Message 47
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Scripture Reading: Lev. 16:17-34
In this message we shall consider further the details concerning the propitiation in Leviticus 16.
“No man shall be in the tent of meeting when he goes in to make propitiation in the holy of holies until he comes out, and has made propitiation for himself, for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel” (v. 17). This signifies that the Lord Jesus alone can make propitiation for our sins. Only the Lord Jesus was qualified to die for us and for our sins. Only He was qualified to accomplish redemption for our sins in the holy of holies. Concerning this, the type in Leviticus 16 is definite and clear.
“Then he shall go out to the altar which is before Jehovah and make propitiation for it: he shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar all around” (v. 18). The bull was for Aaron and his household, and the goat was for the entire people of Israel. The four horns were toward the four directions of the earth. Putting the blood of the bull and of the goat on the horns of the altar all around signifies that the efficacy of the redemption on the cross is toward the four corners of the earth.
“And with his finger he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times” (v. 19a). This signifies that the full efficacy of the blood shed on the cross by Christ is so that the sinner may be at peace in his heart. When we sinners look at the blood sprinkled on the altar, we know that our sin and sins have been dealt with. Knowing that the problem of sin has been solved, we have peace in our heart.
Whereas the blood sprinkled on the altar is for our peace, the blood sprinkled on the propitiatory cover is for God’s satisfaction. First the blood was sprinkled on the propitiatory cover within the veil. This was for God to see. It is for His satisfaction. Then the blood was sprinkled on the offering altar in the outer court. This is for us to see. It is for our satisfaction. Both God and we are satisfied through the blood of the redeeming Christ.
Verse 19b tells us that Aaron was to cleanse the altar and “sanctify it from the uncleannesses of the sons of Israel.” This signifies that all the world’s sins were gathered upon the cross of Christ and were cleansed away.
The word “uncleannesses” in verse 19 refers to our sin, to our leprosy, to our rebellion, even to the satanic nature within us. Because the people of God were still in this uncleanness, even the altar used by God for the redemption of His people was contaminated. By this we can see how contagious is the uncleanness of God’s people. This uncleanness has its source (Satan), its birth, and its living, which is leprosy. Therefore, we are a totality of uncleanness discharging unclean things to contaminate others and make them unclean. By the cross of Christ this uncleanness has been dealt with and taken away. Now there is a clean situation in which we and God may enjoy each other.
Verse 20a speaks of Aaron’s finishing “making propitiation for the holy of holies, the tent of meeting, and the altar.” This signifies that the sin offering is offered not only for the removal of uncleanness but also for the perfecting of holiness.
The holy of holies, the most holy place in the universe, was contaminated by the uncleanness of God’s redeemed people. Because the holy of holies was contacted by unclean people, even it needed propitiation. The same was true of the tent of meeting and the altar. The fact that propitiation was made for all these indicates that the sin offering is not only for the removal of uncleanness but also for the perfecting of holiness. What Christ accomplished on the cross was not only for the removal of our uncleanness but also for the perfecting of God’s holiness, into which we have been brought. Now we are in this holiness enjoying God as our holiness.
“Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting, and take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the holy of holies, and leave them there. And he shall bathe his flesh in water in a holy place and put on his garments; then he shall come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make propitiation for himself and for the people” (vv. 23-24). This signifies that after we have received the redemption of the Lord Jesus and the problem of our sins has been solved, we need the cleansing of the Spirit that we may take Christ as our burnt offering to live for God by the life of Christ.
Before Aaron bathed himself, he offered the sin offering for himself and for the people. Then after he bathed, he came to the altar to offer the burnt offering for himself and also for the people. From this we can see that the sin offering is for the burnt offering, that the sin offering is offered in view of the burnt offering. In other words, the sin offering has a purpose — to bring us to the burnt offering. This means that we sinners have been redeemed for the purpose of becoming God’s satisfaction. We have been redeemed so that, taking Christ as our life and life supply, we might become those who in Christ live absolutely for God. Thus as redeemed ones, we are no longer sinners but those who are absolutely for God’s satisfaction. The complete redemption of Christ implies not only the removal of sin but also our living for God absolutely. This is the purpose of Christ’s redemption.
If Christ’s redemption only removed our sin but did not enable us to live for God absolutely, His redemption would not be complete. We praise the Lord that through Christ’s redemption not only has our sin been taken away, but we have been made by Christ into those who in Him as our burnt offering may now live for God absolutely. In this complete redemption, Christ is both the sin offering and the burnt offering. He is our sin offering for the removal of our sins, and He is our burnt offering to make us those who are absolutely for God. By taking Christ as our burnt offering and by living in Him by His life and with His life supply, we are able and qualified to live for God absolutely.
