Is This Not the Fast That I Have Chosen?

Well, thank you so very beautiful. Thank you, first of all, for the offering on behalf of the Church of God. Thank you for your generosity and helping us to continue our mission of preaching the gospel to the world. Thank you, Mr. Graham, for writing and performing Home Again. My only regret is that he didn't give it a French title so I could pronounce it to all of you.

But it's a very beautiful song. And what can I say about Mr. Blakey on Where Not for Grace? I think he owns that song. He does such a beautiful job with it. So, very inspiring. Thank you, all of you, for the special music that we had today and the offeratory. Well, again, welcome to the Day of Atonement.

This is the 5th annual Holy Day listed in Leviticus, Chapter 23. And I'd like to begin today by reminding all of us why we continue to observe this day after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We're going to ask all of you to turn to Acts, Chapter 27. I'd like to read something that Luke wrote 30 years after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It's important for us to understand because there are a lot of things in the Old Covenant that, indeed, we're done away and fulfilled and that we no longer do in the Church of God. But the Holy Days are part of a plan. And we observe the Holy Days because we see many, many, many years after Jesus had been nailed to the cross and died and was resurrected again, that the disciples continued to observe because they were things that pointed to the future.

They were things that had rich spiritual theology and, therefore, were not something that was simply done away. In context here, what we're going to read in Acts, Chapter 27 is Paul had been arrested and falsely accused, and he used his right as a Roman citizen to appeal to Caesar. He said, I don't need to put up with this. Send me to Rome, my appeal to Caesar, which would have been their version of the Supreme Court in ancient Rome.

So Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion in Caesarea, which was a port city in modern day, what we call modern day Israel, port city. And they were to be taken to Rome by ship. And it was going to be a long journey because, if you've ever seen that the Mediterranean Sea, they were going to be bouncing along a whole lot of little coastal cities and going between Cyprus and the mainland.

And it was going to take months and months for this journey to happen. So let's pick up here in Acts, Chapter 27, Verse 5. And when we, and this is Luke writing this, he's talking about himself, and Paul had sailed over the sea, which is off of Caesarea and Pamphylia, and came to Myra, the city of Lycia. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing to Italy, and he put us on board.

So they finally found a ship that was going to head towards Rome. Verse 7. When we had sailed slowly many days and arrived with difficulty off of Snitus, the sin not permitting us to proceed, we sailed under the shelter of Crete off of Salmon. Passing with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens near the city of Lassi.

Now when much time had been spent and sailing was now dangerous because the fast was already over, Paul advised them, saying, Man, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives. And indeed, that did almost happen. Here's what Rheary Bible notes says about this phrase, The fast was almost over.

And I'll quote from the Rheary Bible notes, Only one fast was prescribed in the law, and that was on the Day of Atonement. And they refer to Leviticus, chapters 16, verses 29 through 34. If this was the year 59 AD, which most scholars believe it is in the chronology of the Book of Acts, the fast was on October 5th.

To sail this late was very hazardous. This means that Paul left Caesarea in August or September and did not arrive into Rome until the following March. And again, that's from the Rheary Bible notes. So, at least 10 years after the Jerusalem Conference in 49 AD, when they talked about circumcision and all the things that supposedly Gentiles were no longer supposed to keep anymore, so we're told. And almost 30 years, a whole generation after the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we find here that Paul and Luke fasted and observed the New Covenant Day of Atonement, most likely on a ship.

Now, they didn't see a need to go to the temple. They didn't see a need to have a Levite present. They didn't see a need to sacrifice an animal, but in a New Covenant way, they fasted. They observed and respected the Day of Atonement. And I think that's important for us to start out this message today, to realize why we do what we do. Yes, it is commanded in the Old Covenant, the Old Testament. We'll look at some Scriptures. But we continue to do these things, including the Feast of Trumpets and the Feast of Tabernacles and God's other Holy Days, because they are clearly shown to be observed by the early disciples after Jesus Christ had ascended to heaven.

