Leviticus 16:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Those who uphold the commandments of life shall escape destruction (Psalm 48:10), even when they witness the demise of those who seem to be the wisest and most prudent among men. This holds particularly true for the scribes and Pharisees, who claim the most honorable positions in the synagogues and assert their superiority in knowledge. Their efforts are in vain, believing one can attain freedom for the price of a didrachma, and misinterpreting the law, while failing to recognize the spiritual worth of their souls as lacking, neglecting the ultimate sacrifice of the Lord’s Body, and shunning the Sacrament of Baptism. The blood of goats and calves cannot bring redemption; only the blood of Christ can truly liberate. In the Book of Leviticus, we find a foreshadowing of Christ, not the complete reality. Our liberation comes at the expense of His blood, not through the payment of a didrachma.

God instructed that the finger of God be sprinkled seven times upon the one who cleanses the blood of the bull and goat. As life unfolds in seven days, with each day carrying some measure of sin, this sprinkling of blood corresponding to the days was presented for the transgressions incurred during that time.