Atonement for Furniture

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NateMarshall Jun 13, 2012

Hello all.

Perhaps this has been touched on in ginnyrose's thread on "Gems from the OT Law", but frankly, I didn't want to read through 8 pages of responses to find it :P

I understand why atonement needed to be made for people. That's a very foundational concept. But why did the Holy Place, the tent of meeting, the altar, etc., etc., need to be atoned for? They are inanimate objects that cannot sin...is atonement deeper than just expiating the sins of an individual? Is there an uncleanness that passed on from the priest to the very objects he touched? Leviticus 16:16 says "Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses." Since the tent of meeting was out among the people, and the people were unclean, did that uncleanness pass onto the physical tent and make it unclean to? Why was the atonement FOR the HOLY PLACE, and not FOR the PEOPLE? I understand there was a sacrifice for the people to come after that, but, this is leaving me rather baffled.

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learjet Jun 13, 2012

I never noticed this before but looking at this now the clear answer would be that the works of evil men would never produce the holiness of God and this is a picture pointing towards the New Covenant.

Men can create anything but the Lord will not remain among the works produced as a result of our efforts. While He instructed the Israelites to make the tent of meeting (and gave them the plans) due to the wickedness of men, it still had to be atoned for.

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. ~IS 64:6

Much grace!

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NateMarshall Jun 13, 2012

Hi learjet!

Awesome insight. The law was never intended to make the people righteous, all of their works must be cleansed and atoned for by the blood of Jesus in order to have any weight before God.

Thank you for commenting!

sermonindex Jun 13, 2012

Why was the atonement FOR the HOLY PLACE?

Because it speaks of you and I.

In your innermost being, the centre of who you are is the Holy Place! It's holy because God is there. Unfortunately not all men have God there thus are not holy.

The Temple is an image of the temple of God in Christ. In that Temple, we abide.

All the furniture, the snuffers, censors, the candlestick, cups etc.. all speak about His people. It's His Holy People. They represent all of those things. Therefore, as they were to be holy, we must be holy.

1 Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

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Trekker Jun 14, 2012

QUOTE: " Is there an uncleanness that passed on from the priest to the very objects he touched? Leviticus 16:16 says "Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses." ==NATEMARSHALL

I think you got it right, or at least that is my understanding also. And why not? Did not the HOLY things used in the temple ALSO become HOLY? The holy things attached to temple worship were also considered holy. So therefore the things attached to the UNCLEAN also become unclean.

26 Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, LEST THOU BE ACURSED LIKE IT: but thou shalt utterly detest and abhor it; for it is a cursed thing. --Deut. 7:26