by CBTS | Sep 3, 2024 | Apologetics, Ecclesiology
Editors Note: This blog post consists of the responses of Sam Waldron and Austin McCormick to an article written by Ryan Burge titled “My church is closing, and I don’t know what comes next — for me, or America.” Readers are encouraged to read Mr. Burge’s article to understand the content of these responses. You may read that article here: https://www.deseret.com/faith/2024/07/25/ryan-burge-church-closing-the-nones/
Sam Waldron’s Response
When I read Ryan Burge’s article “My church is closing…” I was fascinated, riveted, and appalled by many things. The first thing that struck me was how different my own experience has been compared to his. I came to a church in 2013 with 15 members 11 years ago. I brought with me a struggling seminary with perhaps 30 students. That church now has over 100 members and an attendance of around 175. That seminary now has 420 plus students and is affiliated with eight different South American seminaries with almost that many students again. I know this sounds like I am bragging. May God help me not to do that! I do not think by His mercy that I am. I absolutely take no credit for this and give all the glory to God. I only note the striking difference between my experience and Mr. Burge’s.
But I am also asking if there is a reason beyond God’s sovereignty for this difference. I think there is, and I want to point to some of them here. As I do so, I am counting on you to have taken a few minutes to look at the article.
My first reaction is that there is something profoundly deficient in the writer’s appreciation of the sovereignty of God. A lot of things in the article are just so man-centered. Perhaps we should expect this from someone who researches organized religion and who is focused on human trends. Still, this article is all about how he did not know how to grow a church! Well, first of all, God must grow churches. Furthermore, if we are to expect Him to grow churches, we must actually and deeply believe that only God can give the increase! Listen to this illustration of what I am saying:
What I lacked in education and experience, I was sure I could make up with enthusiasm. There’s an apocryphal quote from John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, that I thought about often in those first couple of years: “Light yourself on fire with passion, and people will come from miles to watch you burn.”
My suggestion is that there is something profoundly Arminian and not God-glorifying about the whole article. Listen to this before I move on to my second issue.
What I was really trying to do was to convince myself that the rapid decline of my church wasn’t my fault.
I always had a nagging sense that I was never supposed to be a pastor. That I took the job at First Baptist for the wrong reasons. That I didn’t believe enough. That I didn’t try hard enough. That there was a way to revitalize that little congregation in Mount Vernon, but I just wasn’t willing to do the work to make it happen.
See what I mean? This sounds man-centered to the core.
My second complaint is that one should not expect God to bless a denomination whose theology is compromised. Perhaps the religious researcher may think that trying to match cultural trends is a sensible thing to do in order to maintain church growth. I think differently. But listen to the following statement from the article, and you will see my problem.
The church was a part of the American Baptist denomination, a mainline tradition that welcomed women into leadership and tended to take a more moderate stance on theological and social issues.
My response is, “My friend, this is exactly the problem. This moderate stance culturally on issues like this. Moderation is good sometimes, of course, but not moderation in our biblical convictions. The Word of God is clear about women not being in the eldership (leadership). Further, given the direction our culture is going, moderation on theological and social issues is the path to apostasy. Who can expect God to bless that? It is, thus, not surprising to hear this in the same article.
What I was seeing in the data was unmistakable and mapped perfectly onto what I was seeing every Sunday — mainline Protestant Christianity was in near free fall, and the numbers of nonreligious were rising every single year.
Of course, mainline Protestant Christianity is in near free fall. It is compromised and semi-apostate. It offers no alternative to our cultural decline! Why should anybody continue to attend such churches?
My third and last issue is that the article displays a deficiency in the zealous faith of the author. Now, I want to be kind here. I do not know the author. Perhaps he has overstated things in this article about himself. I do not know. I do not claim to be the judge of this man’s religion. Still, what should we make of statements like this?
I walked out those doors into the blinding heat of a summer day in southern Illinois and stepped into a future where I don’t know where I will go to church next Sunday, or even if I want to go. Frankly, I don’t know if my own faith will survive, and I’m not sure if the church in America will be there for the next generation like it was for me. And I’m terrified because for the first time in my spiritual life, I don’t know what’s next.
Really? You don’t know if you want to go to church? You don’t know if your faith will survive? You are terrified because you do not know what comes next for the church? The author also reveals a profound doubt about his call to the Christian ministry throughout the article. All this reveals a scary deficiency in this man’s faith and religion. It is no wonder that mainline Protestant denominations are in free fall if those with such questions oversee them.
I come back to the contrast between my experience and this fellow’s. And it is not just my experience that stands in contrast, but the experience of many others like myself that actually hold an uncompromised version of the Reformed faith. I am not a religious researcher. My evidence is anecdotal, but I must testify that again and again after the Covid years, churches of strong Reformed convictions and practices prospered and grew. My hope and prayer is that men like Ryan Burge will come to the encouragement of such religion and away from the compromise that is killing the mainline Protestant denominations.
Austin McCormick’s Response
As ministers of the gospel who “long to see Christ’s churches full, that all the chosen race, may with one voice and heart and soul sing God’s redeeming grace,” it is disheartening to hear of a congregation slowly dwindling in numbers until it must sell its building and disband. It is concerning to hear the former pastor of this now-disbanded congregation questioning if his faith with survive after enduring such an experience. May the Lord draw near to this broken-hearted one. Such a sad story, though, may teach us multiple lessons.
For the pastor:
First, God has not guaranteed that each local church will continue until the end of the age. John Gill, commenting upon the words from Matthew 16:18, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” writes: “by the church [here] is meant … not a particular congregated church, but the elect of God, the general assembly and church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven.” Local churches may disband, but Christ, the master builder, will invincibly advance his kingdom of grace until it is consummated into the kingdom of glory in the age to come. I make this distinction to point out that God has not failed to keep any of his promises. The closing of your local church ought not to cause you to question God’s faithfulness; the disbanding of your church doesn’t give you rational grounds to question your faith. So, instead of questioning your faith, inform your faith.
Secondly, although God has allowed your local church to disband, God has not lost one of his children. Believers are no longer numbered among your visible church, but their names remain written in the lamb’s book of life. (Rev. 21:27). You are no longer their under-shepherd, but God himself is the Shepherd of his sheep. (Ezek. 34:15). He will make his sheep lie down; he will seek the lost; he will bring back the strayed; he will build up the injured; he will strengthen the weak. (Ezek. 34:16). His unfrustable grace will sovereignly preserve his elect until they’re at home with him in the eternal rest. Although these believers whom you’ve had the privilege to pastor are now out of the hands of your ministry, no man can pluck them out of the hands of Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep. (Jn. 10:28-30, Heb. 13:20).
Thirdly, your identity ought not be in the success of your church. The grounds of your acceptance before God is NOT how effective you have been as a minister. So, your faith shouldn’t rest in how many souls you’ve seen converted under your preaching ministry. (You remember that righteous Noah and the holy prophet Jeremiah were rejected by many). Neither should it rest in a membership number, the size of a building, or the respect of your peers. Your faith needs to rest in Jesus Christ. He died for sinners who trust in Him; His perfect life is credited to all who believe upon him. Find your identity “in Christ.” That is where true hope can be found amidst this season of grief.
And do commit yourself to a true church of Christ where you can be ministered to as you grieve through some of the sadness of this difficult providence. Don’t backslide from God and his worship because you are sad! Let your sadness drive you to the living God, who is near to the broken-hearted. (Ps. 34:18).
For churches:
First, America is now in a “post-Christian-influenced” period of her nation’s history. As our culture continues to degenerate into further degradations of heinous sin, it is becoming more and more difficult to have random unbelievers visit our churches. Nominal professors in this busy “on to the next thing culture” won’t use their free time to socialize in Christian churches. Local churches should then be persistent in strategic local evangelism to reach people who do not want to attend church. Although we can fill up our time ministering to the several needs inside the church, we ought not neglect to take the gospel to those outside the church. Reformed Churches can’t presume that people will keep “finding out about them” just because they’re Reformed. As mainline Protestantism continues to crumble, we Reformed believers should be increasingly motivated to evangelize our neighbors. We should be encouraged to take our law-gospel theology to the people who are not getting such clear articulations of sin, Christ, and salvation. We believe that God makes use of means to save sinners, so we should give ourselves to those means in prayerful dependence upon God to add to our church’s numberings through his sovereign power.
Secondly, churches should associate with healthy like-minded churches. If you recognize your congregation is dwindling numerically, seek the counsel and support of other seasoned pastors. Don’t isolate yourself against sound judgment. (Prov. 18:1). Listen to the advice of other wise men of God. Actively seek their help in forming strategic outreach plans. Ask them to send members from their churches to come and encourage the discouraged among your dwindling congregation. If they pastor a healthy church with several gifted preachers, ask them to send pulpit supply to you. If you recognize that you no longer need your large building, ask other like-minded pastors how you might bless other like-minded believers who need a spacious meeting place. “In an abundance of counselors, there is safety.” (Prov. 11:14).
Thirdly, if possible, fully support your pastor(s) so they don’t have to be entangled in secular affairs. Shepherding the flock of God shouldn’t be viewed as a side gig for people who want to earn extra cash on the weekends. A prolonged neglect of counseling, hospitality, outreach, administration, and pastoral visitations will contribute to a dwindling congregation. Although laboring in prayer and the word are two of the chief responsibilities of a pastor, if preaching on Sunday is all he does, the congregation will suffer. Fully financially supporting a pastor enables the Man of God to give his best energy to laboring in the Word and prayer; it enables him to give himself to the full range of responsibilities that this office requires.
Finally, each member of local churches should diligently evangelize their children in family worship, set an example of faithful church attendance their children, and prayerfully depend upon God to save the next generation. Similar to how Paul entrusted the ministerial teaching deposit to Timothy, parents ought to deliver the faith to their children and pray that God would use them to carry the gospel baton to the next generation.
Conclusion:
Reading such a sad story should create in us a greater longing for the age to come “Where congregations ne’er break up, and Sabbaths have no end.” Until that day, though, we should learn from the shortcomings and failures of disbanded congregations and prayerfully ask God to bless our local churches as we seek to be faithful in our generation.
