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What is the Day of Atonement to you?
- Truth?
- Humility?
- “Being real” before God?
- Time to prepare your heart and repent?
- Dealing with those things that put a wall between yourself and God?
- Cleaning your heart in a big way?
Let’s look at what is written. That is more important than what we believe, because Yeshua said, “Your word is truth.” It will help us understand truth. We have to be careful not to assume we understand what is truth. Truth is God’s word, not the opinions of others. I like the fact that God’s word was handwritten, not electronic. You can’t change, alter or remove things from it.
There are a lot of italicized words in English translations due to the differences between Hebrew, Greek and English grammar, but at other times, those italicized words change the meaning due to the bias of the translator.
“‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ Says the LORD, ‘Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.'” (Isa. 1:18)
That word translated as reason does not mean what you think it means. It’s the Hebrew word יָכַח yakach (Strong’s lexicon No. H3918), which means decide, judge, prove, rebuke, reprove or correct. God is not saying that He will listen to our opinions then combine them with His truth, making a compromise to be in agreement. This is God’s plea to us that He wants to have a relationship with us. He wants us to come around to His side so that He can take away our sins.
“The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)
We can not take away our own sins. We need someone more powerful, more capable than ourselves to remove our sin.
The issue of clean and unclean does not just involve food, it also involves one’s home. Is God concerned about cleaning the outside? No, God’s more concerned about cleaning the inside. Can you clean your own thoughts? Can you think about the good and stop thinking about the bad all by yourself? No. There is something about the Hebrew word כִּפֻּרִים kippurim, the coverings. When God covers, it’s a picture of us trusting and believing God when He says He will see no more sin, no more transgression. He will never see our sins, transgressions and iniquities again. How does He cover our sins? With the blood of Yeshua.
Has God fulfilled it? Has He taken away the sin of the world?
Before the final Day of Atonement, what happens to the word? A lot of destruction, damage and tribulation. The word of God is like a two-edged sword. It will bring forth death and life. It is judgement time between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur.
Let’s go back to the word atonement for a minute. In Hebrew, as I said, יוֹם הַכִּפֻּרִים Yom Kippurim mean Day of Coverings. It’s root is כִּפֶּר kippur (H3722), which means to reconcile, to purge, to take something away. Sin will expire some day. Sins, transgressions and iniquities will cease to exist. Now because God killed you but because He had someone else killed for you. This is God’s work, not anyone else’s. The Day of Atonement is the most precious day of all time because it’s reconciliation between people and God.
Yeshua didn’t take away the sins only of the Jews or the Gentiles, or the “good people” but of the world. The creation is groaning, waiting for the sons of God to take over the world (Rom. 8:20–23).
We are in the seventh month, the ingathering at the end of the year (Ex. 23:16; 34:22). At Passover, the angel of death was not the devil. It was sent by God but the lamb that the Israelites were to kill to protect themselves from the angel of death was also given by God.
The goats on the Day of Atonement took away the sins, transgressions and iniquities. This is not an issue of prophecy; this is what the Word says. The second goat was not supposed to be killed, it was to be taken to a place where no one lives.
The High Priest does all the heavy lifting on Yom Kippur. Yeshua is the true High Priest.
As we go through Rom. 5:1-11, we have a lot to think about. Why does God give us tribulations? So we grow and become better people. We learn though suffering. Have you ever waited for something for a very long time? How do you feel when you finally get it? How do you know you were justified by Yeshua’s blood? It’s because Torah tells us that life is in the blood. That is truth. When Yeshua’s blood and life were shed, it gave you life. That is truth. We shall be saved from God’s wrath.
God looks at us through His Son. That is how we will be reconciled and have atonement.
We have to purge out of us any tendency we have to curse others, even those we can’t stand, who don’t live up to God’s standards. Did you live up to God’s standards before He called you?
We have to put on the new man and take off the old man and living like God. Don’t live for the Lord, live like Him. Be you holy as God is holy. We have to look up to that direction. We don’t work for the Lord. He does all the work. When we live like God, we are a light to the world. Some lights are blinding, some are gentle. There are different lights. What kind of was Yeshua? Was He so bright that He blinded people? He told His disciples to be a light? Was He destructive?
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2Cor. 5:17–21)
We can know God’s will when we read His word. It’s very clear and easy to understand. His will can be lived and practiced. Our flesh will always fight against God’s will but our spirit needs help from God. God wants to reconcile the entire world, not just one group. He created Adam and Eve first, not Abraham, Judah, Ephraim. Yeshua died for all.
God will reconcile to us and we can reconcile to God.
The first thing God told Moses to make after giving the 10 Commandments was to build the Ark of the Covenant and the mercy seat to cover it. The Gospel was preached in Moses’ time. They didn’t totally understand it but it’s there. The Messiah is there.
None of us were drawn to God by death, illness, sickness or violence. I was drawn to God with just one word: Saturday. I went to the word of God to find the answer to that issue. That was the start of God’s good work in me. I’m afraid of stumbling or falling. I’m afraid of not paying attention to God’s word, not because God’s going to kill me or throw me into a well, but because I want God’s love and mercy.
When you are attacked and you take the abuse and say nothing, that is the act of Yeshua Himself. He went like a sheep to the slaughter to save us, said nothing to save Himself. He ignored the accusations because His mission was the will of His father. His mission was to reconcile man with God.
How do we become righteous? By obeying a list of do’s and don’ts? It’s by faith. If you believe God and accept His Son, then you will become righteous, not because you make yourself holy but because God will make you holy and righteous.
We aren’t there yet on the physical, yet but we know it will come. If atonement does not occur, how many will miss out. God does not delight in the death of the wicked. We need to have patience with those who are wicked, let those in authority like the police do their job. It’s easy to speak evil. We must be careful, let God do His work, which is to bring mankind to Himself. God is not lowering Himself to be as we are. God is bringing us up to His level so that we can live with Him. Death is the final enemy, but we don’t fight that enemy; God will kill that enemy.
Speaker: Richard. Summary: Tammy.