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In this chapter we have the institution of the annual solemnity of the day of atonement, or expiation, which had as much gospel in it as perhaps any of the appointments of the ceremonial law, as appears by the reference the apostle makes to it, Heb 9:7, etc. We had before divers laws concerning sin-offerings for particular persons, and to be offered upon particular occasions; but this is concerning the stated sacrifice, in which the whole nation was interested. The whole service of the day is committed to the high priest. I. He must never come into the most holy place but upon this day, Le 16:1,2. II. He must come dressed in linen garments, Le 16:4. III. He must bring a sin-offering and a burnt-offering for himself (Le 16:3), offer his sin-offering (Le 16:6-11), then go within the veil with some of the blood of his sin-offering, burn incense, and sprinkle the blood before the mercy-seat, Le 16:12-14. IV. Two goats must be provided for the people, lots cast upon them, and, 1. One of them must be a sin-offering for the people (Le 16:5,7-9), and the blood of it must be sprinkled before the mercy-seat (Le 16:15-17), and then some of the blood of both the sin-offerings must be sprinkled upon the altar, Le 16:18,19. 2. The other must be a scape-goat (Le 16:10), the sins of Israel must be confessed over him, and then he must be sent away into the wilderness (Le 16:20-22), and he that brought him away must be ceremonially unclean, Le 16:26. V. The burnt-offerings were then to be offered, the fat of the sin-offerings burnt on the altar, and their flesh burnt without the camp, Le 16:23-25,27,28. VI. The people were to observe the day religiously by a holy rest and holy mourning for sin; and this was to be a statute for ever, Le 16:29-34, etc.
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The Great Day of Atonement (1490 BC)
大赎罪日（主前 1490 年）
¹ 亚伦的两个儿子在耶和华面前献上凡火而死之后，耶和华对摩西说；
² "你要告诉你哥哥亚伦，不可随时进圣所到幔子内、柜上的施恩座前，免得他死亡；因为我要在云中显现在施恩座上。
³ 亚伦进圣所，要这样进：要带一只公牛犊为赎罪祭，一只公绵羊为燔祭。
⁴ 他要穿上圣洁的细麻布内袍，把细麻布裤子穿在身上，束上细麻布带子，头戴细麻布裹头巾：这些是圣衣；他要用水洗身，然后穿戴。 \
在此有，I. 这关于赎罪日之律法的日期：它是在亚伦的两个儿子死了之后（利 16:1），其事记于利 10:1。1. 免得亚伦惧怕那罪尚有余咎 cling 到他的家，或（鉴于祭司如此容易犯罪）他别的儿子后来的某种罪会毁掉他的家，他便受指教如何为他家赎罪，使他的家可以与神相和；因为这赎罪便是他家的坚立，并保全了祝福的延续。2. 祭司既因拿答和亚比户之死受了警戒，当以敬畏和敬虔的战兢亲近神（若不如此便自取危险），此处便指教他们当如何行那最亲近的就近——不仅是没有危险，而且若遵守这些指示，便有说不出的益处和安慰。当他们因不当的就近而被剪除时，其余的人不可说："那我们就不就近了"，而当说："那我们就当按规矩行。" 他们因自己的罪而死，所以神便怜悯地为其余的人预备，使他们不致死亡。这样，神对一些人的审判当成为对别人的教训。
II. 这律法的设计。其用意之一是维护对幔子内至圣所的敬畏，那里有舍吉拿——就是神的荣耀——乐意居住在基路伯之间：你要告诉亚伦，不可随时进圣所（利 16:2）。幔子前每日有祭司来在金坛上烧香，但幔子内除了大祭司以外，无人可以进去，而且他一年也只可在一天进去，并要行极大的礼仪、存极大的谨慎。神特别显明他同在的地方，不可成为寻常之地。若是人不可未蒙召就进地上君王的内室——就是王后自己也不可，违者必死（斯 4:11），那么对万王之王岂不也当表示同样的圣洁尊敬吗？但请看基督的福音带来了何等有福的改变；一切善良的基督徒如今都有胆量进入至圣所，经过幔子，每日如此（来 10:19、20）；并且我们坦然无惧地（不像亚伦必须恐惧战兢地）来到施恩的宝座，或施恩座前（来 4:16）。当神的同在和恩典的显明还是可感觉的之时，将它们如此限制和保留是合宜的，因为感官的对象越是熟悉，便越少令人敬畏或喜悦；但如今它们既完全是属灵的，情形便不同了，因为信心的对象越与之相交，便越发显出其伟大和善良：所以如今我们在一切时候都受欢迎进入那非人手所造的圣所，因为我们因信得以与基督耶稣一同坐在天上（弗 2:6）。那时亚伦不可随时就近，免得死亡；我们如今却当随时就近，好叫我们活：唯有远离才是我们的死。那时神在云中显现在施恩座上，但如今我们敞着脸看见主的荣耀——不在乌云中，乃在明亮的镜中（林后 3:18）。
