Sermon Tone Analysis

COVERED- CLEANSED-REUNITED - A Yom Kippur message!

Wayyiqra/Leviticus 16 & Yeḥezqĕl/Ezekiel 37:15-28

Shabbat Shalom family – Bride of the Coming Messiah!

Blessed be יהוה our Elohim who has called us out of darkness into His marvellous light.

Tonight marks the beginning of the 9th of the 7th month – and you all know what that means!!! Tomorrow night will be the 10th of the 7th month – and that is Yom Kippur!

Known also as the Day of Atonement or better put – the Day of the Covering!

Wayyiqra/Leviticus 23:27-32 “On the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement.

It shall be a set-apart gathering for you.

And you shall afflict your beings, and shall bring an offering made by fire to יהוה.

28 And you do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before יהוה your Elohim.

29 For any being who is not afflicted on that same day, he shall be cut off from his people.

30 And any being who does any work on that same day, that being I shall destroy from the midst of his people.

31 You do no work – a law forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

32 It is a Sabbath of rest to you, and you shall afflict your beings.

On the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you observe your Sabbath.”

Just a couple of key things to note from these verses for us:

1 – It shall be a set-apart gathering for you!

We will be coming together at 15h00 on the 10th and have a time of prayer, worship and fellowship – do not miss it!

2 – You shall afflict your beings!

The Hebrew word used here for afflict is עָנָה ‘anah’ H6031 and means, ‘to be bowed down, afflicted, humbled’ and it can also carry the meaning ‘to be occupied or busy with’.

Busy or occupied with what?

Well the next word tells us – our beings!

That is the word נֶפֶשׁ ‘nephesh’ H5315 which is ‘a soul, a living being, the inner being of a man’.

So then it is a day that we are to humble ourselves and be busy with our being – that is to be spending the time reflecting on our life and that which needs to be dealt with must be dealt with.

Typically this is translated as the day when we deny our flesh and food or drink and fast with the sole focus on humbling ourselves in prayer before our Maker, and come together as His body united as One! ‘anah’ also carries the meaning of giving an account or an answer.

And so carries the picture of the one who humbles himself comes and gives an account of what he has done.

This can give us the picture of ‘coming clean’ so to speak and confessing our sin.

3 – Bring an offering made by fire to יהוה!

We know that the offering made by fire is a whole burnt offering – that is that we come to surrender all and allow our lives to be presented as a living sacrifice.

It is on this day when the work that we have done in Messiah will be tested through fire!

Qorintiyim Aleph/1 Corinthians 3:11-15 “For no one is able to lay any other foundation except that which is laid, which is יהושע Messiah.

12 And if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work shall be revealed, for the day shall show it up, because it is revealed by fire.

And the fire shall prove the work of each one, what sort it is.

14 If anyone’s work remains, which he has built on, he shall receive a reward.

15 If anyone’s work is burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, but so as through fire.”

4 – It is the Sabbath of Sabbaths!

– This is the only day outside of the weekly Sabbath that is actually referred to as a Sabbath.

It is a Sabbath of rest to you – שׁבת שׁבתון “Shabbat Shabbaton”.

Other feasts are referred to as ‘Shabbaton’ which is a Sabbath like rest but this day specifically is referred to as a Sabbath irrespective of what day it fall on – because this is the Day when יהוה finishes and completes His redemptive work for His ready Bride!

Now this Sabbath is unlike the others in that this is the day when we, as I mentioned, ‘afflict our beings’ and the stern warning we have here in is that anyone who does not afflict their being on this day or if anyone works on this day will be ‘cut off and destroyed from the midst of his people’!

So – I say this again – no excuses!

This day signifies so much for us, and it is much more than a day of ‘fasting’ as it is a culmination and bringing to completion the work of Messiah in us as His redeemed body!

This is the day when the Master is coming and the talents which He has given us (each one according to his ability); we will be able to show Him what we have made with that which He gave us.

Now for many this may not be a very pleasing day as they have only viewed the Master simply from a viewpoint of being a ‘hard man’ and have not lovingly laboured for Him and have done nothing with what they had.