Turn with me, if you would, to Exodus chapter 30. Many people believe that the first time the Day of Atonement is mentioned is either in Exodus chapter 16, we'll get to there in a little bit, or Exodus 23, where it's mentioned among the other Holy Days, but it's actually mentioned earlier. It's mentioned back in the book of Exodus, and we're going to see where it's mentioned in Exodus chapter 30, when God was instructing Moses on the purpose of one of the furnishings that was to be built and used in the tabernacle, called the Altar of Incense.

Now, this is not the altar of sacrifice. This is a nice little table that had little horns on the corners, in which a sweet-smelling incense were burned virtually perpetually within the tabernacle and later in the temple. So, here we are in Exodus chapter 30, verse 7.

The instruction is, Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning. Hopefully, that's how our prayers appear to God, as a sweet-smelling incense in the morning. When he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it. When Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generation. So, that was one of the tasks that the Levites had, a perpetual incense. You shall not offer strange incense on it.

There was a special mixture that they were required to use. So, you shall not offer strange incense on it. Or a burned offering, a grain offering, nor shall you pour a drink off. So, you can't treat it the way you do the altar of sacrifice. This was for a totally different purpose. So, you don't put an animal on it, you don't pour drink offerings on it, you don't spill blood on it from a sacrifice. And it continues instruction here. Verse 10, And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year, with the blood of the sin offering of atonement. So, this is the introduction of the fact that something very special was going to happen in the tabernacle just once a year.

An atonement for the entire nation. And the tabernacle itself had to be cleaned and atoned for because human beings dwelt there. And wherever you have human beings, you know what you have? Sin. So, it even had to be atoned for. Once a year, he shall make atonement upon it. Throughout your generations, it is most holy to the Lord. So, that is actually the first mention of atonement and the day of atonement.

The day that we're celebrating today here in 2019. Now, let's go to Leviticus chapter 23 and pick it up here in verse 26. A number of the holy days have already been mentioned at this point in Leviticus 23. So, we're going to jump right into where the day of atonement here is mentioned. Leviticus chapter 23 and verse 26. It says, and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, also on the tenth day of the seventh month, you may remember, the first day of the seventh month was the Feast of Trumpets.

And we were here and we observed that. That was a wonderful day. So, this is the tenth day of the seventh month. It shall be the day of atonement. It shall be a holy convocation. And you shall afflict your souls. And most of us are afflicting our souls today. We are fasting. We've gone without water and food for a number of hours now. And you shall make an offering made by fire to the Lord.

And you shall do no work on that same day. So, you're supposed to take the day off and not be consumed with business and your own pleasures and making money and all of those things that so many people in the world get wrapped up in.

For it is the day of atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God, for any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. And any person who does not work on that same day, or who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. So, that's even more severe for those who choose to work or attempt to work on that day.

Verse 31. You shall do no manner of work. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations and all your dwellings. It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls on the ninth day of the month, at even. From evening to evening, you shall celebrate your Sabbath. By the way, there are people with all kinds of goofy ideas that I've met.

People think the Sabbath begins at midnight. The Sabbath is 12 hours long. The Sabbath is this. The Sabbath is that. Let the book tell us when the Sabbath is. The book says, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your Sabbath. That's 24 hours. That's from one evening when the sun goes down to 24 hours later when the sun goes down again. So, we need to go to the Word of God when we have questions about the Sabbath, or the holy days, and not go to human philosophy or wisdom or so-called understanding to know these things.

Now, the word here for afflict is the Hebrew word anah. It means to be humbled, to be bowed down and meek, which is real easy to do if you haven't eaten for a while. It's also declared a Sabbath of solemn rest, again meaning we're not to labor on this day, and our hearts should be somber. Again, that's a little easier to do when you haven't eaten for a while, and you're beginning to get a little listless. It's easy to be somber in this kind of a physical condition.

So, again, this command from God is the fifth of the seven annual festivals outlined here in Leviticus chapter 23. The nation was told that the Day of Atonement was a holy convention, and that's why we have a Sabbath service.

This is a convocation. This is God's congregation in greater Cleveland, who are meeting here today as part of a convention to learn and talk about and celebrate our great God and talk about the meaning of this day. And, again, most of us are here afflicting ourselves by fasting. Now, interestingly enough, knowing human nature as it is, by the time that Isaiah wrote, some people were going through the outward appearance of being righteous, the outward appearance of being godly, of desiring God and doing godly things.