“And he shall offer up in smoke the fat of the sin offering on the altar” (v. 25). This signifies that the Lord Jesus’ death on the cross is for our redemption, and that His heart toward God and for God is for God’s acceptance.
The fat of the sin offering signifies the heart of Christ, the tender part of Christ. This tender part of Christ is altogether toward God and for God. His heart toward God and for God is for God’s acceptance.
In the scene portrayed in Leviticus 16, two things are sweet to God. First, the heart of Christ, which is toward God and for God, is sweet to God. Second, Christ eventually becomes the incense burning on the incense altar with the fire from the offering altar, and this burning incense becomes a sweet savor to God. Both of these involve that which is acceptable to God and that which becomes God’s acceptance of us. We are accepted in Christ as the incense burned before God and also in Christ’s heart, which is toward God and for Him. With the sin offering, therefore, we have two things: Christ as the incense burned on the incense altar and the heart of Christ signified by the fat burned on the offering altar.
“He who let the goat go to Azazel shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and after that he may come into the camp” (v. 26). This signifies that the one who is defiled by contacting anything related to sin must deal with his outward living and with himself as well.
The one who let go the goat who bore the sins of the people to Azazel was related to sin and defiled by it. Therefore, he had to bathe himself and wash his clothes. He had to deal with his outward living (signified by the clothes) and also with himself. This indicates that whenever we are defiled by contacting something related to sin, we need to wash, to deal with, both our conduct and ourselves.
“The bull of the sin offering and the goat of the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make propitiation in the holy of holies, shall be taken outside the camp, and they shall burn their hides, their flesh, and their dung with fire” (v. 27). This has a twofold significance.
First, this signifies that the Lord Jesus accomplished on the cross, once for all, the eternal and perfect redemption, and His serving ones have no participation in this matter. He alone accomplished a perfect and eternal redemption on the cross, signified by the altar outside the tabernacle. Furthermore, He Himself alone entered within the veil into the holy of holies. We, His serving ones, had no part in the accomplishment of redemption.
Second, what is described in verse 27 signifies that the Lord who accomplished redemption was rejected by man. Hence, whoever receives His redemption should go with Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach (Heb. 13:13). The camp signifies a religious organization, in particular the organization of the Jewish religion. To be outside the camp is to be outside organized religion. Today we are outside organized religion bearing the Lord’s reproach. To bear the Lord’s reproach means that we bear the same reproach He bore. The reproach He suffered now becomes our reproach. In the Lord’s recovery, we bear His reproach because of our standing concerning the church, that is, because we are standing on the ground of the oneness of the Body of Christ. When those in the denominations criticize and oppose our standing in the local churches, we bear the Lord’s reproach.
“And he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water, and after that he may come into the camp” (v. 28). This signifies that the one who is defiled by contacting anything related to sin must deal with his outward living and with himself as well. The significance here is thus the same as that concerning the one who let the goat go to Azazel.
Verse 29a says, “This shall be a perpetual statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves.” Literally, “yourselves” means “your souls.” The Israelites understood “afflict” here to indicate total abstinence from food, fasting (cf. Isa. 58:3, 5, 10). In Leviticus 16:29 afflicting one’s soul signifies mourning, repenting, and feeling sorrowful for sin.
The people were not to do any work on that day (v. 29b), for it was “a sabbath of solemn rest” to them (v. 31). This signifies that redemption has been completely finished by Christ. There is nothing left for man to do, and man should rest in the redemption of Christ.
If we try to work for our redemption, we shall insult Christ and belittle His redemption. Since we have seen Christ’s redemption, have received it, and are enjoying it, we should cease from our labor. In this matter Martin Luther was right to revolt against the erroneous teaching of the Roman Catholic Church concerning working for our salvation. Complete redemption has been accomplished in a full way by Christ, and now we are enjoying it without any labor.
“And make propitiation for the holy sanctuary, and make propitiation for the tent of meeting and for the altar, and make propitiation for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. This shall be a perpetual statute for you to make propitiation for the sons of Israel for all their sins once a year” (vv. 33-34a). This signifies that the offering was unable to make man perfect and that it was only a shadow of the coming good things, until the Son of God would come to complete the full redemption. The “coming good things” (Heb. 10:1) refer to the things accomplished by Christ. These good things are revealed in Hebrews 9 and 10, two chapters that give us the content of this point.
What we have in Leviticus 16 is a shadow, not the reality. The reality, the body, of this shadow is Christ with all His accomplishments and achievements. The shadow helps us to appreciate the reality and to know the details of the reality. Nevertheless, we do not care for the shadow — we care for the reality. We care for Christ and for all He has achieved and accomplished.
