The Day of Atonement

 God commanded Moses to instruct the Israelites about the sacred assemblies they were to observe each year. All of the people were to come together for a particular purpose to remember the Lord and His blessings. One of those times was called the Day of Atonement. (Leviticus 23:26,27) Each year on the tenth day of the seventh month the people of Israel were called to have a sacred assembly and to practice self-denial to humble themselves before the Lord. They were not to do any regular work, and they were to offer a food offering to the Lord. The Jewish people today still observe the Day of Atonement in much the same way, even though it is no longer necessary. Let me explain.

None of us can atone for our own sins by having a sacred assembly, practicing self denial, and offering a food offering to the Lord. Yes, God commanded that under the Old Covenant, but it was to point ahead to a Day of Atonement which would happen in the future. It was to remind the people of their need to have their sins forgiven. It was to point them to Jesus who would come, the God/Man to make atonement for the sins of the world, once for all. He did that the day He went to the Cross of Calvary, and the Father laid all of our sins upon Him. (Isaiah 53:6) Jesus bore our sins in His body, shed his blood as the payment for our sins to atone for them before the Father, and to die in our place. That was the Day of Atonement. That was the only way that the sins of the world could be atoned for, not by human effort. Now, once we know that Jesus died and rose again to atone for our sins, we have the choice to turn from our sins, once and for all, put our trust in Jesus who gave Himself  for us, and to surrender to Him as Lord of our life. Then, that day becomes our day of atonement, because the blood of Christ washes away our sins from between us and God. Anyone, Jew or Gentile, who makes that decision to surrender to Jesus in that way can receive atonement today. There is no need for a sacred assembly. There is only the need to come to Jesus at the foot of the Cross and bow before Him as Lord.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Leviticus 26-27 and Numbers 1-2.