Bible Verse of the Day Sunday August 27th, 2023

Leviticus 16:34 34 “This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites. “And it was done, as the Lord commanded Moses.

The Pharisees searched the Old Testament because they believed they might find the secret to eternal life within their hallowed scrolls. Still, they needed to understand the person all scripture pointed to as the source of eternal life. When Jesus walked up on the two disciples on their way home to Emmaus, they also showed a severe misunderstanding of the Word of God. Jesus opened their eyes to the fact that the truth of the scriptures pointed to Him as the promised Messiah, the Savior of the World.

In Leviticus, we see that the Aaronic priesthood, the sacrificed animals, and all the rituals accomplished were a type of the priesthood of Christ Jesus; this included his functioning, His sacrifice on the Cross, and His perfect life. All the furnishings, the many feasts and offerings, the regulations for the Sabbath, and all ceremonial regulations point to Jesus and his life, death, and resurrection. 

In the 16th chapter of Leviticus, we find God's establishment for the Day of Atonement, which God commanded as an annual ceremony. It was to occur on a specific day of the year, the 7th day of the 7th month of each year. Every phase of this most Holy day emphasized a particular aspect of His life, death, and resurrection. God's purpose for this holy celebration was to provoke true repentance in the hearts of His people and to mourn the past year's sins.

Like all biblical 'types,' the reason there could be no divergence from God's direct command when engaging in the Day of Atonement is exceptionally addressed in the Book of Hebrews, chapters 9-10. In these chapters of Hebrews, we will learn that the Children of Israel were required to mourn their sins, and it points to the supreme offering of Christ on the Cross of Calvary.

Atonement implies a covering, and the animals offered yearly on the Day of Atonement covered the people's sins for the next year; however, their blood could not remove sin's eternal stain from the soul. The blood sacrifice of these innocent animals covered their sin temporarily; however, these sacrifices pointed to the day that the Son of God would offer the only sacrifice required for the sins of all that accept Him as their Lord and Savior. The Lord Jesus Christ offered Himself to God as the unblemished, sacrificial Lamb. His sacrifice cleansed our consciences forever from all sin and the consequences of sin. The sacrificial blood of Christ has infinite value. His atonement is not a limited covering but is an eternal safeguard, for through the eternal Spirit, the penalty and power of sin are not simply covered but removed forever.