Leviticus 16:10
10 But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to be used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat.
“The Day of Atonement” That’s what this chapter of Leviticus has been labeled. What is atonement? It’s a payment for wrongdoings. It’s making amends. On this day, the high priest over Israel was to meet with God. He was to bring with him bulls, goats, rams, and incense for offerings. Some were for sins, some were to provide a cover, some were burnt offerings to the Lord. It was a day of sacrifice, of bloodshed and of payment.
There was an interesting part of this day, though. The high priest, who at the time was Aaron, was to bring two goats to the Lord. He was to cast lots for the goats. One was to be sacrificed as a sin offering for the people, and the other was to be set free. Something interesting is going to happen to the second goat before it is released. Prior to being set free in the wilderness, the goat is to be led in to the Most Holy Place, into the very presence of God. In that hidden, sacred area, behind the veil of the temple, the high priest is to lay his hands upon the goat. There, in the presence of God, he will confess out loud all of the sins of Israel. The wickedness and rebellion of the people will be placed upon the head of the goat. Afterward the goat will be led outside the city and set free. The scapegoat carries away the sins of the people from that year. He takes them away into the wilderness.
Interestingly enough, there’s a passage in the New Testament about Jesus that sounds remarkably like this goat. John the Baptist says in John 1:29 “Behold! The Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!” Huh! (Of course John says “Lamb” but I think you can make the connection.) On the Day of Atonement, Jesus was taken before the high priest. They laid hands on Him. They rebelled against, cursed, and mocked Him. They led Him before Pilate, who had Him crucified. Jesus was led outside the city, carrying on His back the burdens of our sins in the form of a cross. He died outside the city gates in the wilderness.
Jesus is the Lamb of God, as John stated. Jesus, the scapegoat, who carried away the sins of the world, not just for the year but once for all time!
Although I can easily make the connection to what you are saying – I’m not too sure about the interchangeability between sheep’s and goats. The ‘Lamb of God’ is clearly an atoning sacrifice. So how can you reconcile a clear difference between a sheep and goat that is pointed out in Ezekiel 34:17 and Matthew 25:32?
ReplyDeleteR7
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteI guess I look at it this way. It's not so much that John made a mistake in his naming of Jesus the "Lamb", but rather the duty itself of taking away the sins. I picture Jesus as our (all of humanities) scapegoat in that He took away the sins of the world and removed them as far as the east is from the west.
As to the scripture reference...
Ezekiel 34:17--God is talking about judging between good sheep and bad..fat and lean. I can hazard a guess that He would also be judging the goats in the same manner. This "scapegoat" isn't judged, however, but led to the wilderness to remove the sins....
Matthew 25:32--Again in context, He is talking about making a judgment. While Jesus is the Lamb offered for the atonement of sins, He was also made to become sin and therefore, the goat who not only carries away the sins, but also becomes them and is cursed by them.
Our curse of sin was carried by Jesus on the cross. He was the Lion and the Lamb..the sheep and the goat...
I love your input!
Gary