look, the people are sinning against the Lord by eating with the blood!’” 1 Samuel 14:31-33

Likewise, in Ezekiel 33, the Lord accuses the people of eating meat with the blood as one of the offenses which brought their destruction upon themselves. Although we have only gone through a minor number of the laws pertaining to the people of Israel so far in Exodus and Leviticus, there are none that they did not violate at some point in their history.

It is the constant and continued failure of Israel under the Law of Moses which shows us the need for God’s mercy and grace. Israel rejected that offering when Christ came among them, but it is still available to us and to them; for any who will simply reach out and receive it.

And thirdly, it is then to show us that only Christ can bring us to God. The carefully selected wording of the soul of the flesh being the blood, and that “the blood itself makes atonement through the soul that is in it,” is speaking of the soul of the blood in the sacrifice, and what it does in relation to the atonement process.

As the blood of bulls and goats can never take away sin, then everything that we have looked at here today is ultimately pointing to the One, final, and complete sacrifice of Christ Jesus for the sins of man. This is the entire point of this chapter being placed first after the Day of Atonement passage. It is only Christ, or it is no relationship with God. There are no alternatives, and there is no reliance on a law which merely condemns those who are under it.

Thank God for His giving of Christ for our many transgressions. Thank God that He provided a way back for those who are willing to accept it. And thank God that we are freed from the burden of this law because of the complete and acceptable fulfillment of it by the Lord. Through Him, we are accepted, fully and forever, into the family of the redeemed. Come to Christ, and enter through the Door of salvation into a new and better promise.

Closing Verse: “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” Romans 10:4

Next Week: Leviticus 18:1-30 Laws for morality so as not to become beguiled (In These, Israel Will be Defiled) (31^st Leviticus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if you have a lifetime of sin heaped up behind you, He can wash it away and purify you completely and wholly. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Sanctity of the Blood

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying
These are the words He was then relaying

“Speak to Aaron, to his sons
And to all the children of Israel, and to them say
‘This is the thing which the Lord has commanded, saying:
Hear the words conveyed to you this day

“Whatever man of the house of Israel
Who kills in the camp an ox or lamb or goat
Or who kills it outside the camp
Now you are to make careful note

And does not bring it to the door
Of the tabernacle of meeting, according to this word
To offer to the Lord an offering
Before the tabernacle of the Lord

The guilt of bloodshed shall be imputed to that man
Blood he has shed
And that man shall be cut off from among his people
Away from the people he shall be led

To the end that the children of Israel
May bring their sacrifices, in obedience to this word
Which they offer in the open field
That they may bring them to the Lord 

At the door of the tabernacle of meeting, so heed this word
To the priest, and offer them as peace offerings to the Lord 

And the priest shall sprinkle the blood
On the altar of the Lord at the door
Of the tabernacle of meeting
And burn the fat for a sweet aroma to the Lord for sure 

They shall no more offer their sacrifices to demons
After whom the harlot they have played
This shall be a statute forever
For them throughout their generations, it shall be obeyed

“Also you shall say to them:
‘Whatever man of the house of Israel
Or of the strangers who dwell among you
Who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, as well

And does not bring it to the door
Of the tabernacle of meeting, as I say to you
To offer it to the Lord
That man shall be cut off from among his people, this you shall do

‘And whatever man of the house of Israel
Or of the strangers who dwell among you, who eats any blood, so I now say
I will set My face against that person who eats blood
And will cut him off from among his people; it shall be this way 

For the life of the flesh is in the blood
And I have given it to you upon the altar, to this extent
To make atonement for your souls
For it is the blood that for the soul makes atonement

Therefore I said to the children of Israel
‘No one among you shall eat blood, as to you I say
Nor shall any stranger who dwells among you eat blood
Pay heed to My word this day

“Whatever man of the children of Israel
Or of the strangers who dwell among you
Who hunts and catches any animal or bird that may be eaten
He shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust; so he shall do

For it is the life of all flesh
Its blood sustains its life, this precept is true
Therefore I said to the children of Israel
‘You shall not eat the blood of any flesh; this you shall not do

For the life of all flesh is its blood; pay heed to what I say
Whoever eats it shall be cut off; so it shall be this way

“And every person who eats what died naturally
Or what was torn by beasts as well
Whether he is a native of your own country or a stranger
He shall both wash his clothes and bathe in water, as to you I tell

And be unclean until evening
Then he shall be clean
But if he does not wash them or bathe his body
Then he shall bear his guilt; in him guilt shall be seen

How splendid and wonderful it is, O God
That we have been been freed from the burden of the law
So many failed in the walk that they trod
And upon them sorrows of punishment they did draw

But through Christ there is now release and favor
In Christ, we have a glorious and eternal hope
Through His work alone, can we heaven’s delights savor
And so on Him we have set the sighting of our scope

Our eyes are fixed, our hope is set
In Christ alone is our joy and desire found
In Him our assurance of heaven is met
And so to You through Him we sing our joyous sound

Praise God; praise Him all saints, sing forth your praise
From this time forth, and even for eternal days

Hallelujah and Amen…

Leviticus 16:23-34
Yom Kippur
The Day of Atonement, Part III

Of the book of Leviticus, Mattew Easton says the following –

“No book contains more of the very words of God. He is almost throughout the whole of it the direct speaker. This book is a prophecy of things to come, a shadow whereof the substance is Christ and his kingdom. The principles on which this book is to be interpreted are laid down in the Epistle to the Hebrews. It contains in its complicated ceremonial the gospel of the grace of God.” Matthew Easton

He is right, and in the book of Leviticus, there is one chapter that stands out above the others. It is this chapter which we have been in for two weeks already. You might say at this point, “Charlie, the things we’ve seen are simply more types and pictures like we’ve already seen a thousand times since we started the book.”

This is true, but there is more. Not only do these things point to Christ, as we have seen and will continue to see today, but they also are presented in such a way that when they were fulfilled, Israel should have seen it a mile away. But they missed it. Right in human history, recorded there in the pages of the New Testament, is a parallel event which occurred to help us fully process the marvel of what Jesus Christ did for us. May we all, Jew and Gentile, unstop our ears and open our eyes…

Text Verse:“Hear, you deaf;
And look, you blind, that you may see.
¹⁹ Who is blind but My servant,
Or deaf as My messenger whom I send?
Who is blind as he who is perfect,
And blind as the Lord’s servant?
²⁰ Seeing many things, but you do not observe;
Opening the ears, but he does not hear.” Isaiah 42:18-20

Concerning the Day of Atonement, there is the type. That is found in Leviticus 16. Then, there is the Anti-type. That is found is Christ’s atoning death. And then, there is also a parallel account to show us what the ramifications of rejecting Christ will lead to. That is found in the gospels, the epistles, and from the words of the Lord in the book of Revelation.

Rejecting Christ isn’t a minor issue. The premise of the Bible is that all people have but one master. We are either slaves of sin, bound under Satan, or we are slaves of righteousness, bound to Christ. There is no other position, and apart from Christ, there is no other way to be reconciled to God.

Even the Law of Moses itself, given to Israel under a set covenant with the Lord, only pointed to Christ Jesus. It never saved anyone, and it cannot do so now. Only Christ can do this. As you will see today, Israel’s attempts to fulfill the law on their own were futile.

And, in their supposed attempt of finding Jesus at fault under the law, and doing away with Him because of it, they actually violated that same law. As happens in Scripture, there is a sad irony in the outcome of things when we attempt to usurp God’s plans.

May we never attempt to do so. Instead, let us cherish what He has done, revel in the grace of Christ, and accept that grace for the saving of our souls. It’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Washed in Water (verses 23-34)

²³ “Then Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of meeting, shall take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the Holy Place, and shall leave them there.

For the Day of Atonement sin offering sacrifices, all picturing Christ, the high priest wore his special white garments which were detailed in verse 4. With those sacrifices accomplished, he now takes them off. It notes here the words, “which he put on when he went into the Holy Place.” These special garments are tied into his entrance into the Holy Place. With these duties conducted there complete, they are now removed.

The word used for “take off” is pashat. It is a word used only twice so far, one in the stripping of Joseph of his coat of many colors, and then in the skinning of the burnt offering of Leviticus 1:6. The word is used in the sense of raiding, as in raiding enemy cities. This isn’t a simple removal of clothes, but an active, vibrant stripping of them.