And we see that in our own country. We have lots of so-called Christian faiths in the United States that are very good at ritual and very good at flowing robes and stained glass windows and burning incense and vespers every day and doing all kinds of things to appear to be religious, to appear to be righteous. And that's something that was occurring in Isaiah's time. I want to encourage you to turn to Isaiah chapter 58, because many scholars now believe that the kind of fasting that Isaiah is talking about here in Isaiah chapter 58, beginning in verse 1, that actually Isaiah is condemning, that this was actually occurring on the Day of Atonement in Isaiah's time as a prophet.

So we're going to take a look at Isaiah chapter 58 and verse 1. And again, many scholars believe that even though he doesn't come right out and say this was the Day of Atonement, there are a lot of hints in here that this was occurring, this condemnation was occurring to the nation of Israel on the Day of Atonement. So let's look at it. Sometimes God's saying some things here derisively. He's saying some things a little bit sarcastically here, a little bit tongue-in-cheek. But later on in the verses, I think we get to clear meeting.

So here's what God tells Isaiah. And sure enough, ten days ago, we did observe the Feast of Trumpets, did we not? Tell my people their transgression in the house of Jacob their sins, yet they seek me daily. And again, this is God is saying this tongue-in-cheek because they're sure putting on a great performance. They're sure acting like they seek God daily, but they're not. And they delight to know my ways. Again, they seem eager to know about God, and they're going through the motions, but God says it's not really happening. As a nation that did righteousness, at least they act like they desire righteousness, God says, and did not forsake the ordinance of their God, so they're really good at pretending obedience and feigning a love for God and going through all the motions on the outside.

So they appear to be righteous, they appear to be faithful on the outside, but God knows what they're doing when no one else is looking. God knows what's going on on the inside. They ask of me of the ordinance of justice, they take delight in approaching God. In other words, they love great ceremony and rituals. So this is what they say to God, and He's going to answer them.

Why have we fasted, they say, and you have not seen? They say, we've been fasting, and God, you're not watching us, you're not blessing us, good things aren't happening because we're fasting to you. Why have we afflicted our souls, and you take no nail to notice? You don't see what we're doing, God, what's going on here? And God answers. In fact, in the day of your fast, you find pleasure. God says you're supposed to be afflicting yourselves, and you're finding pleasure. And later on, we'll see some of that pleasure as while they're fasting and taking the day off, they've got their servants working that day.

They want to take the day off, but they've got all of their servants working. In fact, in the day of your fast, you find pleasure and exploit all your laborers. In other words, you expect them to work and make you money, but you take the time off to pretend to be so religious and pious.

Verse 4, indeed you fast for strife and debate. You don't fast to mimic. God says you don't fast to be humble. You don't fast to afflict to yourself. You fast so that you can argue with me and argue with each other and debate with each other about things that aren't worth debating. And to strike with the fist of wickedness.

You will not fast as you do today to make your soul heard by God. In other words, to paraphrase this, don't fast the way that you do and expect God to hear your voice and bless you. Verse 5, it is a fast that I have chosen. Is this a fast that I've chosen, God says? And of course the answer is no. A day for a man to afflict his soul. Is it to bow down his head like a bull rush? He's saying you put on a real good show. You look really sad and you look like you're all beat up and you're really hungry. And this is what God is condemning them for. And to spread out sackcloth and ashes, appearing to be very pious and righteous, so they're putting on a good show, God says. Would you call this a fast and an acceptable day to the Lord? He questions. Is this not the fast that I've chosen? God says this is the fast that I'm really interested in. Not one of over piety, not one of showmanship, not one of putting on a performance, appearing to be righteous. He says this is the fast that I've chosen. To loose the bonds of wickedness. To undo the heavy burdens. To let the oppressed go free. And that you break every yoke. Is it not to share your bread with the hungry? And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out when you see the naked that you cover him? And not hide yourself from your own flesh. In other words, your own flesh and blood, your own brethren. Not hide yourself to the sufferings and the things that are going on with your own brethren. Well, we've been called, and we're a spiritual family, but humanity is our brethren. Remember when the lawyer asked Jesus, who is my neighbor? And Jesus kind of taught him a pretty powerful lesson. It sure wasn't the Levite, it sure wasn't the priest. It was that filthy Samaritan who was despised, and no one cared about, was the one who cared for the individual who had been mugged and left by the wayside. Jesus taught that lawyer a very good lesson about who our neighbors are. So the kind of fast that God is interested in is not a facade or a ritual, but one that changes our hearts, our attitudes about others, that encourages us to serve others. Everything that he mentions here are activities of service. So why are we fasting today on the Day of Atonement in 2019? One reason has already been mentioned in the sermonette, and it's certainly true. We fast to draw closer to God, to humble ourselves and to realize and accept the fact that we need him. We need him for the very next breath, the air that we breathe, the food that we eat, the water that we drink. We need that sustenance continually from God, or we would quickly die. But there's something else going on here in the Day of Atonement that I would like us to think about. The reason why God of any day, and he only chose one in the entire calendar, one day when all of his people would fast. Why that day? And why asking all of us to fast? Let's go to Matthew 6 and verse 14. If you'll turn there with me. Matthew 6 and verse 14. There were a few things that Jesus said about fasting here.

