Day 3
Read Leviticus 16:20-22 and Leviticus 16:29-34.
Leviticus 16 is personally my favorite chapter in the book, as it helps me understand Jesus’ love for me and what He endured on the cross. This chapter highlights the “Day of Atonement” for the Israelites. Think of atonement as the payment that you owe to God for your sins to be covered. Romans 6:23 tells us the payment required to God for sin, “For the wages of sin is death…”. The payment that you owe God for your sin is death and you will never be able to have a relationship with God until that payment is satisfied.
The Day of Atonement would be a day to make sure that all of the sins of the Israelites are paid for. Because all of us sin in ways we don’t even realize, there would be sins that weren’t covered or atoned for by the Sin Sacrifice we talked about in the first devotional this week. On the day of atonement, a priest would lay his hands on the head of the goat and confess all of the sins of the Israelites. By doing this, the priest would place all of the sins of the Israelites that were missed onto this single goat and then they would take the goat to a “remote place” and release it to wander around the wilderness. Surrounded by wolves and bears with no way to fend for itself, this goat would not only be cut off from the community but it would certainly die in the wilderness.
Through all of this, we should see God’s heart to be with His people. This is God’s way of ridding the Israelites of all their sin, making atonement for all their wickedness so that they could be with Him. Generations and generations have passed from the original rebellion of Adam and Eve and we see our God still working to make a way for His people to be with Him. Ultimately, God has that same heart for you and I. As we talk about the day of atonement, one aspect of Jesus’ death is highlighted…His spiritual separation from God. Jesus was quite literally the goat that placed the sin of the world onto Himself. Not just the sins we missed but all of your sin, past, present, and future. As He took the sins of the world upon Himself, because He was covered in sin He could not be in the presence of God. In the same way that the goat on the day of atonement had to be cast out from the presence of God in the Israelites camp, Jesus for the first and only time in history was cut off from the presence of God as He bore the weight of your sin and shame on the cross.
Matthew 27:45-46
“From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).”
This was the moment that Jesus was forsaken by God, cut off from His Fathers presence for the first time (and only time) in the history of eternity. He did this so that when you place your faith in Christ, you would never have to be cut off from the presence of God again. Now, in Christ, sin cannot separate you from the presence of God.
Questions to consider.
If it wasn’t for Jesus we would still be trusting in these animal sacrifices and the fleeting atonement of goats and other animals. Why is it a big deal that Jesus atoned “once and for all” your sins?
What comfort do you have knowing that you have full access to God through the atonement of Jesus?
Spend some time in His presence through worship or prayer, giving Him thanks for allowing us to simply be with Him.
Leviticus 16 is personally my favorite chapter in the book, as it helps me understand Jesus’ love for me and what He endured on the cross. This chapter highlights the “Day of Atonement” for the Israelites. Think of atonement as the payment that you owe to God for your sins to be covered. Romans 6:23 tells us the payment required to God for sin, “For the wages of sin is death…”. The payment that you owe God for your sin is death and you will never be able to have a relationship with God until that payment is satisfied.
The Day of Atonement would be a day to make sure that all of the sins of the Israelites are paid for. Because all of us sin in ways we don’t even realize, there would be sins that weren’t covered or atoned for by the Sin Sacrifice we talked about in the first devotional this week. On the day of atonement, a priest would lay his hands on the head of the goat and confess all of the sins of the Israelites. By doing this, the priest would place all of the sins of the Israelites that were missed onto this single goat and then they would take the goat to a “remote place” and release it to wander around the wilderness. Surrounded by wolves and bears with no way to fend for itself, this goat would not only be cut off from the community but it would certainly die in the wilderness.
Through all of this, we should see God’s heart to be with His people. This is God’s way of ridding the Israelites of all their sin, making atonement for all their wickedness so that they could be with Him. Generations and generations have passed from the original rebellion of Adam and Eve and we see our God still working to make a way for His people to be with Him. Ultimately, God has that same heart for you and I. As we talk about the day of atonement, one aspect of Jesus’ death is highlighted…His spiritual separation from God. Jesus was quite literally the goat that placed the sin of the world onto Himself. Not just the sins we missed but all of your sin, past, present, and future. As He took the sins of the world upon Himself, because He was covered in sin He could not be in the presence of God. In the same way that the goat on the day of atonement had to be cast out from the presence of God in the Israelites camp, Jesus for the first and only time in history was cut off from the presence of God as He bore the weight of your sin and shame on the cross.
Matthew 27:45-46
“From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).”
This was the moment that Jesus was forsaken by God, cut off from His Fathers presence for the first time (and only time) in the history of eternity. He did this so that when you place your faith in Christ, you would never have to be cut off from the presence of God again. Now, in Christ, sin cannot separate you from the presence of God.
Questions to consider.
If it wasn’t for Jesus we would still be trusting in these animal sacrifices and the fleeting atonement of goats and other animals. Why is it a big deal that Jesus atoned “once and for all” your sins?
What comfort do you have knowing that you have full access to God through the atonement of Jesus?
Spend some time in His presence through worship or prayer, giving Him thanks for allowing us to simply be with Him.