What comes to your mind when you think of the word “holy”? When I was a child in school, the term was something of an insult, a playground put-down directed at those who thought they were too good for a little bit of fun and perhaps a whole lot of trouble. To be called a “holy roller” is to be labeled something like an enthusiast or a zealot, inflated with an elite spiritual status while existing far above the debased lives of those around you. To many, the term holiness comes across as prudish superiority reserved for religious people. However, I suggest that such thoughts about holiness reveal more about those who despise it than about holiness itself. Disdain for holiness discloses by jeers a personal insecurity about a lack of holiness.
I suggest that most of us, if we plumb the depths of our hearts with any seriousness, discover that whatever this thing called holiness may be, we certainly sense our lack of possession of it. Thus, in our insecurity about our lack of holiness, fallen human creatures recoil against holiness. As we perceive the radiant holiness of God, such holiness becomes loathsome and frightening. We, who are unholy, sense the danger of God’s holiness. So we detest what we lack, even though we need holiness and desire to possess it for ourselves.
As we continue our overview of the five books of the Pentateuch, we now arrive at the book of Leviticus. Out of all the books in the Pentateuch, modern readers often lack the patience to read, let alone understand Leviticus, but this pivotal and extensive work explores the crucial conundrum of God’s holiness and our lack of it. However, Leviticus not only raises the problem of our lack of holiness but also points to God’s solution. To be holy, our sinfulness must be cleansed by God’s gracious provision of bloody atonement. If the sin that severed our communion with God is to be addressed, it must be atoned for by blood. A holy God can dwell with unholy people only by sanctifying them through the blood of sacrifice. Without atoning blood, the holiness of God is deadly to sinners.
I’m convinced that the book of Leviticus is structured around a Hebrew structural device called a chiasm, where the text moves in parallel from its beginning and end to converge at a climactic center in the middle. Think of Leviticus like a literary mountain. In chapters 1-15, we ascend the mountain of this book with instructions on how Israel can approach a Holy God. We descend from the mountain in chapters 17-27 as Israel receives instructions for holy living with their God. The summit of Leviticus is chapter 16, the Day of Atonement. Indeed, I think you could argue that Leviticus 16 is not only the thematic center of the book but, since Leviticus is the middle book of the five, it serves as the thematic center of the entire Pentateuch. So, first, we will ascend the mountain, recognizing the danger of God’s holiness as we approach the Lord. Second, we will climb the mountain from the other side, reflecting on the demand for holiness from God’s people. And third, we will stand atop the summit, considering how communion with God is sustained through God’s gracious provision of atonement for His people.
1. The Danger of Holiness: Approaching God (Leviticus 1-15)
In Genesis, we saw that God’s plan to redeem the world would come through one born of woman. By the end of Genesis, it becomes clear that the promise of redemption will come through the lineage of Abraham’s family, Israel. In Exodus, we saw the Lord rescue Israel from slavery in Egypt and bring them to Mount Sinai to establish His covenant with them. God intends to set them apart as His holy nation, opening up the blessing of communion with Him. The instructions for the tabernacle were designed to be a portable sanctuary, providing a dwelling place for the Lord to be with His people and for His people to come and commune with Him. Even the architecture of the tabernacle communicates a rebuilding of the Garden of Eden, attempting to restore communion between a holy God and sinful man. However, at the end of Exodus, we were immediately confronted with shocking idolatry, as Israel crafts a golden calf to worship while Moses receives the tabernacle instructions. Through Moses’ intercession, the Lord shows grace to Israel, and the tabernacle is carefully constructed. At the end of Exodus, the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle, and we are told in Exodus 40:35 that “Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” Leviticus picks up exactly where Exodus left off. Look at Leviticus 1:1-2:
“The LORD called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock.” (Leviticus 1:1–2, ESV)
Now that the tabernacle is built, the Lord must give instructions on the terms of communion before entering it. Thus, the Lord begins to give Moses the laws recorded in the book of Leviticus, outlining the procedures for offering sacrifices for atonement and his expectations for Israel to live as a holy, distinct nation. The Lord has redeemed Israel by his power from the land of Egypt, but now they dwell with the Fear of Isaac (Gen 31:43). If God is now encamped among his people, how can his holiness not devour the sinful and stiff-necked Israelites?
