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Selections From Israel's Story Week 7

The Day of Atonement: Leviticus 16

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As we continue in the book of Leviticus, we encounter another text that takes some work to understand. At first read, this is a strange text, filled with details about animal sacrifices, burning incense, and sprinkling blood. There is almost stereotypically religious and even judgmental language of being clean and unclean. The seriousness of it all is underscored by the repeated references to Aaron鈥檚 death, if he does not follow the letter of these laws (, ).

Atonement

At second read, though, the reasons for doing this become more apparent and profound. This chapter explains that the people of Israel are unclean 鈥渂ecause of their transgressions, all their sins鈥� (), and that through the priest鈥檚 actions 鈥渁tonement shall be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins you shall be clean before the LORD鈥� ().

Again, the overarching message of the book of Leviticus is that God is holy and humans are not, but the content tells about how to overcome the gap. This chapter speaks about the day when all of Israel鈥檚 sins are atoned for, when their uncleanness will be changed to cleanness in the presence of the LORD.

The word 鈥渁tonement鈥� is one of those religious words often used without being defined. Breaking it down into its component parts in English, we see that it means at-one-ment, which was how it was used in the 16th century to indicate harmony and unity. It is, literally, 鈥榖eing at one with another.鈥� It also means satisfaction or reparation for a wrong or injury, which is how it was used in Ian McEwan鈥檚 2001 novel and the 2007 movie Atonement.

The Hebrew is , which means 鈥渢o cover over, pacify, or make propitiation鈥� [Author鈥檚 Note 1]. Indeed, this single word 鈥� atonement 鈥� is a rich one, referring at the same time to the sacrifice that covers over sins and purifies the people so that they can be reconciled and united with God.

Connections are made with the previous Lectio at the very start of this chapter, which says, 鈥渁fter the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the LORD and died 鈥︹�� (). The way this is worded does not quite capture what happened to Nadab and Abihu: it was not simply that they drew near before the LORD and died, but that they were killed because they brought strange fire before the LORD () [Author鈥檚 Note 2]. Still, we notice that the text itself does not want us to forget or gloss over these hard stories, but reminds us of them.

Instructions to Aaron

After reminding us of the seriousness of what happened to Nadab and Abihu, the chapter continues by emphasizing the careful preparation required for Aaron before he enters into the presence of the LORD in the inner sanctuary. He must offer a bull as a sin offering for himself (), for any unintentional sins he had committed (compare ), and a ram for a burnt offering (compare ). He must bathe with water, and put on holy, linen clothing ().

It may be that the reason why the priest must dress in that specific material is that entering into the inner sanctuary is equivalent to entering into the heavenly council, whose members, the angels, also wear linen (compare and ). He must also burn incense such that it creates a cloud in the inner sanctuary ().

Two Goats

Of course, this Day of Atonement is also for the priest to offer sacrifices on behalf of the people, and we read that Aaron takes two goats for this purpose (, ). He is commanded to 鈥渃ast lots鈥� on the two goats, to see which goat will be killed, and which one will be sent into the wilderness. Two things stand out in verses :

1. The practice of casting lots. Casting lots may seem to be an overly random or arbitrary practice, similar to drawing straws or flipping a coin. However, it happens in a number of places in the Old Testament as people make decisions (; ; ; ; ; etc.). also expresses the understanding that God is in control of the act: 鈥淭he lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is the LORD鈥檚 alone.鈥�
2. 鈥�Azazel.鈥� Azazel is first mentioned in . What is it? Some believe that Azazel is a name for the scapegoat, as suggests in its reference to 鈥渢he Azazel-goat.鈥� Others say it is not a what, but a where, referring to a geographical location in the wilderness (compare , ). In later Jewish literature 鈥� specifically the 鈥� Azazel is the name given to one of the angels who rebels against God in the days before Noah鈥檚 flood [Author鈥檚 Note 3]. This chapter is the only place in the entire Old Testament where the word appears, and within the chapter it is clear that it is 鈥� somehow 鈥� connected with Israel鈥檚 atonement. The word itself seems to be an intensification of the Hebrew word 鈥渢o remove,鈥� so it would be translated as 鈥渆ntire removal, i.e., of sin and guilt.鈥�

And that is precisely what happens with the second goat. After Aaron sacrifices the bull for himself and his house (), and sacrifices the first goat for all of Israel (), he is commanded to lay his hand on the head of the living goat and 鈥渃onfess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat鈥� ().

It would seem that it might take a long time to do that! But this act, we are told, transfers the sins of the people onto the goat, who is then sent out into the wilderness, 鈥渢o a barren region鈥� (). If you put a saddle or a sack of supplies onto an animal, and it carries it away, that object is gone [Author鈥檚 Note 4]. So, too with this second goat: it carries all the iniquities, transgressions and sins of the people of Israel away until they are gone.

After contact with the goat, Aaron must further purify himself (), as must the one who set the goat free and the one who gets rid of the remains of the sacrificed bull and goat (). The chapter ends with the commandment that this day of atonement is to be practiced yearly, forever (, ). Within Judaism today, this is , one of the still set aside for fasting, prayer, and repentance.

In the New Testament book of Hebrews, Jesus is identified as the greatest high priest. According to , this is because he is the priest forever, and because he does not have to routinely offer sacrifices on behalf of the people 鈥� he did it once for all. But in , Jesus is not only the high priest; he is also the scapegoat: all the sins of the people were put on him. Jesus is also the sacrifice: it was his blood that purified and made clean by covering over human sinfulness. Jesus is the way of atonement: through him, all humans may be at one with God.

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