There, within the tent of meeting, the garments are so removed, and they are left there. The root of the word “leave” means “to rest.” They are laid up, or rested in the tabernacle, they will not be used again. What we are seeing here is symbolically revealed in the gospel of John –

Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. ⁴So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. ⁵ And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. ⁶Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, ⁷ and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. ⁸ Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. ⁹ For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.” John 20:3-9

Like the high priest’s garments, the grave clothes of Christ were worn once, never to be worn again. They were stripped off and rested up as a witness to the resurrection. But these in type were only given as a greater parable of the true clothes of Christ, His humanity, which had defeated death, and the body transforming to its eternal glory. Here we see that the annual Day of Atonement putting up of these white garments is seen as a one-time event.

²⁴ And he shall wash his body with water in a holy place,

This is the second and final washing to be accomplished by the high priest. The first was in verse 4 which occurred prior to his putting on the white holy garments. With them now taken off, he again washes his body. As seen in verse 4, donning these was a picture of Christ’s coming at His first advent. The washing at that time was explained as His birth in a pure and sinless state. He was at that time, robed in pure white garments of righteousness.

Now that His advent is complete through His sacrifice, He washes again. It is emblematic of His second birth through the resurrection where he was cleared of any wrongdoing, acquitted of any guilt, and justified before the Lord, having performed His earthly duties without fault. The iniquities He bore for us are symbolically washed away in this picture, a picture fulfilled in His resurrection. The washing signifies acceptance for His entrance into heaven itself. That this is so, is stated twice in the New Testament. In Colossians 1:18, Paul calls Jesus, “the firstborn from the dead.” Jesus then repeats this exact same terminology in Revelation 1:5.

^{24 (con’t)} put on his garments,

This is referring to Aaron’s customary high priestly garments, every detail of which points to Christ and His ministry on our behalf. If you missed that sermon, you can go back and watch or read it to see the amazing details. The advent is complete, and now Christ, pictured by Aaron in these garments, retakes His heavenly position as the true High Priest and Mediator.

^{24 (con’t)} come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.

The burnt offering follows the sin offering because only after sin is atoned for can such an offering be considered acceptable to God. This burnt offering consists of the ram of verse 3 which was for Aaron, and the ram of verse 5 which was for the people. In type, both picture Christ.

To understand the detailed meaning of every aspect of the burnt offering, you would need to go back and watch the earlier Leviticus sermons. In short, these rams picture a complete surrender of the will to God. This follows with Paul’s words of Romans 6:7-11 –

“For he who has died has been freed from sin. ⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, ⁹ knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. ¹⁰ For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. ¹¹ Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

These rams then symbolize what Paul calls in Romans a “living sacrifice” to God. As contradictory as a “living sacrifice” may sound, it is pictured here in the death of these rams. The ram, or ayil, denotes strength. The rams as a burnt-offering reflect the total commitment of the High Priest and the people. Their natural strength is symbolically being offered to God as a living sacrifice. In picture, it looks to Christ who offered all of His natural strength to His Father in His more perfect ministry, and it looks to those who follow Christ who are to do likewise.

²⁵ The fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar.

v’eth khelev ha’khatat yaqtir ha’mizbeakh – “and the fat the sin-offering, burn like incense on the altar.” Only the fat of the sin offering is burned on the altar. This is the fat of the bull of verse 11, and the fat of the goat of verse 15. The pieces of fat of the animals, and what they symbolize, was recorded in in earlier sermons.

Every detail of it points to Christ. In short, they represent the abundance of the very deepest parts of Christ the Man. Fat is the abundance and health of life. The fat on the entrails represents the inner purity of Christ. The fatty lobe on the liver represents His emotions and feelings, and the two kidneys with their fat signify His mind and reasoning.

These are offered to the Lord by fire, burning as if incense as the word qatar here denotes, because they symbolize Christ’s most intimate aspects. They are the very substance of who He is, and are thus returned to the Lord by fire. His earthly work was complete, it was executed perfectly, and the substance of who He is now returns to God as a sweet fragrance to Him.

²⁶ And he who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.

This is now the last time in Scripture that la’azazel or “for Azazel” is mentioned. The person who conducted the goat for Azazel was noted with a unique word, used just once in the Bible, itti. It is a man who stands in readiness. The word comes from eth, meaning time, and thus he is a timely man, or a man of years and discretion suitable to the task. He pictures Christ as we saw last week.

This man had to wash both his garments and his body in water, and then he was allowed to come again into the camp. This person is typical of Christ who alone carried away the sins of man, and who then was purified in His flesh, which bore our sin, at the resurrection before He again entered heaven.

²⁷ The bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp. And they shall burn in the fire their skins, their flesh, and their offal.

The fat, symbolizing the most intimate aspects of Christ, and the blood of the atonement, are taken from the animals. The disposal of the rest of the animal is determined by the use of the blood. Because their blood was brought into the most holy place, the animal must be burned and not consumed. They are taken outside of the camp to a clean place and burned.

The acceptance of these animal’s deaths as substitutes highlights the extremely merciful act of forgiveness granted to the people. In their cleansing, the animal’s bodies now bear the sin of the mediator and the people. Because of this, they were required to be purged from the camp entirely.

And not only were they purged from the camp, but they were completely burned up. The word used for “burn” here is saraph. It is the word used, for example, when burning a leprous garment. It is never used in the sense of an offering. Rather, it more reflects the rejection of a thing, and a divine purification through incineration. It is a picture of the consequences of sin, the Lake of Fire. And so what a picture of Christ. In Hebrews 13, we see why these requirements were given here and what they prefigure –

The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. ¹² And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. ¹³ Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. Hebrews 13:11-13

What was given to Israel in type and shadow is realized in its fullness in Christ. There is a problem which infects man, and its source is that of the devil himself. The only way to defeat what he did was for Christ to take it away from us. We are told that He was made to be sin for us so that we could then become the righteousness of God in Him. What a bargain God has offered us!

²⁸ Then he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.

This is the fourth and final washing mentioned in the passage. It again pictures Christ, just as the washing of the one who led the goat into the wilderness. Both are typical of Christ who alone carried away the sins of those who receive Him. This is certain, because in both verse 26 & 28, the verb for wash is singular.

Tradition says that the animals were carried on poles by four people. But that isn’t what the Lord wants us to see. The wording points to One alone who does this work. We are to see Christ alone who was purified in His flesh which bore our sin in His earthly body before again entering the presence of His heavenly Father.

²⁹ “This shall be a statute forever for you:

The words here are l’khuqat olam – “for a statute forever.” The word olam means, “to the vanishing point.” As long as the Law of Moses was in effect, this rite was to be conducted, exactly as prescribed. As the law is fulfilled in Christ, this is no longer a statute for God’s people. Christ is our Atonement, full and forever.

^{29 (con’t)} In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month,

The seventh month was originally known as Ethanim. This is found in 1 Kings 8:2. After the Babylonian exile, the Aramaic name, Tishri, is now used. On the first day of the month was Yom Teruah, the Day of Trumpets, a day which looks forward to the birth of Israel’s true King, Jesus. On the 10^th day was Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, a day which looks forward to the crucifixion and atoning death of Jesus. And beginning on the 15^th day commenced Sukkoth, or the Feast of Tabernacles, a day fulfilled in the coming of Christ – God residing with man, something verified by the resurrection.

The year of Jubilee found in Leviticus 25 was also proclaimed on this 10^th day of the month, the Day of Atonement, every 50^th year. It is this year of Jubilee, or liberty, that Isaiah wrote about concerning the future work of the coming Christ. The first few lines of that proclamation were read by Christ Jesus at the start of His ministry, and which anticipated the fulfillment of the Day of Atonement –

So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. ¹⁷ And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
¹⁹ To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

²⁰ Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:16-20

^{29 (con’t)} you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you.

It is generally accepted that “afflict your souls” means to fast. The people were to deny themselves food. However, it certainly also included refraining from any other pleasures, and also an active affliction of remembering the sins of the past year and mourning over them. But the word has a greater meaning in Christ where the word anah, or afflict, is used twice concerning this exact scene –

“Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
⁵ But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
⁸ He was taken from prison and from judgment,
And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living;
For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.” Isaiah 53:4-8

As Christ was so afflicted, the people were to anticipate this day with the afflicting of their own souls. They were not to do any work of any kind as well, acknowledging that they were in a state of affliction. Nothing regular was to be done, but rather this was to be a high Sabbath. But this goes further than just Israelites. It also says v’hager ha’gar b’tok-kem – “the foreigner dwelling among you” was also to afflict his own soul. As they received the blessings and protections provided by the law, they were likewise bound to observe this day.

