Today is the Day of Atonement. Observant Jews would greet
you on this day with "Gmar Chativa Tova." It is sometimes referred to as
the day of "at-onement" with God, based upon the time when all of God's
chosen shall be accepted into the God family. As it turns out, this is not
the best definition. We all know that it is a day of fasting, but what is
the meaning and purpose of this day?
Today I want to take you through some scriptures and other
sources which describe the Day of Atonement, fasting, and the significance
of this day. I have given much of this sermon before, some of you will
remember it, but it is appropriate every year on this day.
1. Let’s Begin by talking about the Authority Behind
This Day:
The Day of Atonement is, of course, the 10th day of Tishri
or Ethenim, the seventh month. It is today, the most solemn day of the
year in Judaism. Yom Kippur is the one day nearly all Jews consider to be
sacred. In Israel even most secular Jews fast on this day and consider it
a day of introspection. If you judge the importance of this day by the
punishment it carries for breaking it, the weekly Sabbath is a more
important day because breaking the weekly Sabbath carries the death
penalty. Breaking Yom Kippur seems to only carry the penalty of being cut
off from God’s people, with the implied destruction of the individual
before he can return to his people.
The removal of sin and acceptance by God, which is the
most commonly accepted theme in Judaism, was only for a year, though it
has a deeper meaning. Heb 10:3 reads: "But those sacrifices are an
annual reminder of sins," and that is why we give you a message
about each holy day every year on that particular holy day.
But, as the rest of Hebrews 10 shows, atonement now points
forward to eternal removal of sins through the blood of Christ. We will
talk more of Heb 10 later.
Let's begin by reading the commandment to keep this Holy
Day in Leviticus 23:
Lev 23:26-32 The LORD said to Moses, {27} "The tenth day
of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly
and deny [afflict] yourselves, and present an offering made to the
LORD by fire. {28} Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of
Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the LORD your God.
{29} Anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off
from his people. {30} I will destroy from among his people anyone who
does any work on that day. {31} You shall do no work at all. This is to
be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.
{32} It is a Sabbath of rest for you, and you must deny [afflict]
yourselves. From the evening [ereb #6153] of the ninth day of the
month until the following evening you are to observe your Sabbath."
Verse 32 specifically states when this High Day is to be
observed: On the tenth day of the seventh month, from sunset the evening
before to sunset the evening of the tenth.
2. Now let’s talk about the Old Testament observance:
Lev 16:34 says "This is to be a lasting ordinance for
you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the
Israelites." And it was done, as the LORD commanded Moses.
Atonement means to cover sin or to be reconciled
to God through Christ’s sacrifice.
Lev 16:1-10 describes the ritual of Atonement and how it
was to be done only once a year:
The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons
of Aaron who died when they approached the LORD. {2} The LORD said to
Moses: "Tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the
Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on
the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud over the
atonement cover. {3} "This is how Aaron is to enter the sanctuary area:
with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. {4}
He is to put on the sacred linen tunic, with linen undergarments next to
his body; he is to tie the linen sash around him and put on the linen
turban. These are sacred garments; so he must bathe himself with water
before he puts them on. {5} From the Israelite community he is to take
two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.
{6} "Aaron is to offer the bull for his own sin offering to make
atonement for himself and his household. {7} Then he is to take the two
goats and present them before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of
Meeting. {8} He is to cast lots for the two goats--one lot for the
LORD and the other for the scapegoat.
Many texts use the word "Azazel’" for "scapegoat." Azazel’,
H5799, is defined by Brown-Driver-Briggs as "entire removal", meaning this
goat symbolically carried away and removed the entire sin and guilt from
sacred places into the desert. It probably also symbolized entire
forgiveness. In my opinion this more closely describes the purpose of this
goat. The word "scapegoat" implies one who is being blamed for something
he did not do. Some say Azazel’ means evil spirit, but there is little
agreement in the various commentaries and dictionaries regarding the
original meaning of this word. Frankly, we just don’t know the meaning.
