finger in two different places.
We're going to be going back and forth to these two books
throughout the night. Leviticus chapter 16. And also
put your finger in Leviticus 23 or put a mark there because
we'll be going there as well. And the book of Hebrews. The
book of Hebrews. Leviticus chapter 16. in the book of Hebrews. Now before Adam fell, he enjoyed
fellowship with God. He communed with God in the garden. He walked with God and talked
with God. But when he fell after he broke
the covenant with God by taking the forbidden fruit, that fellowship
and that communion was broken, was broken. Now in the days of
the tabernacle, in the days of the sacrifices, when the high
priest would offer the blood of atonement once a year on the
day of atonement, and that's the name of the message, the
day of atonement part one. Next week we'll be looking at
part two. On the day of atonement when God was pleased to dwell
amongst his people, beloved, he manifested his presence to
them. as he led them out of the land of Egypt and was with them through the
wilderness to Canaan. His presence was always with
them in the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by day, but
also in the tabernacle. Now the tabernacle was always
erected in the middle of the camp. At the time of this dispensation
during the these days, the separation was still there which started
when Adam fell in the garden and is still with us even today
as we are born dead in trespasses and sins. But this separation was painfully
revealed in the sacrifices that sin still separated the people
from God. He was present with them. but
still sin separated the people from the presence of God. God's
presence was in the Holy of Holies, and God dwelt in the tabernacle,
but He dwelt in the Holy of Holies, and no person could come into
His presence except by one way, and that being once a year on
the Day of Atonement, on the Day of Atonement. And we see
that in Leviticus 16. Look at verse 14. We're seeing
here that the high priest is entering in. And he shall take
of the blood of the bullock and sprinkle it with his finger upon
the mercy seat eastward. And before the mercy seat shall
he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times. He's
in the holy of holies. And here before us we have Israel
in the wilderness. the days of the tabernacle, in
one day a year, on a day called the Day of Atonement, again,
the high priest went into the second apartment, it's called,
which is called the most holy place of the earthly sanctuary,
where the Ark of the Covenant containing the Ten Commandments
was located. And this was where God's presence
was manifest in the Shekinah glory. Now the Hebrew annual feast day,
the Day of Atonement, is also known as Yom Kippur. On this most solemn day, the
people confess their sins, and the high priest only on this
day of the year entered into the Holy of Holies to sprinkle
blood on the mercy seat, which we saw in verse 14, on the Ark
of the Covenant. It was a day of humiliation and
a reminder of the holiness of God. Of the holiness of God and the
sinfulness of man. As the veil in the Holy of Holies
separated the two. This was the most important day
on the Hebrew calendar because of the significance of this day. By a special sacrifice, the sins
of a whole year were covered. Atonement was made for all the
sins of the entire nation and the sanctuary. But let us keep
our eyes to Christ, beloved. Let us keep our eyes to Christ,
as we know that all those sacrifices in the Old Testament could never
take away sin. But. They all pointed. To Christ. And to his sacrifice. And Christ
is the fulfillment of this picture that we're look at tonight. Turn,
if you would, to Hebrews chapter 10. But keep your finger in Leviticus
there because we'll be going back and like I say, we'll be
going back and forth between Hebrews. And Leviticus. Hebrews chapter 10. We'll read
verses 1 to 13. 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 offer year
by year, continually make the comers thereunto perfect. They
had to keep offering the sacrifices. They never made them perfect.
Because they're sinners and it's a sinful man offering the sacrifice. For then would they have not
ceased to be offered because that the worshipers once purged
should have no more conscience of sin. So if they could take
away their sins, they wouldn't have to keep offering the sacrifices
because their consciences would be purged. But in those sacrifices,
there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. Look
at this in verse four, for it is not possible that the blood
of bulls and goats should take away sins. They were pointing
somewhere. They were pointing somewhere.
Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he sayeth sacrifice
and offering thou wouldest not but a body has thou prepared
This is speaking of Christ Jesus the second person of the Trinity
the Word of God a Body prepared for me in burnt offerings and
sacrifices for sin thou has no pleasure They do not satisfy
the law and justice of God the Old Testament sacrifices because
they could never take away sin. Remember verse one. They couldn't
make the commerce perfect. Then said I, Lo, I come in the
volume of the book, it is written of me to do thy will, O God,
God, Christ came to do the will of God. And we know that God's
will was for him to save his people from their sins. Above,
when he said sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering
percent, thou wouldest not neither had his pleasure therein, which
are offered by the law. Then said he, Lo, I come to do
thy will, O God. He taketh away the first that
he may establish the second. The witch will we are sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ now remember
those Old Testament priests they had to keep offering them sacrifices
every year, didn't they? But look at this wonderful verse
here Christ's sacrifice he offers himself once beloved once By
the witch we are sanctified through the offering the body of Jesus
Christ Once for all once for all his people one sacrifice
The Lord Jesus Christ, the perfect, spotless Lamb of God. And every priest standeth daily
ministering, and often offering oftentimes the same sacrifices,
which could never take away sins. But this man, Christ Jesus the
Lord, the Word of God, God incarnate in the flesh, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God. Perfect. God accepts the sacrifice
of Christ. From henceforth expecting to
his enemies be made his footstools. But this man, after he offered
one sacrifice for sins and he offered himself. As the sacrifice
for the sins of his people. Forever. Sat down. On the right hand of
God, there is no other sacrifice. People talk about rebuilding
the temple and all this stuff. And they talk about reinstituting
the sacrifices. They would be an abomination
to the eyes of God. They would be an abomination
to the eyes of God. God is satisfied only in Christ
Jesus, our Lord. That's it. Turn, if you would,
over to one more chapter over Hebrews 9. Now the high priest
made an offering first for himself and the priests and then two
goats as a sin offering were sacrificed for the people. We'll
look at that later on in Leviticus chapter 16. Aaron washed and
put his regular high priest clothing on and offered his own and the
people's burnt offering and sin offering and the remains of the
animals were carried outside the camp and burned. Look at
Hebrews chapter 9, look at this in verses 6 to 10. We see this
was done each year, but pointing to Christ Hebrews chapter 9 verses
6 to 10 Now when these things were thus ordained The priests
went always into the first tabernacle accomplishing the service of
God But into the second which is the Holy of Holies went the
high priest alone Once every year not without blood. Oh There must be blood because
it pictures the perfect, spotless Lamb of God shedding His blood
for the remission of our sins. Not without blood, which He offered
for Himself and for the errors of the people. And remember though,
Christ is absolutely sinless. He's not offering Himself up
like the high priest used to because of sin, because He's
sinless, He's perfect, He's spotless. He's offering Himself up for
you and I who believe. But the priest here, he's a sinner
just like you and I. He has to offer up for himself
first. But into the second holy hour
always went the priest alone, once every year, not without
blood, which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people.
The Holy Ghost thus signifying, look at this, that the way into
the holiest of alls was not yet made manifest. Look at that,
beloved. It's beautiful. That Old Testament sacrifice
was a picture. a shadow of the one who was to
die for the sins of his people. The Holy Ghost thus signifying
that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest. Well, as the first tabernacle
was yet standing. Which was a figure for the time
then present in which they were offered both gifts and sacrifices
that could not make him that did the service perfect. That's why they had to be offered
continuously. They could not make the high
priest perfect, they could not make the people of Israel perfect,
but they were picturing one who would offer a perfect sacrifice
once for all his people. It's beautiful. which was a figure
for the time then present in which were offered both gifts
and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service
perfect as pertaining to the conscience which stood only in
meats and drinks and divers washing in carnal ordinances imposed
on them until the time of reformation. Until Christ comes. Until Christ
dies for his people. Now turn, if you would, over
to the book of Leviticus. And first of all, let's go to
chapter 23, but then put your finger in chapter 16, because
we'll be going right back there. Leviticus 23. This day that we
will look at tonight, spoken of in Leviticus, in chapter 16
is also spoken of in chapter 23 verses 26 to 28. And the Lord spake unto Moses,
saying, Also on the tenth day of the seventh month there shall
be a day of atonement. It shall be in holy convocation
unto you, and ye shall your souls and offer a burnt
and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord and You shall
do no work in that same day for it is the day of atonement to
make atonement for you before the Lord your God Now let's turn
to Leviticus chapter 16 now And we're starting verse 1 and we'll
read the verse 10 but I'd like you to note in verse 7 and 8
that on the day of of atonement, Aaron is to bring two goats with
him. One will be the sacrifice and one will be the scapegoat.
