📅 July 31, 2025
📖 DAILY BIBLE READING
✨ Leviticus 16 – The Day of Atonement – Holiness, Grace, and Cleansing
🔥 A look at God’s plan for cleansing and restoration in Leviticus 16 – and what it means for us today
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📜 Bible Text – Leviticus 16 (KJV)
1 And the Lord spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the Lord, and died;
2 And the Lord said unto 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: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.
3 Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.
4 He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.
5 And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.
6 And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.
7 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.
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 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.
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 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.
20 And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:
21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
23 And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there:
24 And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people.
25 And the fat of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar.
26 And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp.
27 And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung.
28 And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.
29 And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:
30 For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.
31 It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.
32 And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest’s office in his father’s stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments:
33 And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.
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.
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🔵 Introduction
In a world marked by guilt, separation, mistakes, and failure, the question arises:
How can humanity be reconciled to a holy God?
Leviticus 16 offers a profound answer to this question:
Through a holy sacrifice, through a mediator, through cleansing – and through grace.
This chapter describes the annual Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur – the highest holy day in the Jewish calendar. It was a day of cleansing, a day of fasting, a day of decision – and at the same time, a prophetic picture of what Jesus Christ has fulfilled for us.
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🟡 Commentary
♦️ 1. Holiness and Access to God (verses 1–4)
God makes it unmistakably clear: no one may enter His presence carelessly or at any time.
Aaron, the high priest, may only enter the Most Holy Place once a year – and only under strict conditions:
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With ritual washing
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Wearing holy, simple linen garments
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Carrying sacrificial animals
This shows us: God’s presence is not a place for human pride or presumption.
Access to God requires purity, humility, and obedience.
♦️ 2. The Sacrifices: Atonement for the Priest and the People (verses 5–19)
Aaron must first bring a sacrifice for himself and his household – before he can intercede for the people. Then two goats come into play:
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One for the Lord, sacrificed as a sin offering
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One for Azazel, the “scapegoat”, sent into the wilderness
Aaron sprinkles blood on the atonement cover (mercy seat) to make atonement for the people. He also purifies the sanctuary, the altar, and the utensils – because even the place of worship had been defiled by the sins of the people.
Blood = life.
It is through the shedding of blood that forgiveness is made possible (cf. Hebrews 9:22).
The scapegoat symbolizes this: our guilt is carried away.
♦️ 3. Symbolic Removal of Sin (verses 20–22)
Aaron places all the guilt of the people on the live goat – through the laying on of hands and confession.
A designated man then leads the goat into the wilderness, far from the camp. The message:
God removes sin completely – not just symbolically, but truly.
Psalm 103:12 – “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
God doesn’t just want to forgive, but to cleanse, free, and relieve us.
♦️ 4. Cleansing and a New Beginning (verses 23–28)
After completing his duties in the sanctuary, Aaron removes the holy garments, washes, offers the burnt offering, and burns the fat – a sign of total devotion.
Atonement doesn’t end with ritual – it leads to renewed life.
Even the man who led the goat away, or who burned the animal carcasses, must wash and purify himself – sin defiles everything, even the helper.
♦️ 5. An Eternal Law and Its Prophetic Fulfillment (verses 29–34)
Yom Kippur was a perpetual ordinance:
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Once a year
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On the 10th day of the 7th month
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A day of self-examination, fasting, and rest
And yet Israel knew: the sacrifices had to be repeated every year – because they could not fully cleanse (cf. Hebrews 10:1–4).
Only in Jesus was this perfectly fulfilled.
Hebrews 9:12 – “Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood, He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, and obtained eternal redemption.”
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🟢 Summary
Leviticus 16 describes Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
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Access to God is only possible through purity and sacrificial blood.
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Two goats represent atonement and the removal of sin.
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God requires not only outward rituals, but inward repentance and holiness.
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The annual rite prophetically points to Jesus Christ, who has atoned once for all.
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📢 Message for Us Today
Even today, we need atonement – with God, with others, and with ourselves.
We carry guilt – sometimes visible, often hidden. We try to repress it, compensate for it, or justify it.
But God says:
Come to Me with it all – I have prepared the way.
Not through performance.
Not through self-denial.
But through the blood of My Son.
Jesus is our High Priest, our sacrificial Lamb, our scapegoat.
In Him, sin is not just forgiven – it is removed. Forever.
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💡 Reflection Questions
“There is a place where guilt ends:
Not in denial.
Not in explanation.
But under the blood.
At the cross.
That’s where true freedom begins.”
~~~~~ 🔥 ~~~~~
📆 July 27 – August 2, 2025
📆 WEEKLY SPIRIT OF PROPHECY READING
📖 Ellen G. White │ Patriarchs and Prophets – Chapter 20
✨ Joseph in Egypt
📖 Read online here
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🔵 Introduction
Joseph’s life story is one of the most moving accounts in the Old Testament. It shows how God uses suffering, injustice, and severe trials to shape a young man into an instrument of His blessing — not just for one people, but for entire nations. What Joseph experiences reflects divine education, divine faithfulness — and human choice.
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🟡 Commentary
📌 1. Brokenness: Loneliness and Loss (The Beginning of the Journey)
Joseph is betrayed by his brothers, sold, and on his way to a foreign land. His childhood, marked by his father’s favoritism, ends abruptly. He experiences deep emotional wounds and total abandonment. But out of this crisis, something new begins to grow. In his loneliness, Joseph decides to trust God — even when he loses everything else.
📌 2. The Conscious Decision for Faithfulness (Turning Point)
Joseph remembers the teachings about the God of his fathers — and makes a conscious decision: he will remain faithful to God, no matter the cost. This decision becomes the defining turning point in his life. He is no longer a victim of his circumstances but a servant of God — even in slavery.
📌 3. Steadfastness in Temptation (Potiphar’s House)
Joseph is tempted by Potiphar’s wife. The decision lies between secret sin or risky faithfulness. Joseph chooses the harder path and asks:
“How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9)
He does not choose out of fear of people but out of reverence for God.
📌 4. Faithfulness in the Dark (The Prison Years)
Joseph is unjustly condemned. Despite deep injustice, he holds firm to his faith. He does not become bitter. Instead of self-pity, he serves others, helps, comforts, interprets dreams. The years in prison become a school of character.
📌 5. The Elevation (At the Royal Court)
God opens the doors at the right time. Joseph is elevated — not by chance, but by divine plan. His wisdom, insight, and faithfulness in small things make him Egypt’s administrator. The former slave becomes Father of the Land (Genesis 41:43). God honors his faithfulness with influence and responsibility.
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🟢 Summary
Joseph’s journey takes him from his father’s tent, through slavery and prison, all the way to the Pharaoh’s court. In every phase, Joseph remains faithful to his God — not because it was easy, but because it was right. His strength of character and faith make him an instrument in God’s hands.
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📢 Message for Us Today
God’s guidance is not always visible — but it is always faithful.
Trials reveal our character.
He who honors God in the small things will be entrusted with greater things.
Worldly success is empty without the fear of God — but through reverence for God, success gains lasting value.
Character is shaped in daily life, through small decisions, in the unseen.
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💬 Reflection Question
Where am I right now on my “Joseph journey”? In the pit? In Potiphar’s house? In prison? Or in elevation?
What keeps me from remaining faithful to God under all circumstances?
Is my integrity dependent on external conditions — or on inner conviction?
What “small decisions” today are shaping my character for tomorrow?
LuxVerbi | The light of the Word. The clarity of faith.
