Leviticus 16:15-19 presents a picture of the accomplishing of expiation, the covering of sins. With the type of the expiation in the Old Testament age, we know how Christ accomplished the taking away of sins in the New Testament age. Let us consider the details in Leviticus 16 and their significance concerning the accomplishing of expiation.
The first step for the accomplishing of expiation was to slaughter the goat of the sin offering for the people (v. 15a). Goats signify sinners (cf. Matt. 25:32-33, 41). We were born sinners, having a sinful nature inwardly and sinful deeds outwardly, and the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). Therefore, it is reserved for us to die once (Heb. 9:27). For this reason, in the accomplishing of expiation, man was required to take the goat of the sin offering as his substitute.
The slaughtered goat of the sin offering is a type of Christ, who was made in the likeness of the flesh of sin, being the sin offering for us, the sinners. “God, sending His own Son in the likeness of the flesh of sin and concerning sin, condemned sin in the flesh” when Christ was crucified in the flesh on the cross (Rom. 8:3). When Christ was incarnated (John 1:14), He became one with us in the flesh. He did not know sin, but He was made sin on our behalf to be judged by God and thereby condemned sin in the flesh (2 Cor. 5:21; John 3:14). In Him, that is, in becoming one with Him in His resurrection, we have become the righteousness of God. By this righteousness we, the enemies of God, have been reconciled to God (Rom. 5:10).
The second step for the accomplishing of expiation was to bring the blood of the goat inside the veil and sprinkle it on and before the expiation cover. According to God’s law, without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (Heb. 9:22). Therefore, the sprinkling of the blood of the goat on and before the expiation cover, which was the lid of the Ark, was for the fulfillment of God’s requirement so that God might have fellowship with the approaching one. By the lid of the Ark, with the expiating blood sprinkled on it, the entire situation of the sinner was fully covered. Therefore, upon this lid God could meet with the people who had broken His righteous law. Since the problem between man and God was appeased, God could forgive and show mercy to man and thereby give grace to man.
The priest was to bring the blood of the goat inside the veil and sprinkle it on and before the expiation cover. This signifies that the blood of Christ was brought into the Holy of Holies in the heavens to accomplish eternal redemption for sinners before God (v. 12). In the Old Testament man’s sins were not taken away; they were merely covered by the blood of the sacrifices, which were types of Christ. In the old covenant the blood of goats only made expiation for people’s sins; it never accomplished redemption for their sins, because it is impossible for the blood of goats to take away sins (10:4). However, Christ as the Lamb of God took away the sin of the world (John 1:29) by offering Himself once for all on the cross as the sacrifice for sins (Heb. 9:14; 10:12). His blood, which He sprinkled in the heavenly tabernacle before God for our expiation, has accomplished an eternal redemption for us, even redemption for transgressions under the old covenant, transgressions that were only covered by animal blood (9:15). Thus, we have been redeemed with the precious blood of Christ (1 Pet. 1:18-19).