Continuing at verse 9:
Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the LORD
and sacrifice it for a sin offering. {10} But the goat chosen by
lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to be used
for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat.
We can see why both goats were required: one to
symbolically carry away sins, the other as a sacrifice for the sins of
Israel. One carried away unknown current sins; the other died for
known past sins.
Skip down to verse 15.
"He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering
for the people and take its blood behind the curtain and do with it as
he did with the bull's blood: He shall sprinkle it on the atonement
cover and in front of it. {16} In this way he will make atonement for
the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the
Israelites, whatever their sins have been. He is to do the same for
the Tent of Meeting, which is among them in the midst of their
uncleanness. {17} No one is to be in the Tent of Meeting from the time
Aaron goes in to make atonement in the Most Holy Place until he comes
out, having made atonement for himself, his household and the whole
community of Israel. {18} "Then he shall come out to the altar that is
before the LORD and make atonement for it. He shall take some of the
bull's blood and some of the goat's blood and put it on all the horns of
the altar. {19} He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his
finger seven times to cleanse it and to consecrate it from the
uncleanness of the Israelites. {20} "When Aaron has finished making
atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, he
shall bring forward the live goat. {21} He is to lay both hands on the
head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and
rebellion of the Israelites--all their sins--and put them on the
goat's head.
One theory has it that this pictures the blaming of Satan
for the sins of the world. Continuing in verse 21:
He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care
of a man appointed for the task. {22} The goat will carry on itself all
their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the
desert.
Per the theory just mentioned, this would picture Satan's
banishment to outer darkness for all eternity. However, there is also
evidence God will destroy Satan. See Isa 14:16-17, Ezek 28:18-19, and Rom
16:20. G4937 - To put Satan under foot and trample on him.
{23} "Then Aaron is to go into the Tent of Meeting and
take off the linen garments he put on before he entered the Most Holy
Place, and he is to leave them there. {24} He shall bathe himself with
water in a holy place and put on his regular garments. Then he shall
come out and sacrifice the burnt offering for himself and the burnt
offering for the people, to make atonement for himself and for the
people. {25} He shall also burn the fat of the sin offering on the
altar. {26} "The man who releases the goat as a scapegoat must wash his
clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may come into the
camp. {27} The bull and the goat for the sin offerings, whose blood was
brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement, must be taken
outside the camp; their hides, flesh and offal are to be burned up. {28}
The man who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe himself with
water; afterward he may come into the camp.
Although there is much controversy over the meaning of the
Azazel’ goat in verses 15-28, the important thing to remember about these
verses is that all this was done in order to atone for or cover
the sins of the people. A secondary purpose was to impress upon the minds
of the people the conviction that the whole tabernacle was stained by the
sins of a guilty people, that by their sins they had forfeited the
privileges of the divine presence and worship, and that an atonement had
to be made as the condition of God's remaining with them. In essence, we
in the Church are faced with the same choices today: Keep the Day of
Atonement with fasting and without work and, as we will see, be reconciled
with God and man, or be caste, by God, outside His family of Saints.
Continuing in verse 29:
"This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On
the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do
any work--whether native-born or an alien living among you-- {30}
because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you.
Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins. {31} It is
a Sabbath of rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting
ordinance. {32} The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his
father as high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on the sacred
linen garments {33} and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the
Tent of Meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the people of
the community. {34} "This is to be a lasting ordinance for you:
Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the
Israelites." And it was done, as the LORD commanded Moses.
3. Now let’s discuss what most people associate with
this day - FASTING
We know that the Old Testament commands the Day of
Atonement but there is evidence that Paul observed it too. It has not been
"nailed to the cross" as many Protestants would have us believe.
Acts 27:9 Much time had been lost, and sailing had
already become dangerous because by now it was after the Fast.....
A major benefit of fasting is to be able to humble
oneself before God.