But for us who labour daily in Him, working with what He has apportioned each one of us – this will be a wonderful day of hearing the words we all would like to hear… “Well done, good and trustworthy servant”.

(The Parable of the Talents is a reference to this very day when the Master comes back and the servants must give and account as their ‘offering made by fire’ – that is their works are tested!

It is on this day when He comes back that we do not want to be found thinking about what we could have or should have done – for it will be too late.

And so as we keep this Feast as a shadow picture of what is to come, we should all be aware that it is certainly time for us to take account of our walk in Messiah.

Are you walking or running or simply standing still?

In order to share further insight into this Day I would like to look at a couple of more passages in scripture that will give us a better understanding of Yom Kippur in a message called “Covered-Cleansed-Reunited”.

Firstly please turn with me to Wayyiqra/Leviticus 16 (read)

Yom Kippur – the purification of the Bride – the Day of Atonement.

One might ask why do we have this day separate from Pěsaḥ – isn’t that when we were redeemed?

This is a good question, yet יהוה’s appointed times are perfect shadow pictures for us and so in understanding these great shadow pictures, it could best be explained as Pěsaḥ symbolising for us personal redemption – it was on that day we were bought at a price and received atonement for our personal sins.

Pěsaḥ symbolises for us the personal deliverance from bondage to slavery, as each household would put the Blood of the Lamb on their doorposts, so would they be saved.

We each must accept, receive and apply the Blood of the Pěsaḥ Lamb personally in our lives.

The Day of Atonement speaks of the national redemption of a nation.

The day in which the Covenant will be confirmed according to Dani’ěl 9, and a time when Yisra’ĕl will no longer doubt that יהושע is the Messiah.

Atonement means ‘to make ransom for or to cover over man’s sins’.

The English word Atonement was derived when the translator wanted best to describe what ‘kippur’ meant as their was not a definitive English word to describe or translate the meaning of this and so what he translated it to was – ‘At-One-Ment’ – therefore later being called ‘Atonement’.

This was the best way he could express what this day carries for us – it is when we are made to be ‘one’ with יהוה – be ‘at one with’ Him and finally be fully restored unto Him as a washed and purified body together as ‘one’!

So this is also a day where we truly come and remember the ransom that was paid for us by the shed Blood of the Pěsaḥ Lamb – יהושע Messiah, once and for all and reflect on our lives as to how we are living out our covenant relationship with our Saviour.

The Hebrew word for atonement is כִּפֻּר ‘kippur’ H3725 and comes from the root word כָּפַר ‘kaphar’ H3722 and means: ‘to cover over, pacify, make propitiation, atone’.

As a noun it can also carry the meaning of ‘a ransom’, ‘gift’, or ‘to secure favour’.

It literally means to ‘cover over’ or ‘smear with pitch’ as in the sealing of a ship.

Therefore ‘kaphar’ or atonement means to cover that which is bare or naked or shamed, and also means to ‘smear the ship so that your ship will not sink and drown all those aboard’!

Wow – we are ‘covered’ – Atoned for by His Blood!!!

Noaḥ was commanded by יהוה to cover the ark inside and out with pitch – he was told to ‘Kaphar’ (cover) the ark with ‘Kopher’ - כֹּפֶר H3724 (pitch) Berěshith/Genesis 6:14 “Make yourself an ark of gopherwood.

Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with tar.”

‘Kaphar’ also means to ransom – and so we know that יהושע has paid our ransom and atoned for us.

It also means to reconcile with someone who has the power of death over you, and to pacify the one who has the power to do you harm!

We must realise that the punishment for sin is death, and no sin goes unpunished.

Through the Atonement of יהושע for our sins we are reconciled to the One who has the power to put us to death!

In Wayyiqra/Leviticus, where the priestly service and sacrificial system is presented and discussed, the very word we have been looking at, ‘kaphar’ is used 16 times in Wayyiqra/Leviticus 16 and 48 times on the entire book!

39 times, however, it is used in Wayyiqra/Leviticus in the specific description of the priestly service and sacrificial system where the other times are regulation instructions for the Day – this is a wonderful representation for us – for it was the exact number of stripes that יהושע took across His back – and it is by His stripes that we are healed!!!

