Single lesson
The Day of Atonement
Leviticus 16:1–34; Leviticus 23:26–32
These passages set out the Day of Atonement in detail. They explain how the priest was to approach the Most Holy Place, how atonement was made, and how the whole people were to observe this day each year.
Before you teach
Leviticus 16 begins after the death of Aaron’s two sons, with a warning that Aaron must not enter the Most Holy Place whenever he chooses. The chapter then gives the ritual for this day, and Leviticus 23 repeats the annual observance on the tenth day of the seventh month.
Explain the central teaching of The Day of Atonement, using two details from the reading. The Day of Atonement was a yearly, carefully commanded day when the consecrated priest made atonement before Yahweh and the people were required to humble themselves and rest.
Welcome: The Day of Atonement
5 minIntroduce “The Day of Atonement” and locate Leviticus 16:1–34; Leviticus 23:26–32. The Day of Atonement was a yearly, carefully commanded day when the consecrated priest made atonement before Yahweh and the people were required to humble themselves and rest. Invite each learner to name a detail or question they will listen for.
Leviticus 16:1, Leviticus 16:21, Leviticus 23:32
Read and explain the passage
12 minThe instructions begin with a warning. Aaron must not enter the Most Holy Place at just any time, or he will die, because Yahweh appears in the cloud on the mercy seat. He must come with specific offerings, wash his body, and wear holy linen garments. The passage presents this approach as careful and restricted.
After atonement is made for the Holy Place, Tent of Meeting, and altar, Aaron lays both hands on the live goat and confesses over it all Israel’s iniquities, transgressions, and sins. That goat is sent into the wilderness. Separately, the remains of the bull and sin-offering goat are burned outside the camp. The one who releases the scapegoat must wash afterwards.
The passage ends by stating that the anointed and consecrated priest performs this atonement. It is made for the Holy Sanctuary, the Tent of Meeting, the altar, the priests, and all the people of the assembly. This is an everlasting statute, carried out once each year because of all Israel’s sins.
Read the selected verses together, pausing at “The Day of Atonement”. Use the source reading below and check the explanation against the words of the passage.
Leviticus 16:1, Leviticus 16:2, Leviticus 16:3, Leviticus 16:4, Leviticus 16:20, Leviticus 16:21, Leviticus 16:22, Leviticus 16:26, Leviticus 16:27, Leviticus 16:28, Leviticus 16:32, Leviticus 16:33, Leviticus 16:34
Discuss the details and their meaning
8 minUse the three questions below. Begin with “Why is Aaron warned not to enter the Most Holy Place whenever he wants?” and allow time to find the supporting verses. The Day of Atonement was a yearly, carefully commanded day when the consecrated priest made atonement before Yahweh and the people were required to humble themselves and rest. Ask learners to explain which details support their answer and to identify a question they would like to explore further.
Leviticus 16:1, Leviticus 16:2, Leviticus 16:8, Leviticus 16:9, Leviticus 16:10, Leviticus 16:21, Leviticus 16:22, Leviticus 23:27, Leviticus 23:28, Leviticus 23:29, Leviticus 23:30, Leviticus 23:31, Leviticus 23:32
Make and respond: Instruction and context chart
12 minWork on “The Day of Atonement: Instruction and context chart”. Follow the materials and steps below, using “The Day of Atonement” as reading headings. Each learner should include at least two accurate details and their verse references. Share one observation from the finished sheet and explain how it connects with the central teaching.
Leviticus 16:1, Leviticus 16:21, Leviticus 23:32
Closing: return to The Day of Atonement
3 minRevisit Leviticus 16:1–34; Leviticus 23:26–32. Invite a learner to summarise what the group has learned about The Day of Atonement and another to support the summary with a verse. Give learners a moment to complete their response sheet. They can share a question or, if appropriate for the group, join the optional prayer.
Leviticus 16:1, Leviticus 16:21, Leviticus 23:32
Questions to explore
Why is Aaron warned not to enter the Most Holy Place whenever he wants?
The text connects this warning with Yahweh’s presence at the mercy seat and the danger of death if he approaches wrongly.
Leviticus 16:1, Leviticus 16:2
What is the difference between the goat for Yahweh and the scapegoat?
One is offered as a sin offering, while the other has Israel’s sins confessed over it and is sent into the wilderness.
Leviticus 16:8, Leviticus 16:9, Leviticus 16:10, Leviticus 16:21, Leviticus 16:22
What does Leviticus 23 add about how the people must keep this day?
