“This is a lasting ordinance for you: on the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work—whether native-born or an alien living among you.”
~ Leviticus 16:29
Hi James and Ellen,
What day do you look forward to the most? Do you look forward each year to your birthday? Do you look forward each year to Christmas Day? What happens on your birthday and Christmas Day? You are given gifts. Do you like to get gifts? Your grandpaa knows that you like to get toys. Do you looking forward to another day or days each year? Do you look forward to going to school each day? Do you look forward to visits from your grandmaa and grandpaa? Do you look forward to being with a kid friend? What day to you think that the Israelite people group’s guys and gals looked forward to each year? Your grandpaa thinks that the Israelite people group’s guys and gals looked forward each year to Tishri 10. Tishri is the seventh month on the Jewish calendar. Something special would take place each year on Tishri 10. An atonement would be made for the sins that God’s specially chosen guys and gals had committed since the last Tishri 10. God specially chosen guys and gals were the Israelite people group’s guys and gals. Leviticus 16 tells you about the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement was what Tishri 10 was called. On the Day of Atonement, the sins of God’s specially chosen guys and gals would be paid for by blood and their sins would be carried away into the desert. Tishri 10 – the Day of Atonement, was the day each year when every Israelite people group guy and gal would have his or her life purified or cleansed from the filth of having sin and evil in his or her life. What do you think was used to pay for the sins of each guy and gal? What do you think was used to carry away the sins of each guy and gal? Two goats were used. Do you like goats? Your dad’s grandpa at one time had a couple of goats on his farm. Goats are nosey animals. Goats will eat about anything. What do you think happened to the two goats during the Day of Atonement? Aaron cast lots as a way to know which goat was to become the Lord’s goat and which goat was to become God’s specially chosen guy’s and gal’s goat. What do you think happened to the Lord’s goat? The goat was killed as a sacrifice to God. The goat’s blood was sprinkled on the lid of the ark – which was in the Most High Place. Only the high priest – who was initially Aaron, could enter into the Most High Place. Why do you think that only Aaron go into the Most High Place? God’s divine presence was in the Most High Place. What do you think would happen to another guy if he went into the Most High Place? Aaron had two sons. Aaron’s two sons one day decided that they would go into the Most High Place. God instantly killed them for doing something that they were never to do. Aaron knew how really important it was to be prepared to meet God in the Most Holy Place with the sacrificed goat’s blood. What do you think happened to the second goat? The second goat was called a scapegoat. Aaron would put his hands on the goat’s horns while confessing the sins of God’s specially chosen guys and gals. The goat would then be led out into the desert where the goat would wander about aimlessly while carrying the sins of God specially chosen guys and gals.
Is Sunday a day that you look forward to each week? Sunday is a day when the guys, gals and kids who God specially elected for Himself before the beginning of time want to get together. Why do you think the guys, gals and kids who God specially elected for Himself before He created planet Earth would want to get together each Sunday? Sunday is the designated day of the week when the guys, gals and kids who God specially elected for Himself can get together to worship God and to edify each other. This is a day each week when guys, gals and kids today – who God especially elected for Himself, can get together and say thanks to God for what He has done for them. What do you know about what God has done for the guys, gals and kids who He especially elected to believe in Him? God sent His Son – Jesus Christ, to become as the two goats for the guys, gals and kids who God specially elected for Himself before He created planet Earth. When Jesus died on a cross, Jesus’ blood once and for all covered all the sins of all the guys, gals and kids who God has led and will lead to believe in Him. Jesus never has to die again for the guys, gals and kids who God specially elected for Himself while a different goat had to be sacrificed each year on Tishri 10 to cover and to carry away the sins of God’s specially chosen guys, gals and kids. Observing each year the Day of Atonement began just about 1500 years before Jesus died on a cross for the sins of the guys, gals and kids who God specially elected for Himself. For the past 2000 years, the guys, gals and kids who God has led and is leading to make a decision of faith are claiming the death of Jesus as their hope. When Jesus died on a cross, Jesus’ bruised and beaten body once and for all carried away the sins of God’s specially elected guys, gals and kids just as a scapegoat did each year with the sins of God’s specially chosen guys and gals.
God clarifies in verse 29 the Day of Atonement when He had Moses write “This is a lasting ordinance for you: on the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work—whether native-born or an alien living among you–” There is no Day of Atonement anymore. Your grandpaa thinks that it might be good to have a day each year – like the Day of Atonement, where the guys, gals and kids who have made a decision of faith do not work, fast and get together to confess their sins. How do you think that God sees the guys, gals and kids who He specially elected for Himself before He created planet Earth? God sees His specially elected guys, gals and kids living faith, hope and peace filled lives. God does not see the good works that these guys, gals and kids are doing on planet Earth. When you know that God is reflecting His glory through you, every day will be very special to you.
Leviticus 16 (109)