Monthly

Announcement:

There are several new families in our congregation who might not know how we handle fellowship lunches.

On the first Sabbath of the month we host an all-church fellowship meal down the hill at the school.

On the second and third Sabbaths of the month there is a fellowship meal downstairs, hosted by one of the adult Sabbath schools. It’s open for anyone to join, but the special emphasis is providing a place for visitors to have a meal.

On the fourth Sabbath—that’s next week, by the way—we encourage you to invite visitors and friends home for a meal.

And whenever there is a fifth Sabbath (and there happens to be one this month), the children’s Sabbath Schools host a visitor lunch downstairs.

In the previous message we heard the story of Asher, a young boy living with his sister Zara, and his mama and papa, in a tent near the Sanctuary.

We listened in as Papa prayed during the morning and evening sacrifice. And we learned that the morning and evening sacrifice was there to cover the accidental, unintended, and unknown sins of all the people of Israel.

We saw what happens in the heart when you hold onto sin, and the impact on relationships when you hide sin away and don’t confess and repent immediately. We learned that the whole goal of the sanctuary was at-one-ment with God and with our fellow humans.

We also learned about the sin offering that was necessary to take away the guilt of intentionally breaking God’s law.

Having come out from under the influence of Egypt, the people of Isreal had a lot of learning to do. They didn’t fully understand God or know how to live in harmony with Him. So God gave Moses the ten commandment law as well as a whole bunch of teachings relating to health and property and government. But few knew how to read, and even if they did they didn’t have access to these documents. They would would have been hand-copied and only available to a select few.

The way they would have learned is by listening to God’s teachings being read out loud. God gave them two mechanisms for doing this.

At least three times each year all the Israelites were required to gather at the sanctuary for special ceremonies—we’ll talk about one of those ceremonies today.

Also, every 7th year God commanded the Israelites to stop doing regular farming and gardening and focus on family, relationships, and spiritual learning. They were to get together at the sanctuary and listen to the reading of the books of the law—the entire story from Genesis to Deuteronomy would be read aloud by the priests.

There was one other way that this teaching were communicated, and that is through story telling and talking. Much like we’re going to listen in on today as we catch up with Asher the evening after he offered his little lamb, Cotton, as a sacrifice.

Here’s how God instructed the people of Israel to teach their families:

Deuteronomy 6:4–7 ESV

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

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It had been a long day. Though everyone else was in bed, Asher tossed and turned, unable to close his eyes without seeing the heart-wrenching face of his little lamb. Finally, he slipped out of the tent and crouched on the cool, smooth dirt beside the doorway. Gazing toward the glory shining from the Sanctuary he contemplated what he knew was represented behind the linen curtain fence—where his sin was now waiting for the Day of Atonement.

No one could go into the sanctuary except the priests, but Asher and Zara had seen the brass and golden furniture being built, and they’d seen the golden threaded angels being stitched onto the curtains. Papa had drawn a diagram in the dirt to show them how each piece of furniture was arranged. Asher knew that sweet smelling incense smoke that rose from the altar of incense and floated over the curtain symbolized the prayers of Yahweh’s people coming before the Mercy Seat on top of the ark of the covenant.

I hope my prayer has already gone into the Most Holy Place with the smoke, Asher thought. But somehow, even though he had followed all the steps of the sacrificial process, Asher still felt troubled. How can I know for sure I am forgiven? After weeks of living with darkness in his heart, feeling a sense of condemnation, it was hard to believe he was really clean now.

“Asher?” Papa whispered as he stepped out of the tent and sat down on a mat beside Asher. Grateful not to be alone, Asher rested his head against Papa’s strong chest and listened to his heart beat.

“It’s been a long day.” Papa’s warm whisper melted away some of the anxiety in Asher’s heart. “But Yahweh has taken your sin from you. You’re clean.”

"But how can I know for suer, Papa?” he blurted. “I still feel so bad.”

