Christ, The Propitiation For Our Sins

by J.A.H. Robertson, Hayes, England | Category: General | Dec 1989

Righteousness and judgement are the foundation of God's throne. His righteousness required that the penalty of sin be paid. This, for us, would have meant eternal death, but in mercy God sent His Son to pay the penalty that we might be forgiven and have eternal life. God also gave Christ to be a propitiation (sacrifice of atonement, NIV) for our sins (Rom. 3:24-25; 1 John 2:1-2).

God redeemed Israel from Egypt that He might be their God and they might be His people - that He might live among them and they might worship Him. For this purpose He asked them to build Him a tabernacle. A priest entering the court of the tabernacle would see first the altar of burnt offering with an offering burning. Behind the altar was the laver where the priests washed before handling the offerings. Beyond that was the tabernacle with first the holy place in which he would see on the right a golden table with twelve fresh loaves of shewbread from which fragrance of frankincense arose, and on the left a lampstand with seven branches all lighted. Facing him would be the golden altar with incense burning, service to God arising continually. Beyond that altar and screened from view by the veil was the most holy place into which none but the high priest might enter, and he only once in the year on the day of atonement. In the most holy place was the ark of the covenant containing the two tables of stone with the ten commandments. It was covered by a lid of gold called the mercy seat (atonement cover, NIV). On the mercy seat were two cherubim of gold standing one at either end, face to face, with wings outspread overshadowing it. There between the cherubim God dwelt (Ex. 25:17-22).

On the day of atonement the people gathered outside the court of the tabernacle while the high priest went into the most holy place to the mercy seat, where God was, to make atonement first for himself and then for the sins

of the people (Lev. 16; Heb. 9:5-7). The RV margin in Hebrews 9:5, for "mercy seat" gives "propitiatory" which is a place of propitiation. The Hebrew for "mercy seat" (Lev. 16) means a place of covering, so it was the place of propitiation or atonement, the place of covering sin.

David said in the 32nd Psalm, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered... unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity". This covering is not hiding sin or sweeping it under the carpet; far from it, as David knew to his cost, for he had hidden his sin, but was far from happy while he did so. It is covered in the sense that the penalty for it is paid, in that Christ's death satisfied the demands of divine holiness. Propitiation or atonement involves the paying of the penalty, and at the mercy seat, the place of covering sin, sin was covered. The penalty paid was the blood of the sacrifice.

The Old Testament sacrifices pointed forward to the sacrifice of Christ. Now He has gone in to God on our behalf, a High Priest of the good things that are come, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle... and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, has entered once for all into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption (Heb. 9:11-12 margin), and there He makes propitiation.

On the cross He was the propitiation for our sins. In the holy place He makes propitiation. In the holy place He offers the value of the shedding of

His blood, the value of His death, on our behalf.

Because we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ our sins have been covered, but we still sin even though we don't want to. 1 John chapters 1 & 2 deal with this. John speaks of walking in the light (1:5-9). That is living openly before God according to the light of His word, not trying to hide sins, but confessing them to Him that He might forgive them. This does not leave us free to sin. He says, "I write these things that ye may not sin" (2:1). But God, knowing our weakness, has made provision for us. "If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and He is the propitiation for our sins". He has paid the price for our sins and as a merciful and faithful High Priest He makes propitiation for the collective sins of His people.

So the sin that is in our nature is covered by the death of Christ whom God set forth to be a propitiation. And the sins we still commit are covered by the propitiation He makes for us in God's presence.

In the Old Testament the mercy seat was the place of propitiation and God said, "There will I meet with thee, and I will commune with thee" (Ex. 25:22). In the New Testament Christ is seen as the mercy seat. As a result of the propitiation He has made by dying for our sins and the propitiation He makes by offering the value of His death to God, we are able to enjoy communion with God.

J.A.H. Robertson, Hayes, England | Dec 1989
General