The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) | We Are Covered by Mercy

“Because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins.” Leviticus 16:30, NIV.

The Day of Atonement was the most solemn and sacred day in Israel. On this day, the high priest would cleanse himself before entering the Most Holy Place. He would enter into the Holiest of Holies with the blood of an innocent lamb who was sacrificed, to make atonement for the sins of all of the people. This was a day of fasting, repentance, and humility. The entire Nation of Israel would rededicate themselves on this day to face their sin and allow the blood of an innocent animal to atone for them for one more year.

The book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus, who is now our high priest, became the lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8).

Hebrews 9:11-12 states, “But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter using the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.”

The only person who could go into the Holiest of Holies was the high priest. Here, in the Most Holy Place, he would experience the Shekinah Glory of God, but only once a year on the Day of Atonement.

He would dip a hyssop branch in the blood of the spotless lamb that was sacrificed, and shake the branch seven times over the mercy seat. If God accepted their sacrifice, His glory would come down from heaven and absorb the blood off the mercy seat.

Jesus Became The Lamb For The Sins Of The Whole World

The body of Jesus was beaten, bruised, and torn for our transgressions. He went to Calvary as a spotless lamb, bearing the sins of the whole world.

Jesus went to the cross as our High Priest, during Passover. He bore the sacrifice of His body as a sinless, spotless lamb without spot or blemish. The moment Jesus gave up the ghost, the physical temple veil that separated the Holiest of Holies from all of humanity was torn from top to bottom.

The glory of God that was only experienced by one High Priest, one time a year, is now moving throughout all the earth. Now the glory of God is reaching for you, your children, and loved ones. And, He is still calling today.

Dear reader, if you have not received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, today is your day. You can receive it this morning. If you have not been baptized in Jesus’ name, today is the day of salvation. In the Old Testament, Israel’s sins were only rolled into the next year and never remitted. Now, with the blood of Jesus, our sins can be blotted out for all of eternity through baptism in Jesus’ name, never to be remembered again.

In Jesus Christ, our sin is not covered temporarily, but it is now fully forgiven, removed, and covered with His precious blood.

Journal Prompt:

Are there sins or failures you’ve struggled to believe God has fully forgiven? Write them down as a form of confession—then cross them out as a symbol of Christ’s complete atonement. Let this be a moment to release shame and receive mercy. How does this affect how you view yourself and others?

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for becoming a sacrifice to atone for all of our sins. I am so thankful for everything that You have done in my life. Lord, I pray that You would forgive me, cleanse me, and cover me in Your precious blood. I love you so much and I continue to devote my life to You. In Jesus name, amen.

This devotion was written by Angela Overton for moretolifetoday.net.