Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), the day of finalities, the summation of the 40 days of repentance, the completion of the 10 Days of Awe. What does it all mean? To the Orthodox Jews, it means fasting and repentance, spending the day in prayer and the synagogue, hoping their names are sealed in the Book of Life, and wishing others an “easy fast”. Fast from what you might ask? Bathing, wearing leather shoes, brushing the teeth, food, water, spousal intimacy, and even wearing deodorant. Is this what “afflict your soul and being” really means or is there something deeper than self-denial for a day?
Lets face it, we love to pamper ourselves, our flesh, treating it like royalty. What better way to “afflict” ourselves, our beings, than to deny our flesh the luxury of eating, drinking and being clean…right? Surely if we do these things we will be sealed forever in His Book of Life…right? Is this the way we should “afflict” our beings? Does fasting take the place of hatred for your fellowman? Do our ‘good deeds’ of self-denial somehow reduce the punishment our sins deserve? (sounds like Catholicism) Take a moment and read Isaiah 58, and understand from Father’s point of view, what is an acceptable measure of “self-affliction”.
There is nothing wrong with denying the flesh the pleasures it receives the rest of the days of the year, but what is the motive behind the fast? Is it a dread and thus we wish others “an easy fast”? Is it simply a religious action born out of obedience void of heart, or a love for the One who saved us, born out of a heart of gratitude? Only you can answer these questions, I am merely posing them to prod you to self-reflect.
What does our Creator say about this day?
“And Yahuweh spoke to Mosheh, saying, “On the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be a set-apart gathering for you. And you shall afflict your beings, and shall bring an offering made by fire to Yahuweh. “And you do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before Yahuweh your Elohim. “For any being who is not afflicted on that same day, he shall be cut off from his people. “And any being who does any work on that same day, that being I shall destroy from the midst of his people. “You do no work – a law forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. ‘It is a Sabbath of rest to you, and you shall afflict your beings. On the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you observe your Sabbath.” (Leviticus 23:26-32)
Notice, evening to evening. Father’s days begin at sunset and end at sunset – always has and always will.
Also read Leviticus 16…
When I first began to really study Torah and His Festivals (what He commanded of me and not my Pastor and/or church system), I learned what Yom Kippur was about. I didn’t understand at first, because I thought the Day of Atonement was something I had already experienced at Passover. But what I didn’t realize was that Passover was my individual day of salvation, and Yom Kippur was the day of salvation for ALL His people. In order for Father to have His family, we must first be delivered from our personal sins, and then collectively declared ‘saved’. After Messiah returns, He will declare all of Israel saved (His loyal remnant of people left). This is the Day of Atonement, and we have the opportunity to rehearse this now.
As Rivkah recently wrote about in “Behind the Veil”, Messiah is the Door, the Veil in which all who will be restored to Yahuweh, the Father, must pass through. Yahushua, our High Priest, the One who became our personal atonement, is also the final atonement for ALL His people. This, the Day of Atonement, is the realization that once we pass through the door of Messiah, to exit out from the presence of Yahuweh to follow our flesh, and attempt to pass through the Door again at some later time, is futile.
Beyond the surface understanding of this day, lets go deeper to gaze into the heart of Father and understand from His perspective what His requirements are for the day He calls “Yom Kippur”.
“And you shall remember that Yahuweh your Elohim led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble (afflict) you, prove you, to know what is in your heart, whether you guard His commands or not. “And He humbled you, and let you suffer hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, to make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but by every Word that comes from the mouth of Yahuweh.” (Deuteronomy 8:2,3)
From the Hebrew, the word meaning to “afflict” is simply being humble, making or giving a testament (giving account) of the things within your heart to the Judge. Our heart is our oath that we will tell the truth and nothing but the truth, because He knows our hearts. In our “giving account” through complete humility (being honest about ourselves), we cannot offer anything to the Judge that will release us from our debt we owe. The Great Judge has already passed judgment on sin, so how can we “re-open our case”? No, there is nothing we can do to ‘make appeasement’ for the things we have done. Only the One, Yahushua, who stood up and took the punishment for our sins upon His own self, completely voluntary, the One who paid the debt we owed, can stand up in the presence of the Judge, and proclaim, “it is finished”! How does that leave you? I hope it leaves you with your mouth open in utter amazement that anyone would take your place, and take my place, standing in the gap for us, and change the verdict of an all-consuming Judge.
“…to humble (afflict) you, prove you, to know what is in your heart, whether you guard His commands or not.”
If it is Yahuweh’s position to humble (afflict) us to know what is in our heart, then what does it mean when He asks of us to “afflict” our beings? If He is already afflicting us, then why do we also need to afflict ourselves? He must prove and test us whether or not we will obey His commandments and that test begins in the heart. What is our response to this test? Yom Kippur, is our response – the day we “afflict” our beings – the day we become in agreement with the knowledge Yahuweh already has of what is inside of us – inside our heart.