Both represent Christ. Both represent Christ. Tonight
we'll be looking at the sacrifice and next week, Lord willing,
we'll be looking at the scapegoat and the fit man. The scapegoat
and the fit man. There was just so much in this
portion, the scripture that I had to divide it. It's so rich, beloved. And so I didn't want us to skim
over it quickly. I wanted us to look at this in
depth because it's such a blessing. It was such a blessing to study
for it. And I believe the Lord will bless you with the study. This is just wonderful. Leviticus,
chapter 16, verses one to 10. And the Lord spake unto Moses
after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before
the Lord, and died. And the Lord said unto Moses,
Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times
into the holy place within the veil before the mercy seat, which
is upon the ark, that he die not. For I will appear in a cloud
upon the mercy seat. Thus Aaron came into the holy
place with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for
a burnt offering. He shall put on the holy linen
coat and he shall have the linen britches Upon his flesh and shall
be girded with a linen girdle and with the linen miter shall
he be attired These are the holy garments therefore shall he wash
his flesh in water and so put them on And he shall take of
the congregation of the children of israel. Here we go Two kids
of the goat for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering
And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering which is
for himself and make atonement for himself and for his house
And he shall take the two goats and present them before the lord
at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation And Aaron
shall cast lots upon the two goats One lot for the lord and
the other lot for the scapegoat And Aaron shall bring the goat
upon which the Lord's lot fell, which is the one for the sin
offering and offer him for a sin offering. But the goat on which
the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before
the Lord to make an atonement with him and to let him go for
a scapegoat into the wilderness. Now, let us note first that these
are two innocent Two innocent victims. One's going to die to atone for
the sins of the people, and one is going to be the scapegoat
to carry away the sins of the people. But both are innocent. It pictures Christ. It pictures
Christ. Think upon our Lord Jesus Christ. He had no sin, but he died for
the sins of his people. He atoned for the sins of his
people, yet he was perfect and sinless. And what a picture we
have before us in type, as he is the innocent victim dying
for the guilty. Scripture declares this. for
even here unto where ye call, because Christ also suffered
for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps,
who did no sin, no sin in thought, word, or deed. Everything we
do is tainted with sin. He had no sin. Neither was there
guile found in his mouth, who when he was reviled, reviled
not again. When he suffered, he threatened
not. But committed himself to him that judges righteously who
his own self bear our sins God's elect in his own body on the
tree that we being dead to sin should live under righteousness
By whose stripes you were healed first Peter chapter 2 verses
21 to 24 Now no one No one can pay for their sins Not one human
being here on this earth can pay for their sins, not even
one. But Christ, the sinner's substitute, dies in the place
of his people. The innocent, the sinless one,
dies for the guilty, dies for sinners. Not only were these innocent
victims, but they were divinely selected. Which one would be
the sin offering? And which one would be the scapegoat? If you would the proverb 1633
and I want to read to you Leviticus again verses 8 to 10 and Aaron
shall cast lots Upon the two goats the one lot for the Lord
and the other lot for the scapegoat So Aaron's going to cast lots
They said they were in a box and they would be shaken and
he would pull them out and one would say for the Lord And the
other one would be for the scapegoat And Aaron shall bring up the
goat upon which the Lord's lot fell and offer him for a sin
offering. He was to be sacrificed. But
the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be
presented alive before the Lord to make an atonement with him