About the Authors
Dr. Sam Waldron is the President of CBTS and professor of Systematic Theology. He is also one of the pastors of Grace Reformed Baptist Church in Owensboro, KY. Dr. Waldron received a B.A. from Cornerstone University, an M.Div. from Trinity Ministerial Academy, a Th.M. from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. From 1977 to 2001 he was a pastor of the Reformed Baptist Church of Grand Rapids, MI. Dr. Waldron is the author of numerous books including A Modern Exposition of the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, The End Times Made Simple, Baptist Roots in America, To Be Continued?, and MacArthur’s Millennial Manifesto: A Friendly Response.
Austin McCormick is Pastor of Covenant Baptist Church (Clarksville, TN). He holds a B.A. in Biblical Studies from Spurgeon College, an M.A. in Pastoral Studies, and an M.Div from Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary. By God’s free and sovereign grace, Austin was saved early in his adulthood. He is married to Rachel, and together, they have three children: Geneva, Benjamin, and Bristol.
by Brandon Rhea | Sep 2, 2024 | Old Testament
*Editor’s note: This is part 5 in Dr. Brandon Rhea’s blog series on “The Day of Atonement.”
Read part 1 here: https://cbtseminary.org/the-day-of-atonement-foreshadowing-jesus-our-high-priest-brandon-rhea/
Read part 2 here: https://cbtseminary.org/how-does-the-day-of-atonement-foreshadow-jesus-atonement-for-his-people-how-does-the-yearly-sacrifice-portend-christs-redemption-for-his-elect/
Read Part 3 here: https://cbtseminary.org/the-day-of-atonement-foreshadowing-jesus-particular-atonement-brandon-rhea/
Read Part 4 here: https://cbtseminary.org/the-day-of-atonement-foreshadowing-believers-baptism-brandon-rhea/
The Day of Atonement: Foreshadowing Repentance and Faith
Leviticus 16:29-34
Brandon Rhea
Intro
At the Metropolitan Tabernacle, where Charles Spurgeon pastored, the elders would write down the testimonies of the people they interviewed for church membership. I now want to share with you the conversion of a sixteen-year-old boy named Henry Oxford. Desiring to show off his new suit, Henry went to his friend’s house, but his friend had other ideas. Instead, this friend wanted to show off Charles Spurgeon, so he took Henry to the Tabernacle to hear Spurgeon preach. God quickened him during that sermon, but Henry did not come to faith in Christ until two weeks later at another church. Henry called out like the Philippian Jailer, “What must I do to be saved?” The elders recorded Henry’s response: “This did not last long, for in the beginning of May the truth dawned upon his soul gradually that faith in the work of Christ was the great, the only thing needful; that simply to believe and to trust in what Christ had done was salvation.”[1] Through the Holy Spirit’s work, Henry had new desires and habits. He quit skipping church to play games. Now he loved to read God’s Word, to pray, and to be with God’s people. Henry bore the fruits of faith and repentance.
Are you like Henry? Are you bearing the fruits of faith and repentance, or do you still love sin? Are you claiming to be a Christian, but you act like a heathen? Are you trusting in Christ alone to save you, or are you trusting in your good works plus faith to go to heaven?
We now will finish our five-part series on Leviticus 16. In this last installment, we will answer this question: How does the Day of Atonement foreshadow Jesus’ atonement? How does the yearly sacrifice portend Christ’s redemption?
Point 1
Our first of two points today is this: The Day of Atonement foreshadows Jesus’ atonement because to be cleansed one must repent of his sins. The yearly sacrifice portends Christ’s redemption because to be forgiven one must be sorrowful for his sins.
For the last four blog posts, we have examined the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16. Even though the once-a-year sacrifice could not take away anyone’s sins, it foreshadowed the one who could—Jesus Christ. He is the perfect lamb who was slain. Through His death on the cross, He satisfied God’s wrath for His people and took away the guilt like the scapegoat. In the High Priest’s washings, we see a shadow of Christian baptism which symbolized the work of regeneration in a believer. Now we turn to the last section of Leviticus 16.
In verses 29, 31, and 34, God commands for the Day of Atonement to last forever. The Israelites must perform it every year in September or October. If the text says, “forever,” then why do we not offer a sacrifice today? If God has inspired this text, then why do we not obey it? First, the word, “forever” can be translated as “long time” or “duration.” It does not have to mean perpetually without end. Second, Christ fulfilled the stipulations of the Old Covenant and put in its place the New Covenant. The ceremonial aspects including the Day of Atonement are tied to the Old Covenant which has passed away. God made the Old Covenant as a shadow to point to the reality of Christ. It also taught the Israelites about their sin and need for salvation. Moreover, it served as a school master to keep the line of Christ until He came. Thus, Christians look to Christ the reality and His crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection. If we perform the Day of Atonement, then we deny this reality and remain in the shadows without hope.
On the Day of Atonement, God gave the Israelites two commands. First, they were to “afflict yourselves.” Afflict means to “humble” or “deny” oneself. The Bible connects this idea with fasting from food, grieving, and sorrow. This posture communicates repentance. As the High Priest atoned for their sins, the whole congregation should be sorrowful for their sins. Through this fasting and grieving, they acknowledge their guilt and need for atonement.
What is repentance? It is simply “changing one’s mind.” James Ussher, however, gives a more developed definition: It is “an inward and true sorrow for sin, especially that we have offended so gracious a God, and so loving a Father; together with a settled purpose of heart, and a careful endeavor to leave all our sins, and to live a Christian life, according to all God’s commandments.”[2]
Thus, repentance is not going through the motions. It flows from a repentant heart which God has changed. A person cannot go outwardly perform the ceremonies while inwardly untransformed and be repentant. God required the Israelites to observe the Day of Atonement with a repentant heart and not as a holiday with outward rituals.
To help us understand repentance, let us look to Joel Beeke and Paul Smalley’s definition.[3] Repentance has four aspects. First, it means an intellectual change. A sinner changes his mind about sin. Isaiah 5:20-21, for example, says, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!” God pronounces “Woes!” on unrepentant Israel. What do they do? They do not have the same definition of good and evil as the Lord. A change of heart, therefore, will line up his definition of good and evil with God’s.
Second, repentance necessitates an emotional change. A person turns his affections from evil to good. Thomas Watson said, “Heaven is never longed for till sin be loathed.” Instead of loving a sin, a person must learn to hate it. Without this change, he cannot love God and holiness. Hence, Jesus taught in Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” The blessed man sees sin as God sees it. Then he responds with mourning. God promises to comfort this repentant man with salvation and cleansing.
Third, a repentant man will have a change of will. He will choose to turn from sin to obey God. He will not do it at the end of a gun barrel, but the choice will come from inside. Isaiah 56:4 says, “who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant.” Rather than choosing to obey Satan and do the things that please him, the repentant man renounces Satan and his evil deeds. He makes a conscious choice to follow the Lord.
Fourth, repentance means a behavioral change. The repentant man must continually turn in his conduct from disobedience to obedience. John the Baptist, for instance, preached this message. Matthew 3:7-8 says, “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” John warned them to bear fruit of repentance. They cannot claim to know God and follow Him if they are not turning in their behavior. To live an unrepentant life means a person does not know God.
To prove the point, imagine this scenario. While cooking supper, you hear commotion in the living room. Your two children are fighting. Your daughter is crying, but your son is fuming with rage. While interviewing your daughter, you learn that her brother hit her. After disciplining him, you tell him to apologize. He says, “I am sorry. I will never do it again.” You then go back to the kitchen to finish the meal. Two minutes later, you experience déjà vu. You son has hit his sister again. You discipline him and make him apologize. He says to his sister, “I will never hit you again.” Three minutes later, you have déjà vu a third time. He has repeated the same offense. Is your son repentant for his sin? Absolutely not! He keeps repeating it over and over in the span of ten minutes. Even though he expresses sorrow to his sister, your son’s heart remains hardened.
Why does this matter? To be saved, a person must repent and continue to repent. Without repentance, a person cannot be saved. Matthew 4:17 says, “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” If a person wants to be a part of Jesus’ kingdom, he must repent. Luke 13:3-5 gives the consequences for failing to do so. Jesus said, “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Jesus gives these words in the context of the tower of Siloam falling. If a person does not repent, he will die in his sins like the people at the tower. Without repentance, no one will be saved.
At the same time, repentance comes from God. It is a fruit of being regenerated in the New Covenant. Ezekiel 36:26-27 teaches, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” God gives the Spirit who causes a person to turn from their sins and to walk in obedience to God. A sinner cannot muster up the strength to repent. God gives this gracious action to every one of His people.
As I alluded to earlier, some people profess a false repentance. They have grief and sorrow for their actions, but it is a façade. 2 Corinthians 7:10 says, “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” These people are sorry for getting caught and are upset that the world thinks less of them. Yet, if they could sin again without anyone knowing, they would. They do not grieve over their rebellion against God. They still love their sin while hating the consequences of being exposed. Let us look to Judas. He sold Jesus to the Pharisees for 30 pieces of silver. Then a few hours later, Judas felt guilty. He took the money back and compounded his sin by killing himself. He felt guilt and shame, but he did not repent. He felt hopeless and lost. He did not look to Jesus.
King Ahab also professed a false repentance. After having Naboth be falsely accused so that he could kill him and steal his vineyard, God sent a prophet to condemn him. Naboth repented in response. 1 Kings 21:27 says, “And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly.” He, however, did not submit to God in the next chapter. He and King Jehoshaphat sought counsel from the prophet Micaiah, but the prophet gave a bad report. He said that King Ahab would die in the battle if they pursued it. A repentant Ahab would have submitted to the Word of the Lord. Unfortunately, King Ahab was not repentant. He cursed the prophet and went to war. In the battle, he died as the prophet prophesied.
