Read Leviticus
15-17 & Matthew
27:1-31
To discover:
As you read consider the reasons God gives for the various
regulations.
To ponder:
There are reasons to everything God requires. The suggestion
is that all the “discharges” mentioned stem from the male and female sexual
organs. And they make people particularly unclean, contaminating much they
touch. Although this may be because of the link between sex and the
transmission of sin to each generation, this does not suggest the discharges
themselves are somehow wrong. Rather, they are unfitting or unacceptable in the
context of worship. Indeed, it is explicitly stated that these regulations are
to protect the people so they “will not die” for “defiling” God’s “dwelling
place” (15v31). In other words, if unclean people were to come to the
tabernacle to offer sacrifices they would be destroyed. The holy perfection of
God’s presence and the imperfections of this world just cannot co-exist.
All this
stresses the need for the day of atonement in which the nation were purified and
forgiven their sin from the previous year. Because of God’s presence over the atonement
cover to the ark, this was the only time the High Priest could enter the Most
Holy Place (16v2), and even then needed incense to
conceal the cover (16v13). He must first dress, wash, make a sin offering for
himself and his household, and then kill a goat as a sin offering for the
people. With both offerings he then cleanses the Most
Holy Place, Tabernacle and altar from being
contaminated by his and Israel’s
sin. This would enable the LORD to remain amongst them without destroying them (16v16-20).
The High Priest is then to lay hands on a second goat, confessing Israel’s
sins over it, before sending it into the desert, testifying that Israel’s
sins have been dealt with and removed. After undressing and washing again, the
High Priest must then offer a burnt offering for himself and the people.
Because of their contamination, whatever remained is to be burned outside the
camp, and the man dealing with them wash himself before returning.
The whole day is marked out as a
Sabbath. On it, the people are “cleansed” so that “before the LORD” they “will
be clean from all” their sins (16v30). In other words they are purified and
forgiven so that they can worship God and survive his presence amongst them.
However, the whole drama actually showed that Israel
(and even the other priests) were not able to come truly close to God, as they
couldn’t enter the Most Holy Place.
Moreover, this meant that the Old Testament sacrifices never fully dealt with
sin so that the worshipper’s conscience had no fear before God’s holiness. The
way to all this was yet to be disclosed (Heb 9v6-10).
Chapter 17
provides a transition. On pain of death it forbids offering sacrifices anywhere
but the tabernacle because of Israel’s
tendency to idolatry (17v7).The serious penalty is therefore to protect Israel
against unfaithfulness which would bring destruction on a much larger scale. There
is wisdom here on our keeping clear of temptation.
As
mentioned previously, eating blood is forbidden to underline that God has given
it to “make atonement” because “the life of the creature is in the blood”
(17v11). Since Genesis 2 death has been the penalty for sin. So the life of the
animal is taken in the place of the sinful Israelite, so they can remain before
God. This explains the New Testament focus on Christ’s blood.
Praying it home:
Praise God for that we have access to his Most Holy Place in
heaven through our great High Priest. Pray for God’s help to keep you well away
from any temptations you are facing at the moment.
Thinking further:
None today.
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