He disciplines through afflicting us, proving what is in our heart, determining whether we guard His commandments, determining if there is obedience to be found within us. On Yom Kippur, we must become in agreement with His findings, His searching of our heart, and then comply with the discipline and correction He gives us. It is our day to agree with our Creator regarding the condition of our heart. Without such, there is no salvation. It is in this “affliction”, admitting our mistakes and agreeing with Him, that brings His deliverance. We do not live based upon the bread we put on the table, but upon the Word of Yahuweh that says, “we’re forgiven”. Our “bread” will not save us, but only say the Word, and we will be healed.
As I wrote about in the Elul and the Message of Repentance study, the proof that what we say with our mouth and meditate within our heart must not only be in agreement to be acceptable and pleasing to Him, but be found within our actions, our fruit – the evidence of a changed life. It is this evidence, that seals our salvation – the evidence that will secure a family for Yahuweh, the Father.
Are there other requirements for the Day of Atonement? Yes! Besides “afflicting our beings”, we must not work – it is a Sabbath, and all work must cease from sunset to sunset. I believe this refers to a complete ceasing from our daily work, the same ceasing from that which we do to “earn a living” for ourselves. It is the equivalent of the weekly Shabbat. No work period! However, there is another slant in “not working” on this day. Something I had not thought about until this morning.
According to Leviticus 23:27 – there must be a ceasing of work to remind us that the atonement for our sins individually and collectively does not hinge upon our own abilities and works of goodness, but upon Yahuweh’s recognition of a Nation, a family, who has come to the realization that humility brings His atonement, and the ceasing of work is the act of stopping the strivings to save ourselves. Without humility and ceasing from our “works”, without the honesty of accepting that self-reliance is futile, without simple obedience to the One who supplies our very breath – we are promised that we will be cut off and destroyed.
Yom Kippur is a day of recognizing that the salvation of His family comes only through individual recognition of our own failures, our inabilities and His great provision to correct, discipline and restore us to wholeness (to bring shalom). Interestingly enough, the word shalom (peace) in the Greek means to ‘join together into a whole’. Shalom is Yahuweh’s gift of wholeness. It is the shalom of Yahuweh that became separated from us when sin entered. We were not “peaceful” with Him, but became His enemy.
Messiah Yahushua made it possible to once again experience shalom, wholeness between us and our Creator – wholeness that causes us to be called sons of Elohim (see Matthew 5:9). Restoring shalom is restoring order. To join together His family is the job of Eliyahu, the coming “peacemaker” (Malachi 4). Again, as in Matthew 5:9, the ones who will join with him, the peacemakers, will be called sons of Elohim. Messiah was delivered to us to restore peace – we, the delivered, will also restore (help unite) in wholeness, His family. Freely receive, freely give.
This is why it is critical, that not only do we personally, through utter humility, renounce all pride and thinking we can do it alone without Him, but we also need the accountability of our brothers and sisters, our family, His family. It is only when we each member of His family is on the same level, the same playing field of, “I can do nothing without Him”, that Yahushua can stand and declare all of His family saved. Look around! It is not whether each member of His family is greater or lesser that matters, but the personal salvation of each member, and the collective recognition that we all have been saved from sin, whether great or small.
Seeing your brother and sister on the same level as yourself, the level of all needing a Savior, brings unity – for it is our common bond. If Yahuweh does not see this common bond, He must destroy the earth, for there is nothing left to save (Malachi 4). Why should He spare it, for there is no fruit produced from the death of His only Son! He can deal with chaos in the earth but not within His family. There must be peace and order among the brethren.
The ticket to salvation is not a one time entrance through the “Door”, but a life long journey of humility, quick repentance, and love for others, by which then, we ourselves become the “door” (we look and act like Messiah). Once that occurs, Abba will have one family, united in Truth, His remnant of people who have responded to the high calling of being the apple of His eye and the treasured possession of His heart.
So, as we prepare to enter the “Day of Atonement”, remember it is not how well you fast, or if you fast, but on how well we target those things that threaten our eternal life. Atonement is much more than the covering of our sins, but an “agreement” that we will obey the One who became our atonement – for joyful obedience to the Master is the evidence our agreement is sure and the mercy lid remains on the throne of judgment.
However, Messiah is making His final preparations to rise from the Mercy Seat to execute the wrathful judgment due to those who failed to “agree” with the One who atoned for the sin of all mankind. What does that mean to me? What does that mean to you?
“…Seek meekness, Seek Yahuweh – If so be that you are hidden in the day of the wrath of Yahuweh.” (paraphrased from Zephaniah 2:3)
Make most certain your name remains in the Book of Life!
“For this reason, brothers, all the more do your utmost to make firm your calling and choosing, for if you are doing these matters you shall never stumble at all, for in this way an entrance into the everlasting reign of our Master and Savior Yahushua Messiah shall be richly supplied to you.” (2 Peter/Kepha 1:10,11)
Shabbat Shalom from Israel,
Derek