DCLM Daily Manna 9 December 2020 – The Atonement
Text: Leviticus 23:23-32 (KJV)
23 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
25 Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
26 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.
29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.
30 And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.
31 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.
Key Verse: “And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.” – (Leviticus 23:28)
MESSAGE:
At 13, Dominic MacAulay wrote a poem titled Sin and Redemption. The poem was part of his home school curriculum. In part, the poem read: “When the universe began, in His image, God made a woman and a man. Dominion was given them, over all the land. But one snake named Satan came to get those people to sin in shame. Thus the world fell; thousands of years later, one was sent: the longed-for Saviour. The Messiah name was Jesus… he died on a terrible cross, thus my redemption paid…”
This poem captures the whole essence of the sacrifice of Christ our Saviour. In theology, atonement represents the reconciliation of God that mankind accomplished through the life, suffering and crucifixion of Christ our Lord. By implication, outside Christ, no other atonement can guarantee our redemption.
In Israel, as shown in our text, a day was set apart when the high priest would enter into the holy of holies to make sacrifice for the sin of the people and the nation. This is referred as the day of atonement. The Israelites observed it yearly. The day of atonement was a shadow of the better testament. Jesus Christ is the sacrificial Lamb crucified for the sin of humanity. He offered Himself as the perfect Lamb for atonement. His sacrifice was final, and we no longer require any other sacrifice again. By His own blood, Jesus Christ entered once into the holy place to obtain eternal redemption for you and me.
From time to time, the redeemed of the Lord need to soberly reflect on this and appreciate Christ’s inexplicable love. He voluntarily went through emotional trauma of abandonment by the Father, excruciating pain of torture, and the most humiliating, debasing and shameful death on the cross for our redemption. If sin is still having dominion over you, do not delay any longer. Rather, humbly surrender your life and appropriate the benefits of the final atonement into your life.
Thought For The Day: Without Jesus, life is as the twilight with the dark night ahead.
1. Admit that you are a sinner. "For all [humans] have sinned, and comes short of the glory of God....[and] the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 3:23)
2. Repent now. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ...[for] if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness " (Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:9)
3. Believe that God loves you and Jesus died for you. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
4. Invite Jesus into your life through prayer of faith. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20)