Even Pharaoh was expected to humble himself:
Exo 10:3 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to
him, "This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: 'How long
will you refuse to humble yourself [give in or yield] before
me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me.
David teaches us that humility can be accomplished by
fasting:
Psa 35:13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and
humbled myself with fasting.............
Psa 69:10-11 When I weep and fast, I must endure scorn;
{11} when I put on sackcloth, people make sport of me.
What are some other benefits of fasting?
Fasting enables us to get closer to God. It is a
spiritual, not just a physical, experience.
Exo 34:28 Moses was there with the LORD forty
days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he
wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant--the Ten Commandments.
(Ezra 8:21-23 NKJV) Then I proclaimed a fast there at
the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to
seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our
possessions. {22} For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of
soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because
we had spoken to the king, saying, "The hand of our God is upon all
those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all
those who forsake Him." {23} So we fasted and entreated our God for
this, and He answered our prayer.
Esther wanted to be close to God so He would inspire the
King not to kill her:
Est 4:16 "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in
Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day.
I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the
king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."
Paul had an experience which drove him to fast so that God
would explain to him what he was to do with his life. We must realize the
total change in lifestyle and values Paul was to undergo after that time
and how these thoughts must have tormented him during his three days of
darkness, fasting and solitude. Paul needed to get some answers from God
after his shocking experience on the road to Damascus.
Acts 9:9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or
drink anything.
What are some rules about fasting? Christ tells us in
Matthew 6:
Mat 6:16-18 "When you fast, do not look somber as the
hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are
fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
{17} But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, {18} so
that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to
your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in
secret, will reward you.
These New Testament scriptures make it clear that we
should fast. But only God needs to know when we fast.
Mat 9:14-15 Then John's disciples came and asked him,
"How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not
fast?" {15} Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn
while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be
taken from them; then they will fast.
Christ explained that there was no reason for them to
mourn over their separation from God due to their sins while He (Christ)
was physically with them. This is an example of how fasting brings us
close to God. Fasting is an act of humility in God’s presence.
Notice the humility expressed by Peter in 1 Peter 5:
1 Pet 5:5-11 Young men, in the same way be submissive to
those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility
toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but
gives grace to the humble." {6} Humble yourselves, therefore,
under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. {7} Cast
all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. {8} Be self-controlled
and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour. {9} Resist him, standing firm in the
faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are
undergoing the same kind of sufferings. {10} And the God of all grace,
who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a
little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm
and steadfast. {11} To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
As we fast, consider that our lives need more than just
the physical sustenance of food. For life, we also need the forgiveness
and spiritual sustenance of God. Fasting will get us closer to God so that
we can be better fed by God through His Holy Spirit and His Word.
Philo [Phy’-low] of Alexandria, a Jewish contemporary of
Jesus Christ, recorded his thoughts about fasting on Yom Kippur:
"Moses called Yom Kippur a feast because of the time at
which the celebration of the fast occurs, namely, when all the annual
fruits of the earth have been gathered in. [I might add: A point made
in our Calendar booklet] To eat and
drink of these without delay would, he held, show gluttony, but to fast
and refrain from taking them as food shows the perfect piety which teaches
the mind not to put trust in what stands ready prepared before us as
though it were the source of health and life. For often its presence
proves injurious and its absence beneficial. Those who abstain from food
and drink after the ingathering of the fruits cry aloud to us with
their souls, and though their voices utter no sound, their language could
hardly be plainer. They say, "We have gladly received and are storing the
benefits of nature, yet we do not ascribe our preservation to any
corruptible thing, but to God the Parent and Father and Savior of the
world and all that is therein, Who has the power and the right to nourish
and sustain us by means of these or without these. See, for example, how
the many thousands of our forefathers as they traversed the trackless and
all-barren desert, were for forty years, the life of a generation,
nourished by Him as in a land of richest and most fertile soil; how
He opened fountains unknown before to give them abundance of drink for
their use; how He rained food from heaven, neither more nor less than what
sufficed for each day, that they might consume what they needed without
hoarding, nor barter for the prospect of soulless stores their hopes of
His goodness, but taking little thought of the bounties received rather
reverence and worship the bountiful Giver and honor him with the hymns and
benedictions that are his due.........Besides, it was meet and right when
everything has shown abundance as they would have it, and they enjoy a
full and perfect measure of goodness, that amid this prosperity and lavish
supply of benefits, they should by abstaining from food and drink remind
themselves of what it is to want, and offer prayers and supplications on
the one hand to ask that they may never really experience the lack of
necessities, on the other to express their thankfulness because, in such
wealth of blessings, they remember the ills they have been spared."