and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness. Now look
at what Proverbs 6.33 says about the lot. Proverbs 16, sorry,
16, I'm sorry. Proverbs 16, 33, look what it
says about the lot. The lot is cast into the lap,
but the whole dispersing thereof is of the Lord. Is of the Lord. The Lord decided which of these
goats his lot would fall upon. The Lord chose, we saw in Hebrews,
that a body was prepared for Christ. Christ was a man of God's own
choosing to bear the sins of his people. What a picture we
have here before us, beloved. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
chosen Lamb of God. God incarnate in the flesh. John
the Baptist proclaimed, behold, the Lamb of God. The sufferings and death of Christ
were all according to the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God. Turn, if you would, to John chapter
10, verses 14 to 18. The death of Christ was according
to the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God and were
was foretold in the scriptures and came to pass according to
God's appointment, according to God's will and according to
God's command, as was also Christ's resurrection from the dead. Look
at this in John four or John 10 versus I'm sorry, I'm I'm
messing up our cross references tonight. John 10 versus 14 to
18. Am the good shepherd and I know
my sheep and am no one of mine as the father knoweth me even
so No, I the father and I lay down my life for the sheep He's
a willing Savior He's a willing sacrifice He's laying know who
he's laying down his life for he's not laying down his life
for for the world, is he? Now think of this in the sacrifice
too. I was gonna mention this at the end of the message, but
this is a fitting time to mention it. That sacrifice we will see
later on was only for Israel. It wasn't for the Egyptians.
It wasn't for the Hittites. It wasn't for the Greeks. It
wasn't for the Romans. It was only for Israel, which
pictures Christ dying for the elect of God, dying for his people. He laid down his life for who?
The sheep. The sheep. That's who he died
for. It's not very popular today,
but this is what the scripture says, and we bow to the scriptures,
don't we? We don't care what man thinks. What does the scripture
say? Well, it says he lays down his
life for the sheep. He says another sheep I have
which are not of this fold them also I must bring and they shall
there's one of them There's one of them hinge words and they
shall hear my voice. There's no doubt They shall hear
my voice by the effectual calling of the Holy Spirit of God and
there shall be one fold and one shepherd Therefore doth my father
love me because I lay down my life that I might take it again
No man take it from me, but I lay it down of myself I have power
to lay it down and I have power to take it again This commandment
have I received of my father. It's ordained by God for Christ
to die. And we also see in the two goats
Christ is our representative. He died before God's justice
and wrath for us. He was bone of our bone and flesh
of our flesh. Fully God and fully man. And
all this was foreordained before the foundation of the world.
And he was manifest in these last times for his people. For
you, the scripture proclaims, if you're a believer, if you
are among that number, he is the substitute of his people,
our redeemer, our surety, our great savior. And we give him
therefore all the glory and all the honor. And all the praise
and he is pictured also in the scapegoat as he bore away the
sins of his people We'll look at that more in depth next week
and those sins are never to be bought again before us they're
gone He's blotted them out. I was telling some of the guys
I stopped in this morning for a minute across the road and
it's telling the guys I'll never come into judgment And they looked
at me and said what? I said i'm never going to come
into judgment There is therefore now no condemnation, in the Greek
that means judgment, for those in Christ Jesus. Oh, what joy
the believer can glean from that. Because religion's always talking
about what you still got to do. It's done. I rejoice in that
fact, don't you? It's done. It's done. Turn, if you would, to Isaiah
43, 25. How far are our sins gone? How far has he blotted
out our transgressions? How far, beloved? And remember
that scapegoat, we'll see that next week. He just takes those.
