The Doctrine of Revelation: The Storyline of Scripture (Part 11)

It can be a motivation-crusher if we’re not reading it correctly. For every ambitious, well-intentioned, Christian who decided they were going to read through the whole Bible starting in Genesis, Leviticus can be frustrating. It can feel like a list (and an endless one at times) of archaic and bizarre laws. And the details about the sacrificial system alone are enough to make us wonder why we should bother reading it. But the sacrificial system is a crucial piece in the Biblical storyline and it too points us to Jesus.

It may be that you are wondering why there even was a sacrificial system in the first place. In the age of PETA we can’t fathom how slaughtering a goat as a religious act could be meaningful. And in a cultural climate where we’d sooner save a baby porpoise than a baby person the mere suggestion of animal sacrifice is distasteful. But God set the system up for Israel’s sake and we need to dig in to understand why. And that takes us to the book of Leviticus.

Leviticus is a book that addresses the reality of Israel’s moral/spiritual uncleanness and the desire of God to dwell among His people. God cannot tolerate sin, no matter how much He loves His people (to do so would make Him unjust, and therefore not God). But because He loves His people He sets up a system that recognizes payment for sins must be made. In this case God ordains that an animal sacrifice may stand in the stead of sinful Israel and endure the punishment they deserve (death). This is most clearly seen in Leviticus 16, where we read about the Day of Atonement.

The Day of Atonement was an annual event where the high priest offered sacrifice for his and for the nation’s sins. The text outlines the process in this way:

5 And he shall take from the congregation of the people of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.  6 “Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering for himself and shall make atonement for himself and for his house.  7 Then he shall take the two goats and set them before the LORD at the entrance of the tent of meeting.  8 And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for Azazel.  9 And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the LORD and use it as a sin offering,  10 but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel. (Leviticus 16:5-10)

The two goats are key for they point to two different aspects of the atonement. The first points to propitiation. The first goat is slaughtered and is killed in the place of man as a pointer to the reality that man, as a sinner, stands under God’s just wrath. The animal endures the punishment of death in his stead. The second goat points to expiation. This goat symbolizes the removal of guilt from Israel. Here the high priest puts his hands on the goats head, representing the transfer of guilt from Israel to this animal, and then it is sent out into the wilderness, cast out from Israel. This Day of Atonement was a huge deal and reflected both God’s holy justice and yet His desire to be with a sinful people.

Ultimately, however, this sacrificial system did not deal finally and ultimately with man’s sin. It was meant to point us to a greater sacrifice. John identifies Jesus as the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” This is the perfect sacrifice offered for sin. Hebrews 9:11-14 presents this truth clearly.

11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent ( not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)  12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.  13 For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh,  14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (Hebrews 9:11-14)

Jesus both the perfect high priest and the perfect sacrifice makes full atonement for our sins. Jesus purifies not just the flesh, not just the external, but he deals with the conscience. He purifies our hearts. It is Jesus to whom these sacrifices and this system ultimately pointed man. Again, the author of Hebrews writes:

1 For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.  2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sin?  3 But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin every year.  4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (Hebrews 10:1-4)

Every year on The Day of Atonement the high priest had to make sacrifices for Himself and for all Israel, because their sin was never fully dealt with and they were constantly under the threat of God’s wrath. But when Jesus made payment He said “It is finished,” and then He sat down at the Father’s side.

The sacrificial system may seem crazy to you and it may make some squeamish to think of all that blood, but let it point you to the fountain flowing from the Savior’s side, the blood that washes away all our sins!