Yom Kippur

COMING UP....

The next event on the calender is Yom Kippur(The Day of Atonement)

"Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present a food offering to the LORD.
And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God.  

For whoever is not afflicted on that very day shall be cut off from his people. 

And whoever does any work on that very day, that person I will destroy from among his people.  

You shall not do any work. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. 

It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict yourselves. On the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath."  Vayikra/Leviticus 2:27-32

I struggle to put Yom Kippur into words, partly because it is such a deep and holy day, and partly I think because it is so misunderstood.

Misunderstood I think because we have lost a sincere fear of HaShem and so just thinking of standing before Him in total brokenness, calling upon His Name (character and promise = merciful, long-suffering, slow to anger etc.) and pleading with Him to remember no more our transgressions and to forgive our iniquities, seems like a terrible thing to our white washed, feel good, "G-d is my buddy" mindset.

Well G-d isn't our "buddy", He is a holy and awesome Elohim. He has absolutely no reason to extend mercy or forgiveness to us. However He, in His abundant mercy, promises that if we humble ourselves and "shuv", turn, to Him and confess our iniquities He will be faithful and just to forgive us.

Yom Kippur is often called the "holiest day of the year" and how true as the restoration of our relationship with HaShem is the most holy thing we could ever desire!

May we all seek to have this Yom Kippur be a day to be cleansed anew, purged and restored to be vessels set apart for holy use.

May you have an easy fast!