“Son, you will never find within yourself the power to wash away your own sins.” Papa rubbed Asher’s shoulder. “What you are feeling is a sense of defilement—the need for a forgiveness that can only come from outside of yourself. When sin creates a wall between you and Yahweh, that feeling is a good thing. We call that guilt. But when we’ve already confessed our sin that wall of separation is torn down and we don’t need to feel that defilement any more.”

“But Papa,” cried Asher, tears stinging his eyes, “I have given it to Him! I’ve surrendered and sacrificed a lamb. Why do I still feel so awful?”

Pap snuggled him close, “What you are feeling now is not guilt. It feels similar to guilt, but it is shame. And this shame is not a message from Yahweh, it’s a message from the accuser. He is lying to you, telling you that your sin is so great that it goes all the way down to the core of who you are. He is temping you to unbelief—to doubt that the sacrifice can cover your sin. If he can succeed in convincing you that you are still dirty—even though you have already confessed and forsaken your sin—then you will fall into sin again.”

Asher sat up and looked at Papa, astonished. “But I never want to steal or lie again!” he protested.

“You have learned the bitter results of these transgressions, yes,” Papa said. “But your heart is still naturally drawn toward evil. If you cherish this doubt about the blood covering your sins then you will begin doing things to persuade Yahweh to forgive you—instead of being grateful that he has already forgiven you.”

“Is that why I kept praying over and over this afternoon, even after Cotton died, asking Yahweh to forgive me?”

Papa nodded. “That is a natural response. Your heart struggled to believe your sin was washed away, so you tried to add to the atonement by punishing yourself.”

“I’m cold,” Asher shivered.

Papa reached into the tent and pulled out a mantle that was folded by the doorway. “You know, a mantle is a good illustration of shame. Imagine if my mantle were a dirty, smelly rag. Would you want it wrapped around you?”

“Only if I were really cold!” Asher replied with a little giggle, wrinkling his nose.

“Nobody likes feeling defiled and dirty, like you have been feeling ever since you stole the knife. But when we have sinned, there is only one way to get rid of the dirtiness. We can’t scrub ourselves clean of sin. We must confess and repent, so Yahweh can cover us with a new, white robe of righteousness. Yahweh calls to our heart, saying, ‘come to me! Let me take your dirty robe and make you clean.’ That is the message of guilt. It convicts you that you are dirty, but gives you hope of becoming clean.”

Papa adjusted the robe to cover Asher’s feet. “Shame has the opposite effect. It does not draw you toward Yahweh with your longing for cleansing. Instead, shame drives you away from Yahweh. It convicts you that not even Yahweh could forgive you. Shame is a lie from the enemy—a lie about Yahweh himself. It is the enemy’s accusation that He is not love, or that he doesn't love you enough—that you aren’t worth that much to Him.”

Asher thought for a minute. “So, I guess I can tell which one I’m feeling by whether it give me hope, or makes me feel hopeless?” But he still felt confused. “Shame made me feel like I had to pray over and over again. If praying won’t fix it, then what can I do?”

“Oh, prayer is still the answer,” Papa reassured him. “But you must pray in faith, not in doubt. Trust the love of Yahweh for you. Let your prayers be expressions of faith, and gratefulness, not a desperate effort to try to convince Him to love and forgive you. Thank Him for already loving you, for covering you with His grace, like the mercy seat covers the Ten Commandments on the Ark of the Covenant.”

Papa shifted on his mat, pulling Asher onto his lap. “Yahweh wants you to trust in His love. You cannot truly love Him with all your heart unless you believe in His love for you. Only love awakens love. You must not try to make up for your sins, to atone for them, by your own good works or by punishing yourself. When you are tempted, your heart will easily be persuaded that you can atone for it next time, too. Righteousness—having a right relationship between yourself and Yahweh—comes only by faith in His loving sacrifice.”

“Only by faith,” Asher repeated slowly. “Faith is hard for me.”

“Asher, do you remember how you felt the night of the first passover back in Egypt?”

