“It is to be a permanent regulation for you that on the tenth day of the seventh month you are to deny yourselves and not do any kind of work, both the citizen and the foreigner living with you. For on this day, atonement will be made for you to purify you; you will be clean before Adonai from all your sins. It is a Shabbat of complete rest for you, and you are to deny yourselves. This is a permanent regulation.”
Leviticus 16:29-31
The command to “deny yourself” stuck out to me here. Traditionally I’ve thought of the Sabbath as being a time to cease from one’s work or labors, a “day of rest”. Though these verses are speaking specifically to a special Sabbath, namely the Day of Atonement, I think it can more broadly apply. The Lord is not only asking me to “not do” certain things but wants me to actively do those things that advance the task of crucifying my flesh–not just not doing what I want to do but also doing what I don’t want to do! At times, my attitude is closer to that of a petulant little girl: “but I feel like doing that!” But then here comes Jesus saying:
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Matthew 16:24-25
The Greek word aparneomai translates to deny in English. Strong’s Concordance defines it in the following way:
- to deny
- to affirm that one has no acquaintance or connection with someone
- to forget one’s self, lose sight of one’s self and one’s own interests
This sounds like freedom to me.
“And the priest who is anointed and consecrated as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement, wearing the holy linen garments. He shall make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.”
Leviticus 16:32-33
These verses speak to me of a greater relationship that they foreshadow: that between God the Father and Jesus Christ, the Son, who makes atonement once and for all for all mankind.