Leviticus, chapter 16

This is the day that the LORD has made and we shall be glad and rejoice in it in the name of Jesus. Thank you LORD God for redemption and restoration of the years that were stolen by the canker worms, the palmer worms and the caterpillar in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Leviticus 16:29-30 (NKJV)

29. "This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do not work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you.

30. For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD."

    
    

Amen, thank you LORD.

In yesterday's post, we looked at leprosy that would make a person unclean and how cleansing would happen when they followed a certain set of rules and laws as instructed by the priests. In chapter 16, we see a day of atonement where Aaron the priest would make atonement for the sins of the people.

Now, a simple meaning of atonement is to show you are sorry and to correct your mistakes which in this case is sin. So the children of Israel had to afflict their souls to show their remorse for their sins and the priest made offerings to God through the blood of bulls and goats that would cleanse them and make them right before God. The LORD had commanded the people, "This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses." (Leviticus 16:34).

In Leviticus 16:29, we see that the LORD required all people to afflict their souls, including the strangers that dwelt among the children of Israel. These verses reveal that sin generally affected humanity and not only the children of Israel who had a covenant with God.

When God sent Jesus, He gave His One and Only Beloved Son, who although lived in the flesh and experienced what it meant to be human, did not sin (Hebrews 2:17-18). Jesus died a sinner's death and was raised by God so that all who would believe in Him would receive eternal life. Jesus is also the evidence of God's mercy for God now purifies our hearts by faith in His Son and does not desire for the souls of His children to be afflicted anymore because God has entrusted the souls of His children to Jesus, who is the Chief Shepherd and Overseer of our souls (1 Peter 2:25).

When looking at Leviticus 16, we see that Aaron had to be careful with following every detail lest he die like his sons who offered profane fire before the LORD (Leviticus 16:1-2). God's mercy is revealed in Christ who not only became the perfect sacrifice for sins, but became the tabernacle and temple made without hands (Hebrews 9:11) and the High Priest who has gone before the presence of God, worshipping Him and making intercession on behalf of God's people (Hebrews 4:14-16). Now, there is no longer a sacrifice for sins because whoever believes in Christ Jesus has their sins forgiven and God adds that He will not remember our sins and this promise is for both the Jew and Gentile (Hebrews 8:12).

Unlike the priests in the old covenant that had to make atonement for sins every year, the salvation of our Lord and Savior Jesus cleanses away all sins once and for all for everyone who believes in His name, permanently wiping away every sin from our lives for he whom the Son sets free is free indeed as seen in John 8:36. For this reason, we have peace with God.

I'll end with this Word found in Hebrews 10:1-4 (NKJV)

1. "For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.

2. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshippers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.

3. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.

4. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins."

Amen, thank you LORD.

Invitation to salvation: The best gift that Jesus gave us is receiving salvation and eternal life which is a personal relationship knowing God as our Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. 

If you would like to receive this free gift of God's salvation, please say this prayer with me:

"I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that God sent His One and only Son who died for my sins and was raised from the dead so that I could have eternal life and by His stripes I was healed." - AMEN. 

If you just said this prayer, GLORY TO GOD, you are now a new creation in Christ Jesus! In case you have not already, please prayerfully consider becoming a member of a church and get WATER BAPTIZED!

WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE, INVITE YOU TO READ THIS CHAPTER IN YOUR BIBLE!