Asher’s mind went bck to the thrilling, terrifying day before they had left Egypt. After so many plagues had already happened exactly as Moses warned, everyone knew better than to doubt. What Yahweh said always happened! Firstborn sons whispered in wide-eyed horror about their possible fate. They watched in relief as their fathers dipped flowering springs of hyssop in the blood of Passover lambs, and then painted their doorposts with the blood. Asher and Iru had stood side-by-side watching their fathers, wanting to be sure nothing was forgotten.

“yes papa,” he whispered. “I remember. I was so afraid I would die.”

“Do you remember when your fear went away?”

“Yes, It was when you painted the doorposts with the blood. When I saw it, I ran inside. I knew I was safe in our house.”

Papa ruffled Asher’s hair. “I remember the look of relief on your face as you raced in through the doorway! The reason you felt safe in our home that night was because you had faith in the blood of the lamb. You trusted we had followed Yahweh’s commands, so you were covered.”

Asher pondered papa’s words.

“Do you see?” Papa continued. “That’s why Yahweh had given us the Sanctuary. He wants us to trust the promises He has written into the sanctuary service—promises our eyes can see acted out in the ceremonies using the blood of the lamb.” Papa’s arm tightened around Asher. “If we have faith in His promises, we trust what He says instead of what we feel—and eventually our feelings may follow.”

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Asher sat up and breathed in a deep whiff of frying manna cakes. I must have overslept! he thought, looking at the sunshine streaming through the tent flap.

“He’s awake!” Zara announced as Asher peered out between the tent flaps.

Mama and Zara had collected the manna to give Asher some extra sleep.

“Look—Mama said we can have coriander in our manna this morning!” Zara said as she looked up from where she was carefully plucking a cluster of dry, brown coriander seeds from a plan in one of mama’s herb pots.

“Judgment day is here!” Papa smiled. “Asher has been redeemed. We must celebrate!”

“But—shouldn’t we be afraid of judgment day?” The words flew out of Asher’s mouth.

“Why do you say that?” Papa asked.

Asher tried to explain, “Back in Egypt people often talked about being judged when they died. It sounded terrifying!”

Mama poured the tiny, round coriander seeds into her mortar bowl and ground them against its walls with her stone pestle. “The Egyptians do not believe their gods love them or want a relationship with them. They are only concerned with power, or at best, with justice—and are not always even faithful to that.”

“but isn’t Yahweh concerned with justice too?” Zara crouched by the fire, watching the manna cakes carefully to keep them from burning. “If we do wrong, don’t we need to be scared, too?”

“yes, but only if we refuse to confess and forsake our sins,” Papa said.

“Yahweh is a relational God who loves us,” Mama added. “This is why we are so very very different—our beliefs aren’t like any of the nations around us. When Yahweh judges, He doesn’t simply decide who is saved or lost. He focuses all His energy on doing everything He possibly can, to save us!”

“When the Egyptians talked about judgment it was always about fearing destruction or torture.” Asher said, snuggling up close to Papa. “Even their sacrifices were just to keep their gods from getting mad at them. I guess I thought that since we make sacrifices too, judgment must be scary.”

“Not at all,” Papa assured him. “We don’t sacrifice to defend ourselves from a god who wants to destroy us. Just the opposite! Yahweh is never against us like the Egyptian gods. Instead, He wants to save us no matter how much it costs Him.”

“Judgment still sounds scary to me,” Zara admitted.

“Zara,” Mama asked, stirring the manna gravy, “when I weed the herb pots, do I try to kill the plants or save them?”

Zara laughed, “You’d do anything to save those plants! You guard them like babies.”

“These plants are the only things I saved from my garden in Egypt,” Mama reminded her. “If they died, I’d have to beg for plants from someone else. I might never be able to replace them!”

“How is that like the judgment?” Asher asked. “You mean Yahweh is doing everything possible to save us, since He loves us so much?”

“Yes, exactly!” Mama blew on a spoonful of gravy for tasting. “When I water my little garden pots every day, that is like the judgment. When I watch their leaves for bugs and do everything in my power to keep them alive—that is like the judgment. I am not trying to decide which of my plants to save and which to destroy. They are all precious to me! I do everything in my power to preserve their lives.”

