Yom Kippur in 2020


 Yom Kippur is quickly approaching! You may be wondering what that has to do with you. If you are a Christian, you may be aware of Yom Kippur and that is was the one day a year that the high priest would go into the Holy of Holies back in Bible days. So, how is this significant today, and why would anyone be concerned at all about it if they're not Jewish? 

If you are a believer in the God of the Bible and Messiah Yeshua (Jesus), you are a part of God's family; one of His people. Like Ephesians 2 says, "remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2:12-13) And, "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household" (verse 19). You are one of God's people Israel, part of the family, and part of the covenants God made with Israel! 

One of the things God repeatedly says to His people in the Hebrew scriptures is, "Be holy, for I am holy." This phrase is always attached to the obedience of the instructions given. He wants His covenant people to be a reflection, an image of Him, and he tells them (us) exactly what is required to do that. He tells us how we should live. Included in the instructions are special appointed times, and one of those is Yom Kippur.

Yom Kippur is known as the holiest day of the year. This is because the high priest would go into the Holy of Holies in the Temple and atone for the sins of the nation. This was the holiest place on earth, the physical place where God chose to be. The Temple no longer exists, so there is no Holy of Holies, and no physical place where the instructions for Yom Kippur can be kept. But the day still exists. Just like the Sabbath and all of the other Biblical appointed times, there are still things we can do to honor the moment in time that is Yom Kippur.

Yom Kippur is about the repentance of God's people as a whole. Before the current world situation with pandemic restrictions going on in various places, my family would usually attend a Yom Kippur service where we would take part in congregational prayers, confessing that we had sinned and asking for forgiveness and atonement for breaking every command God had given us. This is a very solemn and unique experience, and a great reminder of who God is and who we are. This year we won't be able to do that, but we can still honor this time. 

Here are a few ideas of things you can do for Yom Kippur:

  • Don't work. Leviticus 16:29 and 23:31 tell us that this is a day that we should do no work.
  • Afflict yourself. Yes, you read that right. The scriptures above also say this is a day to afflict yourself. The most common, and probably the best way to do this is to fast. A very good explanation of why fasting is a good way to do this and what the Hebrew word means can be found in an article by Tyler Dawn Rosenquist entitled, "Yom Kippur Basics and Why it Applies to the Church"
  • Ask for forgiveness. Yom Kippur is a good time to repent and ask for forgiveness, not only from God, but from other people.
  • Wear white. It is a tradition to wear white on Yom Kippur, probably because of the white linen garments worn by the high priest. I like to wear white on Yom Kippur because it is a visual reminder throughout the day of what day it is.
  • Attend an online service. Part of the point of Yom Kippur is gathering together with God's people. If you don't know of any online services, here's the link to a good one at Founded in Truth: The Day of Atonement.
I hope these ideas will help you celebrate Yom Kippur this year!

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