In this lesson we will contrast Israel's day of atonement for the nation with Christ's atonement for all mankind in every nation and age. In Old Testament Israel there was a set date for the atonement of the sins [transgressions] of Israel as a nation. Nothing in the New Testament Christian practice compares to Israel's national day of atonement. This was the day to atone for the nation's iniquities [evil] (Leviticus 16:16,21). In the Christianity of the New Testament there is no day of "national atonement" or "church atonement" or "world atonement."

Leviticus 16: Israel's' national day of atonement

1. If Aaron [the high priest] entered the area of the tabernacle [portable temple] that housed the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat at a time other than the specified time, what would happen to him (verse 2)?

2. How was Aaron [the high priest] to prepare himself to enter the area of the mercy seat (verse 4)?

3. How did Aaron atone for his own sins (verse 6)?

4. Describe what Aaron did on his first visit before the mercy seat (verses 11-14).

5. Describe what Aaron did on his second visit before the mercy seat (verses 15-17).

6. How did Aaron cleanse the altar (verses 18,19)?

7. Explain the ritual of the scapegoat (verses 20-22).

8. What did Aaron do after the ritual of the scapegoat (verses 23,24)?

9. What did Aaron do after changing clothes and bathing (verse 25)?

10. What did the man do after releasing the scapegoat in the wilderness (verse 26)?

11. What was done with the carcasses of the sin offerings (verse 27)?

12. How often was the day of atonement to occur (verses 29,34)?

The order of procedure: (1) purify the high priest; (2) purify the nation; (3) cleanse the altar; (4) the scapegoat ritual; (5) the sacrifices; (6) the disposal of the carcasses of the animal sacrificed.

Hebrews 10:1-18: The atonement of Jesus for us in his death

1. What could the annual sacrifices on the day of atonement never do (verse 1)?

2. If any single day of atonement permanently solved the problem of sin, what would have been the result (verse 2)?

3. If the worshippers had been permanently cleansed on any day of atonement, what would have been the result (verse 2)?

4. Instead of permanently solving the problem of sin, what was the practical effect of the sacrifices made on the day of atonement (verse 3)?

5. What was [is] impossible (verse 4)?

6. Jesus came to do what two things (verse 9)?

7. Because Jesus did God's will, what happened to every Christian (verse 10)?

8. The sacrifice of Jesus' body achieved permanent sanctification for whom (verse 10)?
   How often was it necessary to make that offering?

9. Israel's priests could not do what (verse 11)?

10. What could and did Jesus do (verse 12,13)?

11. How completely did Jesus' death address our problem of sin (verse 14-17)?

12. What does forgiveness make unnecessary (verse 18)?

A comparison between Israel's day of atonement (DofA) and Jesus' sacrificial death: which of the two was

1. Calendar date "dependent"? -- DofA?         Jesus' sacrifice?
2. Involved detailed procedures? -- DofA?         Jesus' sacrifice?
3. Involved rituals? -- DofA?         Jesus' sacrifice?
4. Was "person dependent"? -- DofA?         Jesus' sacrifice?
5. Involved a person who had not sinned? -- DofA?         Jesus' sacrifice?
6. Solved the problem of sin "once for all"? -- DofA?         Jesus' sacrifice?
7. Made permanent forgiveness possible? -- DofA?         Jesus' sacrifice?
8. Permanently solves the problem of sin for those who accept sanctification? -- DofA?         Jesus' sacrifice?
9. Which approach was the simplest? -- DofA?         Jesus' sacrifice?

Which solution would you prefer? Why?

David Chadwell

God's Contrasting Approaches Study Guide (lesson 3)
Wednesday evening Bible class, Spring Quarter 1999
West-Ark Church of Christ, Fort Smith, AR

Copyright © 1999
Permission is granted to freely copy and distribute with text unchanged, including author's name.

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