The BOOK - Atonement Feasts

As the book of Leviticus starts with offerings and offerers, the last part deals with feast and feasters. Five great festivals are mentioned in this part. 

The sacrifices spoke about the blood and salvation. Feasts speak about food that sustains. These feasts recalled to their mind that by their own disobedience they were compelled to wander 40 years in the wilderness, but in spite of their unbelief God was faithful in caring for them and in bringing them to their inheritance.

The Feast of Sabbath (Lev 23: 1-3)

The Sabbath was given the important place. In Genesis we have seen Sabbath was created by Christ Jesus on the 7^th day. This festival was a feat to be obeyed through the whole year on every 7^th day. It was the day of worship and rest, celebrating the finished work of God in creation. Christians celebrate the first day of the week, the day our Lord arose from the grave. Thus we celebrate the finished work of redemption. Even though the Law insists not to do a work in Sabbath, Jesus Christ performed miracles in Sabbath day in which he was questioned. The Jews are so strict in observing this day as even today they do not do anything. I heard a man of God mentioning about when he was in Israel a Jew in the neighbourhood called him on the Sabbath day, just to press the button on the lift as for the Jews it was considered a work - pressing the button.

The Feast of Passover and unleavened Bread (Lev 23: 4-8)

Passover speaks about redemption and it celebrated at every spring. It will be our Easter time. They celebrated this festival by a great service of worship to God. Passover is for one day, but the feast of Unleavened Bread that followed immediately lasted for 7 days. The Jewish people were celebrating this festival when Christ was on Earth. In Luke 2, Mathew 26 and John 13 we can find Jesus went to the Passover feast. Jewish people after these many years continue to celebrate this festival as they are still looking for their Messiah. On this day God wants the People not to forget the way in which the gods of Egypt were utterly discredited and the great nation of Egypt humbled.

 

The feast of First Fruits (Lev 23: 9-22)

This feast of first fruits typified Christ’s resurrection and ours. 50 days later Passover was observed. 50 days after Christ’s resurrection, Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples and the Church was born. 

The feast of Trumpets (Lev 23: 23-25)

This feast is the New Year Day of the Jewish people. Israel celebrates this in the fall of September or October. This feast points forward to the future gathering of the dispersed people of Israel. When you come to the modern day, Israel was shattered through all nations and God did a miracle and in 1948, through United Nations, saw a remarkable re-birth of the modern state of Israel

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Day of Atonement (Lev 23:26-32)

This comes after the 10^th day of feast of trumpets. This was one important day to God’s chosen people. On this day the sins of the nation were confessed. Repentance and Confession are the first step towards righteousness. It reveals a right attitude towards sin. God says in 1 John 1:9, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. On this day Jehovah’s relationship to his people was established and restored. All the nations’ sins and failures and weakness of the people were atoned for. The blood was shed and the sins of the people were covered so that God could take up his adobe in the midst of his people in spite of their uncleanness. Now since through Christ’s ultimate sacrifice, we are cleansed and made the chosen ones. 

In Old Testament, In Leviticus 16 we see God was hidden behind a veil in the Tabernacle and Priests and people were to remain at a distance. Now we may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Eph 3:12). Since Christ had made a way, we can run into God’s presence at any time.

In Leviticus, God was shut in from humanity and humanity was shut out from God. The Day of Atonement was the only day in the year when the high priest was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies. He went to offer the atonement of the sin of the people. This offering covered the sins of the people until the great sacrifice on Calvary was made.

This was the last required feast of the year and in the Feast of Tabernacle people heard the reading of the Law. People lived in booths out of doors and heard the Law.

The Sabbatical Year (Lev 25: 1-7) is the year of meditation and devotion. This is a yearlong Sabbath which comes in every 7^th year.

The Year of Jubilee (Lev 25: 8-55) was celebrated every 50^th year. Year starts with blowing of trumpets and as Sabbath year, the land was not cultivated. Importance of this year was that all the slaves were freed and original owner was returned his land. According to the Jewish historians, this year 2017 is a year of Jubilee. 

