The story of God’s great rescue of mankind from destruction begins in the Old Testament. There the preeminence of Jesus Christ is foreshadowed throughout His Story. Hidden among many other nuggets pointing to Christ are the annual Jewish Appointed Times that take place in the Spring and the Fall Seasons. Considered by practicing Jews as the most holy of all, the Day of Atonement is one of them. It’s also called Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur 2022 begins Tuesday evening October 4.
The book of Leviticus specifies that on this special day the Israelis are to gather at the temple in Jerusalem, rest from all of their work, afflicted themselves, and cleanse their souls from sin. Back when there was a temple in Jerusalem, the priests would offer animal sacrifices on Yom Kippur as specified, including two male goats. The goats were sin offerings of one sort or another. (See Leviticus 16: 7-22).
Here’s what happened back then with the goats: A priest would offer up one goat as a sin offering at the temple in the usual way and use its blood to cleanse certain places as well as all the people from their uncleanness.
Later Aaron would put his hands on the second goat’s head and confess the people’s sins, imputing their sins into that goat. Then the goat would be dropped off in some remote wilderness area. It would not be able to find its way back to their camp and probably would not survive. This practice of shunning and casting away one goat that is bearing the sin of the group is where the term “scapegoat” came from.
Sacrifices had to be repeated every year. Nowadays practicing Jews don’t have a temple with a sacrificial system in operation and they live in nations all over the world, so they celebrate differently. Along with the tradition of meeting together and fasting, some transfer their sins into an object of some kind and dispose of it.
They will use money for example. They whirl it around over their heads a while and then donate it. Some folk will stop eating for a time, even while volunteering at a homeless shelter or somewhere else. They may give the money saved from fasting to charity. It all has to do with afflicting oneself, transferring sin away, and being made clean.
These days activities Jewish parents do with children may vary. Some families write sins on coffee filters with markers and soak them, while curious children watch the water wash the record of their sins away.
Some adults help children make white clothes for their dolls, or have the children themselves dress in white to represent being made clean on the inside. Some parents practice apologizing to their children for wrongs done that year. It sets an example for the children to follow.
Christians know that because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we can be cleansed of our sin and forgiven anytime. Fresh starts are as available as soon as the next breath we take, after we repent. Many Christians see the second coming of Jesus Christ reflected in the Day of Atonement.
Scriptures tell us that when Christ returns He will gather the nations before Him. He will separate those who trust the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse them from sin; but those that don’t know Him never did that and are still carrying the guilt of their sin. Like the scapegoat sent into the wilderness, the latter group will be sent away. You and I are ambassadors for Christ, sent to a world that needs to know how to get free of sin. May you be one who shares the good news of Jesus, who is our Beloved Redeemer, so more of the precious people God created will be in good standing with Christ Jesus on that day!
Resources:
Leviticus 23:26-32 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+23%3A26-32&version=NIV
Leviticus 16: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+16&version=NIV
Preparation for the Day of Atonement: https://messianicsabbath.com/2019/09/01/month-6-elul-preparation-for-the-day-of-atonement/#more-4294
Yom Kippur For Children: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/yom-kippur-without-fasting/
How to Ready Your Young Child for Yom Kippur https://reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays/yom-kippur/how-ready-your-young-child-yom-kippur
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