By His Stripes and His sacrifice, we are covered, cleansed, redeemed and reconciled to Him!

Scripture clearly teaches us that atonement involves something which is ‘lacking’ (or leaking in respect to a boat not sealed), and is in danger of judgement (or sinking) – then having that ‘lack’ (which is caused by sin) ‘covered’ with something that will restore and keep it from sinking or being destroyed, just as the pitch applied to ancient boats would keep them from sinking!

It is only by the favour and loving-kindness granted by יהוה, who has the power of life and death over us, that His liberal smearing or covering us inside and out, covering the soul of man with His favour and loving-kindness through the blood of יהושע, our High Priest, that man can be kept from sinking in a relationship with his Creator.

When sin occurs, a price must be paid.

Yom Kippur is the day when יהוה will be reconciled with His creation – a day set aside and appointed for Him to pardon, to cleanse and to forgive.

It was only on this one day of the year that ‘one’ among the children of Yisra’ĕl were able to come ‘face to face’ so to speak with יהוה and live! – This occurred when only the high priest in office entered the Most Set-Apart place where the Ark of the Covenant was kept.

And as we read, Leviticus 16 gives for us the entire ceremony, and the high priest was required to bathe/wash - רָחַץ ‘rachats’ H7634 himself a couple of times during the Day of Atonement ceremony and carries the wonderful picture of cleansing and how our High priest has too cleansed His Body by the washing of His Blood!

This day was also known as the day of redemption as this day foreshadows a time when Messiah would return and the day of redemption and reconciliation would be fully complete.

Qorintiyim Aleph/1 Corinthians 13:12 “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face.

Now I know in part, but then I shall know, as I also have been known.”

Sha’ul was saying here that we are not yet face to face with our Father, but the time will come as pictured by this day, where we will see Him face to face and then we will know Him fully as He knows us now!

For what we see of Him, dimly, we see in the ‘mirror’ of His Word, and Ya’aqoḇ/James encourages us to not forget what we look like when we look into the mirror of His Word – for we look into the perfect Torah – that of freedom and continue in it, being blessed in the doing of the Torah.

We all have a choice when we look into the mirror of His Word – ‘Will we do what it says and remember to guard and do, or simply ignore?” – It is everyone’s individual choice – but that choice will certainly determine whether this Day will be a day of joy and gladness at the fullness of time as the works of our faith are proven to be genuine mirrored by the Truth of His Word through obedience in action, or simply a very sad and painful day when the consuming fire shows up your dead works!

As we see from the instructions given to Aharon as recorded in Wayyiqra/Leviticus 16, we see great shadow picture of the work of יהושע:

1 - The work had to be done alone – Aharon had no help from the other priests – only He could perform the required duties on this day, except for the ‘fit man’ who would send the scapegoat into the wilderness by the hand and the one who would burn the skins and flesh of the sin offering outside the camp.

This is a wonderful picture of יהושע, for only He alone could pay the price for our sin, once and for all – for He alone is worthy.

There is only One that saves – יהושע, there is no other way!!!

2 - The high priest put off his normal clothes – Aharon had to wash himself and change his clothes and put on the set apart linen as a picture of being washed and clothed in righteousness.

For these duties Aharon did not wear his usual High Priest garments (the ephod and breastplate) but wore set-apart linen.

This is also a wonderful picture of יהושע who came to earth as a man and laid aside His deity.

He laid aside His garments of esteem and took upon Himself the form of a servant.

His sinless life allowed Him to enter into the Most Set-Apart Place and make atonement for us.

In one sense He set aside His deity as described in Philippians, yet being the King of Righteousness who knew no sin and clothed in Majesty was able to enter into the Most Set-Apart place.

The linen garments speaks of sinless humanity of the Messiah and His Righteousness, and we know that as we are clothed in Him, we have become the righteousness of Elohim in Messiah, and the fine linen are the righteous garments of the set-apart ones.

And so ‘in Him’ we have access to the Most Set-Apart place!