Shalom

Sunday night starts the most holy day of the year in the Jewish faith, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This is the day of the year on which, traditionally, the sins of the nation of Israel would be forgiven. Being that the Jewish faith is the history of the Christian faith, I decided to do some research on Yom Kippur and found some interesting facts.

Even way back in the Old Testament, God was very interested in being at peace with his people and with his people being at peace with him. I find it somewhat amusing (sad?) that this was a very hard thing for them both to accomplish. The more I read the Old Testament, the more it sounds like the journal of an exasperated parent more than the musings of a lover. God simply wants his people to get it and be at peace, but they refuse to. So he implements these ceremonies that give visual, very clear pictures of what God wants from his people. There was a specific ceremony on this day involving two goats. One of the goats was sacrificed as a sin offering in accordance with those laws. The other was led out into the wilderness.

This second goat is the focus of an interesting visual. Upon this goal was placed all the sins of the nation of Israel, then it was released into the wilderness. This goat was set free. The visual picture is stunning. On the one hand, you have a sacrifice, we are familiar with that visual. Blood covers over sins, the sacrifice is burned, no more sin. But on the other hand you have this goat, being set free with the sins of Israel on it's head. Technically the sin still remains, but the goat is gone. And the Israelites saw it leave.

I wonder if it was frustrating for God to have to resort to minute detail and very specific ceremonies in order for his people to get what he was saying. I wonder if he wouldn't rather people just understand him. Instead, he had to send a goat into the wilderness for people to see their sins departing. I understand the wrath of God and I kind of get the holiness of God, but it seems that at his heart, like John says, God is love. I wonder if he wouldn't rather his people simply be at peace with him.

Which brings me to shalom. In researching this word, it has such a greater definition than peace. It means completeness, wholeness, perfection, health, safety, tranquility, prosperity, fullness, rest, harmony, welfare, soundness. It is this term that God desires for his people. Perhaps this Yom Kippur can be a day of atonement for us. Perhaps we can begin to be still and rest in knowing God is God. Perhaps we can begin to understand shalom.

Another interesting tradition in Jewish life is Erev Yom Kippur, the day before Yom Kippur. I believe this is just Jewish tradition, but I still find it interesting. On Erev Yom Kippur, people go to those whom they have wronged and ask for forgiveness. Before they seek atonement for their sins on Yom Kippur, they ask forgiveness from men. This sounds like Jesus when he exhorted us to leave our sacrifice at the altar to ask forgiveness from a brother we had wronged.

May your Yom Kippur be blessed and may you find shalom.