³⁰ For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.

The words, “the priest,” are inserted here, and they are probably incorrect. The priest also needed atonement for himself. It is the Lord who provides the atonement. The priest merely accomplishes the ritual. Atonement is solely a gracious granting by the Lord. Aaron is specifically named nine times in this chapter, the last being in verse 23. But he, whose name means “Very High,” is only a type of Christ to come. In the end, it is all about the Lord, either in the granting of the grace, or in the typology fulfilled in these many pictures. In the fulfillment of these things, the Lord’s people are atoned for, and are pronounced clean from all their sins. The words of this verse are reflected in Paul’s words of Colossians 1:21, 22 –

“And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled ²² in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.”

³¹ It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever.

shabath shabbathon – “(a) resting day of solemn resting.” This specific term is only used six times in Scripture. Four times is speaks of the weekly Sabbath, once for the Day of Atonement, and once concerning the year of Jubilee. The people are to rest, and to contemplate God and His works on behalf of the people. And again, it says, khuqat olam, or “a statute forever.” This was to be observed without fail until its fulfillment was realized in Christ.

³² And the priest, who is anointed and consecrated to minister as priest in his father’s place, shall make atonement, and put on the linen clothes, the holy garments;

The verbs are third person, masculine, singular. They could be translated as here, “And the priest, who is anointed and consecrated,” but the intent is surely, “And the priest, whom He shall anoint, and whom He shall consecrate.” It is God who ultimately anoints and consecrates. And in type, it is God who anointed and consecrated Christ in fulfillment of these pictures. It is He who came without sin, donning garments of untainted righteousness, termed here in Leviticus 16, “the holy garments.” His garments, undefiled by sin, are truly “holy garments.”

³³ then he shall make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tabernacle of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.

This verse summarizes the duties outlined in the chapter, and they acknowledge that this was to be done by the subsequent high priest, just as Aaron was specifically noted above. The Day of Atonement is an expansion of the meaning of the sin and burnt offerings given on that day, just as our Resurrection Day celebration is an expansion of the regular Sundays which we meet on in honor of the Lord’s resurrection. All of what has been noted, to the finest detail, has been a picture of Christ’s work.

³⁴ This shall be an everlasting statute for you,

This is the third time in four verses that khuqat olam, or statute forever, is repeated. This is highlighted to show the extreme importance of the law, to take note of it, and to not miss the moment when it would be fulfilled.

^{34 (con’t)} to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year.”

Year by year, atonement was to be made for the children of Israel until they reached their maturity in Christ, and who are then not just children, but sons of God through adoption. The rights and rituals were carefully recorded, and they were to be exactingly followed, so that when they were fulfilled, it would be evident to even the blind, if the blind would but open their eyes and see.

*^34 (fin) And he did as the Lord commanded Moses.

Is this speaking of the first time it was conducted? If so, then these words were written at least six months later. It is now only the first month of the year. Or, it could be that the words are anticipatory, stated as an accomplished fact, of that which still lay ahead. A third view is that this is speaking of Aaron assuming the official duties in obedience to the command given by God to Moses. No. Rather these words are speaking not of Aaron, but of Moses. In verse 2, it said “Tell Aaron your brother…” Since then, it has said “Aaron” eight more times in instructions given to Moses to relay to him. Moses did as commanded, and passed on the instructions as noted.

A day on which atonement is made
A day when our sins are covered and taken away
What a glorious, marvelous trade
When by faith we were cleansed. Oh what a day!

The goat is sacrificed for our atonement
Another goat has taken our sins far, far away
We accept that this is true, God’s wrath is spent
We are free from our sin. Oh what a day!

Thank You, O God, for Jesus Christ our Lord
Who fulfills what occurred, our sin debt He did pay
Thank You for what we have learned from Your word
Thank You, O God, for this marvelous, glorious day!

II. Fulfilled in Christ

We’ve read the instructions given by the Lord to Moses. We have analyzed them verse by verse, and even at times word by word. We have seen the prophetic fulfillment of them in Christ. “This is a type of Christ…,” “This pictures Christ…,” “This points to Christ….” But what we have seen is not the end of the pictures.

Our text verse today spoke of those who are deaf and blind. The Lord called Israel “His servant,” and said they were blind. He said they failed to observe as well. Those verses came from a chapter dealing with the Servant of the Lord, meaning Christ, who is set in contrast to the servant of the Lord, meaning Israel. In opening the passage, He spoke of the true Servant, Christ, with these words –

“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
My Elect One in whom My soul delights!
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
² He will not cry out, nor raise His voice,
Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
³ A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench;
He will bring forth justice for truth.
⁴ He will not fail nor be discouraged,
Till He has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands shall wait for His law.” Isaiah 42:1-3

This sets up both the contrast between, and the call made to, Israel and the Gentiles, and how each would respond. Reading the New Testament, we see that Christ is truly the fulfillment of all of these things. The patterns are deep, they are exact, and they are rich. But we only can receive them by faith, not by sight. Jesus cited the substance of the words from Isaiah concerning the deaf and blind in the New Testament –

And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”

⁴⁰ Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”

⁴¹ Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains. John 9:39-41

In Leviticus 16, Aaron, or “Very High,” was to bathe and then put on the special, holy, linen garments. That was Christ’s incarnation, coming in human flesh. It is He who is Very High, and our true High Priest. The garments, as we carefully detailed, point to Christ and His earthly body – pure, unsullied, perfect, and yet coming in the likeness of sinful human flesh.

Immediately the account goes from donning the holy garments into mentioning the offerings of the Israelites, two kid goats as a sin offering, and a ram as a burnt offering. They were specifically stated to be “from the congregation of the children of Israel.” Thus in type, they are Christ, descended from Israel, coming from them.

The entirety of Christ’s life is summed up in these two events – His coming, and His offering. Everything between those is implied in the offering – holy perfection. This shows us that even though the Day of Atonement was a set day for Israel, it is not a set day for its fulfillment. Rather, it is the span of the life of Christ, culminating in His Sacrifice, on whatever day that would occur.

After this, a bull for Aaron’s sin offering was mandated. As we saw, the bull is Christ. It was required for Aaron and his household; Christ gave of Himself for them. Following this, it notes bringing the two goats before the Lord, both picturing Christ’s work. But this is where Israel turns from the Lord. Instead of recognizing His Person, His nature, and His work, as a nation, they rejected Him. To demonstrate how blind they had become, He gave them an object lesson to consider. They missed it in its totality.

What the Gentiles accepted by faith, the Jews rejected by sight, literally. In all four gospels, Christ’s work is carefully recorded. Just prior to His crucifixion, we read the following –

“Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished. ¹⁶ And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. ¹⁷ Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” ¹⁸ For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.

¹⁹ While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.”

²⁰ But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. ²¹ The governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”

They said, “Barabbas!”

²² Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”

They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!”

²³ Then the governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?”

But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!”

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.”

²⁵ And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.”

²⁶ Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.” Matthew 27:15-26

Why is this recorded? Christ is the fulfillment of all of the types and shadows given. Israel should have seen this and believed. The Gentiles did and they still do. What we have here is an object lesson for Israel, not an actual enactment of the Day of Atonement rituals, but a contrast to them, showing what Israel did accept instead of what they should have accepted.

Two men who are probably very close in age, stand before Pilate and the congregation of Israel. Both are named Yeshua, Jesus. Although not all Bibles record the full name Jesus Barabbas, some do, but most reliable Bibles do footnote it. This was his true name. Thus, both have the same title – Barabbas is Aramaic for “Son of Abba.” One of Jesus’ titles is the Son of God – whom He called Abba. Therefore, you have two men, like named – Jesus, (S)son of (A)abba, standing and awaiting a decision from Pilate.

Christ came to be both our atoning Sacrifice la’Yehovah, or “for the Lord,” and the bearer of our sins la‘Azazel, or “for Azazel.” But Israel rejected this. It was determined before creation that Christ would come and fulfill these pictures. It was also known to God that Israel would reject Him when He came. And so, to show them their rejection of Christ’s completed work, this account is recorded to stand as a witness against them.

