A One-Day Pause by Lisa Burkhardt Worley
Today is Yom Kippur, which means “Day of Atonement” in English. It is the holiest day of the year on the Jewish calendar, and it is a day where the busyness of life comes to a halt. The twenty-four hours consists of fasting from both food and drink. And more importantly, this is a day to ask God for forgiveness for any wrongdoing that one committed during the year. Jewish people worldwide take a one-day pause.
We can find the command to observe this day in Leviticus 16:29–34: This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work—whether native-born or a foreigner residing among you— because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins. It is a day of sabbath rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance. The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on the sacred linen garments and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the tent of meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the members of the community. This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites.
When God says something is a “lasting ordinance” it means the command to recognize Yom Kippur has no expiration date.
So what does this have to do with Christians? We believe that Jesus is the High Priest and has atoned for our sins once and for all. Hebrews 9:12–14 explains: He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
Yet, as a woman with Jewish heritage, it is my belief that we should still recognize the Day of Atonement and take a pause. One day a year is not much to ask. We refrain from our usual activities and spread of food and ask the LORD to examine our hearts to sin if there is any unconfessed sin or anyone we still need to forgive.
The LORD honors the fast and will often download His revelation when we deny ourselves. God gave Moses the Ten Commandments when he fasted. The LORD commissioned Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem while he fasted. Jesus promised in Matthew 6 that the Father rewards us when we fast (Matthew 6:16–18).
So today, consider taking a break from our usual activities. Let’s give up a food item we would normally eat on this day—or fast from all food if we are able. It’s just a one-day pause but it will draw us closer to God and could result in a breakthrough or revelation that we would not have received otherwise.