서론
無標題
英文原文
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.
1-34
The Great Day of Atonement (1490 BC)
偉大的贖罪日（主前1490年）
¹ 亞倫的兩個兒子近到耶和華面前獻祭而死後，耶和華對摩西說：
² 「要告訴你哥哥亞倫，不可隨時進聖所的幔子內、到櫃上的施恩座前，免得他死亡，因為我要從雲中顯現在施恩座上。
³ 亞倫進聖所，要帶一隻公牛犢為贖罪祭，一隻公綿羊為燔祭。
⁴ 要穿上細麻布聖內袍，把細麻布褲子穿在身上，腰束細麻布帶子，頭戴細麻布冠冕；這些都是聖服。他要用水洗身，然後穿戴。
以下，I. 關於贖罪日這條律法的日期：它是在亞倫兩個兒子死了之後（Le 16:1），我們在Le 10:1讀到這事。1. 亞倫或許會懼怕那罪的餘咎仍附着他的家族，或者（鑑於祭司如此容易犯罪）他其他兒子後來所犯的罪會成為他家族的毀滅；因此神指示他當怎樣為自己的家贖罪，好使家族與神保持和睦；因為贖罪就是家族的確立，能保存祝福的產業。2. 祭司們既因拿答和亞比戶的死而被警告，當以敬畏和敬虔的戰兢來到神面前（若不如此，他們就是冒險而來），此處就指示他們當怎樣作最親近的進入——不僅沒有危險，而且若遵守這些指示，便有說不出來的益處和安慰。當他們因不當的就近而被剪除時，其餘的人不可說：「那我們就完全不要就近了」，而要說：「那我們就按規矩而行。」他們因罪而死，因此神恩慈地為其餘的人預備了出路，使他們不至死亡。照樣，神對一些人的審判，當成為對其他人的教訓。
II. 這條律法的目的。其用意之一是為要維護對至聖所——幔子之內、舍金拿（即神的榮耀）樂意居住在二基路伯之間的地方——的敬畏：你告訴亞倫，不可隨時進聖所（Le 16:2）。在幔子外面，祭司們每天來到金壇上燒香，但幔子之內，除了大祭司以外，任何人都不可進去，而且他一年也只可進去一次，還要帶着極大的禮儀和謹慎。神特別彰顯他同在的那個地方，不可淪為平常。若在地的君王面前，未蒙召喚無人可以進入——連王后也不例外，否則要冒生命危險（斯4:11）——那麼對萬王之王豈不更當存同樣的敬畏嗎？但請看基督的福音所帶來何等有福的改變；一切善良的基督徒如今都可以坦然進入至聖所，經過幔子，天天如此（來10:19,20）；我們來到施恩的寶座——就是施恩座前，也是坦然無懼地來（不像亞倫那樣戰戰兢兢）（來4:16）。當神同在和恩典的彰顯是憑感官的時候，這些彰顯必須如此被限制和保留，因為感官的對象越熟悉，就越不令人敬畏或喜樂；但如今這些彰顯純粹是屬靈的，情形就不同了，因為信心的對象越與之交往，就越發彰顯其偉大和美善：因此如今我們歡迎隨時進入那非人手所造的聖所，因為我們因信得以與基督耶穌一同坐在天上（弗2:6）。那時亞倫不可隨時就近，免得他死亡；如今我們卻必須隨時就近，好叫我們活着：唯有遠離才是我們的死亡。那時神在雲中顯現於施恩座上，但如今我們得以敞着臉觀看——不是在黑暗的雲中，而是在明亮的鏡中——主的榮耀（林後3:18）。
III. 這一日的工作交託給誰，唯有大祭司：亞倫要如此進聖所（Le 16:3）。贖罪日當天的一切都要他親自去做：只是預備了一位副手或支持者，以防他有甚麼意外——生病或禮儀上的不潔——使他不能當日供職。所有基督徒都是屬靈的祭司，但唯有基督是大祭司，唯獨他成就贖罪，他既不需要助手，也不需要副手。