III. 这一日的工作所交托的人，那就是唯独大祭司：亚伦要这样进圣所（利 16:3）。在赎罪日他当亲自作一切：不过要另备一人作为他的代替或帮手，以防万一有什么事临到他——无论是生病还是礼仪上的不洁——使他不能履行当日的事奉。所有的基督徒都是属灵的祭司，但唯有基督是大祭司，唯有他成就赎罪，他也不需要助手或代替者。
IV. 大祭司在这事奉中的装束。他不可穿戴他那独有的华美衣服：不可穿上以弗得及其上的宝石，只要穿那他与属下祭司所共有的细麻布衣服（利 16:4）。在这自卑的日子，那较朴素的装束最合他的身分；并且那衣服较薄较轻，他在其中更能敏捷地办理当日的工作——这一切都要经他的手。我们的高祭基督是在我们的本性中为人赎罪；不是在他自己独有荣耀的衣袍中，而是在我们必死之性的细麻衣中——那衣服固然洁净，却是卑微的。
⁵ "他要从以色列会众取两只公山羊为赎罪祭，一只公绵羊为燔祭。
⁶ 亚伦要把那为自己作赎罪祭的公牛献上，为自己和本家赎罪。
⁷ 也要把两只公山羊牵来，一同放在会幕门口耶和华面前。
⁸ 亚伦要为那两只山羊拈阄，一阄归耶和华，一阄归阿撒泻勒。
⁹ 亚伦要把那拈阄归耶和华的山羊牵来，献为赎罪祭。
¹⁰ 但那拈阄归阿撒泻勒的山羊，要活着安置在耶和华面前，用以赎罪，然后打发人把它放到旷野去，归阿撒泻勒。
¹¹ "亚伦要把那为自己作赎罪祭的公牛牵来，为自己和本家赎罪，把那为自己作赎罪祭的公牛宰了；
¹² 拿香炉，从耶和华面前的坛上盛满火炭，又拿一满捧捣细的香料，都带入幔子内，
¹³ 在耶和华面前，把香放在火上，使香的烟云遮掩法柜上的施恩座，免得他死亡；
¹⁴ 也要取些公牛的血，用指头弹在施恩座的东面；又在施恩座的前面用指头弹血七次。 \
犹太作者说，在赎罪日之前的七天，大祭司要退出自己的家，住在圣殿的一间房子里，好为自己预备这大日的事奉。在这七日间，他亲自作属下祭司关于献祭、烧香等的工作，使他的手为这日有所操练：律法的条例要反复读给他听，使他对全部程序完全了解。1. 他要从清早就开始当日的事奉，照例献早晨的常献祭；他必须先洗全身，然后穿戴，之后又要再洗手脚。然后他烧每日的香，整理灯，并献上为这日所定的特别祭（不在此处，而在民 29:8）——一只公牛、一只公绵羊、七只羊羔，都作燔祭。这些大概是他穿着大祭司的衣服行的。2. 他如今当脱下华美的衣袍，沐浴，穿上细麻布衣服，并将自己的公牛献给耶和华，这牛要为他自己和他本家作赎罪祭（利 16:6）。公牛被牵到圣殿和祭坛之间，本节所提的献它，就是庄严地承认自己和本家的罪，恳切求告赦免，并且双手按在公牛头上。3. 然后他要为两只公山羊拈阄，这两只山羊（合在一起）要作会众的一只赎罪祭。其中一只必须被宰杀，表明对神的公义为罪所作的满足；另一只必须被送走，表明因神的怜悯罪得赦免或遣去。两只都必须一同献在耶和华面前（利 16:7），然后才为之拈阄，之后归阿撒泻勒的那只要单独献上（利 16:10）。有人以为选用山羊作赎罪祭，是因为山羊的气味难闻，恰可表明罪的可憎：另有人以为，是因为据说外邦人所敬拜的鬼魔常以山羊的形状向敬拜者显现，所以神迫使他的百姓献山羊为祭，使他们永不受试探去祭祀山羊。4. 接下来当行的，是为他自己和他的家宰杀那作赎罪祭的公牛（利 16:11）。犹太人说："他如今要再次按手在公牛头上，重复他先前所作的认罪和恳求，并亲手宰杀公牛，先为自己赎罪（因为他自己若未先与神和好，怎能替百姓赎罪呢？），再为他的家赎罪——不仅为他自己的家人，也为所有的祭司，他们被称为亚伦的家（诗 135:19）。" 这爱心当从自己开始，却不可止于自己。公牛被宰之后，他留一位祭司搅拌那血，免得凝固，然后，5. 他一手拿一炉不冒烟的火炭，另一手拿一满盘捣细的香，便经过幔子进入至圣所，向约柜走去，把火炭放在地上，把香撒在其上，于是房间立即充满了烟雾。犹太人说他当侧身进去，使他不至直对着约柜——神的荣耀所在之处——直视，直到烟雾遮盖了它；然后他当倒退着出来，以表对神圣威严的敬畏；并且经过简短的祷告之后，他当赶快出圣所，向百姓显现，免得他们怀疑他在耶和华面前行为失当而死在那里。6. 然后他从他所留搅拌血的祭司那里取来公牛的血，第二次带着进入至圣所——那里如今已充满了香的烟——用指头把那血弹在或向施恩座上，先对着座的顶部弹一次，再对着座的下部弹七次（利 16:14）。但（如犹太人所解）血滴都落在地上，没有一滴碰到施恩座。行完这事，他便从至圣所出来，把盛血的盆放在圣所中，然后出来。
¹⁵ "随后他要宰那为百姓作赎罪祭的山羊，把羊血带进幔子内，像弹公牛血一样弹在这血上，弹在施恩座上和施恩座的前面；
¹⁶ 他要因以色列人诸般的不洁和过犯，就是他们一切的罪，为圣所赎罪；也要为那在他们不洁之中与他们同住的会幕照样行。
¹⁷ 他进圣所赎罪的时候，会幕里不可有人，直等到他为自己和本家并以色列全会众赎了罪出来。
¹⁸ 他出来，要到耶和华面前的坛那里，为坛赎罪；取些公牛的血和山羊的血，抹在坛的四角上。
¹⁹ 也要用指头把血弹在坛上七次，洁净坛，分别为圣，使以色列人的污秽从坛上除掉。 \
祭司既在施恩座前弹了公牛的血出来，1. 接下来他必须宰那为百姓作赎罪祭的山羊（利 16:15），第三次进入至圣所，把山羊的血像弹公牛的血那样弹出来；这样他便要为圣所赎罪（利 16:16）；即，百姓因他们的罪惹动了神，使神几乎要收回他与他们同在之恩惠的记号，甚至使那圣所不配作圣洁之神的居所；赎罪之礼既行，神既与他们和好，便可继续与他们同在。2. 然后他要为帐幕的外部行他刚才为内室所行的——把公牛的血先弹，再弹山羊的血，在幔子外摆设桌子和香坛之处，各弹八次，如先前一样。其理由表明的是因为帐幕在他们不洁之中与他们同住（利 16:16）。神要藉此向他们表明他们的心何等需要洁净，因为帐幕只因处在如此不洁有罪的百姓中间，便需要这赎罪之礼；也表明甚至他们的灵修和宗教行为也有许多缺失，必须为之赎罪。在这典礼之时，属下的祭司都不可进入帐幕（利 16:17），他们站在外面，便是承认自己不配、不堪在那里事奉，因为他们在事奉中的愚昧、缺陷和种种的不洁，使这帐幕的赎罪成为必要。3. 然后他必须把公牛和山羊混合的血抹一些在耶和华面前坛的四角上（利 16:18、19）。香坛确实有这血抹在其上，因为这是明文规定的（出 30:10）；但有人以为此处是指引大祭司到燔祭坛，因为那坛也在此称为耶和华面前的坛（利 16:12），因为经上说他出来到它那里，也因为可以推定那坛也需要赎罪；因为以色列人的礼物和供物都带到那里，那坛被称为因他们的不洁而得分别为圣。
