The Day of Atonement- Lesson 8
Excerpt
This week, we come to the most high holy day of all of the Jewish feasts, the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur. We have just come from that day of blowing called the Feast of Trumpets and the 10 days of awe designed for others to repent and get things right with God. Now we arrive at this holiest Day of Atonement. Read Lev. 23, 26-32. When was the Day of Atonement to be celebrated?
What do you think Scripture means when it says, “You shall afflict your soul”?
First of all, let’s look at what the word afflict means in this context. This word is the Hebrew word, anah meaning “to oppress with the idea of humility or meekness in mind coupled with the idea of a suffering life rather than with one of happiness and abundance.” (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, vol. 2, p. 682). The ancient Jewish understanding of this word incorporates fasting as part of the affliction. They also teach that the affliction of the soul has to do with 5 things:
