October 15 | Hebrews 9:7; Leviticus 16

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DAILY READING

Hebrews 9:7

Leviticus 16

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REFLECTION

 By Jenny Raber

We Are Covered

Early Saturday mornings, I often walk across the 315 Overpass Bridge that connects a Columbus neighborhood to the Olentangy Trail. On many occasions, my eyes are greeted with profane and disturbing graffiti. Magically, though, upon my next visit, the floor of the bridge is completely painted over, covering all of the disturbing images. I’ve been told that a group of neighbors all chip in their own resources to restore the bridge to its original color, covering all evidence of the vandalism. Their sacrificial act and their love for maintaining the integrity of the bridge touches my heart and is a beautiful metaphor for the Day of Atonement.

The Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, was the most sacred of the Jewish holidays. Once a year, God provided a way for the Israelites to “atone” or “cover up” their sins and impurities. Like the repainting of the bridge, God knew His children needed a way to cover their sins once and for all. And He knew that they, with their sinful and disobedient nature, were not able to fix the problem of sin on their own. In Leviticus 16, God implemented through Moses a framework for a “temporary sacrificial system” to purify the vandalism within His Most Holy Place. A high priest was chosen to be the only one to perform the sacrificial rituals--rituals including animal sacrifices, sacred garments, scapegoats, and the sprinkling of blood for renewal. And yet, that wasn’t quite enough to keep His children from sinning. Because the Israelites did not have direct access to their God, the rituals became routine and impersonal. Therefore, their hearts and their consciences became disconnected from Him. They were unaware that they were even sinning, committing sins "in ignorance." Over and over, they would experience the pain and failure of their sinful choices. So God, already working His plan for our salvation and redemption, devised a permanent way to repaint the bridge. Our patient and loving Father gave us Jesus. Jesus, perfect and sinless, became the final sacrifice to bridge the gap between us and Himself, connecting us to God. Through Jesus' own life-giving, renewing blood we are able to experience God's presence and perfect peace within us.

The atonement rituals foreshadow the coming of the superior high priest, the ultimate re-painter of our hearts and minds--Jesus. And Jesus brings us to full at-one-ment with Him and God, Our Father. We now have direct access to God’s sacred dwelling place within our hearts at any time, over and over, again and again.

PRAYER

Thank you, Loving Father, for caring so much about us that you planned for our hearts, minds, and souls to be saved and redeemed by you from the very beginning. Thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ, who paid the ultimate price so that we can live free of guilt, shame, and sin. I struggle everyday with sin, Lord, and everyday you are there, drawing me closer to you through your beautiful Word, covering up all of my mistakes with your loving embrace. No one knows me and loves me like you do! Thank you. In your name, In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JEN RABER

I am so grateful for the loving and welcoming community at UALC. My husband and I, along with our three (now adult) children began attending Lytham Road services around 2009. And before that, well, I’ve just loved the Bible for about as long as I can remember. I am so thrilled to be a part of the Daily Devotional Writing Team.