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The Tabernacle tion of Israel. (See Lev. 16:6, 15-33.) It was a prophetic object lesson, by which Jehovah taught His people the need of "a Saviour to come." The Day of Atonement Let us turn now to the sixteenth chapter of Leviticus, and read it-not once, or twice, but repeatedly. Let us note the details set forth, that we may see how they foreshad- owed the glories of Christ in His redemptive work for guilty sinners. It is not necessary for us to repeat all these details here; yet, for emphasis, we call attention to some of them: 1. The penalty for entrance into the Holy of Holies was death, except as ordained of God for the high priest on the Day of Atonement (verse 2). 2. On this day the sin offering and the burnt offering had to be sacrificed (verse 3). (For the teaching concern- ing these, we may turn back to Chapter VI of this series of studies, where they are discussed in some detail.) 3. Aaron had to lay aside his garments "for glory and for beauty" before he could minister on the Day of Atone- ment, a very significant fact, as we shall see. Instead of his beautiful garments, he put on "the holy linen coat," "the linen breeches," the "linen girdle," and "the linen mitre"-all pure white (verse 4) . 4. Two kids of the goats were taken "for a sin-offer- ing, and one ram for a burnt-offering." The two goats were presented "before the Lord at the door of the taber- nacle." Lots were cast, "one lot for the Lord, and the oth- er lot for the scapegoat." The one was slain; the other was led away into the wilderness "unto a land not inhabited." But before it was led away, Aaron placed both his hands upon the scapegoat's head, confessing Israel's sins, fig-
The Tabernacle 276 for" means "to cover." "It is used seventy-seven times in the Old Testament; yet the thought it expresses is not a part of the Old Testament doctrine; whereas, in the ew Testament, where the doctrine is taught, the word is not used once" (The Reverend Lewis Sperry Chafer, D.D.). In our English Old Testament "atonement" suggests "at-one-ment" with God for the guilty sinner who brought the sacrifice in anticipation- of Calvary's cross. On the merit of the one perfect sacrifice of the promised Re- deemer, God "covered" or "passed over" the "sins done aforetime"-from Adam to Christ. (See Rom. 3 :25, R.V.) In other words, the Old Testament saints were saved by faith in the Christ of prophecy; whereas the New Tes- tament saints are saved by faith in the Christ of history, who has fulfilled-or will yet fulfill~very Old Testament prophecy concerning Him. It is the cross of the Lord Jesus, and that alone, which can save the guilty sinner in any age! Sin was never actually "put away" until Christ died; yet, in His mercy, God "covered" the sins of Old Testa- ment believers for the time being, even as He saw in their hearts faith in the corning Lamb of God. Then when our Lord Jesus died, as the sinner's Substitute, He forever "put away sin by the sacrifice of himself" (Heb. 9:26). Now on the Day of Atonement Israel's sins, hitherto unconfessed or even unknown perhaps to any save God, were "covered" by the ministry of the high priest, highly typical of the sacrificial work of Christ. Throughout the year, day after day, month after month, the sacrifices were continually offered; yet God decreed that, on this one day every year, atonement should be made for Aaron and his house, for the Holy Place and the tabernacle, for the altar and the outer court, and for the whole congrega-
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