Mmmm Enjoyed delicious Italian Handmade Pasta with Porcini today Mmmm

I’m grateful that I live in multicultural Sydney with food from all over the world!

But that’s not the only food that is mouth-watering.

I’m being nourished at Bible College with tantalising morsels of Old Testament this semester.

²⁹ “And it shall be a statute to you for ever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselvesand shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you. ³⁰ For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the Lord from all your sins. ³¹ It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; it is a statute for ever. ³² And the priest who is anointed and consecrated as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement, wearing the holy linen garments. ³³ He shall make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. ³⁴ And this shall be a statute for ever for you, that atonement may be made for the people of Israel once in the year because of all their sins.” And Moses did as the Lord commanded him.

Leviticus 16:29-34

In the Old Testament book of Leviticus, we see how the Israelites were to relate to God.

The Israelites were “unclean”, rebellious and sinful and needed instructions to come near a holy and “clean” God.

On one special day of the year, the High Priest made atonement for the sins of the whole nation.

This involved animals symbolically being punished for the sins of the people.

A scapegoat was released into the desert and bulls were sacrificed.

The High Priest was only allowed into the Most Holy Place of the Tent of Meeting on the Day of Atonement.

God forgave the sins of Israel when this annual ceremony took place.

The Jewish people still observe the Day of Atonement – “Yom Kippur”.

In the New Testament, “Yom Kippur” has been made obsolete.

At Easter, Christians remember that Jesus was the perfect sacrifice.

He died on the cross and his blood was shed just like the animal sacrifices.

He became the scapegoat and the sins of the whole world were placed on him.

Jesus died once for all, so Christians are forgiven for all time.

We do not need to keep sacrificing animals every year for forgiveness.

In fact because of Jesus, ordinary Christians can come near to God every day.

We no longer need the High Priest to go into the Holy Sanctuary of the Temple.

Anyone can accept Jesus on any day of the year and be forgiven by God.

We do not need to wait for “Yom Kippur”.

We no longer need to go to the temple in Jerusalem.

We can pray to God anywhere on Earth and be assured of forgiveness.

Are you forgiven?

mmmm Bible mmmm