Significant news came this year against Israel and God protected them. If you are following the Israel news, we can find that Arab countries wanted to split Israel into two which the former president of US supported. Just before he left the office, he tried to call the nations to sign the separation. He did not want to miss it, so he called 2 days for the discussion as he knew that the new president of US will support Israel. But when the nations fail to support Israel, God in a miraculous way interrupted the discussion and they could not reach any conclusion. This shows even now God cares about the nation of Israel.

In conclusion, the book of Leviticus shows how humanity is to worship God. But through Jesus Christ, all the veils and sins are taken away from between God and humanity and now we can boldly come to the presence of God. Only thing for worship is that we should repent our sins, accept Christ as our saviour and believe that our sins are forgiven through the blood of Christ, and in so we become the chosen one, the new Israel.

7 is a significant number in Leviticus

• ·         Every 7^th day was the Sabbath
• ·         Every 7^th year was a sabbatical year
• ·         Every 7 ties 7 years was followed by a year of  Jubilee
• ·         Pentecost was 7 weeks after Passover
• ·         In the 7^th month were the feasts of trumpets, tabernacles and atonement
• ·         Pentecost lasted 7 days
• ·         Passover lasted 7 days

I pray that we understand the true holiness and value of Jehovah and humbly come into his presence, even though we got the salvation freely through his grace. Amen.

THE BOOK - Atonement Priests

 When you read the book of Leviticus, the first chapters talks about how to bring offering to God. Here we can find out that no one can bring it individually, his or her sacrifice to God at Alter. Everyone has to give it to the priest who in turn will offer it to God.

God designed and made a place for service. He then created the office for those who serve it. God choses one tribe out of the twelve to take care of the tabernacle. In the previous book of Exodus we can find when Moses was getting the laws and commandments from God, Israelites were worshiping other God. Moses came down and asked who is with him and the Levi tribe stood beside him and they got the golden opportunity to serve God. Now also there will be times or circumstances in our life where God will give us a choice to choose between Him or Money, or friends, or worldly lust. Be careful in taking decisions. When we choose God, He will lift you to be his servant to bring souls to his Kingdom. From the Levites, God choses Aaron’s family to be priests.

The priests had the charge of sacrifices and they were supported by the tithes of the people. The other Levities were the assistants. They took care of the Tabernacle, formed choirs and were guides and instructors in the later Temple. Priest offered prayers and praises and sacrifices of the people to God on their behalf. Priest stood for the people and pleaded their cause. When a person brings an animal sacrifice to the court, at the altar of burnt offering they lay hands on the animal’s head to express penitence and consecration. This animal is killed and its blood is sprinkled on the altar. 

 

Now the priest, representing the worshipper comes to the laver where he washes his hands, indicating the clean life that should follow forgiveness of sins. He then enters the Holy place where the lampstand and table of bread is there. He comes to the altar of incense and offer prayer. 

One day in a year the High priest will pass beyond the veil that separated the holy and the most holy place and stand before the mercy seat with the blood atonement to intercede for the people. After God told about the duties of Priests, the priests failed. Aaron’s 2 sons offered strange fire and got killed by God. 

Now in the New Testament, animal sacrifices are no longer necessary because all sacrifices were fulfilled in Christ. Christ is the great High Priest for humanity and is the only mediator between God and humanity. We approach God by Christ and him alone. When we see Christ as Priest, we see divine perfection. Since our high priest is Christ, it is not necessary that any child of God go before any person on earth to obtain entrance into the presence of God. Every Christian has the right to enter because he or she knows Jesus Christ.

There are people who go and bow down before the idol of Mary and other men of God. This is not only a sin according to the first commandment, but also they are not going to get saved from these people who have gone to be with the Lord. Five hundred years ago, the Catholic Church taught that the freedom from God’s punishment for sin could be purchased with money. But then God called a German professor named Martin Luther, who questioned this Catholic idiotism. Luther started the reformation which was then carried by John Calvin and John Knox.

