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Leviticus 16-17
Day of Atonement
and the Goat God
Psalm 18:1-27 Why Should God Save You?
1.“I will love You, O Yahweh, my strength.2.The Yahweh is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.3.I will call upon the Yahweh, Who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved/delivered from my enemies.4.The pangs of death surrounded me...6.In my distress I called upon the Yahweh...He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.7.Then the earth shook and trembled...16.He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.17.He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me, For they were too strong for me.18.They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the Yahweh was my support.19.He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me BECAUSE He delighted in me.20.The Yahweh rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.21.For I have kept the ways of the Yahweh, and have not wickedly departed from my God.23.I was also blameless before Him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.24.Therefore Yahweh has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.25.With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;26.With the pure You will show Yourself pure; and with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.27.For You will save the humble people, but will bring down haughty looks.Observation
18:1-27.We can only scratch the surface of this Psalm, magnificent in its imagery and message. In overwhelming trouble, David calls, God delivers, from the hand of Saul and enemies more mighty than he. The basis of David's appeal is his righteousness. There are over a dozen aspects of it in Psalm 18:20-27. Can you find them?
Application
Does God delight in you? Why or why not? What can you do about it?
Prayer
O Yahweh, You are my trustworthy, Strength, Rock, Fortress, Shield, Stronghold, Savior, Deliverer, Support, and fire breathing, earth shaking Rescuer and Recompenser. I'd be crazy not to trust you. Amen.
Proverbs 5:15-17 Refreshing Water
15.“Drink water out of your own cistern, running water out of your own well.16.Should your springs overflow in the streets, streams of water in the public squares?17.Let them be for yourself alone, not for strangers with you.“Observation
5:15-17.One of the purposes of Proverbs is to give wisdom that protects the reader from the things that lead to death rather than the abundant life. Here the author advocates fidelity and enjoyment with one's spouse, rather than infidelity with strangers.
Application
A mutually satisfying marriage bed safeguards the marriage from temptation and destruction.
Prayer
Lord thanks that You are concerned about my desires; You not only created them, but also the wise way to satisfy them. Amen.
Leviticus 16-17 Day of Atonement and the Goat God
Leviticus 16 Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement
1."Yahweh spoke to Moses, after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before Yahweh, and died;2.and Yahweh said to Moses, Speak to Aaron your brother, that he doesn`t come at all times into the holy place within the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark; that he not die: for I will appear in the cloud on the mercy seat.3.Herewith shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bull for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.4.He shall put on the holy linen coat...6.Aaron shall present the bull of the sin-offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself, and for his house.7.He shall take the two goats, and set them before Yahweh at the door of the tent of meeting.8.Aaron shall cast lots on the two goats; one lot for Yahweh, and the other lot for Azazel (Go Goat).9.Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for Yahweh, and offer him for a sin-offering.10.But the goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel/Scapegoat, shall be set alive before Yahweh, to make atonement for him, to send him away for Azazel/Scapegoat into the wilderness.11....shall kill the bull of the sin-offering which is for himself:12.and he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from off the altar before Yahweh, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil:13.and he shall put the incense on the fire before Yahweh, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the testimony, that he not die:14.and he shall take of the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.15.Then shall he kill the goat of the sin-offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with his blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:16.and he shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, even all their sins: and so shall he do for the tent of meeting, that dwells with them in the midst of their uncleanness.20.When he has made an end of atoning for the holy place, and the tent of meeting, and the altar, he shall present the live goat:21.and Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, even all their sins; and he shall put them on the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a man who is in readiness into the wilderness:22.and the goat shall bear on him all their iniquities to a solitary land: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness....24.and he shall bathe his flesh in water in a holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.27.The bull of the sin-offering, and the goat of the sin-offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall be carried forth outside of the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung.29.It shall be a statute forever to you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict/humbe your souls, and shall do no manner of work, the home-born, or the stranger who sojourns among you:30.for on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins shall you be clean before Yahweh.31.It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict/humble your souls; it is a statute forever.34.This shall be an everlasting statute to you, to make atonement for the children of Israel because of all their sins once in the year. He did as Yahweh commanded Moses."
Observations
16:6.Aaron first presented the bull for his own sins, before sacrificing it in 16:11. Only then he was able to do the priestly work for the people.
16:8.
The totally unique feature of this sacrifice was the selection of one goat for sacrifice to Yahweh, and the other for being a scapegoat (“azazel” = literally “goat” and “go away/remove”). In Jewish apocryphal literature Azazel was a chief demon, but the goat is not sacrificed to a devil, for that would be an abomination. Sins would be confessed over the head of the scapegoat, who would carry the nation's sins into the wilderness. Although not specified in the Scriptures, they tied a white ribbon on Yahweh's goat, and a red ribbon on the scapegoat. According to the Talmud (rabbinical interpretation), when the scapegoat was pushed over a cliff (an extra-Biblical innovation to prevent it from wandering back into camp) the ribbon changed color from red to white. This signified the acceptance of the sacrifice and indicated that Yahweh had forgiven their sins. Astonishingly, the Talmud records that forty years (a generation's span) before the AD 70 destruction of the temple (AD 30, the year of Christ's crucifixion) the ribbon no longer changed color! See Digging Deeper for more.
16:14.
This is the only day of the year anyone was allowed into the Holy of Holies.
16:22.
It's significant that the scapegoat was not sacrificed. Hebrews 10:4 tells us “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” The sacrifices merely covered over the offenses. Since a human sinned, a human has to die. The fact that the goat was not killed showed that sin hadn't been dealt the death blow, but needed to be removed from the presence of God in the midst of His people.
