Star of Wonder by Angela Hunt

Author:Angela Hunt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Christmas;REL034020;REL012020
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2023-07-21T00:00:00+00:00

A Moment for Wonder

In the Old Testament, the people’s sins were forgiven on the Day of Atonement. Two goats would be presented to the high priest, and lots were cast to see which goat would be sacrificed and which would be driven into the wilderness (Leviticus 16:7–10, 20–22).

Based on Isaiah 1:18, “Though your sins be like scarlet, they will be as white as snow,” the custom was to tie a red sash around the neck of the goat that symbolically carried the people’s sins away. According to Talmudic records, the red sash turned white as the goat was driven into the wilderness, a visible sign that God had forgiven Israel’s sins.3

But the Talmud records an odd event that occurred forty years before the destruction of the Temple—the scapegoat’s sash failed to turn white. Why would God not forgive the people’s sins in the year AD 30?

Hebrews 10:16–18 provides an answer:

“After those days,” says ADONAI,

“I will put My Torah upon their hearts,

and upon their minds I will write it.”

Then He says,

“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

Now where there is removal of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

Father, thank you for sending Jesus to be not only our Savior but also our High Priest and Mediator. Thank you for allowing Him to be a perfect human, so He understands our weakness and our failings. Thank you for strengthening Him to be fully God, completely holy and righteous.

You could have sent a king who would rule us by force. You could have sent a priest who would demand that we pay with our own blood. You could have refused to send a savior at all, leaving us to die in our sin. But you saw beyond our stubbornness and weakness. You looked past our pride and arrogance. You saw, above all, our brokenness and need for salvation, and you provided it.

Thank you for sending Jesus at Christmas—our Savior, our King, and our eternal High Priest.

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