SET 12FREE - Findlay Student Ministries - Home 116 Explore the Bible: Stuents Read Leviticus...

12

114 // Explore the Bible: Students

EXPLORATIONLeviticus 16:3-10,29-30

Prepare for your group meeting by reading the passage two times..

God promised a way for His people

to be free from the guilt of sin.

Leviticus16:3-10,29-30

SETFREE

TRUTHCentral3 “This is how Aaron is to enter the Most Holy Place: He must first bring a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 4 He is to put on the sacred linen tunic, with linen undergarments next to his body; he is to tie the linen sash around him and put on the linen turban. These are sacred garments; so he must bathe himself with water before he puts them on. 5 From the Israelite community he is to take two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.

6 “Aaron is to offer the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household. 7 Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 8 He is to cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat. 9 Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering. 10 But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat.

29 “This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work—whether native-born or a foreigner residing among you— 30 because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins.

Session 12 // 115

.01 Make It RightCome up with some scenarios of ways students might wrong or hurt each other. Scenarios could include:

• You tell a lie about a friend in order to make yourself look better.

• You intentionally don’t invite a friend to a get together because you are upset with them.

• A friend left their phone on the lunch table and you snoop through it and post some of their pictures on Instagram or Facebook before giving it back to them.

• You a make joke about a friend that crosses the line from playful to mean and hurtful.

You don’t have to use these scenarios, but feel free to use these as a springboard to come up with scenarios of your own that will be more applicable to your group. Ask each group to share how they would make things right with a friend if they did one of these things to them. Inform students that today we will be looking at a system God set up that symbolized the Israelites’ need for things to be made right between them and God. While it was impossible for them to make things right on their own, we will see that God made a way for His people to be forgiven. The system that He set up prepared His people for the day when He would fully and finally forgive the sins of all who trust in Him.

.02 Escape GameUse your smart phone or tablet to show students pictures of some scary animals an/or insects: scorpions, snakes, spiders, tigers, etc. Ask students which of these they would be most afraid to be locked up in a room with. Point out that God is far more dangerous than any of these creatures. In fact, today we will see that Aaron was commanded by God to enter the most holy place in the tabernacle in a very specific way as he went to make atonement. God is holy and must be treated with awe and reverence.

OPTIONSExplore.01 SHARE ABOUT A TIME WHEN YOU HURT OR DID SOMETHING MEAN TO A FRIEND.

.02 WERE YOU ABLE TO ATONE FOR YOUR ACTIONS? HOW DID YOU SEEK TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT WITH YOUR FRIEND?

Talk it Out

FOCUSThis week’s

If we are honest, we’ve all found ourselves in a situation where we wronged or hurt a close friend. Perhaps you told a lie about someone in order to make yourself look better. When we wrong others, there is always a cost involved. If you hurt someone badly enough, the cost could be the relationship itself—your friendship could come to an end.

When we are truly sorry for the way we’ve wronged others though, we will humble ourselves and be willing to set things right. But what about when we wrong an infinite God? How do we make that right? According to Scripture we have all rebelled against God and because God is holy, setting things right is impossible. Thankfully, however, we serve a gracious God who offers to set things right for us—He has made a way for His people to be free from the guilt of sin.

12


Read Leviticus 16:1-3.

.03 WHY WEREN’T THE PRIESTS ABLE TO ENTER THE HOLY PLACE WHENEVER THEY WANTED TO (SEE ALSO LEV. 10:1-3)?

As we have seen throughout our study of Exodus and Leviticus, the most fundamental aspect of God is that He is holy, set apart from His creatures and perfect in every attribute. This means that sinful people like us should not think that we can just waltz into His presence. Aaron’s sons learned this firsthand when they came before the Lord and offered “unauthorized fire” and were consumed. Because God is holy He is also perfectly just, and He must punish sin. When Nadab and Abihu tried to worship and live how they wanted, the consequences were swift and severe.

In light of both Israel’s sin and its failed attempts at worshiping God on their own terms, God instituted the Day of Atonement. It was a mercy to Aaron and his sons who would come after him. Keeping the high priest out of the holy of holies, aside for once a year, would help to keep them from endangering themselves. Furthermore, this day would set a precedent in Israel of remembering God’s past grace and looking to Him for the forgiveness of sins.

Discipleship Moment: While we no longer celebrate the Day of Atonement, at least not in the way that Israel did, we still have rituals we keep in our churches today to remember God’s grace. The Lord’s Supper is one. Challenge students to see the value of the Lord’s Supper and for those who choose to participate, encourage them to do so prayerfully, remembering God’s past, present, and future graces.


.04 WHY DID AARON HAVE TO MAKE ATONEMENT FOR HIMSELF AND HIS HOUSEHOLD BEFORE GOING INTO THE HOLY OF HOLIES?