He takes and he never seen again. Look at this, though. Isaiah 43, 25. You know,
God won't remember our sins. They're gone so far. Isaiah 43
25 I even I am he that blotted out thy transgressions member
Colossians We looked at that on Sunday, but the blotting out
the handwriting of ordinances that was against us It was contrary
to us. He took it took it nailing it
to his cross. I Even I am he that blotted out
thy transgressions beloved of God if you're here and you're
redeemed this scripture declares that your sins are blotted out
and Blotted out thy transgressions
because we're the sinners aren't we he's blotted out our transgressions
for mine own sake and look at this And will not remember thy
sins. Oh My goodness Our sins are so gone and he won't
remember Isn't that wonderful? That's salvation, isn't it? That's
deliverance, beloved. That's deliverance. God the Father
sent His own Son, the Word of God, the second person of the
Trinity, the one of His own chosen, His servant, the one who gave
the law and against whom we have sinned. the One who is righteous,
the One who is pure, the One who is holy, sent His Son by
His chosen in the likeness of sinful flesh, but yet sinless,
to die for the sins of His people. He might say I even I am he that
blotted out thy transgressions For mine own sake and will not
remember thy sins Why because they are bought and paid for
at Calvary's cross by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ
Hallelujah, what a Savior? What a Savior? Oh my He died
for my sins, the believer says. Our sins. The sins of all the
elect. And He is the perfect, spotless
Lamb of God. Turn, if you would, to Romans
chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. He is the perfect, spotless Lamb
of God who died as our substitute, our representative before His
own holy law and His own holy justice to bear the holy wrath
that was due us. It fell upon Him. It fell upon
him and he willingly went to that cross. He willingly died
for his people. He lays down his life for his
sheep. And the believer says, praise
God, he's done. Oh, what a blessing. What a blessing. Romans, chapter
eight, verses three and four, for what the law could not do
and that it was weak through the flesh. Remember, all those
sacrifices could never take away sin. Never for what the law could
not do in that. It was weak through the flesh
God sending his own son the second person of the Trinity the Word
of God in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin
in the flesh That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled
in us That's his people who walk not after the flesh, but after
the spirit My goodness, what a savior, what a redeemer. Let's go back to Leviticus chapter
16 with that in mind. And let us consider that our
sins are imputed to the sinless one, the sinless sacrifice in
picture in our text, beloved Leviticus chapter 16. Let's look
at verses 11 and we will read all the way to the end of the
chapter. And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering
which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself
and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering
which is for himself. And he shall take a censer full
of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord
and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small and bring it within
the veil. And he shall put the incense
upon the fire before the Lord that the cloud of incense may
cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony that he die
not. And he shall take of the blood
of the bullock and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy
seat eastward. Before the mercy seat shall he
sprinkle of the blood with his fingers seven times Then shall
he kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring
his blood within the veil and do that and do with that blood
as he did with the blood of the bullocks and Sprinkle it upon
the mercy seat and before the mercy seat so he went in first
and offered for himself and now the high priest goes in and offers
for the sins of the people and And he shall make an atonement
for the holy place for the sanctuary as well because of the uncleanness
of the children of Israel and because of their transgression
and all their sins. And so shall he do for the tabernacle
of the congregation that remains among them in the midst of their
uncleanness. And there shall be no man in
the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement
in the holy place until he come out and have made an atonement
for himself and for his household and for all the congregation
of Israel. Now, no, it's for the congregation
of Israel. It's not for all the nations.
It's for the congregation of Israel. And we know that Israel
is a picture of the church. You see, this is what this is
what the Lord used for me to teach me limited atonement. Is
that all the sacrifices that were offered in the Old Testament
were only offered for Israel? For no one else. It's wonderful. It's wonderful. And he shall
go out into the altar that is before the Lord and make an atonement
for it and shall take of the blood of the block and of the
blood of the goat and put it upon the horns of the altar roundabout. And he shall sprinkle of the
blood upon it with his finger seven times and cleanse it and
hollow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel. And
when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place in the tabernacle
of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live
goat. 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 transgression,
and all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and
shall send him by the hand of a fifth man into the wilderness."
