scapegoat
Leviticus 16:5-22 - PICTURES OF SALVATION
THE SCAPEGOAT.
We are unable to understand spiritual realities because
they are invisible.
So God teaches us by using things we can see. The physical world we understand is parallel to the spiritual
world. He teaches us spiritual truths by using visible
representations of invisible realities. The sacrifices
and ceremonies of Israel are types or pictures of Jesus and reveal the salvation
he would bring. The climax of the sacrificial system was THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
giving the most complete picture of the sacrifice of Christ.
THE SACRIFICES.
God wants fellowship with His people. He gave
Israel the law which revealed His perfect standards. But He knew they would sin and break the law and God's Justice
required that sin be punished. In fact the law was
given to reveal sin and it's consequences. Sin was a barrier
to fellowship with God. So God gave the sacrificial
system along with the law. The meaning of 'sacrifice'
is 'to bring near'. The sacrifices showed how God
would fix the sin problem so that the worshipper can be brought near, into fellowship with God.
The problem was:
(1) The presence of sin, defiling the man
and putting him under satan's power and
(2) God's Justice requiring the punishment
of death for that sin (Rom 6:23).
The sacrifice of an innocent animal as a SUBSTITUTE
taught man that the penalty of sin is death but that an innocent
one can die in the sinner's place and thus make atonement for him. The sacrifice takes his place (substitution) and
pays the price (punishment) for his sin. Once Justice
was satisfied (God is propitiated) then God was free to bless and have fellowship
with him. Thus the only way for a sinner into God's presence
was through the BLOOD of a substitute-
'without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness
of sin' (Heb 9:22)
But animal blood has no real power to save or satisfy God. It does not have the value to ransom a man's life. (Heb 10:4) It only had value in pointing to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ, whose blood alone has the power to atone. As they offered their sacrifice in faith in the coming Messiah, their faith united them to the true sacrifice (yet future) and a limited, temporary covering of sin was effected. However sin could not be removed fully until the final sacrifice was made. So sacrifices had to be offered daily to stay in fellowship.
The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16) was the most solemn Feast day of the year. God wanted to build into the system of sacrifices a picture of the ultimate sacrifice that transcended all other sacrifices. This was done on the Day of Atonement. On this day ALL their sin for the whole year would be atoned for and forgiven by just one sacrifice. With all the other sacrifices offered up, why have a special day where a sacrifice is made for ALL sins? (v21)
God made it clear that the normal round of sacrifices
was insufficient:
(1) the daily repetition implied sin wasn't really
dealt with,
(2) many sins may not have been covered by a sacrifice
(through ignorance or neglect) and
(3) EVEN the sins that had been sacrificed for,
were still present and had not been put away from
Israel by the sacrifices.
This led to the need for ONE GREAT SACRIFICE by which complete atonement would be made for all sins for that
year. The other sacrifices were but preparations pointing
to this final sacrifice that would be effective.
This was done on the Day of Atonement.
Now the fact that they repeated the Day of Atonement year
after year
showed that even this was not the ultimate sacrifice
but only pointed to it.
Only the sacrifice of Christ could put away all sin for all time.
'Not that He should offer Himself often, as the High Priest enters
the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another -He then
would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world;
but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put
away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.' (Hebrews 9:25-26)
However as the climax of the Old Testament sacrifices,
the Day of Atonement gives the highest revelation
of Christ's sacrifice.
This Day spoke of a DAY when God would put away all sin (past, present and future), ONCE FOR ALL, by the sacrifice of His Son. Each YEAR in Israel is a picture of ALL TIME- The timing of the Day of Atonement (10th day, 7th month) in the Jewish Year is in the same fraction through the year as the GREAT DAY OF ATONEMENT (the day of the cross) is in history (after 4000 years out of a total of 7000)! All the sacrifices through the ages were limited and ineffective and were just a preparation for the Great Final Sacrifice. They revealed the method but failed to put away sin. They pointed to the ONE SINGLE SACRIFICE THAT WOULD PUT AWAY SIN ONCE and FOR ALL.
'Jesus our High Priest doesn't need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.' (Heb 7:27). 'Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.' (Heb 9:12)
It seemed disproportionate after all the blood spilt during
the year, with no permanent effect that one sacrifice
would deal with all the sins of all the people for the whole year.