He was certainly aware of the kind of activity that occurred in Isaiah 58. Jesus was the God of the Old Testament, the very one who uttered those words to Isaiah. Matthew 6 and verse 14. He said, if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will forgive you, but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. So God is saying, if you hold a grudge against somebody, you still are living in your sins. You need to forgive. You need to get over it.

You need to get beyond that. And then God can forgive you of your trespasses. Verse 16. Moreover, when you fast, he doesn't say, if you fast. He says, when you fast, he assumed that his disciples would be fasting in the future. They certainly would at least be keeping the Day of Atonement.

Do not be like the hypocrites with a sad countenance, for they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Hey, everybody, look at me. Look at how miserable and pathetic I am. It's because I'm pious. It's because I'm righteous.

Me and God were like this. And it's a show. It's all about people trying to draw attention to themselves, a real common human problem. And Jesus is condemning them, and that was very common among the Pharisees, to do that kind of thing, as well as other things in the synagogue, to draw attention to themselves.

He says, if shortly I send to you, they have their reward. Do you know what their reward is? A compliment of a mere human being. Oh, you're really pious. Oh, you're very righteous. That's their reward. That's it. It's done. Continuing, he says, but you, speaking to his disciples, when you fast, anoint your head, some translations say, pour perfume on your hair and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your father who is in the secret place, and your father who sees in secret, will reward you openly.

And of course, the greatest reward openly will be when your feet leave this earth at the second coming of Jesus Christ, and everybody on this earth sees you rising into the air, and at the twinkling of an eye, being transformed from mortal to immortal. That's the kind of reward that Jesus Christ is talking about, and that'll be very public.

That'll be very open. So Jesus states that the self-righteous and those with false piety, they fast to receive attention. They want to appear to be righteous. They want to be seen by others and acknowledged for their spirituality. He said, in contrast, the followers of Jesus are the faster to draw closer to God, with no intention of drawing attention to themselves. You know, in our world today, a lot of people do that even beyond religion.

Have you ever heard of people going on a hunger strike? Sometimes people go on a hunger strike because they don't like a government's policy. So we're going to go on a hunger strike, and we're not going to eat. And people will go on a hunger strike to prove a point, to make a statement, to get media attention. Well, that's all about self. Those are all the wrong reasons to fast. But that's why many people in the world fast today to force a change in policy, or as an act of rebellion. But that's not the kind of Christian fast that Jesus told us we need to participate in, that needs to be part of us.

Let's now go to Mark 2 and verse 16, see something else that he said about fasting. Mark 2 and verse 16. And when the scribes and pharaohs, he saw him eating with the tax collectors and the sinners, they said to his disciples, How is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners? So they're judging Jesus on associating with that low-class form of people. And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick, I did not come to call the righteous like you, but sinners, people who see a need for God, people who are spiritually hungry, people who want a change in their lives, these are the kind of people that I have come to call to repentance.