Mat 4:4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not
live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of
God.' " He quoted this from Deut 8:3.
Isaiah also recognized the value of living close to God
and being able to soak in His Word and His knowledge as he described the
millennium:
Isa 11:9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my
holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.
What is God’s View of Fasting?
Isaiah describes God’s view of most people’s fasting in
the next verses we are going to read. Contemplate as we read these verses
because what he says here about God’s view of our fasting can apply to us
on the Day of Atonement or any other fast day:
Isa 57:14-58:14 And it will be said: "Build up, build
up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people."
{15} For this is what the high and lofty One says-- he who lives
forever, whose name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but
also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit
of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. {16} I will
not accuse forever, nor will I always be angry, for then the spirit of
man would grow faint before me-- the breath of man that I have created.
{17} I was enraged by his sinful greed; I punished him, and hid my face
in anger, yet he kept on in his willful ways. {18} I have seen his ways,
but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him, {19}
creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel. Peace, peace, to
those far and near," says the LORD. "And I will heal them." {20} But the
wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up
mire and mud.
Look around you. Listen to the radio and TV. Read the
papers. Search out accurate news on the Internet. Consider the attitudes
of those without God’s Spirit. All that you see is like mire and mud.
{21} "There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."
[They can not find real peace.] {58:1} "Shout it aloud, do not hold
back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their
rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins. {2} For day after day
they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a
nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its
God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near
them. {3} 'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and you have not seen it? Why
have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?' "Yet on the day of
your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. {4}
Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other
with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice
to be heard on high. {5} Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only
a day [Day of Atonement] for a man to humble himself? Is it only for
bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is
that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? {6} "Is not
this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break
every yoke? {7} Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to
provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to
clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? {8} Then
your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly
appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the
LORD will be your rear guard. {9} Then you will call, and the LORD will
answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. "If you do
away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious
talk, {10} and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and
satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the
darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. {11} The LORD
will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail. {12} Your people will rebuild the
ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be
called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
{13} "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as
you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the
Lord's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, {14} then you will
find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights
of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The
mouth of the LORD has spoken.
4. Teshuvah:
We have just talked about fasting, but the verses we just
read bring out another aspect of the Day of Atonement. My recent sermons "Preparing
for Trumpets" and "Days of Awe" pointed
out that the Day of Atonement was the last day of Teshuvah. There are four
aspects of Teshuvah: Regret, taking responsibility, reconciliation, and
resisting the sin again. As Christians we might say that Teshuvah means
recognizing our sin against someone as sin; regret for offending someone
else, including our Father; repentance; and a turning around and going the
other way. Teshuvah actually started on Elul 1. For the accepted Saints it
ended one month later on the Feast of Trumpets. But for most of the world
it continues until the Day of Atonement. I talked about that in previous
sermons. The period from Trumpets to Atonement are described as the Days
of Awe, which many compare to the tribulation. The Days of Awe represent
mankind’s final chance to make amends with God and man, and for their
names to be written in the Book of Life.
