With the most solemn of atonements made in the Most Holy Place, the Holy of Holies, the High Priest in his simple linen garments devoutly and as reverently as possible slowly made his way from the temple and over to the altar of burnt offerings. There he took both the blood of the bullock and the blood of the goat placing that cooled and congealing blood upon each horn on the altar of burnt offerings, making an atonement for it as he had the Most Holy Place and the Holy Place. Then he took more blood of the bull and goat and sprinkled it with his finger seven times, cleansing it, making it holy removing all the uncleanness placed there over the entire year by the children of Israel, God's chosen.
Was the High Priest's work over now? The entire temple was cleansed, was atoned for, made at one with God once more with all the uncleanness removed from the altar where the record of sin was noted and forgiveness sought.
No, his work was not over yet. There remained a living goat, the one whose lot it was to be called the Scapegoat.
With the altar of burnt offerings atoned and cleansed, the High Priest moved to the scapegoat.
With both hands he lay them upon the head of the living goat and then he confess over that living goat ALL the iniquities, all the transgression, all the sins of the children of Israel. Placing all those evils upon that goat.
The confession was heartfelt, the confession was sincere, the confession was laden with the guilt all the people deserved and all that guilt was put on the innocent animal, the goat whose lot it was to be the scapegoat.
Pulling his hands back off the head of the bleating animal the High Priest signaled to the chosen man, who quickly stepped forward. Taking the goat the man was to lead it away into the wilderness, far away from all the people. The goat held all the iniquities of the children of Israel upon it and it was to go out and never return.
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Lev 16:18 And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.
Lev 16:19 And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
Lev 16:20 And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat
Lev 16:21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
Lev 16:22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
*******
Do we comprehend the significance of what is transpiring? We who go through every day without any sort of tangible sacrificing and atoning, do we realize the weight of our sins? Our Savior did NOT do away with our need to recognize our guilt and seek forgiveness. Daily we are to pick up our cross.
Luk_9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
When we take up the cross daily we are called to realize ALL that means! We are to feel the weight of the cross, the reality of the cross.
Our Savior DIED upon the cross we are to take up. Our Savior DIED because of OUR SINS. Our sins were PLACED upon HIM! Our sins are STILL placed upon HIM. HE DIED FOR OUR SINS!
The Heavenly Sanctuary is to be cleansed. The Heavenly Sanctuary IS in the process of being cleansed right now. All the sins that have ever been forgiven will be cleansed from existence! They will be placed upon the head of Satan himself! He will bear all the iniquity of those who have been forgiven! And he will be destroyed!
We must comprehend this, it must be a reality to us.
Our SAVIOR is cleansing the heavenly sanctuary and when He is finished He will return for us! We must, like those on the day of Atonement, understand that we can do nothing, that Christ does it all for us! We must understand our place, that we have no righteousness, all we have is our faith, our belief in our SAVIOR to SAVE US!
Please, LORD, save us!
In Your love, LORD, in YOU in ALL THINGS!
Teach us, keep us, help us, us who deserve NOTHING!
Was the High Priest's work over now? The entire temple was cleansed, was atoned for, made at one with God once more with all the uncleanness removed from the altar where the record of sin was noted and forgiveness sought.
No, his work was not over yet. There remained a living goat, the one whose lot it was to be called the Scapegoat.
With the altar of burnt offerings atoned and cleansed, the High Priest moved to the scapegoat.
With both hands he lay them upon the head of the living goat and then he confess over that living goat ALL the iniquities, all the transgression, all the sins of the children of Israel. Placing all those evils upon that goat.
The confession was heartfelt, the confession was sincere, the confession was laden with the guilt all the people deserved and all that guilt was put on the innocent animal, the goat whose lot it was to be the scapegoat.
Pulling his hands back off the head of the bleating animal the High Priest signaled to the chosen man, who quickly stepped forward. Taking the goat the man was to lead it away into the wilderness, far away from all the people. The goat held all the iniquities of the children of Israel upon it and it was to go out and never return.
*******
Lev 16:18 And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.
Lev 16:19 And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
Lev 16:20 And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat
Lev 16:21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
Lev 16:22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
*******
Do we comprehend the significance of what is transpiring? We who go through every day without any sort of tangible sacrificing and atoning, do we realize the weight of our sins? Our Savior did NOT do away with our need to recognize our guilt and seek forgiveness. Daily we are to pick up our cross.
Luk_9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
When we take up the cross daily we are called to realize ALL that means! We are to feel the weight of the cross, the reality of the cross.
Our Savior DIED upon the cross we are to take up. Our Savior DIED because of OUR SINS. Our sins were PLACED upon HIM! Our sins are STILL placed upon HIM. HE DIED FOR OUR SINS!
The Heavenly Sanctuary is to be cleansed. The Heavenly Sanctuary IS in the process of being cleansed right now. All the sins that have ever been forgiven will be cleansed from existence! They will be placed upon the head of Satan himself! He will bear all the iniquity of those who have been forgiven! And he will be destroyed!
We must comprehend this, it must be a reality to us.
Our SAVIOR is cleansing the heavenly sanctuary and when He is finished He will return for us! We must, like those on the day of Atonement, understand that we can do nothing, that Christ does it all for us! We must understand our place, that we have no righteousness, all we have is our faith, our belief in our SAVIOR to SAVE US!
Please, LORD, save us!
In Your love, LORD, in YOU in ALL THINGS!
Teach us, keep us, help us, us who deserve NOTHING!
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