DCLM Search The Scripture Youth For July 23, 2023 : Topic – THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
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YOUTH STS
LESSON 71
THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
Memory Verse: “For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD” (Leviticus 16:30).
TEXT: Leviticus 16:1-34
When God created man, he was made in the likeness of God. But, in the Garden of Eden, Satan deceived man and lured him into sin. Since that time, man has become defiled and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). To restore man into his former state of purity, God put in place a process of atonement whereby animals were to be sacrificed to remit man’s sin.
Question 1: What is atonement?
The word “atonement” means to cover over, expiate or make payment – particularly for a wrongdoing. Atonement is to make amend for the wrong done. God instructed Aaron on the activities that should characterize the day of atonement. On that day, the sin of the high priest and the entire nation will be purged by the sacrifice and shedding of the blood of the prescribed animals. The whole process is a pointer to the sacrifice our Lord Jesus Christ would later make for us.
THE PREREQUISITE FOR THE PRIEST’S ACCESS TO THE HOLY PLACE
Leviticus 16:1-6;10:1,2;1saiah 52:11;2 Timothy 2:19-21; Proverbs 16:5; Isaiah 59:1,2; Romans 3:23; Hebrews 9:7
Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron the High Priest, had offered strange sacrifice to God and were punished (Leviticus 10:1) “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. Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering” (Leviticus 10:2,3).
Question 2: What can we learn from the warning that God gave Aaron?
Since God is no respecter of persons, He warned Aaron to avoid uncleanness in his service. Like Aaron, ministers of God must also ensure that they are blameless in the sight of the Lord because this is what will qualify them for God’s service “Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of he; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord” (Isaiah 52:11). “Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering” (Leviticus 16:3). A young bullock and a ram were the requirement of God for Aaron, the high priest to offer for his provisional cleansing.
THE PROVISIONAL ARRANGEMENT FOR THE ATONEMENT OF SIN
Leviticus 16:4-28; 23:26-32; Exodus 30:10; Numbers 29:7-11;Hebrews 10:1-49:22)
God appointed a special day for the High Priest to come to His presence, the Holy place, where the mercy seat is, to make atonement for the sins of the congregation of Israel. On the day of atonement, the high priest should officiate in pure white linen garment regarded as “holy garments”. There were
special sacrifices involved which consist of a young bullock for a sin offering for Aaron and his family; and two goats for a sin offering for the people of Israel.
Question 3: How can a sinner receive atonement, today?
“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”(Leviticus 16:4). The unfortunate thing with this process of atonement is that it had to be done every year. Despite the rigorous sacrifices, the people who were atoned for did not have their consciences totally free from guilt. In addition to other numerous sacrifices, they had to come year by year. This whole process was grossly inadequate, and God had to bring in the permanent one later. Since this process was inadequate to make man free from sin, this brought about the need of an acceptable Savior to provide atonement through His death. “And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement” (Romans 5:11).
THE PERMANENT PROVISION FOR SIN
Leviticus 16:6,16- 19,29-34; Psalm 32:1,2; Romans 5:1,2; 8:1-4;Hebrews 9:11-26;10:4-19;13:11-13).
Purity has always been the desire of God throughout all ages. However, this was not achieved in the Old Testament through animal sacrifices. “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect” (Hebrews 10:1). This made God to institute a more permanent sacrifice. He provided the solution to this shortcoming thro ugh our Lord Jesus Christ and His great work of redemption. He is the perfect Substitute who took away our sins. On account of His great work of atonement, God can now justify sinners who repent and exercise faith in His atoning sacrifice.
Question 4: State the purpose of Christ’s atoning sacrifice.
The purpose of Christ’s atonement include:
To make due payment for sin;
To forgive man’s sin and provide a way for him to receive pardon;
To pave the way for the expression of God’s attributes of mercy, grace and kindness without infringing on His holiness.
To restore the penitent man to fellowship with God.
This cleansing, however, does not guarantee eternal security (once saved and forever saved). Therefore, Christian youths must be watchful and prayerful (1 Peter 5:8).