While Aaron, as the high priest, was chosen by God to serve in the tabernacle on behalf of God’s people, he was not holy. Only God is. Aaron, like the people, was guilty of breaking God’s Law and rebelling against Him. In fact, it was not that long ago that he helped the Israelites fashion a golden calf and said to the people, “Israel, these are your gods, who brought you up from the land of Egypt” (Ex. 32:4). The fact that God would allow Aaron to serve as Israel’s first high priest is a testimony to His forgiveness and grace. The fact that Aaron had to first make atonement for himself and his family served as a reminder to him and to the nation that they constantly needed God’s grace. The grace offered to Aaron through a sacrifice not only kept him safe from God’s wrath, but it also kept him humble by reminding him that he needed grace as much as the people of Israel he represented.

CONVERSATION

Session 12 // 117

Leviticus 16:1-716:1-2. The most holy place was God’s sacred dwelling place. Neither Aaron nor his sons were to enter that place except once a year on the Day of Atonement. Verse 1 reminded Aaron of the sin of his two deceased sons when they did not perform their priestly functions according to the prescribed ritual given by God.

Items that were necessary to observe this day included a young bull for a sin offering, a ram for a burnt offering, special garments to wear for the ceremony, water to bathe with, and two goats—one for a sin offering and one that would serve as a “scapegoat.”

16:3. First, Aaron was to prepare the offering. He prepared a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. These offerings were for himself and his household.

16:4-5. Second, Aaron was to prepare himself. Aaron was not only to bathe his body, but also to put on the proper holy garments for the offering. These priestly garments were to be used only when he was exercising this solemn part of his sacred office. After the conclusion of the Day of Atonement, he would never again wear the white garments in which he officiated on this day (16:23).

The priestly preparations were to make sure that Aaron was cleansed and consecrated prior to acting on behalf of the people. Unlike Aaron, Christ needed no prior act to cleanse Himself before His sacrificial offering. Jesus is the perfect High Priest (Heb. 7:27).

Believers are to diligently prepare themselves to enter into God’s presence. This shows us that God is not only concerned with the proper preparation of the offering but also with the one making the offering. The external act is not the only thing that matters; it only reveals the participant’s heart. Over and over again throughout the Bible, it is clear that God is primarily concerned with the heart. It is as if God proclaims, “Give me all of you! I don’t want so much of your time, your talents, your money, or your work. I want you!” In exchange for this, it is as if God declares, “I will give you Myself.” Dwelling with God is the reward of this great exchange. Getting God is the good news of the gospel. And in getting God, we get His love, and His heart becomes our heart.

16:6-7. Aaron was to prepare two goats for the sin offering. The two goats had distinct purposes in this ritual offering. One was offered to the Lord to atone for the people’s sin; the other was sent to an uninhabitable place. God instructed Aaron to cast lots to determine which animal would be sacrificed on the altar and which animal would be the scapegoat. The priest was then to lay his hands “on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the Israelites’ iniquities and rebellious acts—all their sins” (Lev. 16:21). Then, the priest would send the goat away into the wilderness. This scapegoat goat would “carry all their iniquities into a desolate land” (16:22).

COMMENTARY

12


CONVERSATIONcontinued

.05 WHY WAS GOD SO SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT AARON WAS TO WEAR AND WHAT HE WAS TO DO IN THE TABERNACLE?

.06 WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF SENDING ONE OF THE GOATS INTO THE WILDERNESS “FOR AZAZEL” (VV. 8-10)?

Aaron was to prepare a bull for a sin offering for the people and a ram for a burnt offering which made atonement for the house of the priests. He was to wear “holy” garments and to bathe before wearing them and more importantly before entering the Most Holy Place. These details not only challenged Aaron to obey God but were also symbolic of God’s perfect holiness which in turn reminds us that those Aaron made sacrifices for, the people of Israel and the priests, were set apart for God’s holy purposes. God did this as a testimony to all the nations of His greatness and glory (Deut. 7:1-6).

The goat sent into the wilderness represented the fact that the sacrifice of the high priest had removed the sin of the people. David celebrated this kind of removal of the people’s sins when he wrote, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Ps. 103:12).

Leader Pack / ITEM 10: For more information on the offerings made in the tabernacle and temple, see the Sacrificial System poster (Pack Item 10).

.07 WHAT DID THESE SACRIFICES LOOK FORWARD TO? HOW DID THEY DEMONSTRATE THE PEOPLE’S NEED FOR A SAVIOR?