“That’s nothing like the Egyptian gods.” Zara’s forehead wrinkled. “The Egyptians constantly worried they would die without enough money for a few pages from the book of dead. They believed that if they were buried without it then they would be eternally destroyed.”

“I’m so glad I worship Yahweh and not the Egyptian or Canaanite gods.” Papa smiled at Asher. “Our sanctuary service, the cloud above us, and even our manna and water from the rock remind us every day that Yahweh loves and protects us. And the morning and evening sacrifices remind us that every day that there is hope and new chances to grow in love. ”

“Yahweh rules with true justice,” Mama declared, heaping steaming manna cakes onto plates and handing them to Papa, Asher and Zara. “The judgment is all about salvation, vindication, and deliverance. The only people who need to be scared of the judgment are the ones who keep on breaking relationship with Yahweh and with others by putting themselves first. Yahweh is never against us!”

“And that sort of judgment,” Papa grinned, “is something to celebrate!”

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The week before the day of atonement was busy. In the ten days leading up to the special day, Mama and Zara washed all their clothing and blankets and scoured every pot, dish, and lamp they owned. Asher and Papa gathered wood, hauled extra water, and scrubbed heavier things. There was an atmosphere of excitement in the camp as the holy day approached.

Most importantly, people took time for heart preparation. Some people took walks alone to pray and think. Though the morning and evening sacrifices still covered daily mistakes on the Day of Atonement, all intentional sins should be confessed beforehand. The day of Atonement was a day to live in the sight of a holy God without an intercession for any deliberate, known sins.

Friends stopped by to chat and ask forgiveness, making sure any misunderstandings or hurt feelings had been mended. Asher especially enjoyed when they came with their kids so they could play.

But this year was different. for the first time, Asher was looking forward to the Day of Atonement more than the feast they had the night before. For the first time he felt like there was something personally at stake. His sin was in the sanctuary, and the Day of Atonement would wash it out forever.

The morning before the Day of Atonement, people woke early to gather manna for the special feast that would take place before sunset. After breakfast the women and girls rushed to bathe in their part of the river and the men and boys hurried to their own area. Everyone dressed in clean, fresh robes.

Mama and Zara giggled excitedly as they taste-tested the warm manna cakes that afternoon. They had added zesty dried berries and honey they’d saved for weeks just for this occasion. Mama helped Zara sprinkle the manna cakes with precious cinnamon brought from Egypt. They were always grateful for the manna, a daily reminder of how Yahweh lovingly provided for them, but it was wonderful to have a special flavor for a change.

Nervously, Asher ducked inside the tent for a quick look around to be sure everything was clean and in order. Iru’s family would be arriving for supper any minute.

“Hello!” at the sound of Iru’s father’s voice, Asher’s heart leaped with dread. What if Iru won’t even talk to me? Iru and Asher had been avoiding each other ever since Asher gave back the knife.

Asher wanted to hide in the back of the tent, but he swallowed hard and forced himself to go outside.

Iru stood beside his father, scuffing his toes in the dirt. “Hi,” he mumbled to Asher, “how are you?”

“Good,” Asher’s voice was a hoarse whisper instead of the cheerful greeting he intended. “and you?”

“Glad its almost suppertime.” A hesitant smile played around the corners of Iru’s mouth.

During supper, each Asher glanced over at Iru, his face flushed with embarrassment. Though Iru had forgiven Asher, he sensed Iru didn’t want to be around him anymore. I can understand why. Asher thought miserably.

Asher found himself beside Iru when he got up for seconds, “How’s your manna? … I love cinnamon.”

“I like cinnamon, too,” Iru managed. “It reminds me of Egypt.”

Asher signed. The heaviness of their broken friendship continued, a sobering reminder of what had been lost. But their families hadn’t given up. I was, after all, almost the Day of Atonement. At-one-ment. He wrapped the thought around himself like a comforting blanket. Yahweh wants all of us to live in at-one-ment, with Him and with others, he thought.

