Ye Shall Do No Manner of Work (Leviticus 23:31)

2023-03-06

Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. (Leviticus 23:31)

Here are the requirements for celebrating the Day of Atonement. First, nobody was to do any work. This is mentioned three times in the passage (Leviticus 23:26-32). Anyone who would work would be put to death. This prefigures the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot offer Him works to atone for our sins. We can only trust and rest in Him.

Likewise, the people had to afflict their souls, or fast. This was also mentioned three times. Everything people normally did from day to day had to stop, and they had to consider the atonement the Lord accomplished for them.

They also had to “offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD” (Leviticus 23:27). The Lord Himself is our offering of the new covenant.