This is a sharp rebuke from Jesus. He's telling them that they're self-righteous. He's telling them they're judgmental. And he's saying you don't see the vile sin and hypocrisy in yourself. He's saying God can't help you because you think you're so smart and you're so spiritually strong that you don't need the master physician to heal you and make you whole. So it's those who see their sin and the need for repentance who seek a Savior. That's what Jesus is saying. And fasting is a way to show our ongoing need for God, the great physician and the great healer.

Now down to verse 18. The disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting, and they came and said to him, Why do the disciples of John and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast? Again, more self-righteous judgmentalism. Everyone else is fasting. Jesus, how come your disciples don't fast? And Jesus said to them, Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? If it's your wedding day, do you decide you're going to fast? If you're the best man or a bride's maid at a wedding, do you decide, I think I'm going to just fast today? Well, no, that would be rather stupid.

It's a day of celebration. Of course, you wouldn't fast that day. You would probably eat lots and lots of cake and other confectionary items. And you would choose another day to fast because it's a day of celebration. He says, as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. It's not appropriate for them to fast.

I'm here teaching them and loving them and nurturing them and preparing them for service. This is not the time for them to do what the disciples of John or the Pharisees might be doing. He says in verse 20, But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.

So Jesus is saying here, while he ministered on earth, his disciples were not encouraged to fast. But afterwards, fasting became an important tool. It's an important tool for us. And we, again, do it together on this day of atonement. Alright, let's now go to Acts chapter 14 and verse 19. Acts chapter 14 and verse 19.

This is obviously later on, and I just want to emphasize that, much like I mentioned, about why we keep this day as part of the New Covenant holy days, fasting was something else that was continued even though it was in the Old Covenant, even though it was something that was an Old Testament example. Because it has very rich meaning and importance and it's a spiritual tool, it's something that also continues today. Acts chapter 14 and verse 19. Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there, and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. I can't imagine what he looked like, but for them to suppose that he was dead, he was probably pretty bloodied and pummeled, and probably they were convinced his man's a goner.

And the next day, oh, I'm sorry, however, verse 20, however, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up early and he went back into the city. So, just like the Energizer bunny, he jumps up and says, let's go back. And that's exactly what they do. And continuing here, it says, when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God. So, when they had appointed elders in every church and prayed with fasting, they commanded them to the Lord, in whom they had believed.

So, Paul wanted to have organization in the church. The church just needed leadership. So, they wanted to appoint an elder in every church congregation, and that decision was done through prayer and fasting. And it's an example, again, from the Apostle Paul himself. So, Paul obviously believed in the power of fasting, to draw closer to God. He afflicted himself, and with his background on the kind of fasting that God desires.

Now, I'd like to go into scriptures that most of us are very familiar with in Leviticus 16. I'm not going to go into tremendous detail today. I've done that in past years. We have sermons on our website in which I go through Leviticus 16 meticulously, just basically pulling everything out of every verse. We don't have time to do that today. That's not my purpose. But we will review this very powerful event that occurred on the Day of Atonement, because it has such important symbolic value for the future and Satan's ultimate fate. Leviticus 16, and we'll pick it up here in verse 29. We'll jump into the middle, and then we'll go back to verse 1.

This shall be a statute forever for you, for in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls and do no work at all, whether a native of your country or a stranger who dwells among you. For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. It is a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever. So again, paralleling Exodus chapter 30, we read that a little while ago in Leviticus 23.

It talks about a special thing that the high priest is going to do to make atonement for the nation. The priest here represents the future Jesus Christ as the perfect high priest in making atonement for all humanity. This isn't just about Israel. This is about everyone. This ceremony was commanded of the human high priest only one time a year, only one day a year. The priest was allowed to go in there and do this. If the priest tried it any other day of the year, it would have cost the priest his life.

Let's find out about that. Leviticus, now let's go back to verse 1. Now the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron when they offered profane fire before the Lord and died. God tells us to do things certain ways for our own benefit. Unfortunately, this had to be really difficult for Aaron. His two sons thought they could do it their way. They could ignore the instructions of the way the incense would be used properly.