I wonder if you’ve ever considered that question concerning your own life. Perhaps you sense your lack of holiness—you know that you have your sins and your struggles, but have you considered that your lack of holiness makes it impossible for you to dwell with a holy God? Though many ignore it entirely, it’s a question we should contemplate. Yet, Leviticus forces the question upon us and explores its answer. For sinners like us, the holiness of God is dangerous.
But what is God’s holiness? How might we define this term? Holiness means to be set apart. It is a term that refers to God’s transcendence, his distinction from his creation. God is unlike us. However, holiness also communicates not only the “otherness” of God but also his purity. His righteousness is brilliant and perfect, unstained by sin. Holiness is the beauty of God’s pure and righteous character. Holiness is that divine attribute of God that encapsulates his distinction, transcendence, and uniqueness to us.1 As the sinful and finite creatures that we are, God’s transcendent holiness threatens to slay us.
In the book of Exodus, we see the danger of God’s holiness. When Israel first arrived at Mount Sinai in Exodus 19, the Lord warned them, “And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death” (Ex 19:12). In Eden, Adam enjoyed the presence of God with the only threat of death came from violating God’s command—“In the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen 2:17). But after Eden, the threat of death comes from God’s presence. In Eden, humanity enjoyed constant, peaceful, uninterrupted communion with God. After Eden, even approaching the holy mountain of God could bring a death sentence. The psalmist inquires, “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?” (Ps 24:3). That is the question Leviticus asks and answers.
And this is the predicament we sinners face. As those made in God’s image, we deeply yearn to commune with our creator God. And yet, by our sin, such holiness is dangerous, and thus we recoil from God’s holiness out of fear. R. C. Sproul, in his classic book, The Holiness of God, comments on this seemingly contradictory reaction we have to God’s holiness. He writes,
We tend to have mixed feelings about the holy. There is a sense in which we are at the same time attracted to it and repulsed by it. Something draws us toward it, while at the same time we want to run away from it. We can't seem to decide which way we want it. Part of us yearns for the holy, while part of us despises it. We can't live with it, and we can't live without it.2
So, how does the ascent through the first fifteen chapters of Leviticus lead us to commune with this holy God? Approaching God is achieved through sacrifice in chapters 1–7, the priesthood in chapters 8-10, and cleanliness in chapters 11-15.
SACRIFICE (1-7)
The opening chapters of Leviticus present five different offerings that the people are to bring to the Lord. The five offerings are the (1) burnt offering, (2) grain offering, (3) peace (fellowship) offering, (4) sin (purification) offering, and (5) guilt (reparation) offering. While these offerings have various nuances and different accommodations for the poor, they generally follow a familiar pattern. Let’s look at Leviticus 1:3-9 to understand this pattern.
““If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. Then he shall kill the bull before the LORD, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall bring the blood and throw the blood against the sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Then he shall flay the burnt offering and cut it into pieces, and the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. And Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head, and the fat, on the wood that is on the fire on the altar; but its entrails and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar, as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD.” (Leviticus 1:3–9, ESV)
As we seek to understand the Old Testament sacrifices, it’s helpful to view them as a journey of worship—a movement from guilt and sin toward communion with God. Each step in the sacrificial process reveals the cost of atonement and the grace needed to be brought near God. We can summarize this pattern in five steps.
The first step was the presentation. Every sacrifice began with the worshiper selecting an unblemished animal to present before the Lord. God demands a sacrifice without blemish, which will serve as a substitute for the worshiper.
The second step involved hand laying. The worshiper would then press his hand upon the animal’s head, communicating the substitutionary nature of the sacrifice. This gesture declared, “This creature stands in my place.” Unlike the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement, this act wasn't just about transferring guilt but about substitution. The animal would now enter God’s presence on behalf of the worshiper.
The third step was slaughter. The worshiper himself killed the animal, inflicting his deserved judgment on the animal substitute. Atonement for sin comes at the cost of life—life for life. The animal’s death served as a vicarious execution.