Jesus appeared as both our High Priest and our sacrifice. Jesus, because He was holy and sinless, did not have to offer up a sacrifice for Himself. Rather, He offered the sacrifice of Himself on behalf of the people. Aaron could only enter into the holy place once a year, and even then, he had to offer sacrifice for himself so that he would not be consumed. When Jesus gave up His spirit, “Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was split in two from top to bottom” (Matt. 27:51). Because Jesus cleansed us from all sin, we can now walk in the Holy Spirit and in the presence of God all the time. No longer does God’s presence dwell in the temple made by hands; He now takes up residence in the heart of everyone who repents and believes in Jesus.

Theological Context: Why don’t we make these sacrifices today? See the Theological Context note in the Commentary on Hebrews 9:11-14 for more information on how Christ is our once for all sacrifice.

Session 12 // 119

COMMENTARY

The sacrifices in the tabernacle and temple, according to Hebrews 9:11-14 were mere shadows of the greater sacrifice to come—the sacrifice of the Savior, the Son of God. The first transgression was made by a man named Adam, and because of this, only another man could actually make atonement for the sins of all Adam’s sons and daughters who sinned as he had. Jesus’ sacrifice is superior to the sacrifice of bulls and goats because animal offerings served only to teach the people that sacrifice was necessary, and they looked forward to the one true sacrifice of the Messiah who was to come. Even the tent of meeting and eventually the temple itself was only a shadow of heaven. Jesus’ offering was made on the cross, but Christ said, “Father, into Your hands I entrust My spirit” (Luke 23:46). After Jesus offered Himself on the cross, He went directly into the presence of God to intercede on behalf of His people.

Leviticus 16:8-1016:8. You can almost feel the relief and thankfulness of the Israelites as they stood and watched the scapegoat disappear over the horizon to die alone. The animal symbolically carried their sin and guilt far away, never to return. They then would turn back toward the camp, where God dwelt, where they could dwell with God.

The Hebrew word translated uninhabitable place at the end of verse 8 is azazel. This word occurs in the Old Testament only in Leviticus 16. Bible scholars have proposed various interpretations of its meaning. One view focuses on the origin of the word. It comes from a compound Hebrew word combining the words for “goat” and “going away,” meaning the goat that goes away. This view fits the context of Leviticus 16. Another interpretation, developed by rabbis, suggests that azazel means a “rough, difficult terrain”—that is, an uninhabitable place. As such, it refers to the goat’s destination. This view also fits the context of Leviticus 16. Regardless of the precise meaning of the term azazel, the meaning of the passage is clear. The releasing of the goat graphically portrayed the complete removal of the Israelites’ sins. David gave expression to this act of atonement in the psalms: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Ps. 103:12).

16:9-10. The act of atonement in Leviticus 16 is beautifully symbolic of the atonement of Christ described in Hebrews 9:7-14. Not only did Jesus sacrifice Himself in a gruesome death on the cross to pay for the sins of the people, He also went “outside the camp” and bore the disgrace of sin on their behalf (Heb. 13:13). Therefore, believers can be confident that Jesus’ death on the cross sufficiently removed the penalty and guilt of their sin.

THEOLOGICAL CONTEXT

12


continuedCONVERSATION


.08 HOW OFTEN WERE THE ISRAELITES SUPPOSED TO OFFER THESE SACRIFICES?

.09 WHAT WERE THEY COMMANDED TO DO ON THIS DAY? WHAT WERE THEY NOT TO DO? WHAT WAS THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF THIS DAY (V. 30)?

These sacrifices were to be made yearly. The Day of Atonement was on their calendars every year as a constant reminder to the people of the fact that they were sinners in need of God’s forgiveness. This day was special. On this day they were not to work, but instead to practice self-denial. In other words, this was to be a day of spiritual focus and renewal. A day when they not only looked to God for forgiveness but asked Him for the strength to turn away from sin and live for His glory. It was a day of fasting and prayer, a day set aside to seek fervently after God (Ps. 35:13; Isa. 58:3). While seeking God is something we must do everyday, God wove this day into the Israelite calendar in order to serve as a constant reminder of the fact that we need God’s grace. We never outgrow our need for God’s forgiveness and grace. To grow spiritually requires that we grow to develop an ever-present awareness of our need for God’s strength, grace, and forgiveness.

Historical Context: How often was the Day of Atonement celebrated? What was done on this day? See the Historical Context note in the Commentary for more information.

.10 BESIDES THE ISRAELITES, WHO WAS INVITED TO PARTICIPATE (SEE V. 29B)? WHAT DOES THIS TELL US ABOUT GOD?

While the Day of Atonement was instituted by God in order to set His people apart from the surrounding pagan nations, that does not mean that it the day did not have a meaning outside Israel. The Israelites were commanded to let off of work any aliens or immigrants who were working for them. In other words, as they celebrated this day, they were encouraged to show kindness to the foreigners in their midst and to remember that the unbelieving world around them was watching to see whether they would honor the Lord by honoring this day.