They decided to do it their way. It cost them both their lives. This had to be difficult for Aaron. I'm sure he was still grieving because it had been very recent. God decided to reveal to the nation a very special solemn ceremony that portrays hope and reconciliation to the nation of Israel. This entire ceremonial service of all these sacrifices and the burning of incense and the trimming of lamps, as you'll see if you read the entire chapter in this day, was instructed for only one person to be allowed and able to do.

That was the High Priest alone. Verse 17. The Priest prefigured Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ alone brings atonement and salvation to the world. Let's now go to verse 2. The Lord said to Moses, Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the holy place inside of the veil, what we would call the Holy of Holies, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die.

And again, I'm sure the death of his two sons was firmly in his mind. And when God says, You don't do this just when you want to do it, or two times a year, or the day of your choice, you do it, one day you alone, that day that I have designated as the day of atonement.

For I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat, thus Aaron shall come into the holy place, with the blood of a young bull as a sin offering, and of a ram as a burnt offering, and these were all offerings that represented a role that Jesus Christ would fulfill. He shall put on the holy tunic and the linen trousers on his body. He shall be girded with a linen sash, and with a linen turban he shall be attired. These are holy garments. Therefore, he shall wash his body and put them on. Normally, the eye priest was dressed in a way in which he could stand out. Oftentimes, he wore a breastplate that had different precious stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel.

Some Jewish tradition says when he needed to make an important decision, that literally would light up in a pattern. But he was normally someone whom you could easily pick out. But here, he's going to do something different. He's going to wash himself because he needs to ritually appear to be sinless, like Jesus Christ. He's going to put on a humble, simple, white linen clothing, a tire, to represent humility and the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Washing his body obviously represented the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ himself. He was human. He had sinned. Before he could do virtually anything else, once he got those robes on, that a tire on, is he had to make an atonement for himself in his house, so that he could act symbolically in the role of Jesus Christ, who's perfect and righteous and sinless.

Verse 7, He shall take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat. Now, these goats were usually almost identical. They were about the same age, same color, same size, Jewish tradition. That's what they did. So that humanly speaking, you really couldn't tell one goat from the other.

They almost appeared to be related to each other, perhaps even twins. So they were very similar, again, these two goats in appearance. One was specifically for the Lord, and the other lot was, as the New King James poorly referred to that goat as the scapegoat.

A lot of translations use the original Hebrew, like God's word for today. Verse 8 says, One lot will be for the Lord and the other for Azazel. So, for something else. One lot is for the Lord. It's very clear here. And the other lot is for something else. Both lots are not for the Lord. One is for the Lord. The other is for something else, referred to as the Azazel. So casting lots was a way of seeking divine judgment from God on which one of these two goats should be for the Lord, and which one would be for the Azazel.

The high priests couldn't tell. They were very similar. He couldn't tell the difference. He didn't know what God's plan was and how to tell one from another. In the Jewish Encyclopedia, it says this under the article of Azazel, End of quote. So, you have two goats. One goat for the Lord, only one. And another goat that's referred to as the goat for the Azazel.

Now, many people teach, frankly most of what we would call mainstream Christianity, teach that both of these goats represent Jesus Christ and his sacrifice. They say they simply represent two different aspects of God in one sacrifice. One, his death for the forgiveness of sin. That would be their interpretation of the goat for the Lord. And another one, his role as a sin-bearer. And they would say that was the Azazel goat. But as we review this chapter, I think it's going to be very obvious to all of us that that idea, that theology, just doesn't fit with what the Scriptures tell us.

Let's begin by Aaron casting lots. If both of these goats are for the Lord, if both of these goats could represent Jesus Christ, there would be no need to cast lots. Either one could be used. And it doesn't say that they're both for the Lord. It's very clear that only one goat was for the Lord. And the other goat was for something else. The other goat was for the Azazel. And again, according to Jewish tradition, these two goats were to be the same size and age and color so closely.

Sometimes they would even appear to be as twins. So why cast lots? Well, it represented the fact that only God could reveal to a deceived humankind who is his beloved son and who is, in contrast, the counterfeit God of this world. You see, Satan is very deceitful. As the Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11 and verse 14, And no wonder for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Satan has a way of making evil appear to be good. And deviancy appear to be normal.