Christ did, in fact, die for our sins. And Christ did, in fact, bear our sins away. But both of these actions were rejected by Israel. After the bull of the high priest, the goat for the people which was selected la‘Yehovah, or “for the Lord,” was brought forth and slaughtered. Christ died for the people of Israel, but they rejected His offering, explicitly and from their own mouths. In defiance of the Lord, and in contempt of Christ who came to show them the Father, they called out, “His blood be on us and on our children.” The sin offering was rejected.

The blood of bulls and goats, according to the book of Hebrews, can never take away sin. Only Christ, Israel’s Messiah could do so. But collectively, they rejected their only means of salvation, calling down upon themselves a curse rather than a blessing. They subconsciously know this is true. When Mel Gibson filmed the Passion of the Christ, the one line that the Jews demanded he remove from the movie is that very line they spoke in defiance of the Lord, “His blood be on us and on our children.” Until they retract this, there can be no atonement for national Israel. Each Jew must come to Christ individually, just as with all people.

Again, the goat is Christ, the blood is Christ’s, the atonement is Christ’s, the purification is Christ’s. It is all Christ. As we saw, Paul says in Romans 8:3 that “Christ came in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin.” In this, “He condemned sin in the flesh.” This is the purpose of designating hairy goats. They picture Christ who came in the likeness of sinful flesh, but who prevailed over it. That Christ died for both Israel and Gentile is recorded by John –

“And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.” John 11:49-52

And in Hebrews 9:11, 12 we read –

“But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”

After the atoning Sacrifice came the second part of Christ’s work, that of the goat la‘Azazel, or “for Azazel.” Concerning this term, there are quite a few opinions about what this word means. One view is that is is a mountain about 12 miles east of Jerusalem, known by Jewish writings as har’Azazel. This is wrong from the outset. The Torah was received by Moses in the wilderness. It wasn’t until eons later, at the time of David or even Solomon, that this would have been done at Jerusalem. It is incorrect.

The second is that this is the same concept as the two birds used for the purification of a leper. The ritual for the two, and the symbolism of the birds, is actually entirely different. One bird was set free after being plunged into the water/blood mixture of the other. Nothing like that is done here. That was a picture of Christ’s atoning death and resurrection. This is Christ’s atoning death and bearing away of our sins.

The most common translation of Azazel is “She-Goat Of Going Away,” thus, “the Scapegoat.” But Leviticus 16 never uses the word ez, or she-goat. Instead it uses sa’ir, or he-goat. One would have to use the gender inversion principle in this, making Christ, a male, into the Body of Christ, a female. But the work is done for the body, not by the body. This does not match – “scapegoat” is incorrect.

The correct option is that Azazel is Satan, he in opposition to God. Some say that Azazel can’t be Satan because that name is never used again for the devil in the Bible. But that is no argument. In the New Testament, Jesus and others call Satan Beelzebub. That comes from the Old Testament Baal-zebub, the God of Ekron, a false god. The reason why he can be called Satan in the New is because an offering to any false god is, by default, an offering to the devil.

Satan is also called the devil, the tempter, the wicked one, the ruler of this world, the god of this age, the prince of the power of the air, etc. And, metaphors are used to describe him – a wolf, a roaring lion, a great dragon, and a serpent. Many of these are used only once in Scripture. La‘Azazel, set in opposition to la’Yehovah, describes one in type who is set in opposition to the Lord. And this is a natural translation of Azazel, “one who has separated himself from God.” That Azazel is pointing to Satan is attested to by the passage in Zechariah 3 where Joshua, typical of Christ, is stood before the Angel of the Lord and Satan. The picture being made in these two goats bears this out.

As a marvelous clue that this is the case, the first time la’azazel is used is in Leviticus 16:8. Exactly 33 verses later, in Leviticus 17:7, it says this –

“They shall no more offer their sacrifices to demons, after whom they have played the harlot. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations.” Leviticus 17:7

The word translated as “demons” there is “la’seirim,” or “for the goats.” It is the same word, sa’iyr, used for the goat of Leviticus 16. Luke says that Jesus began His ministry “at about thirty years of age.” His ministry was three years, meaning that He was about 33 when He was crucified. These 33 years are prefigured in the 33 verses from the introduction of la‘azaael to what that term is pointing to, the goat demons.

The goat “for Azazel” was to be taken into the wilderness, a place which in Scripture is noted as the abode of evil spirits. There it was to be released. It was never to return again to the people. Christ is our sin-Bearer. He went into the pit of death and there delivered the sins of mankind to that pit where the devil and his demons will someday be cast. The goat “for Azazel” is Christ carrying our sins to where, and to whom, they belong.

Not only did Israel reject their atonement pictured in the first goat, they also rejected the removal of sins, pictured in the second. Both Mark and Luke specifically record that Barabbas was a murderer. But more, Peter in Acts does as well, saying this to the people –

“The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. ¹⁴ But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, ¹⁵ and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. ¹⁶ And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
¹⁷ ‘Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers.’” Acts 3:13-17

In the goat, the guilt for the sin was to be removed; taken from the Lord’s sight so that the people stood before Him faultless. But they rejected the atonement, and they rejected the removal. And even more, they collectively violated their own law, the Law of Moses, in the process of rejecting Christ. In Numbers 35, we read this –

Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death. Numbers 35:31

This is exactly what they did. They took a ransom in Christ Jesus to pay the price of a murderer who was already condemned. And so why is this account of Jesus and Barabbas important? It is because Christ was intended to fulfill each picture of this scene. He was to be the Sacrifice; He was to be the sin-Bearer; and he was to be the timely Man. But Israel rejected each. They called for the blood of the sacrifice to return to them. They called for a murderer instead of a sin-Bearer, and they rejected the return of the timely-Man. In rejecting these, they have then rejected Him as High Priest under the New Covenant.

Their guilt according to the Law of Moses stands as a witness against them, and their guilt in rejecting what the law pointed to likewise stands. Because of failing to have their sin carried away “for Azazel,” twice in Revelation, Jesus calls them “a synagogue of Satan.” Until they come to Christ, Satan is their god. It is with anti-Christ, not Christ, that they will sign a 7-year peace deal. As Christ is the final sacrifice for the sins of the people, there can be no atonement for their national guilt. Such is the nature of rejecting the One to whom the rites and rituals of the law pointed.

As an extra note concerning the three fall feasts, all of them are recorded in order in Christ’s birth, trial & death, and resurrection. As I said, Yom Teruah, the Day of Trumpets, pictures Christ’s birth as Israel’s King. Pilate asked, “Shall I crucify your King?” After that, He was crucified in fulfillment of Yom Kippur. And after that, the Feast of Tabernacles is seen in the words of John 1:14–

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

These are the things that the Bible testifies to. I have attempted to stick to the Bible in almost all circumstances, and for the simple reason that the Bible stands alone as the witness of God to what He has done through His Son, our Lord. Having said that, I would like to add in a final thought, derived from the Talmud. There was, according to the Talmud, a tradition that a scarlet thread held by the high priest of Israel would miraculously turn white each year on the Day of Atonement after the goat for Azazel was led away. The Talmud, however, states in Tractate Yoma 39b –

“The Rabbis taught that forty years prior to the destruction of the Temple the lot did not come up in the [high priest’s] right hand nor did the tongue of scarlet wool become white…” Talmud, Tractate Yoma 39b

The changing of the scarlet thread to white was an annual acknowledgment to the people of the words of Isaiah –

“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18

Among other things, the Talmud is a recorded history of the Jewish people, and thus it stands as an evidence that something historically occurred. I read a Rabbinic commentary which chastised Christians for using the Talmud as a polemic against Jews (as if we have no right to refer to their own writings), stating that the statement is taken out of context, and implying that it would be more likely that the scarlet thread didn’t turn white because of the Jews who apostatized and followed Jesus, rather than the traditional Christian thought that Jesus is actually the One, and final Atonement for the people’s sins.

He further went on to say that the miraculous events in Israel were already steadily on the decline for a lengthy period of time, because the people had also been in a steady decline in their attitude towards God. Thus, he said it was actually not a surprise that the thread didn’t change.

