Meditations on The Day of Atonement
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| "Jonah in the Cave of the Earth", Jack Baumgartner, 2016 The book of Jonah is read on Yom Kippur |
“On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the LORD. Leviticus 23:27 It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places Leviticus 23:31
I hope you had a good Day of Atonement. It was unusually good for me, it felt like a transition, not a duty. A privilege. A moment with the Lord that was what he intended. A DAY full of of of Atonement, of being in his presence, of being cleansed. feel it might be useful to write this like I experienced it. I could write this in the second person, about “us”, or pretending to be generous and say “You”, but I’ll write it in the first person,
as a confession.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. James 5:16
It’s good to spend a day in prayer. Turn everything off. Don’t answer texts, emails. This particular day, reminded me that I love Him. And how much better it is to be in His presence than charge forward alone. That He has forgiven me, that’s what He does. He is the sacrifice lamb who was slain for the whole earth Isaiah 53.
I want to qualify everything by saying: I am a good person, I do for others. I read and meditate on the scriptures every day and try to think like God, set aside time to worship Him. But what I think about myself is not how God thinks He says
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift… Romans 3:23-24
and the result is this separation between us and God, regardless of our behavior.
1 Behold, the LORD’s hand is not so short
That it cannot save;
Nor is His ear so dull
That it cannot hear.
2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God,
And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. Isaiah 59:1-2
No, we don't behold him 100% of the time, there is much in this life of faith to learn. God's presence is always at hand for those who are filled with His Spirit. But I don't live a sinless life.
That is why He died for
- sins (mine),
for transgressions (yes as well, intentional, lazy, or rebellious)
for falling short (yes, I have),
Each of these is a different word, Yeshua wants to wipe our slate clean. My efforts don't count. the magnificence of his sacrifice does because a sacrifice is required.
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21
I felt refreshed in a new way.
Therefore if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17
Jonah
I started with prayer early this morning. I read so many different things. The Book of Jonah is traditionally read at Yom Kippur, so I did. He was a real prophet… and yet ran from God. So have I. Yeshua wanted Jonah to be highlighted for us. The only sign He would give a fallen world that He thought mattered was the “Sign of Jonah” Lk 11:29. They were both sacrificed for sin. Jonah was thrown overboard for his sin of running from God's assignment for him to preach to Nineveh, Yeshua was sacrificed for our sin. Jonah was left for dead in the sea for three days, then survived to preach repentance to Nineveh, a city of a million people. Yeshua was in the grave for three days, crucified to be a sacrifice for sin then rose to fulfill the purpose of His sacrifice...
Isaiah 53:5 “for our transgressions, iniquities…for our well-being (“shalom”)
Yet I have not cared. I’ve turned to my own way
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him. Isaiah 53:6
I read Isaiah 53. I don’t appreciate Him enough. He was crushed for me v.10, yet rose to see His זרה zerah, seed…. US! We who pretended we didn’t know Him, hid our faces from Him v3. I don’t hear from Him enough. And yet He still loves (me). He carries, cares for, bears my grief. But it doesn’t matter how small is my devotion,
“It was the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. Isaiah 53:10
I read so many other things today. But one thing is for sure: Yom Kippur is not a day for ME or youo to make atonement for MY sins. It is the day that YESHUA’s blood sacrifice is what matters.
So the priest who is anointed and ordained to serve as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement: he shall thus put on the linen garments, the holy garments, Leviticus 16:32
for it is on this day that atonement shall be made FOR you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD. Leviticus 16:30
YOU don’t atone for sins on Yom Kippur, it was never meant to be that way. THE PRIEST atones FOR you. And so much else. We need an intercessor. I think about the scapegoat who carries all our sins away. I am not a sinner in the traditional sense, my sins are far more clever. The ways in which I fall short are not known to any of you. Even a true prophet like Jonah runs from his calling.
Now the air is clearer. Fresher. Not even because Yeshua died for me, but because, like the SIGN OF JONAH, He rose again! He sees his seed prosper.
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. Hebrews 2:10
He brings me to glory!!!
(NOTE 1)
Lev 16:21, so many coloarations of sin.
עון. "Avohn" Perversion, intentional sin, iniquity
פשע "Peshah" rebellion, sin, transgression, trespass.
חטאת. "cheta'at" Offenses. Whether intentional, habitual, lazy, or even missing the mark (see note).
Leviticus 16:21 21 Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities (עון) of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions (פשע) in regard to all their sins (חתעת); and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness.
note on missing the mark - I've heard this said for many years that חת chet "sin", can mean missing the mark, but never looked it up, so here it is:
16 Out of all these people 700 choice men were left-handed; each one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss ( חת - chet - same word). Judges 20:16
(i have no idea what the left-handed thing is about!)
I walked Molly a good four mile, early and late in the day and thought about these things and in this day of rest, this day of reflection, this day of Atonement, His Spirit leaned in close and pointed out all the areas of my sin, my falling short, not to condemn, but to ATONE for them, by the blood of Yeshua’s sacrifice.
A good day.
So, one more timeI wish you, my friends a גמר חתימה טובה - g’mar chatimah tovah - a good and final sealing in the book of life, written in the blood of His sacrifice.
-Steve
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