It is undoubtedly the “highest” Day of the year in the Jewish Calendar, the great Day of Atonement. (All their God given “Holy Days” being discussed in Leviticus chapter 23, an upcoming study, the Lord willing.)
And one of the reasons is that this Day (meaning the blood shed that day in accordance with God’s specific instructions) brought for Israel “forgiveness” (or “atonement,” the Old Testament word) for a whole year!
Leviticus 16:34 … “And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins ONCE A YEAR.” Yet … as you can see, to be repeated annually.
But still … the vast scope of this forgiveness!
As is presented in Leviticus 16:21-22 … “And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the INIQUITIES of the children of Israel, and all their TRANSGRESSIONS in all their SINS, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: and the goat shall bear upon him all their INIQUITIES unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.”
Look at this “list” of wrongs covered/atoned/forgiven by God on that amazing Day! (As you can see, I have capitalized them.)
The actual Hebrew words:
“Iniquities,” spelled “avon,” meaning “distortion, perversity!” Things we have “twisted” from God’s original Plan for humanity.
“Transgressions,” spelled “pasha,” meaning “rebellion!” (1 Samuel 15:23 … “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft!”)
“Sins,” spelled “chattaah,” meaning “to miss out on” God’s Salvation, God’s Will, God’s Best for your life! (As in “The wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23)
Then in our text, mentioned yet a second time … “iniquities” … still spelled “avon,” and still meaning “twisted perversions,” rejecting God’s Ways … as though we people needed double forgiveness in this area! And we surely do live in a perverted society!
What range, what vastness, what forgiveness!
What Grace!
What a God!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
Hallelujah!
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