The fourth step involved blood manipulation. The priest would take the blood and apply it to the altar. Blood, representing life, was used to atone for sin, as Leviticus 17:11 says, “It is the blood that makes atonement by the life.” This bloody work symbolized cleansing from sin and brought the worshiper into contact with God.
The fifth and final step was burning. The sacrifice was burned on the altar, transforming it into ascending smoke—a pleasing aroma to the Lord. This represented the climax of worship, signifying restored fellowship and the worshiper’s symbolic ascent into God’s presence.
The five-step process of presenting five different offerings demonstrates that we must approach the Lord through the atonement provided by an unblemished substitute. The animal sacrifices offered at the tabernacle were placeholders until the sacrifice for sin would come to us through the sin-bearing death of Jesus on the cross. As Hebrews in the New Testament tells us, the blood of bulls and goats never took away sin (Heb 10:4). What the sacrifices prescribed in Leviticus anticipate is a single sacrifice offered by the unblemished Jesus, who would substitute himself for us on the cross. By his single sacrifice for sin, Jesus “has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Heb 10:14).
But as Israel offered sacrifices at the tabernacle, who would mediate between God and the worshiper? Leviticus 8-10 answers this by instituting the priesthood.
PRIESTHOOD (8-10)
The tribe of Levi was designated for the priesthood. Moses’ brother, Aaron, became Israel’s first high priest, and in Leviticus 8, we witness his consecration for the role. Look at Leviticus 8:1-4:
“The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments and the anointing oil and the bull of the sin offering and the two rams and the basket of unleavened bread. And assemble all the congregation at the entrance of the tent of meeting.” And Moses did as the LORD commanded him, and the congregation was assembled at the entrance of the tent of meeting.” (Leviticus 8:1–4, ESV)
Aaron was cleansed with water, cloaked in an ephod with a woven band tied around him, and upon his head sat a turban. Aaron was anointed with oil (vv. 10-13), cleansed by a sin offering (vv. 14-17), presented a burnt offering (vv. 18-21), and then offered a ram for an ordination offering (vv. 22-29).
The intricate consecration of Aaron and his sons for the priesthood set them apart as mediators between a Holy God and a sinful people. Through the mediation of the priesthood, Israel could be reconciled to God. However, as we see in Leviticus 8, the flaw in Aaron’s priesthood is that he, too, needed to be cleansed of his sin. He was a sinner attempting to intercede for sinners.
After the consecration and installation of the priesthood of Aaron, he begins his ministry in Leviticus 9. Aaron follows the instructions of the Levitical law by offering a sin offering, a burnt offering, and a peace offering. At the end of Leviticus 9, we see success. Moses and Aaron blessed the people, and “the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people.” Leviticus 9:24 reads, “And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.”
Aaron and the priesthood successfully approached the Lord on behalf of a sinful people and lived. However, the inaugural triumph of the priesthood in Leviticus 9 is met with a deadly failure in Leviticus 10. God gave careful instructions on how the priests were to approach him. Mistakes are deadly. Two of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, learned this by experience. Look with me at Leviticus 10:1-3
“Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’ ” And Aaron held his peace.” (Leviticus 10:1–3, ESV)
We are unsure of Nadab and Abihu’s error, only that they offered “unauthorized fire before the Lord.” Whatever the offense, their breach ended in their deaths. The holiness of God consumed them. God has provided a system of sacrifice and established the priesthood so that Israel might approach Him. But they must do so according to God’s design, lest they die. The death of Nadab and Abihu served as a lesson to Israel about the deadly seriousness of approaching a holy God, but also exposed a fundamental flaw within the system. Communion with God must depend on sacrifices mediated by the priesthood. But what do you do when the priesthood defiles the tabernacle? How can communion be maintained when the priests have defiled hands, too? The answer will come at the summit of Leviticus, in chapter 16. Yet, the crisis of Leviticus 10 ushers us into the next section of Levitical law, giving commands for cleanliness.
