A Day of Atonement...A Day of Rest.

Then the Lord said to Moses, The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. You must observe it as an official day for holy assembly, a day to deny yourselves and present special gifts to the Lord. Do no work during that entire day because it is the Day of Atonement, when offerings of purification are made for you, making you right with the Lord your God. All who do not deny themselves that day will be cut off from God’s people. And I will destroy anyone among you who does any work on that day. You must not do any work at all! This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation wherever you live. This will be a Sabbath day of complete rest for you, and on that day you must deny yourselves

The Day of Atonement was a Sabbath Day in which you did no work & denied yourself, offering gifts to God so that your sins might be forgiven. Work is often thought of as physical labor, but in the Old Testament, work was also a works of Salvation by trying in human strength to keep the law. Sacrifices were also required to atone for their sin, as they were unable to keep the law perfectly.

 

How does the law and Old Testament relate to us today? It was a foreshadow of the things to come. Today, Jesus is the Sabbath (A day of complete rest) Jesus is our Atonement. When we confess our sins, repent, and deny ourselves, surrendering our will to His will, we enter into His rest. This is a rest from a 'Works Salvation' which Paul so diligently preached against. Because we as Christians are currently living in the Sabbath (in Christ) we cease from Working towards our Salvation, as our atonement is by the Grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ as He offered His body as a 'Once for All' sacrifice. (And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Hebrews 10:10) On the Sabbath day, which is today, "You must not do any work at all!" Anyone who continues to do work (unto salvation, not physical labor) will be cut off. "This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation wherever you live"

 

Do you see how "not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished" Matthew 5:18

 

Matthew 11:28 "Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens,(from the cares of the world but also from doing works)...and I will give you rest."

 

Mark 2:27, "Then Jesus said to them, "The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath"

 

Hebrews 4:1-3 "...Since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.^a Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said..."

 

We do need a physical rest, and the Lord does speak of that, but in context with what we are talking about here, ceasing from work, does not mean, kick back, relax, have a good time, on the contrary...

 

Exodus 20:8 tells us, "Remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy" Since we are daily living in the Sabbath, that is Christ, everyday is a Holy Day set apart for Him, so we must be careful not to do  works (towards salvation) instead we are to 'Deny Ourselves' and live for Him. We are to...

Consecrate ourselves and be holy, because He is the LORD our God"

(Leviticus 20:7)
 

We are to... "Treat with respect the sacred offerings you consecrate to Him (our bodies as living sacrifices), so you will not profane His holy name. He is the LORD." (Leviticus 22:2) 

 

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1) and, since we have a Saviour that interceeds for us, let us "...be anxious for nothing,, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, that the world knows not, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

 

And this transcends to...Rest.