30. Atonement, Freedom, and Justice (Leviticus 16:29-34)

• Jun, 23 2025

Chapter Thirty Summary: Atonement, Freedom, and Justice (Leviticus 16:29–34) Rushdoony on How the Day of Atonement Grounds True Liberty in God’s Law and GraceIn this final section of Leviticus 16, Rushdoony ties together the ritual, moral, and cultural meaning of the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), asserting that atonement is not merely personal salvation—it is the foundation for freedom, justice, and moral order in society. 🔑 Key Observations from the TextThe Day of Atonement is a permanent statute (vv. 29, 31, 34)A day of fasting (“afflict your souls”), rest, and total cessation from laborAtonement is performed by the anointed priest (v. 32)It covers the sanctuary, altar, priests, and the whole congregationNo one else may work—symbolizing that man adds nothing to salvation (v. 31)🧠 Theological Highlights 1. Atonement: A Divine, Not Human, Initiative“Man can add nothing to God’s work of atonement.” — RushdoonyThe day required rest to signify total trust in God's substitutionary grace. F. W. Grant is cited to emphasize: human effort is forbidden because salvation is entirely God’s work. This truth is echoed in Galatians 5:1—freedom is grounded in Christ’s finished work, not man’s merit. 2. Freedom and Justice: Moral Conditions, Not Natural RightsRushdoony launches a devastating critique of modern humanism:Enlightenment thinkers like Richard Overton insisted that justice and liberty are natural inheritances.This turned justice from a moral obligation before God into a natural entitlement against others—a reversal that led society to demand justice from the environment or state, rather than by repentance and obedience.“Freedom is then defined as a freedom from some outward restraint, and justice as something the environment must provide for us.” — RushdoonyThis secular model, divorced from atonement, inevitably ends in tyranny—because the state replaces God as the author of justice. 3. Only Atonement Opens the Door to Justice and LibertyRushdoony insists:“The fact of atonement tells us that only by means of atonement can justice and freedom enter the world.”Without moral renewal, liberty and justice become abstract and eventually weapons of coercion in the hands of the state. Atonement is not merely a spiritual event—it is the moral regeneration of man and society. 4. Self-Atonement Is BlasphemyRushdoony compares self-atonement with Galileo’s arrogance before God:“He cannot necessitate Almighty God.” — Pope Urban VIIITo think we can atone for our own sins is to impose necessity on God, to demand His favor as a reward for our works. This is man-centered theology, a denial of grace. 5. True Atonement Reestablishes Dominion

Author

R.J. Rushdoony

Chalcedon Founder

Narrated by

Nathan F. Conkey

Narrator, teacher, missionary