Leviticus. It’s a messy book. Open up to Leviticus and you’ll find pages bleeding with words of bloody sacrifices. Goats, bulls, and rams all give their lives for the sins of Israel.
Leviticus drips with the blood of beasts. But, why is this particular book in the Bible filled with so many sacrifices and so much blood? The writer to the Hebrews states, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22). In other words, sin must be accounted for, a price must be paid to atone for sin. Forgiveness cannot be dispensed without a blood sacrifice. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
Sinners cannot commune with a holy God. So, in His gracious mercy, the Lord provided a way in which to cover and cleanse Israel of their sins. In Leviticus chapter sixteen we read about the Day of Atonement, the day the Lord appointed for the whole of Israel to be absolved of their sin every year.
“For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the Lord from all your sins” (Leviticus 16:30).
There were two important elements specific to this Day of Atonement. On this day of sacrifice, two goats were to be selected. One of these goats was to be a blood sacrifice for the sins of the people. The other would be brought alive to Aaron, the High Priest. The High Priest then confessed all the transgressions of Israel, placing them on the head of this goat. Now, bearing the full weight of the iniquities of Israel, the goat would be cast into the wilderness where it would die along with sins of the people. Instead of Israel paying the pentalty for their own sin, a substitute was given to them.
Leviticus is not filled with laws, commands, and ordinances so much as it is filled with promises. Israel is passive on the Day of Atonement. Their sin is taken from them and placed on the shoulders of another. God, Himself, cleanses them of their iniquities and provides a way to graciously be with and bless His people.
Martin Luther once remarked, “Wherever you cut the Bible open, it bleeds Christ.” Here, in Leviticus chapter sixteen, the Scriptures point to the blood of a greater substitute.
The hymn, In the Shattered Bliss of Eden, points us to that greater substitute when we sing,
“What these sacrifices promised
From a God who sought to bless,
Came at last — a second Adam —
Priest and King of righteousness:
Son of God, incarnate Savior,
Son of Man, both Christ and Lord,
Who in naked shame would offer
On the cross His blood outpoured.” (LSB 572, 3)
Just like Israel, we do not answer for our own sin. We do not clean ourselves and atone for our own sin, we cannot. Jesus, as our Great High Priest, cleanses us of our sins through the sacrifice of Himself once and for all (Romans 6:10). He took up the full weight of all our transgressions and iniquities. Our confession fell on Him as He traveled into the wilderness of Calvary to be a sin offering in our place.
As we enter into the divine service, we confess our sins to our High Priest confident that His blood now covers and absolves us of our guilt. He has answered for our sins on the altar of the cross.
The Lord commanded that the gift of absolution through the Day of Atonement be delivered to His people. After His resurrection, Jesus sends His Apostles out to deliver the gifts He won for you and me on the cross. Jesus sends out His disciples to be priests absolving the sins of the penitent.
“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld” (John 20: 21–23).
Pastor Norman Nagel describes the working of our Great High Priest when he says, “He is the One who, by the marks of Calvary on Him, is the One who has answered for our sins and therefore is the One who can give the forgiving words to the apostles to speak. And His words are alive with the Spirit to bestow the gifts that they bring, here, the forgiveness of sins in Holy Absolution.” Leviticus, just like the divine service, is all about the Gospel gifts.