But that is both illogical, and it is supporting of the Bible itself. Both John the Baptist and Jesus actually spoke against Israel’s moral decline. If they had listened and repented, according to the Bible, so God would have pardoned. How much more so when they rejected the Only one who could truly take away their sin!

Further, it is recorded history that Jesus gave Israel the sign of Jonah as a warning. Jonah proclaimed, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be destroyed.” Jesus told Israel that as Jonah so proclaimed, so they would be destroyed, a year for a day until judgment. And so they were, just as He prophesied, and just as Scripture and the Talmud both record.

The Day of Atonement passage here in Leviticus 16, the record of the Lord’s promised severity in punishment upon Israel for rejecting both Him and the Prophet whom He promised to send, the witness of the New Testament authors, and a note of confirmation of no atonement for the people of Israel in their own Talmud, all show that there is no atonement for Israel apart from Christ.

Further, the Bible goes on to state that there is no atonement for any – Jew or Gentile, apart from Christ. The Bible bears witness to us of what the Lord has done in redemptive history for the people of the world. He has shown us what the consequences for rejecting this work are, and He offers us unlimited grace if we will turn to Him through Christ, and put away deeds of an already fulfilled law.

If you are a Jew or a Gentile who is attempting to merit God’s favor through observance of the Law of Moses, you are God’s enemy, and you will perish in your arrogance for rejecting what He alone can do, and what He alone has done. He stepped out of the eternal realm, He put on garments of flesh, He walked among His people, and He fulfilled the law which He gave to them.

After this, He gave His life in exchange for the sins of the world. His work demonstrates that He is fully capable of this, and His resurrection proves that it is so. He is the timely Man who came back from the barren wilderness after conducting away our sins forever, proven in His glorious resurrection. Come unto Christ, be reconciled to God through His shed blood, and put away your selfish, arrogant deeds which can never satisfy God.

Everyone who thirsts, come unto the waters. And you who have no money, come, buy, and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price (Isaiah 55:1). Christ Jesus, our salvation offers you pardon, full atonement, and the carrying away of your sin-burden, once and for all time. Come poor sinner to the Fount of everlasting blessing which is found at the foot of Calvary’s cross.

Closing Verse: “For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. ²⁶ And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
²⁷ For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.” Romans 11:25-27

Next Week: Leviticus 17:1-16 In Christ, there is a cleansing flood… (The Sanctity of Blood) (30^th Leviticus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if you have a lifetime of sin heaped up behind you, He can wash it away and purify you completely and wholly. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement

“Then Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of meeting
Shall take off the linen garments which he put on, so he shall do
When he went into the Holy Place
And shall leave them there, as I am now instructing you

And he shall wash his body with water in a holy place
Put on his garments, come out and offer his burnt offering
And the burnt offering of the people
And make atonement for himself and for the people
———-with this proffering

The fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar
In this precept he shall not falter

And he who released the goat as the scapegoat
Shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water
And afterward he may come into the camp, so to you I note

The bull for the sin offering
And the goat for the sin offering too
Whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place
Shall be carried outside the camp, so you shall do

And they shall burn in the fire, so to you I tell
Their skins, their flesh, and their offal as well

Then he who burns them shall wash his clothes
And bathe his body in water, so shall he do
And afterward he may come into the camp
These things shall be done as I am instructing you

“This shall be a statute forever for you:
In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month you shall do

You shall afflict your souls
And do no work at all, to this law you shall be true
Whether a native of your own country
Or a stranger who dwells among you

For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you
According to this word
To cleanse you, that you may be clean
From all your sins before the Lord

It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you
And so be sure to depart from this law never
And you shall afflict your souls
It is a statute forever

And the priest, who is anointed
And consecrated to minister as priest in his father’s place
Shall make atonement, and put on the linen clothes
The holy garments; to minister before the Lord’s face

Then he shall make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary
And he shall make atonement for the tabernacle of meeting
———-so shall it be
And for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests
And for all the people of the assembly

This shall be an everlasting statute for you
To make atonement for the children of Israel
For all their sins, once a year
And he did as the Lord commanded Moses; as to him He did tell

Lord God, You have sent Jesus to atone for sin
We thank You for doing what we could not do
Through Him new life can begin
And so, O God, we call out through Him to You

Hear our cry for mercy, upon sinners such as us
Know that we trust in Your word, and Your power to save
We are freed from sin’s bondage through Jesus
It was for us that His precious life You gave

Hallelujah! To You, O God, our voices we raise
Hallelujah! To You, O God, we give all of our praise

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

Leviticus 16:11-22
Yom Kippur
The Day of Atonement, Part II

Like part I of the Day of Atonement sermons, for the second week in a row, I spent about 14 hours working on the content of this one. It was a long and tiring Monday, and I didn’t really feel any further along at the end of the day than I was when I started concerning much of the substance behind the verses.

The content from the Hebrew is complicated, it is very hard to properly piece together, and there are several possibilities for the meaning of many of these 12 verses. So much so, in fact, that I spent about an hour talking to my friends Sergio and Rhoda in Israel trying to figure out a correct meaning of just two of them.

This doesn’t mean that all is lost. In fact, at the end of the day the opposite was true. I was twelve verses farther along in understanding everything that is being relayed and the pictures were coming out slowly but surely. One of the problems with evaluating these verses, is that most commentaries, if not all, rely heavily on later Jewish commentaries which add in many things to the rituals of this chapter which are completely irrelevant to what the Lord is saying. Because of this, tradition has taken over much of the basic words of instruction.

In the evaluation of these Leviticus 16 verses, I am purposefully refraining from any extra-biblical content, such as those Jewish writings which detail the rituals, in order to keep the original intent of what is said here. The only time I have or will introduce anything written later, is when it won’t interfere with a proper evaluation of these verses.

This is important, because in using the descriptions of what occurred at temple times, and of what the later writings of the Talmud state, the symbolism of what is being pictured is actually confused. Error is then introduced into what should otherwise be fully understood from these verses alone. It is the constant mistake of those who evaluate such passages, and it has led to many misunderstandings of what is being presented for us to learn.

This is not to say that all such writings are bad, but there is a basic instruction given in Scripture which gives us the necessary details to find Christ. Quite often, the later writings seem to purposefully hide what we should see. What we are to find in Scripture is Jesus, and that which is recorded in the Old is only given to lead us to the New. We have to keep remembering this. Everything points to Christ and His completion of these things.

Text Verse: “For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, ¹⁹ for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.” Hebrews 7:18, 19

In Christ, the “former commandment,” meaning the Law of Moses, is annulled. This is, as the author of Hebrews notes, because of it “weakness and unprofitableness.” That sounds very stern, but he then explains it by saying that “the law made nothing perfect.”

Only Christ could do that. The Law was given to lead us to Him. That includes the Leviticus 16, Day of Atonement, rituals. We just need to keep looking for Him. In so doing, we will be fully informed on what we are seeing now. This is the beauty of studying the law. In doing so, we will not only find Christ, but the things of the New Testament make all the more sense.

Things in the New which seem hard to understand find their source in the Old. In understanding the Old, we can then understand the New. This is how it is. Marvelous things are revealed when we study His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. A Bull For a Sin Offering (verses 11-14)

¹¹ “And Aaron shall bring the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bull as the sin offering which is for himself.

Following the specific order of the ritual, the high priest is now instructed to bring forward the bull of his sin offering. The order so far is that he 1) bathed; 2) dressed in white holy garments; 3) presented at the door of the tent a bull for a sin offering; 4) presented at the door of the tent two goats for a sin offering for the congregation; 5) cast lots on the two goats – one for Yehovah, and the other for Azazel. Now, comes his sixth act of the day.

Here it notes that this bull which is brought near, “is for himself and for his house” in order to make atonement for them. This is the bull which was introduced in general in verse 6. The par, or bull, comes from the word parar which carries the meaning of defeat, or make void. The idea of Christ is seen clearly in this. It is He who defeated the devil, making void that which the devil had wrought, through the sacrifice of Himself.

As we have seen from the earlier sacrifices noted in Leviticus, the high priest must sacrifice first for himself, and only then can he sacrifice for the sins of the people. This is stated by the author of Hebrews to make certain a theological point in verses 5:1-3–

“For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. ² He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness. ³ Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins.”

