# NEW MERCIES DAILY!
MESSAGE TITLE:
The Day Heaven Held Its Breath
SCRIPTURE TEXT:
Leviticus 16:1–34
DATE: April 3, 2025
BY: EFFIONG ETOK
Carrier of God’s Word
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
“The presence we now treat casually once demanded death for carelessness.”
INTRODUCTION :
Have you ever waited outside an operating room-your heart pounding, lips whispering prayers, afraid of what might come next?
Now imagine an entire nation waiting-not in a hospital, but before the tabernacle-watching, breathless, as one man enters the Most Holy Place to stand before God on their behalf.
After the tragic death of Aaron’s sons, God gave specific instructions: Aaron must approach only on the Day of Atonement, wearing sacred garments and offering sacrifices-first for himself, then for the people. Two goats were brought: one slain as a sin offering, the other-the scapegoat-carrying the sins of the people into the wilderness. Aaron, trembling, entered the inner sanctuary, blood in hand, with the weight of a nation on his shoulders.
This solemn ritual, repeated once a year, wasn’t just tradition. It was survival. If the bells on the priest’s robe stopped ringing, they knew: he hadn’t made it. But when the bells jingled again, and he emerged alive-the people rejoiced. Forgiveness had come.
MAIN MESSAGE:
There was a time when the name of God made men tremble. A time when His presence wasn’t something people walked into casually. A time when even the high priest-the most sanctified man in the land-dared not enter the Holy of Holies without washing, without sacrifice, without fear. He tied a rope around his waist, not as a tradition, but as a lifeline. Because if God was not pleased, he would fall dead. And no one would dare go in to rescue him. They would pull him out-lifeless, judged, consumed.
This God, this consuming fire, this untouchable Presence, has not changed. Yet we-broken, dusty men-have changed how we approach Him. We clap with sin in our hands. We dance with rebellion in our hearts. We say “God understands,” while mocking His holiness. We walk into church with unrepentant sin, chewing gum, scrolling phones, minds wandering-and we forget that in another time, the ground would have opened.
Aaron entered trembling. He washed and stripped himself of all pride. Not even his priestly robes could follow him beyond the veil. It was not a fashion show-it was a funeral march if he was unclean. He brought blood, not boldness. He brought a broken heart, not a hardened will. And all of Israel waited outside, holding their breath. Their future hung on one question: Is the priest clean?
He laid hands on the scapegoat and whispered the sins of a nation-sins of murder, adultery, theft, lies, idolatry. That animal carried it away into the wilderness, never to return. And when the priest emerged, they wept-not from excitement, but relief. God had accepted them-for another year.
But today, we no longer wait. We no longer weep. We no longer wonder if God accepts us. Because we have reduced Him to a friendly Father with no fire. A Savior with no standard. A King with no throne.
Yet the God of Aaron is still the God of today. The veil tore-not because God became soft-but because the true High Priest, Jesus Christ, walked in with His own blood. He was both the priest and the scapegoat. He was slain. He was abandoned. He was judged. Not because we deserved mercy-but because He took what we could never pay.
And still we play. Still we approach casually. Still we forget.
God is not weak because He is silent. He is not absent because we cannot feel Him. He is still holy. He is still fire. He is still Judge. And the grace that invites us should not embolden us to mock Him-it should break us to our knees.
This is not the season to draw near with dirty hands and proud hearts. This is the season to cry again. To fear again. To bow again. Because the God of the Tabernacle has not retired. He is still on the throne. And heaven is still watching… waiting… and weighing.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
1. Do I treat the presence of God with the reverence it deserves, or have I become too casual with sacred things?
2. When I pray, do I pause to reflect on the heavy price Christ paid to grant me this access?
3. How can I create sacred space in my daily life for regular cleansing, renewal, and intimacy with God?
4. Do I truly see Jesus as my scapegoat-the One who bore my guilt, shame, and punishment so I could walk free?
CLOSING PRAYER POINTS
1. Father, thank You for Jesus-our eternal High Priest-who carried my sin into the Holy Place and came out with mercy in His hands.
2. Lord, help me never take for granted the access I have to Your presence. Keep me broken, humbled, and grateful.
In Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen!
