The meaning of the word is simply at-one-ment, i.e., the state of being at one or being reconciled, so that atonement is reconciliation. Thus it is used to denote the effect which flows from the death of Christ.
Easton’s Bible Dictionary
“‘I will set my face against any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who eats blood, and I will cut them off from the people. For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. Therefore I say to the Israelites, “None of you may eat blood, nor may any foreigner residing among you eat blood.”
“‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth, because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, “You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off.”
Leviticus 17:10-14
“But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.”
Genesis 9:4-5
For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.” In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Hebrews 9:15-22
OUR HUMAN CONDITION
When God draws near to us, we feel guilty and ashamed because of our sin. We are overwhelmed by our need of forgiveness when we are in the presence of God. What are we to do?
Disciple
Time and again, the Bible exposes the human tendency to make religion suit our own needs and expectations, but if religion does not match the will of God, it is ultimately futile (see Isaiah 29:13).
God’s holiness requires absolute respect from those who serve Him. His commands are meant to be obeyed, not tailored to suit anyone’s fancy.
God and His nature, not human beings and their needs, determines all.
Atonement
Blotted Out
- to remove the effects of sin
- to restore right relationship with God
- to forgive
God provides the means for our acceptance! Atonement overcomes barriers that separate us from God and from one another. The rituals expressed God’s readiness to forgive.
Reflection
Are there rituals that help you to feel freed of guilt and shame?
What rituals help you feel reconciled to God and to other people?
“When God draws near, it seems as if someone has turned on a light in the dirty, dusty rooms of our hearts. In the dark we pretended we were clean. In the light our failures stand out boldly. That is why we try to hide from God, lest truth and pure love find us out.
“So in worship we not only discover God drawing near to us, but we find our lives inadequate. Close to God, we recognize that we are in need of prayer. Our need cries out. Our guilt pleads for forgiveness.”
Disciple
Characteristics of Hebrew Worship
- Worship is Corporate
- Worship is Mandatory
- Worship is Prescribed
I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
Psalm 122:1 (NLT)
“So many Christians take worship lightly, worshiping occasionally as they feel like it. Others consider faith a private matter, as if their religion were solely between themselves and God. Still others find form, tradition, and ritual a restriction on their free spirits. But the habits and patterns of biblical worship are community based. Individual feelings, preferences, and subjective influences are not allowed to destroy the sacred traditions. Corporate worship teaches children, youth, and adults to remember, to ask for forgiveness, and to give thanks.”
Disciple
Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 9:19-25
Food for Thought 