Question 1

What is the Day of Atonement in this passage and why was it given?

Accepted Answer

The Day of Atonement is a yearly day God set on the tenth day of the seventh month for Israel to deal with their sins from the past year. It was a holy gathering where the people stopped all work, fasted, and brought offerings made by fire. On this day they were, in a sense, called before God’s court to admit they deserved His judgment, yet to seek mercy through the sacrifices He provided. It reminded them that they were guilty in many ways, needed many atonements, and that forgiveness comes only from God’s grace, not from themselves.

Question 2

What does it mean to "afflict your souls" on the Day of Atonement?

Accepted Answer

“Afflict your souls” means to humble yourself before God in real sorrow for sin. In this passage it especially points to fasting and giving up comforts as an outward sign of that inner grief. By denying normal food and pleasures, the people were reminded of their misery and their need for God’s mercy. It was not the fasting itself that earned forgiveness, but the broken and humbled heart that looked to God’s way of atonement. Those who refused to humble themselves showed they did not take their sin or God’s holiness seriously.

Question 3

Why was doing any work on the Day of Atonement punished so severely?

Accepted Answer

God says more than once that no work at all is allowed on this day, and that anyone who works will be destroyed from among the people. This shows how serious the day is. The Day of Atonement was to be kept like the strict weekly sabbath, because making peace with God and grieving over sin needed their whole attention. To work that day was like saying their business mattered more than God’s mercy and judgment. It showed a hard heart that refused to listen when God was calling them to repentance, so the punishment matches that stubborn attitude.

Question 4

What does it mean that someone not afflicted "shall be cut off from among his people"?

Accepted Answer

Being “cut off from among his people” points to God Himself removing that person from the community, often by an early or sudden death. Here it is for the person who could fast and humble himself but chooses not to. When God calls the whole people to fasting, sorrow, and seeking mercy, to ignore that and carry on in comfort shows open contempt for God’s call. It is not just weak repentance, but refusing repentance altogether. That is why the language is so strong. It warns that to stay proud and unbothered by sin is a very dangerous place to be.

Question 5

Why does this passage stress "from evening unto evening shall ye celebrate your sabbath"?

Accepted Answer

The words “from evening unto evening” show how long the Day of Atonement was to be kept. They were to begin the fast at the evening of the ninth day and keep it through the whole tenth day until the next evening. This made the day a full circle of rest and humbling before God, not just a few hours. It also teaches that serious work for the soul should not be squeezed into leftover time. God called them to leave off labor early, prepare their hearts, and give the whole period to fasting, confession, and listening to the peace He would speak through atonement.

Question 6

How did fasting and sacrifice work together on the Day of Atonement?

Accepted Answer

On this day the people fasted and “afflicted” their souls while offerings made by fire were brought to God. The fasting and sorrow were their confession that they were guilty and deserved judgment. But confession alone would only lead to despair if there were no way to be forgiven. The sacrifices showed that God Himself provided a way for their sins to be covered and for His anger to be turned away. Their grief did not pay for their sins. Instead, their grief led them to cling to the atonement God had set up, where forgiveness rested only on His mercy.

Question 7

What does this passage teach about God’s view of sin and repentance?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows that God takes sin very seriously, but also that He makes a real way for forgiveness. The strict command to fast, the total rest from work, and the threat against those who refuse to humble themselves all show that God hates a careless attitude toward sin. He does not accept people who cling stubbornly to their sins and refuse to grieve over them. At the same time, the whole day is called a Day of Atonement. Through it God shows that when people truly humble themselves and accept His way of atonement, He is ready to turn from anger and restore them.

Question 8

How could someone today apply the idea of afflicting the soul and resting before God?

Accepted Answer

While this exact day and its rules were given to Israel, the pattern still teaches something. When dealing with sin, we should not rush or treat it lightly. There is a place for setting aside normal work and comforts, taking time to be honest about our sins, and seeking God with a humbled heart. Fasting can still remind us of our weakness and need, though the act itself does not earn forgiveness. This passage points us to give God our full attention in repentance, to hate our sins, and to rest in the forgiveness He provides, instead of trying to fix ourselves.

Leviticus 23:26

¶ And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

The Day of Atonement

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Leviticus 23:26

¶ And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

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The Day of Atonement

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