October 1-2, 2006: Yom Kippur (the Day of Attonement)

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

I have the day off today because of Yom Kippur (October 1-2, 2006)


--
Leviticus 23

Day of Atonement

26 The LORD said to Moses, 27 "The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, ^[d] and present an offering made to the LORD by fire. 28 Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the LORD your God. 29 Anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people. 30 I will destroy from among his people anyone who does any work on that day. 31 You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. 32
It is a sabbath of rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the
evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you
are to observe your sabbath."

Footnotes:

d. Leviticus 23:27 Or and fast ; also in verses 29 and 32


--
Hebrews 9

Worship in the Earthly Tabernacle

1Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2A
tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand, the table
and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4which
had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the
covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that
had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover.^[a] But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.

6When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7But
only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year,
and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins
the people had committed in ignorance. 8The
Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place
had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still
standing. 9This is an
illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and
sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the
worshiper. 10They are only
a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external
regulations applying until the time of the new order.

The Blood of Christ

11When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here,^[b] he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. 12He
did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered
the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained
eternal redemption. 13The
blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those
who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly
clean. 14How much more,
then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered
himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead
to death,^[c] so that we may serve the living God!

15For
this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who
are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has
died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the
first covenant.

16In the case of a will,^[d] it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. 19When
Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he
took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and
branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. 20He said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep."^[e] 21In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22In
fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood,
and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

23It
was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be
purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with
better sacrifices than these. 24For
Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the
true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's
presence. 25Nor did he
enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest
enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26Then
Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the
world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to
do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28so
Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he
will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to
those who are waiting for him.

Footnotes:

1. Hebrews 9:5 Traditionally the mercy seat
2. Hebrews 9:11 Some early manuscripts are to come
3. Hebrews 9:14 Or from useless rituals
4. Hebrews 9:16 Same Greek word as covenant; also in verse 17
5. Hebrews 9:20 Exodus 24:8

Peace be within you!
Gill