²⁰ "他洁净了圣所、会幕和坛，就要把那只活山羊牵来；
²¹ 亚伦要两手按在活山羊头上，承认以色列人的一切罪孽和过犯，就是他们一切的罪，把这些都归在山羊的头上，藉着所派之人的手，把它送到旷野去。
²² 山羊要担当他们一切的罪孽，带到无人之地；他要在旷野放走这山羊。
²³ "亚伦要进会幕，把他进圣所时所穿的细麻布衣服脱下，留在那里；
²⁴ 又要在圣处用水洗身，穿上衣服出来，献自己的燔祭和百姓的燔祭，为自己和百姓赎罪。
²⁵ 赎罪祭牲的脂油，他要烧在坛上。
²⁶ "那放归阿撒泻勒的山羊的人，要洗衣服，用水洗身，然后进营。
²⁷ 作赎罪祭的公牛和山羊，就是其血带入圣所赎罪的，要由一人搬到营外，把皮、肉、粪都用火焚烧。
²⁸ 焚烧的人要洗衣服，用水洗身，然后进营。 \
大祭司既藉洒血将赎罪之祭献给耶和华，剩下的血大概倒在铜坛脚那里，1. 接下来他要承认以色列的罪，双手按在归阿撒泻勒的山羊头上（利 16:20、21）；每当按手在任何祭牲头上时，总是带着认罪，按着那祭的性质而行；这既是赎罪祭，认的便是罪。在犹太教会后期更败落的时代，他们有为大祭司预备的认罪格式，但神在此没有规定任何格式；因为可以设想，大祭司对百姓的光景如此熟悉，对他们如此关切，他不需要任何格式。认罪当尽可能具体，不仅是认以色列人的一切罪孽，更是他们在一切罪中的过犯。在一项罪中可能有许多过犯，因其中加重的情节不同；我们在认罪中当注意到这些，不仅说：我犯了罪，更要像亚干那样说："我如此如此行了。" 藉着这认罪，他必须把以色列的罪归在山羊头上；即，他运用信心在神的安排上——这安排构成了这样的转移——他必须把罪人所招致的刑罚转移到祭牲身上；若不是神自己设立的，这便是儿戏，更是对神的亵渎。2. 然后山羊当立即由一位为此目的而选定的人送到旷野——无人之地；神允许他们这样解释这件事：放走山羊便是把他们的罪送走，藉着白白的完全赦免：山羊要担当他们一切的罪孽（利 16:22）。山羊的丢失对他们是记号，表明以色列的罪虽被寻找，却寻不见（耶 50:20）。后来的犹太人有一风俗，把一条朱红色布条系在山羊的角上，另一条系在殿门上，或系在山羊丢失的磐石顶上，他们断言：若布条变白（据说通常如此），以色列的罪便蒙赦免了，正如经上所记：你们的罪虽像朱红，必变成雪白如羊毛；他们又加说，在耶路撒冷被罗马人毁灭之前的四十年间，那朱红色的布条从未改变颜色——这公正地承认了：他们既拒绝了那实体，那影儿对他们也无用了。3. 大祭司然后要在帐幕里脱下细麻布衣服，留在那里——犹太人说，那些衣服永不再为他或别人所用，因为每年都作新的；并且他要在水中沐浴，穿上华美的衣服，然后献自己的和百姓的燔祭（利 16:23、24）。当我们得着赦免的安慰时，神必须得着其中的荣耀。我们若因赎罪之祭而得益，就不可吝惜感恩之祭。看来赎罪祭牲脂油的焚烧是延迟到此时（利 16:25），好与燔祭一同烧尽。4. 那两只血被带入幔子内的赎罪祭牲的肉，要全部焚烧——不在坛上，而是在营外远处——为要表明我们藉着真实的悔改和焚烧的灵除去罪，以及神藉着完全的赦免除去罪，使它永不再起来在审判中抵挡我们。5. 那把归阿撒泻勒的山羊带到旷野的人，和那些焚烧赎罪祭的人，都当看为在礼仪上不洁，他们必须先洗衣服并用水洗身，然后才可进营——这表明了罪的玷污性质；连那作了罪的祭物都是玷污人的：也表明律法之祭的不完全；它们非但不能除罪，连它们也使摸它们的人沾染了污点。6. 当这一切都作完，大祭司再次进入至圣所去取他的香炉，然后欢欢喜喜地回到自己的家，因为他尽了他的本分，并未死亡。
²⁹ "这要作你们永远的定例：就是七月初十日，你们要刻苦己心，无论何工都不可作，无论是本地人，是寄居在你们中间的外人；
³⁰ 因为在这日祭司要为你们赎罪，使你们洁净，使你们在耶和华面前得以脱离一切的罪而洁净。
³¹ 这要作你们安息的安息日，你们要刻苦己心，作为永远的定例。
³² 那受膏的祭司，就是他接续他父亲供祭司职分的，要穿上细麻布衣服，就是圣衣，为百姓赎罪；
³³ 他要在至圣所赎罪，为会幕和坛赎罪，并为众祭司和会众的百姓赎罪。
³⁴ 这要作你们永远的定例，就是每年一次为以色列人赎罪。于是亚伦照耶和华所吩咐摩西的行了。 \
I. 我们在此有关于这大典的一些附加指示，特别是——
1. 为这典礼所定的日子。每年要在七月初十日遵守（利 16:29）。第七个月本来被算为第一个月，直到神吩咐说，以色列人出埃及的那个月从此当算作并称为第一个月。有人幻想这七月初十日就是我们的始祖坠落的那一日，并以为守这日为禁食是为记念他们的坠落。莱特富特博士推算，这正是摩西最后一次从山上下来、带着更新的法版、并神与以色列和好的确据、脸上发光的那一日：那一日在他们世世代代中必作赎罪日；因为记念神在他们造金牛犊一事上赦免他们的罪，可以鼓励他们盼望，他们悔改时他必赦免他们一切过犯。
2. 这日百姓的本分。(1.) 他们当停下一切的劳碌：这要作你们安息的安息日（利 16:31）。这日的工作本身已够多，若行得好便是够多一日的工作了；所以他们不可作任何别的工。为罪自卑的工作要求心灵如此全神贯注，整个人如此投入，以致不容我们分心去作别的工。赎罪日看来就是先知所说的安息日（赛 58:13），因为它就是前文所说到的禁食。(2.) 他们当刻苦己心。他们当禁绝一切身体的娱乐和喜乐，作为内心为罪自卑和痛悔的记号。这日他们都禁食（除了病人和孩童），并摘下装饰，不膏抹自己，如但以理（但 10:3、12）。大卫以禁食刻苦己心（诗 35:13）。这表明了治死罪、转离罪，解开罪恶的绳索（赛 58:6、7）。犹太的博士劝他们那日不可读那些能以喜乐影响他们的经文段落，因为这是刻苦己心的日子。
3. 这设立的永久性：这要作永远的定例（利 16:29、34）。任何一年都不可间断，也不可搁置，直到那一制度被废去，预表被实体所取代。只要我们持续犯罪，就必须持续悔改，并接受赎罪。为罪刻苦己心的律法是永远的定例，直到我们抵达那里——一切眼泪，连悔改的眼泪，都将从我们眼中擦去。使徒指出，律法之祭不能除罪、不能洁净良心，其证据在于：在赎罪日，每年都记念罪（来 10:1-3）。每年重复献祭，表明它们对赎罪只有微弱无力的努力；这事唯有藉着基督一次献上身体才能有效成就，而那一次便已足够；那祭物无需再献。
