What did Aaron do with the three animals on the Day of Atonement?
Aaron brought three animals on the Day of Atonement. He killed the first and sprinkled its blood on the mercy seat for his own sin. He killed the second and sprinkled its blood for Israel’s sins. He symbolically laid his hands on the third, the scapegoat, which was sent into the wilderness.
Les explains that the Day of Atonement ritual involved three animals brought by Aaron the high priest. The first animal was killed, and its blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies for Aaron’s own sin. The second animal’s blood was then sprinkled in the Holy of Holies for the sins of Israel. Finally, Aaron symbolically laid his hand on the head of the third animal, called the scapegoat, which was taken out into the wilderness. Les uses this tabernacle ritual to illustrate propitiation, as he connects it to Romans 3 and the layout of the tabernacle.