What is the meaning of Leviticus 16:34? This is to be a permanent statute for you God sets the Day of Atonement in stone—an ordinance meant to endure through every generation. - “A lasting ordinance for you and your descendants” echoes earlier commands such as the Passover in Exodus 12:14, underscoring His consistent call to remember His works. - The permanence shows that sin’s seriousness never fades, nor does humanity’s need for cleansing (Hebrews 13:8; Matthew 5:17-18). - In a world of shifting values, the unchanging nature of this statute keeps Israel—and us—anchored to God’s unchanging character. to make atonement once a year The ceremony centers on reconciliation. - Only on this one day did the high priest enter the Holy of Holies, sprinkling blood on the mercy seat (Leviticus 23:26-32; Hebrews 9:7). - A single day each year highlights both the weight of sin and the gracious provision God supplies. - Hebrews 9:25-26 points out that Christ’s sacrifice surpasses this yearly ritual: “He did not enter heaven to offer Himself again and again… but now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself”. for the Israelites because of all their sins. No sin is left out; the phrase covers intentional and unintentional wrongdoing alike. - Isaiah 53:6 speaks to the totality: “We all like sheep have gone astray.” - Romans 3:23 reiterates that all fall short, so atonement must address collective as well as individual failure. - The comprehensive scope foreshadows Christ, “the atoning sacrifice… for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). And all this was done as the LORD had commanded Moses. Obedience seals the rite. - Exodus 40:16 shows Moses’ pattern: “Moses did everything just as the LORD commanded him.” - True worship follows God’s revealed pattern, not human creativity (1 Samuel 15:22; John 14:15). - The phrase also reassures us that the record is trustworthy; Moses did not improvise but transmitted God’s exact instructions (1 Corinthians 14:40). summary Leviticus 16:34 cements the Day of Atonement as a perpetual reminder of humanity’s sin and God’s gracious plan to cover it. The yearly ritual, carried out in strict obedience, pointed forward to the ultimate, once-for-all atonement accomplished by Jesus Christ. |
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