It pictures the imputation of our sin. on the great sacrifice
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the goat shall bear upon
him all their iniquities into a land not inhabited. And he
shall let go the goat in the wilderness. And Aaron shall come
into the tabernacle of the congregation and shall put off the linen garments
which he put on when he went into the holy place and shall
leave them there. And he shall wash his flesh with
water in the holy place and put on his garments and come forth
and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the
people and make an atonement for himself and for the people. the fat of the sin offering shall
he burn upon the altar and he That let go the goat for the
scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water
and afterward come into the camp and the bullock for the sin offering
and the goat for the sin offering Whose blood was bought in to
make an atonement in the holy place Shall one carry forth without
the camp and they shall burn in the fire their skins and their
flesh and their dung And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes
and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into
the camp. And this shall be a statute forever
unto you, that in the seventh month on the tenth day of the
month, he shall afflict your souls and do no work at all,
whether it be of your own country or a stranger that sojourneth
among you. For on that day shall the priest
make an atonement for you. And that's Israel. to cleanse
you that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. Now, remember that little verse
we looked at in Isaiah, right here. Remember our sins. So what a picture we have here
of the sacrifice of Christ's beloved. Clean from all your
sins before the Lord. God's people are clothed in the
perfect spotless righteousness of Christ. They are clean in
the eyes of the Lord. They can approach God because
they are clothed in Christ's righteousness. It's wonderful.
We're still sinners. We still struggle with sin, but
God looks upon us and sees us clothed in Christ's perfect righteousness.
Oh, it's wonderful. It shall be a Sabbath of rest
unto you and ye shall your souls by a statute forever and the
priest whom he shall anoint and whom he shall Consecrate to minister
in the priest's office in his father's stead shall make the
atonement and shall put on the linen clothes even the holy garments
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 And this shall be an everlasting
statute unto you to make an atonement for the children of Israel for
all their sins once a year. And he did as the Lord commanded
Moses. Now, the high priest. took the
blood of the slain goat into the Holy of Holies again and
sprinkled it on the mercy seat, beloved. And this symbolized
or pictured a perfect acceptance with God through the sprinkled
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed for his people. He then sprinkled blood seven
times before the ark. In this picture, a perfect standing
before God by means of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's wonderful. It's such a clear
picture. Of what Christ has done for his
people. We see here a wonderful picture
of what Christ has done. Dying in the place of his people.
And the sacrifice of Christ was a perfect It only had to be offered
once. These these sacrifices we're
looking at tonight had to be offered every year because they
couldn't make the commerce perfect. But Christ offers himself once.
Once for his people. What a savior, what a redeemer. Oh, my. And God's people have
a perfect standing before God. clothed in the perfect spotless
righteousness of Christ. Turn, if you would, to Hebrews
7.19. Hebrews 7.19. Though we are sinners,
yet we stand before God clothed in Christ's righteousness. And
we see in the Lord Jesus Christ the complete fulfillment of all
that was written in the law given to Moses concerning Him. Look
at Hebrews 7.19. For the law made nothing perfect. It couldn't make anyone perfect. But the bringing in of a better
hope did. Isn't that wonderful? Who's your hope? Who's your hope,
beloved of God? Christ. Christ alone. For the law made nothing perfect,
but the bringing in of a better hope did, by the which we draw
nigh unto God. Beloved, the better hope spoken
of here is Christ. which the sacrifice in Leviticus
and the scapegoat pictured. Let us not forget that the high
priest and the fit man also represented Christ Jesus our Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ in the
New Testament is the unlocking of all the mysteries contained
in the Old Testament. They were shadows, but He is
the substance. In the person and sacrificial
work of Jesus Christ our Lord on the cross, the shadows, pictures,
and types have been given away to the perfect reality of the
one true sacrifice of God, the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn, if you would, to Hebrews
chapter 1, and I'll read you Colossians chapter 2, verses
16 and 17, which says this, Let no man therefore judge you in
meat or in drink, Or in respect of an holy day or of a new moon
or of the sabbath days Which are a shadow of things to come
all those old testaments? sacrifices were a shadow a Shadow
of things to come but the body The body is of Christ their shadows
He's the substance and look at Hebrews chapter 1 verses 1 to
4 God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times
past unto the fathers by the prophets hath in these last days
spoken unto us by his son the prophets spoke of christ look
what it says here hath in these last days spoken unto us by his
son whom he hath appointed heir of all things by whom he also
he made the worlds who being the brightness of his glory and
express image of his person he's god incarnate in the flesh and
upholding all things by the word of his power When He had by Himself
purged our sins, oh, isn't that wonderful, beloved? Could we
not just stop right there? When He by Himself, by Himself,
the one sacrifice for sin, by Himself, purged our sins, beloved. Purged
our sins. Sat down on the right hand of
the Majesty. Remember the high priest could
never sit down. There was no chair in the tabernacle
for the high priest to sit down. Christ is sitting down because
the work is finished. Nothing to be done. That brings
us joy as believers. He did it all. Nothing for me
to do. I just look to him by faith.
