"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 ... 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. It is a Sabbath of rest [Shabbat Shabbaton], and you must deny yourselves." (Leviticus 16:29–31)
The holiest and most solemn day of the Jewish year begins tonight: Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement).
This day is so important that the Torah calls it the Shabbat Shabbaton(Sabbath of Sabbaths).
Even secular Jews observe it by fasting and refraining from all work, despite not observing other Jewish holy days.
As the sun sets tonight, all around the world, the Jewish People will begin a 25-hour fast. It is traditional, therefore, to greet friends and family today and tomorrow with Tzom Kal, which means Easy Fast.
The Word of God rests on a velvet cover, ready to be unrolled and read to the entire congregation.
Yom Kippur is the culmination of the Ten Days of Repentance that began with Rosh HaShanah, which is believed to be Judgment Day.
That judgment which was issued on Rosh HaShanah—in other words, our fate—is sealed in the Book of Life today.
This highest of holy days stands apart from all other days as the last day to repent and make amends.
The traditional greeting, therefore, is G'mar Chatimah Tovah (May You be Sealed for a Good Year)!
A Jewish man prays with upraised hands on Yom Kippur
During Temple times, the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur to offer incense and the blood of the sacrifice at the mercy seat so the people would be cleansed from their sins.
Because the Holy Temple no longer stands, the purification offering outlined in Leviticus 16 can no longer be offered.
Believers in Yeshua (Jesus), however, can come confidently before God, knowing that His atoning sacrifice cleansed us from our sins.
Unlike the other high priests, Yeshua does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for our sins once for all when He offered Himself. (Hebrews 9:14)
-Messianic Bible
No comments:
Post a Comment