THE DAY OF ATONEMENT reveals there is an ultimate sacrifice that removes
all sin, and that no amount of other sacrifices
can avail in it's place. As the sacrifice on the Day
of Atonement superseded all other sacrifices and dealt with all sin for that
year, so the cross supersedes all sacrifices and deals
with all sin for all time! Thus the sin-offering
sacrifice on the Day of Atonement is a Type of Christ in a greater way than any other sacrifice and it gives us far more detail about the work of Christ
than the ordinary sin-offerings (which just revealed
the main truth of substitution).
Let us now look at this sacrifice: 'He shall
take 2 male goats as a sin offering.' (Lev 16:5) The ONE SIN OFFERING involved 2 GOATS. Jewish law
rightly required them to be identical. Why? Because
they represent one sin-offering. Each represents Christ- our sin-offering
in a different aspect. It was not physically possible
for 1 goat to show how Christ put away our sin.
The 1st goat is Christ crucified on the cross.
The 2nd is Christ's spirit-soul after his death on the cross.
Another surprise is the use of a smelly GOAT who represents
the unrighteous: 'He (Jesus) will set the sheep (righteous)
on His right hand, but the goats (unrighteous) on the left.'
(Matt 25:33)
Jesus, although he was the spotless, sinless lamb
of God, identified with us, took sin upon himself, becoming sin (a goat) that we might become sheep (righteous) (2Cor 5:21)
'He shall take the 2 goats and present them before
the LORD at the door of the tabernacle. Then Aaron shall cast lots for the 2 goats,
one lot 'for the LORD' and the other lot 'TO AZAZEL''
(Lev 16:7,8).
Both goats were dedicated to God for the work they
would do, as Christ was.
One lot had 'for the Lord' on it. The other had 'to Azazel' on it.
Translators have trouble with the name 'Azazel' and translate 'goat to Azazel' as 'scapegoat' referring to the goat that 'escapes',carrying the sins of Israel on it's back. 'Scapegoat' then came into our language as one on whom all the blame is put. However by the language of v8, 'Azazel' must refer to a person in opposition to the Lord. One goat is 'for the Lord', the other 'for or to Azazel.' Azazel means 'apostate, fallen, removed one.' He was well-known as the prince of the demons of the wilderness. Azazel is satan. The goat sent to Azazel was released into the wilderness, where Azazel was, carrying all the sins back to their origin.
The 2 goats represent 2 phases of Christ's atonement
-one with respect to God, the other with respect to satan.
Sin originated from it's father satan. When we received it, it cut us off from God (spiritual death)
and we came under satan's power.
Thus we have a DOUBLE PROBLEM:
(1) Sin cut man off from God, putting him under God's judgement, and
(2) the presence of sin puts him under the influence of satan.
Christ had to solve both problems as a sin-offering to put away our sin once for all.
In his death on the cross Jesus was the FIRST GOAT.
He bore and suffered the punishment for our sin in
our place.
This was the sacrifice FOR THE LORD, which removed
the barrier of sin between us and God, and satisfied
God's Judgement upon sin. Thus we could now be forgiven and come under
the blessing of God.
After his death, Jesus as the SECOND GOAT
carried our sins upon his spirit-soul into the wilderness
of hell, where satan ruled. These sins having been
expiated (forgiven) on the cross, could be now separated and removed from
us. He took them 'to Azazel', dumping them all on
the devil where they belonged! Thus Jesus, in the
3 days and 3 nights buried our sins in hell forever. When he rose again he left them all behind.
Sin's final destination is with satan and hell (judgement) If we're not separated from sin it would take us into satan's
hands and hell forever.
Either we can carry our own sin to hell or we can
let Jesus carry our sin there for us! Jesus went to
hell so we would not have to go there! With our sins forgiven our relationship with God
is restored. With all sin and curse removed from us,
having been returned to satan it's source, our relationship with satan is ended and his power
over us is broken forever.
The greatest sacrifice of the year was the sin-offering on the Day of Atonement which was done through 2 goats, which revealed 2 phases of Christ's death.
GOAT 1: 'Aaron shall bring the goat on which the LORD'S
lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering.'(Lev 16:9)
This goat was sacrificed 'for the Lord', to propitiate
Godís Justice.
Hands were laid on it (as in v21) and thus the sins
of Israel were transferred to the goat. In its death
it symbolically paid the just punishment for sin, thus providing forgiveness.
It was a Type of Jesus, the sinless substitute who alone was acceptable
as the sacrifice for sin.
'He shall kill the goat of the sin offering, for the people,
bring it's blood inside the veil and sprinkle it on the mercy seat.