IV. 大祭司在這事奉中的服飾。他不可穿上他專有的華美衣服：不可穿上以弗得和上面的寶石，只可穿上他與一般祭司共用的細麻布衣服（Le 16:4）。在這刻苦己心的日子，那簡樸的服飾最為相宜；而且因為細麻布更輕薄，他在這一日的工作或事奉中——這一切都要經過他的手——就更為便捷。我們的大祭司基督是在我們的人性中為罪贖罪；不是在他自己專有榮耀的衣袍中，而是在我們必死之身的細麻布衣裳裏——固然潔淨，卻卑微。
⁵ 要從以色列會眾取兩隻公山羊為贖罪祭，一隻公綿羊為燔祭。
⁶ 亞倫要把那為贖罪祭的公牛奉上，為自己和本家贖罪。
⁷ 也要把兩隻公山羊安置在會幕門口、耶和華面前。
⁸ 為那兩隻羊拈鬮，一鬮歸與耶和華，一鬮歸與阿撒瀉勒。
⁹ 亞倫要把那拈鬮歸與耶和華的羊獻為贖罪祭，
¹⁰ 但那拈鬮歸與阿撒瀉勒的羊要活着安置在耶和華面前，用以贖罪，打發人送到曠野去，歸與阿撒瀉勒。
¹¹ 「亞倫要把贖罪祭的公牛奉上，為自己和本家贖罪，把贖罪祭的公牛宰了。
¹² 要拿一個香爐，盛滿從耶和華面前的壇上取下的火炭，又拿一捧搗細的香料，都帶入幔子內，
¹³ 在耶和華面前，把香放在火上，使香的煙雲遮掩法櫃上的施恩座，免得他死亡；
¹⁴ 也要取些公牛的血，用指頭彈在施恩座的東面，又在施恩座的前面用指頭彈血七次。
猶太作者說，在贖罪日前七天，大祭司要退避到自己的住所之外，住在聖殿的一個房間裏，好為這大日的服事作準備。在那七天裏，他親自做一般祭司關於獻祭、燒香等工作，好叫他在這日有熟練的手：他要一再地聽人宣讀條例，好叫他完全熟悉整個程序。1. 他要很早開始當日的服事，先照常獻晨祭——在穿戴之前先洗全身，之後再洗手洗腳。然後燒日常的香、收拾燈，並獻上為這日所定的特別祭物（不在這裏記載，而在民29:8）：一隻公牛、一隻公綿羊和七隻羊羔，全作燔祭。這些據推測是穿着大祭司的禮服做的。2. 他現在要脫下華美的衣服，洗身，穿上細麻布衣服，將自己的公牛——就是為他自己和他本家作贖罪祭的——奉到耶和華面前（Le 16:6）。這公牛被安置在聖殿和祭壇之間，本節所提到的奉獻，是莊嚴地承認自己和本家的罪，懇切祈求赦免，並且按手在公牛頭上。3. 然後他要為兩隻公山羊拈鬮——這兩隻（合在一起）構成會眾的一隻贖罪祭。其中一隻山羊必須被宰殺，象徵向神的公義為罪作出補足；另一隻必須被放走，象徵因神的憐憫而有的罪的赦免或免除。在拈鬮之前，兩隻山羊要一同被奉到神面前（Le 16:7），之後歸與阿撒瀉勒的山羊要單獨被奉上（Le 16:10）。有人認為選用山羊作贖罪祭，是因為山羊氣味難聞，可以代表罪的令人憎惡：也有人認為，是因為據說外邦人當時所拜的鬼魔常以山羊的形像向敬拜者顯現，所以神命令他的百姓獻山羊為祭，使他們永不受試探去向山羊獻祭。4. 接下來要做的是宰殺那為他自己和他本家的贖罪祭公牛（Le 16:11）。「如今，」猶太人說，「他要再次按手在公牛頭上，重複他先前所作的認罪和祈求，並親手宰殺公牛，先為自己贖罪（因為他自己若未先與神和好，怎能為百姓的罪代求呢？），再為他的本家贖罪——不僅是他自己的家人，更是所有的祭司，他們被稱為亞倫的家」（詩135:19）。這慈善必須從自己開始，卻不可止於自己。公牛宰了之後，他留下一個祭司攪動那血，免得凝固，然後：5. 