And that faith he gives me. That repentance he rots in me.
What a Savior. What a Redeemer. Being made so
much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained
a more excellent name than thee. Turn again, if you would, over
to Hebrews 9. He is the true high priest, offering the only
acceptable sacrifice which God will accept for His people. Beloved, the
day of atonement is fulfilled in Christ. It finds its fulfillment in that
which was pictured, finds its fulfillment in Christ. In Christ
alone, look at Hebrews chapter 9. Verses 11 to 16, but Christ
being come and high priest of good things to come. by a greater
and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is
to say, not of this building, neither by the blood of goats
and calves, which we looked at in the Old Testament, but by
His own blood, He entered in once into the holy place, look
at this, beloved, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and
goats and the ashes of a heifer Sprinkling the unclean sanctified
to the purifying of the flesh How much more shall the blood
of Christ who through the eternal spirit? Offered himself without
spot there we see Christ is sinless And he's offering himself up
as sinless because look what the scripture says offered himself
without spot He's perfect. He's perfect in his life, and
he's perfect in his death Our sins were imputed to Christ.
He's perfect. It says that. Offered Himself
up without spot. See, humanity and divinity is
so intertwined. He is the perfect, spotless Lamb
of God. That cannot change. And our sins
are laid upon Him. And He offers Himself up without
spot before the justice of God. It's wonderful to purge your
conscience from dead works to serve the living God. And for this cause, He is the
mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the
redemption of the transgressions, that were under the first Testament,
they which are called might receive the promise of internal inheritance.
For where a Testament is, there must also of a necessity be the
death of the tester. And Christ gives his life for
his people. Beloved, the sins of all the
elect of all the ages were imputed to him. He who is the sinless sacrifice,
pictured in the text we looked at in Leviticus 16, both the
offering which was killed and the scapegoat, pictures the sacrifice of Christ
for all the elect of all the ages. But sin offering again
was offered for Israel, which pictures the elect of God. I lay down my life for the sheep. It's wonderful. And the believer
says. That's me. In awe. He died in our place. And His sacrifice, His death
vindicates the holiness and the justice of God. For He hath made
Him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made
the righteousness of God. All the sins of God's people
were imputed to Christ. A vast number of sins. A vast variety. but God's justice
demanding payment for every one of them, demanding to be satisfied, is satisfied when Christ gives
himself a ransom for the sins of his people. He bore them all. He died for
our sins. all by the grace and mercy of
God. And the slain goat is a beautiful
picture of Christ's death as a covering for sin. Because the
wages of sin is death and Christ dies in the place of His people. Jesus paid the price God demanded
for the sins of all His people. He came to save His people from
their sins. And praise God, he did it. He
did it. And the sins were transferred. We saw the priest had laid his
hands upon the scapegoat. The sins were transferred by
the priest with confession. They were to be acknowledged
as the people's sins. Beloved, do we not confess that
the sinless one, the perfect one, the spotless one died for
my sins? Do we not confess that as believers?
