Welcome to the “But first, Bible” daily devotional podcast with Dave Miers.
Our Old Testament reading is from Leviticus 4-6 and our New Testament reading is from Matthew 25:1-30.
Thank you to those that have sent messages and shared some of the things they’ve been learning. I appreciate the encouragement. I’ve just received a message from an elderly man I know who listens to the podcast while running (it is amazing he’s still running!) and he made some observations between the descriptions of the offerings in Leviticus yesterday and a food review he’d just read in the New Yorks Times! So there you go…
We are going to focus on Leviticus again today. So perhaps if you haven’t read the passage yet pause this podcast so you can hear God speak first.
Okay, welcome back.
ATONEMENT is our word for the day.
Atonement is the act by which God and humans are brought together in a right relationship. It’s literally to be “made at one”. A helpful way to remember what the word means is to break it down into three: at-one-ment. Atonement is to be at one with God.
Now built into the concept of atonement, by implication, is that humans are out of relationship with God and need to be brought back into relationship with God.
That’s consistent with the storyline of the Bible we have been following this year. In Genesis 1-2 we see humans are in relationship with God but by chapter 3 of Genesis they are out of relationship with God because of sin. In many ways, the storyline of the bible is then all about what God will do to bring humans back into relationship with himself.
In the midst of the blood and death of innocent animals in Leviticus, we have a kindness from God. This is because it is through the blood and death of these animals and the institution of the whole sacrificial system that the LORD has provided a way that atonement can be made. That’s good news.
Leviticus 4-6 – our reading for today – has the word atonement 11 times. It’s a significant theme. And on 8 of those occasions, the word forgiveness is also mentioned.
In chapter 4 it’s in verses 20, 26, 31, 35
In chapter 5 it’s in verses 6, 10, 13, 16, 18
In chapter 6 it’s in verses 7, 30
The repeated phrase is:
“And the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven.”
That’s good news.
God has provided a priest to act on behalf of the people.
The priest can make atonement.
And God forgives those who have offered up that sacrifice.
The sacrificial system worked. Relationship was restored between God and humans and forgiveness for sins is kindly granted by the LORD.
However, even though it worked, God had in mind a better solution.
Check out Hebrews 7:26–27
[26] For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. [27] He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. (ESV)
The Priests in the Old Testament had to first offer a sacrifice for their own sin before they could offer one for the people. But Jesus? He was without sin. And so his sacrifice was once and for all. No need to be sacrifices again and again like in the sacrificial system.
So then did the sacrifices for atonement actually work in the time of Leviticus? Yes, but only because of the sacrifice of Jesus that would eventually come.
Check out Romans 3:24–25
[24] and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, [25] whom God put forward as a propitiation (NIV has “sacrifice of atonement”) by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. (ESV)
The reason why God could pass over former sins and bring forgiveness is because it was always part of God’s plans that his Son would come and offer that once and for all sacrifice of atonement.
These are remarkable truths.
If you have already trusted in Christ and are now at-one with God and have received forgiveness of sin in him. Celebrate that forgiveness as you go about your day today.
Perhaps you’re listening today and you know that you haven’t yet put your trust in Jesus. If you would like to receive the forgiveness of sin that Jesus offers. Please reach out, I would love to help you to become a Christian and get you in touch with a local church near you so you can keep learning more. Send me a message via any of our social channels.
Until tomorrow, keep trusting Jesus.