So he will make atonement for the uncleanness of the children of Israel,
for their transgressions and all their sins...he
makes atonement for all Israel' (v15-17)
When God saw the blood on 'the mercy seat' ('place of propitiation') above the tablets of the law, He saw the price had been paid for man's breaking the law, and manifested His glory between the cherubim, showing that sin was covered (forgiven) and man could have fellowship with God. This was a picture of Christ's death on the cross once for all the sin of all people. When he said: 'It is finished', this meant the price for sin was paid, but the complete work of redemption in all phases was not done until he arose.
Sin was now forgiven before God but for a complete salvation it must also be removed from us forever.
This was the work of GOAT 2.
'But the goat on which the lot fell to be the
goat for Azazel (wrongly translated 'scapegoat') shall be presented
alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it (see v21) and to let it go as the goat to Azazel
into the wilderness' (v10)
The 1st goat was Christ’s death on the cross paying the price for our sin, reuniting us to God. Only after this goat was slain and it's blood fell on the mercy seat, do we go to the 2nd goat: 'When he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place (1st Goat) he shall bring the live goat.' (v20)
This 2nd goat continues the story of how Christ put away
sin. At death his spirit-soul left his body.
Now he is the living goat.
'He shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat into the wilderness.' (v21,22)
The living goat took their sin into the wilderness-an
uninhabited land, a land of separation and forgetfulness, an habitation of demons where Azazel was prince-a good picture
of Hades-Hell. So when Jesus died physically, his
spirit (still living) descended into hell, the domain of satan. He carried all our sin and sickness away. Our sin having been expiated (forgiven) on the cross by Jesus
as the 1st goat, could now be separated and removed
from us. Jesus as the 2nd goat took it back to its
origin (satan) and dumped it on satan hence
ending our relationship to him. Jesus went to Hell
for us as a goat, because he was still 'sin' (2Cor 5:21). He carried our sin and was still identified with it.
Thus, he was still cut off from God's Presence.
Thus, his spirit went to the land of the unrighteous
dead, where unbelievers go - a place of separation
from God, a place of demons and under satan's dominion.
'He was cut off from the land of the living'
(Is 53:8).
'He was numbered (put in rank) with the
transgressors, He bore the sin of many.' (Is 53:12)
Luke 16:19-26 shows that under the earth there were 2 compartments of Hades (Hell) where the dead people went. Believers went to 'Abraham's bosom', a place of comfort (also called Paradise). Unbelievers went to 'Torments'. This is a holding cell as they await final judgement. These 2 areas were within sight of each other with Paradise above Torments, and separated by a great gulf preventing any from crossing over.
In 2Cor 12:1-4 we see that since Christ's ascension, Paradise (where believers go) has been moved to the 3rd heaven. 'When He ascended on high, He led captivity (believers captive in Paradise) captive.' (Eph 4:8, see Matt 27:52-53).
2Peter 2:4 Under Torments is 'Tartarus' where certain evil angels are confined.
The lower regions of hell are also called the Abyss
(Bottomless Pit)
After He died physically on the cross, Christ descended
into lower-hell:
'Now, 'He ascended' means He also first descended into the lower parts
of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above
all the heavens, that He might fill all things.'
(Eph 4:9,10)
Loaded with our sin he sunk into the depths of hell,
into the Abyss:
'Do not say in your heart: `Who will descend into the Abyss?'
(that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)' (Rom 10:6,7)
He went to the lowest place for us (Ps 88,Matt 12:40)
before he rose to the highest place defeating all
powers on the way up. (Eph 1:19-23)
So that now He is Lord of every region! (Phil 2:7-11)
Removal of sin. Jesus took our sins to the abyss and buried them there!
That's why it says: 'The Lamb of God who takes
away the sin of the world!' (John 1:29)
'Once at the end of the ages, he has appeared
to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself' (Heb 9:26)
'As far as the east is from the west, so far has
He removed our transgressions from us.'(Ps 103:12)
That's why God can say: 'I, even I, am He who
blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.' (Is 43:25)
'I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin
I will remember no more.'(Jer 31:34; Heb 8:12)
That's why we can say: 'You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back (out of sight).' (Is 38:17)
'He will again have compassion on us, and subdue our
iniquities.
YOU WILL CAST ALL OUR SINS INTO THE DEPTHS OF
THE SEA.' (Micah 7:19) The ocean depths represent the Deep or Abyss of darkness
(Gen 1:2) When God sent the Flood he buried all sin in the
Deep. Sin must be buried and put away. Instead
of burying us in hell, he separated our sin from us and buried it in the
depths of hell, in land of forgetfulness, to be remembered
no more! So, instead of us carrying our sin to hell
to await final judgement; Jesus bore our sin upon
himself, carried it to hell, dumped it and left it there when he arose.
