Daily Scripture Reading Leviticus 16:1-16
The company VP promised a very unrealistic deadline in order to close a deal. Over the next several months, whenever the customer asked how the project was going, the VP pretended his company was on track to deliver on time. However, as the delivery date drew closer and closer, the customer was less and less confident the product would be delivered by the due date. On the due date, the client showed up and confronted the VP because the project was not finished. The VP blamed the project manager and asked him to explain to the client why he had failed to keep the project on schedule.
The VP overpromised in order to close a deal, but when confronted with his dishonesty, he blamed the problem on the project manager. The VP turned the project manager into a scapegoat.
Hopefully, most people are incensed when anyone tries to make someone else a scapegoat. The term scapegoat originates in Leviticus 16. We think of a scapegoat as being a victim. That is true. However, a scapegoat is also a picture of what Jesus did for us on the cross.
Lev. 16:1 ¶ Now Yahweh spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they came near the presence of Yahweh and died.
The death of Aaron’s sons is recorded in Leviticus 10:1-2. Nadab and Abihu offered unauthorized incense to Yahweh and were struck dead immediately.
Lev. 16:2 And Yahweh said to Moses: ¶ “Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, so that he will not die; for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.
The phrase “not enter at any time” means Aaron could not go into the section where the ark was any time he wanted to do so. He could only go in there when Yahweh gave him permission.
Lev. 16:3 Aaron shall enter the holy place with this: with a bull from the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.
This specified the sacrifices Aaron had to bring into the holy place.
Lev. 16:4 He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and the linen undergarments shall be next to his body, and he shall be girded with the linen sash and attired with the linen turban (these are holy garments). Then he shall bathe his body in water and put them on.
This specified how Aaron had to dress anytime he entered the holy place.
Lev. 16:5 And he shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering.
Lev. 16:6 Then Aaron shall bring near the bull for the sin offering which is for himself, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household.
Look at the word “himself”. The first thing Aaron was required to do was atone for himself and his household. Only after atoning for himself would he be able to atone for anyone else.
Lev. 16:7 And he shall take the two goats and present them before Yahweh at the doorway of the tent of meeting.
Lev. 16:8 And Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for Yahweh and the other lot for the scapegoat.
Notice the word “scapegoat”. A scapegoat is a person who is blamed and punished for the mistakes of another person. This passage explains the origin of that term.
Lev. 16:9 Then Aaron shall bring near the goat on which the lot for Yahweh fell, and he shall offer it as a sin offering.
Lev. 16:10 But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before Yahweh, to make atonement upon it, to send it out into the wilderness as the scapegoat.
A goat was selected by lot to be sent out into the wilderness. The goat symbolically carried the sins out of the camp and bore the punishment for those sins. The goat itself was not a sinner. Instead, it carried the sins of others.
This is a picture of what Jesus did for us. Jesus was sinless. However, He was taken outside the city of Jerusalem and crucified for the sins of all mankind. He was the ultimate scapegoat, bearing the punishment for sins He did not commit.
Lev. 16:11 ¶ “Then Aaron shall bring near the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his household, and he shall slaughter the bull of the sin offering which is for himself.
Once again we see the word “himself”. This bull was for the sins of Aaron and his household.
Lev. 16:12 And he shall take a firepan full of coals of fire from upon the altar before Yahweh and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense, and bring it inside the veil.
The word “veil” refers to the veil that separated the holy place from the holy of holies.
Lev. 16:13 And he shall put the incense on the fire before Yahweh, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony, so that he will not die.
Aaron had a firepan full of coals, and he put incense on the coals in order to cover the mercy seat with smoke.
Lev. 16:14 Moreover, he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; also in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.
Lev. 16:15 ¶ “Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering which is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull. And he shall sprinkle it on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat.
Take note of the words “for the people”. After Aaron atoned for his own sins, he atoned for the sins of the people.
Lev. 16:16 So he shall make atonement for the holy place because of the uncleanness of the sons of Israel and because of their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and thus he shall do for the tent of meeting which abides with them in the midst of their uncleanness.
Humans are opposed to being a scapegoat or to making someone else a scapegoat. However, the term “scapegoat” originates from the requirement in the Mosaic Law that a goat be chosen by lot to carry the sins of the people out of the camp.
This is a picture of what Jesus did for us on the cross. He was sinless, but He allowed Himself to be taken out of the city of Jerusalem and crucified for the sins of mankind. Humans have many things for which to give thanks. One of them is the fact that Jesus allowed Himself to be the scapegoat for our sins. Very few humans would be willing to be put to death for the sins of someone else.
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”