Yom Kippur Morning – How To Draw Near To Him?

0:00 I'd like to share a story with you. about myself because there's nothing like a good self-deprecating story. Today is Yom Kippur. It is regarded as the holiest day in the Jewish calendar today in in our in our modern times. This is the day where every Jew goes to synagogue. You know, even if they only go once a year it's today. This day is sacrosanct. In Judaism, you don't do any work you

0:48 fast you you there's all sorts of traditions that are surrounding Yom Kippur. when I Went to college. I went to Flight School. as many of you know, I Have a degree in. aeronautical science and a pile of degree and I worked in the aviation field for about a decade. I went to school and my very first semester. I was in school. I was learning how to fly an airplane. And I decided that I was not going to

1:34 Yom Kippur services. I decided. Now, let me just give you the clarification here. I'm speaking to my own life not to your lives. I decided that I needed to further my training and get caught up. And so I took a flight. a training flight on Yom, Kippur It just so happens to be yomky. This is the anniversary at least on the lunar calendar 20 years ago. And on that day my my flight instructor at that point in my training there. We were paired up with another student and so one student would fly one would observe.

2:19 And listen to the flight instructor and then we would stop somewhere and we'd switch. So we stopped somewhere in it was the other guys turn first and then it was my turn. And so we decided we were going to practice. Touch and Go Landings It's my now. I'm going to tell let me just also clarify. This is my I think it was my fourth flight ever. So not proficient, okay. Not a proficient pilot at this point just learning how to land the aircraft. So we fly to this airport and we're doing we're doing well. We're trying to do Landings.

3:07 trying And I come in and touch down it was. rather a rather large speed bump when I landed You know might might should have seen the chiropractor after that one. but with a touch, you know, so there's one difference between landing and coming to a stop and getting off the air. They're getting off the Runway. But when you do touch and goes you have to there's a whole lot of things that happen at the same moment. And there's power added in the airplane starting to move and and there's wind and all of a sudden I got I'm gonna say I got a gust of wind. and and the airplane just

3:55 started to slide toward the edge of the runway and my instructors at Power ad power pull back pull and he's all these things and and listen. I'm it's my first time doing it. So I'm trying to keep up and I'm not doing a very great job. So I add power takes me a few seconds to do it. And then I I pull back and it takes me a few seconds but in a lot can happen in an airplane and in the course of about four seconds. And the airplane just continued to drift toward the side of the runway. And we're just going off into the gravel right when I pull back. And then we hear Boom. And let's just say that Runway

4:42 needed two new Runway lights. I managed. To hit two Runway lights one with my tail. And one with the wheel. and the instructor goes my turn so we He pulled the power back. We landed and we stayed and We got out looked at the damage and we had to wait. like three hours for one of our maintenance crew to come out because it's You know, maybe 15 minute flight, but where I was it was an hour drive. And so one of the maintenance crew came out and they had to get a special fairy permit to Ferry the airplane back and I had to ride back with the maintenance guy.

5:31 Let me just tell you. I have never missed another Yom Kippur since do you guys remember that? Yeah those this is a date that is fixed on the calendar. I talked about it last night. It is a date that no matter what you do it comes yearly. It's a date when we as we discuss last night when we examine ourselves as ravshaw will says in second Corinthians chapter 13 test yourselves to see whether you are in the faith.

6:16 examine yourselves or don't you know yourselves that Messiah Yeshua is in you. Unless of course you failed the test. so today Last night we talked about examining yourselves and drawing near to the Lord having an appointed time today. We're going to talk about how to draw near to him. And we're going to really base it off of this passage that Jonathan. So eloquently read for us. So I'll read it for you in English, and then we'll go through and unpack some. Some items some details that are in the text. Then Adonai spoke to Moses Leviticus chapter 16 then on a nice spoke to Moses after

7:04 the death of the two sons of Aaron. When they approached the presence of Adonai and died. I don't know. I said to Moses. Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the holiest place behind the curtain before the atonement cover, which is on the ark. So that he would not die. For I will be appearing in the cloud over the atonement cover. In this way, she'll Aaron come into the sanctuary with a young bull for a sin offering in a RAM for a burnt offering. He is to put on the holy linen garment have the linen undergarments on his body put on the linen Sash and where the linen tunic. They are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and put them on.