For the daily sacrifices only one hand was laid on the animal, but on this Day the Priest put both hands upon it signifying a COMPLETE transfer of sin to the goat. God laid all sin and all curse (including sickness) upon Jesus.
One hand transmitted sin and the other the consequences
of sin (the curse)
To this Isaiah also testifies: 'The LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all
(and its consequences)'(Is 53:6)
'He made His soul an offering for sin'(v10)
'Surely He has borne (away to a distance)
our sicknesses
and carried (as a heavy load) our pains'
(v4)
'He shall bear(as a heavy load) their
iniquities.' (v11)
'He bore (away to a distance)
the sin of many.'(v12)
The 2nd goat does not denote a sacrifice to satan,
no blood was shed.
It is returning sin to where it belongs.
Jesus did this ONCE FOR ALL.
Forgiveness and healing doesn't just come by asking
for it, for it's only available through the sacrifice. However we have to believe in and receive the sacrifice.
The sacrifice was only effective for them if they
appropriated it with the right heart attitude. On
this Day Israel had to fast and be penitant and repentant for their sins.
Then when they saw the 1st goat sacrificed and
the 2nd goat taking their sin away they knew they were forgiven. They are a picture of God's people with contrite
and believing hearts receiving forgiveness. Our attitude
to our sin must likewise be serious, humble, and repentant. Then by faith we see Him remove it far from us. We must believe the report for it to be effective
for us. (Is 53:1) We must see him do this through the eyes of faith
and accept our forgiveness and freedom. 'Behold! (open your eyes and see) The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
world!' (John 1:29)
Our attitude to satan when he comes to condemn us
for sins we have confessed, is to quote the scriptures
above and say:
'Jesus took away my sins and sicknesses and buried them forever-
but your sin is still upon you and you're destined for the pit!'
The Jewish practice on the Day of Atonement as given
in the Talmud
was for the scapegoat to be taken to a cliff in the
wilderness they called Azazel and pushed it over the edge. Thus they made sure it did not return to town. This agrees with the picture of Christ descending into the Abyss.
They tied a red cord to the scapegoat, the cliff
and the temple door.
The Talmud claims that when the goat fell, the scarlet cord on the cliff and temple door supernaturally turned
white signifying that sin was thus put away. 'Come now, and let's reason
together,' says the LORD
'Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson, they shall be
as wool.' (Is1:18)
The Talmud also says that from AD 30 (when Jesus had started His ministry) it no longer turned white! He was the true Temple and the true final sacrifice, making the old system redundant. At the same time for 40 years (30-70 AD when the Temple was destroyed) all the lots for the goat for Jehovah were in the High Priest's left hand (which they took as a bad sign of impending judgement). This was against impossible odds-1 in 1,000,000,000,000 ! Also the Temple doors started opening by themselves and the west light of the Menorah (the servant candle used to light the others) failed to burn!
Appendix: Hebrews 8-10 presents the New Covenant in Christ as the fulfilment of the Old.
It argues that the incompleteness and ineffectiveness
of the old system meant it was but a picture pointing
to the fulfilment by Christ. They were not of permanent
effect for they only foreshadowed the sacrifice of Christ. (Heb 10:1-4; 9:7-14). It shows the Temple
and it's ceremonies as all SYMBOLIC of Christ and the New Covenant. (8:5,6; 9:9,11,23,24;10:1) It says that
the climax and centre-piece of this system (the Day of Atonement sacrifice)
was fulfilled in Christ. (9:23-26)
Thus it contains the New Testament commentary on
this Day.
It clearly shows that Christ fulfilled the picture
of the final, perfect, complete, effective sacrifice that puts away
sin once for all.
Thus it proves the sacrifices on the Day of Atonement
are a Type of Christ. (Heb 9:7-14, 23-26; 10:1-12)
Hebrews 8:6-12 describes how the NEW and BETTER
COVENANT was predicted. 'Better' because provision
was made for the complete forgiveness and removal
of sin through the better sacrifice so that man and God could be permanently
united. Christ came to offer the perfect sacrifice,
once for all, to end all sacrifices. (Heb 10:9-19) 'By one offering He has perfected forever those
being sanctified.' (v14)
Thus sin has been forgiven and removed: 'Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember
no more.' (v17) and we can draw near even into the Holy of Holies,
God's Presence, by the blood of Jesus. (v19)