Aaron bore his own sin, a truth highlighted by the New Testament in order to demonstrate, perfectly and completely, the fallible nature of the Aaronic priesthood. If Israel’s high priest bore sin, and if he continued to bear sin year after year, then he was never made perfect, nor could he make anyone else perfect.

Further, none of his house was exempt. If he conceived a child just after the Day of Atonement, that child would still be born in sin and under sin’s power. The truth is inescapable. Thus, though the high priest is a type of Christ in his duties and garments, the bull being presented is also.

Without the bull, there is no transfer of sin, and without Christ, there is no true atonement. As this is so, the high priest personally kills the bull. In type and picture, all – including Israel’s high priest – are responsible for the death of Christ. None can come to God apart from Him.

¹² Then he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from the altar before the Lord,

After sacrificing the bull, the next thing he is to do is to take ha’makhtah or “the censer,” full of burning coals. The definite article is not superfluous at all. In verse 10:1, the two sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, committed several violations before the Lord, causing them to die. One was that they took censers that were not authorized for this purpose. Makhtah, or censer, comes from khathah, “to take.”

Aaron is to take “the censer” which was specifically ordained for this task, and to then fill it with gakhale, or burning coals. This is the first time that gekhel or burning coal is used in Scripture. It is from an unused root meaning “to glow” or “kindle,” thus it is a burning ember. These were to be obtained me’al ha’mizbeakh miliphne Yehovah, or from off the altar before the Lord.

Pretty much every commentary and scholar says that these coals are to come from the altar of burnt sacrifice outside. That is the perpetually burning fire which was sanctified by the fire of the Lord at the end of Chapter 9. But, it is more likely that these were taken from the altar of incense which stands before the veil.

The incense and the censer would both have been kept inside the Holy Place. The incense was always to be burning on the coals of the fire in this golden altar according to Exodus 30:8. Therefore, the fire was already sanctified to be used for incense before the Lord. Further, the same term is used again in verse 18. In both cases, it is called “the altar that is before the Lord.”

^{12  (con’t)} with his hands full of sweet incense beaten fine,

The words, qetoreth, or “incense,” and sam, or “fragrant,” are stated together. This is the special incense which was mandated for this specific purpose back in Exodus 30. It is the holy incense which was composed of exacting ingredients and proportions which were reserved to the Lord alone. The Lord specifically stated, “Whoever makes any like it, to smell it, he shall be cut off from his people” (Exodus 30:38).

Every detail of the composition of that incense pointed to the Person and work of Christ. If you missed that sermon, go back and watch it. The symbolism of Leviticus 16 will come more fully alive by seeing the meaning of that which is now to be burnt before the Lord. The Bible explicitly explains what incense pictures and therefore we need go no further than what it says –

“Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” Revelation 5:8

Incense pictures prayer. This is seen in both testaments. As it is prayers of the saints, and as the ingredients picture Christ and His work, it is reflective of those who are in Christ and whose prayers are made acceptable to God only because of Him.

In the case of the high priest now, he is instructed to have both hands filled with sweet incense beaten fine. It is not yet placed on the coals, but rather it will be after entering the Most Holy Place. As it is beaten fine, when it is placed on the embers, it will make an immense amount of smoke. That, combined with the fact that it is in a small and completely closed room, it will literally envelope the room in smoke.

^{12  (con’t)} and bring it inside the veil.

v’hevi mi’beit la’paroketh – “and bring from house for veil.” As I noted last week, and will repeat again, the paroketh, or veil, is the dividing line between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. Cherubim were woven into it, symbolizing the fracture between God and Man which resulted at the fall. When man was removed from the presence of the Lord, cherubim were placed at the east of the garden to guard the way to the tree of life.

The cherubim on the veil likewise faced east. Access has been cut off for man to dwell with the Lord, or to even temporarily enter His presence. Only the high priest, and only once a year, could go behind this veil in order to make atonement for the people. The veil pictures Christ, the One and only means of gaining access to God. It is through Him alone that this can come about. That the veil is Christ is seen in Hebrews –

“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh.” Hebrews 10:19, 20

¹³ And 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 Testimony, lest he die.

Once behind the veil, the high priest was then to put the incense on the fire before the Lord. Almost all commentators state that this was then to prevent him from seeing the holy items and the place where the Lord dwelt, or else he would die. This is not correct. The ark was seen as it was made; it was seen by the priests as the tabernacle was taken down and raised during its time of movement, and the high priest could obviously see the Ark and the Mercy Seat as he walked in, prior to putting the incense on the coals.

The reason for the incense is stated right here, v’kisah anan ha’qetoreth eth ha’kapporeth asher al ha’edut w’lo yamut – “and cover cloud the incense the mercy seat which (is) over the testimony that not he die.” It is the mercy seat that is over the testimony which is singled out here.

In other words, the tablets of the Testimony are inside the ark. The mercy seat is above the ark. Incense is a symbol of prayer. The Ten Commandments are representative of the entire law, a law which condemns. Only wrath can come from a violation of the law, and only a satisfaction of the law through the shedding of blood of an innocent Substitute can appease the wrath.

The incense then is covering the mercy seat which covers the law; a law which brings death. In the death of the Substitute, life is granted. But when Aaron came back into the Most Holy place with the blood, without the incense, he would be visible. As the atonement is for him, he would die before the Lord, having been seen by the Lord. The incense, picturing prayer, is for him to be covered from the Lord, not for the Lord to be covered from him. It is the same as at the Passover. The people were to remain inside, only the blood was to be seen outside. As the Lord said then, “And when I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13).

At the time of atonement, there must be only that which provides atonement visible. The picture of Christ is obvious. The prayers of the people who call on Christ will be saved through His death. The Lord does not see the sinner, but He hears their prayers because of Christ, and because of Christ alone – symbolized by the ingredients of the incense, all of which picture Him.

¹⁴ He shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

What is implied, but what is not specifically stated, is that he would then exit the Most Holy Place to get the blood of the bull in order to sprinkle it before the Lord. As his hands were full of the incense, and as he was also carrying the censer with the coals, he could not have also held the bowl full of blood.

With the blood now in his possession, he is instructed to sprinkle it with his finger. Due to the obscurity of the Hebrew, there are different views on what the words say. Some take the two clauses as two different sprinklings. One is with his finger either on, or before, the mercy seat once, and then he is to sprinkle before the mercy seat, meaning on the ground, or at least in the direction of the mercy seat, seven times. Thus, eight sprinklings.

Some unite the two clauses, the second explaining the first. This would mean that he sprinkled only seven times at the front of the mercy seat. A third view is that he is to sprinkle it on the mercy seat seven times, and also before the mercy seat seven times, thus fourteen total. This would mean that the mercy seat is considered an altar. Atonement is made for it.

It is hard to be dogmatic about which is correct. At the time of the second temple, there was no ark. And therefore, the priest went in and sprinkled once in the air, and seven times on the ground in a line to the place where the ark would have been.

I propose that the blood of atonement is made upon the Mercy Seat, and atonement for the Holy place is made with the seven sprinklings before it. First it is sprinkled on the east side of the mercy seat. In the Bible, the east side is the place of exile, and enmity with God. Sprinkling it there is intended to appease His wrath upon those who are in this place of exile and enmity.

In other words, it is a picture of Christ, coming to our land of exile and shedding His blood in this place of exile to reconcile us to God once again. After that, atonement is next made for the tent of meeting by sprinkling the blood before the mercy seat seven times.

Seven is the number of spiritual perfection in Scripture. The high priest would sprinkle the blood before the mercy seat to atone for the Holy Place. This seems correct based on verse 16. One way or another, blood was specifically sprinkled on the mercy seat. This was proof of death, and it was also intended that the Lord would see the blood, and atonement would be provided.

As a side note, the reason for the seven sprinklings has met with fanciful interpretation by some who claim that this is the number of times that Christ shed His blood during His time leading up to the cross. However, no such analysis is born out by the writers of the gospels. That has to be forced in order to arrive at the number.

He shed blood when He wept, He was pierced in His hands and His feet – do we count that as 1 cumulatively, 2 for the hands and 2 for the feet, or 4 for the 4 appendages? He certainly bled when He was whipped, but the record does not say this. He probably bled when the crown of thorns was placed on His head, but the record doesn’t say that. He bled internally through bruising, but that doesn’t qualify for shed blood. In the end, we can only use what is explicit, and doing so leaves nothing which matches what is called for here.

