The first occurrence of “atonement” in the biblical text defines that which consecrates and sanctifies Aaron and his sons into the priesthood service of the Tabernacle. The sacrificial ritual tells a story. After offering a bull for a sin offering and a ram for a whole burnt offering, Moses took the blood of a peace offering ram and anointed Aaron and his sons on their right ears, thumbs, and feet. He took the ram’s remaining blood and sprinkled it on the altar, on Aaron and his sons, and their garments, making them holy. The ram’s right thigh became a wave offering presented to God along with bread. Receiving the wave offering back from the waving, Moses burnt it on the altar, an offering made by fire to YHWH. The ram’s right breast became Moses’s portion after he waved it before God. The left waved breast and ram’s thigh were boiled and eaten by the priests along with the unleavened bread from the basket. For seven days, the priests ate consecration food at the door of the Tabernacle of the meeting.

Exo. 29:33 They shall eat those things with which the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them; but an outsider shall not eat them, because they are holy. NKJV

Setting apart for sacred use and making holy a priesthood to serve God in the temple of His Presence was ritually acted out, teaching the meaning of its symbolism. To approach a holy, fiery God safely required a blameless sin offering substituting for the sinful image bearers, followed by a whole burnt offering, a perfect animal consumed with fire on the bronze altar before the tabernacle. The whole burnt offering represented the offeror’s submission and total dedication to do the will of God without regard to his own life. The peace offering ram was offered after the sin and whole burnt offering, stating that only after a person’s sins were dealt with and they loved not their life unto death by obedience to God’s will could there be peace and fellowship between God and humans. In the consecration ritual, Moses put the blood of the peace offering ram on the high priest and his son’s right ear, thumbs, and feet, stipulating that the priest’s hearing, work of service, and walk with God must be in unity with the good pleasure of God’s will. It acted out the shema. The sprinkling of the remaining blood on the altar, the priests, and their garments indicated the purification of the altar, the priests, and their garments, making them holy and fit to be in God’s presence. Waving the animal parts up to God and back, then eating them, showed unity of mind, body, and purpose with heaven and fellowship of eating together in peace. The animal sacrifices and blood-manipulating rituals were designed to achieve atonement between God and His sinful image bearers so they could serve in His temple without harm.

The Hebrew word for atonement is kaphar (כָּפַר), which means “to cover (specifically with bitumen); figuratively, to expiate or forgive, to satisfy or cancel” (Strong’s H3722), making atonement and reconciliation. God is satisfied when He no longer sees sin because it is forgiven with payment, and His people are redeemed (bought back, ransomed). The pitching of the ark (Gen. 6:14) and the census half-shekel ransom used to form the silver sockets of the tabernacle foundation (Exo. 30:12-16) are described as kaphar. The common theme underlying both passages indicates preserving or marking life through kaphar. Noah’s ark and the tabernacle are symbols of the preservation of life through covering. The covering-protecting aspect of a blood sacrifice occurs in the Passover. The slain lamb’s blood on the Israelite doors saved those inside from death by hiding them in the house and covering them by not charging them with lawlessness. Kaphar, כָּפַר (letter sum 300), is used 78 times (3 × 26) in the Torah, with 49 occurrences (7²) in the Book of Leviticus (see Blog 94).

The English word atonement combines “at” and “one,” which refers to peace of oneness or unity between two parties. To achieve the state of “being one as we are one,” there must be reconciliation between God and fallen humans that involve appeasing God’s anger against human sins as well as satisfying His justice through the sprinkling of blood on the mercy seat.

Heb. 9:18-23 Even the first covenant was not ratified without blood. 19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. 23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. RSV

Everything tainted with the touch of death must be marked with the touch of life. The poured-out blood of the blameless animal still contained its life. It represented the life of Yeshua, poured out to mark us with life, and in doing so, it also purchased us as belonging to Him, the second Adam. In Isaiah, Yeshua’s superior atoning sacrifice appears as the work of “God’s servant,” “the Son of David” who was “wounded for our transgressions” and “bruised for our iniquities,” carrying “the iniquity of us all” upon Himself (Isa. 52:13-53:12). As a solitary human sacrifice, Yeshua was the fulness of the animal sacrifices and all the functions they ritually represented. His blood covers us, protecting us. His life of thirty shekels of silver ransomed us from death. He carried away our sins, appeasing God’s wrath and satisfying the legal judgment against us. Through His substitutionary sacrifice, we receive the victory of salvation, an enduring life with Him. While the New Testament does not use the term “atonement,” the life of Yeshua is framed by His atoning works, reconciling us to God.

Takeaway:
The concept of atonement is central to the Old Testament liturgy. It allows sinful image bearers to enter the Presence of a holy God safely. Living in God’s Presence is the fulfillment of the desires of the Creator God. Atonement through Yeshua’s blood sacrifice covers and protects us, forgives, bears away our sins, reconciles us to God, and ransoms and redeems us to the new Adam, a new creation. From the foundation of the world, the atoning sacrifice lay at the door of Eden, a covenant promise of restoration and new creation. God deals with humanity’s transgressions by providing atonement for the land and for the people so that He may dwell among His children.

Fun Factors:
Exodus 29:33 “They shall eat those things with which the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them; but an outsider shall not eat them, because they are holy” has 49 letters (7²) in 16 words (4²), totaling 3567, 3 × 29 × 41 whose factor sum is 73, “wisdom” of God.

The end of the Song of Moses, Deuteronomy 32:43 “Rejoice nations with His people because He will avenge the blood of His servants and take vengeance on His adversaries. He will provide atonement for His land and His people” has 51 letters (3 × 17), 13 words, totaling 2545, 5 × 509, 39² + 32² or 5(22² + 5²) or 5(12² + 13² + 14²). The product of 2545’s digits is 200, and the sum is 16.