Yom Kippur and Fasting

Leviticus 23:26-32 “ADONAI said to Moshe, 27 “The tenth day of this seventh month is Yom-Kippur; you are to have a holy convocation, you are to deny yourselves, and you are to bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI. 28 You are not to do any kind of work on that day, because it is Yom-Kippur, to make atonement for you before ADONAI your God. 29 Anyone who does not deny himself on that day is to be cut off from his people; 30 and anyone who does any kind of work on that day, I will destroy from among his people. 31 You are not to do any kind of work; it is a permanent regulation through all your generations, no matter where you live. 32 It will be for you a Shabbat of complete rest, and you are to deny yourselves; you are to rest on your Shabbat from evening the ninth day of the month until the following evening.” CJB

1: It is on the 10th day of the seventh month

2: Have a Holy Convocation or Congregate

3: It tells us four times DON’T WORK.

4: Deny or afflict yourself. Most likely from WORKING in the context of these verses

5: Most people fast on Yom Kippur.  This is because the word used in Leviticus 23:27 is to afflict, or to עָנָה Anah.  The Hebrew says וְעִנִּיתֶם, meaning Anithem, which comes from Anah. It does not say to fast, but Anah means to humble ourselves, to bow down in repentance.

Joel 2:14 “Proclaim a holy fast, call for a solemn assembly, gather the leaders and all who live in the land to the house of ADONAI your God, and cry out to ADONAI,”

Many verses show that people, when humbling in prayer and supplication, also fast. We see this with Paul when he was talking about Yom Kippur:

Acts 27:9 “Since considerable time had passed and the voyage was already dangerous because of the Fast”

We see fasting and prayer on many occasions; we will just mention one more place:

Daniel 9:3 “I turned to Adonai, God, to seek an answer, pleading with him in prayer, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.”

Keep in mind that to humble ourselves does not necessarily mean fasting, so if for some reason you can’t fast all the way, don’t feel guilty or that you are breaking the command.  Elohim knows you.

Fasting, however, takes the focus away from ourselves and helps us concentrate on Elohim.

Psalms 143:10: “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. Let Your good Ruach lead me on level ground.”