他一手拿一爐不冒煙的火炭，另一手拿滿滿一盤搗細的香，然後經過幔子進入至聖所，向約櫃走去，將火炭放在地上，把香撒在上面，使房間頓時充滿煙雲。猶太人說他要側身進去，免得在煙雲遮掩之前，他直視神的榮耀所在的約櫃；然後他必須退着出來，以表示對神聖威嚴的敬畏；經過簡短的禱告之後，他要趕快從聖所出來，向百姓顯現，免得他們以為他在耶和華面前失了規矩而死去。6. 然後他從留下攪血的那祭司那裏取來公牛的血，第二次帶入至聖所——如今那裏已充滿香的煙雲——用指頭將公牛的血彈在施恩座上，更準確地說是彈向施恩座，一次對着施恩座的上方，然後七次對着下方的部分（Le 16:14）。但血滴（如猶太人所解釋的）全都落在地上，沒有一滴碰到施恩座。他做完這些之後，就從至聖所出來，將盛血的盆放在聖所中，然後出去。
¹⁵ 「隨後他要宰那為百姓作贖罪祭的公山羊，把羊的血帶入幔子內，彈在施恩座的上面和前面，好像彈公牛的血一樣。
¹⁶ 他因以色列人諸般的污穢、過犯，就是他們一切的罪，當為聖所贖罪；因以色列人諸般的污穢，會幕在他們中間也當照樣贖罪。
¹⁷ 他進聖所贖罪的時候，會幕內不可有別人，直等到他為自己和本家並以色列全會眾贖了罪出來。
¹⁸ 他出來，到耶和華面前的壇那裏，為壇贖罪，取些公牛的血和公山羊的血，抹在壇的四角上周圍；
¹⁹ 也要用指頭把血彈在壇上七次，潔淨了壇，從壇上除掉以色列人諸般的污穢，使壇成聖。
祭司從在施恩座前彈公牛血之處出來之後：1. 他接下來要宰那為百姓作贖罪祭的公山羊（Le 16:15），第三次進入至聖所，把公山羊的血彈在那裏，如同他先前彈公牛的血一樣；這樣他就要為聖所贖罪（Le 16:16）；這就是說，百姓因他們的罪激動神收回他與他們同在的恩典記號，甚至使那聖所不配作為聖潔之神的居所，因此要在此為罪贖罪，使神與他們和好之後可以繼續與他們同在。2. 他然後要為帳幕的外部行他為內室所行的事——在幔子外面，就是陳設餅桌和香壇所在之處，先彈公牛的血，再彈公山羊的血，各彈八次，如前所述。暗示的理由是因為會幕在他們污穢之中也住在他們中間（Le 16:16）。神要藉此向他們表明，他們的心是何等需要潔淨，因為連會幕，只因站在這樣不潔和有罪的百姓中間，就需要這贖罪；同時也表明，連他們的敬拜和宗教儀式也有許多瑕疵，為之贖罪是必要的。在這莊嚴的儀式中，一般祭司不可進入帳幕（Le 16:17），他們只能站在外面，承認自己不配在那裏事奉，因為他們在事奉中的愚昧、缺陷和各樣的污穢，使會幕的這次贖罪成為必需。3. 他然後要把公牛和公山羊的血混合在一起，抹在耶和華面前的壇的四角上（Le 16:18,19）。可以確定的是，香壇上有這血，因為經上明確吩咐（出30:10）；但有人認為這裏是指大祭司到燔祭壇去，因為那壇在這裏也被稱為耶和華面前的壇（Le 16:12），因為經上說他要出去到那裏，也因為可以推想那壇也需要贖罪；因為以色列人的禮物和祭物都帶到那裏，這壇也是因那些不潔之物而在此被分別為聖。
²⁰ 「亞倫為聖所和會幕並壇獻完了贖罪祭，就要把那隻活着的公山羊奉上。
²¹ 兩手按在羊頭上，承認以色列人諸般的罪孽過犯，就是他們一切的罪，把這都歸在羊的頭上，藉着所派之人的手，送到曠野去。
²² 羊要擔當他們一切的罪孽，帶到無人之地；他要把羊放在曠野。
²³ 「亞倫要進會幕，把他進聖所時所穿的細麻布衣服脫下，放在那裏，
