There was once a time when a man would enter the inner sanctum called the Holy of Holies once a year. Obscured by the dense, pungent smoke of incense and vested in the bright white of linen, the high priest would offer his prayers and the blood of an animal on behalf of the sins of his people–sins that they did not even know they had committed. Outside the temple, all of Israel waited in silence for the answer. On that day, the Celestial Judge would grant mercy to the nation of Israel for one more year. It is the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur.

For the Jewish people, this day is both filled with trepidation and joy. Trepidation for it is a day of judgment and every sin shall be examined. Joy for it is the day when God will do miracles for their little nation; He shall grant mercy. Because of this, it is customary to wear white garments when fasting in remembrance of one’s sinful condition on the Day of Atonement. White signifies purity and right-standing with God.  The question naturally arose in me: How could a person come before the Lord on a day of judgment dressed in a garment of white? If God is to examine that person’s sins, is it not presumptuous to wear the colors of purity and innocence?

This cannot be presumption because God Himself told the people that if they follow His commandments on that day, that He would atone for their sins. The high priest would enter the Holy of Holies a sinful man, yet clothed in white, because of his faith in the Word and goodwill of his God.

In the same way, we are to come before God in faith when confessing our sins and asking for forgiveness. The Word of God says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” And for the sins that we are unaware of, Jesus our Messiah is making intercession for us to the Father, just as the high priest of old did to the Lord on the Day of Atonement. Knowing this, as the Day of Atonement comes (it starts on sundown this Sunday), we can rest assured that we are going to receive grace and mercy from the Judge because our high priest, Jesus, is working on our behalf.