Simply, seven is the number of spiritual perfection. There is no reason to go beyond this basic and full explanation. As Christ Jesus is the embodiment of spiritual perfection, the seven sprinklings is emblematic of this innate perfection which was given for the sins of His people. They are done to petition the Lord’s mercy and to acknowledge the death of the innocent substitute.

An offering for sin to restore the peace
I come to petition my God at the burnt altar
Until I do, the enmity will never cease
But knowing He will forgive, in this I will not falter

At the altar, and by the door of the tent
The animal is slain, its life ebbs away
In that exchange, God’s wrath is spent
Harmony is restored, and has come a new day

Innocent and pure, no fault of its own
The death truly touches my heart
But in this exchange, I am clearly shown
That only through death, can there be a new start

Thank God that Another can die in my place
In His death I can again look upon God’s face

II. The Sin Offering for the People (verses 15-19)

¹⁵ “Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat.

Once the high priest’s sin was atoned for, the sins of the people could then be atoned for. The priest would retreat to the altar of burnt offering and there kill the people’s goat offering. Once bled out, he would reenter inside the veil to sprinkle the blood as before.

Remember the typology is important. The high priest pictures Christ our High Priest. The goat is Christ our Substitute. The shed blood is the life of Christ poured out for His people. The veil is Christ’s body which was, according to Matthew 27:51, torn asunder at the moment Christ died, thus allowing access for man into the presence of the Lord once again. For those in Christ, the guarding cherubim at the Garden of Eden, guard no more.

The incense reflects Christ’s nature and qualities. For those in Christ, our prayers are made acceptable to God, through Him, once again. The Ark is Christ who embodies the law. The Mercy Seat is Christ our place of propitiation. On an on, we need to remember that all detail is pointing to Christ.

Here, the Hebrew says that the blood is sprinkled both on and before the Ark, not only on. However, the Greek translation of the Old Testament leaves the word “and” out, and so once again, it is hard to be dogmatic about the sprinklings.

¹⁶ So he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, for all their sins; and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness.

As with several other verses, this is variously translated and commented on. A large number of translations and scholars say that the two major clauses detail two separate actions. The first is that the rite has made atonement for the Most Holy place, and then the second clause is that he is then next to do so for the tent of meeting. If this were so, it would be a very imprecise order. No specifics about what he is to do to the tabernacle are given. Rather, the second clause seems explanatory. The ISV translates it in this manner –

“Then he is to make atonement on the sacred place on account of the uncleanness of the Israelis, their transgressions, and all their sins. This is how he is to act in the Tent of Meeting, which will remain with them in the middle of their uncleanness.” ISV

The sprinkling of the blood is what makes atonement first for the people’s sins when it is on the Mercy Seat. It is then for the Holy Place, and thus for the Tent of meeting as a whole. That is represented by the seven sprinklings before the mercy seat. The people are unclean, and they require atonement because the Lord resides in the tent of meeting which is among them. Further, the very utensils and dwelling place became defiled because of the sins of the people. Annually, this uncleanness needed to be atoned for.

¹⁷ There shall be no man in the tabernacle of meeting when he goes in to make atonement in the Holy Place, until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself, for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel.

The reasons for this should be obvious. First, only the priests could enter into the tent of meeting, but even they were considered defiled, and so only one representative for them could go in and out with the required sacrifices. Their impure presence would nullify the rite which was being accomplished.

Secondly, as the high priest went in and out of the Most Holy Place, anyone in the Holy Place could look behind the veil as he went in and out. This was absolutely forbidden. And thirdly, it is typical of the work of Christ being the only acceptable work for atonement and mediation before God. No works of any person, nor any mediation by anyone else, is acceptable for bringing us near to God once again. So much for prayers to Mary and Peter!

On any day, even on this most holy Day of Atonement, this place where the Lord resided, which is in type heaven itself, was shut up from the eyes and physical access of man. This is explained in Hebrews –

“…the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.” Hebrews 9:8

Only in Christ could entrance into the true place where the Lord resides be made manifest. It is through Him that access for His people is made possible.

¹⁸ And 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 some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around.

Scholars are 50/50 divided on whether this is speaking of the Golden Altar of Incense, or the Altar of Burnt Offering. Each gives convincing reasons for one or the other based on the chronology of events which take place in the account. But only one is correct. I would go with the Golden Altar. First, it was specifically stated that this altar was to be atoned for once a year on the Day of Atonement. That is recorded in Exodus 30:10 –

“And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement; once a year he shall make atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.”

Secondly, no such required atonement was specified for the Altar of Burnt Offering except during the ordination process, and so the general atonement made for the tent of meeting also atoned for it. Thirdly, it is because of what the Golden Altar of incense does that this was necessary. It is the one channel between the Lord and His people each day as the incense, reflecting prayers, would waft through the veil and into the Most Holy Place. And fourthly, the Altar of Burnt Offering was for the sacrifices of the people at all times, but no burnt, grain, or drink offering was ever to be made upon the Golden Altar. Thus atonement from the sin offering was required.

There is the inescapable truth that both the blood of the bull, and the blood of the goat, were mixed together in one application. For atonement before the Lord, Aaron had to sacrifice for himself. Then for the people, another sacrifice was made. But in the mingling of the blood of both, we see that each individual sacrifice actually points to One true sacrifice.

Both priest and commoner require Christ. The sacrifices are made in a sequence in type and picture, but in reality, they are one sacrifice made one time in the death of Christ.

This acknowledgment of the death of Christ, the blood of these two animals, was on the horns of the altar, thus making atonement for it. The prayers of the people were considered acceptable only because of the death of Christ. It is His death which allows our prayers, sinful as they may be, to be accepted by God. It is an astonishing thing to consider that even the prayers of man are deemed so sinful that God cannot hear them apart from Jesus.

¹⁹ Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, cleanse it, and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.

The seven–fold sprinkling is, like all other times, that which signifies spiritual perfection. It is emblematic of the spiritually full and complete atonement which Christ’s shed blood provides. What is most notable here is that just after the death of the bull, the bringing in of incense was the first thing accomplished in order to begin the atonement process.

Now atoning for the altar of incense with the blood of the bull is again the last part of the process. As incense signifies prayer, it is a remarkable attestation to the importance of prayer to God. Prayers in Christ cover us, and at the same time they reveal us. In type as we saw in Exodus 30, the altar of incense is tied directly to both the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat. In fact, they are so intimately connected, that the author of Hebrews says that this altar is actually on the other side of the veil. Here is what he says –

“For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary; ³ and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, ⁴ which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; ⁵ and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat.” Hebrews 9:2-5

This description by the author of Hebrews is not in error. Rather John Lange explains what is intended –

“For this reason we would rather find a theological idea than an archæological error in that passage of the Epistle to the Hebrews (9:4) which puts it in the Holy of holies. For this is the altar which by its incense symbolizes the prayer of the high-priest (Rev. 5:8; Heb. 5:7).” John Lange 

As I mentioned in the last sermon, there is a play on words occurring which is provided to give insights into the work of Christ. The veil, or paroketh, comes from the word perek which means “cruelty” or “rigor.” That then comes from an unused root meaning to “break apart” or “fracture.” In this, we can see where cruelty or rigor then comes into play.

On the other side of the veil is the mercy seat, or kapporeth, which indicates “a satisfaction.” This comes from the word kaphar, which in this situation means “to appease” or “to satisfy.” The two words, paroketh and kapporeth, are spelled with the same letters, but the letter kaph is simply moves forward. Kaph is represented by an open hand and signifies “to open, allow, or tame.”

On one side there is cruelty and rigor; on the other side, there is mercy, or satisfaction. The only thing that would pass through this veil each day would be the smell of the incense as it wafted into the air. As Christ is the veil, that is our one means of access to God at this time. It is our prayers mediated by Christ, rising to Him.

