The Day of Atonement is Here

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement is here. Beginning this evening, Yom Kippur marks the holiest of all holy days on the Hebrew calendar. It is the climax of the time of repentance (Teshuvah). Starting tonight night and into Saturday, religious Jews from around the world will fast from food and water and read prayers in the synagogue.

Day of Atonement - Day of Covering; that’s what atonement means, covering. In Scriptures, the High Priest would slay a goat and sprinkle its blood on the Mercy Seat [the lid of the Ark of the Covenant] so that the sins of the people might be cleansed [covered], and they could have favor in the sight of God. This clearly foreshadows the Messiah, the innocent sacrifice, whose blood would be shed for our sins.

If you were on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem today, not one sacrifice would be offered. The Temple is no longer there. The altar of sacrifice is not there. The Holy Place is long gone. And there is no Holy of Holies with an Ark of the Covenant, no place to sprinkle the blood for the cleansing of sin. Yet there remains some who are convinced their sins will be atoned for by offering prayers, or keeping the Law, or doing good deeds. 

Christ followers believe there is only one recipe for true atonement—trusting in the One who was prophesied long, long ago, that is, Yeshua haMashiach, Jesus the Messiah. Having our sins covered by His blood, our names have been entered in the Lamb's Book of Life.

While Yom Kippur is not a Christian Holy Day, we can still take advantage of it to repent and get right with the Lord. It would be a good time to fast and pray, for yourself and for Israel. We can also look forward [with Paul] to that day when ALL Israel will be saved [Romans 11:26].

But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building. Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the Most Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Hebrews 9:11-12