Immerse: Beginnings Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 191
16:28–17:11
L e v itic u s
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carried outside the camp. The animals’ hides, internal organs, and dung
are all to be burned. The man who burns them must wash his clothes and
bathe himself in water before returning to the camp.
“On the tenth day of the appointed month in early autumn, you must
deny yourselves. Neither native-born Israelites nor foreigners living among
you may do any kind of work. This is a permanent law for you. On that day
offerings of purification will be made for you, and you will be purified in
the Lord’s presence from all your sins. It will be a Sabbath day of complete
rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. This is a permanent law for
you. In future generations, the purification ceremony will be performed
by the priest who has been anointed and ordained to serve as high priest
in place of his ancestor Aaron. He will put on the holy linen garments and
purify the Most Holy Place, the Tabernacle, the altar, the priests, and the
entire congregation. This is a permanent law for you, to purify the people
of Israel from their sins, making them right with the Lord once each year.”
Moses followed all these instructions exactly as the Lord had commanded him.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to Aaron
and his sons and all the people of Israel. This is what the Lord has
commanded.
“If any native Israelite sacrifices a bull or a lamb or a goat anywhere
inside or outside the camp instead of bringing it to the entrance of the
Tabernacle to present it as an offering to the Lord, that person will be
as guilty as a murderer. Such a person has shed blood and will be cut off
from the community. The purpose of this rule is to stop the Israelites from
sacrificing animals in the open fields. It will ensure that they bring their
sacrifices to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle, so he can pre
sent them to the Lord as peace offerings. Then the priest will be able to
splatter the blood against the Lord’s altar at the entrance of the Tabernacle, and he will burn the fat as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. The people
must no longer be unfaithful to the Lord by offering sacrifices to the goat
idols. This is a permanent law for them, to be observed from generation
to generation.
“Give them this command as well. If any native Israelite or foreigner
living among you offers a burnt offering or a sacrifice but does not bring
it to the entrance of the Tabernacle to offer it to the Lord, that person will
be cut off from the community.
“And if any native Israelite or foreigner living among you eats or drinks
blood in any form, I will turn against that person and cut him off from the
community of your people, for the life of the body is in its blood. I have