He did that for me, my sin. He's sinless. Do we not confess
that our sins were imputed to him and that his perfect spotless
righteousness is imputed to us? That's what we confess. My goodness. Turn, if you would, to Psalm
32, 5. Psalm 32, 5. It's the last scripture I'll
have us turn to and then we'll close. Psalm 32, 5. Look at this wonderful scripture.
Oh, what mercy we have on display at Calvary's Cross and in this
picture in the Old Testament. What mercy we have on display,
beloved. Psalm 32, five, I acknowledge my sin unto thee. God's people,
we acknowledge our sin before God. I was talking to those guys
today, and I said, my sin bothers me more than anybody else's sin.
I'm the chief of sinners. And one of the guys said, Paul
thought the same thing. And I said, yes, he did. Oh, my. But look at this, I acknowledge
my sin unto thee and my iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will
confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgive us
the iniquity of my sin. See, pause, just pause. God forgives the iniquity. Of my sin, how many of my sins? All of them, beloved. All of
them. Again, what mercy we have on
display here is we see the fulfillment of the sacrifice in Leviticus
16 in Christ Jesus, our Lord, who purchased our pardon by the
shedding of his own precious blood. And now this deliverance,
now think of this, too, I want us to leave here thinking about
this, this deliverance that we see. In the sacrifice of Christ,
because he has delivered us from our sins, hasn't he? He's purchased
us. He's redeemed us. This deliverance
is the greatest deliverance of all time. It's the greatest deliverance
of all time. It's a deliverance from our sin.
It's a deliverance from the penalty of our sin. It's a deliverance
from the guilt of our sin. And other deliverances are temporal. They're just temporal. But beloved,
this deliverance, this deliverance is eternal. It's eternal. God's people have
been delivered from their sins. Now think of what joy this would
bring to the people of Israel at the close of this feast day. Think of what joy this would
bring them. But think of what joy We who
believe have known that all our sins are forgiven in Christ. Oh, what joy we have, beloved.
It filled me with joy to tell those men that all my sins are
forgiven. All of them. And it's wonderful
because I know it has nothing to do with me. I'm just a receiver
of this grace and mercy. Christ did it all. He did it
all. All our sins what joy it'll bring
us to know all our sins are forgiven in Christ and our sins are bore
Beloved our sins are bore the scripture says as far as the
east is from the west so far hath he removed our transgressions
from us Now remember we've talked about the east you go east you
never go west you're always going east they never meet beloved
You're going one way. It'll never meet the other way.
They're all It's incredible God remembers the believer's
sins, the elect of God's sins, no more. No more. Now we're sinners still,
aren't we? And we're going through this
world. We have a new nature, but we have this old sinful flesh
with us, don't we? But one day, it'll be gone too.
And what a glorious day that'll be. Next week, if the Lord wills,
we'll look at the scapegoat and the fit man. But let we who are
redeemed leave here tonight rejoicing that all our sins are forgiven
and we've been saved from wrath. We've been saved from the wrath
of God through Christ Jesus, our Lord, who was holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sins. God incarnate in the flesh and
he came to save his people sinners He came to save his people from
our sins and beloved praise be to god He accomplished what he
came to do and we who are redeemed are wondrously saved Leave this
place in awe and wonder if you're saved you're wondrously saved
by christ Saved by the grace of god in christ and it is all
it is all according to the mercy of god all according to the mercy
of God, and all according to God's grace. And the believer
in Christ says, praise His mighty name. Heavenly Father, we thank
Thee for this wonderful picture we've been able to look at tonight.
It's a wonderful picture of our great substitute, the Lord Jesus
Christ. Oh Lord, we see Thee in the sacrifice,
in the offering, and we see thee in the scapegoat, and we see
thee in the fit man too, Lord, as you are the only one who is
fit. We are all sinners, but, O Lord, the believer is clothed
in thy perfect spotless righteousness, all because of what you have
done at Calvary's cross. May we give you all the glory,
honor, and praise in Jesus' name.