7:52 Then he has to take from the congregation of the children of Israel two. He goes for a sin offering and one RAM for a burnt offering. Then Aaron is to offer the bull for the sin offering which is for himself and make atonement for himself and his house. Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Aaron will then cast lots for the two he goats. One lot for autonai and the other lot for the scapegoat. Aaron is to present the goat on which the lot for autonai fell and make it a sin offering. But the goat upon which the lot for the scapegoat fell is to be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement upon it by sending it away as

8:39 the scapegoat Into the Wilderness. Also, Aaron is to present the Bull of the sin offering which is for himself, and so make atonement for himself in his house. He is to slaughter the Bull of the sin offering which is for himself. He has to take a fire pan full of coals of fire from off the altar before Adonai plus two handfuls of sweet powdered incense and bring it within the curtain. Then he has to put the increase the incense on the fire before UT and I so that the cloud of the incense May cover the atonement cover that is on the ark so that he would not die. He is then to take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it on his finger on the atonement cover on the east side.

9:25 Before the atonement cover he is to sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times. Then he is to slaughter the goat of the sin offering which is for the people. Bring its blood behind the curtain and do with it as he did with the blood of the bull. Sprinkle it upon the atonement cover and before the atonement cover. So he is to make atonement for the holy place because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel and because of their transgressions all their sins. He is to do the same for the tent of meeting which dwells with them in the midst of their impurities. No one is to be in the tent of meeting when he enters to make atonement in the Holy place until he comes out and has made atonement for himself and for his household and

10:11 for all the Assembly of Israel. Then he has to go out to the altar that is before the Lord and make atonement for it. He is to take some of the blood's Bull and some of the goats. Some of the Bull's blood, excuse me supposed to take some of the Bull's blood and some of the goats blood and dab it around on the horns of the altar. Is to sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times and cleanse it and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel. When he has finished atoning for the holy place the tent of meeting in the altar then he has to present the life goat. Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the life goat and confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions all their sins.

10:58 He shall place them on the head of the goat and sells shall send it away Into the Wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. The goat will carry all their iniquities by itself into a solitary land and he is to leave The Goat in the wilderness. Then Aaron is to come into the tent of meeting take off the linen garments that he put on when he went into the holy place and leaves them. There. He is to bathe himself with water in a holy Place put on his garments and come out to offer his burnt offering in the burnt offering of the people to make atonement for himself. And for the people then he is to burn up fat of the sin offering in Smoke On The Altar the man who leaves the scapegoat that leaves the goat as a scapegoat is to wash his clothes and bathe his body and water.

11:44 Afterward he may come into the camp. The bull for the sin offering and the Goat for the sin offering whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place shall be carried outside the camp and their hides their flesh and their dung burned with fire. The one who burns them as to wash his clothes and bathe his body and water. Then afterward he may come into the camp. It is to be a statue to you forever that in the seventh month on the 10th day of the month. You are not to go flying. No, I'm sorry. You are too afflict your souls and do no kind of work both the native born in The Outsider dwelling among you. For on this day atonement will be made for you to cleanse you from all your sins. You will

12:31 be clean before the Lord. It is a Shabbat of solemn rest to you. And you were to afflict your souls. It is a it is a statute forever. The Cohen who is Anointed and who is consecrated to be Cohen in his father's place will make the atonement and put on the linen garments the holy garments. He is to make atonement for the holy Sanctuary for the tent of meeting for the Altar for the kohanim and for all the assembly all the people of the assembly. This will be an everlasting statute for you to make atonement for the children of Israel once in the year because of all their sins. It was done as the Lord commanded Moses. Those are some pretty detailed instructions.