For a person who is not a believer of Jesus, there is no need to go and offer any sacrifice or offerings. He need to do is repent his sins, accept Christ as his saviour and believe in Christ Jesus that Jesus became an ultimate sacrifice for his sins. Once you accept Christ as your saviour, you are a follower of Christ and the characteristics of Christ should reveal through you.

I pray that you believe in the High Priest Jesus Christ and live accordingly so that through you God can change and bring the unbelievers to his Kingdom.

The BOOK – Atonement Offerings

In the book of Exodus we see how God gave instruction to Moses to build the tabernacle. We can also see Moses walking with God and getting glory in God’s presence. In Leviticus God is continuing to give laws and commands to observe and obey. One of them is keeping the body holy as well as soul. We can find lessons of hygiene and sanitation for the care of the body. This book deals with the service of Levites and the Priests.

With respect to the second verse we can believe that God expects each person to listen to it and obey. This book tells us about five offerings such as Burnt offering, Grain offering, Fellowship offering, Sin offering and Guilt offering. It also tells us about eight feasts – Sabbath, Passover, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles, Sabbath Year and Jubilee. As this book is called the Book of Atonement, it reveals God’s picture pointing forward to the work of Jesus Christ.

When you check the book of Leviticus from Chapter 1 to 6, we see how an unholy person can approach a Holy God? It shows, the way to God is sacrifice and the walk with God is by separation. All people believe that sin separates them from their God. Unbelievers nowadays also do sacrifices to their Gods to come out of sins. But in this book all the sacrifices mentioned points to the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. (John 1:29). Sin may be forgiven, but it must receive its penalty and the penalty of sin is death. (Romans 6:23). You cannot have fellowship with God until your sins are forgiven. (Hebrews 9:22). In this book, five offerings are mentioned here to sacrifice each day.

Burnt Offering: This is the first offering to be done. This can be termed as an offering of Dedication. This was the most common sacrifice in the ancient temple. We can see how the preparations are to be done and how the sacrifice needs to be done. This symbolizes Christ offering himself without spot to God. Dedication is our part and Consecration is God’s part. We dedicate ourselves to God and he consecrated us to his service.

Grain Offering: As the burnt offering typifies Christ in death, grain offering typifies Christ in life. Fine flour speaks about Christ’s perfection in thought, in word and in action. We must come with burnt offering and then grain offering. We must dedicate our self to God and have the same thought, word and action as of Christ in having a fellowship with God.

Fellowship Offering: This thanksgiving offering represents fellowship and communion with

God. While reading this, think about Christ who is our peace, who reconciled all things to himself by making peace through his blood. Because of Christ we have peace with God.

Sin Offering: In the other offerings the offerer comes as a worshipper, but here as a convicted sinner. In this offering we see an acknowledgement of sin. God has accepted the one offering of his son, which every lesser offering typified. In unbelievers, worshipers bring sacrifices to their god; Christians accept the sacrifice from the God.

Guilt Offering: The blood of guilt offering cleanses the conscience and the injurer is forgiven and the injured becomes a gainer. 

The bullocks, oxen, goats, sheep, turtle, doves and pigeons are mentioned for sacrifices. None of these sacrifices forgave sin. They only pointed forward to the true sacrifice of God’s very own sons.

Here what we bring is our sin and what Christ brings is the offering and the atonement for the sin. 

Some people may find it tough to understand these offerings. These are some theological meanings on how Jesus gave his life for us. We are sinners by birth and we do sins in our daily life. Not only had us, Israelites also done the same. Since we are humans, we sin. But God is holy and with the sin we cannot talk with God. In simple words, if you are a sinner, the prayers you pray will not be listened by God. So for taking out that separation between God and sinners, God gave these sacrifices and offerings to Israel. But all these are temporary way of salvation. So God himself came as man, lived a holy life, and died for not his sins, but for our sins so that we can be saved. 

Now since Christ became our sacrifice and offering, we no need to do any other sacrifice. Christ’s death was the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. We need to accept Christ as our saviour, repent of our sins and directly come before God and our prayers will be listened by God.

I pray that you understand the real sacrifice of Christ Jesus for your sin, accept him, and repent of your sins and live a testimonial life.