Our Daily Homily
By F.B. Meyer

7 January 2009

Leviticus 23:27, 29, 32

“Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. ... For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. ... It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.”

WHILST Aaron was making the solemn atonement for the people, confessing their sins on the victims and sending them away, the camp was pervaded with the atmosphere of the Sabbath rest. No servile work was done on penalty of death. Probably for the most part the people abode in their tents. No sound was heard save sighs, and groans, and cries of penitence. The people afflicted themselves for their sins.

Sin is forgiven by God, but it should not be forgotten by us. — We should remember it, in order to refresh our memory of God’s great grace in putting it away; in order to deepen our sense of gratitude and to promote our self-humiliation; in order to make us watchful and careful in our daily walk and conversation. Holding the hand of our Savior, we need not dread to look down into the abyss from which He has redeemed us. We shall turn from it to Him with more tender love and gratitude.

Repentance is once and for all; penitence is perennial. — We repent when we turn from the kingdom of darkness to that of God’s dear Son; it is the act of the will, the utter reversal of the course we had been pursuing. But we are penitent after we have seen the face of Jesus: it is the act of the emotions; the sense of Christ’s love and of our unworthiness together makes us weep, as the forgiven sinner did at His feet.

Penitence does not purchase forgiveness, but accompanies and follows it. — Could our tears forever flow, they could not bring God’s pardon into our souls. That is secured by the offering of our Substitute on Calvary. But being forgiven, we wash His feet with our tears, we break our alabaster boxes on His head, and love much.


 

 
 
 


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About the Author:

The ministry of Dr. F.B. Meyer was one of the most widely influential in the twentieth century. He had memorable pastorates in York, Leicester and London, which were sufficient of themselves to establish his lasting fame. But his influence was worldwide. Like John Wesley, he was an incessant traveller. Everywhere his intimate and memorable presentation of the Gospel brought blessing to multitudes. His biographer, Dr. W.Y. Fullerton, has described Meyer as “one of the greatest heralds of the faith delivered to the saints”. His outstanding gifts as preacher, expositor, pastor and administrator were all subordinated to his supreme aim—to win men and women to Christ, and to lead believers into closer fellowship with Him.
 

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