Rending the Veil - Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement) is considered the holiest day on God's calendar and begins this year on the eve of September 15.  It is called a Mo'edim or divine appointment with God.  There is no day like it, and it is celebrated by the Jewish people with fasting and prayer.  On the first day of the seventh month (Tishrei) on the Hebrew calendar, the shofar is blown to signify the beginning of the new year and the "Ten Days of Awe," a time of remembrance, contemplation, and repentance that culminates on Yom Kippur.
 
God initiated this special day to be one like no other.  It was the only day when He allowed the High Priest of Israel to enter the Most Holy Place in the Temple by rending the veil.  It was on Mt. Sinai that God gave Moses instruction on how to live by giving him the ten commandments, the laws concerning servants, personal injuries, property protection, justice and mercy, the Sabbath, and the annual festivals. After a covenant was made between God and the Israelites, He gave them instructions on how to make a sanctuary for Him.  The Ark of the Covenant was to be placed in the Most Holy Place and was protected from everyone with a barrier or thick veil.  It was constructed of acacia wood overlaid with pure gold.  Two cherubim were made with hammered gold and connected to the cover of the ark at either end.  The wings of the cherubim spread upward so that they overshadowed the cover. (Exodus 25:10-22) 
 
Leviticus 23:26-28 gives instructions on how to live on Yom Kippur.  "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Be careful to celebrate the Day of Atonement on the tenth day of the same month—nine days after the Festival of Trumpets.  You must observe it as an official day for holy assembly, a day to deny yourselves and present special gifts to the Lord.  Do not work during the 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.’” (NLT)  The Lord made it clear to Moses that his brother, Aaron the high priest, could not go into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain at any time or he would die.  He could only enter once a year, and first he had to bring a sin and burnt offering.  He had to bathe with water before putting on his garments made of pure linen.  He had to take with him a censer of burning coals from the altar, two handfuls of finely ground, fragrant incense, and blood from the sacrificial bull and goat to sprinkle on the front of the atonement cover.  The blood was to cleanse the Israelites from their sin. (See Leviticus 16)
 
Did you ever wonder how this blood sacrifice on the mercy seat between the wings of the cherubim came about?  We must look back to original sin that came from Adam and Eve.  Genesis 3:24 tells us this: "After He drove them out, He placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life."  The cherubim of the ark were patterned after those placed at the entrance of the Garden of Eden.  God would not be content to leave things this way, however.  He has always desired face-to-face communion with all His children.  God had a plan to remove the veil or barrier between us and Him.  It was the shed blood of Jesus that permanently overcame the barrier.
 
Today we look at the blood of our Messiah as the sacrifice that makes the way for us to go behind the veil.  His sacrifice gives us permission to go there anytime and as often as we desire.  Hebrews 10:19-22 confirms our position of favor.  "Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain that is His body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings..."  On Yom Kippur let us remember the invitation that God gives to us all year long through the blood of His Son.  Let us honor the sacrifice that has been made for us by pursuing a relationship with the Lord.