Day of Atonement

 God gave Israel a permanent statute as part of the Old Covenant. (Leviticus 16:29-30) One the tenth day of the seventh month all of the people, whether from the tribes of Israel or others who were sojourning among them, were to set aside one day for the personal atonement for their sins, so they would be forgiven by God. It was a time to humble their souls before the Lord. The priests went to the Tabernacle and offered the sacrifices, so God would see their humility and accept the sacrifice, and they would have their sins atoned for. The Jewish people still practice this Day of Atonement today, but there is no way to make a sacrifice, because the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD and never rebuilt. However, God has had a much better way for atonement.

Yes, we all need to humble ours souls before the Lord and admit our sins, seeking His forgiveness. The truth is that now, we do not need to do this once a year, but once for all of our sins, since we live under the New Covenant. How is that possible? No, we can't save ourselves by anything we do. Jesus died on the Cross for us. He shed His blood for us and for all of our sins, once and for all purchasing our redemption. When we turn from our sins, put our trust in Jesus and His sacrifice, surrendering to Him as Lord of our lives, then, we are at one with God. Our atonement is finished. That was the ultimate Day of Atonement. God even showed us that He accepted Jesus' sacrifice for us, in that He raised Jesus from the dead on the third day. If the Jews would just realize this truth and trust Jesus, they would not need to practice this day of Atonement, since Jesus would set them free forever.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Leviticus 17-19.