Afflict your souls for Christ

Numbers 29:7-11 (KJV)
And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month an holy convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls: ye shall not do any work therein : [8] But ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the Lord for a sweet savour; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year; they shall be unto you without blemish: [9] And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals to a bullock, and two tenth deals to one ram, [10] A several tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs: [11] One kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering of it, and their drink offerings.

Ye shall afflict your souls. This was the day of atonement, when Israel was yearly made clean before the Lord from all his sins. This was the once in a year time when the High Priest could enter the Most Holy place inside the veil, but not without blood. He first needed to make atonement for his own sins by bringing first the blood of the bullock inside the veil. Afterward he would bring in the blood of one of the two goats, to sprinkle the mercy seat, to sanctify the tent of the meeting which dwell with Israel in the midst of their uncleanness. By its blood the altar would also be cleansed, so that the uncleanness of the people's offerings would be covered. The High Priest would then confess all the iniquities, transgressions and sins of Israel over the head of the other of the two goats, and send it away into the wilderness to be killed. Thus Israel was yearly covered and cleansed and cancelled of his sins.

Why were they to afflict their souls? So that they would learn to afflict their souls for Jesus Christ their High Priest and scapegoat. It was Jesus Christ our High Priest by whose own precious holy blood went into heaven, that He may prepare a place for us. Without His blood, we sinners would not have entrance there. By His own blood He also sanctified our bodies forever, that God Himself may be able to dwell in us in the midst of our uncleanness. By His blood is this hope made possible:
Revelation 21:3 (ESV)
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
How can God, who commanded the temple which He dwelt amongst men be cleansed yearly because of the filthiness of their uncleanness, be pleased to dwell with man, forever? It is by the blood of Jesus Christ. Christ has sanctified us forever by sprinkling His own blood upon us, that His Spirit may be pleased to dwell with us forever.

So much joy for us, but it came at the cost of the affliction of God the Son. Jesus laid His hands on Himself, and confessed the sins of every person who were to be saved and cursed His own self by carrying this burden of our sin. He handed Himself over to be cast out of the gates of Jerusalem, to be given over into the hands of evil men, who as brute beasts of the desert killed Him in a tortured death. Worse yet, He delivered Himself to be spiritually crushed by His own Father who has never been displeased with Him before. This is why we are to afflict our souls. Let us consider our God who was crucified for our sins. Is there any other God who would do this for His people? Only a God of love would do this.

Let us also afflict our souls for our sins. As it is written:
Matthew 5:4 (ESV)
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Let us mourn over our own wretchedness, which cursed our Lord Jesus on that tree. Our own sins are what killed the Lord of Lords. We haven't done anything worthy for God, but only to contribute in His Son's death. How evil are we Christians, who sin still after we have received the knowledge of what He has done for us. We are unworthy of deserving eternal life, even after we are saved. We will need His grace and mercy forever. How wicked we are, and how undeserving of His love. We have wickedly convinced ourselves that we somehow deserved to have Jesus die for us. No. He died for us while we were vile sinners. Let us also do acts of love for our enemies, even before they care; for it is what Jesus did for us.

Let us mourn also of our helplessness to save ourselves. Let us weep about the fact that there is nothing good in us to take hold of God ourselves. It is God who took hold of us, and therefore we have responded to Him. Let us mourn for our self-righteousness, thinking perhaps we had done anything to make God take hold of us, that somehow we grabbed His attention by something we did. No. It is by His election. It was God who softened our heart towards Him and to sin by His Holy Spirit.

Is this affliction of the soul too much for us? But it is nothing compared to the affliction that we would have received in the fire of Hell if it wasn't for the work of our High Priest. Godly sorrow is a small price to pay for life with Him:
2 Corinthians 7:10 (ESV)
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
Let us weep for sin and produce fruits meet for repentance always. Godly sorrow has mixed in it a joy of knowing that God cared about me about to grant me repentance. Blessed be God. Let us never forget what our Lord did for us by His death. Let us write the story of His sacrifice as a sign on our hands and as frontlets between our eyes. Let us teach this story to our children forever. If the suffering death of Christ make our souls sad, moody and sober all our lives, then so be it. It is small price to pay to appreciate what He has done for us. Let's observe what James taught us:
James 4:8-10 (ESV)
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. [9] Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. [10] Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.