TEXT: Leviticus 16:1-22

SUBJECT: The Atoning Goats

Yom Kippur is the holiest day on the Hebrew calendar. On the tenth day of the seventh month, Aaron and his descendants would make an atonement for the people of Israel. If the offering was received, judgments would be averted. But if not, they would fall with terrifying results. Everything--peace, prosperity, health, even life--turned on that single event. Many things occurred on that day. And much could be said about them. But I will fix your attention on the two goats employed in that ancient ritual. We read about them in vv.6-10, 15-22.

Both were "presented to the LORD at the door of the tabernacle". At that point, they ceased being common livestock, and became objects of sacred instruction. The priest then "cast lots for the two goats". One was chosen to die as a "sin offering". The other became a "scapegoat". The former was killed on the altar and its blood brought behind the veil and sprinkled on the mercy seat. On the latter, the priest laid his hands and charged all the sins of Israel to the living goat. It was then handed over to a suitable man who led the goat far off into the wilderness, where it would never be seen again.

By these two goats, God was teaching Israel a lesson. With the sacrificial goat, He taught justice. With the scapegoat, he taught mercy. And with both, He taught that justice and mercy are reconcilable with each other.

When the devout Jew heard the goat's dying shriek, he remembered that "the wages of sin is death". Charged with the sins of God's people, that goat had to die--and not a common death--but as direct judgment from heaven.

When he saw the other goat, led farther and farther away, till finally out of sight, he recalled that "as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us".

And when he thought of them together, he realized that justice does not cancel mercy and mercy does not rescind justice. The two are compatible in God; and seen in the atonement.

Can you imagine how the thoughtful Hebrew felt on the Day of Atonement? He saw God's wrath unleashed--but not on himself. And he saw his guilt carried beyond the horizon. He must have gone away singing God's praises and giving thanks to His Holy Name. And so he did, if he well considered the meaning of Yom Kippur.

But what does this say to us? We have no sacrificial beast or scapegoat, do we?

Yes we do. These goats, you see, were only types which pointed to the future. They did not remit the sins of Israel. "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins". But they pointed them to the One who would. And as to His identity there can be no doubt: "For if the blood of bulls and goats...sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"

The fulfilment of these types is Jesus Christ. His work is so complex that no one thing could typify it; so God chose many things--which when combined--result in an unmistakable portrait of our Savior.

In one way, Christ is the sacrificial goat. "It pleased the LORD to bruise Him" as Isaiah puts it. This may be too delicate. For the "bruising" He endured was no ordinary contusion. It was an exquisitely painful death. But why did He die? Was He Himself guilty? He was not. Condemned by both Jewish and Roman courts--He was convicted by neither. "Which of you convinces Me of sin?" is the challenge to the former, which met with no response. And the latter went further still, "I find no fault in Him! What evil has He done? I wash my hands of the matter".

No; Christ does not die for His own faults, whatever others say to the contrary: "He is stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted". His death is for others: "Surely, He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows...He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him...All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned, everyone, to his own way, and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all..."

In another way, Jesus is the scapegoat. "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world". He carries our guilt to a place beyond our sight--yea, beyond God's, no less. "He will turn again, He will have compassion on us; He will subdue our iniquities; and will cast all of our sins into the depths of the sea".

Thus, our Lord fulfills both types. He bears the punishment for our sins and takes our guilt away. He is both goats: sacrificial and scapegoat.

But He is more than both. For they didn't truly avert judgments, but only delayed the inevitable. Nor did they bring real blessings, but only outward favors. And, of course, their service lasted only one year. But how much better is our Atonement!

The death of Christ remitted our sins--not made them forgivable if only we confess them and try harder in the future--it "blots them out as a thick cloud!" His death cancels our guilt, too. The inner feeling of unpreparedness to meet God is removed. "Who is he that condemns? It is Christ who died!" is the believer's shout! His death redirects our judgment, too. Must the believer receive "the wages of sin"? He must. But how? In himself? No. But in his Savior. "He who believes in Him is not condemned..." His death brings substantial blessings, "every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" are our's. And, of course, the effects of His death are permanent. "Every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the Right Hand of God...for by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified."

And, of course, the death of Christ shows the compatibility of justice and mercy. By killing His Son, God judged sin to the full. And now, He can show mercy consistent with that justice. He is both "just and the justifier of him who believes in Jesus".

Thus, our response to the atoning work of Christ ought to be the same as the devout Jew's on Yom Kippur--only more so. We ought to be ever praising and thanking our God for this "unspeakable gift".

The LORD gave Israel goats; He gives us His Son. He gave them temporary relief. He gives us eternal life. Thus, they gave Him the "fruit of their lips"--let us give Him something better: our hearts.

May God so bless us, for Christ's sake. Amen.