atonement

Posted by Paula White - Sun, September 27, 2009 at 04:26 PM

Click here to download the sermon notes for “Atonement”.

Leviticus 23:1-2 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

I. If it’s Important to God, it Must be Important to Me…
a. Atonement = (At-One- With God = Yum Kippur = “redeemed”
i. Central theme = redemption and repentance
b. Lev. 23: 2 has two Hebrew words that are vital to understand
i. Verse 2 = Moe’d =
1. Feasts/Moe’d = an appointment, a fixed time or season, a cycle or year. An appointed time, set time, exact time
a. God set an appointment with His children for a specific reason
ii. Verse 6 = chag
1. Feast/Chag = translated as “festival” = defined as = to move in a circle, to march in a sacred procession, to celebrate, dance, hold a solemn feast or holiday

God clearly gave these cyclical festivals to be observed year after year after year. (3 seasons = 7 feasts)

II. Tabernacles Season
a. These divine appointments (feasts) present an opportunity for God’s people to honor Him. They are His most Holy Days
i. Feast of Trumpets = Repentance
ii. Atonement = Prayer, righteousness, faith through supernatural cleansing
iii. Feast of Tabernacles = fruit, harvest and lather rain
b. Jewish caL = Lunar (11 days shorter then ours)

Exodus 30:10 And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD.

c. We are called to be a royal priesthood (Revelation 1:6) that proclaims restoration to a Kingdom and the feasts outline God’s 3 phase plan of redemption and should be to us a “holy assembly”… a rehearsal

III. God’s 3 Phase Plan of Redemption
a. Passover = personal redemption
b. Pentecost = personal infilling of the spirit
c. Tabernacles = full restoration of the Kingdom

While these feasts are but a “shadow” of the glory found in God (Colossians 2:17 and Hebrews 2:10) and already are objectively “fulfilled” in Him, still they are subjectively being fulfilled in the hearts of those being gathered.

Zephaniah 3:18 I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.

James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

i. We don’t celebrate in a legalistic sense, it would be impossible to keep “exactly” the feasts, but vital to obey its principles and patterns.

IV. When did the Observation Fall into “disuse” Among Christians?
a. After AD 325 = Roman Emperor Constantine the Great
i. He instituted Jesus’ birth (December 25th)
ii. He changed the Sabbath (from Saturday to Sunday)
iii. Doctrine of Trinity confirmed as Orthodox Christian Belief
iv. Church of Rome officially established
v. And he omitted observance of “Hebrew Feasts”
1. Why? = Because many believed he had seen God’s people so blessed as a result of observing gave them too much power, so he stopped them.

Exodus 12:14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

V. Feast of Tabernacles
a. Trumpets = Rosh Hashanah or “head of year”
i. This signals the start of the civil year (10 days prior to Atonement)
ii. It is when Ezra related that the Temple altar was rebuilt and sacrificial offerings reinstated. Ezra 3:1-6
1. Nehemiah records seeping revival at the same time as Ezra rehearsed God’s law in the ears of the people. Nehemiah 7:73 and 8:13
iii. Rosh Hashanah to Atonement (10 days of repentance)
b. Day of Atonement = (Hebrew) Kaphar = covering
i. Yom = day
ii. Kippur = to pardon or condone
iii. Atonement = (English) to make amends or to reconcile
iv. Leviticus Chapter 16 outlines instructions
1. The Lord commanded Aaron not to come into the Holy of Holies but 1 day out of the year
2. Aaron was to enter with:
a. The blood of sacrifice
b. Golden censer
c. Hands full of sweet incense
i. It was only then; Aaron could bring the offering within the veil.
3. The high priest would then take the blood sacrifice of an innocent animal (1 year old lamb) and cover the ark of the covenant = he sprinkled its blood 7x
4. 1 goat slain
5. The other (scapegoat) taken to the wilderness at the hand of a man bearing the sins of the people
6. With the blood of the sin offering = the high priest sprinkled blood on the mercy seat
a. This was all done for cleansing of “all” sins, iniquities and transgressions = “reconciled”
v. 6 Specific Elements
1. Fasting
2. Changing of Garments
3. Precious Blood
4. Incense = (prayer and worship)
5. Washing of water
6. Scapegoat

Hebrews 10:10 By which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Hebrews 9:12 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.

We know Jesus offered Himself once and for All and while we are not bound to the rituals, we cannot abandon the principles

VI. 8 Promises of Joel
a. Increase
b. Revelation
c. Fresh Anointing
d. God’s Power = Miracles
e. Restoration
f. Financial Abundance
g. No Shame
h. God’s Presence

Deuteronomy 16:16-17 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty: Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.

Atonement

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