The Tupelo journal., 1907-08-16
THE DAY OF
ATONEMENT
Sunday School for Aut. Is. 1907
Specially Prepared for This Paper

first day OF first month of the new year
tApriD when the tabernacle was COM
pleted and the twentieth day of the sec
ond month May when the Israelites
left Sinai. 1890 b. c. according to the
common chronology.
PLACE.-In the plain before Sinai.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
In order to understand the symbols
and types of this lesson, it will be
best to have the scholars see for them
selves in the history how unframed
and imperfect these people were. how
often they sinned against their heav-
emily father in spite of all he had done
for them.
They needed something to make
them realize more deeply the awful
evil and danger of sin, the greatness
OF its wrong against their God; some
thing to remove the separation and
estrangement from God which sin al
ways brings between the sinner and
his heavenly father, as wrong-doing
separates a child from his earthly ia
thr; something to deliver them from
the sin itself and the tendency to sin.
Our Need of Forgiveness.-Every
person sins in thought and in deed.
Even the youngest are conscious of
wrong-doing. and as they grow better
they will realize still more the con-
trast between themselves and the per-
feet law of God. The better we grow
the higher our ideal, and the farther
away our sins seem to place us.
The day of the atonement was one
of the five great festivals of the Jews:
1. The Feast of Trumpets-welcom-
ing the new civil year, on the LIST of
Tisri (September-O ctober), one day
only.
2. The Passover, 14th of Nissan Cor
Abib), April-the beginning of the
sacred year., lasting days; as
did 8 and 4.
8. The Feast of Pentecost Tin Swan,
end of May), the first fruits of the
harvest.
A.. The Feast of ~Tabernacles, in
TiSri beginning the 15th), feast of in
gathering or thanksgiving.
s.. The Day of Atonement, fast day
Goth of Tisri),-one day only. All
were joyous festivals except the Day
Of Atonement. For even in deliver
ance from sin, the goodness of God,
joyous delight in God, a glorious fu-
ture has more to do than grief. and
mourning, though these are absolutely
necessary.
The Day of Atonement was held on
the 10th day of the new year, about
October 1, varying with the new
o 1t was a day of fasting and
prayer, Of the most solemn services,
of repentance and reformation and of
good resolutions.
1t was kept as a most solemn sab
bath and fast, when all must abstain
from work and "afflict their SOULS on
pain of being 'cut off from the people
". 20; Acts 81: 81. Its ceremonies
signified the public humiliation of the
people for all the sins of the past year,
and the remission of those sins by the
atonement which the high priest made
within the vail, whittier he entered
on this day only."-Smith. THE Day
of Atonement is the time when uni
versal reconciliation takes place. Chill
drn ask forgiveness of parents; those
who have wronged one another i'm
plore pardon; all differences on that
occasion are healed, and everybody
is on good terms with one another"
c. S. Robinson.
In the observance of the day amid a
xrar - onrnp,Apfn1 tvrO Ax-D pOota
were chosen ". 81 to represent the
atonement for sin and it's forgiveness,
by two object lessons, both of them
essential.
The first object lesson was the Offer
ing of one of the goats as a sacrifice
for sin ". 81. The offerer was him.
self purified by a special sacrifice Tvs.
11-14).
For God to offer free pardon for sin
without the atonement would be to de-
feat his W purpose of redeeming
the world.
The blood of Jesus Christ is the
highest expression of his love.
The second object lesson was the
scapegoat Tvs. s, 10, 20-22). ITO be
the s~capegoat" Tvs. 10, 26) is trans
lated in the R. v. "for Azazel." The
sacrificed goat was "for Jehovah"
This was "for Azazel,' his exact op-
posite, the prince of darkness, accord
ing to the majority of modern schol-
ars. In Millions Paradise Lost
"Azazel is represented as the standard
bearer of the Internal hosts, cast out
from heaven and become the embodi-
ment of despair."-Century Dictionary.
THE meaning is very uncertain
There can be little doubt that the
ceremonial was intended as a symbol
ical declaration that the land and the
people are now purged from guilt,
their sins being handed over to the
evil spirit to whom they are held to
belong.'-Professor Driver in Hast
lngs' Bible Dictionary.
Practical Points.
The cross is the eternal emblem and
expression of Gods forgiving love.
Gods love can transform even the
scars of sin into songs of victory. Out
Of the cross. the work of wicked men,
blossoms the heroic example of Christ
and everlasting loving kindness of our
father in heaven.
Forgiveness does not remove the
penalty of sin. 1t does bring back
many blessings that sin has forfeited.
It does restore the outward express
sions of Gods favor. We cannot con-
ceive of a pardon that goes on punish.
ing the same as before.