13:16 And some of which we really have no idea. how to do so let's talk about this for a moment. How is it that the Lord was to be approached? He lays out a pattern for Aaron by the way, Aaron and and the high priest were the only ones who actually truly approached the Lord as close as they could get. So he lays out a pattern for Aaron and his sons. to approach the Lord in it starts with you bring a bull. as a sin offering and a RAM for a burnt offering Aaron is debath his body in water and put it put on the appropriate garments. He has to wear garments that are set apart for this occasion. He's to

14:04 wear undergarments. Get it. He has a sash to hold all the garments together and he has a head covering to come before the Lord. So this is just for Aaron. Now for the congregation of Israel, he is to take two he goats for a sin offering and one ram for burnt offering. Aaron is to offer a bull. Bulls are big right a bull for himself. Let's just think about this for just for just for a moment a matter of perspective. Aaron is one man.

14:50 Okay, take his household. Let's let's just say I don't know. He's a dozen people. one bull pretty big bull but for all of the children of Israel all of them It's a goat. That doesn't seem fair in perspective to the amount of sin. That would be in all of the millions of people. versus Aaron Right. It just seems like a is that like Overkill? That was pun intended. Is it is it is it just too much? Well, I don't know Aaron actually draws into God's

15:38 presence. In the people wait at a distance. Let's put it this way. sometimes children or teenage boys especially when playing outside can develop a scent if you're far from the person. How much is needed to cover it? Not so much. but if you draw all the way into their presence Imagine the amount of covering that would need to be done.

16:25 The same is true. With ourselves when we draw into God's presence. If we come close but we're a little ways away. A little deodorant will do. but when we come all the way in everything is observed So Aaron is to take two he goes present them before the Lord and to cast lots for the Two Goats one lot for autonai and one lot for the scapegoat. That's what is what is commonly translated here. It's called the scapegoat. And Aaron is to present the goat on which the lot for

17:11 the Lord fell and make it a sin offering. But the scapegoat is to be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement upon it how by sending it away Into the Wilderness. Aaron's to present the bull for his for himself. And for his house and and make that sin offering. He's to make a cloud of incense cover the atonement cover of a sweet smelling incense, you know covers the stench. And then he's to take the blood of the bull and sprinkle it on the atonement cover. Listen, I'm outlining

17:57 this so you can see how intricate God is in the details of how he tells Aaron to approach him. He then Slaughters the goats for the sin offering which is for the people. This is the one that was designated for the Lord that the lot fell to the Lord. He's to sprinkle it on the atonement cover this the blood. And this is how atonement is made for the holy place. Because of the uncleanliness uncleanliness of the people they're transgressions and all their sins and he's to do the same with the tent of meeting which dwells in the midst of the people. and in the midst of their impurities then Aarons to go out to the Altar and make atonement for the

18:43 for it and to dab of the Bulls blood and some of the goats Blood on the altar on the horns of the altar. Do you see the intricacies here? And the job of Aaron or the the high priest the cohenga Dole the kohenagadol on on Yom. Kippur is a very intricate job. Now, let me give you just a little bit of insight. every year about a week before Rosh Hashanah Rabbi Sean and I get together and we're like Okay, we only do this once a year. Like how is it that we go through the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur again because We haven't done it for a year. Now just take that.

19:30 And what in just a little bit of preparation that we do and just think about the sins of the people are dependent. the Forgiveness of the sins of the people are dependent upon what Aaron does in the Holy place once a year he gets one shot. Let me just make a side note here about the about the high priest about the Cohan Dole. this job requires the high priest to go through a rigorous time of purification at least

20:16 according to Alfred edersheim. Before Yom, Kippur and not only is there a rigorous time of purification, but also a substitute is selected. As a precaution, can you imagine if you get to the day of Yom Kippur and all of a sudden the high priest is becomes unclean for whatever reason. And you're like oops. What do we do? So a substitute is also set apart at the same time a backup if you will. those two are separated and they lived in the temple. This is in the second temple era. for seven days before Yom Kippur

21:02 There's sprinkled by the ashes of a red heifer. They performed various Priestly rights because they had to make sure that they were able to do it correctly when Yom Kippur came around. The various sacrifices were brought to the high priest on the night before. So that he could do a dry run. You know when when I was flying. I don't know about you, but what this happens in almost every profession you have some level of testing that goes on so in in flying you have what's called a check ride where you have to go up with a check Airmen someone who's basically evaluates you is sitting like shoulder to shoulder with you and is evaluating you the whole time. You know, it's kind of well, never mind.

