Leviticus 16:11-14

TEXT 16:11-14

11

And Aaron shall present the bullock of the sin-offering, which is for himself, and shall make 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 coals of fire from off the altar before Jehovah, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil:

13

and he shall put the incense upon the fire before Jehovah, 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 on the east; and before second time. He again laid both his hands on the victim and repeated the confession for himself, for his house, and for the whole priesthood as in Leviticus 16:6. (Ibid.)

The animal must be killed by the high priest himself, since it is for his own sins. Aaron received the blood in a sprinkling bowl and according to tradition he handed it to an attendant who was to stir it while Aaron was in the Holy of Holies to prevent the blood from coagulating.
Before the blood of the bull can be sprinkled Aaron provides himself with two handfulls of the finest incense. This is probably carried in a bowl or cup in his left hand. The censer was carried in his right handthis was full of brightly-glowing coals which he hand taken from the west side of the altar of burnt offering, i.e. the side nearest the Holy of Holies. With these two bowls in his hands he approaches the veil and walks through it into the Holy of Holies. He moves to a spot in front of the ark and deposits the censer on the right side of the ark between the stoves. He now throws the incense upon the coals in the censer and waits until the room is filled with the smoke of the incense. He then backs out of the Holy of Holies while he bows before the presence of God. Upon arriving in the holy place he prays a prayer before going out to the outer court where his attendant still waits with the bowl of blood. With blood not his own but taken to atone for his own sins Aaron returns through the veil to the place where he was upon his first entrance. The blood was sprinkled by the finger of the high priest once upon the mercy seat eastward or on the frontin front (not on the front) he shall sprinkle the blood seven times (Cf. Hebrews 2:17).

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 16:11-14

345.

Is presenting the bull and sacrificing the bull two distinct actions? Discuss.

346.

Why not have someone else kill the bull i.e. other than Aaron?

347.

How many visits does the high priest make into the Holy of Holies? What does he take on his first visit?

348.

Why cover the mercy seat with the smoke of the incense?

349.

Try to visualize the action with the blood. Just where was it placed?

PARAPHRASE 16:11-14

After Aaron has sacrificed the young bull as a sin offering for himself and his family, he shall take a censer full of live coals from the altar of the Lord, and fill his hands with sweet incense beaten into fine powder, and bring it inside the veil. There before the Lord he shall put the incense upon the coals, so that a cloud of incense will cover the mercy place above the Ark (containing the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments); thus he will not die. And he shall bring some of the blood of the young bull and sprinkle it with his finger upon the east side of the mercy place, and then seven times in front of it.

COMMENT 16:11-14

Leviticus 16:11-14 Having formally dedicated the bullock for his own sin offering (see Leviticus 16:6), and after the two goats which constitute the people's sin offering had been presented and their lots decided (Leviticus 16:7-10), Aaron comes back to his own sin offering a mode of expression should occur so rarely, the answer is, the act described by it occurred rarely, and no other words could better express the act intended.

FACT QUESTIONS 16:11-14

363.

Aaron's sin-offering bull was dedicated (Leviticus 16:6) but here it is slain. What happens to its blood?

364.

Describe in your own words Aaron's first entrance into the Holy of Holies.

365.

What is the procedure for returning from the Holy of Holies? Why does he come out?