Just like this king, most Israelites had false repentance. They went through the motions without a change of heart. God said in Deuteronomy 30:6, “And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.” To be saved and to be repentant, God had to give them new hearts. Without this change, they would not produce the fruits of salvation. God again promises to give these new hearts to his people in Jeremiah 32:40. “I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.” God chose not to put the fear of Him in the hearts of every physical Israelite. Instead, He places the fear of Him in the hearts of all of His elect. They, therefore, respond with true repentance, because they have new hearts.
King Manasseh illustrates true repentance. After becoming King, he did evil in the sight of the Lord. He rejected his father Hezekiah’s reforms by bringing back the high places, setting up idols in the temple, and by having mediums and necromancers. To punish Manasseh, God had him captured and taken to Babylon. Under these circumstances, Manasseh repented. 2 Chronicles 33:12-13 says, “And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13 He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.” After God had him released, King Manasseh went home and made significant changes. He had the idols removed from the temple along with the mediums and necromancers. He had the people worship only God while rejecting the false gods. Even though he had been set free, King Manasseh did not return to his idolatrous ways. He showed a repentant heart.
Friends, have you repented of your sins? Are you still repenting? Have you had a change of mind in your relationship with sin? Have you had a change of desires? Do you love what God loves and hate what God hates? Have you had a change of will? Are you choosing to renounce your sins and to pursue holiness? Have you had a change in your life? Are you bearing the fruit of obedience? When you sin, do you confess your sins to God and to those you sinned against? Or do you have worldly sorrow instead of godly repentance? Are you like Judas who felt guilty, but he compounded his guilt through suicide? Are you like Ahab who knew the condemnation of the Lord, but he did not submit to the word of the Lord? Are you trying to love and serve your sin while loving and serving God? If you have no fear of the Lord, then you will not bear the fruits of conversion. You may talk a good game, but your words bear a false witness if you continue in your sins.
Friends, God always produces repentance in every single person who is saved. If you are His, you will continue to repent throughout your life. Why? The grace of repentance does not come from you but from God. If you are unrepentant and claim to be a Christian, you are calling God a liar. You are saying that He does not keep His word. Rather than calling God a liar, I must call you a liar. True repentance bears fruit. Without it, the tree is dead and needs to be brought to life.
Point 2
Our second of two points is this: The Day of Atonement foreshadows Jesus’ atonement because to be cleansed one must have faith in Jesus. The yearly sacrifice portends Christ’s redemption because to be forgiven one must rest in Christ’s perfect work.
In addition to afflicting themselves on the Day of Atonement, God commanded the congregation to rest. He made it a Sabbath. To avoid confusion, God commanded several Sabbaths. It referred to more than the weekly Sabbath. He also made festivals which He called Sabbaths too. On the Day of Atonement Sabbath, no one would work. This provision included strangers in the land. The people had to fast and do nothing for the whole day.
Why did God give this command? It symbolized that salvation is wholly from the Lord. The congregation could do nothing to atone for their sins. They had to trust in the High Priest to perform the sacrificial ceremony on their behalf. They also could not see the High Priest nor examine the Holy of Holies afterwards. God forced the people to trust the word of the leaders that the Day of Atonement went according to God’s Word. Thus, the people simply waited and trusted in the word which came from the tabernacle.
God displays this same point in other places. God brought victory to Israel over Egypt unilaterally. How? God enacted ten plagues on Pharoah and the nation. Then God changed Pharoah’s heart before allowing him to become hardened again. To show His power, God parted the Red Sea to deliver the Israelites before judging the Egyptian army when the waters came down. In another instance, God brought victory to Israel over Jericho. The people walked around the walls for seven days. On the last day, they walked around it seven times, blew the horn, and shouted. God brought the walls down. Finally, God brought the exiled people back from Babylon. Ezra 1:1 says, “In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:” Through turning Cyrus’ heart, God set the Israelites free to go home. What did Israel do? They saw God’s salvation. God did it all to bring the victory.
In the same way, God brings victory to the sinner. He produces repentance and faith in him. Mark 1:14-15 says, “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” In Jesus’ first teaching in Mark, the Lord calls sinners to repent and believe. Without genuine faith, a person cannot have genuine repentance. The two go together.
Tragically, many sinners try to turn from their sins to faith plus works. The apostle Paul had to confront the circumcision party in the Galatian churches. To be saved, they taught faith in Jesus plus circumcision. Without it, a person would trust in Jesus and be damned. Yet, Paul wrote in Galatians 2:15-16, “We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” A sinner can do nothing to add to or justify salvation. God does it all. Hence, a sinner must look to Jesus Christ alone and rest in His perfect redemption.
We are like the Israelites who had to take the High Priest at his word. We trust that the Great High Priest Jesus Christ is without sin. We trust that He died on the cross, was buried, and was raised. We trust that He satisfied God’s wrath. We also believe that “all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” We do nothing but look to Christ and His complete work on our behalf. Salvation is wholly of the Lord and not His work plus ours.
Let’s give two examples. First, imagine a blueberry farmer promises to give you blueberries. He picks the blueberries for you, bags them, and delivers them. Then he gives them to you as a gift. What if you responded by going out to the blueberry farm to pick your own blueberries and try to pay for what you picked? You would not believe that those blueberries are for you and are free. In the same way, imagine if a window cleaner came to your house and cleaned your windows while you were gone. You come back and see him before he leaves. He has finished the job and tells you that it is a gift. Even though you did not see him clean the windows, will you trust him? Or will you start cleaning them, because you do not think he did it or you think they are not completely clean? If you did, it would be a lack of faith. You would not rest knowing that the man has cleansed your windows.
Similarly, all false religions mix faith with works. Roman Catholicism teaches the sacramental road. A person must do penance after confessing his sins to satisfy the temporal punishment. Even though he believes in Jesus, it is not enough. He must add good works to remove sin. The Jehovah’s Witnesses teach people a works-based salvation. A person must know God, obey the law, be a part of the Watchtower society, and be loyal to God by evangelizing. Without these steps, a person cannot have salvation. Furthermore, the book of Mormon teaches in 2 Nephi 25:23, “For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.” The Mormons change the meaning of God’s grace to favor that is merited by your actions. The Bible teaches the opposite. Grace is God’s unmerited favor. For Mormons, salvation comes through your works not through the finished work of Christ. The Muslims also teach salvation by your hands. To go to heaven, a Muslim must perform the five Pillars which include confessing Allah and Muhmmad as his prophet, praying five times a day, fasting during Ramadan, giving to the poor, and pilgrimage to Mecca if a person can. If a person does these things, he will perform enough good works to outweigh his sin, according to Islam’s false teaching.
Friends, if you feel sorrow for your sins, are you looking to Jesus Christ? Are you trusting in Him alone? Have you put your trust in Christ to save your soul? Do you admit that you can do nothing to earn heaven? Do you renounce any “good” deeds? Do you see that you have a life of disobedience? Do you compare yourself to God’s righteousness and not to other men? Are you like a Catholic, Jehovah’s Witness, Mormon, or Muslim who feels guilt, but you do not look to Jesus Christ? Are you trusting in you to save you? Do you put confidence in your obedience? If you do, you are under God’s wrath and not grace.
For the lost, the Good News is bad news. How? You can do nothing to save yourself. It strikes at the sinner’s pride. You and I are so bad that we can take no steps to save ourselves. Yet, the Good News is that God has done it all. Look to Jesus Christ alone and be saved. Stop striving to climb the rungs on the ladder of works to heaven. Rather, rest upon Christ’s perfect atonement to be forgiven of your sins and to have peace with God. Humble yourselves by admitting your inability, and then the Gospel turns from being bad news to being the good news that saves your soul.
[1] Hannah Wyncoll, ed., Wonders of Grace: Original Testimonies of Converts During Spurgeon’s Early Years (London: Wakeman Trust, 2016), 113-114.
[2] Quoted by Joel R. Beeke and Paul M. Smalley, Reformed Systematic Theology, Volume 3: Spirit and Salvation (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021), 452.
[3] Ibid., 454-456.
Brandon Rhea (Ph.D. Historical Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is a pastor and an ACBC certified Biblical counselor. He met his wife, Karise, while doing pulpit supply in 2013-14. In April 2016, he accepted the call to pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Kirksville, Missouri. He loves history and has a heart for street preaching and evangelism. He is the author of “Spurgeon’s Forgotten Sabbatarianism” and teaches “Spurgeon on the Law & Sabbath” for Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary.
by Brandon Rhea | Sep 2, 2024 | Old Testament
*Editor’s note: This is part 4 in Dr. Brandon Rhea’s blog series on “The Day of Atonement.”
Read part 1 here: https://cbtseminary.org/the-day-of-atonement-foreshadowing-jesus-our-high-priest-brandon-rhea/
Read part 2 here: https://cbtseminary.org/how-does-the-day-of-atonement-foreshadow-jesus-atonement-for-his-people-how-does-the-yearly-sacrifice-portend-christs-redemption-for-his-elect/
Read Part 3 here: https://cbtseminary.org/the-day-of-atonement-foreshadowing-jesus-particular-atonement-brandon-rhea/
Read Part 5 here: https://cbtseminary.org/the-day-of-atonement-foreshadowing-repentance-and-faith-brandon-rhea/
The Day of Atonement: Foreshadowing Believer’s Baptism
Leviticus 16:23-28
Brandon Rhea
Intro
In Church history, William Carey stands out as one of the trailblazers. His burden to take the gospel to all of the nations ignited a missionary movement in the 19th century. Before traveling to India in 1793, Carey had a long journey from Anglicanism to becoming a Baptist. Born a member in the Church of England, he held a prejudice against dissenters—Christians who were not members of the Established Church. After his conversion and after hearing a sermon at a dissenting chapel, Carey decided to flee the dead Establishment Church and to bear the reproach as a dissenter. He, however, had not decided on believer’s baptism. A friend recommended for him to be a bi-vocational preacher at a small chapel which did not take a stand on infant or believer’s baptism. In addition to pastoring, Carey worked as a shoemaker to supplement his needs. In his spare time, he met with other ministers including Baptists where he became friends with John Leland, Andrew Fuller, and John Ryland. Through their influence and the study of the Scriptures, Carey became a Baptist and was baptized by John Ryland in 1783.[1]
What do you believe about baptism? Do you think infants should be sprinkled as a sign of being in the covenant? Or do you think only believers should be baptized by immersion? What does baptism signify? How do the washings in the Old Testament contribute to baptism in the New Testament?
