Lev. 16
We have seen in the consecration of the sons of Aaron, that identification or association with Aaron was the leading lesson, or thought, typical of the church’s oneness with Christ. Now, identification is not the subject here. In consecration,, the hands of Aaron and his sons in every case were laid on the head of the offering. On the day of atonement this was not the case in one instance.
We must, however, notice the fact, that sin was. found even in the sons of Aaron. “And the Lord spake unto Moses after the death of the two-sons of Aaron, when they offered before the Lord and died.” It was on this occasion, the day of atonement was instituted. Thus, if the sons of Aaron typify the brethren of Christ, the church,, as distinct from the people of Israel, the fact is. brought before us, that the believer now may sin. We need not say that this is fully recognized in the New Testament; and to say that we have no sin, is to deceive ourselves, and to deny the truth. And further, as in this type both the sons of Aaron and the people of Israel were redeemed from Egypt, before the day of atonement, so we must look on atonement here, as bearing on those who have redemption, who are saved, as truly as Israel had been saved from Egypt.
There is a great amount of instruction in these types that can only be understood and enjoyed when we see that it is meeting the claims of a holy God, and our real need after we have redemption through the blood of Jesus. One may say, I know I had redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of my sins, when I first believed; but what about my sins and failures since then, since I was a Christian? All these pictures will answer your question.
Do you now see the reason why the day of atonement is named in connection with the sin of the sons of Aaron? We will now look at the chapter (Lev. 16), and then at its application in the New Testament.
The first question is, How can the holy character of God be maintained in the midst of such sons of Aaron, such a people as Israel, and indeed in a universe where sin still is? We might apply it to ourselves in this way. How can God be righteous, in accounting such as we find ourselves to be, as blameless in His sight? He who undertakes this matter must himself be pure. Aaron must not come into the holy place without a sin-offering. He must be clothed with holy garments, he must wash his flesh and so put them on. In all this he must typify the holy One of God—the only sinless, pure One, who could undertake to maintain the righteousness of God, in accounting us righteous in His sight. The holy One needed no sin-offering for Himself, He needed no new birth for Himself, no washing of water by the word; He was intrinsically in Himself all that these figures meant. Then the house of Aaron has the first place. “And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin-offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.” There is then this difference: a bullock for the house of Aaron, and a goat for the people. (Compare vers. 6, 15.) Thus we have, first, God’s claims met for the church, and then for the people, or the future kingdom of Israel.
Let us not forget that this is not for redemption, but for the continued unchangeable reconciliation by atonement, of those who are already redeemed by the same one infinite sacrifice.
Another important distinction is this, the difference between propitiation and substitution. One goat could not show this distinction. There are then two goats to be presented before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. “And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat,” or the Azazel. Both these goats point, as shadows, to Christ, but each in a different way. The one is by death, a sin-offering; the other is presented alive, as we shall see, the substitute of the people.
First then, we have the bullock for Aaron and his house; and his house is reckoned as himself. And he “shall make an atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin-offering which is for himself.” Before he enters with the blood, he must “take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands, full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord,” &c. Such an One was required to be made a sin-offering. The more He was tried by the fire of the altar, divine righteous judgment, the more He was beaten small, and the sweeter the inimitable sweet savor to God. And such was Jesus. The cloud of His preciousness covered the mercy-seat before the blood was placed there, before the eye of God.
The One equal with God humbled Himself to take this place. The blood of the bullock was now to be sprinkled upon the mercy-seat, and before it seven times. That mercy-seat was of gold, emblem of divine righteousness. What a picture is the throne of divine righteousness, covered with all the divine perfectness of Christ, and on that, now the mercy-seat, is the blood of expiation. This is that which sustains all the new relationships of God, whether with the Church now, or Israel in days past, and to come yea, with the universe of which the tabernacle is a type. How could God be just and holy to dwell in a universe defiled with sin, or how could He be just, and yet the Justifier of the sinner. The blood on the mercy-seat is the answer. The need of death, the shed blood before God, was alike required, whether for the house of Aaron, or for the people—for the church, or for Israel.
The expiation by the Son of God establishes the righteousness of God, and His judgment of sin. Atonement has been made, the blood has been shed. On the cross Jesus said, “It is finished.”
The same was done with the blood of the goat for the people, as with the bullock for the house of Aaron; and the reconciliation extended to the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation.
And when he had made an end of reconciliation, we get another subject. “He shall bring the live goat: and Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away,” &c. The sins of Israel were thus transferred to the goat, once a year. And looking as we do at Israel’s history, it is God’s type for us: they were the sins of a redeemed people, thus transferred to the goat once a year.
Let us now turn to the New Testament, and behold the Lamb of God as far more than fulfilling all these various shadows. With the Israelite there was always a troubled conscience. He was redeemed from Egypt, and the year’s sins were transferred to the goat; still he was not fit to enter the most holy presence of God: “The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest.” No, all the blood that constantly flowed, and the blood of atonement once a year, could not perfect the conscience. (Heb. 9:7-9.) The way was not yet opened into the holy presence of God. This was Jewish ground; and we must confess that a great many are still on the same ground, or standing. The standing or place of an Israelite was shut out, not fit to enter the holiest. The standing of a Christian is in direct contrast with this. Christ has come, and by “his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” By one sacrifice for sins, He has both opened the way for us into the presence of God, and by that same one sacrifice separated us to God, or sanctified us; and further, He has forever made us fit for that holy place. “For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.”
Thus the contrast is very striking. The Israelite was never perfected; the Christian is forever perfected. With the Israelite, sins were constantly remembered, and required another day of atonement. With the Christian now, it is the exact opposite: “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” (Heb. 10) The Israelite required ever-renewed sacrifices; with the Christian “there is no more offering for sin.”
On which ground is the reader: shut out, unfit to enter in; or having boldness to enter, and not only fit, but forever fit, for the holy, holy presence of God?
Do you say, How can this possibly be? I know my past sins were forgiven when I first believed, like Israel when brought out of Egypt; but what about my sins since, and if I fail or sin now, do not I need—? Need what? Another sacrifice? Surely not. Look at Jesus as the propitiation; He has fully glorified God, fully maintained the righteousness of God. And on this very ground you can come to the Father, even God your Father, and confess your sins; and there on the ground of what Christ has done once, not on the ground of another sacrifice, or an imitation sacrifice, you find forgiveness and restoration to communion with God your Father. (See 1 John 1:9; 2:1, 2.) Now, if you look at Jesus as your substitute, were only your past sins transferred to Him on the cross, or the sins of one year? That was so with the Israelite. That is not so with the one who now believes God, who “raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses.” Surely our offenses include all, from first to last: and therefore for all our sins, was He “raised again for our justification.” Do we enter into these things? Do we really believe God? Then we can truly say, “Therefore, being-justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Would you not now like to look at the offerings a little more closely in detail?