Atonement (Leviticus 1:4)

He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
—Leviticus 1:4

And thus begins a book of the Bible that is often skipped over, not read very frequently, or perhaps not taken very seriously—the book of Leviticus. We see a variety of things in this book that do not seem to make sense to us or do not appear to apply to our lives.

Granted, there are a variety of things that do not apply directly. There are commands and instructions given for offerings in an Old Testament, Old Covenant sacrificial system that do not apply in the same way in the New Testament.

Leviticus 1:4 teaches the necessity of atonement before a holy God.

In the New Testament, we see that Jesus has come to offer the full and final sacrifice for our sins in a way that makes many of these Old Testament, Old Covenant offerings obsolete. At the same time, Leviticus points us to the need for atonement. This is a word we see in Leviticus 1:4.

In this way, Leviticus helps us understand our need for atonement in Christ—our need for our sins to be atoned for, covered over, and for us to be welcomed into the presence of God. This means the book has much to do with our lives.

There is so much in this book that helps us understand who God is, who we are, and our sinfulness—what it means to worship God and his holiness. Even here at the beginning, Leviticus 1:4 is crucial for understanding what we are about to do when we pray in just a minute.

The whole picture from the very beginning of Leviticus is this: at the end of Exodus, God dwells in his glory among his people in the tabernacle—a picture of his presence dwelling with the Israelites. But the reality is that the Israelites were sinful people.

Leviticus 1:4 reveals the foundation of the Bible’s story of redemption.

So how can a holy God dwell in the midst of sinful people?

That question leads to the entire book of Leviticus and to the need for a sacrificial system—offerings given to make atonement for sin. When you hear the word atonement, think of at one—to be at one with something, to be reconciled to someone.

That is only possible with God through a covering for our sins. We are sinners who have offended a holy God in our midst. Therefore, in order for us to dwell with him, there must be some sort of covering for sin to make it possible for us to be at one with God—to be reconciled to him.

This is not just the story of Leviticus; it is the story of the whole Bible. It is the story of every one of our lives. You and I are sinners who have rebelled against a holy God.

So how is it possible for us to live in his presence, to walk with God today, and to experience the blessings of a holy God in our lives? That is only possible if atonement is made, if covering for sin is provided, if reconciliation with God is accomplished.

Jesus is the One who makes all of that possible.

This verse points us to Jesus as the ultimate atoning sacrifice.

So we pray:

God, we come into your holy presence realizing it is impossible for us to be with you, to pray to you, or to be welcomed into your presence right now apart from atonement for our sins—apart from a covering for our sins, apart from sacrifice for our sins, which deserve and warrant death, separation from you forever.

God, we praise you for the privilege of prayer, for communion with you. We deserve to be under eternal judgment right now. Yet here we are—talking with you, in relationship with you, walking with you, your presence with us. Holy Spirit, you are living in us, our bodies a temple of your Holy Spirit—only by the blood of Jesus, only through faith in his atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Jesus, we praise you for dying for our sins, for paying the price for our sins, for covering our sins with your blood shed on the cross. We praise you for your sacrifice for us, your atoning sacrifice that makes it possible for us to live in relationship with you.

God, we pray that you would help us spread this good news to people around us who are not at one with you. Today, wherever we go, help us to be sensitive to the opportunities your Holy Spirit gives us to lead people to be at one with you through sharing the gospel—the good news of your love and what Jesus has done on the cross.

A Prayer for the Jewish People

God, we pray for this among all the peoples of the world. We pray specifically today for the Jewish people spread out in so many different places. As we read the Old Testament, we pray for our Jewish neighbors among all the nations, that they would come to know Jesus as the atoning sacrifice for their sins, that they would trust in you, Jesus, as Savior, Messiah, and Lord.

God, we pray all of this only because of your love for us and because of the sacrifice Jesus has paid for our sins, which makes prayer possible.

So we pray in Jesus’ name, according to your Word in Leviticus 1:4.

Amen.