II. 让我们看看这一切中有何等的福音。
1. 此处预表了赦罪和进到神面前这两样伟大的福音特权——我们都因我们主耶稣的中保而得之。所以在此我们当看见——
(1.) 基督为我们所作的赎罪。他自己既是赎罪的成就者，也是赎罪的凭借；因为他是——[1.] 那位祭司，那位大祭司，他为百姓的罪挽回（来 2:17）。唯有他，也只有他，是par negotio——适合此工又配得此尊荣的：他受父的指派而行此事，父分别为圣他、差他到世上来，正是为此目的，使神在他里面使世人与自己和好。 他承担了这事，并为我们分别为圣自己，将自己分别出来归于此事（约 17:19）。大祭司在这日屡次沐浴，并以洁净洁白的细麻衣行当日的事奉，表明了主耶稣的圣洁——他完全脱离一切罪，并以一切恩典为装饰美化。当大祭司赎罪时，不可有人与他同在（利 16:17）；因为我们的主耶稣必独自踹酒榨，众民中无一人与他同在（赛 63:3）；所以当他进入受苦之时，他的众门徒都离开他逃走了，因为若他们中有人被捕与他同死，便好像他们协助了赎罪；只有那些断无此嫌疑的强盗可与同受苦。请看大祭司所作赎罪的范围何等广大：是为至圣所、为会幕、为坛、为众祭司，并为全会众的百姓（利 16:33）。基督的满足便是为仆人和百姓的罪——为我们圣洁（和不圣洁）之事的罪孽——赎罪的那一位；我们得享条例之特权的资格、我们在其中的安慰和得益，都归于基督所作的赎罪。然而大祭司所作的赎罪只属于以色列会众，基督却是挽回祭——不仅为犹太人的罪，也是为整个外邦世界的罪。基督在这方面也无限超越亚伦：亚伦需要先为自己的罪献祭，并在他的赎罪祭牲头上认罪；但我们的主耶稣并没有自己的罪要交账。这样的大祭司原是合乎我们的（来 7:26）。所以当他在约旦河受洗时，别人站在水中承认他们的罪（太 3:6），他却从水里一上来（太 3:16），因为他无罪可认。[2.] 他既是那位大祭司，他也是那用以赎罪的祭物；因为在我们与神和好一事上他是万有。这样他便由那两只山羊所预表——它们合起来作一只祭：被宰的山羊预表基督为我们的罪而死，归阿撒泻勒的山羊预表基督为使我们称义而复活。拈阄决定哪一只被宰，其结果的处置在乎主；因为基督是按着神的定旨先见被交给人。第一， 赎罪被说成是藉着把以色列的罪归在山羊头上而完成的。他们本该被撇弃，送到遗忘之地，但那刑罚在此转移到那担当他们罪的山羊身上；参照这一点，神被说为将我们众人的罪孽都归在他身上（赛 53:6）——他是一切这些影儿的实体——又说他在木头上亲身担当了我们的罪，就是担当了罪的刑罚（彼前 2:24）。这样他为我们成了罪，就是成了赎罪祭（林后 5:21）。他受苦并受死，不仅为我们的益处，更是代替我们；他被撇弃，似乎一时被忘记，好叫我们不致永远被撇弃遗忘。有些博学者推算，我们的主耶稣是在七月初十日——正是赎罪日——在约旦河受约翰的洗。那时他便进入了他作中保的职任，并立即被圣灵催到旷野去——无人之地。第二， 其结果是，以色列一切的罪孽都被带到遗忘之地。这样，神的羔羊除去世人的罪，便是藉着将其归在自己身上（约 1:29）。神赦免罪时，被说为不再记念（来 8:12），将罪抛在背后（赛 38:17），投入深海（弥 7:19），并使它离我们如东离西那么远（诗 103:12）。
(2.) 基督为我们进入天堂，在此由大祭司进入至圣所所预表。使徒已对此作了解释（来 9:7 等），他表明——[1.] 天堂就是那至圣所，但不是那座建筑，而且藉着信心、盼望和祷告、经过中保而进入其中的路，当时并未像如今藉着福音向我们这样清楚地显明。[2.] 我们的大祭司基督在他升天时一次永远地进入了天堂，并作为公众人物，代表他一切属灵的以色列人，并经过他肉身的幔子——那幔子正是为此裂开（来 10:20）。[3.] 他用自己的血进入（来 9:12），把他在地上所献祭物的功效带到天上，并在那里（仿佛在施恩座前）洒他的血，这血所说的比公牛山羊的血所说的更美。因此他被称为在宝座之中显为像是被杀过的羔羊（启 5:6）。虽然他没有自己的罪需要赎，却是凭着自己的功劳，为自己得着了他本来荣耀的恢复（约 17:4、5），也为我们得着了永远的救赎（来 9:12）。[4.] 大祭司在圣所中烧香，这预表了基督在幔子内永远活着为我们代求——这是凭着他满足的功劳。我们若不是被这香的云遮盖，便不能指望存活，就是在施恩座前也是如此。单凭怜悯本身不能救我们，若无中保的代求。基督的代求在那里作为香呈在神面前，如同这香。正如大祭司先为自己代求，然后为他家，再为全以色列，照样我们的主耶稣在约 17:1-26（那是他在天上代求的样本）中，先把自己荐于父，然后他的门徒——他的家人——最后是一切因他们的话而信他的人，如同全以色列；他既如此论及他献祭的用途和用意，便立即被拿、被钉十字架，正是照着这些用意而行。[5.] 基督的进入在此远超亚伦的：亚伦不能为他自己的儿子们取得进入至圣所的资格；但我们的主耶稣已经为我们开创了一条又新又活的路进入至圣所，使我们也可以坦然进入（来 10:19、20）。[6.] 大祭司还要再出来，但我们的主耶稣却永远活着代求，并常常在神面前为我们显现——他已作为先锋为我们进入那里，并作为代理人继续为我们居住在那里。
2. 此处也预表了信心和悔改这两样伟大的福音本分——我们藉此才得有分于赎罪，并得着其中益处的权利。(1.) 藉着信心，我们必须按手在祭牲头上，倚靠基督作我们的主、我们的义，以他的满足为唯独能赎我们的罪、为我们取得赦免的凭借。"主啊，你当为我回答。 我为自己所说的就是这一切：基督死了，而且复活了；我完全顺服他的恩典和治理，并在他里面靠着他免去神的忿怒"（罗 5:11）。(2.) 藉着悔改，我们必须刻苦己心；不仅一时禁绝身体的娱乐，更要在内心为我们的罪忧伤，度舍己和治死的生活。我们也当为罪作悔改的认罪，并且是注目我们所扎过的基督，因他而哀哭；并以信心之手按在赎罪祭上，确信我们若认自己的罪，神是信实的、是公义的，必赦免我们的罪，洗净我们一切的不义。
最后，在禧年，宣告自由的角声被吩咐在赎罪日结束时吹响（利 25:9）。因为我们债务的豁免、奴役的释放、以及归回我们产业的凭借，都归于耶稣基督的中保和代求。藉着赎罪我们得着灵魂的安息，并得着神儿女一切荣耀的自由。
英文原文
The Great Day of Atonement (1490 BC)
¹ And the LORD spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the LORD, and died;
² And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.
³ Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.
⁴ He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.
Here is, I. The date of this law concerning the day of atonement: it was after the death of the two sons of Aaron (Le 16:1), which we read, Le 10:1. 1. Lest Aaron should fear that any remaining guilt of that sin should cleave to his family, or (seeing the priests were so apt to offend) that some after-sin of his other sons should be the ruin of his family, he is directed how to make atonement for his house, that it might keep in with God; for the atonement for it would be the establishment of it, and preserve the entail of the blessing upon it. 2. The priests being warned by the death of Nadab and Abihu to approach to God with reverence and godly fear (without which they came at their peril), directions are here given how the nearest approach might be made, not only without peril, but to unspeakable advantage and comfort, if the directions were observed. When they were cut off for an undue approach, the rest must not say, "Then we will not draw near at all," but, "Then we will do it by rule." They died for their sin, therefore God graciously provides for the rest, that they die not. Thus God's judgments on some should be instructions to others.
II. The design of this law. One intention of it was to preserve a veneration for the most holy place, within the veil, where the Shechinah, or divine glory, was pleased to dwell between the cherubim: Speak unto Aaron, that he come not at all times into the holy place, Le 16:2. Before the veil some of the priests came every day to burn incense upon the golden altar, but within the veil none must ever come but the high priest only, and he but on one day in the year, and with great ceremony and caution. That place where God manifested his special presence must not be made common. If none must come into the presence-chamber of an earthly king uncalled, no, not the queen herself, upon pain of death (Es 4:11), was it not requisite that the same sacred respect should be paid to the Kings of kings? But see what a blessed change is made by the gospel of Christ; all good Christians have now boldness to enter into the holiest, through the veil, every day (Heb 10:19,20); and we come boldly (not as Aaron must, with fear and trembling) to the throne of grace, or mercy-seat, Heb 4:16. While the manifestations of God's presence and grace were sensible, it was requisite that they should thus be confined and upon reserve, because the objects of sense the more familiar they are made the less awful or delightful they become; but now that they are purely spiritual it is otherwise, for the objects of faith the more they are conversed with the more do they manifest of their greatness and goodness: now therefore we are welcome to come at all times into the holy place not made with hands, for we are made to sit together with Christ in heavenly places by faith, Eph 2:6. Then Aaron must not come near at all times, lest he die; we now must come near at all times that we may live: it is distance only that is our death. Then God appeared in the cloud upon the mercy-seat, but now with open face we behold, not in a dark cloud, but in a clear glass, the glory of the Lord, 2Co 3:18.
III. The person to whom the work of this day was committed, and that was the high priest only: Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place, Le 16:3. He was to do all himself upon the day of atonement: only there was a second provided to be his substitute or supporter, in case any thing should befal him, either of sickness or ceremonial uncleanness, that he could not perform the service of the day. All Christians are spiritual priests, but Christ only is the high priest, and he alone it is that makes atonement, nor needed he either assistant or substitute.
IV. The attire of the high priest in this service. He was not to be dressed up in his rich garments that were peculiar to himself: he was not to put on the ephod, with the precious stones in it, but only the linen clothes which he wore in common with the inferior priests, Le 16:4. That meaner dress did best become him on this day of humiliation; and, being thinner and lighter, he would in it be more expedite for the work or service of the day, which was all to go through his hands. Christ, our high priest, made atonement for sin in our nature; not in the robes of his own peculiar glory, but the linen garments of our mortality, clean indeed, but mean.
⁵ And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.
⁶ And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.
⁷ And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
⁸ And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
⁹ And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD's lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.
¹⁰ But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.
¹¹ And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself:
¹² And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail:
¹³ And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not:
¹⁴ And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.