16:24.
After presenting the sin-offering (and a quick bath and clothes change) whole burnt-offerings (symbol of complete dedication) were offered for the priest and then the people. It doesn't stop at forgiveness, God wants complete dedication.
16:29.
“Afflict/humble” is the intensive intentional form of the verb that means “to be occupied or busy with.” Reflection on one's sins and shortcomings is a good idea, so we can identify problems and implement solutions. To wallow in the same mud year after year is to waste one's life.
Application
We can only approach God on His terms, as He has specified, especially in the service of others. It doesn't stop at forgiveness, God wants complete dedication (16:24).
Prayer
Holy God, I praise You for being a merciful and just God, who provides His people with means of forgiveness and cleansing so we can have a wholly dedicated relationship with You. Amen.
Leviticus 17 Goat Worship and Blood
1."Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,2.Speak to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and tell them: This is the thing which Yahweh has commanded, saying,3.Whatever man there be of the house of Israel, who kills an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or who kills it outside of the camp,4.and hasn`t brought it to the door of the tent of meeting, to offer it as an offering to Yahweh before the tent of Yahweh: blood shall be imputed to that man; he has shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people:5.To the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they sacrifice in the open field, even that they may bring them to Yahweh, to the door of the tent of meeting, to the priest, and sacrifice them for sacrifices of peace-offerings to Yahweh.6.The priest shall sprinkle the blood on the altar of Yahweh at the door of the tent of meeting, and burn the fat for a sweet savor to Yahweh.7.They shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat demons (NASB), after which they play the prostitute. This shall be a statute forever to them throughout their generations.8.You shall tell them, Whatever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice,9.and doesn`t bring it to the door of the tent of meeting, to sacrifice it to Yahweh; that man shall be cut off from his people.10.Whatever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who eats any manner of blood, I will set my face against that soul who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people.11.For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life.12.Therefore I said to the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood.13.Whatever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who takes in hunting any animal or bird that may be eaten; he shall pour out the blood of it, and cover it with dust.14.For as to the life of all flesh, the blood of it is [all one] with the life of it: therefore I said to the children of Israel, You shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh; for the life of all flesh is the blood of it: whoever eats it shall be cut off..."Observations
17:4.It looks like any sacrificable animal had to have its blood and fat presented to Yahweh. Present doesn't necessarily mean sacrifice (16:6). Some commentators view this as a prohibition against eating meat apart for sacrifices (they did have manna) until they reached the promised land, where the prohibition was lifted (Dt 12:20). In any event the instruction seems to be designed to prevent defiling idol worship (17:7).
17:7.
From the Go Goat to the worship of Goats? The deity of the city of Mendez in Northern Egypt, near where the pre-Exodus Israelites resided, was the Ram God, whose name was “Ba of the Lord of Djedet.” Ba was the enduring essence or soul in Egyptian thought, represented by a ram. Djedet was the pillar or backbone or other such part of Osiris. He was responsible for fertility. The KJV translates saiyr as “goat or kid” 52 times and as “devil or satyr” twice each.
17:11.
This verse explains the essence of the sacrificial system. Disobedience and rebellion were punishable by death. Presenting the blood, in which was the life, demonstrated the worshiper was offering a life to cover or atone for his sin.
Application
Whether eating blood or offering sacrifices improperly or being cozy with demons, a redeemed person forfeits fellowship and blessing by disobedience.
Prayer
Gracious God, thank You for accepting the blood of another as the substitute for my sin, so I could be forgiven and rightly related to You. Amen.
Digging Deeper
The Mystery of the Red Ribbon and the Black Rock
The rabbinical commentaries in the Talmud would not want to present the Day of Atonement as ineffective, for doing so would undermine the Scriptures. Nor would they want to lend any credence to the efficacy of Christ's death. But from both the Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmud we have the quotes below. Check out the elaboration in the link above, and additional background in the Jewish Encyclopedia below.
We read in the Jerusalem Talmud (Rabbinical Commentary):
- "Forty years before the destruction of the Temple, the western light went out, the crimson thread remained crimson, and the lot for the Lord always came up in the left hand. They would close the gates of the Temple by night and get up in the morning and find them wide open" (Jacob Neusner, The Yerushalmi, p.156-157). [The Temple was destroyed in 70 CE]
A similar passage in the Babylonian Talmud states:
- "Our rabbis taught: During the last forty years before the destruction of the Temple the lot ['For the Lord'] did not come up in the right hand; nordid the crimson-colored strap become white; nor did the western most light shine; and the doors of the Hekel [Temple] would open by themselves" (Soncino version, Yoma 39b).
Yoma, a treatise in the Mishnah, in the Tosefta, and in both Talmudim, treating of the divine service on the Day of Atonement:
Ch. vi.: regarding the ten stations in the journey from Jerusalem to the mountain-top from which the animal was thrown down; how it was thrown; how color-signals were used to make it known in Jerusalem and in the Temple that Azazel's goat had reached the wilderness; how to the door of the Hekal was tied a red ribbon, which turned white when the goat had arrived in the wilderness (§§ 4-8).
God in a nutshell: God graciously offers sinners (those who live independently of Him) a means to get back in His good graces, but only on His terms. He is concerned with more than our forgiveness, but with our blessing, which requires purity, hence the whole burnt-offering (complete dedication) is required.
Us in a nutshell: Failure to follow God's revelation get us in trouble in the first place, so God offers a corrective, requiring explicit and specific obedience. When we submit our will to His, we get forgiven. But it doesn't end there (sin-offering); we need to totally dedicate ourselves to purity and separation from defilement (whole burnt-offering) or we will be separated or cut off from blessing.