الأربعاء، 19 أبريل 2017

The Day Of Atonement In Modern Times

By Shirley Bennett


The Jewish people still celebrate the sacred feasts, or sabbaths, that Moses prescribed. God himself gave Moses directions on how and when the Israelites were to worship him. The Day of Atonement is the most holy day in the Jewish calendar. On this one day of the year, the high priest would enter the inner sanctum of the Tabernacle to make an offering of blood. This ritual would result in God forgiving the people of sins committed during the year.

The first worship center for the Jews was the Tabernacle, a tent made to the exact specifications God gave Moses. The Israelites carried this tent with them as they wandered in the desert. When they were encamped, God was with them in the tabernacle. His presence was marked by a pillar of smoke in the day and a pillar of fire at night.

Later, the Jewish people built a great Temple with the same functional design as the original Tabernacle. Inside was an inner room called the Holy of Holies. This room was restricted for the presence of God. Only one day a year could anyone enter this area. The high priest would prepare himself and go in, carrying the blood of a sacrificed animal. This blood was required to cleanse the people of their sins.

God decreed that blood would be the symbolic price for sin. Since sin would keep a person from living eternally with God, a sacrifice was required for redemption. The whole nation of Israel spent the week leading up to this annual occasion in repentance, prayer, and fasting.

After the Temple was destroyed, the Jews no longer had a place designated by God to offer animal sacrifices. They continued to observe the special day set aside for atonement by spending the week before it in fasting and prayer. This tradition has continued to this day among orthodox Jews.

For Christians, it is not the loss of the Temple that caused them to stop animal sacrifice. Rather, they believe that the death of Jesus on the cross paid the price for sin once and for all. They remember His death on Good Friday and His resurrection on Easter. Many observe the season of Lent as a time for repentance and reconciliation with God. This is made possible by the atoning sacrifice of not an animal but of God's own son. Mankind's redemption is paid for by God Himself, in the most amazing event in history.

Orthodox Jews look forward to the day that their Temple will be rebuilt and they can resume all the rituals that Moses recorded for them. In the meantime, they continue to celebrate their holy days as best they can. Christians look forward to the return of Jesus and his reign, when sin and death will no longer rule over the world.

Although this special day is mainly a Jewish tradition, there is great significance in it for Christians, too. Knowing that man could not redeem himself, and that God so loved them that he not only allowed but required his son to die for mankind, leads to a deep regret for wickedness and a desire to live a holy life as much as possible.




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