The Scapegoat

Our pastor is doing a Bible Study on the Scarlet Thread through the Bible.  Last night, we were studying several passages in the Old Testament but Leviticus 16 was the main focus.  I can't take credit for anything I present to you on this particular blog posting.  I just thought it was great information and wanted to pass it on to you. 

Let's start with the scriptures (New International Version):
(I would recommend reading all of Chapter 16 so you can have the whole picture but for the purpose today I am only presenting portions of it)

⁶ “Aaron is to offer the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household. ⁷ Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁸ He is to cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat.^{[b] 9} Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the LORD and sacrifice it for a sin offering. 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.

(Skipping ahead to verse 20)

 ²⁰ “When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. ²¹ He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task. ²² The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a remote place; and the man shall release it in the wilderness.

I have probably read these verses many times as I have read through the Bible,  but I never understood them.  I always kind of thought the book of Leviticus was not that exciting anyway and it always seemed like a chore to read through it.  Boy, was I wrong! 

Did you know that there were 613 laws that were given to Moses by God that the people of Israel had to follow?  On the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), Aaron would place his hands on this trembling goat's head for no telling how long in order to confess all the sins of the people (613 laws broken every single day for an entire year).  Can you imagine how long that had to take!  All the while this goat is just standing there, taking on the sins of the people.  When Aaron was finally finished with this arduous task, he then released the scapegoat to an "appointed man" who then led the goat out into the uninhabited wilderness.  Imagine how lonely this poor goat must have felt - all alone with the sins of a nation placed upon its head.

Well like I said, I've read this before, never understanding the significance of the scapegoat. The scapegoat represents Jesus.  Jesus took on all the sins of the world (past, present, and future) and had to bear that burden alone.  God, Himself turned his back on Jesus while He did this.  Jesus did not have to do this.  He could have called on a league of angels or even God to rescue Him from the pain (physical and spiritual).  But He didn't.  WHY?  Because He loves you and He loves me.  Enough that he allowed Himself to take on the sins of the world while He hung on that Calvary Cross, so that we wouldn't have to be punished for our sins.  He is now seated at the right hand of God, seated because there is no more work to be done, no more bloody sacrifices that have to be made.  He made the ultimate and final sacrifice for the entire human race. 

The only way that any of us can escape the rightful punishment of our sins is to accept Jesus as our Saviour, confessing our sins to Him, recognizing that we are dirty sinners in desperate need of a Saviour.  Jesus' blood then covers us, so that we can come before God, holy and righteous, not our own holiness or righteousness, but that of Christ Jesus.  The Bible says that our righteousness is as filthy rags.  Have you ever thought about what these "filthy rags" were?  They were the rags used by women during menstruation.  That is our righteousness dear friends.  Dirty, nasty, menstrual rags.  That is what we are to God.  But He doesn't have to see us that way.  He made a way for us to have the righteousness of Christ - to be seen as pure, holy, and clean.  Jesus poured out his blood for us so that we can be washed clean of all our sins.  This should humble us.  I want to be reminded every single day of the cross and what it means for me.  Jesus' blood is the only way that I can approach the throne of God.  Thank God for His sacrifice!  I hope that you will think today about what Christ endured for you.  Often times, we think about the horrific physical pain He endured, but I believe that the spiritual pain he suffered was much more excrutiating.  I don't think we can even imagine what it was like for Him to bear the weight of the sins of the world on his shoulders, to face loneliness and shame for US.  He did this for us, and it costs us nothing.  It is FREE!  I hope with all my heart that you have accepted this free gift from God, and that it has changed your life.  Because it will.  The blood of Jesus is that powerful. Period.