Session 12 // 121

COMMENTARY

Leviticus 16:29-3016:29. God established the Day of Atonement as an annual ceremony held on the tenth day of the seventh month (Tishki). He declared, This is to be a permanent statute for you. The purpose of this most holy of days was to make atonement for the sins of Israel. Chapter 16 highlights the various acts of rites of purification that took place on the Day of Atonement. However, as we see in verse 29, for these rites to be acceptable, the Israelites needed to offer them with repentant hearts.

16:30. The people of God (and foreigners) were called to humble themselves by practicing self-denial, probably through fasting and prayer. The word translated practice self-denial is literally “afflict yourself.” In Psalm 35:13, David prayed, “I humbled myself with fasting, and my prayer was genuine.” In Isaiah 58:3, the people complained, “Why have we fasted, but you have not seen? We have denied ourselves, but you haven’t noticed!” The Lord answered, “Look, you do as you please on the day of your fast, and oppress all your workers.” In both of these passages, fasting is correlated with humility. However, as the context of Isaiah 58 shows, God is not concerned with mere outward expressions but with inward repentance accompanied by obedience. In this sense, God’s instruction regarding the Day of Atonement was not only concerned with external acts but also with the people’s sincerity of heart.

In the Book of Hebrews, the writer makes it clear that Jesus’ crucifixion was the definitive Day of Atonement. Jesus’ sacrificial death was the long-awaited, final fulfillment of the purification offerings, by which He cleansed believers from sin through the shedding of His own blood (Heb. 9:12,14,24). Jesus was also the true and greater scapegoat in that He bore our sins away, taking them outside the camp (Heb. 9:28). As for the fulfillment of the burnt offerings, once again, Jesus made perfect and final atonement for our sin. As Christians, we look to Christ not only with repentance of our sin but also with great joy, for His sacrifice cleanses us so that we can draw near to God with full assurance and acceptance.

The Day of Atonment or “Yom Kippur” is celebrated once a year and to this day, the day of atonement is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. It was and is intended to solemn celebration of the atonement God provided the Israelites. The day was and is spent fasting, praying, and worshiping in the synagogue.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

12


CENTRALTRUTH

God promised a way for His people to be free from the guilt of sin.

.11 ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10 (1 BEING NOT AT ALL AND 10 BEING FULLY AWARE), HOW AWARE ARE YOU ON A DAILY BASIS OF GOD’S PERFECT HOLINESS? HOW MIGHT YOU DEEPEN YOUR AWARENESS?

.12 HOW CAN UNDERSTANDING THE DAY OF ATONEMENT HELP US UNDERSTAND THE MAGNIFICENT GRACE WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN IN JESUS CHRIST?

.13 WHAT ADVANTAGES DO WE HAVE TODAY AS BELIEVERS THAT BELIEVERS UNDER THE OLD COVENANT COULD ONLY DREAM OF?

.14 WHO DO YOU KNOW WHO IS TRUSTING IN THEMSELVES FOR SALVATION? HOW MIGHT YOU HELP THEM SEE THE GRACE THAT IS OFFERED TO THEM IN CHRIST?

NOW WHAT?

For an expository verse-by-verse sermon outline/discussion guide that complements this session by diving into the Gospel of Mark, see LifeWay.com/etbfal17exodus. For free training, go to MinistryGrid.com/web/ExploreTheBible.

Session 12 // 123

PersonalCHALLENGE

DwellReflect on and remember the price that Jesus paid for our sin on the cross. Just as God promised a way for His people to be free from the guilt of sin in the Old Testament, we too can be free from sin today. We must come before the Lord in humility and confess our sins. We no longer have to provide living sacrifices for sin because Jesus came and bore our sins on the cross as He became the ultimate living sacrifice.

MemorizeLeviticus 16:30

PrayAsk God to make you more aware of your sin and your need for forgiveness. The Day of Atonement was an act of worship and spiritual renewal in Old Testament times. Now we can rejoice in Jesus who came to bring perfect and final atonement for our sins. Spend some time thanking God for sending His Son as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.

Read more about the Day of Atonement and Jesus as our High Priest in these passages.

• Leviticus 23:26-32

• Hebrews 3:1; Hebrews 4:14–5:10

• Hebrews 7:26–8:7

• Hebrews 9:11-28

Reflect and dwell on this.

SET 12FREE - Findlay Student Ministries - Home 116 Explore the Bible: Stuents Read Leviticus...

Documents

Transcript of SET 12FREE - Findlay Student Ministries - Home 116 Explore the Bible: Stuents Read Leviticus...