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Today’s reading highlights the heart of the Levitical laws. Since Genesis 3, deception and evil have kept humans exiled from Eden, where cherubim and a flaming sword block reentry into God’s sacred space. But now, for the first time, God allows a human to pass by the cherubim (embroidered on the tabernacle curtains) and the sword (represented by the sacrificial altar) into the holy of holies. It’s a symbolic return to Eden.

The Day of Atonement is the annual sacrifice ritual where God reconciles with his people by allowing the death of an animal to stand as a substitute for the death of a human. It’s how the human can reenter Eden, so to speak, without permanently dying by the flaming sword at the gate. God is graciously providing a way to atone for the people’s sin so that they can be reunited with him once again.

On the Day of Atonement, the high priest selects two goats to atone for the sins of the entire community. He sacrifices one goat on the altar and sprinkles its lifeblood in the tabernacle to purify God’s holy space. The high priest places his hand on the other goat’s head, symbolically transferring the sins of the community to the animal before sending it into the wilderness. The goat’s expulsion from the camp represents God’s removal of sin from Israel.

Watch today’s video to learn more about atonement and sacrifice and how the rituals in Leviticus point to a better sacrifice to come.

Reflection Questions

• Atonement is God’s gracious way of restoring his relationship with his people while taking seriously the cost of their sin. What have you learned about the Bible’s portrayal of evil and its consequences from the atonement rituals in Leviticus?
• Leviticus 18-20 sets the standards for Israel’s moral purity. Read the opening verses of chapter 18 carefully. Why does God call Israel to obey these laws? What does this tell you about God’s partnership with Israel?