As a pictorial lesson for us concerning the blood of these animals, both picturing Christ, being applied to the mercy seat, which also pictures Christ, we can go to the Gospel of John to see the fulfillment of what is pictured here in Leviticus. On the Day of Atonement, the blood was applied on the mercy seat. That was fashioned so that there was a cherubim on each end of it, and the blood would be applied in the middle. In John 20, we read this –

But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. ¹² And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. ¹³ Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
¹⁴ Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).
¹⁷ Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’” John 20:11-17

Mary looked into the tomb. And what did she see? “…two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.” A picture was being made of the true Mercy Seat where the blood of Christ sprinkled the Seat of God’s Mercy, cleansing those of the earth who come to Him through it.

The two angels were there, fulfilling the picture given to Moses about 1500 years earlier. It is in Christ where we are designated, or appointed, to meet with God. Christ is no random meeting place as if He could be there or somewhere else. Nor in Christ is there some random time of meeting, as if He may be in or He may not be in. Rather, He is the designated place of meeting.

As I said in our first sermon, the Greek translation of the word “mercy seat” is hilastérion. It is the same word used in the New Testament for the term “mercy seat” in Hebrews 9:5, and “propitiation” in Romans 3:25. Christ is our Mercy Seat, and He is our place of propitiation. His atoning death is the fulfillment of this ancient rite described now in Leviticus. Feast fulfilled.

We have sinned and now we realize what we have done
We rejected God’s offer, the Gift he sent to us
We have crucified our Lord, God’s perfect Son
Together we have rejected the Lord Jesus

But we did it in ignorance and so there is hope
For us there is an offering for sin
It is through His blood, atonement unlimited in scope
Through Him peace is restored, and there can be fellowship again

Thank God for His tender mercies upon us
Thank God for this marvelous thing He has done
Through the cross of Calvary and the death of Jesus
We are whole once again, and the victory is won

III. To an Uninhabited Land (verses 20-22)

²⁰ “And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the tabernacle of meeting, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat.

With the atonement for the priests and the people, as well as the other specific items now accomplished, the attention is now brought back to the living goat. What will happen to it? The words now say that it shall be brought near to serve its intended purpose.

²¹ Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man.

Here the term “both hands” instead of “hand” is used. It is unique in all of the sacrifices. This is indicating, in the most poignant manner possible, that the confession is for both the house of the priesthood, and for the common people. He stands as the mediator to confess for all.

In this confession are all of the avonot, or iniquities, and all the pisheham, or transgresssions, concerning their khatotam, or sins. This is the full range of sins, from the smallest to the greatest which violate divine law. These were to be placed on the head of this goat. The sins have already been atoned for by the death of the other animals – the bull and the goat for the Lord. But this goat is now considered guilt-laden, and so it is going to be sent away into the wilderness, the abode of Azazel, by the had of a suitable man.

The word used to describe this man is itti. It is found only this once in Scripture, and it signifies a man who stands in readiness. The word comes from eth, meaning time, and thus he is a timely man, or a man of years and discretion suitable to the task. This man also pictures Christ who “when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4).

The sins are to be to be carried back to Azazel who had enticed them to sin in the first place. This goat bore guilt. This is not at all like the bird of purification from leprosy where the live bird was released. Nothing there hints that the live bird bore guilt. Rather it was dunked into the blood of the live bird, symbolizing death, and then set free in an open field, symbolizing the resurrection.

Here the first goat which was slain represents the sacrifice for sin; Christ’s atoning death. The second represents the effect of that sacrifice. They are two sides of the same coin. The sin is completely removed from the people. As the first goat was for the Lord, the second is for Azazel. What the first goat cannot picture because it is now dead, the second goat is now used to show that the sin is removed – both of which are accomplished by Christ.

This is a truth which is seen in salvation. Christ died for all sins of all people potentially; Christ died only for those who acknowledge Him as their sin-Bearer actually. As long as we fail to come to Him, the death has no effect. But when we come to Him, our sins are removed completely and wholly, la’Azazel.

*²² The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.

This goat, after having the iniquities of the people confessed over it, was then the one to bear all of those iniquities into what the Hebrew calls eretz gezerah, or a land cut off. The word is only used this one time in Scripture, but it comes from the word gazar which is used in Isaiah 53:8 saying –

“He was taken from prison and from judgment,
And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living.” Isaiah 53:8

This goat was to be taken to a place completely uninhabited, and which was totally severed from the place of the Lord. There were to be no roads or any other identifying ways that would cause this goat to return to the camp of God’s people. This is, as the Bible shows quite a few times elsewhere, the haunt of evil spirits.

Here we have now an understanding that this goat is being sent to Azazel. This means that Azazel can do no harm to Israel because their sins are forgiven. Instead, he must be content with the goat which has taken Israel’s place. A natural translation of Azazel is either “one who has separated himself from God,” or “he who has separated himself.” It is to Azazel that the goat is sent.

The symbolism we are to see is that any and all who have confessed their sin over this goat have their sins carried away to a barren place with no hope of them ever returning. You talk about eternal salvation! You talk about once-saved-always-saved! It is right here in the Bible, in the Old Testament. The sins are forgiven and gone – forever.

However, those who do not confess over this goat of removal do not have their sins removed. For them, there is only one possible place to go. Their sins remain, and they are for Azazel. Thus, there is a time when they, with their sins, will be cast to that barren place from which there is no return. But at that time, it will no longer be barren. The sin of history, along with all unredeemed humanity will be there. It is a place of eternal corruption from which no soul shall ever escape. Such is the cost of being set apart la’Azazel. It is either your sin alone, or you with your sin, which is heading there.

The parting question for us today is, “Have we received Christ Jesus as our atoning Sacrifice?” It is He alone who fulfills these many pictures of what we are looking at. And He alone can bring us back home to our heavenly Father. This will become evident enough in the final verses of the passage, and with an evaluation of what everything we have looked at in this chapter means.

But maybe we won’t make it until then. There is always that chance that our next day won’t come. It isn’t the kind of thing we think about often, but it is something we should consider. This is especially so unless we are right with God. And there is only one way that it can happen. We need to have our sins taken care of, and that can only come about through what these verses picture – Christ Jesus. If you have never called on Him and asked Him to bear your sin-guilt away, it is high time you do.

Closing Verse: But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. ¹² Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. Hebrews 9:11, 12

Next Week: Leviticus 16:23-34 For sure, when these verses are spent, we shall say marvelous things we did see… (Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement, Part III) (29^th Leviticus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if you have a lifetime of sin heaped up behind you, He can wash it away and purify you completely and wholly. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement

“And Aaron shall bring the bull of the sin offering
Which is for himself, and make atonement for himself
———-so shall he do
And for his house, and shall kill the bull as the sin offering
Which is for himself, as I instruct now to you

Then he shall take a censer full
Of burning coals of fire from the altar before the Lord
With his hands full of sweet incense beaten fine
And bring it inside the veil, according to this word

And 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 Testimony
Lest he die. Pay careful heed to this word

He shall take some of the blood of the bull
And sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side
And before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood
With his finger seven times; to this instruction he shall abide

“Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering
Which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil
———-so shall he complete
Do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull
And sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat 

So he shall make atonement for the Holy Place
Because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel
And because of their transgressions
For all their sins; of which I am aware of very well

And so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting
———-as to you I address
Which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness

There shall be no man in the tabernacle of meeting
When he goes in to make atonement in the Holy Place, so do I tell
Until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself
For his household, and for all the assembly of Israel

And he shall go out to the altar that is before the Lord
And make atonement for it, in this he shall not falter
And shall take some of the blood of the bull
———-and some of the blood of the goat
And put it all around on the horns of the altar

Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood
On it with his finger seven times, so to you I tell
Cleanse it, and consecrate it
From the uncleanness of the children of Israel

“And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place
Please do take careful note
The tabernacle of meeting, and the altar
He shall bring the live goat

Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat
Confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel
And all their transgressions, concerning all their sins
Putting them on the head of the goat as to you I now tell

And shall send it away into the wilderness
By the hand of a suitable man; pay heed to this address

The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities
To an uninhabited land
And he shall release the goat in the wilderness
This is something for you to carefully understand

Lord God, You have sent Jesus to atone for sin
We thank You for doing what we could not do
Through Him new life can begin
And so, O God, we call out through Him to You

Hear our cry for mercy, upon sinners such as us
Know that we trust in Your word, and Your power to save
We are freed from sin’s bondage through Jesus
It was for us that His precious life You gave

Hallelujah! To You, O God, our voices we raise
Hallelujah! To You, O God, we give all of our praise

Hallelujah and Amen…