Today we will continue our blog series on Leviticus 16. Last time we learned that the Day of Atonement foreshadows Jesus’ atonement because Jesus died for His elect. In this edition, we will answer this question: How do the Levitical washings foreshadow believer’s baptism? How do the ceremonial baths portend a Christian’s immersion?
Point 1
Our first and only point is this: The Levitical washings foreshadow believer’s baptism because a believer is cleansed through trusting in Christ. The ceremonial baths portend a Christian’s immersion because a Christian is forgiven through faith in Jesus.
For the past three weeks, we have examined the ceremonies and meaning of the Day of Atonement. This day and the sacrifices by the High Priest acted as a type of the Messiah to come. Christ through His death and resurrection on the cross accomplished what the sacrifices could not. He is the propitiation offering and scapegoat who satisfies God’s wrath and removes His people’s guilt. Leviticus 16, however, has more to teach us.
Starting in verse 23, we learn about three washings. First, Aaron must bathe. After sending away the scapegoat, he took off his white garments in the Holy Place. The High Priest would only wear these garments once a year on this day. Then he bathed in the laver in the courtyard. Since he had had contact with the scapegoat who bore the people’s sins, he needed to be cleansed. After his washing, he put the regular-colored high priest clothes back on. Finally, he offered the last sacrifices. He took burnt offerings for himself and the people to the altar in the courtyard. He also placed the fat on the altar which is the best part of the animal.
Second, the man assigned to remove the scapegoat must bathe. After leading the goat into the wilderness, he must wash his clothes and bathe before coming back into the camp. Why? He has been in contact with the goat who bore the people’s sins. He is unclean and must be cleansed before returning.
The third incident takes place in verses 27-28. Another man has the task of removing the sacrificial animals’ carcasses from the tabernacle. When the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies, he only offered the bull and goat’s blood. The rest of the animal remained. Thus, a man was assigned to carry the animals’ remains outside of the camp and to burn them. To come back into the camp, he had to wash his clothes and body due to the contact with these sacrifices. He had become unclean and needed to be cleansed to dwell among God’s people.
Earlier in the book of Leviticus, we find similar washings. Regarding the unclean animal laws in Leviticus 11, whoever carried a carcass must wash his clothes to become clean. A leper who has been healed had to bathe twice before reentering the camp according to Leviticus 14:8-9. Moreover, in response to bodily discharges in Leviticus 15, a man or woman had to bathe. Finally, before Aaron put on the holy white linen on the Day of Atonement, he bathed his body to clean it. Do you notice the connection between water and cleansing? To be clean the person had to bathe.
During the time of Christ, these ceremonial washings continued. In fact, the Israelites made mikvaoths which were baths or pools. For it to be legal, the baths required “living waters” and had water flowing from another pool into it. The unclean person had to have water touch all of his body through immersion. Archeologists have discovered over 150 of these mikvoaths from the 1st century in Israel. Furthermore, they discovered them at the temple mount. Consequently, ceremonial washings made up the average Israelite’s experience. They associated these baths with cleansing and washing to be made ceremonially pure by immersion of water.[2]
Thus, as Christians, we should view these ceremonial washings as a type. It required immersion for cleansing. This background laid the foundation for Christian baptism in the New Testament in the New Covenant.
John the Baptist, for example, made the transition from ceremonial washings to Christian baptism. Matthew 3:1-6 records his ministry. “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ ” 4 Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.”
John the Baptist’s baptism differed from the ceremonial washings in the Old Testament. First, he preached for the recipients to repent of their sins. They had to change their mind regarding their rebellion against God. Next, they had to look to the coming kingdom. As the forerunner to the Messiah, John the Baptist directed his hearers to the one who would follow him. He quotes from Isaiah 40 to prove his point. The hearers, therefore, had to look to the Messiah, who would soon be revealed, to be a faithful participant in baptism. Remarkably as this text records, many Jews came from all over Israel to be baptized. They heard John’s message and confessed their sins. Thus, by being baptized, these Jews admitted that being a Jew is not enough to be right with God. You must repent and believe in the Messiah. Hence, later in Matthew 3, John rebukes the Pharisees and Sadducees for coming out to see the baptisms. He assumes that they are trusting in their genealogy from Abraham as their basis for salvation instead of bearing the fruits of repentance.
Now that we have moved from the type—ceremonial washings—to the antetype—Christian baptism—what is it? Question 97 in The Baptist Catechism defines baptism as “an ordinance of the New Testament, instituted by Jesus Christ, to be unto the person baptized a sign of his fellowship with Him, in His death, burial, and resurrection, of his being ingrafted into Him, of remission of sins, and of his giving up himself unto God through Jesus Christ, to live and walk in newness of life.”[3]
The first observation based upon this definition is that baptism is a sign of God’s promise. All who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 6:3-4 says, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Baptism is a sign that faith and repentance unite a person to Christ. His death on the cross becomes every believer’s death. He has paid the price on our behalf. His resurrection, moreover, becomes our resurrection. Since He has conquered death, we will conquer death. The action of being immersed into the water, therefore, represents our identity with Christ’s death and resurrection.
God’s promise also guarantees that all who repent and believe in Christ will have remission of sins. The Levitical washings pointed to the need for every person to be cleansed, but those ceremonial washings could not touch the soul. Noah’s flood and the parting of the Red Sea, furthermore, symbolizes, “To pass through the waters is to experience the salvation of God,” according to Sam Renihan.[4] To be forgiven, a sinner must go to Jesus Christ as the sacrifice which removes the stain of his sin. Baptism represents the washing that comes by faith and repentance in Christ.
Finally, baptism symbolizes how God sets a Christian apart to serve God in holiness. To see this point, let us look to Jesus’ baptism. Why did Jesus get baptized at the inauguration of his ministry? As the Great High Priest, He went into the baptismal waters before beginning His public ministry in the same way the priest washed before serving. In contrast to the priests, Jesus did not have to be cleansed of any sins. He fulfilled the type of priesthood in the Old Testament and showed identity with the priesthood as a sign of being the Messiah. In the same way, by faith in Christ, God has set aside every believer as a priest. Baptism, thus, symbolizes that God has set us aside to be servants for Him the rest of our lives.
In addition to baptism being a symbol of God’s promises, it also serves as a believer’s demonstration of faith in Christ. 1 Peter 3:21-22 says, “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.” As this text states, baptism does not save. Rather, it demonstrates that the person being baptized has appealed to Jesus Christ. He saves you and not the waters. Some groups teach baptismal regeneration. In this view, the act of being baptized does something to the person. Roman Catholics believe it removes the stain of original sin from the receipts apart from faith in the individual. Lutherans teach that it gives faith to the infant upon having water sprinkled on his head. Finally, some people involved in the Church of Christ or Christian Churches believe the Holy Spirit indwells the believer at baptism. Thus, if a person does not receive baptism, he cannot be saved. Baptism becomes a necessary component of salvation instead of it being the first obedient act of the one who is saved.
Instead of baptism changing the recipient, the Bible teaches that it is a sign. It represents visibly the invisible change of regeneration by the Holy Spirit in the believer. The waters do not regenerate, but the Holy Spirit regenerates. If a person has been regenerated, then he should be baptized to symbolize it and to publicly profess faith and identification with Christ. Over the last two hundred years, the altar call has replaced baptism as the profession of faith. At the end of a service, a person comes forward and prays to be saved. Then the pastor proclaims the person’s faith in Christ. The Bible, however, does not command this practice. Moreover, we do not see any examples in Scripture. On the contrary, the disciples on the day of Pentecost and the eunuch in Acts 8 were baptized to express their faith in Christ. They did not go forward to an altar.
Having considered what baptism symbolizes, who should be baptized? Those who have been born again, united to Christ and have faith in him should be baptized. Why? The symbol of baptism should match with the one being baptized. If a person is not saved, then why would we give him the sign of one who has been saved? Presbyterians, however, argue for the children of believers to be baptized. Even though they sprinkle babies, they do not hold to baptismal regeneration. The water does not change the infant, impart faith, or remove original sin. Instead, they believe God has graciously promised salvation especially to the children of believers. They, therefore, will assume the child is a believer until proven wrong.
What is the problem with this view? First, it teaches that the Abrahamic Covenant is the Covenant of Grace. They argue from the promise God made to Abraham as the basis for sprinkling children. Yet, the Abrahamic covenant is a shadow and not the substance. Second, in the Abrahamic Covenant only the male children and servants were circumcised. Yet, Presbyterians sprinkle girls, but they do not sprinkle employees. This practice does not mirror the Abrahamic Covenant. Third, in the Abrahamic Covenant the offspring were circumcised based on genealogy. If the parents are descendants of Abraham, then the males are circumcised. It did not matter if the parents had genuine faith in Christ. Presbyterians, however, make baptism dependent on one of the parents having faith. Finally, Presbyterians have two discipleship programs. When evangelizing the world, they teach the gospel and then baptize those who respond with repentance and faith. Yet, in the church, they sprinkle the children and then teach them the gospel. For these reasons and many more, the Presbyterian view should be rejected.
We can look to the Great Commission for our guiding principles. Matthew 28:18-20 says, “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” This passage ends the gospel of Matthew. Earlier we looked at John’s baptism in Mathew 3. Who did John baptize? He baptized individuals who repented of their sins and looked to the coming Christ. We also looked at Jesus’ baptism. At what age was Jesus baptized? He was thirty. He was an adult who trusted in God. In the same way, how should we read Matthew 28:18-20? We are to make disciples by preaching the gospel. If they repent and believe, then we baptize them in the name of the Triune God. After coming into the church, we continue to teach them God’s commandments, so that they will grow in obedience. If they remain in unrepentant sin, then we go back to Matthew 18 and perform church discipline. The Gospel of Matthew consistently instructs the church to baptize disciples who repent and believe.
