From My Journals: Our Atonement

Wow its been a long time that I have now written or posted here. I have been so busy working, traveling and then working some more :). However I have been a constant in writing my journals. Four journals in a year is personally outstanding for me. So to fill posts here I may cheat a little bit by transferring things from my journal to bits on this blog. Of course I will be selective as capturing and transferring everything will take me hours of typing.

Entry from: 10/27/2013:

Just finished reading "The Happy Gospel" by Benjamin Dunn. Some facts that blew me away again on the compassion and kindness of the Lord is regarding the Day of Atonement.

In Leviticus chapter 23 we see how how the Lord is zealously jealous of the day of atonement. If you don't remember well - the idea was the High priest on this day sprinkled blood upon the mercy seat as instructed by the Lord to cover Israel's sins. On this particular day the Lord commanded that no one, absolutely no one should work, otherwise they would be destroyed. This is amazing as it reveals that  not only our our efforts are not required and unnecessary for salvation; it was commandment of the Lord not work but celebrate...party!!.

I love the fact that we must yield to the ease and effortlessness of the Gospel (as He says His yoke is indeed easy!). We like the Israelites on the day of the atonement must completely surrender to the divine grace of Yahweh.  Today, unfortunately the day of atonement for the Jewish people is somber day a sober day  because of the uncertainty of their forgiveness when historically the day was filled with jubilation and celebrating the mercies and goodness of God.  The absence of this ecstatic joy in the contemporary experience of the Yom Kippur is taken for granted in the Talmud - the book of rabbinical discussion of the law and the customs of the jews. This was very different in temple times as the talmud records that there was a red string tied on the temple door that urned white serving as a visible reminder of God's forgiveness of man. When this sign was shown celebration erupted in the camp of Israel. This type of joy was spontaneous even when it was a yearly occurrence. The women of Yerushalaiym would dance in the vineyards singing and celebrating the Lord's goodness.

Rabbi Yishamel says: "But they had another sign too; a thread of crimson wool was tied to the door of the temple and when the goat (hazozeal - scapegoat) reached the wilderness the thread turned white. As

it was written "Though your sins be a scarlet they shall be white as snow" (Yona 68b). This is also prophetically referenced in Isaiah and the Psalms.  On the head of the scapegoat the piece of thread that was tied also turned white. Tradition of the jews states that if God accepted the sacrifice the scarlet thread turned white but if God had not accepted this expiation the redness continued and the year was spent in mourning (Adam Clarke commentary).  The ancient Hebrews write that 40 years before the destruction of the temple which was about the time of Christ's death this red string turned no more white. I believe Yeshua paid for the atonement of sins for all mankind there was no need for another visible reminder. Tradition holds Yeshua was resurrected in white garments as He had supernaturally passed through the blood stained grave clothes that He had left in the tomb.

Let the Joy of atonement once again explode in the people of God. Our sins are completely been paid for. The sin offering and the perfect offering has been given by the The Anointed One Himself. He has saved the world single handedly and our efforts are not required. So let our hearts erupt in unquenchable abiding joy. When God looks on us at He looks at His perfect offering for those who have believed in this simple truth that Christ died for us and have been made righteous because of the Righteousness of the One that pleases the Father.

Blessings and Shalom

Sam