21:51 So what we would do before a flight like that. Is I would sit in a chair and I would make sure it was a rolling chair. I would sit in a chair. And I would close my eyes. And I would go through every procedure that I would have to do in my hands would go where my hands would go my my and if it was a right turn, I would roll the chair to the right. There's a left turn I'd rolled the chair to the left and and I would go through everything. Why because I wanted to make my mistakes the night before. Not when I'm being evaluated on whether or not I can fly continue to fly. The same is true with the high priest. The high priest would would go through this and would go the night before would go through all

22:37 of the elements. And make sure that he knew everything that was associated with every element why because a mistake is costly. It could cost the nation their atonement for the year, which that's costly for a lot of people. But it's it could be costly for the Aaron or his sons as is already been proved the case with nandavan avihu. Whatever whoever that high priest is if he doesn't come in correctly. fire comes out And consumes that priest. As not of an Avi, who? As is recorded with their when they approached the

23:24 Lord. a high Priestly job Was a dangerous job. You know we talked today. I have a cousin who at least he used to be an underwater welder. and which apparently is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world? I'm just going to tell you the high Priestly job was the most dangerous job in the world. Because if you did not prepare yourself correctly. It was instant. That was the end. Not just for you, but imagine that the rest of the people their atonement wasn't made for that year.

24:12 It was a costly error. this need for atonement. This ritual was repeated every Yom Kippur. It was repeated every Yom Kippur. And because it was repeated every Yom Kippur it actually we can deduce. That it did not have an everlasting effect. Atoning effect. Otherwise it wouldn't have to be repeated every year. The author of the book of Hebrews gets into this. And we'll discuss it for in a minute. So the high priest after atoning for the holy place the tent of meeting the altar this is when he presents the live goat the scapegoat. You see this in

24:59 verses 20 through 22. Aaron is to lay his hands on the head of the live goat. And confess over it all of the iniquities of the people all their transgressions and all their sins. And then he's to send the goat away Into the Wilderness. In the goat will carry all their iniquities all of the people's iniquities by itself into a solitary land. So let's talk about the scapegoat for just a few minutes the scapegoat. There's a lot of mystery that surrounds this strange custom. And and it's important. There's a lot of discussion about You know scapegoat is actually just the word that we're get we

25:45 give it in English. It's actually the goat that is designated to Azazel one is designated to the ward and one is designated to as a Zone. There's even discussions on what azizel is or what it means. But why is this and why is the scapegoat important because the scapegoat without it atonement would not be achieved for the people? The scapegos to be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement upon it. By sending it away Into the Wilderness. by the second temple era a procedure had been developed to Confirm the efficacy. of the atonement made by this offering

26:32 the goat was taken out to the Wilderness, you know, even In this passage, it says there's a to be a man waiting who leads the goat out until the Wilderness and leads the goat in releases it into the wilderness. by the second temple period they decided we can't just release it into the wilderness. Because this is the goat bearing the sins of all the people what if it gets hungry and comes back to town. You know, that's a that's an issue that maybe we didn't think about as reading the text. So they would take this this goat. out into the wilderness and there's a procedure in the mission. And in the talmud also talks about it. And it talks about taking to

27:20 go out about five or six miles and it's a whole it's a whole process leading it out and that the road would be lined with. with people and that the refreshments would be given to the person taking the goat out there and would be taken out to this. to this place in the wilderness and the Judean wilderness by the way that Judean wilderness when when it's not when there's not a rain it is like It's pretty. wildernessy Like I know I just made a word up. But I mean, it's rough terrain. It's everything's like

