Once a year there was a sanctuary cleansing- this fact is indisputable. The sanctuary was where ALL the sacrifices were made. Sacrifices were made because people knew they sinned.
I've been thinking about sin and all this quite a bit and something in all my research has stuck out at me.
The atoning aspect of qorbanot (((sacrifice)))) is limited.
For the most part, qorbanot (((sacrifice)))) only expiate UNINTENTIONAL sins, that is, sins committed because a person forgot that this thing was a sin.
No atonement is needed for violations committed under duress or through lack of knowledge, and for the most part, qorbanot (((sacrifice)))) cannot atone for a malicious, deliberate sin.
In addition, qorbanot have no expiating effect unless the person making the offering sincerely repents his or her actions before making the offering, and makes restitution to any person who was harmed by the violation.
Pasted from
The Bible clearly speaks of only being able to offer sacrifices for the sins of ignorance. Meaning I couldn't go out and steal something knowingly and then go offer a sacrifice for that sin and expect forgiveness. God would NEVER have set up a system that allowed for the acceptance of sinning in any way. Unlike us humans who often find ways around the justice system, there is no getting around God's justice system.
So reading this and thinking about the sins I've committed knowingly does it mean I can never find forgiveness for them? No. It means I've placed myself in a position of grave danger because whenever we sin intentionally we run the risk of becoming heart hardened to sin and in becoming that way we don't feel our need of seeking forgiveness with TRUE repentance. God forgives as He peers into the hearts of man and seeing the heart of a man He knows whether or not that is a heart that has a love of things sinful, a love of things that would keep that person from being One with God in His love.
Is it any wonder at all whatsoever that we read verses like this one-
Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Or like this-
Rom 7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
Rom 7:16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
Rom 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
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There were no sacrifices offered for intentional sin, but there were sacrifices offered for sins that were committed unintentionally, with no forethought. We know what that's all about. We commit those types of sins all the time, don't we? We think back and go, oh, darn I should have… or oh, darn I shouldn't have done this or that. We have these types of sin in our lives. When we recognize those sins we tend to not really blame ourselves because it's the fault of a memory, or situational and we instead blame those things taking the blame off ourselves. God doesn't and never wanted us to just shift the blame off ourselves as if we hadn't committed the sin. God wanted, and wants us, to recognize sin in our lives and to ask for forgiveness for our sins not hide our sins. God wants us to recognize the things that separate us from Him. God wants this because only when we recognize what keeps us from Him can we get rid of that thing and stop being separated from Him. This is why a sacrificial system was so necessary. Man separated himself from God and man has been trying to fix that ever since and God made a way for this to be possible.
God had to make the way, man is the one who separated himself and had no right to even think he could make a way to fix that. God alone as our Creator was the only one who could fix the gap sin had made between man and God, the gap man had allowed to be formed.
Because the penalty of sinning was death and man knew this before they ever sinned that first time, by death alone could this gap be filled.
The first animals were sacrificed because man sinned and divested themselves of the covering of God's glorious clothing of light that had been surrounding them. To cover themselves - symbolic of covering sin- animals were sacrificed right there in the garden of Eden, right there where they'd first sinned. The sacrifices were made and man's nakedness was covered. Sacrifices continued from then on and after Moses God gave mankind a formalized system of sacrifices. This formalized system included a once a year cleansing of the sanctuary. The sanctuary being the place where the sacrifices would be made, the place where God would meet with mankind. All the sins that were confessed upon the animals and all the blood that was spilled to symbolically cover the sin and bridge that gap between man and God, all of that was placed there on the sanctuary. Once a year the sanctuary needed to be cleansed from all blood covered sins placed upon it. During this once a year cleansing as we noted in yesterday's study, there was introduced a NEW element- the scapegoat. This goat wasn't killed. A sacrifice was not made with this goat. However, the goat carried ALL the sins that had been placed on that sanctuary throughout the entire year. Those sins were symbolically put upon that goat and then that goat was taken away out of the sanctuary and out of the entire city, out far, far away into the wilderness where it was left never ever to find it's way back to the sanctuary, or to God's people, never. It was left to perish in the wilderness with all those sins upon it. Symbolically that goat had taken all those blood covered sins upon it and they were taken away from the sanctuary, the sanctuary was left cleansed for that brief period of time. Why brief period of time? Because that symbolic gesture was just that- a symbol and not the actual. And because it was not the actual ridding of sin once and for all, the need for continued sacrifice, the need for continued covering of sin, the need for the constant -if figurative- repairing of the breach between man and God would go on. All this would go on until our Savior became our Sacrifice. Once our Savior became our Sacrifice HE would continue with this.
Daniel's prophecy of 2300 years and then shall the sanctuary be cleansed was given for a purpose and with a study of the earthly sanctuary cleansing we can garner a better understanding- by the grace of our God through the Holy Spirit's guidance.
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Leviticus 23
Lev 23:27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Lev 23:28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.
This verse from the KJV is deceptive because in the Hebrew language the word 'atonement' is a plural word--
kippûr
kip-poor'
From H3722; expiation (only in plural): - atonement.
A day of ATONEMENT(S).
It makes sense because when you read about it all you can instantly see there is more than one atonement.
Lev 16:33 And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.
An atonement for the holy sanctuary.
An atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation.
An atonement for the altar.
An atonement for the priests and all the people of the congregation.
Clearly more than one atonement.
We have to note something else of importance. How were the people to relate to this day? There were other major feasts and on those days this command was given-- Lev. 23:8,21,25,35,36)
Lev 23:8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
Lev 23:21 And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
Lev 23:25 Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Lev 23:35 On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
Lev 23:36 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.
Servile work is occupational work.
However on the Day of Atonements there was a different command--
Lev 23:28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.
The same command as on the Sabbath.
Lev 23:3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.
This is an important thing to note. The importance placed upon this special day.
Something else to note-- There was a ceremonial cleansing for the people from all their sins. Lev. 16:30 '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.'
Also there was a judgment taking place- Lev 23:29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.
Judgment. How it was determined that a person wasn't afflicting their soul isn't mentioned though- but obviously a judgment had to be made- a judging had to be done to make a determination. This was a BIG judgment too because the person would be CUT OFF from among his people.
This day of Atonements was a day of judging as well- a dual aspect to this very special day.
Read these verses-
Dan 7:10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
Dan 8:14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
Rev 14:7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Dual aspects.
This study isn't going to be over quickly, we're going to take it slow and hopefully get into a lot of different aspects of God's word concerning all this. By the grace of God we will find understanding as He would have us understand as we watch and pray for the return of our Savior.
All through His love!
Amen.
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