Leviticus 16
Main Idea/Themes
Leviticus 16 lies at the center of Leviticus and not only that but also the center of the entire Torah (Genesis Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy). Its placement and symmetry is not coincidental. There is a reason it is the center of its own book and narrative block and it has to do with the theme it conveys. A theme that pushes the biblical narrative all the way to Jesus in whom it finds its fulfillment. That theme atonement.
Atonement is a unity word, a word that conjures up images of sacrifice, blood, and reconciliation. As it were, Leviticus is setting up the sacrificial system in which the people might be brought closer to God and be unified with him. With sin in everyone’s life, atonement needs to be made on behalf of the people so they can continue in covenant relation with Yahweh. Leviticus sets up an animal sacrificial system to do this. God commands Moses to set up different sacrifices with all their specifications so that sin can be dealt with. Specifically, Leviticus 16 deals with one day in which a major celebration and ceremony takes place to make atonement. It’s called the Day of Atonement. A day in which the High Priest would offer up 2 goats on behalf of all of Israel’s sin. One goat would be sacrificed to purify the people symbolically and atone for their sin. The other goat, called a scapegoat, would be released into the wilderness after the High Priest confessed Israel’s sins on its back. This symbolically represented Israel’s sins being carried away from their camp and that God has removed them. Through these two acts, Yahweh is showing Israel that he removes their sins and purifies them, bringing them closer to Him. This theme of atonement carries all the way through the story of the Bible finding its fulfillment in Jesus who took away our sins and purifies us once for all. It is no wonder this section is placed in the middle of it all because this is what the Bible is all about. God’s people being brought back to Him through atonement.
Literary Structure
The literary structure forms a chiastic pattern in this chapter. This means the section forms an ABCB’A’ pattern.
A v.1-2 Warning
B v.3-10 Preparations for Day of Atonement
C v.11-22 Day of Atonement Ritual
B’ v.23-28 End of Day of Atonement
A’ v.29-34 Remembrance of Day of Atonement
Context
The context of Leviticus in general is in the center of the Torah and comes after the Israelites receive the covenant terms and before they wander in the wilderness before they enter the promised land. Leviticus prepares the people to meet and live within the presence of a holy God. It has been said that Leviticus is a priest guide book but we can glean application from it as well, especially relating to Jesus and his ministry. The context of this chapter is perceived in the middle of instruction that centers around the ideas of this day and ritual.
Chapter 1-7: Sacrifice Instructions
Chapters 8-15 Ritual Purity and Priestly Instructions
Chapters 16-27 Feasts, Festivals and moral laws
Chapter 16 comes at the center of this book and it centers around atonement and sacrifices for the sins of the priests and Israel. It combines the idea of sacrifices from the first half of the book and the ideas about holiness and morality from the second half into one day where Israel’s sins are cleaned and forgotten.
Application
Leviticus 16 provides readers with a connection to Jesus in many forms. Jesus is now our High Priest, meaning we no longer need to have a high priest to mediate on our behalf, Jesus did that and is doing that currently at God’s right hand. We no longer need a sacrifice to purify our sins as Jesus was our sacrifice. We also no longer need a scapegoat to release into the wilderness because God has blotted out our sins through Jesus and remembers them no more. The Day of Atonement was a temporary fix foreshadowing a permanent solution found and fulfilled in Jesus Christ. It was a day to remind Israel of their sin and to be purified on a yearly basis. Now we have Jesus that has made us clean through his death and resurrection.
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