The Jewish writers say that for seven days before the day of expiation the high priest was to retire from his own house, and to dwell in a chamber of the temple, that he might prepare himself for the service of this great day. During those seven days he himself did the work of the inferior priests about the sacrifices, incense, etc., that he might have his hand in for this day: he must have the institution read to him again and again, that he might be fully apprised of the whole method. 1. He was to begin the service of the day very early with the usual morning sacrifice, after he had first washed his whole body before he dressed himself, and his hands and feet again afterwards. He then burned the daily incense, dressed the lamps, and offered the extraordinary sacrifice appointed for this day (not here, but Nu 29:8), a bullock, a ram, and seven lambs, all for burnt-offerings. This he is supposed to have done in his high priest's garments. 2. He must now put off his rich robes, bathe himself, put on the linen garments, and present unto the Lord his own bullock, which was to be a sin-offering for himself and his own house, Le 16:6. The bullock was set between the temple and the altar, and the offering of him mentioned in this verse was the making of a solemn confession of his sins and the sins of his house, earnestly praying for the forgiveness of them, and this with his hands on the head of the bullock. 3. He must then cast lots upon the two goats, which were to make (both together) one sin-offering for the congregation. One of these goats must be slain, in token of a satisfaction to be made to God's justice for sin, the other must be sent away, in token of the remission or dismission of sin by the mercy of God. Both must be presented together to God (Le 16:7) before the lot was cast upon them, and afterwards the scape-goat by itself, Le 16:10. Some think that goats were chosen for the sin-offering because, by the disagreeableness of their smell, the offensiveness of sin is represented: others think, because it was said that the demons which the heathens then worshipped often appeared to their worshippers in the form of goats, God therefore obliged his people to sacrifice goats, that they might never be tempted to sacrifice to goats. 4. The next thing to be done was to kill the bullock for the sin-offering for himself and his house, Le 16:11. "Now," say the Jews, "he must again put his hands on the head of the bullock, and repeat the confession and supplication he had before made, and kill the bullock with his own hands, to make atonement for himself first (for how could he make reconciliation for the sins of the people till he was himself first reconciled?) and for his house, not only his own family, but all the priests, who are called the house of Aaron," Ps 135:19. This charity must begin at home, though it must not end there. The bullock being killed, he left one of the priests to stir the blood, that it might not thicken, and then, 5. He took a censer of burning coals (that would not smoke) in one hand, and a dish full of the sweet incense in the other, and then went into the holy of holies through the veil, and went up towards the ark, set the coals down upon the floor, and scattered the incense upon them, so that the room was immediately filled with smoke. The Jews say that he was to go in side-ways, that he might not look directly upon the ark where the divine glory was, till it was covered with smoke; then he must come out backwards, out of reverence to the divine majesty; and, after a short prayer, he was to hasten out of the sanctuary, to show himself to the people, that they might not suspect that he had misbehaved himself and died before the Lord. 6. He then fetched the blood of the bullock from the priest whom he had left stirring it, and took that in with him the second time into the holy of holies, which was now filled with the smoke of the incense, and sprinkled with his finger of that blood upon, or rather towards, the mercy-seat, once over against the top of it and then seven times towards the lower part of it, Le 16:14. But the drops of blood (as the Jews expound it) all fell upon the ground, and none touched the mercy-seat. Having done this, he came out of the most holy place, set the basin of blood down in the sanctuary, and went out.
¹⁵ Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:
¹⁶ And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.
¹⁷ And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.
¹⁸ And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.
¹⁹ And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
When the priest had come out from the sprinkling the blood of the bullock before the mercy-seat, 1. He must next kill the goat which was the sin-offering for the people (Le 16:15) and go the third time into the holy of holies, to sprinkle the blood of the goat, as he had done that of the bullock; and thus he was to make atonement for the holy place (Le 16:16); that is, whereas the people by their sins had provoked God to take away those tokens of his favourable presence with them, and rendered even that holy place unfit to be the habitation of the holy God, atonement was hereby made for sin, that God, being reconciled to them, might continue with them. 2. He must then do the same for the outward part of the tabernacle that he had done for the inner room, by sprinkling the blood of the bullock first, and then that of the goat, without the veil, where the table and incense-altar stood, eight times each as before. The reason intimated is because the tabernacle remained among them in the midst of their uncleanness, Le 16:16. God would hereby show them how much their hearts needed to be purified, when even the tabernacle, only by standing in the midst of such an impure and sinful people, needed this expiation; and also that even their devotions and religious performances had much amiss in them, for which it was necessary that atonement should be made. During this solemnity, none of the inferior priests must come into the tabernacle (Le 16:17), but, by standing without, must own themselves unworthy and unfit to minister there, because their follies, and defects, and manifold impurities in their ministry, had made this expiation of the tabernacle necessary. 3. He must then put some of the blood, both of the bullock and of the goat mixed together, upon the horns of the altar that is before the Lord, Le 16:18,19. It is certain that the altar of incense had this blood put upon it, for so it is expressly ordered (Ex 30:10); but some think that this directs the high priest to the altar of burnt-offerings, for that also is here called the altar before the Lord (Le 16:12), because he is said to go out to it, and because it may be presumed that that also had need of an expiation; for too that the gifts and offerings of the children of Israel were all brought, from whose uncleanness the altar is here said to be hallowed.
²⁰ And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:
²¹ And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
²² And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
²³ And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there:
²⁴ And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people.
²⁵ And the fat of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar.
²⁶ And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp.
²⁷ And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung.
²⁸ And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.
The high priest having presented unto the Lord the expiatory sacrifices, by the sprinkling of their blood, the remainder of which, it is probable, he poured out at the foot of the brazen altar, 1. He is next to confess the sins of Israel, with both his hands upon the head of the scape-goat (Le 16:20,21); and whenever hands were imposed upon the head of any sacrifice it was always done with confession, according as the nature of the sacrifice was; and, this being a sin-offering, it must be a confession of sin. In the latter and more degenerate ages of the Jewish church they had a set form of confession prepared for the high priest, but God here prescribed none; for it might be supposed that the high priest was so well acquainted with the state of the people, and had such a tender concern for them, that he needed not any form. The confession must be as particular as he could make it, not only of all the iniquities of the children of Israel, but all their transgressions in all their sins. In one sin there may be many transgressions, from the several aggravating circumstances of it; and in our confessions we should take notice of them, and not only say, I have sinned, but, with Achan, "Thus and thus have I done." By this confession he must put the sins of Israel upon the head of the goat; that is, exercising faith upon the divine appointment which constituted such a translation, he must transfer the punishment incurred from the sinners to the sacrifice, which would have been but a jest, nay, an affront to God, if he himself had not ordained it. 2. The goat was then to be sent away immediately by the hand of a fit person pitched upon for the purpose, into a wilderness, a land not inhabited; and God allowed them to make this construction of it, that the sending away of the goat was the sending away of their sins, by a free and full remission: He shall bear upon him all their iniquities, Le 16:22. The losing of the goat was a sign to them that the sins of Israel should be sought for, and not found, Jer 50:20. The later Jews had a custom to tie one shred of scarlet cloth to the horns of the goat and another to the gate of the temple, or to the top of the rock where the goat was lost, and they concluded that if it turned white, as they say it usually did, the sins of Israel were forgiven, as it is written, Though your sins have been as scarlet, they shall be as wool: and they add that for forty years before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans the scarlet cloth never changed colour at all, which is a fair confession that, having rejected the substance, the shadow stood them in no stead. 3. The high priest must then put off his linen garments in the tabernacle, and leave them there, the Jews say never to be worn again by himself or any other, for they made new ones every year; and he must bathe himself in water, put on his rich clothes, and then offer both his own and the people's burnt-offerings, Le 16:23,24. When we have the comfort of our pardon God must have the glory of it. If we have the benefit of the sacrifice of atonement, we must not grudge the sacrifices of acknowledgment. And, it should seem, the burning of the fat of the sin-offering was deferred till now (Le 16:25), that it might be consumed with the burnt-offerings. 4. The flesh of both those sin-offerings whose blood was taken within the veil was to be all burnt, not upon the altar, but at a distance without the camp, to signify both our putting away sin by true repentance, and the spirit of burning, and God's putting it away by a full remission, so that it shall never rise up in judgment against us. 5. He that took the scape-goat into the wilderness, and those that burned the sin-offering, were to be looked upon as ceremonially unclean, and must not come into the camp till they had washed their clothes and bathed their flesh in water, which signified the defiling nature of sin; even the sacrifice which was but made sin was defiling: also the imperfection of the legal sacrifices; they were so far from taking away sin that even they left some stain upon those that touched them. 6. When all this was done, the high priest went again into the most holy place to fetch his censer, and so returned to his own house with joy, because he had done his duty, and died not.