CLEANLINESS (11-15)
What does it mean to be clean and unclean? We must be careful not to confuse cleanliness with righteousness and uncleanness with sin. Cleanliness here is understood in a ritual sense. A clean person may approach the tabernacle and participate in worship, while an unclean person would defile God's tabernacle; thus, the Lord forbids them from approaching His tabernacle in worship until the uncleanness is remedied, either by waiting a period of time or by offering a purification or sin offering. Leviticus 11-15 covers broad categories of ways one could become unclean, such as touching a corpse, having a baby, bodily discharges, or having a skin disease. The Lord gives these laws for cleanliness for good reasons. We do not have the time to go through each commandment, but the Lord is concerned with distinguishing His people from the nations and regulating cleanliness so that His tabernacle might not be defiled.
But even with the strictest obedience, even those ritually clean still defiled the tabernacle simply by their presence. In some instances, such as the deaths of Nadab and Abihu, the tabernacle could be defiled by the priests. If God will commune with Israel through the tabernacle, how can unclean humans not taint the holy tabernacle? How can Israel continue to approach God when, over time, Israel will defile the tabernacle?
The answer to that question comes at the summit of the book with Leviticus 16, as God institutes the Day of Atonement. But before we climb to the peak of Leviticus, let’s secondly consider the demand for holiness, as God gives instructions for how his people are to live with him in Leviticus 17-27.
2. The Demand for Holiness: Living with God (Leviticus 17-27)
The Day of Atonement will be the hinge of God’s gracious provision that enables Israel to dwell with the Lord. The second half of Leviticus focuses on God’s call for holiness for His people. God has redeemed His people to set them apart so they might commune with Him.
The call to national holiness that comprises the second half of Leviticus is articulated in Leviticus 18:1-5:
“And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the LORD your God. You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 18:1–5, ESV)
On the basis of the holiness of the Lord, Israel is to live distinctly from the nations, unlike Egypt, from which they came, and unlike the Canaanites in the land they are going. Rather than following the standards of the people around them, they are to keep the Lord’s rules and walk in his ways.
We can outline these chapters in Leviticus in similar stairsteps of three. In chapters 17-20, we see rules that regulate holiness in everyday life. In chapters 21-22, we find a section that legislates the expected holiness of the priests. And in chapters 23-27, we see rules governing the holiness of time, regulating the nation's calendar rhythms.
HOLINESS FOR LIFE (17-20)
When God calls us to Himself and redeems us for His glory, no part of our lives is untouched. As those who belong to the Lord, the entirety of our lives belongs to Him. We cannot compartmentalize our spiritual life from our daily life. In chapters 17-20, we receive a list of God’s expectations for His holy people, from the intimacy of their sexual relations to their public relations with neighbors. From the bedroom to the marketplace, all of life is to be conformed to God’s holy standard, defined by His righteousness and justice. Leviticus 20:26 summarizes the Lord’s summons on the redeemed: “You shall be holy to me, for I the LORD am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.”
If you have been redeemed through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, have you submitted all areas of your life to Him? Is every part of your life aligned with His righteousness and conforming to His standard? Every Christian is called to holiness, and though we will never achieve perfect holiness in this life, we should, nevertheless, be growing in our conformity to Christ. Examine your finances, your relationships with your neighbors, your business practices, your sexuality, and your eating habits—does it reflect the holiness of God? Or are you conforming your life to a worldly standard that opposes the standard of God’s holiness? There is no aspect of your life that you can separate from your Christian discipleship. Christ has fulfilled the demands of the Law in our place, including many of these nuanced laws that focused on the theocracy of Israel. However, the call to holiness remains for all the redeemed. Which part of your life do you need to grow in holiness? Who in this church could you reach out to for help in growing in that area?
HOLINESS FOR PRIESTS (21-22)
Israel was meant to be a nation of priests, holy and distinct from the peoples around them. However, the priesthood of Israel was to be even more set apart, and Leviticus 21-22 provides specific laws governing the lives of the priests.
