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A MESSAGE FOR YOM KIPPUR: Scripture portions to read and meditate on; TORAH: Lev 16:1-34 ; Lev 18:1-30 ; Num 29:7-11 PROPHETS: Isa 57:14-58:14 ; Jonah ; Micah 7:18-20 ; Joel 2:12-14 BRIT HaDASHAH: Rom 3:21-26 ; Heb 10:1-14 “Stop, Think, and Turn” are three good words to use for this year’s “Yom Kippur”. It is a day for “afflicting one’s soul”. A time to “stop” and search one’s self and ask the question; “Where Am I in my relation to God” Adam was asked the same question when he and Eve were in the garden of Eden, hiding after they had sinned. God asked him; “Adam, where are you?” Was it that He didn’t know where he was? Of course, He did, He knows ALL THINGS, so, perhaps the question is a little deeper than meets the eye. We could add to the question asking; “Where are you in your relationship with me?” We all enter this world as sinners, born with the sin nature. Now here are some interesting ways to remember the three classes of “disobedience” “SIN” = missing the mark, disconnected, doing your own “thing” and not God’s “thing”. “INIQUITY” = perversion, twisting something the wrong way, cutting off the flow, taking God’s Word and making it what you want it to mean, and not what God means it to mean. “TRANSGRESSION” = open opposition, rebellion, “I don’t care what the Torah says, I’m doing it anyway, just because I want to!” There comes a time when each and every person will be accountable for his or her sin nature. In the Old Testament times, the animal sacrificial system was instituted to “cover” sin. The word “cover” is “Kafar” from this we get, “Kippur” so the words, “Yom Kippur” mean, “Day of Covering”. We also have “Yom HaKipurim” of “day of Coverings” This was because during this time when the Cohen HaGadol went into the “Holy of Holies”, he had to sprinkle the blood of a bull, a ram, 7 lambs, and a goat on the “Kaporet” (the covering of the Ark of the Covenant). Yet these “coverings” did not really “atone” sin forever, it was something temporary, only for a year until the next “Yom Kippur”. Would there be anything better? YES, our heavenly father looked into the future since the time of creation, and planned something special. HE, HIMSELF would come to earth in human form and HE would be the atoning sacrifice that would “forgive” and “atone for sin completely, forever” When we read Hebrews 10:4-12, we learn that the “blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin” but that through the body of Mashiach Yeshua, we are made “Kadosh” (Holy) once, and for all time! (vs 10) That is why YHVH “took away the first to establish the second” (vs 9) The old covenant sacrificial system was done away with, in order to establish the New Covenant blood sacrifice of Yeshua HaMashiach, ONCE and only ONCE, good for ALL TIME. No wonder the “New” is better than the “Old” All the animal sacrifices in the Old Covenant pointed to Yeshua’s sacrifice (that would come, if we are looking from the past towards the future). People were still saved by faith even before Yeshua’s time. They illustrated their faith by presenting the animal sacrifices which pointed to HIM! We must remember that the animals did not nor did ever save them, it was always their FAITH which saved them. During the Yom Kippur ceremony in ancient times, two goats were used. One was selected for the sacrifice, the other, titled AZAZEL, was led off into the wilderness and, according to tradition, pushed off a cliff. “Azazel” is made up of two words; “az” = goat, and “azel” = go away, so, we can say that the word is the “goat which goes away”. The high priest used to tie a crimson cloth on one of the horns of the goat, and a similar cloth was tied on the door of the Holy Temple in Yerushalayim, the day after Yom Kippur, the cloth changed color to “white” this symbolized that YHVH had accepted the sacrifice, and that the sins of Israel were covered for another year When Yeshua paid the price for our sins, all changed. The cloth no longer turned white, it remained crimson color, indicating that YHVH no longer accepted the sacrifice of the goat. Why not? Because YESHUA had made the ultimate sacrifice, and that NOW, all of our sins are completely atoned for. While one goat was sacrificed and the other was sent away, we have two examples in scripture that illustrate the concept of “sacrifice and sent away”. Yosef Ben Ya’akov, (Joseph, the son of Jacob) was sold by his brothers for 20 pieces of silver. Yosef was “sent away” to Egypt, and in his place, a goat was killed by his brothers and the blood sprinkled upon Yosef’s garments. The blood symbolized the blood of Yosef to deceive his father Jacob. Another example is during the trial of Yeshua by Pontius Pilatus. Yeshua was sacrificed on the Cross of Calvary, while Bar-Abbas was sent away free! This time, Yeshua’s blood atoned not only for the sins of Bar-Abbas, but for ALL sins! We ask, where does the word “Atonement” come from. We know from the Hebrew text, the word is “Kaphar” which means “to cover, to purge, to make reconciliation, to cover with pitch” It is interesting that the word “pitch” is the word “Kaphar”. We remember that Noah covered the ark with pitch, to make it waterproof. Noah’s ark was seen as protection against the waters of judgment which destroyed the world. The “pitch” made the ark waterproof and kept everyone inside the ark safe and dry while going through the judgment. The ark is seen as salvation “Yeshuah” from judgment. The blood atonement of Yeshua brought to us “salvation” from the judgment of sin. The word “Atonement” at one time, meant: “At-One-Ment” which was first used in the English Bible in the 1500s. The word means to be “at-one” with God, through the substitutionary death of Mashiach Yeshua on our behalf. So, in conclusion, we need to “Stop and think” where are we in our relationship with God? We are all guilty of sin, sins that we commit in ignorance and knowingly. We need to “return” to HIM through confession and repentance, with a change of mind. We can do this 24-7, 365 days in the year, but this time of year is when we should be more conscience of our sin, let’s get back to Adonai. If we cry out, and turn from our sins, then, HE who is on high will listen, and forgive our iniquities. “Even now, declares YHVH, turn to me with all your heart And with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning, And tear your heart and not your garments, and turn back To YHVH your Elohim, for He shows favor and is full of Compassion, patient, and of great kindness, and he shall Relent concerning evil. Who knows, he might turn and Relent, and leave a blessing behind Him…” Joel 2:12-14 Rabbi Ben Avraham