Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together”, says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.”
The Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur in Hebrew, was the single most important day during the time of Yeshua (Jesus) and still holds utmost significance in Israel and among Jews worldwide today.
I mentioned that every year the high priest would sacrifice a goat and sprinkle its blood on the altar for the atonement of the people. But there were actually two goats sacrificed on this day. One’s blood was sprinkled on the altar but the other was led to a cliff in the wilderness, where it would meet its end. This goat was called the “scapegoat” – it represented the “carrying away” of the iniquities of the children of Israel.
It is in connection with this ceremony, that an interesting tradition arose which is mentioned in the Mishna, an ancient Jewish commentary. A crimson colored sash would be placed on the door of the Temple before that second goat was sent into the wilderness. When the goat died, somehow the sash would mysteriously turn to white. And this was a sign to Israel that God had accepted their sacrifice and their sins were forgiven. The Mishna goes on to say, however, that something mysteriously happened in 30 AD, approximately forty years before the destruction of the Second Temple. Despite the continued goat sacrifices each year, the sash never turned to white again.
Hmm. What other very significant thing happened about this very time? Yeshua (Jesus) died.
Two thousand years ago, the final sacrifice was made for the atonement of our sins and for the sins of all who would believe. Yes! Yeshua is the Messiah! He has died and risen again! He rules at the right hand of our Father and He is interceding for us right now! Let’s pray for the world’s eyes to be opened today! There’s so much work to be done!
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Between the years 1861-1865 the United States found itself in the midst of a bitter civil war over the issue of slavery, and several other serious disagreements. By the time the North won the war nearly 620,000 soldiers had perished. There were many in the North who were so embittered that the South had dragged them into such a deadly conflict that they wanted the South to pay dearly.
When I was growing up in the 1980's we had a rotary dial phone. You put your finger in a numbered spot on a circular dialer which clicked as it returned to its place and registered the 7 or 10 numbers you selected. It took a full 10 to 20 seconds to complete a call and was really annoying if the number had a lot of 8s or 9s! Then came touch-tone phones...
When Elianna was two years old, we wrote this devotional fifteen years ago that I believe is relevant especially as we celebrated Father's day around the world.
We have a cord-free, battery-free alarm clock -- we call her Elianna. Like clockwork, at 6:45 each morning our 2-year old daughter, Elianna wakes up and begins calling for us to come and greet her good morning. At this point, my wife and I have come to the conclusion that those 8-hour sleep nights we used to enjoy just aren't going to happen again --at least for a long, long time.
Just a few weeks prior to this incident, the disciples were trembling for their lives as their Lord was arrested and then crucified. They had all fled in the Garden of Gethsemane and then Peter, whose boldness was legendary, had denied him three times. The fact that they had been serving with Yeshua (Jesus) for three years, witnessing many miracles, including Peter’s amazing walk on the water…
While John warned against deception in the last days, and we should be mindful and discerning the times in which we live, keenly aware of the rise of the spirit of Antichrist -- he also gave us encouragement: "...you have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."
1 Corinthians 10:5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Numbers 14:21-24 but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord-- ...
There were times that Yeshua (Jesus) separated himself from the multitudes -- and there are times when we need to separate ourselves from our lives and ministry, and spend some time with our Lord.