²⁴ 又要在聖處用水洗身，穿上衣服，出來，把自己的燔祭和百姓的燔祭獻上，為自己和百姓贖罪。
²⁵ 贖罪祭牲的脂油要在壇上焚燒。
²⁶ 那放羊歸與阿撒瀉勒的人要洗衣服，用水洗身，然後進營。
²⁷ 作贖罪祭的公牛和公山羊的血既帶入聖所贖罪，這牛羊就要搬到營外，將皮、肉、糞用火焚燒。
²⁸ 焚燒的人要洗衣服，用水洗身，然後進營。」
大祭司藉着灑血將贖罪祭獻給耶和華之後——那血的剩餘部分大概倒在銅壇腳下——1. 他接下來要在歸與阿撒瀉勒的公山羊頭上按兩手，承認以色列人的罪（Le 16:20,21）；每逢按手在祭牲頭上，總是伴隨認罪，認罪的性質按照祭牲的性質而定；這既是贖罪祭，就必是認罪的認罪。在猶太教會後期較為敗落的年代，他們為大祭司預備了固定的認罪格式，但神在此並未規定任何格式；因為可以設想大祭司對百姓的狀況瞭如指掌，對他們懷有深切的關懷，不需要任何格式。認罪要盡量詳細，不僅承認以色列人諸般的罪孽，還要承認他們一切的罪中諸般的過犯。一個罪中可能包含許多過犯，因其中有各種加重的情節；我們在認罪時當留意這些，不可僅僅說我犯了罪，而要像亞干那樣說：「我如此這樣行了。」他藉着這認罪要將以色列人的罪歸在羊的頭上；這就是說，他憑信心信靠那設立這轉移的神聖安排，將罪人所當受的刑罰轉移到祭牲身上——若不是神自己設立的，這不過是玩笑，更是對神的褻瀆。2. 然後要立刻由一個為此目的而指定的人，將羊送到曠野——無人之地；神允許他們這樣理解：放走這羊就是放走他們的罪，是白白而完全的赦免：羊要擔當他們一切的罪孽（Le 16:22）。羊的走失對他們是一個記號，表明以色列的罪雖然尋找，卻尋不見（耶50:20）。後期的猶太人有一個習俗，將一條朱紅色布帶繫在羊的角上，另一條繫在殿門上，或繫在羊走失的那塊岩石頂上，他們斷定：若那布條變白（他們說通常如此），以色列人的罪就蒙了赦免，正如經上所記：你們的罪雖像朱紅，必變成雪白；他們又說，在耶路撒冷被羅馬人毀滅之前的四十年裏，那朱紅色布條從未改變顏色——這清楚地承認：他們既拒絕了實體，影子對他們就毫無用處了。3. 大祭司然後要在會幕裏脫下細麻布衣服，留在那裏——猶太人說他或任何人都不可再穿，因為他們每年都做新的；他要用水洗身，穿上華美的衣服，然後獻上自己和百姓的燔祭（Le 16:23,24）。當我們享受赦免的安慰時，神當得着其中的榮耀。我們若得了贖罪祭的益處，就不可吝惜感恩的祭。看來贖罪祭牲脂油的焚燒是延遲到此時（Le 16:25），好與燔祭一同焚燒。4. 那兩隻血被帶入幔內的贖罪祭牲的肉，要全部焚燒——不是在壇上，而是在營外遠處，象徵我們藉着真實的悔改和焚燒的靈除去罪，以及神藉着完全的赦免除去罪，使罪永不再起來在審判中定我們的罪。5. 那把歸與阿撒瀉勒的羊送到曠野的人，和那些焚燒贖罪祭的人，都要被視為禮儀上不潔的，必須洗衣服、用水洗身之後才可進營——這表明罪的玷污性質：連那被當作罪的祭牲也是玷污人的；同時也表明律法祭物的不足：它們非但不能除罪，連它們本身也使觸摸的人沾染了污穢。6. 這一切都做完之後，大祭司再次進入至聖所取回他的香爐，然後歡歡喜喜地回到自己的家，因為他盡了本分，也沒有死亡。
²⁹ 「每逢七月初十日，你們要刻苦己心，無論是本地人、是寄居在你們中間的外人，甚麼工都不可做；這要作你們永遠的定例。
³⁰ 因在這日，祭司要為你們贖罪，使你們潔淨。你們要在耶和華面前得以潔淨，脫盡一切的罪愆。
