PURKEY'S

B I B L E   S T U D Y

O U T L I N E S

H O M E   P A G E

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Rev. Ronald C. Purkey, an ordained Baptist minister, claims no originality for the contents
of these Bible study outlines. However, every Bible study posted on this website has been
taught by Rev. Purkey. To see more Bible study outlines go to the Archives Page:
rcpbibleoutlines.com/index10.htm_

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THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
March 30, 2025

SCRIPTURE: Leviticus 16:11-19

KEY VERSE: And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.  (Leviticus 16:16)

INTRODUCTION: The Bible clearly teaches us that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. The Day of Atonement was the day that the blood was shed in Israel.

INSIGHT: “Scapegoat” may come from an Aramaic word that means “to remove.” The setting free of the live goat pictured God’s forgiveness of their sins (Psalms 103:10–13), but this required the death of the other goat. Salvation is free, but it is not cheap.

I. THE PRIESTS’ SINS WERE FORGIVEN (Leviticus 16:11-14)

(Leviticus 16:7–10) And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the Lord's lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. 10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.

(Leviticus 16:11–14) And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself: 12 And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail: 13 And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not: 14 And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.

A. The Required Sacrifice. (Leviticus 16:7)

(Leviticus 16:7) And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

INSIGHT: It is well to understand here is that the two goats constituted one sin offering. Each goat presented a distinct aspect of the remission of sin. One was offered as a sin offering. The other was taken into the wilderness.

1. The scapegoat.

The goat sent into the wilderness was called the scapegoat. There has been some confusion as to its meaning, but the word “Scapegoat” may come from an Aramaic word that means “to remove.”

2. The purpose.

The word applies primarily to the goat and its destination into the wilderness.

The view of the Septuagint, Luther, Kellogg, and Andrew Bonar says, is that it means an entire and utter removal. Edersheim gives it the meaning, “wholly to go away!”

It is definitely a part of the sin offering. One lot fell on the goat to be sent away and one lot fell on the goat to be killed.

B. The Sacrificial Blood.

1. Offered for himself and for his house.

Before anything was done to the goats, Aaron had to enter the Holy of Holies with the blood of the bullock for himself and for his house. So it is not exactly accurate to say that the high priest went in only one time.

2. Entered one day of the year.

The high priest went in only one day of the year, but he went in two times on that day: (1) with the incense (Leviticus 16:12–14) and with blood for his sins, and (2) with blood for the sins of the people. The cloud of incense speaks of the glory of God, which is the entire purpose of redemption (John 17:1; Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14).

C. The Brazen Altar.

1. The brazen altar was in the outer court.

The bullock for his sin offering would be slain as in any other sin offering. Something new is added at the conclusion of the offering. On the way into the Holy of Holies, as he passed the laver, I am convinced that he washed his hands and his feet.

Then, in the Holy Place, the high priest was to take a censer full of burning coals of fire from the golden altar of incense and with his hands full of sweet incense, and then he would place the incense upon the coals in the censer. When he passed the veil into the Holy of Holies, the cloud of smoke would fill the Holy of Holies.

2. The ark and the mercy seat were in the Holy of Holies.

The high priest would take the blood of the bullock which he had brought in a basin with him, dip his finger into it, and sprinkle it before the mercy seat seven times. The blood made the top of the box a mercy seat. Seven times denotes a (1) complete and (2) adequate atonement.

3. I’m sure that was an overwhelming day for the high priest.

The high priest had to perform accurately and meticulously in the presence of God. The slightest deviation would mean instant death. He probably rehearsed the ritual many times before the performance actually took place. As far as we know, no high priest ever died in the Holy of Holies. The only two who died were Nadab and Abihu because they disobeyed God’s command.

INSIGHT: Jesus Christ was made sin for us on the cross. This is the counterpart to the brazen altar in the tabernacle. Then, as our Great High Priest, Jesus entered into heaven and offered His own blood for our sins. Now the throne of God is a mercy seat for us. All of this is clearly taught us in Hebrews 9 and 10.

Whereas Aaron went with fear and trembling, we are bidden to come with boldness according to Hebrews 4:16. Where he did not dare linger and could come only one day in the year, we are bidden to come constantly. Christ, our High Priest, carried His own blood and the sweet incense of His own intercession into heaven, and He is there today at God the Father’s right hand.

D. The People Were Remembered.

After Aaron had gone in for himself and his house, he was to go into the Holy of Holies for the people. He repeated the blood offering for the people of Israel.

II. THE PEOPLE’S SINS WERE FORGIVEN (Leviticus 16:15-19).

(Leviticus 16:15–19) Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: 16 And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness. 17 And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel. 18 And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the Lord, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about. 19 And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.