Finally, what is the proper mode of baptism? Most paedobaptists sprinkle the babies or adult converts. The Orthodox Churches, however, will immerse babies. In the 17th century, some Baptists in England poured water over a person’s head, which is called affusion. They, however, came to reject that practice for immersion. Why does immersion matter? First, the priests and people in the Old Testament cleansed themselves through immersion. Baptism builds upon this foundation. Second, the Greek word for baptism means “to dip or immerse.” It does not mean to sprinkle or pour over. In obedience to the text, we must immerse. Finally, immersion best symbolizes a believer’s identity in Christ. Through being plunged under water, he is buried in Christ’s death. When he comes out of the water, he identifies with Christ’s resurrection. His wet body from head to toes symbolizes Christ’s work. The Lord has cleansed the recipient’s whole body from sin.
Charles Spurgeon’s baptism illustrates the meaning of this ordinance. Having been sprinkled in the Congregational Church in which his father and grandfather ministered, Spurgeon did not come to saving faith until he was fifteen. On January 6, 1850, he came into a Methodist church from out of a snowstorm. Due to the weather, he could not walk to the church he wanted to attend and settled for this small chapel. In that congregation of a dozen, the fill-in preacher, a man without eloquence, kept calling the people—and Spurgeon in particular—to look to Christ to be saved. In that hour, God saved His soul. Four months later on May 3rd, he decided to be baptized. Spurgeon believed the Bible taught baptism as immersion based upon a person’s profession of faith. Hence, Spurgeon’s sprinkling as a baby did not count. He, therefore, went out into the country to the river Lark with Mr. Cantlow, a Baptist minister, and with other believers. In the public sight of all, Spurgeon showed his identity with Christ. It had a profound effect on him.
He writes, “I felt as if Heaven, and earth, and hell, might all gaze upon me, for I was not ashamed, there and then, to own myself a follower of the Lamb. My timidity was washed away; it floated down the river into the sea, and must have been devoured by the fishes, for I have never felt anything of the kind since. Baptism also loosed my tongue, and from that day it has never been quiet.”[5]
Of course, the waters in the river did not change Spurgeon. Rather, the public act of identifying with Christ brought the reality of his conversion to bear. God had set him apart to follow Him. Through this first step, Spurgeon vowed to live for God the rest of his life.
How should we apply our passage on baptism? First, brethren, remember that baptism is God’s sign to save those who trust in Him. Be encouraged every time you witness a baptism. It is a symbol which preaches of God’s saving grace to those who look to Him. Also, be thankful for God’s immutable promise. He will not change His mind, nor will He renounce His Word. Christ saves sinners. That truth will never change.
Second, brethren, remember your baptism when you are tempted to sin. When Luther felt tempted by the devil, he would say, “Get away from me. I am baptized!” In believer’s baptism, the recipient is taking an oath to follow the Lord. He is going to take up his cross and follow Jesus no matter the circumstances. In the same way, husbands and wives take a vow on their wedding day. If a spouse faces temptation to lust or commit adultery, he should remember his vow to his wife. He made a promise in the presence of God to be committed to this one woman. By remembering this vow, he flees temptation. If you are a Christian, remember your oath to follow the Lord when temptation comes. You have been bought with the blood of Christ. In the presence of other saints, you have publicly identified with Christ. When you are tempted, remind yourself of this truth. God has saved you “to walk in newness of life” not to sin.
To those who have faith but are not baptized, what are you waiting for? Why do you delay identifying with Christ? Here are some questions to consider. Do you see yourself as condemned under the law deserving punishment in hell? Do you confess Christ as God and Savior? Are you repenting of your sins? Are you trusting in Christ alone to save you? Are you bearing the fruits of repentance and the fruits of the Spirit? Do you desire to follow the Lord all of your days? Do you love God? If you can answer “yes” to all of these questions, then be baptized! Obey the Lord by identifying with Him in the waters.
What about children? Should they be baptized? In some circles, churches teach that children should wait until they are adults. We obviously want to be on guard against easy believism. Yet, the Bible does not give an age for baptism. It only gives the requirements. Charles Spurgeon’s church would baptize twelve-year-olds if they had credible profession of faith. To you parents, if your child seems to be a genuine convert, then what is stopping him from being baptized? If you see fruit in his life, then why should he wait to identify with his Savior and Lord? Remember what the eunuch said to Philip after hearing about Jesus in Isaiah 53: “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”
As we have covered, the washings in the Old Testament paved the way for Christian baptism in the New Covenant. May we see this sacrament as God’s sign to save those who call upon Him by faith.
[1] Timothy George, Faithful Witness: The Life and Mission of William Carey (United States: Christian History Institute, 1998), 8-14.
[2] Everett Ferguson, Baptism in the Early Church: History, Theology, and Liturgy in the First Five Centuries (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 2009), 63-64.
[3] Thomas J. Nettles with Steve Weaver, Teaching Truth, Training Hearts: The Study of Catechisms in Baptist Life, Revised Edition (Cape Coral, FL: Founders Press, 2017), 141.
[4] Samuel Renihan, The Mystery of Christ, His Covenant, & His Kingdom (Cape Coral, FL: Founders Press, 2019), 204.
[5] Charles Spurgeon, C.H Spurgeon Autobiography: Volume 1 The Early Years (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1962, 2011), 149.
Brandon Rhea (Ph.D. Historical Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is a pastor and an ACBC certified Biblical counselor. He met his wife, Karise, while doing pulpit supply in 2013-14. In April 2016, he accepted the call to pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Kirksville, Missouri. He loves history and has a heart for street preaching and evangelism. He is the author of “Spurgeon’s Forgotten Sabbatarianism” and teaches “Spurgeon on the Law & Sabbath” for Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary.
by Brandon Rhea | Sep 2, 2024 | Old Testament
*Editor’s note: This is part 3 in Dr. Brandon Rhea’s blog series on “The Day of Atonement.”
Read part 1 here: https://cbtseminary.org/the-day-of-atonement-foreshadowing-jesus-our-high-priest-brandon-rhea/
Read part 2 here: https://cbtseminary.org/how-does-the-day-of-atonement-foreshadow-jesus-atonement-for-his-people-how-does-the-yearly-sacrifice-portend-christs-redemption-for-his-elect/
Read Part 4 here: https://cbtseminary.org/the-day-of-atonement-foreshadowing-believers-baptism-brandon-rhea/
Read Part 5 here: https://cbtseminary.org/the-day-of-atonement-foreshadowing-repentance-and-faith-brandon-rhea/
The Day of Atonement: Foreshadowing Jesus’ Particular Atonement
Leviticus 16:16, 21
Brandon Rhea
Intro
In the early 17th century, a doctrinal controversy erupted in the Dutch Reformed Church. Jacob Arminius, who had studied under Theodore Beza in Geneva, came to reject the doctrines of predestination. As an ordained minister in a Calvinist denomination, he started teaching against the confession of faith and persuaded some ministers to follow his position. After his death in 1609, the Arminian party published a confessional statement of five points called the Remonstrance. On the matter of Christ’s death, they taught, “Christ by His death has purchased salvation equally for all, but this salvation is enjoyed only through faith.” They denied limited or particular atonement and believed Christ died for every single person. Years later in 1617, the Dutch Reformed Church called an international Synod of Dort where the participants issued the Canons of Dort with the five points of Calvinism. Regarding the extent of Christ’s atonement, they wrote, “The death of Christ is sufficient to save the whole of humanity, but by God’s sovereign will it is effective in actually saving the elect, by enlivening them to a true, justifying, sanctifying, preserving faith.” They believed Christ only died for the elect which redeemed them instead of making redemption a possibility.[1]
What do you believe about the extent of Christ’s atonement? For whom did Christ die? Does the answer to the question matter or is it for the ivory towers? Does it affect our trust in the Triune God? Does it have an impact on our assurance of salvation?
We now will continue our blog series on Leviticus 16. Last time we learned that the Day of Atonement foreshadows Jesus’ atonement because Jesus is the propitiation for our sins and Jesus is the scapegoat who carries away our guilt. In our time now, we will answer this question: How does the Day of Atonement foreshadow Jesus’ atonement for His people? How does the yearly sacrifice portend Christ’s redemption for His elect?
Point 1
Our first and only point is this: The Day of Atonement foreshadows Jesus’ atonement because Jesus died for His elect. The yearly sacrifice portends Christ’s redemption because Christ atoned for His people.
Chapter 16 details the High Priest’s responsibilities on the Day of Atonement. Once a year, the Lord invited the High Priest into the Holy of Holies with the ark of the covenant to offer a sacrifice for uncleanness, unintentional sins, and for high handed or deliberate sins. Yet, the need to offer sacrifices yearly showed that the sacrifices did not cleanse the soul. Instead, the sacrifices served as a type to point to the antetype—Jesus Christ. Only through Jesus’ crucifixion on the cross and by trusting in Him can a person be cleansed and redeemed.
I now want to take time to answer an important theological question with significant pastoral implications: For whom did the Priest offer the sacrifices? For whom did Christ die? These two questions are connected as a type and antetype relationship.
Let’s begin with the first question regarding the sacrifices in Leviticus 16. In verse 16, the High Priest makes atonement for the people of Israel. Then, in verse 21, Aaron confesses the sins of Israel on the live goat. The goat bears Israel’s iniquities to carry them away into the wilderness. What about the Gentiles? Did the High Priest make atonement for the Egyptians, Assyrians, Medes, Persians, and Babylonians? Did the Gentile nations’ sins get transferred to the scapegoat? No! The Day of Atonement sacrifices had a limited scope. The High Priest interceded for Israel and not for the Gentiles. The goat did not die for the whole world. The scapegoat did not carry away the sins of every single person in the world. Moreover, the High Priest’s breastplate reveals the sacrifice’s limited scope. Exodus 28:21 says, “There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes.” When the High Priest interceded in the Holy of Holies, he had the names of the twelve tribes of Israel engraved. He did not have the names of Egypt, Assyria, the Medes, Persians, nor Babylonians.
