What is the significance of "bring the bull" in Exodus 29:10 for atonement? The Text: Exodus 29 : 10 “Bring the bull to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.” The Choice of a Bull—Weighty Sin, Costly Sacrifice • A bull was the largest, strongest, and most valuable domesticated animal in Israel’s economy. • Its high cost underlined the seriousness of sin (Leviticus 4 : 3-4). • Only a sacrifice of great worth could picture the gravity of approaching a holy God. “Bring” — The Action of Approach • The command is active, not passive. Sin is not ignored; it is carried to the very doorway of God’s dwelling. • Nothing happens at a distance. Atonement demands movement toward God, demonstrating submission to His prescribed way (Isaiah 1 : 18). • Bringing the bull to the Tent of Meeting sets the stage for the entire ritual—without the approach, no blood can be shed, no forgiveness granted. Hands on the Head—Identification and Transfer • Aaron and his sons “lay their hands” to confess that the bull now stands in their place (Leviticus 16 : 21). • Guilt symbolically passes from sinner to substitute; the innocent bears what the guilty deserve (2 Corinthians 5 : 21). • This act turns a mere slaughter into a sin offering. Slaughter and Blood—Satisfaction of Divine Justice • Verse 11 follows immediately: “You shall slaughter the bull before the LORD.” • Blood poured out meets God’s demand that “the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you … to make atonement” (Leviticus 17 : 11). • God’s wrath is not overlooked but satisfied through substitutionary death. Foreshadowing Christ—The Ultimate Bull • Bulls and goats could never remove sin finally (Hebrews 10 : 4). • Their repeated offering pointed forward to “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1 : 29). • Christ “entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9 : 12). • The command “bring the bull” whispers, “One day God will bring His Son.” Living the Lesson Today • Atonement still begins by bringing our sin into God’s presence—no denial, no excuses. • We trust the greater Substitute already provided; no additional bull is needed. • Worship now flows from gratitude, not fear, because Christ has done what the bull only illustrated. |
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