³¹ 這日你們要守為完全安息的安息日，要刻苦己心。這為永遠的定例。
³² 那受膏、接續他父親承接聖職的祭司要穿上細麻布的聖衣，為聖所贖罪，
³³ 為聖所贖罪，為會幕和壇贖罪，為眾祭司和會眾的百姓贖罪。
³⁴ 這要作你們永遠的定例，就是每年一次為以色列會眾贖罪。」於是亞倫照耶和華所吩咐摩西的行了。
I. 我們在這裏看到關於這大日的一些附加指示，特別是：
1. 為這節期所定的日子。每年要在七月初十日遵守（Le 16:29）。第七個月原被算為第一個月，直到神指定以色列人出埃及的那個月以後要算作並稱為第一個月。有人揣測這七月初十日是我們始祖墮落的那一天，因此守為禁食以記念他們的墮落。萊特富特博士推算這正是摩西最後一次從山上帶着更新了的法版下來的日子——那時他帶來了神與以色列和好的確據，他的臉面發光：那一天要世世代代守為贖罪日；因為記念神赦免了他們關於金牛犢的罪，可以鼓勵他們盼望：只要他們悔改，神必赦免他們一切過犯。
2. 百姓在這日的本分。(1.) 他們要停止一切勞碌：這日要守為安息日（Le 16:31）。當日的工作本身就夠多了，若做得好，就是一整天的好工；因此他們不可做任何別的工作。為罪自卑的工作需要心思高度集中，整個人全然投入，不容我們轉向別的工作。贖罪日似乎就是先知所說的那個安息日（賽58:13），因為它與前文所說的禁食是同一件事。(2.) 他們要刻苦己心。他們要禁戒一切身體的滋補和娛樂，作為內心為罪自卑和痛悔的記號。他們都在這日禁食（病人和孩童除外），並且摘下裝飾，不抹膏，正如但以理一樣（但10:3,12）。大衛以禁食刻苦己心（詩35:13）。這象徵着治死罪並轉離罪，解開罪惡的繩索（賽58:6,7）。猶太教師建議他們在這日不可閱讀那些會使他們充滿喜樂和愉悅的經文段落，因為這是刻苦己心的日子。
3. 這條例的永恆性：這要作永遠的定例（Le 16:29,34）。任何一年都不可間斷，也不可廢除，直到那制度被廢去，預表被其所預表的實體所取代。只要我們不斷地犯罪，我們就必須不斷地悔改，並接受贖罪之恩。為罪刻苦己心的律法是永遠的定例，要一直有效，直到我們到達那眼淚——連悔改的眼淚——都被擦乾的地方。使徒指出，律法的祭物不足以除罪、潔淨良心，證據就是每年贖罪日都要記念罪（來10:1-3）。每年重複獻祭表明那些祭物只能微弱無力地努力贖罪；唯有基督獻上他的身體，一次永遠才能有效成就；那一次就夠了；那祭物無需重複。
II. 讓我們看看這一切之中有何福音的意義。
1. 這裏預表了兩大福音特權——罪的赦免和進到神面前的途徑——這兩者都是我們藉着我們主耶穌的中保而得的。那麼讓我們看看：
(1.) 基督為我們所作的罪咎的挽回。他自己是贖罪的成就者，也是贖罪的實體；因為他是：[1.] 那祭司，那大祭司，為百姓的罪獻上挽回祭（來2:17）。唯有他，也只有他，配做這工、配得這榮耀：他被父所派來做這事——父使他成聖，又差他到世上來，正是為此目的，叫神在他裏面使世人與自己和好。他承擔了這工，並為我們的緣故使自己成聖，將自己分別為聖（約17:19）。大祭司在這日屢次洗身，又穿着潔白細麻布服事，象徵主耶穌的聖潔、他完全沒有罪、他以一切恩典為裝飾。大祭司贖罪時不可有別人與他同在（Le 16:17）；因為我們的主耶穌要獨自踹酒醡，民中無人與他同在（賽63:3）；因此，當他進入受苦的時候，門徒都離開他逃跑了，因為若他們中間有人與他一同被拿、被處死，看來就像是他們協助成就了贖罪；唯有那些不可能有此嫌疑的強盜才可與他一同受苦。