Post by Ben Avraham on Sept 22, 2015 20:46:20 GMT -8
Postby Jacob Ben Avraham » Wed Sep 23, 2015 12:25 am
YOM KIPPUR (the day of Atonement) it's meaning in a nutshell
What is "Yom Kippur" all about? well, in a nutshell, we can say a few things, from history past, it was the day of "Atonement" when the Cohen Gadol, went into the "Holy of Holies" once a year, to make atonement for himself, for his family, and for all of Israel.
The blood that was sprinkled on the "Kappret" (the covering) of the Ark of the Covenant signified that the "sins" of Israel, were "covered" for one more year. remember that the tablets of the
Commandments were inside the Ark, and on the covering, the blood,We can imagine when the Shekinah looked down upon the Kapporet, He would see the blood, instead of the broken commandments.
The word "Kippur" comes from the root word "K'far" meaning "cover" so the word is actually, "Yom HaKippurim" the "day of the Coverings" why coverings? Well, we could say that there were "various animals" that were sacrificed, and their "blood" (damei) were spinkled on the Kapporet, also, there would be many, many "Yamim Ha Kippurim" (days of coverings) until Messiah Yeshua would come to put HIS own blood on the Mercy Seat, and then FOREVER blot out our sins, not just cover them.
It's like a "bed spread" or "mattress" in the room of a teenager, Dad comes to tell the teenage son to "clean his room" after his party last night, there is food on the floor, pieces of popcorn, left over pizza crusts, etc, the teen says "OK" but when pop leaves, he sweeps the stuff "under the bed" thus "covering the pieces of food" the room is NOT CLEAN, the bed does the job of "covering" the food particles, so pop doesn't see them. But when the teen is at school, pop checks the room, and suspects something, and moves the bed and THEN sees the food left over from the party, but because the father loves the son, HE gets the broom and dust pan and sweeps up the food particles and THOWS THEM AWAY! They are now GONE FOR GOOD.
We can see the analogy of this in the choice of two goats, one to be sacrificed, and one to be "sent away" (Azazel) The one sacrificed symbolizes Yeshua's death on Calvary, paying the price ONCE and FOR ALL, the goat sent away symbolizes "our sins never coming back to haunt us," as far as the east is from the west, thus are our sins, gone for good, erased.
We can see other similar examples. Joseph, who was "sent away" to Egypt, and the "goat" that the brothers slaughtered, whose blood stained Joseph's coat. Joseph was a "type of Messiah" who was "sent away" for the divine purpose of saving the world from starvation. The coat was left behind, perhaps we can be reminded of the blood that stained many a "high priests tunics" when they offered sacrifices. The goat was slain, yet Joseph was spared, the brothers selling him for 20 pieces of silver
We can see the example of Yeshua and Bar Abbas. Yeshua was crucified, and Bar Abbas set free, Under the sacrifice of Yeshua, ALL of our sins were paid for in full, including those of Barabbas. The name Barabbas means "Son of the Father" so Yeshua not only paid our sin price completely, but also, SET US FREE of slavery to sin. He was sold for 30 pieces of silver, the difference of 10
It is believed that Moses received the second set of Tablets, and came down the second time from Sinai, on Yom Kippur, giving the people a second chance. As HE gives us MANY chances. To those who are lost, every day that a lost person continues with breath is a chance to be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb,
Yom Kippur is a day of repentance, a day of "getting right with YHVH" and our fellow man/woman. A time of "Teshuvah" and soul searching, of "where we have gone wrong, straying from the straight and narrow path. So, let's get right before God, let's do it now.
rabbi Ben Avraham
