Two days ago we spoke about the importance and the BENEFITS of returning to Yahweh, once we realize that we have not been faithful to Him and to his Word. Returning back to Him, brings true forgiveness, inner healing, freedom, enduring rest and the ability to see more clearly, to mention just a few of the things that we discovered from Scriptures. The consistent message of Scriptures is that turning back is much more than a slight adjustment to one’s lifestyle. It is in fact a choice between LIFE AND DEATH!
We know this especially from the book of Ezekiel, where it is repeated time and again: When the wrong turns from his evil way, this will keep him ALIVE (13:22); If the wrong turns from all his sins which he has done, he shall certainly live (18:21); When someone turns away from all the transgressions which he has done, he shall certainly live (18:28); And Yahweh declares: I have no pleasure in the death of the wrong, but that the wrong turn from his own ways and live (33:11). So, if someone would ask us why we feel this urge, from time to time, to turn away from certain things, back to the guidelines of the Word, we may quite simply answer, BECAUSE WE CHOOSE LIFE!
The fact that this day is called YOM Kippur – the DAY of Atonement, is no coincidence. It is one DAY every year, which covers and affects ALL THE OTHER DAYS of the year. During this past year, we all have done things which highlighted the desperate need for repentance, return and forgiveness. When I honestly look into my own life, my habits, my thoughts, my neglect, my attitudes, my hurting words, my downright disobedience over one year – I know that I need this DAY today. So, in a sense, Yom Kippur covers all days of this past year.
But this ONE DAY will also affect all the days of this COMING YEAR. We should remember this day. We should remind ourselves of those unwanted and sinful tendencies that surfaced, when we prepared ourselves for Yom Kippur 2024. And we should tell ourselves: I turned back from those things. I received Yahweh’s forgiveness with regards to those things, through his Son Y’shua. Let me therefore not forget what Y’shua often said to sinners who repented in his presence: Go on your way and sin no more!
In everyday life, we like to use expressions like “Life is short” or “Life is precious” or “Life is unpredictable”. But this is not the typical Hebraic way of referring to life. In the HEBREW WAY of thinking about life, the focus is always on the DAYS of our life, not LIFE as a concept in itself. Abstract and vague concepts like LIFE are avoided in the Hebrew language and Hebrew thinking. Our lives consist of days and what really matters, is how we fill each single day (each YOM) of our being here on earth.
In 1 Chronicles 29:15, David prayed to Yahweh in the presence of all the people of Israel: “For we are sojourners and pilgrims before You, as were all our fathers; OUR DAYS on earth are as a shadow, and without permanence.” We would say: Life is short. But David says: Our days on earth are as a shadow. Therefore we take this ONE DAY of Yom Kippur seriously, because it gives meaning to all the days of our lives, especially because we know that those days will be gone sooner than we think. It is in the same context that Psalm 90:12 echoes the prayer: “Teach us to number OUR DAYS, and let us bring the heart to wisdom.” This is just another way of saying: Teach us to make our days count; teach us to be wise in the way we tackle each single day of our lives! Every year, Yom Kippur comes along as a Day of RE-ALIGNMENT – it is supposed to have a significant impact on the days that follow. The prayer of Lamentations 5:21 should also be our prayer today: “Turn us back to You, O Yahweh, and let us turn back, renew OUR DAYS as of old.” There were days in the past when we followed the Word diligently and when we embraced salvation and rejoiced in the greatness of Yahweh and in the undeserved favour He bestowed upon us through his Son, Y’shua. This is what is described in Psalm 143:5: “I remembered THE DAYS OF OLD; I meditated on all your works; I focused upon the work of your hands.” Those are the days that we would like to be RENEWED. And today is the perfect day to ask Yahweh to do that for us, through his Spirit within us.
Who is there among us who does not have the desire in his or her heart to be able to say the words of Psalm 23:6 with conviction: “Only goodness and favour will follow me ALL THE DAYS of my life; and I shall dwell in the House of Yahweh, all the days of my life.” What David is referring to here, is what he calls elsewhere: “The joy of Yahweh’s deliverance” (Psalm 51:12). But this kind of joy about our Father’s favour and goodness can only become a reality, once we have appeared before Yahweh, not trying to hide who we really are. Like David did in the very same Psalm 51, when he appeared before Yahweh, very much ashamed of his sin, and prayed, “Against You alone have I sinned, wash me completely of my guilt!” Yahweh is faithful and just and kind, and he forgave David for what he did. And only then was he able to say things like “Goodness and favour will follow me ALL THE DAYS of my life” (Psalm 23); “I will see the pleasantness of Yahweh, all THE DAYS of my life” (Psalm 27) and “Yahweh knows THE DAYS of the upright, and their inheritance is forever” (Psalm 37).
The Messianic Scriptures present us with a beautiful description of the events surrounding the birth of a certain YOCHANAN (“The favour of Yahweh”), who became known as John the Baptist. His father’s name was ZECHARYAH. ZecharYah was an elderly priest and while he was attending to his priestly duties, one day, a messenger of Yahweh appeared to him and said to him that he and his wife would have a child who would bring joy and a spirit of repentance to many. Zecharyah found it difficult to believe, and the messenger told him that he would be unable to speak until the birth of the child. When Yochanan was born, Zecharyah got his speech back, was filled with the Spirit of Yahweh and started PROPHESYING, both about his own son, and the One who would be born soon afterwards, who would bring about the promised salvation to the people of Yahweh. And, among other things, he said this: The One who is about to be born will bring deliverance from our enemies and from the hand of all those hating us. Through Him, Yahweh will show compassion and remember his set-apart covenant, in accordance with the oath He swore to Avraham. And because of this, we shall be able to serve Yahweh without fear, in set-apartness and righteousness before Him, ALL THE DAYS of our life (Luke 1:71-75). And, hearing these words once again, “all the days of our lives”, one cannot help but being reminded of the ONE DAY every year when we focus on the fact that it is our Father’s desire that we should always serve Him without fear, in set-apartness and righteousness, before Him – NOT far off. But for that to happen, we need to turn back to Him, repent of our wrong actions and words and thoughts and attitudes, and take hold of the forgiveness that He, Himself, had provided, by sending his own Son, Y’shua, on our behalf.
