Leviticus 16
I served as the associate pastor at Ginter Park Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Virginia, from 1993 to 2000. This congregation is deeply committed to the traditional practices of Reformed Christianity, which include thoughtful worship, guiding children through the stories and symbols of faith, fostering intergenerational connections, and extending compassionate outreach to the community while supporting global mission partners.
Ginter Park features an exceptional music ministry. One highlight of the church’s program year is the choir’s Love Feast in the Moravian tradition. This annual Advent celebration draws hundreds from the local community, making it a vital part of their holiday traditions. To prepare for the Feast, congregation members gather on a Saturday in early December, eagerly rolling up their sleeves to clean and polish the worship space until it sparkles. Reflecting on the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16, I see it not just for its bloodthirstiness but also as a joyous Love Feast. This sacred day evolves into a celebration filled with eager anticipation—an opportunity for God’s presence to return among us and invite reconciliation.
When the Hebrew slaves were freed from Egypt, God gathered them at Mount Sinai and established a covenant with Israel. He promised to dwell among the community and, through Moses, provided instructions for constructing a tent-like structure known as the Tabernacle, which would serve as God’s portable dwelling. In addition to the sacrificial altar and the Holy of Holies, this tent structure was to be set apart as a sacred space, free from anything that could make it unholy.
The ancient Israelites believed that the Tabernacle was always at risk of absorbing the community’s impurities. These impurities could arise from various ordinary situations, such as consuming forbidden foods, menstruation, childbirth, nocturnal emissions, touching a corpse, or skin diseases. A ritually impure Tabernacle posed a threat to God’s continued presence, as a holy God could not associate with the unholy. To address this issue, the sprinkling of blood symbolically cleansed the tent of these impurities and absolved the people of their unintentional sins, making reconciliation with God possible.
The ceremony began with the sacrifice of a bull, which atoned for the priests’ sins. Afterward, the high priest entered the innermost sanctuary, changed into ceremonial clothing, lit incense, and sprinkled animal blood throughout the area to cleanse it of impurities.
After leaving the Tent of Meeting, the high priest returned with a sacrificial goat for the people. He repeated the sprinkling, a cleansing process intended to purify the altar and remove the accumulated sins and impurities that had infiltrated the sanctuary over the past year.
Next, the high priest conducted a final cleansing rite at the altar. Before sprinkling the blood, he combined the blood of the bull and the goat, signifying that the purity of the sacred space was a shared responsibility between the priests and the congregation.
Finally, the high priest placed his hands on a goat’s head, symbolically transferring all the people’s sins onto it. This goat served as a vicarious offering for the community. The high priest then released the goat into the wilderness, representing the removal of sin from the community. This goat was called azazel, the Hebrew term for “scapegoat.” Some believe the scapegoat was sent to Azazel, a non-Israelite divine being or desert spirit, while others interpret Azazel as a wild domain, a garbage dump for sin. In this way, the Tabernacle was freed of its impurities, making it a welcoming space for the holy God—at least for one more year.
As I studied the Levitical laws in preparation for this piece, I asked my wife, a retired Presbyterian pastor, what she would do if she learned God was coming for a visit. She replied, “If I knew God was planning a visit, I’d pray and clean like crazy!” Her comment captures the essence of Leviticus 16: God calls Israel to pray and clean like crazy!
The Day of Atonement can evoke a visceral distaste due to its focus on bloodshed and ritual sacrifice. While foreign to our modern sensibilities, the graphic imagery of animals being slaughtered and their blood used as a cleansing agent calls us to confront the seriousness of sin and the cost of reconciliation, leading us to appreciate the depth of divine grace even more profoundly. Atonement invites us to trust in God’s forgiveness and experience transformation. Isn’t that worth praying and cleaning like crazy?
Questions for reflection on Leviticus 16:
- In what ways do you feel called to prepare your heart and community for encounters with the divine, like the practices outlined in Leviticus 16?
- The text emphasizes the significance of community involvement in preserving sacred spaces. How can you help foster and maintain a spiritually vibrant environment within your congregation?
- Reflect on your reaction to the imagery and themes of bloodshed and sacrifice in the Day of Atonement. How might these elements encourage you to deepen your appreciation for divine grace and the transformative power of forgiveness?
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