Atonement
If someone told you there’s good news buried in the book of Leviticus, would you believe them? I get it—Leviticus is often that Bible book we skip through, full of rituals and sacrifices that seem strange and even harsh. But as we journey through our First Gospel series, we’re searching for the goodness of God on every page of Scripture—even here!
Today, let’s open our hearts and minds to the radical message of atonement: what it meant for Israel, and what it means for followers of Jesus today.
Reframing the Old Testament: God’s Goodness on Every Page
We’ve been walking through the Old Testament to show that God didn’t suddenly become good with the arrival of Jesus—He has always been goodness itself, long before Christ’s earthly ministry. That goodness, which we call the Gospel, threads right through even the “hard books” like Leviticus.
Remember, this story picks up after the drama of Exodus—God’s people have been set free from slavery, have received the law at Sinai, and have agreed to enter a unique covenant relationship with God. But almost immediately, insecurity and impatience lead them to worship a golden calf, shattering the covenant they just embraced.
Moses reminds Israel that it is God’s presence—not just His gifts, but relationship with Him—that sets them apart from every nation on Earth. That’s the heartbeat of Exodus and Leviticus: restored relationship. But…Houston, we have a problem.
The Tabernacle: Where God Wants to Dwell
At the end of Exodus, something powerful happens: the presence of God actually moves in to the Tabernacle, the tent Israel built for Him. The glory of the Lord fills it with such intensity that not even Moses can enter. Here’s the conundrum: God wants to dwell among His people, but their rebellion and choices have made them unworthy. There is a spiritual and relational barrier.
Leviticus addresses this tension head-on: How can an impure people live in the presence of a Holy God? The answer is grace—God Himself makes a path back through the idea of atonement.
Holiness, Cleanliness, and the Problem of Sin
Let’s clarify some key terms that often get muddled:
Holy: Set apart, unique, pure—God’s essential “otherness.”
Common: The ordinary, everyday state of things—neither holy nor sinful, but not set apart either.
Clean & Unclean: Ritual categories—clean things/people are purified and can approach God, unclean things cannot. “Unclean” can come from moral failings or just contact with certain things (like mold, illness, even natural bodily processes).
Nothing unclean can come into God’s holy presence. The real problem isn’t that God is “too fussy” to be around sin; it’s that our choices pollute the relational space He’s made, making it inhospitable for His Spirit.
The Day of Atonement: Two Goats, One Powerful Message
In Leviticus 16, we see the heart of Israel’s sacrificial system: Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Once a year, the high priest enacts a dramatic ritual with two spotless goats—each revealing something vital about our relationship with God.
1. The Sacrificial Goat (For the Lord)
This goat is chosen by lot and offered as a sin sacrifice. Contrary to common teaching, the high priest does not lay the sins of Israel on this goat. Instead, this goat is pure, allowed into God’s very presence, and its blood is used to purify and cleanse the Tabernacle itself.
The point? God accepts a pure, spotless life—the goat’s essence rising as smoke—then uses that pure blood to wipe away the pollution sin has caused. This is about inviting God’s holiness in, not just appeasing His anger.
2. The Scapegoat (For Azazel)
The high priest then confesses all of Israel’s sins over the second goat, symbolizing the transfer of guilt and rebellion. This goat is not killed but sent away—as far as possible, out into the wilderness, back to the place of chaos (Azazel). It’s as if God loads up all our spiritual garbage and dumps it outside the city—never to be seen again.
Here’s the stunning part: the Hebrew word Azazel likely refers to a place of evil or even a spiritual being, not just the action of “scapegoating.” In other words, God is sending sin back to where it belongs—separated forever from His people.
What “Atonement” Really Means
The English word “atonement” literally breaks down to “at-one-ment”—the reunion of things or people who have been separated. In Hebrew (kippur), it’s not just a reunion, but the active removal of the pollution that caused the split in the first place.
Through the Day of Atonement, God removes the barrier, purifies the space, and welcomes His people back to relationship.
The Gospel Fulfilled in Jesus
Fast-forward to the New Testament. Every act of the Day of Atonement foreshadows the cross:
Jesus is the pure and spotless Lamb—accepted by God, whose blood cleanses us.
Jesus is also the one who takes our sin—carrying it away, as far as east is from west, returning it to hell where it belongs.
Too often, we’ve heard the cross described as a moment when God rejects Jesus because He carries our sin. But Leviticus 16 shows us something richer: Jesus is received by the Father and He is the one who removes our sin, healing the relational rift forever.
As Hebrews 10 says—we can now enter the Most Holy Place confidently. That’s good news.
Living as a Cleansed, Set-Apart People
If you’re in Christ, this is your identity: you are clean. God has made you a hospitable space for His presence. He’s taken your sin far, far away. So let’s live like it! Don’t go chasing after the junk He’s already taken from you. Keep your life and community open and pure for Him—welcoming, inviting, and set apart.
Let’s remember: what Jesus did on the cross wasn’t just a one-time cover-up. It was a once-for-all cleansing and restoration—a fulfillment of the very heart of Leviticus 16. That’s the Gospel, shining even from the most unlikely pages.
Thank you for receiving and living out this powerful truth. If you’re wrestling with guilt or shame, know today—God has made you clean. Let’s cultivate spaces in our hearts, homes, and church where His Spirit fills every corner.
If you found this message meaningful, share it, leave a comment, or join us next Sunday as we continue discovering the goodness of God on every page of His story!