²⁹ And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:
³⁰ For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.
³¹ It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.
³² And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments:
³³ And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.
³⁴ And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.
I. We have here some additional directions in reference to this great solemnity, particularly,
1. The day appointed for this solemnity. It must be observed yearly on the tenth day of the seventh month, Le 16:29. The seventh had been reckoned the first month, till God appointed that the month in which the children of Israel came out of Egypt should thenceforward be accounted and called the first month. Some have fancied that this tenth day of the seventh month was the day of the year on which our first parents fell, and that it was kept as a fast in remembrance of their fall. Dr. Lightfoot computes that this was the day on which Moses came the last time down from the mount, when he brought with him the renewed tables, and the assurances of God's being reconciled to Israel, and his face shone: that day must be a day of atonement throughout their generations; for the remembrance of God's forgiving them their sin about the golden calf might encourage them to hope that, upon their repentance, he would forgive them all trespasses.
2. The duty of the people on this day. (1.) They must rest from all their labours: It shall be a sabbath of rest, Le 16:31. The work of the day was itself enough, and a good day's work if it was done well; therefore they must do no other work at all. The work of humiliation for sin requires such a close application of mind, and such a fixed engagement of the whole man, as will not allow us to turn aside to any other work. The day of atonement seems to be that sabbath spoken of by the prophet (Isa 58:13), for it is the same with the fast spoken of in the verses before. (2.) They must afflict their souls. They must refrain from all bodily refreshments and delights, in token of inward humiliation and contrition of soul for their sins. They all fasted on this day from food (except the sick and children), and laid aside their ornaments, and did not anoint themselves, as Daniel, Le 10:3,12. David chastened his soul with fasting, Ps 35:13. And it signified the mortifying of sin and turning from it, loosing the bands of wickedness, Isa 58:6,7. The Jewish doctors advised that they should not on that day read those portions of scripture which were proper to affect them with delight and joy, because it was a day to afflict their souls.
3. The perpetuity of this institution: It shall be a statute for ever, Le 16:29,34. It must not be intermitted any year, nor ever let fall till that constitution should be dissolved, and the type should be superseded by the antitype. As long as we are continually sinning, we must be continually repenting, and receiving the atonement. The law of afflicting our souls for sin is a statute for ever, which will continue in force till we arrive where all tears, even those of repentance, will be wiped from our eyes. The apostle observes it as an evidence of the insufficiency of the legal sacrifices to take away sin, and purge the conscience from it, that in them there was a remembrance made of sin every year, upon the day of atonement, Heb 10:1-3. The annual repetition of the sacrifices showed that there was in them only a faint and feeble effort towards making atonement; it could be done effectually only by the offering up of the body of Christ once for all, and that once was sufficient; that sacrifice needed not to be repeated.
II. Let us see what there was of gospel in all this.
1. Here are typified the two great gospel privileges of the remission of sin and access to God, both which we owe to the mediation of our Lord Jesus. Here then let us see,
(1.) The expiation of guilt which Christ made for us. He is himself both the maker and the matter of the atonement; for he is, [1.] The priest, the high priest, that makes reconciliation for the sins of the people, Heb 2:17. He, and he only, is par negotio—fit for the work and worthy of the honour: he is appointed by the Father to do it, who sanctified him, and sent him into the world for this purpose, that God might in him reconcile the world to himself. He undertook it, and for our sakes sanctified himself, and set himself apart for it, Joh 17:19. The high priest's frequently bathing himself on this day, and performing the service of it in fine linen clean and white, signified the holiness of the Lord Jesus, his perfect freedom from all sin, and his being beautified and adorned with all grace. No man was to be with the high priest when he made atonement (Le 16:17); for our Lord Jesus was to tread the wine-press alone, and of the people there must be none with him (Isa 63:3); therefore, when he entered upon his sufferings, all his disciples forsook him and fled, for it any of them had been taken and put to death with him it would have looked as if they had assisted in making the atonement; none but thieves, concerning whom there could be no such suspicion, must suffer with him. And observe what the extent of the atonement was which the high priest made: it was for the holy sanctuary, for the tabernacle, for the altar, for the priests, and for all the people, Le 16:33. Christ's satisfaction is that which atones for the sins both of ministers and people, the iniquities of our holy (and our unholy) things; the title we have to the privileges of ordinances, our comfort in them, and benefit by them, are all owing to the atonement Christ made. But, whereas the atonement which the high priest made pertained only to the congregation of Israel, Christ is the propitiation, not for their sins only, that are Jews, but for the sins of the whole Gentile world. And in this also Christ infinitely excelled Aaron, that Aaron needed to offer sacrifice for his own sin first, of which he was to make confession upon the head of his sin-offering; but our Lord Jesus had no sin of his own to answer for. Such a high priest became us, Heb 7:26. And therefore, when he was baptized in Jordan, whereas others stood in the water confessing their sins (Mt 3:6), he went up straightway out of the water (Le 16:16), having no sins to confess. [2.] As he is the high priest, so he is the sacrifice with which atonement is made; for he is all in all in our reconciliation to God. Thus he was prefigured by the two goats, which both made one offering: the slain goat was a type of Christ dying for our sins, the scape-goat a type of Christ rising again for our justification. It was directed by lot, the disposal whereof was of the Lord, which goat should be slain; for Christ was delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. First, The atonement is said to be completed by putting the sins of Israel upon the head of the goat. They deserved to have been abandoned and sent into a land of forgetfulness, but that punishment was here transferred to the goat that bore their sins, with reference to which God is said to have laid upon our Lord Jesus (the substance of all these shadows) the iniquity of us all (Isa 53:6), and he is said to have borne our sins, even the punishment of them, in his own body upon the tree, 1Pe 2:24. Thus was he made sin for us, that is, a sacrifice for sin, 2Co 5:21. He suffered and died, not only for our good, but in our stead, and was forsaken, and seemed to be forgotten for a time, that we might not be forsaken and forgotten for ever. Some learned men have computed that our Lord Jesus was baptized of John in Jordan upon the tenth day of the seventh month, which was the very day of atonement. Then he entered upon his office as Mediator, and was immediately driven of the Spirit into the wilderness, a land not inhabited. Secondly, The consequence of this was that all the iniquities of Israel were carried into a land of forgetfulness. Thus Christ, the Lamb of God, takes away the sin the of world, by taking it upon himself, Joh 1:29. And, when God forgives sin, he is said to remember it no more (Heb 8:12), to cast it behind his back (Isa 38:17), into the depths of the sea (Mic 7:19), and to separate it as far as the east is from the west, Ps 103:12.
