Scripture Union Daily Guide 2 July 2024 (Tuesday) Devotional Message
TOPIC: Atonement Day
OPENING PRAYER: Dear Lord, grant me understanding and illumination as I ponder on your word in Jesus name.
SCRIPTURE READING: Leviticus 16:1-19
1 And the Lord spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the Lord, and died;
2 And the Lord 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.
3 Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.
4 He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.
5 And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.
6 And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.
7 And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the Lord’s lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.
10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.
11 And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself:
12 And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail:
13 And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not:
14 And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; 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 vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:
16 And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.
17 And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.
18 And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the Lord, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.
19 And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
QUESTION FOR REFLECTION
* Q7: What truth is God revealing to me in this passage?
Scripture Union Daily Guide 2 July 2024 – MESSAGE
To atone means to cover. The Day of Atonement was the greatest day of the year in Israel. This is the day when the people confessed and had their sins covered through sacrifices of animals before the Lord and so became free (worthy of the Lord). The Old Testament sacrifice did not remove the sins but just covered them, until Jesus Christ came and was sacrificed on the cross for all our sins.
Aaron the high priest could not just enter the presence of God or come before the altar whenever he wanted. Notice the warning God gave him in v.2? Go through vs.4-14 again and carefully observe the meticulous personal preparation (vs.3-4) and the elaborate sacrifices required of Aaron before he could enter God’s presence (vs.6,11-14).
Today, we have an easier access to God. The Lord Jesus has opened the way to God for us (Hebrews 10:19-20; cf. Mark 15:38). However, this does not give us license to approach God’s throne thoughtlessly and irreverently. As we prepare to worship God, we must examine our lives and prepare our hearts, so that we do not incur His wrath (see 1 Corinthians 11:27-31; Leviticus 10:1-2).
PRACTICE/WORD APPLICATION
So what? True spiritual worship requires careful preparation of our hearts (John 4:24)
* Any new insight or reinforcement of what you already know?
CLOSING PRAYER
Thank you, Lord, for the privilege of free access that I have to you. Help me not to take you for granted nor approach you thoughtlessly.
Offer a prayer of faith in line with Genesis 12:2
“And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:”
ONE YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
Daily Bible Reading Plan: Day 184 -2 Kings 5-8