Leviticus 16:5 - Meaning and Application

Jewish writers say that for seven days before the Day of Atonement, the high priest was to leave his own house and stay in a room at the temple. There he would prepare himself for the work of that great day. During those seven days, he did the duties of the lower priests in handling sacrifices, incense, and related tasks, so he would be practiced for the day’s service. He was also to have the law read to him again and again, so he would know the whole order exactly.

He was to begin the day very early with the regular morning sacrifice. Before dressing, he first washed his whole body, and then washed his hands and feet again afterward. He then burned the daily incense, tended the lamps, and offered the special sacrifice appointed for this day, a bull, a ram, and seven lambs, all as burnt offerings (Numbers 29:8). He is understood to have done this while wearing his high priestly clothes.

Next, he had to take off his rich robes, bathe himself, put on linen clothes, and bring his own bull before the Lord, a sin offering for himself and his household (Leviticus 16:6). The bull was placed between the temple and the altar. The offering here means that he made a solemn confession of his sins and the sins of his house, and he earnestly asked forgiveness for them, with his hands on the bull’s head.

Then he was to cast lots on the two goats, which together made one sin offering for the whole congregation. One goat was to be killed, showing that God’s justice must be satisfied for sin. The other was to be sent away, showing that God, in his mercy, removes sin. Both goats were to be presented to God first (Leviticus 16:7), and after the lot was cast, the scapegoat was presented by itself (Leviticus 16:10). Some think goats were chosen because their smell suggested the disgusting nature of sin. Others think God chose goats because the demons worshiped by the nations were often imagined in goat form, so his people would never be tempted to offer sacrifices to goats.

The next duty was to kill the bull for the sin offering for himself and his house (Leviticus 16:11). The Jews say he had to lay his hands on the bull’s head again, repeat his confession and prayer, and then kill it with his own hands. He had to make atonement, meaning payment for sin so reconciliation could be made, for himself first, because he could not bring peace for the people until he had first been reconciled himself. He also did this for his house, which included not only his family but all the priests, who are called the house of Aaron (Psalm 135:19). Charity must begin at home, though it must not end there. After the bull was killed, he left one priest stirring the blood so it would not thicken.

Then he took a censer of burning coals, that would not smoke, in one hand and a dish full of sweet incense in the other. He went through the veil into the most holy place and approached the ark. He set the coals on the floor and scattered the incense on them, so the room was quickly filled with smoke. The Jews say he was to go in sideways, so he would not look straight at the ark, where God’s glory was, until it was covered with smoke. He was then to come out backward, out of reverence for God’s majesty. After a short prayer, he was to hurry out of the sanctuary so the people would not think he had offended God and died there.

Then he fetched the blood of the bull from the priest who had been stirring it, and took it in a second time into the most holy place, which was now filled with the smoke of incense. He sprinkled that blood with his finger upon, or rather toward, the mercy seat, once above it and seven times toward the lower part of it (Leviticus 16:14). But, as the Jews explain it, the drops all fell to the ground and none touched the mercy seat. After this, he came out of the most holy place, set the basin of blood down in the holy place, and went out.