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Leviticus - Ben
Sermon Summary
Ben explains how Leviticus 16, the Day of Atonement, reveals God's desire to dwell with His people by providing a way to cleanse impurity and sin through sacrifice, ultimately pointing to Jesus as the perfect, once-for-all atonement who removes sin and restores us to life with God.
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Leviticus 16, the Day of Atonement, stands at the very center of the Torah and reveals the heart of God’s desire: to dwell among His people. From the beginning, God has longed to live with us, but our impurity and sin have always been barriers to His holy presence. The Day of Atonement was God’s gracious solution—a way to purify both the people and the sacred space so that relationship could be restored. The rituals of this day, involving two goats and a series of sacrifices, were not arbitrary; they were deeply symbolic, pointing to the seriousness of sin and the lengths God would go to make a way for us.
The first goat, sacrificed for the people, represented the exchange of innocent life for death, purifying what had been tainted. The second, the scapegoat, carried away the sins of the people into the wilderness, symbolically removing them from the community and sending them back to the source of evil. This two-part process—purification and elimination—shows that atonement is not just about forgiveness, but about the complete removal of everything that separates us from God.
Yet, even this annual ritual was only a temporary solution, a shadow of what was to come. The prophets looked forward to a day when God would provide a final, perfect atonement. In Jesus, the true and better sacrifice, God Himself became both the offering and the scapegoat. Jesus’ innocent blood purifies us, and He carries our sin far away, dumping it on the enemy where it belongs. Through His death and resurrection, death is defeated, and the barrier between us and God is forever removed.
Now, through Jesus, we are invited into a new kind of life—one where God’s presence is not just near, but within us. We are made pure, not by our own efforts, but by the blood of the blameless One. Communion becomes a living reminder of this atonement: as we eat and drink, we remember that our sins are taken away and that we are made whole. This is the centerpiece of our faith and the foundation for a life that is truly different—a life that invites others to experience the same freedom and restoration.
Key Takeaways
1. God’s deepest desire is to dwell with His people, but His holiness cannot coexist with impurity or death.
The Day of Atonement reveals both the seriousness of our condition and the relentless grace of God, who continually makes a way for us to be with Him, even when we fail.
2. Atonement is a two-part process: purification from impurity and the elimination of sin.
The two goats—one sacrificed, one sent away—show that God not only forgives but also removes the very things that separate us from Him, restoring both our relationship and our environment.
3. The scapegoat ritual is more than just a symbolic gesture; it is a powerful act of defiance against evil.
By sending the sins of the people back to the enemy, God demonstrates that sin and death do not have the final word—He does, and He is not content to let His people remain in bondage.
4. The annual atonement was only a temporary solution, pointing forward to the ultimate sacrifice.
In Jesus, God provides a once-for-all atonement: His blood purifies us, and He carries our sin away forever, making us permanently “death-proof” and opening the way for unbroken communion with God.
5. Communion is not just a ritual, but a living participation in the reality of atonement.
As we eat and drink, we are reminded that our sins are truly gone, our impurity is washed away, and we are invited to live lives marked by gratitude, purity, and a desire to invite others into this same freedom.
Daily Hope Devotionals
Day 1: God’s Deep Desire to Dwell with His People
Scripture:
Leviticus 16:29-30 (NIV)
“This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work—whether native-born or a foreigner residing among you— because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus%2016%3A29-30&version=NIV
Devotional:
From the very beginning, God’s heart has been to live among His people, to be present in their midst, and to make a way for relationship even when humanity falls short. Despite our failures and impurity, God’s grace is seen in His continual pursuit of us, providing means for restoration and closeness. The Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16 is a powerful reminder that God does not abandon His people when they mess up, but instead, He creates a path for them to return to Him, to be purified, and to experience His presence anew. This is not just an ancient ritual, but a reflection of God’s unchanging desire to be with you, to make His home in your life, and to invite you into a community centred on Him.
Reflection:
Where in your life do you sense God inviting you to draw closer to Him, even in the midst of your failures or feelings of unworthiness?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You that You want to live with me and be with me always. Help me to open my heart to Your presence today. May I live differently, with You at the centre of all I do. Amen.
Day 2: Atonement: The Two-Part Solution for Sin and Impurity
Scriptures:
Leviticus 16:15 (NIV)
He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and take its blood behind the curtain and do with it as he did with the bull’s blood: He shall sprinkle it on the atonement cover and in front of it.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus%2016%3A15&version=NIV
Leviticus 16:21 (NIV)
He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus%2016%3A21&version=NIV
Devotional:
Atonement is not a simple or one-dimensional act; it is a profound, two-part process that deals with both the impurity that comes from living in a fallen world and the deeper problem of sin that separates us from God. Through the sacrifice of one goat, impurity and death are exchanged for life and purity, and through the sending away of the scapegoat, sin is carried far from the people, symbolically removed from the community. This ritual points to the seriousness of both sin and impurity, but even more, it reveals God’s commitment to making His people clean and whole, restoring what was broken so that they can live in His presence.
Reflection:
What is one area of impurity or sin in your life that you need to bring before God today, trusting Him to both cleanse and remove it?
