Yom Kippur--The Day of Atonement

The Feast called "Yom Kippur" or the "Day of Atonement" starts tonight at sunset for the Jewish people. It is considered the most sacred and holy of the 7 feasts. It is actually a day of fasting instead of feasting. The purpose of the feast is to look inward and repent of any sins between oneself and God.

When God instituted this feast, He did so in order for it to point to His Son, Jesus, the Lamb of God, who would be the only satisfactory sacrifice. In Biblical days, The Day of Atonement was the one day per year that the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies. This cube shaped room inside the temple housed the Ark of the Covenant...which housed the 10 commandments, a golden pot of manna, and Aaron's budding rod.

One cool fact about this day was that the ceremony and rituals were the sole responsibility of the High Priest. Is it not awesome that Jesus, our high priest, had the sole responsibility for the atonement of our sins?! The High Priest in those days would enter the Holy of Holies with the atoning blood sacrifice (from either a lamb or a goat, I am not sure) and ask Yahweh to forgive the sins of Israel.

Don't you imagine that the Jews in that day knew something was amiss?! I mean, why couldn't just one sacrifice be enough? God set it up this way in order to point out that the blood of animals would atone for their sins until He sent His perfect, sinless Son to the World to atone for sins once and for all! This system was meant to prepare the way for a better hope. As Romans 3:23-24 say that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Praise God, through His grace, Jesus provides our covering once and for all. We are now free to enter the throne of grace with confidence.

I read an article this morning that said 63% of Israelis Jews plan to fast this year on Yom Kippur. It struck me with such sadness that there are so many Jews that don't recognize Jesus as their long awaited Messiah. Pray with me that light would come upon them. Pray with me for the peace of Jerusalem...not just their physical peace from enemies, but for their spiritual peace that can only come from the "Prince of Peace."