Today's Devotion: Lev 16:29-34
Context: After the death of Aaron's two sons, God is giving instructions to Moses about how Aaron should approach the Lord in the future to avoid death.
Text:
29 "This is to be 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- 30 because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins. 31 It is a sabbath of rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance. 32 The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on the sacred linen garments 33 and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the people of the community.
34 "This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites."
And it was done, as the LORD commanded Moses.(NIV)
taken from www.biblegateway.com
God has given many rules thus far in Leviticus, and there are many more to come. As we know, it was humanly impossible to obey every rule -- especially in later years when the priests added strict interpretation of those laws.
But hidden here in Chapter 16 is a way for the entire nation of Israel to make atonement for their sins once each year. It follows a series of instructions that Aaron must follow in order to come into God's presence to seek this atonement.
Because Christ offered himself once and for all as a sacrifice for our sins, we no longer have to go through an earthly priest and long rituals to seek atonement. All we have to do is get down on our knees and ask God for his forgiveness directly.
One day each year the Israelites were to cease all work and spend their day seeking God's forgiveness. I wonder how different America would be if we all spent one day asking for individual and community atonement?
No comments:
Post a Comment