Leviticus 16:11-19

Leviticus 16:11-19

[11] 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  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  [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.  [15] 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  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. 

What does Leviticus 16:11-19 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Leviticus 16:11-14 describe the purification offering that Aaron was to offer for himself and the other priests. The act of offering incense represented the act of offering prayer that God would mercifully accept the sacrifices offered to cover the nation"s sins and uncleanness.
"The purpose of the incense-smoke was to create a screen which would prevent the High Priest from gazing upon the holy Presence." [1]
The second stage of the ceremony, the casting of lots over the goats, was rather simple and required little explanation. The third stage was the sacrificing of one of the goats as a sin offering for the people ( Leviticus 16:15-19). This sacrifice cleansed the sanctuary of the defilement that the sins of the people caused, making it possible for a holy God to continue to dwell among sinful people ( Leviticus 16:16; Leviticus 16:19-20).
The sprinkling of the blood on the mercy seat once ( Leviticus 16:15) was for the removal of the sins of the people. [2] The sprinkling of the blood before the mercy seat seven times ( Leviticus 16:19) was for the cleansing of the sanctuary from the people"s sins. The high priest then sprinkled blood on and before the altar of burnt offerings ( Leviticus 16:18-19).