The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of two of Aaron's sons who died when they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord (Lev 10:1–2). Aaron couldn't come whenever he wanted to enter the Most Holy Place, in front of the atonement cover (mercy seat) on the ark (the Ark of the Covenant), or he would die. The reason was that God would appear in the cloud above the mercy seat (Lev 16:1–2).
God is a holy God, which means that a person who enters the Most Holy Place can die. We don't have this limitation in the New Covenant, because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. We can come at any time in prayer before the Lord.
When Aaron entered the Most Holy Place, he first had to bring a young bull for a
Sin Offering and a ram for Burnt Offering. He must put on the holy garments;
he must bathe himself with water before putting them on. From the Israelite community he must take two male goats for a Sin Offering and one ram for a
Burnt Offering. Aaron must offer the bull as his own Sin Offering to make atonement for himself and his household. (Lev 16:3–6).
Then he must take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting (the Tabernacle). He should cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat. Aaron should take the goat whose lot falls on the Lord and offer it as a Sin Offering. But the goat goat that is drawn as a scapegoat should be presented alive before the Lord to be used to make atonement, by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat. (Lev 16:7–10).
Aaron should bring the bull as his own Sin Offering to make atonement for himself and his household. He should slaughter the bull for his own Sin Offering. He should take a censer full of burning coals from the the Altar of Sacrifice and two handfuls of incense and take them behind the curtain. He must put the incense on the fire before the Lord, and the smoke of the incense would conceal the mercy seat
over the tablets of the covenant law, that he wouldn't die. He must take some of the bull’s blood and with his finger sprinkle it on the front of the mercy seat; he should then sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the mercy seat.
(Lev 16:11–14).
He shall then slaughter the goat for the Sin Offering for the people and take its blood behind the curtain and do with it as he did with the blood of the bull: He shall sprinkle it on the mercy seat and in front of it. In this way he would make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, regardless of their sins. (Lev 16:15).
He will do the same with the Tent of Meeting, which is among them in the midst of their uncleanness. No one may be in the Tent of Meeting from the time Aaron
enters to make atonement in the Most Holy Place until he comes out having made atonement for himself, his household, and all the community of Israel.
(Lev 16:16–17).
Then he shall go out to the Altar of Sacrifice that is before the Lord and make atonement for it. He was to take some of the bull’s blood and some of the goat’s blood and put it on all the horns of the altar. He would sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and to consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites. (Lev 16:18–19).
When Aaron has made atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting,
and the Altar of Sacrifice, he shall bring the live goat. He shall lay both hands on the head of the live goat, and over it confess all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites, all their sins, and lay them on the head of the goat.
He should send the goat off into the wilderness under the care of someone appointed for the task. The goat would carry all their sins to a distant place; and the man should release it into the wilderness. (Lev 16:20–22).
Then Aaron shall go into the Tent of Meeting and take off the holy garments that he had on before entering the Most Holy Place, and he shall leave them there.
He should bathe with water in the sanctuary area and put on his regular garments. Then he should offer the Burnt Offering for himself and the Burnt Offering for the people, to make atonement for himself and for the people. He should also burn the fat of the Sin Offering on the Altar of Sacrifice. (Lev 16:23–25).
The man who releases the goat as a scapegoat must wash his clothes and bathe in water; afterwards he is allowed to enter the camp. The remaining parts of the bull and the goat for the Sin Offerings, whose blood was entered into the
Most Holy Place to make atonement, must be taken outside the camp; where they are to be burned out. The man who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe in water; afterwards he is allowed to enter the camp. (Lev 16:26–28).
This would be a lasting ordinance for them: On the 10th day of the seventh month (the Day of Atonement falls in September or October) they must deny themselves and do no work, whether native or a foreigner who lives among them, for on this day atonement would be made for them. Then they would be clean from all their sins. It's a day of Sabbath rest, and they must deny themselves (fasting);
it's a lasting ordinance. The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as high priest must make atonement. He shall put on the holy garments and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the Tent of Meeting, for the
Altar of Sacrifice, and for the priests and all the members of the community.
This shall be a lasting ordinance for them: Atonement shall be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites. (Lev 16:29–34).
The rules for entering the Most Holy Place in the Tent of Meeting were changed. No part of the regular Sin Offering should be made in the Most Holy Place.
It should only be the High Priest (Aaron as the first one) who performed the annual
Sin Offering in the Most Holy Place, and only once a year. The High Priest would then bring atonement twice. The first time for himself, and the second time for the people of Israel. (Heb 9:6–7).
Thus, only the High Priest makes atonement in the sanctuary once a year, on the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism.
However, the Day of Atonement is incomplete, and must be done once every year. It's a pointer to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ, who died in our place. He only needed to die once. His sacrifice was perfect and ongoing, see The Atonement.
For the next part, see Moses; Part 16: The Festivals of Israel.
For all parts, see Moses; Part 1: Introduction.