And he's the prince of the power of the air because he controls this world and he dominates the thoughts of most of humanity. And the important thing of the lots was to differentiate that there is only one goat that's for the Lord, and this other goat represents something that has nothing to do with the Lord. And there's a contrast between the two. Satan, as Paul just told us here, appears as an angel of light.

He said that in 2 Corinthians 11. Whereas in contrast, Jesus Christ is the light of the world. That's in John 8 and verse 12. Satan is the prince of the power of the air because he does emanate that Wi-Fi network throughout humanity. Ephesians 2 and verse 2. Where Jesus Christ is the prince of peace, he's coming back with a kingdom to establish a world of peace and prosperity and plenty in contrast to the world that we live in today. He's called the prince of peace in Isaiah chapter 9 and verse 6.

Satan is the god of this world. That's 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 4. Jesus Christ was with God and was God. That's John chapter 1 and verse 1. So the fact that Lot's had to be cast was to teach us that only God can reveal to a very deceived humankind righteousness from evil. His son, the king of kings, in contrast to Satan the devil, the god of this world. It takes intervention from God, his calling and his spirit to understand truth from deception. Much of the world lives, frankly, in deception.

It takes intervention from God and opening our minds to understand good from evil, right from wrong, especially when evil appears as acceptable and honorable and good as it is in our world, in our particular Western culture today. I want to emphasize that even the phrasing of the Hebrew doesn't support the view that both goats represent Jesus Christ. If one is for the Lord, that's one is for the Lord, and the second goat is for something else called the Azazel.

It's very clear. Many translators use the word scapegoat. This is really a poor choice of words because of who this goat represents. In our culture, oftentimes, a scapegoat has evolved to mean a person who's innocent but is blamed for something. They're used as the sacrificial lamb or the scapegoat. But in this context, the Azazel represents Satan the devil, who's guilty, who's absolutely 100% evil and fully guilty, and about to receive, prophetically, his just reward and his just desserts. Let's go to verse 9. And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord's lot fell, and offered his a sin offering, but the goat on which the lot fell to be a scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as a scapegoat into the wilderness.

So the goat for the Lord, picturing Jesus Christ, was sacrificed and his blood was shed. That's exactly what the Lamb of God would do many, many years later, the Son of God. In contrast to that, the other goat was not sacrificed. The Azazel goat was presented alive before the Lord to the priest. And I'm going to read verse 9 here from the new international version. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat.

End of quote. So both goats are going to make atonement. The goat for the Lord is going to make a complete and total atonement through its shed blood, representing Jesus Christ. Jesus, the Lamb of God, dealing with the effect of sin. And the Azazel goat is going to make atonement by the removal of his presence from the people. He's going to be sent outside of where the nation dwells and sent into a desert and removed so that that goat can no longer associate with the humans in that, in the camp of Israel, can no longer have any influence in that camp of Israel.

And that is all symbolic of a day of a time when Satan must be put in a spiritual prison and removed from influencing this earth. And that's what it looks forward to. So again, both goats are making atonement. The goat for the Lord is through its shed blood.

The Azazel goat is making atonement by the removal of its presence from among the people. So God's dealing with both cause and effect. The effect were the sins of the people which needed forgiveness, and that's the shed blood of Jesus Christ. But the cause was the evil influence of Satan, the devil, on the nation. And that also must be dealt with. So all the sins of Israel were forcefully placed on the Azazel goat's head.

And this goat, again, which was not for the Lord, but was for the Azazel, represents Satan, the originator of sin, the deceiver of all humankind. And it says that all of the iniquities, all the transgressions, all the sins of Israel were confessed upon that goat's head. And this special event is needed to achieve universal atonement, including in the future, fulfilled and symbolized by the Day of Atonement each and every year. Revelation 20 and verse 1, if you'll turn there with me. Revelation chapter 20 and verse 1, this is what this day represents in the future, which is another reason why the Holy Days aren't done away, because so many of them don't point to something that happened in the past.

They point to things that are yet to come. Revelation chapter 20 and verse 1, then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the keys to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold on the dragon, that serpent of old, the very same one who was in the garden of Eden, who was the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, like a lock, a spiritual lock, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years were finished, but after these things he must be released for a little while.

