ESV Chronological Plan, Day 46 | Leviticus 15-16

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read Leviticus 15:1-16:34

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

 (A) Chapter 15 really could be included in the thoughts for yesterday's reading. Jewish laws kept the people who followed them some of the healthiest people in the world.

(B) Chapter 16 is really the center of the book: The Day of Atonement (or, Yom Kippur). Here is a good quote on the significance of this ritual for Christians [although; just one note to make before I provide the quote: an interesting fact is that Samaritans to this day still perform these rituals on Mt. Gerizim, so it is possible to witness Old Testament-style sacrifices being offered in the present day--I even own an English translation of the Samaritan version of the first five books of the Bible, available here]: "The Day of Atonement, as outlined in Leviticus 16, serves as a profound typification of the redemptive work of Christ in the New Testament. In Leviticus 16, the high priest was instructed to enter the Holy of Holies once a year, on this solemn day, to make atonement for the sins of the people through the sacrifice of animals, particularly a goat for the sins of the community. This ritual symbolized the temporary covering of sin until the ultimate sacrifice would be made. The New Testament elucidates this typology, revealing Jesus as the ultimate High Priest who enters into the heavenly sanctuary, not with the blood of goats or calves, but with His own blood, offering eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:11-14). Furthermore, the scapegoat, carrying the sins of the people into the wilderness, mirrors Christ's role as the sin-bearer, taking upon Himself the sins of humanity, thereby granting forgiveness and reconciliation with God (Isaiah 53:4-6; 1 Peter 2:24). Thus, the Day of Atonement foreshadows the sacrificial work of Christ, providing a profound glimpse into the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan through His Son."

RESPOND | WHAT IS OUR PART?

Because Jesus is our High Priest, our scapegoat, and our sacrifice of atonement, we can approach God boldly with confidence in his grace and mercy. Our sin has been taken away; it's out in the distance. It's been put to death on the cross. It's been washed away. "The chastisement that was upon him has given us peace" (Isaiah 53). This is what gives us greater ability to approach God in worship, with an attitude of humbleness and freedom, extending some measure of the grace that God has shown us to others in our actions. That's the foundation for everything in our lives as Christians--discipleship begins when we are able to say "Oh, can it be that I should gain // an interest in the Savior's blood? // Died he for me who caused him pain // For me, who him to death pursued? // Amazing love! How can it be // That Thou, my God, should die for me!"

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US CLOSER TO GOD?

Here is a suggested prayer prompt: "Father, I come to you by your Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus your son. Thank you that in some incredible way that defies understanding, you simultaneously sent your son to die on the cross in my place; and at the same time you, the one immortal God, were the one who came down and died in my place for me as the man Jesus Christ. Your work defies all comprehension, for in that moment you were both God and man; both High Priest and sacrificial offering; both judge and the one being judged; both innocent, and yet you took on guilt; both claimed by death, and yet upholding all things by your powerful Word. Help me to worship as that begins to sink in--that you are powerful; mysterious; and personal. You are the God of all physics and time and space; and you are also the God of bedouin shepherds who walk in the wilderness: you are amazing, and awe-inspiring, and full of grace."