The superior priesthood of Jesus has replaced the ministry of the priesthood of Aaron. Pastors are not priests; therefore, many regulations in these two chapters concerning the priesthood have now been fulfilled by Jesus. However, although Christ is the fulfillment of the priestly office, we learn that those who lead the people of God should be marked by holiness of conduct. When assessing men for eldership, we do not use the Levitical code for the priestly office but refer to the qualifications for holiness outlined in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Those who enter leadership in Christ’s church must be “above reproach” and display a mature and tested holiness evident throughout their lives. It is a sad reality that many churches often overlook character defects in the name of gifting. But just as the Lord held high standards of holiness for the priests of Israel, so should we maintain high standards of holiness for those who enter the office of elder.
HOLINESS FOR TIME (23-27)
We also see the Lord regulating the calendar of Israel around holy times of feasting. Israel’s holiness even extends to their annual rhythms prescribed by the Lord. Leviticus 23 opens with the Lord exercising His authority over the calendar of His people. Look at Leviticus 23:1-2:
“The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the LORD that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts.” (Leviticus 23:1–2, ESV)
The seven feasts are presented chronologically in Leviticus 23.
Passover (v .5)
The Feast of Unleavened Bread (v. 6–8)
The Feast of Firstfruits (v. 9–14)
The Feast of Weeks (v. 15–22)
The Feast of Trumpets (v. 23–25)
The Day of Atonement (v. 26–32)
The Feast of Booths (v. 33–36, 39–43)
We do not have the time to go through each feast, but these feasts marked the nation’s calendar as distinct and compelled remembrance and celebration of God’s faithfulness to them. The Lord provides additional regulations concerning time in these chapters, including instructions for the Sabbath, the observance of the Sabbath year, the year of Jubilee, and more.
Like all of Leviticus, these feasts find their fulfillment in the Lord Jesus. As a church, we are not bound by the Scriptures to follow any annual church calendar. Even events that Christians annually remember, like Christmas and Easter, are not prescribed by Scripture. They are traditional festivals celebrating the incarnation and the resurrection that emerged through church history. The only regulation we receive in the New Testament regarding our weekly rhythms is the Lord’s Day. The early church met on Sunday, the day Jesus rose from the grave, to gather and worship. Those redeemed in Christ must partake in the weekly gathering with the church on Sunday to worship the risen Christ, be taught the Word of God, and enjoy the fellowship of the saints. Is your attendance and gathering with the church on Sunday automatic in your Christian discipleship? Do you view gathering with the church as part of your Christian duty and privilege? Do you see your presence here, even this morning, as one of the ways you display the holiness of God in your life? As we are able, let us prioritize the Sunday gathering of the church, demonstrating the holiness of God in our time.
However, if Israel walks in obedience before the Lord, living in holiness, He promises blessings for their obedience and punishment for their disobedience. As the Lord promises blessings for the people’s obedience, we hear echoes of both Genesis and Exodus. Look at Leviticus 26:9:
“I will turn to you and make you fruitful and multiply you and will confirm my covenant with you. You shall eat old store long kept, and you shall clear out the old to make way for the new. I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.” (Leviticus 26:9–13, ESV)
If the people of Israel obey, we will see a restoration of Eden. They will dwell with the God of their redemption, abound in the Lord’s blessing, and be fruitful and multiply. However, if the people disobey the Lord and fail to live according to His commandments, the Lord will not only bring punishment but also eviction from the land He will give them. The Lord issues a warning that is, in fact, a prophecy in Leviticus 26:33: “And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will unsheathe the sword after you, and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.” Israel’s disobedience will lead to exile from the land. Holiness isn’t optional for Israel; it is demanded. For communion with God to continue, they must approach God through the tenuous system of sacrifices and priests and maintain holiness as a nation, lest they be expelled from their God.
Reading the Pentateuch, we see God’s wise and righteous plan for His people. However, we also recognize the people’s inability to uphold their side of the covenant. God redeemed Israel by His grace, but holiness is required to maintain communion with God. How can we approach God as sinners? How can we have communion with God though we fail to live holy lives?
As Israel demonstrates and the New Testament teaches, we cannot achieve holiness through obedience to the law. The Law’s function was not to make us holy but to reveal that we are sinners. Paul wrote to the Romans, “Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin” (Rom 7:7). If we read Leviticus rightly, it shines the spotlight of God’s holiness on our darkened sinful hearts. God is holy, and we are not.