Furthermore, other sacrifices in the Old Testament had a limited application. The Lord, for example, gave the Passover Lamb to Israel and not to the Egyptians. Exodus 12:13 states, “The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.” God’s intent was to save Israel and to punish the Egyptians for their hard heart. He did not design the Passover Lamb as a means to save the Egyptians. In addition to the Passover Lamb, God gave the sacrificial system to Israel and not to other nations. Deuteronomy 21:8 states, “Accept atonement, O Lord, for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and do not set the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel, so that their blood guilt be atoned for.”
Why did God intend to save, redeem, and atone for Israel alone? God chose Israel over all other nations. To use another term, God elected Israel. Deuteronomy 7:6-7 says, “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers.” The Lord chose Israel to be His people, even though Israel had few numbers in comparison to other nations. The Lord set His love upon them out of His good pleasure and not because of anything good in the Israelites. Since the Lord set His love upon them through election, then God gave them the sacrifices to atone for their sins.
Having chosen them, God calls Israel, “My people.” Isaiah 53:8 which speaks of the Messiah’s death to atone for His people says, “By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?” For whom did the Messiah die? He died for “the transgression of my people.” He did not die for every person who has existed in the world. Rather, He came to die for His elect. Thus, Isaiah 53:12, which is four verses later, says, “yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.” Jesus bore the sin of many and not of all. God placed the guilt of the elect on Christ to bear. He did not place upon Him the guilt of the reprobate. With these passages, we see a consistent theme; God intended for the sacrifices and for the Messiah’s sacrifice to be limited to His people.
When we study the New Testament, we see the same limited scope carrying over from the Old Testament. John 10, for instance, reveals Jesus Christ as The Good Shepherd. In verse 11, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” For whom does Christ die? The sheep! To make sure that we understand the intent of His incarnation, Jesus says again in verses 14-15, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” Who are the sheep? They are His people, whom the Father chose before the foundation of the world to be saved. Jesus died for the sheep, but He did not die for the goats.
Another way to say the same thing can be found in Paul’s writings. Christ died for the Church. Ephesians 5:25-27 says, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” To illustrate the roles in marriage, Paul points us to the relationship between Christ and the church. Christ died for the church to save her and to sanctify her. He is preparing her for His coming. The object of Christ’s crucifixion is the same as the object of Christ’s sanctification. For whom Christ died He will sanctify. Thus, Christ died for the elect to make them holy. He does not die for the non-elect, because He does not intend to make them holy.
Paul makes another reference in Ephesians 5:2. “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Who is the antecedent of “us”? We must look to the beginning of the letter in Ephesians 1:4-5. It says, “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.” “Us” refers to the elect. God chose the Ephesians and Paul to be His before He created anything. He chose to make them holy and to be adopted sons. How would this be accomplished? Christ came to die for the elect. “Us” in Ephesians 5:2 refers to God’s elect who are God’s people.
Besides the book of Ephesians, Paul also incorporates this theme in Galatians 1:3-4. “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” Jesus died for “our sins.” The Apostle pens this letter to churches in Asia Minor whose audience consists of professing Christians. Jesus died for the elect with a purpose. The atonement set them free from “the present evil age.” Through the power of the gospel, they no longer remain in bondage to the wicked deeds of the flesh. Christ, therefore, saved them in keeping with the Father’s will. The Father and Son share the same will and intent in the atonement.
To add more weight to the case of definite atonement, let us look at Titus 2:13-14. When writing to his disciple Titus, Paul said, “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” In looking to Jesus Christ as our hope, Paul describes Jesus’ mission. He ”gave himself for us.” Once again, “us” refers to Titus and Paul. It, however, also encapsulates the elect. Titus 1:1 says, “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness.” As an Apostle of God, Paul ministers for the elect. He has written this letter to Titus to set up elders in the churches on Crete and to see the body grow in practical holiness. Paul ties sanctification to the intent of Christ’s atonement. He died “to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” Jesus did not die for every single person to make salvation possible if they would respond. Rather, He died for His elect to save them and to make them holy. His atonement saved His people and by His power sets them free to live obedient lives.
Elsewhere in the gospel of Matthew, we see the intent of the atonement matches Isaiah 53. Matthew 20:28 says, “even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” For whom did Jesus die as a ransom? He died for many but not for all. Moreover, Matthew 26:28 says, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” At the establishment of the Lord’s Supper on the night before His crucifixion, Jesus makes His intentions known. He pours out His blood for many and not all. In this setting, He reveals His future crucifixion as the fulfillment of the Old Covenant sacrifices. Just as those sacrifices had a specific application to the nation of Israel, Jesus’ sacrifice applies to His people. The Holy Spirit will regenerate the elect to become members of the New Covenant by faith in Christ. Through their union with Christ, they will have forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Jesus went to the cross to offer Himself up for the elect in the same way the High Priest applied the blood of the goat in the Holy of Holies and confessed sins over the scapegoat for Israel and not for the Gentile nations.
When discussing the topic on the extent of the atonement, most Christians believe that Christ died for every single person and not only for the elect. To make their case they will appeal to the “all” and to the “world” passages in Scripture. First, let us look at some of the all passages. When we examine them, ask this question: Does it mean that Christ died for every single person without exception? John 12:32 says, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” Classic Arminians will use this verse to support their doctrine of prevenient grace. They argue that God has given equal grace to every single person. Then based upon the person’s free will, he or she will choose God. Calvinists hold that God gives special grace to the elect which He does not give to the reprobate. Through God’s effectual grace, every one of His elect will be saved and drawn to Him. What does “all people” mean in John 12:32? To understand the verse, we must look at the context. Earlier in John 12:20-22, Philip reported that the Greeks came to Him with a request to see Jesus. Thus, with this context in mind, John 12:32 means “all kinds of men including Gentiles.” God will not draw Jews alone. It does not refer to every single person without exception but to all kinds of people.
The next “all” passage comes from 1 Timothy 2:3-6. It says, “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” Paul writes “all people” and “all” twice in this passage. Some people argue that God does not want any single person to be lost, and Jesus died for every single person. When making their argument, however, most people do not go back to verse 1. Paul begins by telling Timothy to pray “for all people” and especially people in government. Does Paul mean to pray for every single person without exception or to pray for different kinds of people including government officials? I believe the latter is the case. Thus, this meaning should continue to verse 4 and 6. God does not desire for all kinds of people to perish, and Christ died for all kinds of people.
Our final “all” passage can be found in 2 Peter 3:9. It says, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” God is patient towards “you.” What is the antecedent of you? Who does God want to reach repentance? To answer the question, we must know to whom the letter is written. 1 Peter 1:1 says, Peter writes to the persecuted church. In 1 Peter 1:10, he tells them to “be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election.” Peter gives them the grounds for knowing their calling and election through bearing good fruit. Thus, 2 Peter 3:9 refers to the elect and not to every single person without exception.
Now let us turn our attention to two “world” passages. 1 John 2:1-2 states, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” John uses the phrase “of the whole world.” Later in 1 John 5:19, John repeats this phrase. It says, “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” Does “whole world” in 1 John 5:19 refer to every single person without exception? No! If it did, then every believer would be under the power of the evil one. Instead, “of the whole world” refers to the nations. In the same way, going back to 1 John 2:1-2, Jesus is the propitiation not for every single person who ever lived without exception but for people from all kinds of nations. If Jesus did satisfy the wrath for every single person without exception, then no one would go to hell. Why? If God’s wrath has been satisfied by Christ, then why would God send them to hell if their debt has been paid? Consequently, if “of the whole world” means every single person it would prove universalism.
The second “world” passage may be found in John 1:29. John the Baptist announced Jesus’ identity: “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Did Jesus take away every single person’s sins? No! Jesus came to die for the elect who make up people from all over the world. Just as the Passover Lamb was applied only to the Jews, Jesus Christ as the Lamb is only intended for the elect.
Having covered these passages, I have five questions for those who advocate universal atonement. First, did Jesus die for the Amorite high priest in the Old Testament? Did Jesus come to make the priest savable even though he had been in hell for hundreds of years? Did Jesus die for the people who were already in hell? Did Jesus die for the Native Americans who would never hear the gospel? God planned before the foundation of the world that these people would never have access to the gospel until the 16th century. Did he draw up that plan only to have Jesus die for them even though they would never hear the good news? Did Jesus die for more people than the Father gave Him? Also, did Jesus die for more people than the Spirit would regenerate? If these last two question are true, then God is not united in purpose. Disunity would exist in the Trinity.
Since we have examined the consistent theme of limited atonement in the Old and New Testaments while addressing objections, I now want to cover the practical implications of this doctrine. Why does it matter?
First, definite or limited atonement increases our trust in God. How? There is unity in the Godhead in planning and completing salvation. The divine will subsists in the Father, Son, and Spirit. The Father chose the elect. The Son died for the elect. Then the Spirit draws, regenerates, and dwells in the elect. From a universal atonement perspective, the Father chose the elect, the Son dies for every single person in the world, and the Spirit draws, regenerates and dwells in the elect. The Son’s intent does not match the Father and the Spirit even though they share the same will.
Imagine a contractor who plans to build himself a house. Considering his expertise and background, he draws up the plans himself. Then, when he builds the house, he deviates. He builds a 5000 square feet house instead of 2500. Yet, when he moves into the house, he only lives in the original 2500 and leaves the rest of the house empty. What would we think of a person who did this? He did not execute the intention of his plans. He did more than the plan required and more than what he would use. Would you trust this man to build you a house? No! What if he does not follow the plans again?
In the same way, God’s unity in the plan of salvation should increase our trust in Him. We can be assured that since our Triune God had the same intent in salvation, He will bring about our sanctification and glorification. In Romans 8:30, God does not deviate from His intent of saving His chosen people. “And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” Since our Triune God planned and executed our salvation, we do not doubt Him when we face trials and temptations on earth. Moreover, we have hope when we face death, knowing that our Triune Lord will raise us from the dead, because He chose us, died for us, and sanctified us. He will complete His plans for us.
