The LORD said to Moses, 27“The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present a food offering to the LORD. 28Do not do any work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the LORD your God. 29Those who do not deny themselves on that day must be cut off from their people. 30I will destroy from among their people anyone who does any work on that day. 31You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. 32It is a day of sabbath rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath.”
Yom Kippur ends the celebration of the ten day solemn festival of ‘Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur.’ This is THE most solemn holy day for the Jewish people, and it was a very serious event. It is also known as the day of atonement or covering of sin. Atonement means the reconciliation of God and humankind. The ten day celebration from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur is also known as “the days of repentance.” The shofar is blown at the end of the evening prayer service in the Temple for the first time since Rosh Hashanah.
An animal was sacrificed at the Temple on this day in Bible times. This was to pay for the sins of the people It was a time of fasting and prayer. When the High Priest was finished with the atonement sacrifice, a goat was released into the wilderness. This ‘scapegoat’ carried with it the sins of Israel that were ‘atoned’ for by the sacrifices.
In the Temple there is a ‘holy of holies’ area. This is where the High Priest, and he alone, enters once a year to present the blood sacrifice for the sins of the people. It was separated from the people with a thick curtain. It was this curtain, or veil, that was torn in two when Jesus was resurrected signifying that the blood sacrifice was made by Jesus for our sins. People did not need to go to the Temple with a blood sacrifice any longer…Jesus made the sacrifice for each and every one of us.
Just like in Bible days, if the Jewish people did not bring that blood sacrifice to the Temple on the Day of Atonement, their sins would not be forgiven! The plan was set in place, but if they did not take advantage of it, their sin would remain on them, and they would be responsible for it.
Today we are offered the ‘Great Sacrifice’ in the blood of Jesus. We and we alone can accept that exchange He made for our sins, or we can die in sin, and face the consequence of hell!
After the Temple was destroyed in AD 70, Jewish people could no longer bring the blood sacrifice to the Temple. God did not change His laws, how was their sin forgiven? They were also given the opportunity to believe in the forgiveness of their sin by the ‘scapegoat’ Jesus. Many chose not to believe!
I wonder sometimes what people think or believe who do not have an awareness of this ‘great exchange’. We have only One God, creator of Heaven and earth. He made the laws, and He sticks to them. We, his children follow the Law-or face the punishment…hell! There is NO negotiating like we sometimes did with our earthly imperfect parents. There is NO other way to escape what God has already established at THE WAY to Heaven.
This Jewish Holy day established so long ago reminds us, God has always loved us and always had a way for us to escape the wrath of hell! Praise Him for that today on Yom Kippur, a reminder of our Day of Salvation!
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