Yom Kippur 2013

 

Credit: Google images

 

 

Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) is one of two Jewish High Holy Days.

The purpose of Yom Kippur is to bring about reconciliation between people and between individuals and God. According to Jewish tradition, it is also the day when God decides the fate of each human being.

Although Yom Kippur is an intense holiday it is nevertheless viewed as a happy day. Why? Because if one has observed the holiday properly by the end of Yom Kippur they will have made peace with others and with God.

Yom Kippur is a day of reconciliation, when Jews strive to make amends with people and to draw closer to God through prayer and fasting. The ten days leading up to Yom Kippur are known as the Ten Days of Repentance. During this period Jews are encouraged to seek out anyone they may have offended and to sincerely request forgiveness so that the New Year can begin with a clean slate.
Yom Kippur is also marked by 25 hours of fasting. There are other fast days in the Jewish calendar, but this is the only one the Torah specifically commands us to observe. Leviticus 23:27 describes it as "afflicting your souls" and during this time no food or liquid may be consumed.

In the New Covenant book of Hebrews, we read concerning Messiah who provided the blood of atonement for us: Hebrews chapter 9, verse 12: "Neither by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us." When I sin, I pray to God and ask him to cleanse me with the blood of atonement provided for me by the Messiah. Who is the Messiah? An honest study of the Scriptures will clearly show that Jesus is our Jewish Messiah. He came from God to provide for us the Blood of Atonement so that people might know cleansing from all sin and have peace with God. This is not another religion. It is Bible Judaism. It is the faith which the God of Israel expects of us.

I like to fast, because I feel like I want to focus on how Jesus Christ died for me regardless of my sins. He is that perfect sacrifice. It is to thank Him, to take a day off by saying thank you and spending time repenting.

May you come to know Jesus Christ, our Messiah!

Have a blessed Yom Kippur!!