28:07 wind blasted it's dead and and so they take this goat out there. And then they push it off a cliff. Why do they push it off a cliff because they don't want it coming back to town? Bearing the sins of the people back into town. And then someone would would check and confirm that the goat was dead. So now part of this process. Now Now sources get a little bit

28:53 Convoluted I think is the word I'm looking for at this point. There's a red ribbon that was that was a fixed. to the goat I read so many different sources. One Source says that there is a red ribbon a fix to the Horn of the of the scapegoat the one that was designated to go out into the Wilderness and then there was a red ribbon that was a fixed to the neck of the goat that was designated for the Lord so that one would be slaughtered. And then actually another source. Well, there's all kind of in the same area. Said that they would take part of the ribbon in a fix it at the top of the cliff. Right before they push the goat off.

29:41 Why was there a ribbon well the ribbon was red? And then when they pushed the goat off. if the sins of Israel were atoned for the ribbon would turn white symbolizing the Forgiveness of the sins of the People by the Lord Going back to Isaiah chapter 1 come now. Let us reason together says the Lord. Though your sins are like Scarlet. They shall be white as snow though. They are red like Crimson. They shall be like wool. This procedure that was in place. Well, let me also tell you that. I think it was during Simeon the high priest

30:28 he was while he was high priest. The go the the thread came back white for 40 years. and then after him I was like an alternating. He was like a hit or miss every you know, every year or two. something different would happen but then In Yoma 39b. This is what it says. Our rabbis taught during the last 40 years before to the destruction of the temple. And when was the destruction of the temple in 70. So for the last 40 years you count backwards and you come to 30 from 30 to 70. The let's excuse me the destruction of the temple the lot for the Lord did not come up in the right hand. So. I I failed to mention to you. It also was

31:14 a a bad Omen when they cast a lots if the if the high priest Drew out in his right hand. For Azazel, and in his left hand for the Lord. It was supposed to be the other way for the Lord in the right hand and for Azazel in the left. And and actually the backup priest did the same thing. and so during the last 40 years before the destruction of the temple the lot did not for the lot. The one that says for the Lord did not come up in the right hand. Nor did the Crimson colored strap become White? Nor did the westernmost light shine and the doors of the temple the doors of the hechal would open by themselves.

32:03 For the last 40 years. Can I just point out? the people had made such an a the procedure was so visible to the people that when they saw the thread or the ribbon turned white the people would Rejoice rightly. So because the sins were forgiven, but when it didn't turn white when it stayed red they would they would fall into despair. You can imagine if we were sitting here today and I told you well. The goat just went off the cliff and your sins are not forgiven.

32:52 All of a sudden our means by which we can draw near to the Lord have failed. We cannot draw near to the Lord. Because our sin has not been atoned. You can imagine what that would mean for the people the people would would despair for it. Can you imagine going 40 years that way? My question for us today is what? Did Yeshua do and why does it matter?

33:39 Everything in the Torah everything that's noted in the Torah is a copy of what is in the heavenlies. How can I say that? That's blasphemy Ari. Well, you can open up your Torah. to Exodus chapter 25 would probably start in the last verse of 24. Because it says Moses went up on the mountain. And was up in the on the mountain and then everything from 25 Exodus 25 through chapter 31. Is what Moses sees when God brings him up into the heavenlies and shows him the Heavenly Tabernacle and God says go and make a copy. Not exactly.

34:25 But in 25 Exodus 25:9, the Lord says you were to make it according to everything that I show you. You see so God is showing Moses. the real deal and now you are to go. And make it. On Earth as it is in heaven already. The sacrifices offered in the temple or in the Tabernacle. We're offered on a repeated basis every Yom Kippur and really daily. But the atonement sacrifice was offered on Yom, Kippur every year. meaning that every year it was not an everlasting atonement.

35:11 We see Yeshua in several of the different elements of Yom, Kippur. first he is our living. cohengadal our living high priest He did not actually enter into the holiest place. here on Earth and he didn't enter into the holiest place through the blood of bulls and goats. but rather He went into the greater in the more. Perfect tent Hebrews chapter 9. He went into the greater in the more perfect tent which is not man-made. That is it is not of this created world.

