"But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness." (Leviticus 16:10)
Tonight, all around the earth, Jews will begin the celebration of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. If I can be so presumptuous to say it, the "greatest" passage of "The Day of Atonement" is in Leviticus 16. I first read this passage within weeks of our oldest child's passing from this life. Words cannot explain the power "infused" in me during that reading.
The first lesson I received from the passage was, "Tell Aaron your brother not to come just at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil...." What a reverent fear came upon me. The Living Triune God of the universe, "The Eternal One," is not to be treated like some neighborhood kid. How flippantly at times we, "come...into the Holy Place...." He is, "high and lifted up,...who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To Him be honor and might forever. Amen." The passage goes on to tell how Aaron is to dress, "These are holy garments." And then there are the, "two kids of the goats as a sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering," one, "for himself...and his house," one, "for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat." It was the, "scapegoat," which particularly got to me, taken out into the wilderness, left alone to suffer and die, who really knows how. The Letter to Hebrew Followers of Jesus alludes to this, "For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach."
So today, "Let us go forth to Him, outside" ourselves, our self-centered, self- preserving life style, "bearing His reproach," and may we say, "bearing" Him, His Words, His Very Life. "Let us go forth to Him," in the midst of a world lost, not knowing His compassion and forgiveness and mercy. "Let us go forth to Him," letting the world know and see in us the same, as Bonhoeffer referred to it, "life for others," as the farthest province to the east of the Roman Empire saw as He walked the Judean Hills of Israel. "Let us go forth to Him," dressed "in His Righteous alone, faultless to stand before His Throne, wearing the, "holy garments," of Him Who fulfills all the sacrifices of rams, goats, lambs, "The Lamb of God Who (alone) takes away the sin of the world."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I will probably never fully grasp just what happened on "That Day," but I receive all I can. Amen.
Be sure to see our Yom Kippur greeting at: www.apf327.blogspot.com
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Tonight, all around the earth, Jews will begin the celebration of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. If I can be so presumptuous to say it, the "greatest" passage of "The Day of Atonement" is in Leviticus 16. I first read this passage within weeks of our oldest child's passing from this life. Words cannot explain the power "infused" in me during that reading.
The first lesson I received from the passage was, "Tell Aaron your brother not to come just at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil...." What a reverent fear came upon me. The Living Triune God of the universe, "The Eternal One," is not to be treated like some neighborhood kid. How flippantly at times we, "come...into the Holy Place...." He is, "high and lifted up,...who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To Him be honor and might forever. Amen." The passage goes on to tell how Aaron is to dress, "These are holy garments." And then there are the, "two kids of the goats as a sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering," one, "for himself...and his house," one, "for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat." It was the, "scapegoat," which particularly got to me, taken out into the wilderness, left alone to suffer and die, who really knows how. The Letter to Hebrew Followers of Jesus alludes to this, "For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach."
So today, "Let us go forth to Him, outside" ourselves, our self-centered, self- preserving life style, "bearing His reproach," and may we say, "bearing" Him, His Words, His Very Life. "Let us go forth to Him," in the midst of a world lost, not knowing His compassion and forgiveness and mercy. "Let us go forth to Him," letting the world know and see in us the same, as Bonhoeffer referred to it, "life for others," as the farthest province to the east of the Roman Empire saw as He walked the Judean Hills of Israel. "Let us go forth to Him," dressed "in His Righteous alone, faultless to stand before His Throne, wearing the, "holy garments," of Him Who fulfills all the sacrifices of rams, goats, lambs, "The Lamb of God Who (alone) takes away the sin of the world."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I will probably never fully grasp just what happened on "That Day," but I receive all I can. Amen.
Be sure to see our Yom Kippur greeting at: www.apf327.blogspot.com
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