且看大祭司所成就的贖罪的範圍：為聖所、為會幕、為壇、為祭司，並為眾百姓（Le 16:33）。基督的滿足是那贖去牧者和百姓之罪的祭——我們聖潔之事（以及我們不聖潔之事）的罪孽；我們對恩典特權的權利、在其中所得的安慰和益處，全都歸功於基督所成就的贖罪。但大祭司的贖罪只屬於以色列會眾，而基督卻是挽回祭，不僅為猶太人的罪，也為整個外邦世界的罪。在這方面基督也遠勝亞倫：亞倫需要先為自己的罪獻祭，並要在他的贖罪祭牲頭上承認；但我們的主耶穌沒有自己的罪需要交代。這樣的大祭司原是合乎我們的（來7:26）。因此，當他在約但河受洗時，別人站在水中承認他們的罪（太3:6），他卻隨即從水裏上來（太3:16），因為他沒有罪可認。[2.] 他既是那大祭司，也是那使贖罪得以成就的祭物；因為在我們與神和好之事上，他是一切的一切。照樣他被兩隻山羊所預表，兩隻合成一個祭物：被宰殺的山羊預表基督為我們的罪受死，歸與阿撒瀉勒的山羊預表基督為叫我們稱義而復活。藉着拈鬮——其定奪在於耶和華——來決定哪一隻山羊被宰殺；因為基督是按着神的定旨先見被交與人。第一， 贖罪據說是藉着將以色列人的罪歸在羊頭上得以完成。他們本該被撇棄、送到遺忘之地，但那刑罰在此轉移到擔當他們罪的羊身上；論到這事，經上說神將我們眾人的罪孽都歸在我們的主耶穌（這一切影兒的實體）身上（賽53:6），又說他被掛在木頭上，親身擔當了我們的罪——就是罪的刑罰（彼前2:24）。這樣他為我們成了罪，就是成了贖罪祭（林後5:21）。他受苦受死，不僅是為我們的益處，更是代替我們；他被撇棄，似乎一時被遺忘，好叫我們不致永遠被撇棄、被遺忘。一些有學問的人推算，我們的主耶穌正是在七月初十日——就是贖罪日那天——在約但河受約翰的洗。那時他開始了他中保的職分，隨即被聖靈催到曠野去——無人之地。第二， 這樣做的結果是以色列人一切的罪孽都被帶到遺忘之地。照樣，神的羔羊基督除去世人罪孽，是藉着將罪歸在自己身上（約1:29）。當神赦免罪時，經上說他不再記念（來8:12），將罪丟在背後（賽38:17），投於深海（彌7:19），又將罪隔開如同東離西那麼遠（詩103:12）。
(2.) 基督為我們開了進入天上的道路，在此由大祭司進入至聖所來預表。使徒已經解明了這一點（來9:7等），他指出：[1.] 天就是那至聖所，卻不是人手所造的，而藉着信心、盼望和禱告、透過中保進入那裏的道路，當時不像如今藉着福音向我們彰顯得那樣清楚。[2.] 我們的大祭司基督在他升天時一次永遠進入了天上，是作為公眾人物，以他一切屬靈以色列人的名義，並經過他那為此目的而裂開的肉身之幔子（來10:20）。[3.] 他憑着自己的血進入（來9:12），將他在地上所獻祭物的功效帶到天上，好像將自己的血灑在施恩座前——那裏所說的比公牛和山羊的血所說的更美。因此經上說他顯在寶座中間，如同被殺過的羔羊（啟5:6）。他雖然沒有自己的罪需要挽回，卻是憑着自己的功勞為自己得着了恢復他原有榮耀（約17:4,5），又為我們得着了永遠的贖罪（來9:12）。[4.] 大祭司在聖所中燒香，預表基督在幔子內因着他滿足的功勞而不斷為我們代求。我們不能指望存活——甚至在施恩座前也不能——若不是施恩座被這香的煙雲所遮掩。