Prayer:
Father, I come before You aware of my impurity and sin. Thank You for providing a way to be made pure again through the blood of Jesus. Cleanse me, renew me, and help me to walk in Your holiness. Amen.
Day 3: Jesus, the True and Final Atonement
Scriptures:
Isaiah 53:4-6 (NIV)
Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2053%3A4-6&version=NIV
Devotional:
The Day of Atonement was always pointing forward to a greater reality: Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God, who would offer Himself as the once-for-all sacrifice for sin and impurity. In His death and resurrection, Jesus fulfills both aspects of atonement—His blood purifies us, and He carries our sins far away, never to be counted against us again. Through Him, death is defeated, and we are invited into a new, unbreakable relationship with God. The cross is not just a rescue from death, but the doorway into true life, unity with God, and the freedom to live as His beloved children.
Reflection:
How does knowing that Jesus has carried away all your sin and impurity change the way you approach God today?
Prayer:
Jesus, You are the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. Thank You for carrying my sins away and making me whole. Help me to trust fully in Your sacrifice and live in the freedom You have won for me. Amen.
Day 4: Communion: Remembering and Receiving the Gift of Atonement
Scripture:
Luke 22:19-20 (NIV)
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2022%3A19-20&version=NIV
Devotional:
Jesus gave His followers a tangible way to remember and participate in the atonement He accomplished—through communion, we are reminded that His body was given for us and His blood poured out to establish a new covenant. As we eat and drink, we proclaim that our sins have been removed as far as the east is from the west, and that His perfect life now covers us. Communion is not just a ritual, but an invitation to receive afresh the grace, forgiveness, and new life that Jesus offers, and to let that reality shape our identity and our community.
Reflection:
As you take communion (or reflect on its meaning), what does it mean for you personally that Jesus’ sacrifice has made you clean and brought you into God’s family?
Prayer:
God of life, thank You that death no longer has the final say. Because of Jesus, I have victory over death and the promise of eternal life with You. Strengthen my faith and fill me with hope as we await that day. Amen.
Day 5: Living a Life Shaped by Atonement
Scripture:
Hebrews 10:14 (NIV)
For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2010%3A14&version=NIV
Devotional:
The atonement is not just a theological truth to be believed, but a reality to be lived out. When we grasp the depth of God’s love and the cost of our purification, we are called to live differently—lives marked by gratitude, humility, and a desire to invite others into the same freedom and relationship with God. The presence of God within us through the Holy Spirit empowers us to be a community that reflects His holiness, love, and grace to the world, making the atonement the centrepiece of everything we do.
Reflection:
What is one practical way you can let the reality of Jesus’ atonement shape your actions, words, or relationships today so that others might see God’s love through you?
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, empower me to live a life that reflects the atonement you made for me. May my actions and words show the purity and new life You have given me. Help me to invite others to experience this grace too. Amen.
Day 6: The Gift of Atonement – Purity Restored
Scripture:
Leviticus 16:14 (NIV)
He is to take some of the bull’s blood and with his finger sprinkle it on the front of the atonement cover; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the atonement cover.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus%2016%3A14&version=NIV
Devotional:
Today, we reflect on the incredible gift God gave His people through the Day of Atonement. Aaron, the high priest, had to enter the most holy place with humility, carrying the blood of a perfect, unblemished bull and goat to purify the sanctuary and the people. This blood represented life itself, and by sprinkling it seven times, symbolising perfection and completeness, impurity and death were covered and made pure again.
We too come into God’s presence stained by sin and impurity. But God’s desire is to dwell with us, to live among us, and He has made a way for us to be made pure through Jesus, the perfect sacrifice. Just as Aaron’s actions restored the holiness of the tabernacle, Jesus’ blood restores our hearts and lives, making us clean and whole.
Reflection:
Contemplate some areas of your life where you are less than perfect, and be grateful to God that he loves us as we are, but also provides a way for our purity to be restored.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for the perfect sacrifice of Jesus that purifies me and restores my relationship with You. Help me to live in the freedom and purity You have given me, and to walk humbly in Your presence every day. Amen.
Day 7: Sending Sin Away – Freedom in Christ
Scriptures:
Leviticus 16:22 (NIV)
The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a remote place; and the man shall release it in the wilderness.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus%2016%3A22&version=NIV
The Day of Atonement included a powerful symbol: the scapegoat. Aaron laid the sins of all Israel on the head of a live goat and sent it away into the wilderness, carrying away the people’s iniquities to Azazel, God’s enemy. This was not just a ritual but a declaration that sin and failure do not have to remain with God’s people—they can be sent away, removed, and defeated.
Jesus is our ultimate scapegoat. He took on our sins, carried them away, and defeated the enemy once and for all. When we accept Jesus, our sins are not just covered but completely removed, sent far away where they no longer have power over us.
Reflection:
What sin or burden do you need to hand over to Jesus today? Trust that He carries it away and offers you freedom and new life.
Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for taking my sins and carrying them away. Help me to live in the freedom You have won for me, and to trust Your power to overcome every burden. Amen.
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