It’s this scapegoat who is first introduced to the Israelites in Leviticus 16 as a part of the old covenant. Yahweh’s detailed instructions for the Day of Atonement further expand on the already-familiar Passover lamb concept. This atonement ritual required two flawless goats: one to be slaughtered and one to be the scapegoat. In Hebrew, “scapegoat” is azazel, which literally means “goat of removal.” After the high priest slaughtered the first goat as a sin offering and sprinkled its blood on the mercy seat (covering the Ark of the Covenant), he was to lay his hands on the head of the living goat and “confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites,”all their sins” and put them on the goat’s head” (Leviticus 16:21 NIV). Then the goat was sent into the desert to carry away the sins of the people. Not only was the shedding of innocent blood required for atonement; someone without flaw was needed take onto himself all guilt of the people and carry it away.

Like the sacrificial lamb or goat slaughtered as a sin offering, Jesus had to die a very real, very physical, very painful death.

In order to pay for our sin, it wasn’t going to be enough for Him to simply close His eyes and experience spiritual torment on our behalf. Fully human as “the second Adam,” Jesus suffered an excruciating human death. But that wasn’t the whole of His sacrifice. Also fully God, Jesus did what no other human could do . . .

All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one,
to his own way;
And the LORD has laid on Him
the iniquity of us all. ISAIAH 53:6

We through God have opportunity to be forgiven and to have the burden of our sin removed and transfered on to Christ all we must do is ask! We have no need of daily ritualistic sacrifices anymore, Christ is… and was… and will forever be our scapegoat!

Thank You Lord!

PD