Section 5: Yehuveh’s Time System, Article 10
Day of Restarting (Atonement)
A Detailed Look at
Atonement in Leviticus 16
Page 9 - Leviticus 16:1-3

     With comments, Leviticus 16:1-34 reads as follows:

16:1 
And Yehuveh spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they
          offered before Yehuveh, and died;

                Comments
: The story of the death of Nadab and Abihu, as recorded in Leviticus 10:1-3
                provides the background for the
restarting required by Yehuveh in this chapter. Leviticus
               
16:1-28 verses present the cleansing required by Yehuveh before Aaron and his remaining
                two sons,
Eleazar and Ithamar can be reinstated to their priestly work. These first 28 verses
                describe a necessary
restart for these three men, not an annual ceremony for all Yehuveh’s
               
people, as is taught by most of the “far-too-casual” Scriptural commentators. With this
                reality in mind, here is a brief examination of this chapter.

16:2 
And Yehuveh said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at
         
all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the
          ark; that he die not: for
I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.
                Comments
: In contrast to the teaching that from this time onward the high priest was only
               
once a year allowed to enter the second or inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place of the
                wilderness tabernacle and later of the established temple, this statement is of a far more
                immediate concern. Aaron and his two remaining sons had not been appropriately
                reinstated after their loss of their two sons and brothers. Until they were fully cleansed
                and made right with Yehuveh, they were in no spiritual condition to come into such
                intimacy with Yehuveh, and for the preservation of their own lives, Yehuveh forbade
                them from doing so.
                        As discussed in notes on
Zechariah 1:4, there are two very different Hebrew words
                for the negative (no, not, never):
lo' [H3808], a permanent “no,” and 'al [H0408], a temporary
               
“no.” It is the latter, 'al, the temporary “no,” which is used in Leviticus 16:2. Yehuveh
                was not making a permanent injunction about the priests being able to enter the Most Holy
                Place only once a year,
for this was their place of ongoing instruction from Yehuveh,
                but rather stating that until matters were made right, they dare not risk their lives by doing
                so. This tragic incident with Aaron and his sons did, however, make Yehuveh keenly aware
                of how very much every individual needs to restart their lives afresh every year, and therefore
               
He ends this discussion with a re-newed focus and emphasis on the already-established
                (
Exodus 30:10) annual national Day of Restarting (Atonement).

16:3 
Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering,
          and
a ram for a burnt offering.
                Comments
: As discussed in What About Sacrifices and Offerings?, each of these four
                elements have a very significant personal spiritual application.
“A young bullock” represents
               
our attachment to and valuation of our personal lifestyle and possessions, including our
                family ties and affections. While Scriptures have not so stated, it is quite possible that Aaron
                had been indulgent with his sons, as was the later high priest Eli (
1 Samuel 1:3-4:18), and that
                he was thereby partially responsible for their deaths. If this were the case, Yehuveh definitely
                needed Aaron to relinquish this perverted attachment before he would again be fit to minister
                His tabernace.
“A sin offering” is surrender of our errant patters of thinking and acting,
                which Aaron definitely needed to relinquish at this time.
“A ram” represents our recognition
               
of a wrong act and our personal determination to make it right, and “a burnt offering”
                is a full and complete consecration. Within the circumstances of this story, both are needed.


Gael Bataman
Originally Written:      7 December 2009
Latest Update:            7 December 2009


                                         
Complete Study Guide to Article 10: Leviticus 16      

  
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