Wed.’s Devo - The Day of Atonement

Read: Lev. 16-18
Chapter 16 describes the Day of Atonement which happened every year. It was the only time the High Priest would enter into the Holy of Holies. On that day he would offer a sin offering and a burnt offering. Then he would take the two offerings from the people and offer the bullock for the sin offering for himself and his family then he would take two goats and cast lots for them. One would be for the Lord and the other would be the scapegoat. The one that the lot fell on would be sacrificed and the other taken to the wilderness and set free. Then the priest would go into the Holy of Holies and present the blood to the Lord. This was a picture of what Jesus did for us on the cross. He atoned for our sin on the cross (the goat that the lot fell on) and took our sin away (the goat that was set free into the wilderness). Jesus took our sin as far as the east is from the west. Another way of looking at it is this: Jesus took our place and we became the scapegoat. Then Jesus presented his sacrifice to the Lord to atone for our sins once and for all.
Bringing death to anything that had in it blood had to be atoned for by bringing it to the door of the tabernacle. Jesus is the door and everything is atoned through Him.
They were not to uncover the nakedness of any family member. Spiritually, this means that we don’t talk about the weaknesses and sins of another person. We don’t tell their secrets.
God hates mixture and confusion. To have sex with animals, family members, with the same sex, or for idolatry is confusion. God said if they committed any of these abominations they would be cut off from their people.
Lord, thank you for dying for our sins. Help us to honor one another and stay clean before You.