Atonement Day
It just so happened that this year before the Atonement Day/ Yom Kippur, the Dead Sea in Israel turned blood red. This reminds me of the ten plagues in the Bible that God sends Moses to rescue the Israelites out from Egypt. The first plague is to turn the river into the blooding years.
Do you think that this is a coincidence, or is God reminding us of his salvation and repentance?
[What is Yom Kippur?]
Actually, the seven festivals of Israel mentioned in the Bible are not festivals of our cultures or festivals of our countries but the festivals of Our God.
These seven festivals were all directly passed down by Our God to Moses for the Israelites to follow and obey them.
The festivals in spring include Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, and Pentecost. Whereby festivals in the autumn include the Fest of Trumpets that herald the coming of Jesus again, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles.
Now we are entering the autumn season of the year. The Israelis regard the Feast of Trumpets as their New Year, and they blow the shofar to remind the Israelis that they will be entering the Day of Yom Kippur with ten days left.
[What is the Day of Atonement/ Yom Kippur?]
It is the most sacred, most valued, and most important festival for The Jews. It is the day when they pray to God for repentance and forgiveness. The Jews believe that only by their sincere repentance during this period, their sin can be forgiven and atonement so that they can receive God’s blessing in the following years. Because God hates sins and values righteousness. HE will not tolerate sin but HE will forgive people when they repent for their sin.
[Exodus 34:7] “maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
So on this day, the whole country of Israel will be at a standstill.
As mentioned in the Bible, [Leviticus 16:29-30]:
“This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work—whether native-born or a foreigner residing among you— 30 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.”
Fasting during Yom Kippur can be regarded as a symbolic atonement and a manifestation of self-restraint, allowing Israelis who celebrate the Day of Atonement to focus on their self-reflection and repentance, without interference from external affairs.
For myself, these few days, with a humble and repentant heart, I repent for myself, my family, my ancestors, our company, and our country. I ask God for HIS mercy and forgiveness. And bless us with his ever-lasting love.
正巧今年在赎罪日前一天，以色列的死海被染红成血色。这让我不禁想起圣经里上帝拯救以色列人出埃及所降下的十灾。第一灾就是使河水变血。
你觉得这是巧合。还是上帝正在提醒我们他的拯救 ？
圣经中提到以色列的七个节期，不只是我们各国的节期或节日，而是上帝的节期。
这七个节期都是直接由上帝传给摩西吩咐以色列人遵守。
春季里的节期包括逾越节、无酵节、初熟节和五旬节。秋季则包括了预示耶稣将要再次到来的吹角节、赎罪日和住棚节。
不知不觉中我们也进入了秋季的节期。以色列人视吹角节为他们的新年，用羊角吹响号角，提醒以色列人剩下十天便会进入赎罪日。
【什么是赎罪日？】
这是以色列人每年最神圣、最看重的节日。这是他们向上帝祈求赦免和洁净的日子。以色列人相信唯有在这期间真诚反省自身的过错并忏悔，才能祈求上帝的宽恕和赎罪以便在接下来曰子得到神的祝福。因为我们的神是看重罪和公义的，如经上说他不会以有罪的无罪，但是他却可以赦免人的罪和过犯。
【出埃及记 34:7】
“为千万人存留慈爱，赦免罪孽、过犯和罪恶，万不以有罪的为无罪，必追讨他的罪，自父及子，直到三四代。”
所以在这天里，以色列全国将处于停顿状态。
就如圣经里，【利未记 16:29-30】所说：
“每逢七月初十日，你们要刻苦己心，无论是本地人，是寄居在你们中间的外人，甚麽工都不可做；这要作你们永远的定例。因在这日要为你们赎罪，使你们洁净。你们要在耶和华面前得以洁净，脱尽一切的罪愆。”
赎罪日当天的禁食，可视为一种象征性的赎罪，也是一种自我约束的表现，让守节的以色列人专注于反省和忏悔，不受外界的杂事干扰。
这几天我也存着敬畏的心。来到上帝的面前，好好的反省为自己的生命，公司，我的家庭，家族或是祖宗所犯下的罪，以及我们的国家。祈求上帝的宽恕和原谅。并赐下他的怜恤和祝福给我们。
