“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Pe.2:24”
# 49 2025 Dev. Lev.16: The Day of Atonement! Read all of chapters sixteen, seventeen and eighteen. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s story. Do you believe that this may also be part of our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.
Leviticus. These 3 chapters are about the Day of Atonement, the restrictions on eating blood and on illicit sexual relations.
Ch.17 The restriction of eating blood, “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.Therefore, I say to the Israelites, ‘none of you may eat blood, nor may any foreigner residing among you eat blood.”’ No longer will you slaughter an animal in the field but you must present it to the Lord through the Priests.
Lev.16:2 “The Lord said to Moses: ‘Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die.’” He was to come into the Holy of Holies only once a year in the 7th month and on the 10th day of the month. It was an elaborate ceremony. Fist he must sacrifice a bull as a sin offering and a goat as a burnt offering for himself and his family. He must get two goats from the community, chosen by two lots. “…one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat.” Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering. The other goat is the scape goat. He makes atonement by carrying the sins of the community into the wilderness where he is released. Aaron must also make atonement for the inner-sanctuary, the outer-sanctuary and the alter of burnt offerings outside by sprinkling blood of the two sacrifices seven times in all three places. Only the high priest officiates, he must wear the sacred garments on any day but on the day of atonement he would change into the linen garment before going into the Holy of Holies.
Ch.18 Sexual Relations. The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘I am the Lord your God. You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the Lord.” Most of these restrictions, we as Christians practice today. Read vs. 6-23. Some Christians however do not adhere to v.22 “Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable”. This is unfortunate, like it was in Egypt and in Canaan at that time so it is in the world today. God is clear here; the practices of the world are detestable in His sight. The world must not change us, we must change the world.
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Heavenhigh 