Before continuing on, I want to interject a thought for
your consideration: The Palestinian uprising against Israel began with the
visit by then Israeli MK Ariel Sharon to the Temple Mount on what we know
as the correct Day of Trumpets. The uprising of people rioting against the
Jews has been described by Palestinians as not a political uprising (i.e.
not between governments), but a war between religions. Are we seeing a
type, a foretaste, an example, of the troubles and persecutions of the
tribulation? The last ten days have been the Days of Awe, the Days of
Trouble. Today is the final day of that ten day period. You might want to
read Jeremiah 25 to refresh your knowledge of this terribly troublesome
period of time. . . . But, back to the sermon. We were talking about
confessing our sins against others.
The point of confession is to recognize that one has
committed a sin, and before whom the sin was committed, and to be whole
heartedly ashamed of it, and to regret it; and He who knows all the hidden
things will bear witness that the sinner will not sin again, nor return to
his folly. Just as sacrifice without Teshuvah is called an abomination -
"The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination" as we read in Proverbs
21:27 - so a confession without the heart’s agreeing not to sin again is
called an abomination.
During Teshuvah, people grow closer to God, but on the Day
of Atonement, God grows closer to us. This is an important concept for us
to keep in mind.
Teshuvah requires that we must love our neighbor,
including our Creator, as our self.
Some people dread the day of Atonement because they hate
to fast. That is a very shortsighted view. The Day of Atonement should
really be a day of rejoicing because that is the day God sweeps away the
transgressions of all who repent.
5. This brings us to the True Meaning of the Day of
Atonement
As we just said, the days between Trumpets and Atonement
are called the Days of Awe, the last ten days of a forty-day period called
Teshuvah. Teshuvah actually began on Elul 1, August 13th in
2007. These days are dedicated to obtaining the forgiveness of those one
has offended the previous year, both God and man. They are, in essence,
days of repentance or turning around. The Jewish community rightly
believes that it is harder to be forgiven by another person than by God
but that forgiveness cannot be obtained from God until one has obtained
forgiveness from his fellow man, for when one has offended his fellow man,
he has offended God. Yom Kippur is dedicated to obtaining forgiveness from
God.
The Christian community believes the same thing. This is
stated as part of what most people call the "Lord’s Prayer", which is
really a pattern or model prayer, given to us by Christ. It can be found
in Matthew 6:
(Mat 6:12 NKJV) And forgive us our debts, As we forgive
our debtors.
This verse is then expounded on in verses 14 and 15:
(Mat 6:14-15 NKJV) "For if you forgive men their
trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. {15} "But if you
do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive
your trespasses.
Is there any difference, then, between the Jewish
understanding of forgiveness and the Christian understanding of
forgiveness as given in verses 14 and 15?
Just what is atonement? It is another of many 'religious'
words that is often used but not always understood. The best definition we
can find is the one used in the scriptures themselves. The English word
'atonement' is found many times in the Old Testament, but only once in the
KJV New Testament. However, the Greek word which is translated "Atonement"
in the KJV of Romans 5:11, G2643, is translated into its more accurate
meaning "Reconciliation" in the other three places where the same Greek
word is used. Thayer’s Lexicon defines G2643 as an adjustment of a
difference, a reconciliation, a restoration of the favor of God to sinners
that repent and put their trust in the expiatory death of Christ.
In the Old Testament, it is derived from two Hebrew words,
kaphar and kippur, from which comes Yom, meaning "day", and Kippur,
meaning "atonement".
The root word kaphar (kah-far') means "to cover". See
Strong's #3722. The second word translated atonement is kippur and it
means "expiation or atonement". See Strong's #3725.
"Atonement" is the preferred translation. So we have a day
with several meanings. If you read the definitions in Strong's you'll see
what I mean. But the main theme is basically the same. Yom Kippur is
the day in which God will be reconciled with His creation. It is a day for
Him to be merciful, to pardon, to cleanse and to forgive.
Yom Kippur was the only day of the year that anyone among
the children of Israel was able to come "face to face" with God and live.
This occurred when the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies where the
Ark of the Covenant was kept. It could only be done with great preparation
and care.
Paul also addressed this future face to face encounter.
1 Cor 13:12 (NKJV) For now we see in a mirror, dimly,
but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as
I also am known.