The second and last application is this: definite atonement produces assurance of salvation. Can a person have certainty now that he is saved? Absolutely! We know, however, that many Christians suffer from a weak conscience. They ask themselves, “Have I repented enough to be saved? Have I been specific and thorough enough? Will God forgive me if I do not list all of my sins?” These Christians believe that salvation necessitates perfect and comprehensive repentance. Thus, when they discover a new sin in the present or remember an old sin from the past, it shakes their assurance of salvation.
In Leviticus 21:21, the High Priest confessed the Israelites’ sins over the goat. Could he confess every sin for every person in the camp? No! The camp consisted of hundreds of thousands of people. How many sins did one person commit in a year? The High Priest could not confess each sin for each person specifically to the goat. He could only speak in generalities. How many millions of sins went without acknowledgment or confession?
Here is the good news to those who have a weak conscience: Jesus Christ carried your name and your sins to the cross. He did not carry the abstract “world” or “all” people. He had your name on His breastplate while He suffered. In the same way, the High Priest had the names of the 12 tribes on his breastplate. Jesus Christ had every single elect person on His heart. Because Jesus is God, He knew every sin you would commit in your life. He, therefore, carried every sin away from you. Your salvation does not depend on you remembering, confessing, and being sorrowful enough over all of your sins for all of your life. Why? No one can do this. No one can remember every sin he has committed. Rather, Christ goes to the cross and pays for every single sin for us. He does not forget to pay for one of them. He paid it all. He paid it specifically to your account with your name at the top.
If you have a weak conscience, then particular atonement should give you great hope. Instead of looking to your perfect repentance which you cannot do to feel secure, look to Jesus Christ on the cross. Find rest for your soul in knowing that the Father chose you, the Son died for you specifically, and the Spirit drew you by name. Our Triune God will not let one of His elect perish. Your salvation does not depend upon you. To your great joy, your salvation rests on the perfect work of Christ.
[1] Nick Needham, 2000 Years of Christ’s Power Vol. 4: The Age of Religious Conflict (Fear, Ross-Shire, Great Britian: Christian Focus, 2016), 134-141.
Brandon Rhea (Ph.D. Historical Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is a pastor and an ACBC certified Biblical counselor. He met his wife, Karise, while doing pulpit supply in 2013-14. In April 2016, he accepted the call to pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Kirksville, Missouri. He loves history and has a heart for street preaching and evangelism. He is the author of “Spurgeon’s Forgotten Sabbatarianism” and teaches “Spurgeon on the Law & Sabbath” for Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary.
by Brandon Rhea | Sep 2, 2024 | Old Testament
*Editor’s note: This is part 2 in Dr. Brandon Rhea’s blog series on “The Day of Atonement.”
Read part 1 here: https://cbtseminary.org/the-day-of-atonement-foreshadowing-jesus-our-high-priest-brandon-rhea/
Read Part 3 here: https://cbtseminary.org/the-day-of-atonement-foreshadowing-jesus-particular-atonement-brandon-rhea/
Read Part 4 here: https://cbtseminary.org/the-day-of-atonement-foreshadowing-believers-baptism-brandon-rhea/
Read Part 5 here: https://cbtseminary.org/the-day-of-atonement-foreshadowing-repentance-and-faith-brandon-rhea/
The Day of Atonement: Foreshadowing Jesus Our Propitiation and Scapegoat
Leviticus 16:15-22
Brandon Rhea
Intro
In 1783, the British Parliament had to decide whether to give an allowance to the Prince of Wales, King George III’s oldest son. The prince would be turning twenty-one, and it was custom to give a yearly allowance starting at this age. Through this means, he could set up his own household. To make the decision more difficult, the prince had accumulated a debt of £29,000 through lavish spending. Parliament, along with the King’s advice, therefore, gave him an allowance of £62,000 plus a one-time payment of £60,000 to pay off his debts and to fix up his new residence. Even though the prince had mismanaged his money, his father and the nation bailed him out. They paid off his debt. As is common with young men who do not suffer consequences for their poor decisions, the prince went into debt again. In a few short years, he owed nearly £150,000 from overspending on his new residence.[1]
Every human is like the Prince of Wales. We have an enormous debt which we have incurred through foolish and sinful choices. How many times have you sinned in your life? How many days have you sinned? It cannot be counted. Do you have the righteousness needed to pay off your debt? Once the debt is paid off, can you live a perfect life to incur no more debt? Of course not! What hope do we have of being forgiven of our sins and having the guilt removed from us? We need a surety! We need a King to pay the debt off for us and give us an inheritance.
We now will continue our blog series on the Day of Atonement. Last time we learned that the Day of Atonement foreshadows Jesus’ atonement because Jesus enters the Holy Place of Heaven as a representative for His people and Jesus is the Holy High Priest and the sacrifice. We now will answer this question: How does the Day of Atonement foreshadow Jesus’ atonement for His people? How does the yearly sacrifice portend Christ’s redemption for His elect?
Point 1
Our first of two points is this: The Day of Atonement foreshadows Jesus’ atonement because Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. The yearly sacrifice portends Christ’s redemption because Christ satisfies God’s wrath on the cross.
Once a year, the Lord invited the High Priest to offer a sacrifice for the people in the Holy of Holies. No one else could make the sacrifice, and the High Priest could not go into the Holy of Holies any other day lest he die. Being a sinner, the High Priest had to kill a bull and apply the blood to cover his iniquities and the iniquities of his house. Hence, the High Priest is not intrinsically holy. Since the sacrifice had to be performed yearly, it shows its ineffectiveness. God requires a greater sacrifice by a greater High Priest. Jesus Christ is that sacrifice and is the Great High Priest. Now we will turn to how Christ’s sacrifice atones.
In verses 15-19, God commands Aaron to offer a goat for the people. He will kill the goat as a sin offering which is meant to purify the worshiper. Then he carries the blood into the Holy of Holies and applies it to the mercy seat. This act atones for the Israelites in two ways. First, it removes their uncleanness which comes from breaking the ceremonial laws. Second, the sacrifice removes their transgressions. This word means rebellion. These are high handed sins by the people. Numbers 15:22-31 describe these sins. In giving the sacrifices in Leviticus 1-7, God made no provision for high handed sins. None of those sacrifices were meant to atone. Only on the Day of Atonement could a sacrifice be offered to atone for deliberate rebellion against God.
The Bible uses the same word for transgression or rebellion elsewhere. Isaiah 1:28 says, “But rebels and sinners shall be broken together, and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.” The Lord warns us of the consequences for remaining unrepentant. Moreover, in Isaiah 48:8, God describes Israel. “For I knew that you would surely deal treacherously, and that from before birth you were called a rebel.” The people had forsaken God and had broken His law. Despite God’s call to repent, they remained in their sins while worshiping false gods. To symbolize their rebellion, God had the Ten Commandments placed in the ark. On top of the ark rested the mercy seat. Thus, when the High Priest placed the blood on the mercy seat, it represented the need for blood, because the people had broken the Ten Commandments.
We must not water down the sinners’ iniquity. They did not make mistakes; rather they committed mutiny against God. When the Senators of Rome schemed to overthrow Julius Caesar on the Ides of March, they committed treason. They called him to their meeting, formed a parameter, and took out daggers. Instead of defending Caesar, they killed him to save the republic.
In the same way, every sinner lives in rebellion against God before being converted. Ephesians 2:3 calls them “children of wrath like the rest of mankind.” To the Gentiles who bathed in their sin like a pig in the mud, Romans 1:28 teaches, “And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.” Even though they knew that God existed, they did not acknowledge nor submit to His rule. They continued following their evil desires which flowed from their idolatry. They worshiped creatures instead of God. Consequently, God did not stop them but gave them up to their wickedness. Even the Jews who had the law rebelled. Romans 2:5 says, “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.” The Jews judged the Gentiles for their wicked deeds, but they too broke God’s law. They knew God’s Word but they did not do it. God, therefore, set His wrath upon them.
Why is rebellion against God serious? It ends in death. God warned Adam and Eve in Genesis 2:17, “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” God kept His Word. Adam and Eve died along with their offspring. In Genesis 5, the genealogy lists the offspring from Adam and Eve. Almost all of the offspring except for one ends in the phrase, “he died.” Romans 1:32 also confirms this truth. “Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” The debased mind knows that their deeds deserve death, but due to their lusts, they celebrate the sin and encourage others to do the same. It is like a cult who encourages everyone to commit suicide.
While the High Priest performs the ceremonies for the Day of Atonement, no one else may be in the tent of meeting according to verse 17. The High Priest may have no assistants nor observers while he carries out his duties.
In addition to making atonement for the people, the Lord orders the High Priest to make atonement for the tent of meeting and the altar. If the High Priest symbolizes Adam’s return into the Garden of Eden to fellowship with God, then the tent of meeting represents creation. Through man’s sin, mankind has polluted the universe. Paul makes this argument in Romans 8:19-21. “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” Due to Adam and Eve’s sin, creation has not fulfilled its ultimate purpose. Currently, it groans to be redeemed, but it has hope for a future restoration. When Jesus returns to raise His people from the grave and to give them resurrected bodies, then Jesus will transform creation too. He will remove the pollution of sin from the universe.
The goat sacrifice on the Day of Atonement foreshadows Christ’s atonement. It made propitiation for us. Jesus satisfied the wrath that sinners rightly deserve through His crucifixion. He paid the debt for His people. Since we have broken God’s law, we deserve death. Being a holy God, He must punish us. Yet, Christ satisfies God’s wrath according to Romans 3:24-25: “and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” In addition to this passage, one can look to Hebrews 2:17, 1 John 2:2, and 1 John 4:10 to discover this theological truth. Christ came to be the sacrifice which would satisfy our requirements for breaking the law. Propitiation is the Greek word for “mercy seat” which the Septuagint uses in Exodus. At the mercy seat, God’s divine justice is satisfied. Jesus Christ is the mercy seat, and He applied the blood. How? He is holy and lived a holy life. He alone has the perfect life as the God-man to save us. Without His sacrifice, God’s divine justice would not be satisfied. No one would live. Every sinner would die in his sins and go to hell.