35:59 He entered into that holiest place once and for all and he entered not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood setting people free forever. Continues on the author continues on later in the chapter. Now. This is how the copies of the Heavenly things themselves had to be purified. But the Heavenly things themselves require better sacrifices in these better than the blood of goats and calves For the Messiah has entered into the holiest place, which is not man-made and merely a copy of the true one but into heaven itself. In order to appear now on our behalf on our behalf. on behalf of the people

36:46 in the very presence of God. Further he did not enter Heaven to offer himself over and over and over again. Like the kohen hagadoul who enters into the holiest place year after year with blood that is not his own. he entered into the holiest place once and made the atoning sacrifice once and that was enough. forever Hebrews 10 can continues but this one after he had offered for all time a single

37:33 sacrifice for sins. He sat down at the right hand of God. For by a single offering he has brought to the goal. For all time those who were being set apart for God and made holy. Yeshua did one time for all time for all of us what was necessary to bring us near to the Lord? Because we've been kept set apart. but by his blood and by his offering and by his What is the word his intercession?

38:18 We are able to come near. to the Lord But also Yeshua was our scapegoat. Yeshua was led outside of the city. Do you see the the the similarities between the goat that was led outside the city? And that goat was pushed off a cliff. Was forced to die. Yeshua was led out this outside of the city. And offered his life on our behalf. Isaiah 53 says he was despised and rejected by men.

39:05 You know, I went back and read every gospel account. It talks about the the jeering that that was aimed at Yeshua as he was led outside. He was despised and rejected by men. a Man of Sorrows acquainted with grief one from whom people hide their faces reminds me of Peter. By the way, Peter gets a bad rap from everyone. Peter is just like every single one of us. But probably a little bit better. Because how many of us would have the the faith? to jump out of a boat and expect to walk

39:51 You see the rest of the disciples. They didn't even get out. Peter jumps out And says I'm coming Lord. And then all of a sudden he sees the waves and he looks down he goes. Oh How often does that happen to us? We caught we hear the Lord calling us. We were like we're coming and and then we look and we see the storm we see the waves and we're like oh and all of a sudden you start to sink. Peter's just like us. We go through times through Seasons where we hide our face. from Yeshua He was despised and we did not esteem him surely. He is born our griefs and carried our pains. Yet we esteemed him stricken struck by God and afflicted.

40:41 But he was pierced. because of our transgressions he was crushed because of our iniquities. Do you remember the scapegoat for the transgressions in the iniquities of the people? out into the wilderness the chastisement for our well-being for our wholeness. Was upon him. and by his stripes we are healed. So what does this mean for you and me today? Let us examine ourselves as rapture. Instructs Us in second Corinthians. Let us make sure that it is Yeshua the Messiah who is in US. and not someone else

41:27 Let us have confidence in the work that Yeshua did to make atonement for our sins. Having been offered once to Bear the sins of many. And finally, let us eagerly await. Yeshua's return. When he will come to deliver us. And establish his throne here on Earth. as it already is In heaven, you see everything has been accomplished. in the heavenlies It's only what is here that is yet to be done. And Yeshua is working. And it starts in each one of us. And it starts when we examine ourselves, yeshua's working

42:12 in when his work comes to fruition here when the spirit of the Lord. When that work is comes to the greatest Pinnacle possible. Yeshua will come back and when Yeshua comes back the kingdom of God will be a reality on Earth. As it already is in heaven. Yeshua may be acknowledged as King by some of us. But it's not the whole world yet. But when Yeshua comes back he will be acknowledged as king. of the whole world May the Lord bless you and keep you may the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you

43:00 and give you peace. Give a rectifier tonight. Yeah air autonipe another. Car, hehe. Sarunai panavaleka. They are some left-ha. shalom Hashem Yeshua mishikenu in the name of our Messiah Yeshua

43:46 amen You're the answer will see you in a little over an hour.