Leviticus 16 – 17: Atonement

1. Leviticus 16 – 17:Atonement Atonement: Satisfaction or reparation for a wrong or injury Reconciliation of man with God through the life, sufferings and sacrificial death of Christ

2. Leviticus 16: Day of Atonement • Also Known or Referred to As: • Yom Kippur • The Great Day • The Day • The Sabbath of Sabbaths • Observed: • 10 day of month of Tishri • September or October • Hebrew:וֹם כִּפּוּר or יום הכיפורים

3. Day of Atonement • Background: • Day the high priest made atonement for sin • THE most solemn Jewish holy day • Time of prayer and fasting • No work done, including at home • Yom: means day • Kippur: Means atonement or covering • The 10 days between Rosh HaSanah and Yom Kippur are known as the Days of Repentance (The High Holy Days; The Days of Awe)

4. Day of Atonement • High Priest: • Entered Holy of Holies once a year • Offered sacrifice of atonement on behalf of the people • Animal sacrifice to pay/atone for sins of the high priest and the people • After sacrifice completed, a goat was released into the wilderness • This “scapegoat” carried Israel’s sins away; never to return

5. Additional Traditional Prohibitions: • Detailed in Jewish oral tradition(Mishnah tractate Yoma 8:1): • No eating and drinking • No wearing of leather shoes • No bathing or washing • No anointing oneself with perfumes or lotions • No marital relations

6. Interesting Facts • No work is performed on Yom Kippur, including at home • Book of Jonah: Is read during afternoon service to remind people of God’s forgiveness and mercy • Immediately after evening service, eat a “break fast” meal • After temple destroyed; Jewish people could no longer offer sacrifices for atonement for sins • As Easter is to Christianity, Yom Kippur is to Judaism • Even the secular observe the day and enter the church/synagogue

7. Yom Kippur and the World Series • Sandy Koufax: • Brooklyn/LA Dodger Hall of Fame pitcher, decided not to pitch Game 1 of the 1965 World Series against the Minnesota Twins because it fell on Yom Kippur • Koufax garnered national attention for his decision, as an example of the conflict between social pressures and personal beliefs • Don Drysdale took Koufax's place and gave up seven runs in 2-2/3 innings, and told his manager as he was pulled from the game: "I bet right now you wish I was Jewish, too.” • In Game 2, Koufax pitched six innings, giving up two runs, but the Twins won the Game 5–1 and took an early 2–0 lead in the series. The Dodgers fought back in Games 3 and 4, with wins by Claude Osteen and Drysdale. With the Series tied at 2 to 2, Koufax pitched a complete game shutout in Game 5 for a 3–2 Dodgers lead as the Series returned to Minnesota's Metropolitan Stadium for Game 6. The Twins won Game 6 to force a seventh game. Starting Game 7 on just two days of rest, Koufax pitched through fatigue and arthritic pain, and despite giving up on his curveball early in the game after failing to get it over for strikes in the first two innings and pitching the rest of the game relying almost entirely on fastballs, he threw a three-hit shutout to clinch the Series.

8. Leviticus 16: 1 – 17: 16Laws for National Atonement • Read Lev 16: 1 – 34 • How and when was Aaron to come into the Holy of Holies? (V 1-5) • What was Aaron to do before he could make atonement for the people? (V 6-10) • Describe the ritual for the annual day of atonement. (V 11-34)

9. Leviticus 16: 1 – 17: 16Laws for National Atonement • Leviticus 17 concludes previous 16 chapters and introduces following chapters that deal with the practice of holiness in everyday life • Read Lev 17: 1 – 9 • To whom is God speaking? V1 • Why would the “guilt of bloodshed” be imputed to man? (V 4) • What type of offering is it when God, the priests and the offerer receive portions? (V5) Refer to next slide on offerings • Why were the children of Israel commanded to bring the animals they slaughtered to the Tabernacle of Meeting? (V 7-9)

10. The Levitical Offerings: Six Types of Blood Sacrifice Sweet Savor Offerings (voluntary) Non-Savor Offerings (compulsory)

11. Leviticus 16: 1 – 17: 16Laws for National Atonement • Any animal killed for food was to be brought to the Tabernacle • Blood and fat became a Peace Offering; then the meat could be eaten • No hardship imposed; meat was not part of the usual diet except during festivals • Command designed to keep Israelites from offering the blood of animals (slaughtered for food) to goat-like demons, popular pagan idols of the day

12. Leviticus 16: 1 – 17: 16Laws for National Atonement • Read Lev 17: 10 – 16 • What reasons are given to not eat the blood? (V 11) • Read Genesis 9:4; Hebrews 9:22 • What are the consequences if blood is eaten? (V10) • “Cut Off” means expulsion at best ; execution at worst • Does command only apply to domesticated animals? (V13) • Why were they prohibited from eating animals that had died naturally? (V 15-16)

13. Foreshadowing • What do the Day of Atonement rituals foreshadow? • Leviticus 16: 7 – 10, 22 • What do the goat for the Lord and the high priest foreshadow? • Hebrew 9: 11 – 12 • What does the Azazel goat foreshadow? • Revelation 20: 1 – 2

14. So What? • Day of Atonement and Easter • Sacrifice required for Atonement for Sin • Grace, Mercy, Forgiveness • Salvation • God provides the instructions, the sacrifice, the means • We must obey with a willing, contrite heart

15. Let’s Pray

16. Yom Kippur: Divine Appointment • An Appointed: • Purpose • Time • Place • Person • Price • Procedure • Response