BLOOD COVENANT (part 3)
“Then the High Priest shall come out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it. He shall take some of the bull’s blood and some of the goat’s blood and put it on all the horns of the altar. He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and to consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites. “When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites – all their sins – and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a remote place; and the man shall release it in the wilderness.” – LEVITICUS 16:18-22
In the Old Testament, the High Priest was the only one who could enter the Holy of Holies with the blood of the sacrifice to atone for the sins of the people. To atone means to cleanse, to cover, cancel, forgive, pardon and reconcile. In the New Covenant Jesus is our High Priest and His blood shed for us washes our sins away.
The Old Testament held a type and shadow of the Lord Jesus Christ yet to come, and He has become our High Priest who was sacrificed for our sins and iniquities once and for all. He died once as the Lamb of God for our sins to cleanse His people forever. The Lord Jesus Christ was a perfect sacrifice without spot or blemish, able to forgive, cleanse and totally wash away the sins of mankind.
From the time of Adam’s sin and rebellion against God in the garden when Adam told the Most High he was naked, God then killed an animal and sprinkled the blood over him cleansing his sin because only a blood sacrifice can bring about remission of sins. As we will see in devotions yet to come from the Garden of Gethsemane to the cross Jesus bled in seven specific places to set us free from our sins and iniquities that separated us from the Most High.
“This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you. Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. And according to law almost all things are purified (cleansed) with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no remission.” – HEBREWS 9:20-22