To pay our sin debt, Christ acts as our surety. Hebrews 7:22 says, “This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.” The KJV translates “guarantor” with the word “surety.” A surety is a second party who promises to pay off a debt if the first party defaults. For example, a young man buys a car. Since he does not have credit, he needs someone to co-sign to get the loan. If his parents co-sign, then they act as a surety. If the young man defaults on the payments, then the parents will be legally required to pay off their son’s debt. Jesus Christ is our surety. Through our sins, we have an unpayable debt to God. We have defaulted and will be sent to hell. Jesus Christ, however, co-signs on His people’s debt. He made Himself legally responsible for paying it off. Then He paid it in full on the cross with His blood. In contrast, the Old Covenant did not have a surety who could pay the debt. Every person had their own debt to pay but it could not be paid through sacrifices or through obedience to the law. In the New Covenant, Jesus Christ is the surety.
This topic leads us to an interesting question: Could God have atoned in any other way? The Socinians, a group of heretics in the 17th and 18th centuries who denied the Trinity and the deity of Christ, said “yes.” They believed that God’s plan for salvation was arbitrary. He could have decided anyway to save. It did not matter. When we look at Islam, Muslims think Allah can overlook sins without them being paid for by a substitute. If this is true, then God is not just, and God is partial. He overlooks some individuals’ sins and not others. Moreover, a good man could not pay for our sins, because even so-called good men are sinners. They could not save themselves let alone others. Angels also could not atone for us. Why? They do not have human bodies which could spill blood and die. Only the God-man, therefore, through the shedding of His blood could pay for our sins. Christ crucified is not an arbitrary decree of God, but it is the only way God could pay our debt and uphold His justice.
For instance, we see an example of a surety who will pay a debt in Paul’s relationship with Onesimus. Philemon, a Christian leader in Colossae, had an unbelieving slave named Onesimus. Onesimus escaped to Rome and found Paul. Through his interactions with the Apostle, God saved him. Now Paul is sending Onesimus back to Colossae with this letter for Philemon. What does he say? “So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. 18 If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.” If Onesimus has stolen anything from Philemon or cost him money, Paul will pay for it. He will assume Onesimus’s debts. He will pay it off in full, so that nothing will stand in the way of them being reconciled now as brothers in Christ.
Friends, do you understand your sin debt to God? You are not just guilty of mistakes or omissions. You did not forget or have a foggy brain. You are not just a product of your DNA or your environment. You also are not in need of more education to reform you. Our society thinks that more education will change a person’s behavior because bad behavior flows from a lack of knowledge. According to society’s logic, a person’s lack of knowledge is not his fault. Society, therefore, cannot hold them accountable.
What does the Bible say? Every sinner has committed treason! An unbeliever’s life is characterized by constant rebellion. You are disobeying the King’s commands. If you were at the tower of Babel, you would have joined the mob to build a tower to dethrone God. If you were alive with the Pharisees, you would have plotted with them to kill Jesus. Why? Rebels follow the example of the first rebel—Satan. Our depth of sin cannot be fully understood. It is deeper than the Grand Canyon. It is larger than our national debt. It also smells worse than a hog confinement with a strong head wind.
Since these statements are true, what hope is there for salvation and not death? Friends, only the holy God could pay the debt that you owe. Jesus Christ bore the sin debt as a substitute sacrifice to satisfy God’s wrath for all who believe in Him. 1 Peter 2:24 says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” Do you see that only in Christ can God’s wrath be satisfied and in no other? No other name can make you white as snow. Do you trust in Christ right now to pay for your sins or are you trusting in your religious deeds and right living? The way you answer that question will determine your eternal destiny.
If you do trust in Christ, then rejoice! You are forgiven once and for all. You have the guarantee from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords that you have been forgiven. The faithful God has paid it in full. The God who cannot lie says that your debt is gone. Praise God for this gift!
Point 2
Our second and last point is this: The Day of Atonement foreshadows Jesus’ atonement because Jesus is the scapegoat who carries away our guilt. The yearly sacrifice portends Christ’s redemption because Christ is the expiation for our sins. Let’s read verses 20-22.
After sacrificing one goat, the High Priest takes a second goat which he has chosen by lot to live. In verse 21a, Aaron then confesses the sins of the people over the second goat. He places both hands on his head. In contrast, Leviticus 1-7 commands for the worshiper to only place one hand on the goat. Now the High Priest places two hands to show the transference of unintentional and sins of rebellion to the goat. Consequently, the goat now bears the guilt of those sins.
In verse 21b, the High Priest sends the goat away. Another man takes the goat into the wilderness. This location symbolizes the place of the unclean. The camp was the place of the clean, and the temple was the location for the holy. The goat, therefore, bears the people’s iniquities according to verse 22. They no longer carry the guilt of these sins. The goat has carried them away from the camp, so that they will be clean. Their names are no longer associated with the guilt of these sins. The scapegoat now bears them.
To prepare us for the coming Messiah, the scapegoat is a shadow of the coming reality. Christ is our scapegoat and performs expiation on our behalf. This theological term means “the removal of objective guilt under the law…all our legal liability to rejection and punishment is removed.”[2] God does not consider the offender to be guilty.
What is the difference between propitiation and expiation? Propitiation satisfies God’s wrath by paying the debt owed. God upholds His justice, because Christ suffers the penalty for our sin. Thus, we avoid hell. Expiation, on the other hand, removes the guilt from the party. God does not associate that person’s name with those sins. Those transgressions have been removed from the record. To illustrate the point, let us look at a prisoner. If a man embezzles money and is convicted, he will have to serve time in jail and pay back the money. After his three-year sentence, the prison released him early for good behavior. He has paid his debt to society. He has satisfied the justice under the law. Society, however, still considers him to be guilty. He has a record. When he goes to apply for a job and the business runs a background check, his crime will be flagged. The guilt remains. He will not be able to hold positions which handle money, because companies will not trust him due to his previous conviction. He has made propitiation, but expiation has not taken place. Do you now see our need for both to be saved?
Hebrews 13:11-12 shows us Christ’s expiation. “For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. 12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.” The author of Hebrews references the sacrificial system. After the priests offered the animals on the altar, they would dispose of them outside the camp. Jesus too suffered outside the camp. He became a curse for us through His crucifixion on the tree. He died outside of the city of Jerusalem. He spilled His blood in the wilderness to make the unclean holy. In the same way, lepers had to suffer outside of the camp until they became clean.
As the scapegoat bore the people’s sins and headed out into the wilderness, Christ bore His people’s sins and guilt. Isaiah 53:6 which prophesies of Christ says, “and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 also teaches, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Hence, the sinless Lamb of God bore the penalty and guilt of our sins even though He never sinned. He took away the guilt for our transgressions so that all who believe in Christ have a clean record. Moreover, He has replaced our guilt with His righteousness. Our name is no longer associated with all of the sins including treason and rebellion against the Holy Lord.
Imagine if the world had a computer database which listed all of your sins from birth. Some of you may wear a watch which tracks your steps, calories, and sleep. Then you can track that information for months and years. Imagine if you had a device which kept track of your sins. Also, anybody could access that information to see your sin record. Wouldn’t that be embarrassing? Wouldn’t you cringe at the thought of having that information made available to the public? On the great Judgment Day, the books will be opened, and every unbeliever’s sins will be exposed for all. Yet, for the one who has repented of his sins and trusted in Christ, Jesus has highlighted all of those sins and deleted them from the database. Furthermore, He goes to His account which has no sins, but instead has a track record of perfect obedience. He copies those righteous acts and pastes it to your account. His righteousness is now yours. He has removed the guilt and replaced it with His obedience. God no longer treats you as a rebel but as a holy son or daughter.
Friends, do you feel guilty? Do you feel dirty? Do you feel unclean? You have two options before you. First, you can spiral downhill into depression. If you do not come to the Lord Jesus Christ, then you have no hope for atonement. You cannot be clean. You will remain guilty. You also have no hope of going back to the past to change all your actions. The record remains permanent. You also cannot do enough good from this point onward to overcome your sins. You are guilty and cannot change it on your own. Without hope for cleansing, you will go into a deeper and deeper depression. The Lord has struck your conscience, but you have not looked to Him for hope.
Martin Luther very well could have died without hope. For years, he grieved over his sin. He, however, found no relief, because he thought forgiveness came by faith and works. When he judged his works, he always saw fault. He kept confessing his sins including the small ones to the priest of the abbey. If he forgot one, he would immediately go back to confess it. He lived a life of bondage to a guilty conscience which could not find relief. Until one day, he read Romans 1:16-17, and the Holy Spirit made the text come alive. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Before this day, he tried to provide the righteousness necessary to please God. Now he understood that God provides the righteousness that we need to please Him through His Son. By faith in Christ, our guilt is removed, and we are made holy.
Imitate Luther my friends. Believe upon Christ and be forgiven. Psalm 32:1-2 says, “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.” How can a man go from being cursed under God’s law to being blessed? How can he go from being depressed under a guilty conscience to having joy? He must look to Christ. Then he will have God’s promise of forgiveness. He will be the blessed man who has no iniquity and no guilt. How? Christ was made a propitiation and a scapegoat. Through Him, we are saved and live.
[1] Andrew Roberts, The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III (London: Viking, 2021).
[2] Joel Beeke and Paul Smalley, Reformed Systematic Theology, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Crossway), 1015.
Brandon Rhea (Ph.D. Historical Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is a pastor and an ACBC certified Biblical counselor. He met his wife, Karise, while doing pulpit supply in 2013-14. In April 2016, he accepted the call to pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Kirksville, Missouri. He loves history and has a heart for street preaching and evangelism. He is the author of “Spurgeon’s Forgotten Sabbatarianism” and teaches “Spurgeon on the Law & Sabbath” for Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary.
