A Priest's Covering

Leviticus 16:4 
…therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on. A priest must wash himself before donning his robes. On the surface, this is about respect for his office and the holy things of God. At a slightly deeper level, this is about the character of a good leader. As Paul wrote to Timothy, “Lay hands suddenly on no man.” Before annointing a leader, make sure that he won’t soil the mantle of his office.

Leviticus 16:16
And he shall make an atonement for the holy place... There are several orders of priest: Melchizedek, Aaron, father, and believer. Each one is a scaled down version of the one before. The Ark with its covering—here called the mercy seat—is a model of priesthood, while the other articles of the tabernacle represent the people or spheres over which each priesthood presides. The priest made a covering (or atonement, Hebrew kafar) for the sanctuary because of the sins of the nation. So too can a father provide a degree of covering for the sins of his house. He cannot forgive their sins against God nor remove them, but he has the authority to drive off unclean spirits, to invite godly and healing spirits, and to intervene with God on behalf of his wife and children.