Atonement

I have a bone to pick today.  Several worldwide ministries are misleading others about the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur.  This day falls on September 28 this year. 

The Bible teaches in Exodus 23:14-33 that three times a year (verse 17) all the males shall appear before the Lord God with the firstfruits of their land (verse 19).  One of these times is known as The Feast of Ingathering or Tabernacles.  On this day, the firstfruits (first part) of your land, in other words, the first and very best you have to offer God from what you have (your land), is brought to God to a place He says, as atonement for your life.

This scared day, which should be observed out of obedience, has become a “selling gimmick.”  Ministries are telling you, “Sow your best offering and you will receive X amount of blessings.” Let us set the record straight once and for all in regard to this particular misconception.    

Nowhere do I read that God states exactly the kind of blessings that are being peddled by worldwide ministries.  They are leading others down a path, trying to sell them on the idea that if they sow money at this particular time, specific favor from God will be received, no matter what is going on in their life. 

Let me give you my take on the Day of Atonement.  This is a holy day unto God.  He has ordained this day so we can be cleansed and forgiven for our past year’s sins.  I celebrate this day, repenting of my sins and thanking God for all He has done for me.  I do this with a pure motive, not asking Him for one thin dime.  I do this with an obedient heart, knowing if I keep this celebration, He will be with me and in turn, help me in the way He has ordained for my life.   I want to honor Him with my very best because I love Him, not because I am trying to get Him to give me something.

YOU need to celebrate the Day of Atonement for yourself unto the Lord for all He has done for you.  If you are still alive, that is a big deal.  Do you have your sanity?  Do you eat?  Do you have clothes to wear?  Then acknowledge this and honor God with an offering, giving where He tells you.  Don’t just randomly think that because someone is on TV, their hearts are right before the Lord.  It is our Lord God who tests the minds and hearts.  Unfortunately, many have gotten away from the true worship of God.       

God is speaking, telling us in verse 20, He will send an Angel before us to keep us in the way and bring us into the place He has prepared.  In other words, we will hear a guiding voice behind us saying,  “This is the way.” Then God tells us in verse 21 to be careful and not to sin, provoking Him.  In verse 22, He tells us to be obedient, doing all He says.  We must be careful not to worship idols but to expose them.  Finally, in verse 25 we are told to serve the Lord our God and He will bless us in our hands, taking sickness from us, filling the number of our days. To "bring it down" to our level, this means God will bless the work of our hands and we shall live to fulfill the number of years God has ordained for us.  Where in the Word can you find where God rattles off double portions for us all, promising everyone financial abundance, blessings and miracles?  We have to understand what God is trying to tell us here and expose carnal thinking for what it truly is.   It is your duty to learn about YOUR Father in heaven if you call on the name of Christ as YOUR Savior.  You need to  learn God's ways and His ways require obedience to Him.  We don't talk enough about sheer raw obedience because doing so hurts our flesh and we don't like it. 

To make an offering that God deems worthy of Him is a privilege, not something to be taken lightly.  Making offerings for the sake of getting a string of blessings is childlike and you must reconsider your thinking in this area.  You are being taught that all these good things are going to come to you if you give God an offering.  This is not from heaven and it comes purely out of man’s thinking. 

Yes, you need to go to God on the Day of Atonement and make an offering to God.  Remember that it is most important to make the offering where God tells you to, and do it with a pure motive, not simply for selfish gain in order to get something.  Never forget it is God who tests the mind and heart, so be wise.  Understand that God can withhold any blessing He has laid up for you and never has to give it to you.  Don’t ever think a dollar bill is going to jerk God’s chain and release blessings.

Psalm 103 states that Moses knew God’s ways.  Do you know God's ways?  I believe we have forgotten that we need to honor God because He is worthy, not because we are looking for a list of blessings.   We have to mature in the body and get away from this kind of teaching.  Frankly, God cannot and will not come back for a church who is childish being tossed about so easily.  He will only come back for a church without spot or wrinkle and there are way too many wrinkles in the church today.

Molly