單單憐憫本身不能拯救我們，必須有中保的介入。基督的代求在那裏如香陳列在神面前，如同這香一樣。大祭司先為自己代求，再為他的家，然後為全以色列；照樣我們的主耶穌在約翰福音17:1-26（那是他在天上代求的一個樣本）中，先將自己薦於父，再為他的門徒——他的家人，然後為一切因他們的話而信的人——如全以色列；他既如此提到他所獻之祭的用途和目的，就隨即被拿、被釘十字架，以成就這些目的。[5.] 基督所開的入口遠勝亞倫的，因為亞倫連自己的兒子也不能帶入至聖所；但我們的主耶穌為我們開闢了一條又新又活的路，進入至聖所，使我們也可以坦然進入（來10:19,20）。[6.] 大祭司還要再出來，但我們的主耶穌永遠活着，長遠代求，始終在神面前為我們顯現——他作為先鋒已經為我們進入那裏，又作為代理人為我們繼續居住在那裏。
2. 這裏也預表了兩大福音本分——信心和悔改——我們藉此得以配受贖罪之恩，並得享其中的益處。(1.) 藉着信心，我們要按手在祭牲頭上，倚靠基督為我們的主我們的義，以他的滿足為唯有能贖我們的罪、為我們取得赦免的根據。「主啊，你要為我回答。這是我為自己所說的一切：基督死了，而且復活了；我完全順服他的恩典和掌權，我在他裏面接受這贖罪之恩*」（羅5:11）。(2.) 藉着悔改，我們要刻苦己心；不僅暫時禁戒身體的娛樂，更要在內心為罪憂傷，過一個捨己和治死罪的生活。我們也要認罪悔改，並且仰望我們所扎的基督，因他而哀傷；同時以信心的手按在贖罪祭上，確信我們若認自己的罪，神是信實的，是公義的，必要赦免我們的罪，洗淨我們一切的不義。*
最後，在禧年，宣告自由的角聲要在贖罪日結束時吹響（Le 25:9）。因為我們債務的豁免、奴役的釋放、以及產業的歸回，全都歸功於耶穌基督的中保和代求。藉着贖罪，我們的靈魂得享安息，並得着神兒女一切榮耀的自由。
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.
本章設立了贖罪日（即每年贖罪之禮）這一年度的莊嚴節期。在禮儀律一切的定例中，恐怕沒有任何一項比這節期蘊含了更多的福音意味，使徒在Heb 9:7等處對它的引用即可為證。先前我們已有多條關於個人在特定情形下獻贖罪祭的律法；但本章所論的是全國共同關注的定例之祭。這一日的全部事奉都交由大祭司一人辦理。
一、他除了這一日以外，不可隨時進入至聖所，Le 16:1,2。二、他必須穿著細麻衣進去，Le 16:4。三、他必須為自己帶一隻贖罪祭和一隻燔祭（Le 16:3），獻上他的贖罪祭（Le 16:6-11），然後帶著贖罪祭牲的血進入幔內，燒香，並在施恩座前灑血，Le 16:12-14。四、要為百姓預備兩隻山羊，為牠們拈鬮：1. 其中一隻作百姓的贖罪祭（Le 16:5,7-9），其血要灑在施恩座前（Le 16:15-17），然後將兩隻贖罪祭的血都灑在祭壇上，Le 16:18,19。2. 另一隻作歸與阿撒瀉勒的羊（Le 16:10），要在牠頭上承認以色列人一切的罪，然後將牠放到曠野裡去（Le 16:20-22），而那放羊的人在禮儀上必為不潔，Le 16:26。五、隨後要獻上燔祭，將贖罪祭的脂油在祭壇上焚燒，祭牲的肉卻要在營外焚燒，Le 16:23-25,27,28。六、百姓當以聖潔的安息和為罪聖潔的哀傷來敬虔地守這日；這要作為永遠的定例，Le 16:29-34等。