Leviticus 16:34 And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.
Is it possible to remember something that has not yet happened? Generally we would think that it is not, for how can you remember something if it hasn’t even happened yet? But there is a sense in which we remember things ahead of time. For instance, it is December 1 as I am speaking, and if you have a Christmas program or concert coming up, you often will remember that concert weeks or even months before it happens. You are practicing that concert, going through what will happen in the future.
Leviticus, in a much more poignant way, is remembering what had not yet happened, the sacrifice of God’s Son, the Lord Jesus. One of the most important sacred pictures of that to God’s people, Israel, in the worship of Jehovah God is found in Leviticus 16. The context is Aaron’s sons, who had been careless in the service of God and had been judged severely for it. God says to Moses, “Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not.” It was not just anyone who could go into the holy of holies. Only the high priest, Aaron, could do that, and he could only do that once a year during the atonement. So, Leviticus 16 spells out all that was to be done.
The tabernacle was a very sense-rich location. You could smell the incense being offered to God. You could feel the heat of the fire on the altar. You could see the blood of thousands of sacrifices. All these were only pictures. These basically foreshadowed the ultimate sacrifice.
Hebrews 9 says, “Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.” So, in Leviticus you find things that were divine, from heaven and from God Himself, but they had a worldly sanctuary, a place on earth where you could see, hear, taste, smell, and feel. But the tabernacle was merely foreshadowing the sacrifice that God would give through His Son. The Bible says in Hebrews 9:14, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
In Leviticus you find that the high priest had to sacrifice both for the sins of the people and for his own sins. The Bible says repeatedly in Leviticus 16, “For himself.” When Jesus made the one-time sacrifice it was a sacrifice forever. Jesus was sinless, unlike Aaron the priest. Jesus’ sacrifice wasn’t for Himself; it was forever for anyone who would come to Him by faith.
The bottom line in Leviticus 16 is that we are to forever remember the holiness of God, the sinfulness of people, and the beauty of Jesus Christ. I love where the Bible says in Leviticus 16:17 that the high priest was to “come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.” Hebrews says that Jesus Christ made a one-time sacrifice shedding His own blood. Once and for all Jesus satisfied the demands of a holy God and a perfect Heaven.
So, how are we to forever remember the holiness of God, the sinfulness of people and the beauty of Christ? We are coming into Christmas, and it may be that you are practicing something that is yet to come, like a Christmas cantata or a Christmas program. Let me urge you during the Christmas season not to forget what all this is about. Remember the birth, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
How do we remember? It is ironic that in Leviticus they were remembering something that had not yet happened, yet in many ways it was probably more poignant for them than it is for us who can remember what has already happened. Specifically, these people had seen an immense amount of blood during the sacrifices, and that is memorable. This punctuated the seriousness, the gravity, and the debt of sin.
Today, we celebrate the birth of Christ. So, throughout the Christmas season when you are giving and receiving gifts, just remember that there is a difference between remembering the sacrifice of Jesus and mere hedonism. Hedonism is the idea that pleasure is the most important thing. Now, I don’t think it is a virtue to be miserable, and God has given us richly all things to enjoy. We can thank God for the festivities of Christmas, but we should let the celebration help us remember the holiness of God, the sinfulness of people, and the beauty and sacrifice of the Lord Jesus.