THE DAY OF ATONEMENT 4

The day of atonement gives a unique presentation of the death of Christ. It comes in as meeting the glory of God, after the complete failure of that which stood in relation to Him. It supposes the breakdown of everything according to the flesh in a people who had a place in relation to God. It meets the exercise awakened by a history of departure and corruption, and ruin of the outward order as set up by God. We have to take things up now in the light of the departure and complete failure of the people of God and of the priesthood. Such will be the exercise of an awakened and enlightened Israel, and such is ours today. Each one must “afflict” his soul, for all have been involved in the common sin of a ruined profession. Not one of us can say that he is not involved in the sin of Christendom’s departure from God. Most Christians will admit that there has been, and is, great failure, but the remedy which is generally proposed is increased activity. It is thought that if Christians were more earnest and energetic, things would be put right. But the case is too serious to be met in that way. “Ye shall do no manner of work on that same day; for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement for you before Jehovah your God.” It has to be met by the solemn recognition that all on our side has failed and come to ruin.

This is a humbling exercise, but it leads to a great appreciation of the death of Christ and of the mercy-seat. Everything that is for God is the fruit of mercy, and stands in the value of the death of Christ. The remnant includes all that is for God, and such have to learn that all blessing is the fruit of God’s acting from Himself when every title to blessing has been forfeited by man. It was so at the beginning: God brought in blessing, not because there was anything in man to deserve it, but because of what He was; because of the delight He had in Christ; and because of the value of the death of Christ. Now, He brings in recovery on the same principle.

The true import of the death of Christ can only be apprehended in the light of Christ glorified, and by giving place to the Spirit. In this way the Spirit being poured out on them, the remnant of Israel will learn the marvellous import of the death of their Messiah. They will rightly keep the holy convocation of the day of atonement and will afflict their souls.

One of the greatest spiritual gains of recent times is the enlarged and deepened understanding of the death of Christ in its varied aspects – in its wondrous results for God and man; in its blessed import, as bringing to an end the history of the man after the flesh and giving full expression to the holy love of God; in its disclosure of all the perfections of Christ in the fullest way, and in its revelation of His love for the saints individually and for the assembly. The way the Lord’s supper has been restored, is a very striking feature of the present ways of God, and it has greatly served to magnify the death of the Lord before the hearts of His own.

C. A. Coates, from Words of Truth 1954, p.58