According to Paul, we are not yet "face to face" with our
Father, but the time will come, as pictured by this day, when that will
occur. Then we will know God fully, just as He knows us fully right now.
Isa 59:20-21 (NAS) "And a Redeemer will come to
Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," declares the
LORD. {21} "And as for Me, this is My covenant with them," says the
LORD: "My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in
your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your
offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring's offspring," says the
LORD, "from now and forever."
So this is the meaning of the Day of Atonement in God’s
Master Plan for his Saints and eventually for all mankind: It pictures
the time when God will fully forgive His people’s transgressions and be
accessible on a face to face basis. That explains why we fast this
day. God is always closer as we fast.
(Isa 44:22 NKJV) I have blotted out, like a thick cloud,
your transgressions, And like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I
have redeemed you."
God has redeemed us (payed off our sin) with the sacrifice
of Christ.
6. Washed by Blood:
How does God blot out our transgressions and redeem us? We
read this verse before, but let’s read it again, this time from the
literal translation:
(Lev 16:30 Literal) "For on this day he shall atone for
you, to cleanse you; to cleanse you from all your sins; before Jehovah
you shall be clean.
Notice that the word "priest", as shown in the KJV, is not
in the literal translation. It was added by the translators. Other
translations agree that the word "priest" should not be there. While the
temple/tabernacle stood, atonement was made by the blood of the
sacrificial animal. Since 30 AD, the sacrificial animal’s blood was
replaced by that of Jesus Christ. As we have read so many times before,
Christ did not come to do away with the law. He came to fulfill it. Lev
16:30 still holds. He washed us in His blood rather than that of an
animal. He fulfilled the law.
Now let’s go back to Heb 10.
(Heb 10:1-14 NKJV) For the law, having a shadow of the
good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never
with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year,
make those who approach perfect. {2} For then would they not have ceased
to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more
consciousness of sins. {3} But in those sacrifices there is a reminder
of sins every year. {4} For it is not possible that the blood of bulls
and goats [See Lev 16:3] could take away sins. {5} Therefore, when He
came into the world, He said: "Sacrifice and offering You did not
desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. {6} In burnt offerings and
sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. {7} Then I said, 'Behold, I have
come; In the volume of the book it is written of Me; To do Your will, O
God.'" {8} Previously saying, "Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings,
and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them"
(which are offered according to the law), {9} then He said, "Behold, I
have come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first that He may
establish the second. {10} By that will we have been sanctified through
the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. {11} And every
priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same
sacrifices, which can never take away sins. {12} But this Man, after He
had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand
of God, {13} from that time waiting till His enemies are made His
footstool. {14} For by one offering He has perfected forever those who
are being sanctified.
I mentioned a moment ago that He washed us in His blood.
There is a Jewish parable that kind of describes the effectiveness of our
washing.
"As a nut which if it falls into filth, can be picked up
and wiped off and rinsed and washed and then can be eaten, so it is with
Israel: however much they besmirch themselves in iniquity all the days of
the year, Yom Kippur comes and makes atonement for them, as it is said in
Lev 16:30."
And so it is with us.
In Conclusion:
Brethren, when you fast on the Day of Atonement or
anytime, fast with purpose, not just because it is the thing you are
supposed to do. Fast to be close to God so that you can seek out God's way
of life; be accepted by God; seek out God's help in obeying Him in every
facet of our lives. Recognize that this Day of Atonement pictures the
unbelievably wonderful day when we will be accepted by our Father because
He has forgiven us of all the sins we have committed against Him and our
fellow man; a day when we will be able to see the Father as He is.
Strive to be known as one who does what is right in
our relations with both God and our fellow man; one who does not forsake
God's commands. Live a just, righteous, loving life, showing fairness and
justice to others. Don't let this day become just another day when we
don't eat. Make it a springboard for the rest of our lives.
By the grace of God, may you all be inscribed in the Book
of Life.