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In the past Asher had always dreaded he day of Atonement because it meant fasting—no food all day long! But now, for the first time, he understood the deep joy of this day. Of course, morning and evening sacrifices were new beginnings for the camp every day, but today was a much more special new beginning. All the evil that had been placed in the Sanctuary during the past year would be washed away by the Passover goat’s sacrifice. Today the sanctuary and the camp would be purified of all the sins from the past year!

"May I go to the sanctuary?” Asher pleaded.

Papa nodded. “Stand by that corner, the one closest to the Most Holy Place,” he said, pointing. “We will find you there in a little while.”

People were already assembling in the large open space between the tents and the Sanctuary. Asher was glad to save a spot near enough to the linen curtain that they could hear what was going on inside the fence.

As the trumpet sounded from inside the curtain, Asher tried to picture what was going on inside. He imagined the beautiful red, blue and purple cloth walls stretching high above his head. The golden angels woven into the fabric would gleam in the soft light of the seven candlesticks. He inhaled the rich, bittersweet incense smoke and visualized it drifting over the curtain in the tent.

He imagined his prayers floating in that smoke up, up, over the veil into the Most Holy Place, where Yahweh’s glory blazed above the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant.

The usual morning sacrifice had already been made by now, covering all of the accidental and less significant sins committed since the evening sacrifice at sunset. Anyone who had confessed and repented would be cleansed.

Though he could not see it, Asher knew that two goats were being taken before the High Priest. One goat would be chosen by a special process to become the Lord’s goat. The other would become Azazel, the goat sent into the wilderness. There would be a sacrifice to cover the High Priest, Aaron, and his family. The process of sacrifices would take a few hours. In his heart, hopefully alongside the rest of Israel, he and his family would think and quietly talk about the meaning of the ceremonies.

“Hi Asher.”

Asher jumped in surprise and turned toward the familiar voice. “Oh! Hi, Iru!”

Iru sat down beside him, his face sober. Asher felt a rush of sadness over what he had done. He wasn’t sure what to say.

“Your papa said I could find you here.”

Asher lifted his eyes. “You wanted to find me?”

“Sure.” Iru shrugged and looked toward the sanctuary. “I mean, I know I didn’t talk to you much last night. I wanted to, but its hard to talk about things with everybody there.”

“I thought you never wanted to talk to me again,” Asher muttered, looking down at his dusty fingers.

“Well...” Iru picked at a weed. “I didn’t, at first. I was mad. I mean, you knew how sad I was about losing my knife, but you didn’t tell me you had it. I didn’t understand why you were so mean.”

Asher sighed, “I can’t explain. I felt really bad sometimes, but it got harder and harder to confess. I’m really sorry now. ”

“I know.” Iru turned toward him. “I could see how sad you looked last night at supper. As much as I was upset about my knife, I realized last night that our friendship means a lot more to me than a knife.”

“That’s what the day of Atonement is all about—being close to Yahweh and others,” Iru said. “And I realized last night I’m not doing my part. I’ve stayed angry at you, and its been pushing us apart. Can—can you forgive me?”

Asher glanced at his friend’s face. Had he heard correctly? Iru wanted his forgiveness? “but I’m the one that messed up. I deserve for you to be mad at me.”

“Your sin separated us at first, but that doesn’t make it okay for me to let my anger separate us now. As my papa says, ‘wrongdoing is always rooted in wrong relationships. I haven’t loved you very well. You’ve confessed and repented. I don’t want the Day of Atonement to pass without us having at-one-ment.”

“I forgive you for being mad at me. That’s the least I can do,” Asher said, his chest feeling tight.

“Then we’re both covered by the atonement!” Iru grinned at Asher. “We have a new beginning!”

“By the way, will you teach me how to whittle with my knife? I’m not very good at it, but I would like to learn.”

Asher heaved a sigh of relief. “I’d love to!”

“There they are!” Asher spotted Zara and Elah running toward them, with Papa and Mama following behind, scanning the crowd looking for Asher. Iru’s parents followed close behind.