A. All Have Sinned (Romans 3:23).

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God  (Romans 3:23).

Now the high priest is going in, not only for himself and his family, but for the children of Israel. This is done because of their transgressions and because of their uncleanness. The same ritual is followed in slaying the goat as in the slaying of the bullock for Aaron. He goes into the Holy of Holies as before, but now the atonement covers the Holy Place itself because of the contamination of Israel. Even the brazen altar itself must have the blood applied because this is where the sins of Israel were confessed and atoned; it is polluted because of the sin of the people.

INSIGHT: All of this is to remind us of the One who died on the cross for us. Jesus Christ died for sinners! It is not the cross that is important; the importance is in the One who died on the cross. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18–19).

B. All Have A Sacrifice.

1. Jesus, the Lamb of God, shed His blood.

All of this revealed the inadequacy of the ritual of the blood of bulls and goats. “It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these” (Hebrews 9:23). I believe that in heaven Jesus Christ literally offered His blood; that He bore it to the Holy of Holies of which the tabernacle Holy of Holies is but a pattern.

2. Jesus, the Lamb of God, blood was precious.

Now I know some people don’t like to hear about the blood, and they consider such a literal interpretation to be crude. But you will notice that the apostle Peter calls it “the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:19).

INSIGHT: Perhaps the blood of Christ will be at the throne of God to remind us throughout the endless ages of eternity that our salvation was purchased at a tremendous price. Christ shed His blood on the cross and then He presented His blood for your sins and my sins. We are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. Have you trusted Jesus Christ for YOUR sins?

A BETTER WAY
By Dave Branon

He is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises (Hebrews 8:6b).

We are always looking for better ways to do things. We have faster computers, more efficient cars, and better-sounding compact disc players -- vast improvements over the abacus, the Model-T, and the Victrola.

God is the originator of the better way. The author of Hebrews said that animal sacrifices were only a “shadow of the heavenly things” of which Christ and His death on the cross are the reality (Hebrews 8:5; 9:11-15).

Before Jesus came, people waited for the annual Day of Atonement, when the high priest entered the Most Holy Place. The Jews call this special day Yom Kippur. In that awe-inspiring place where the ark of the covenant was located, the High Priest offered the blood of animals on behalf of himself and the Israelites.

When Jesus Christ came to earth, something better was revealed. He Himself became our High Priest by sacrificing His life and shedding His blood to atone for our sins. Now, when we accept His gift of forgiveness, we can rejoice that the penalty of our sins has been paid and our guilt removed.

Salvation through Messiah Jesus is the only way we can be forgiven and have fellowship with God. Have you found this better way? – By Dave Branon, Our Daily Bread, October

Oh, precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. -- Lowry

CONCLUSION: Have your sins been transferred to Heaven's scapegoat? The load of sin is too great to bear. “For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me” (Psalm 38:4).

You say, “But, I thought Christ became sin on the cross and that He has already paid for my sins.” THAT IS TRUE FOR YOU ONLY IF YOU COME TO HIM FOR SALVATION!

Jesus Christ came to remove your load of sin. And, He will if you will just trust Him for your salvation! Will you allow Jesus Christ to do that today? He waits for you right now. All you need to do is come and receive Jesus Christ as YOUR personal Savior. Thank God, there is a way out of sin and into salvation for anyone who will put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: “Jesus Christ's sacrifice is exactly what God desired and what our sin required.”

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REFERENCES: References used in these Bible studies are the Moody Bible Commentary, J. Vernon McGee’s Thru the Bible Commentary: (www.ttb.org), the Scofield Study Bible, the Believer’s Bible Commentary, Dr. Charles J. Woodbridge Bible Outlines, Dr. Lee Roberson’s Sermons, Dr. Charles Stanley: (http://www.intouch.org/), Don Robinson’s Bible Outlines, Women’s Study Bible, The Bible Reader’s Companion Ed. 3, The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version, Dr. Tony Evans (https://tonyevans.org/), KJV Bible Commentary, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines of the New Testament ed. 4, Dr. David Jeremiah: (http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/), Dr. Cliff Robinson’s Bible Outlines, Dr. Robert Jeffress’ Pathway to Victory (https://ptv.org/), Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines of the Old Testament, Dr. Alan Carr’s The Sermon Notebook (www.sermonnotebook.org), With the Word Bible Commentary, Wiersbe’s “Be” Series: Old & New Testaments, Radio Bible Class Ministries (http://rbc.org/), selected illustrations and other references.

 

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