But while Leviticus reveals our need as sinners, this remarkable book points to God’s ultimate solution. God will make sinners holy by providing atonement for His people. At the pinnacle of this book, in Leviticus 16, we see the foreshadowing of God’s ultimate plan to make sinners like us holy so that we might enjoy His presence without fear.
3. The Day of Atonement: Communion with God (Leviticus 16)
The crisis prompted by the death of Nadab and Abihu finds resolution in Leviticus 16. The solution is the Day of Atonement. Look at Leviticus 16:1-2:
“The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the LORD and died, and the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.” (Leviticus 16:1–2, ESV)
What happened during the annual festival of the Day of Atonement? The day began with Aaron removing his high priestly garments and putting on simple linen clothes, symbolizing humility and brokenness over sin. After bathing, he offered a bull as a sin offering for himself and his household. Two goats were taken from the people. Lots were cast to determine their roles. One goat would be sacrificed to the Lord; the other would be sent into the wilderness.
With the blood, Aaron began cleansing the tabernacle from the inside out. After sacrificing the bull for himself, he entered the holy of holies, shielding himself with incense, and then sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat. The reason for this is stated in Leviticus 16:16: “Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins.” The blood cleansed the tabernacle so that Israel’s path to communion with God remained open. The atoning blood of the sacrificial goat communicates the idea of propitiation. The goat absorbs the death penalty that Israel deserved, and the sprinkling of its blood satisfies the demands of God’s righteous wrath against sinners. Next, Aaron placed his hands on the live goat, confessing Israel’s sins over it and symbolically transferring them. The goat was then led far into the wilderness, never to return. This represents expiation—the removal of sin from God’s people. Finally, Aaron changed garments, bathed, and offered a burnt offering. With sin cleansed and removed, worship at the tabernacle was restored.
The Day of Atonement points us to God’s answer for sin’s defilement and our distance from Him. But the Day of Atonement is a shadow that awaits the substance of Christ. Access to the holy of holies remained restricted, and the Day of Atonement had to be repeated annually. However, with the arrival of Jesus, our High Priest and our sacrifice, our distance from God and defilement before God are permanently resolved. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Day of Atonement. He cleanses us and brings us near to God.
The author of Hebrews connects the Day of Atonement and Jesus’ death on the cross. Hear Hebrews 9:23-28:
“Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9:23–28, ESV)
The book of Hebrews serves as an overview sermon on the book of Leviticus that is far better than anything I could ever hope to preach! While Aaron entered the holy of holies, he did so with fear and trembling, blood and bathing. Not Christ. The holy of holies is his home. It is where he has dwelled since eternity past. He can enter as our Great High Priest without needing a sacrifice for his own cleansing. He can approach boldly before the throne of God as one perfectly holy. And before God, Jesus offers his unblemished life as atonement for our sin. He presents himself before the presence of his Father, making permanent and eternal atonement for all who believe in him. He had no need to offer himself repeatedly; rather, once and for all, the death of Christ atoned for our sins! He has put sin away by the sacrifice of himself.
Have you trusted in Jesus, who has provided atonement by his love and grace? The way to God is now open to you by the blood of Jesus that cleanses us. The holiness we so desperately lack has been provided for us in Christ. Christ atoned for our sin and has given us his righteousness by faith. Trust in Jesus as your savior and God, who has provided atonement through his own blood.
May we never forget what Jesus has done for us. The Day of Atonement is no more. The final Yom Kippur occurred two thousand years ago on Good Friday. Now, we can boldly approach the throne of grace, cloaked in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, who has cleansed and brought us near to God. Jesus is the one who enables us to approach the Holy God without fear because through his righteousness, we are made holy!
You who are burdened by your sin, who feel convicted by your unworthiness, and who tremble before God in your guilt, do not fear! A complex system of sacrifices is no longer needed. All you must do is go to Jesus. Believe in Jesus. He is a high priest who can bring sinners like us into the pleasure and joy of constant communion with God by his atoning blood, sacrificed once-for-all on the cross. You can be holy today, not through your moral or religious achievements, but by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.