“Over here!” Iru shouted, waving.

“When will they sacrifice the Lord’s goat, Papa?” Zara asked. Asher felt a twinge of sadness at the thought of the goat being sacrificed exactly where he had put his hands on precious Cotton’s little head.

“Sometime in the next hour, I think,” Papa said.

A murmur spread through the crowd, starting at the other end of the Sanctuary near the entrance. “Azazel! The scapegoat has been chosen!” The goat representing the evil one had been selected. If he had not repented, Asher would have been represented by the Azazel goat now—responsible to take the punishment of death for his own sins if he had refused to repent. If I had waited until today, it would have been too late to confess! Had he not confessed, the Day of Atonement sacrifice would not have covered him now. But I am not condemned today! he thought, pressing close to his mother and wrapping his arms around her waist.

Another bustle in the crowd and they learned that the Lord’s goat had been sacrificed.

The crowd hushed as they listened. Asher could hear the tinkling of the bells at the hem of the High Priest’s robes as he walked through the sanctuary to the veil, where he stopped and prayed.

Asher closed his eyes and breathed in the heavy sent of incense. Yahweh, my sins are before your throne now. Wipe them out forever, please! He heard the rhythm of the High Priest Aaron’s bells pause again, and imagined the white-haired priest standing in the blazing glory of the Most Holy Place before the Ark.

After a pause, the bells began to jingle again, moving father away as the High Priest Aaron walked back out of the Most Holy Place. Asher opened his eyes, suddenly realizing he’d been holding his breath.

He wasn’t the only one. The hush that had fallen over the crowd gave way to smiles and cries of joy. Mama wiped away tears. Everyone rejoiced, embracing one another. Someone began singing a psalm, and everyone else joined in.

At home that evening, Asher and Zara knelt on the mat in front of the tent with Papa and Mama to pray as the Ram’s horn blew for the evening sacrifice. Even on the Day of Atonement , Asher realized, there are still ways we have not perfectly obeyed the law of Yahweh to love Him and others. We have more to learn every day about loving well. And yet, Yahweh accepts and loves us just as we are.

As if echoing his thoughts, Papa leaned over and wrapped his arms around Asher’s shoulders. “Even today we need the morning and evening sacrifices. The day of Atonement is, more than any other day of the year, a day of grace.”

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Conclusion

Asher’s story is an imperfect glimpse into the life of an Israelite living in the time of the sanctuary. He ate mana and slept in a tent. He could see the glory of God in the Sanctuary every day, and drink the pure water that God had brought out of rock. The evidences of God’s grace were laying around everywhere like nuggets of gold strewn across the ground.

We don’t live in tents or eat mana or drink from a miraculous rock spring. We don’t wake up smelling the aroma of incense and sacrifice. No trumpet blasts out the time for the morning sacrifice. We don’t see the same evidences of God’s grace. Our lives are different than Asher’s.

And yet, they aren’t. Unlike Asher, we have the whole testimony of God’s love for us written in story after story in God’s word. Every morning and every evening we can spend time with God in prayer and Bible study.

Asher got to see the sacrificial lamb and the yearly day of atonement, but you and I know the true lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And you and I get to live in the Day of Atonement that yearly service foretold—the time of judgment where Jesus, our Advocate, judges all the saints. We get to experience the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives as He teaches us, comforts us, and opens our eyes to the beauty and love of God.

You may wish you lived in Asher’s day and got to see all the evidences of God’s grace, but I tell you one thing for sure, Asher would have loved to live in our day. How amazing it truly is to see the fulfillment of all those Bible promises laid out in the sanctuary.

Just like in Asher’s day, we can experience the daily cleansing of the morning and evening sacrifice. Just like in Asher’s day, we can contemplate the work of our High Priest, Jesus, and know that our sins are being washed away. One day soon the heavenly judgment will be over and Jesus will come to claim His children. Our sin will be wiped out forever. We will never be dirtied by sin again. And we will truly be at-one with Jesus forever.