It's another part of God's plan that we don't have time to discuss today. Back in Leviticus chapter 16 and verse 21, they were to choose a suitable man who did that with the Azazel goat. A suitable man, according to the Hebrew, would take that Azazel goat and responsibly lead it out into the wilderness, out into the desert, where it would never be seen by the nation of Israel again.

And in the future, the exact same thing is going to happen spiritually with Satan the devil. He is, through an angel, he is going to be put in a bottomless pit, a spiritual wilderness, where he cannot influence humanity for a thousand years. So why do we fast it in the stay of atonement? Some reasons, as already been mentioned, that are certainly good and right.

We want to beseech God for our lives. We're fasting because we want to draw closer to God. Fasting to remind ourselves how physical we are and how shallow we are, and that just a few hours without eating, a few hours without drinking, we're almost consumed with physical things. There's humility to be learned through understanding that, and that's certainly true. But I want you to think about another reason why we would particularly fast on the day of atonement. We fast on the day of atonement because we desire to afflict ourselves, considering the suffering of humanity.

The God of this world is instigated in nurtured human depravity and suffering since the Garden of Eden. I want to recall, as I conclude the sermon today, just recall what the prophet Isaiah proclaimed in chapter 58 that we read earlier. He said in chapter 58, you may recall in verse 6, he said, is this not the fast that I've chosen? And then he began to mention particular things that were important to God that were far more important than the appearance of fasting. And here's some of the things he said. Is this not the fast I have chosen? The loose, the bonds of wickedness. We fast today, my brothers and sisters in Christ, because Satan is the author and originator of sin and wickedness.

The world is presently held in the bonds of wickedness. Humans can only be released from his influence when he is removed from this earth and put in a spiritual prison. Then Isaiah said, his next line was to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke. Jesus said in Matthew 11, verse 28, come to me, all of you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Right now, due to Satan's influence, this world is under heavy burdens. Most of the people in this world are oppressed, either oppressed through poverty or oppressed through lack of personal liberties, as Mr. Housen talked about in his sermon. Most of the people in this world are oppressed one way or another. The answer to that oppression is the return of the King of Kings and Jesus Christ, the one who was represented by the goat for the Lord, who shed his blood so that humanity can truly be free.

Isaiah said in his next statement, in chapter 58, is it not to share your bread with the hungry? One reason we should be fasting today is the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that about 815 million people in the world are suffering from chronic undernourishment. Why is that? Because this world is controlled by the prince of the power of the air. He controls the governments, he controls the policies, he controls the priorities and where they lie in the nations of this world.

Another thing that the prophet Isaiah said, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out, when you see the naked, that you cover him and not hide yourself from your own flesh, meaning your own flesh and blood, your own brothers and sisters. Another reason we should be fasting today in this day of atonement is that nearly one half of the world's population, more than 3 billion people, live on a day. Half of the world's population, more than 3 billion people, you know what they live on a day?

$2.50 a day. How far would you and I get on $2.50 a day? More than 1.3 billion live in extreme poverty, and that means that criteria to qualify for extreme poverty, of which 1.3 billion people live, they live in less than $1.25 a day. Why? Because this world, its economies, its cultures, are all controlled by the prince of the power of the air.

One billion children worldwide are living in poverty, according to UNICEF. 22,000 children die each day due to poverty. Lives snuffed out before they even reached the prime of life, before they even had a chance to reach adulthood to develop their potential. 22,000 yesterday, 22,000 today, 22,000 more tomorrow. As long as the prince of the power of the air, the Azazel, is allowed to control this world and its cultures and its governments, the suffering will continue. So on this day of atonement in 2019, let us realize just how much this world needs Satan and his evil influence to be removed, to be gone! Totally pulled out from any influence of this world, and how much this world needs our loving creator to return to this earth, to heal and to restore humanity. Let's realize that the reason we afflict ourselves today isn't just for reasons regarding us, but it should be because this world is dying, and people are suffering. And this day, and what it represents in scriptures, the day of atonement, provides the answer to that suffering. We need our Savior to return, and we need Satan to be removed. And let that be a powerful lesson for us to ponder and meditate on during the rest of this day, the day of atonement in 2019.