27. The New Beginning (Leviticus 16:1-3)

• Jun, 23 2025

Chapter Twenty-Seven Summary: “The New Beginning” (Leviticus 16:1–3) Rushdoony on Atonement, Judgment, and the Futility of Human HopeThis chapter introduces Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement—the highest holy day in ancient Israel’s calendar. Leviticus 16 begins with a solemn reminder: Nadab and Abihu had died for defiling God's sanctuary. The message is clear: approaching a holy God without His terms is fatal. From that foundation, Rushdoony draws profound theological insights about atonement, regeneration, and the bankruptcy of human self-reliance. 📌 Key Themes & Insights 1. Atonement Begins After JudgmentLeviticus 16 begins after the death of Aaron’s sons (v. 1).Their sin was “intoxication, unholy ambition, and arbitrary tampering with the service” (Rushdoony citing Hertz).Only after this judgment does God institute the Day of Atonement—signaling that atonement must come on God’s terms, not man's.“The ritual of atonement is given after the death of the two sons of Aaron.” – Rushdoony2. Yom Kippur: A National Day of Covenant RenewalWhile sacrifices already existed, Yom Kippur was new: a national, collective ritual for Israel’s purification.Atonement was not just for personal sin but for the nation, the sanctuary, and the priesthood.Aaron himself, the high priest, is told he cannot enter the Holy of Holies freely. Only once a year, and with preparatory sacrifice, could he approach the mercy seat.🧠 Theological Reflection: Generation vs. RegenerationRushdoony draws a contrast between Eve’s hope in Cain and God’s provision in the atonement:In Genesis 4:1, Eve sees Cain as a co-creator with God, boasting:“I have gotten a man with the Lord.”But Cain becomes a murderer—not a redeemer.“There is no validity to Eve’s hope in Cain, no hope in generation, only in regeneration.”The lesson is timeless: humanity cannot save itself. Hope based on natural lineage, talent, or nobility is always corrupted. Rushdoony illustrates this with:The decline of knighthood when it became hereditary.The collapse of Aaron's priestly line into sin.The Tower of Babel, where men said, “Let us make us a name.”All human systems, when separated from God’s grace, turn into theater, “acting out their imagination,” as Rushdoony puts it. 🔁 Incarnation and Atonement Must Stay UnitedRushdoony warns against a modern (and medieval) tendency to separate Christmas from Easter, the incarnation from the crucifixion. He argues:The early church, like St. Ephrem the Syrian, saw Christ’s birth, suffering, and resurrection as one saving act.But later thinkers like St. Francis emphasized Christ’s humility, sometimes at the expense of his triumph.The cross became the focus, not the empty tomb. The crucifix replaced the resurrection, and piety became detachment from the world instead of dominion under Christ.“To separate the incarnation, atonement, resurrection, ascension, and Last Judgment one from the other is to damage their meaning.”🧠 Key Hebrew Insight: Kapporeth (“Mercy Seat”)The Hebrew word for “mercy seat” is kapporeth, meaning covering.The covering (on the ark) symbolized God’s grace shielding the sinner—not just the sin.Rushdoony, via Knight, stresses:“There is no such thing as sin without a sinner... The kapporeth covered the sin because it so covered the sinner.”This encapsulates the gospel logic: it is the person, not just the act, that must be redeemed. 💬 Summary Points:God initiates atonement after judgment: Nadab and Abihu’s death was the sobering prelude.Yom Kippur formalizes national forgiveness, highlighting the holiness of God and the necessity of priestly mediation.No hope lies in generation (bloodlines, talent, effort). Only regeneration offers a future.The unity of incarnation and atonement must be preserved—the whole arc of redemption matters.The mercy seat (kapporeth) shows God covers sinners, not just their sins.✅ Final TakeawayMan cannot build a future through lineage, status, or striving. Cain was Eve’s hope—and history’s first murderer. Nadab and Abihu were Aaron’s priestly heirs—and were destroyed by God. Only God’s atonement, through His chosen priest and sacrifice, can secure life.The Day of Atonement is not about ritual alone—it is about reorienting history from man’s achievements to God’s mercy. Our access to the Holy of Holies is not earned but granted—once for all—in Christ.“The new beginning is not of man nor of generation, but by God’s atoning and regenerating grace.” – Rushdoony

Author

R.J. Rushdoony

Chalcedon Founder

Narrated by

Nathan F. Conkey

Narrator, teacher, missionary