(2.) The entrance into heaven which Christ made for us is here typified by the high priest's entrance into the most holy place. This the apostle has expounded (Heb 9:7, etc.), and he shows, [1.] That heaven is the holiest of all, but not of that building, and that the way into it by faith, hope, and prayer, through a Mediator, was not then so clearly manifested as it is to us now by the gospel. [2.] That Christ our high priest entered into heaven at his ascension once for all, and as a public person, in the name of all his spiritual Israel, and through the veil of his flesh, which was rent for that purpose, Heb 10:20. [3.] That he entered by his own blood (Heb 9:12), taking with him to heaven the virtues of the sacrifice he offered on earth, and so sprinkling his blood, as it were, before the mercy-seat, where it speaks better things than the blood of bulls and goats could do. Hence he is said to appear in the midst of the throne as a lamb that had been slain, Re 5:6. And, though he had no sin of his own to expiate, yet it was by his own merit that he obtained for himself a restoration to his own ancient glory (Joh 17:4,5), as well as an eternal redemption for us, Heb 9:12. [4.] The high priest in the holy place burned incense, which typified the intercession that Christ ever lives to make for us within the veil, in virtue of his satisfaction. And we could not expect to live, no, not before the mercy-seat, if it were not covered with the cloud of this incense. Mere mercy itself will not save us, without the interposition of a Mediator. The intercession of Christ is there set forth before God as incense, as this incense. And as the high priest interceded for himself first, then for his household, and then for all Israel, so our Lord Jesus, in the Joh 17:1-26 (which was a specimen of the intercession he makes in heaven), recommended himself first to his Father, then his disciples who were his household, and then all that should believe on him through their word, as all Israel; and, having thus adverted to the uses and intentions of his offering, he was immediately seized and crucified, pursuant to these intentions. [5.] Herein the entry Christ made far exceeded Aaron's, that Aaron could not gain admission, no, not for his own sons, into the most holy place; but our Lord Jesus has consecrated for us also a new and living way into the holiest, so that we also have boldness to enter, Heb 10:19,20. [6.] The high priest was to come out again, but our Lord Jesus ever lives, making intercession, and always appears in the presence of God for us, whither as the forerunner he has for us entered, and where as agent he continues for us to reside.
2. Here are likewise typified the two great gospel duties of faith and repentance, by which we are qualified for the atonement, and come to be entitled to the benefit of it. (1.) By faith we must put our hands upon the head of the offering, relying on Christ as the Lord our Righteousness, pleading his satisfaction as that which was alone able to atone for our sins and procure us a pardon. "Thou shalt answer, Lord, for me. This is all I have to say for myself, Christ has died, yea, rather has risen again; to his grace and government I entirely submit myself, and in him I receive the atonement," Ro 5:11. (2.) By repentance we must afflict our souls; not only fasting for a time from the delights of the body, but inwardly sorrowing for our sins, and living a life of self-denial and mortification. We must also make a penitent confession of sin, and this with an eye to Christ, whom we have pierced, and mourning because of him; and with a hand of faith upon the atonement, assuring ourselves that, if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Lastly, In the year of jubilee, the trumpet which proclaimed the liberty was ordered to be sounded in the close of the day of atonement, Le 25:9. For the remission of our debt, release from our bondage, and our return to our inheritance, are all owing to the mediation and intercession of Jesus Christ. By the atonement we obtain rest for our souls, and all the glorious liberties of the children of God.
本章设立了一年一度赎罪日（或称挽回日）的庄严肃穆之礼；在礼仪律的一切规定中，几乎没有哪一项比这一日更充满福音的意味，正如使徒在《希伯来书》（来9:7等）中所引证的。前此已有为个别人、并在特定场合当献之赎罪祭的各样律例；但此处所论的，乃是以色列全会众共同有分的常设之祭。这一日全部的礼拜都交托给大祭司一人。I. 惟有这一日他方可进入至圣所，此外绝不可进去（利16:1,2）。II. 他必须身穿细麻衣而入（利16:4）。III. 他必须为自己牵来一只赎罪祭和一只燔祭（利16:3），献上他的赎罪祭（利16:6-11），随后带着自己赎罪祭牲的血进入幔内，烧香，并将血弹在施恩座前（利16:12-14）。IV. 又当为百姓预备两只山羊，在其上拈阄，于是：1. 其中一只必作为百姓的赎罪祭（利16:5,7-9），其血当弹在施恩座前（利16:15-17），然后将两只赎罪祭牲之血一同弹在祭坛上（利16:18,19）。2. 另一只必作归与阿撒泻勒的山羊（利16:10），当在它头上承认以色列人诸般的罪，随后把它放到旷野里去（利16:20-22），那放羊之人就成了礼仪上的不洁（利16:26）。V. 随后当献上燔祭，把赎罪祭牲的脂油在坛上焚烧，其肉却要在营外焚烧（利16:23-25,27,28）。VI. 百姓当以圣洁的安息与为罪圣洁的哀恸，敬虔地守这一日；这要作为他们永远的定例（利16:29-34等）。