OVERVIEW:
The purification of lepers; purification of those with unclean issues; instructions regarding the Day of Atonement.
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
God is invisible and many of His truths relate to the unseen realm—and thus, the need for faith! Hebrews 11:1 tells us that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of THINGS NOT SEEN!” Though the spiritual realm is invisible, God is an expert at teaching spiritual truths through physical realities. Leviticus chapter 15 is a perfect example of God exercising this method of teaching.
One of the beautiful things about this section of scripture is the fact that God recognizes that we all have “issues.” God provides instructions here regarding “unclean issues,” for the obvious reason of preventing the spread of infectious illnesses among the Israelites. However, God’s stringent physical rules regarding “unclean issues” also teach us spiritual truths about “unclean” thoughts, attitudes and words that “issue” out of our hearts. Jesus reminded us that “those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man.” (Matt. 15:16-18) No wonder David prayed, “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.” (Ps. 141:3)
In Leviticus chapter 16, God introduces a special holiday into the Jewish calendar: the Day of Atonement. On this day, both the sin nature and the individual sins of the entire nation of Israel were atoned for, or covered. A simple way to remember the significance of this holy day is by breaking the word “atonement” into three hyphenated words: “at–one–ment.” This is the day when Israel’s sin was covered, making them “at-one-ment” with God. The Day of Atonement detailed in Leviticus 16 is a very descriptive picture of the person and work of our High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. In this chapter, the high priest enters the Holy of Holies with the blood of a sin offering—picturing the fact that our High Priest, Jesus Christ, would one day pour out His own blood as the ultimate atonement for sin upon the true altar in the third heaven! Hebrews 9:24 states it like this: “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”
Once the high priest in the Old Testament had completed this offering, he laid his hands upon the head of the scapegoat and confessed the sins of the children of Israel (16:21)—symbolizing that the scapegoat had carried away their iniquities. Isaiah prophetically described this portion of Christ’s work saying, “the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isa. 53:6) Praise God, our Lord Jesus Christ has carried our sins to a place that is as far as the east is from the west! (Ps. 103:12) In other words, Jesus permanently eliminated the record of our sins—God remembers them no more!
Note through what is being pictured through the record of the Day of Atonement, that God is teaching us that our Lord Jesus Christ has effectually dealt with both our sinful NATURE—and our sinful ACTIONS. Praise the Lord!
Though there are many parallels of the high priest of the Old Testament to the person and work of our High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, two monumental differences must be recognized. First, the Old Testament high priest had to provide a sin offering for himself because he was as guilty of sin as the rest of the children of Israel. Jesus Christ, our High Priest, however, never offered a sin sacrifice for Himself because He was completely free and void of sin! (Heb. 9:14; 7:22–28) Secondly, the Day of Atonement was celebrated every year because “it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man [Jesus Christ], after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.” (Heb. 10:4,11-13) Because of Christ’s offering for sin—no other sacrifice will ever be necessary!
For those of us who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, we can glory today in the fact that our Savior offered Himself ONE TIME to PERMANENTLY and FOREVER pay the price for our sin—and sins! Hallelujah!
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
- As our SIN OFFERING, which effectually crucified our sin nature – Leviticus 14:19–32 (Rom. 5:8)
- As our SCAPEGOAT, which carried away our sins – Leviticus 16:5–34 (2 Cor. 5:21)
- As our eternal HIGH PRIEST who intercedes for us – Leviticus 14:20 (Heb. 7:24–25)