Notice both the commands to deny themselves and rest, and the stated consequences for refusing or for doing work.
Leviticus 23:27, Leviticus 23:28, Leviticus 23:29, Leviticus 23:30, Leviticus 23:31, Leviticus 23:32
Make, think or respond
The Day of Atonement: Instruction and context chart
What you’ll need
- plain paper or card
- pencils or pens
- a Bible or the source reading on this page
Try it together
- Fold a sheet into three panels or draw three columns. Label them “Who is addressed?”, “What is required?”, “What reason or purpose is given?”.
- Read Leviticus 16:1–34; Leviticus 23:26–32. Use “The Day of Atonement” as your reading headings and add a short quotation or detail with its verse reference to each panel.
- Compare your notes with a partner. Check that every quotation is accurate and every conclusion has support in the passage.
- Under the chart, distinguish instructions in their original setting from an application you could discuss today.
The finished sheet keeps the details of The Day of Atonement connected to their Bible references and gives the group a way to explain what they noticed.
Adapt for your group
- For learners who need more support, prepare the reading headings “The Day of Atonement” and let them match short quotations to the correct heading.
- For confident readers, compare two sections of Leviticus 16:1–34; Leviticus 23:26–32. Ask for a written explanation with two supporting references and one question that the text leaves open.
An optional closing prayer
“God, help us listen carefully as we read Leviticus 16:1–34; Leviticus 23:26–32. Help us understand what we have read, ask thoughtful questions and respond with care for others. Amen.”
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Leviticus 16
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they came near before Yahweh, and died;
2 and Yahweh said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Most Holy Place within the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark; lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud on the mercy seat.
3 “Aaron shall come into the sanctuary with a young bull for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.
4 He shall put on the holy linen tunic. He shall have the linen trousers on his body, and shall put on the linen sash, and he shall be clothed with the linen turban. They are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water, and put them on.
5 He shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.
6 “Aaron shall offer the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house.
7 He shall take the two goats, and set them before Yahweh at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
8 Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for Yahweh, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
9 Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for Yahweh, and offer him for a sin offering.
10 But the goat on which the lot fell for the scapegoat shall be presented alive before Yahweh, to make atonement for him, to send him away as the scapegoat into the wilderness.
11 “Aaron shall present the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bull of the sin offering which is for himself.
12 He shall take a censer full of coals of fire from off the altar before Yahweh, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil.
13 He shall put the incense on the fire before Yahweh, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the covenant, so that he will not die.
14 He shall take some of the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east; and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.
15 “Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with his blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat.
16 He shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, even all their sins; and so he shall do for the Tent of Meeting that dwells with them in the middle of their uncleanness.
17 No one shall be in the Tent of Meeting when he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place, until he comes out, and has made atonement for himself and for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel.
18 “He shall go out to the altar that is before Yahweh and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the bull’s blood, and some of the goat’s blood, and put it around on the horns of the altar.
19 He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and make it holy from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
20 “When he has finished atoning for the Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, he shall present the live goat.
21 Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, even all their sins; and he shall put them on the head of the goat, and shall send him away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is ready.
22 The goat shall carry all their iniquities on himself to a solitary land, and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.
23 “Aaron shall come into the Tent of Meeting, and shall take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the Holy Place, and shall leave them there.
24 Then he shall bathe himself in water in a holy place, put on his garments, and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.
25 The fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar.
26 “He who lets the goat go as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.
27 The bull for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp; and they shall burn their skins, their flesh, and their dung with fire.
28 He who burns them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.
29 “It shall be a statute to you forever: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and shall do no kind of work, whether native-born or a stranger who lives as a foreigner among you;
30 for on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you. You shall be clean from all your sins before Yahweh.
31 It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever.
32 The priest, who is anointed and who is consecrated to be priest in his father’s place, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen garments, even the holy garments.
33 Then he shall make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary; and he shall make atonement for the Tent of Meeting and for the altar; and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.
34 “This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel once in the year because of all their sins.” It was done as Yahweh commanded Moses.
Leviticus 23
26 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
27 “However on the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement. It shall be a holy convocation to you. You shall afflict yourselves and you shall offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh.
28 You shall do no kind of work in that same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement for you before Yahweh your God.
29 For whoever it is who shall not deny himself in that same day shall be cut off from his people.
30 Whoever does any kind of work in that same day, I will destroy that person from among his people.
31 You shall do no kind of work: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
32 It shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall deny yourselves. In the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall keep your Sabbath.”
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.