Joe: Alright, so what can you tell us about Leviticus 16?

Bible Expert: Well, Leviticus 16 contains instructions for the Day of Atonement, in which the high priest was to enter the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle, offering a series of sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people.

Joe: Woah, that sounds intense! So what exactly did the High Priest have to do?

Bible Expert: Well, the High Priest was to offer two male goats as a sin offering to the Lord. One goat was to be sacrificed, while the other was to be “sent away” into the wilderness as a “scapegoat” for the people’s sins.

Joe: Interesting. So what else did the High Priest have to do?

Bible Expert: He was also to take a censer of hot coals from the altar and enter the Most Holy Place with it, to sprinkle the blood of the sin offering seven times before the Lord. He was also to sprinkle some of the blood on the mercy seat, a golden lid on the Ark of the Covenant.

Joe: Alright, so what else?

Bible Expert: Well, the High Priest was to burn incense on the altar, and then burn the remainder of the sin offering upon it. Finally, he was to put some of the blood on the horns of the altar.

Joe: Wow, that's a lot of stuff! So what was the point of all this?

Bible Expert: Well, the point was to atone for the sins of the people, by offering a sacrifice to the Lord. This sacrifice would cleanse the people of their sins and make them right with God.