Sin is a revolt against God’s holy and sovereign will, and it, therefore, destroys all fellowship with Him. To try to restore this fellowship through religious observances or good deeds is useless, for these leave the root of the problem untouched. The unregenerate human heart, tainted by sin since Adam’s Fall, can never produce deeds to win God’s acceptance.
But the Bible unfolds the story of God’s grace, by which He takes the initiative and provides forgiveness to sinners who trust Him. But how did those who lived before the death of Christ restore fellowship with God? God provided means that prefigured Christ’s atoning death. For Israel, He provided for the whole nation the annual Day of Atonement (Bible Expositor and Illuminator Union Gospel Press, Fall Quarter 2022).