The Scapegoat

by Stephen Bastin

Yom Kippur just ain’t what it used to be.  The ceremony is described in the third book of Moses, Leviticus, chapter 16.  On the tenth day of the seventh Hebrew month an atonement was to be made for the people of Israel to cleanse them of their sins.

Two goats, a ram and a bull were brought before the high priest, Aaron.  The ram was to be offered as a burnt offering (described in chapter one of the same book).  The bull was to be offered to make atonement for the sins of Aaron and his household.

The two goats were to be presented before the Lord at the doorway of the tent of meeting.  Lots were to be cast for the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat.

The goat for the Lord was to be offered to the Lord as a sin offering.  The animal was to be slaughtered and its blood carried inside the veil of the tent into the Holy place to make atonement for the sins of the people.  The blood was to be sprinkled on the mercy seat atop the ark of the covenant by the high priest.

The second goat, the scapegoat, was to be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat.

Before taking the goat to the wilderness, Aaron was to lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins.  He was to lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stood in readiness.  The goat was to bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land and be released in the wilderness.

The writer of Hebrews tells us simply, “And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

One might ask, “Why must there be shedding of blood for forgiveness?”  The answer is simply, “God has decided.”

You may argue that it is uncivilized.  You may argue that there are other means for obtaining forgiveness, but please remember; you are arguing with God.  You will lose that argument!

From the time of Adam and Eve you may read in the Bible about the offering of blood sacrifices to God.  Abel offered a lamb.  Noah, upon his exit from the ark, offered animal sacrifices to God.  Abraham built altars and sacrificed to God.  In this he was followed by his son, Isaac, and his grandson, Jacob.

When Moses delivered God’s laws to the people of Israel, he devoted the first 6 chapters of Leviticus to a description of the sacrifices they were to bring.  This culminated in the great Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, described in Leviticus 16.

You might note that there are several things required in celebrating the day of atonement God’s way.  There is a high priest, a sacred tent with a special room called the holy place.  There is a box, called the ark of the covenant, with the ten commandments inside.  There is a covering for the box, called a mercy seat representing the very presence of God.  There is an altar upon which animals could be slain.  Without these things there can be no celebration of the forgiveness of sins in the law of Moses on a special day called Yom Kippur (in Hebrew, the English translation is “Day of Atonement).

So far as we may determine, Yom Kippur was celebrated by the people of Israel until about 70 AD.  In that year the Romans invaded Israel with an army under the leadership of Titus, later to head the Roman government.  The city of Jerusalem was besieged and taken.  The temple was destroyed along with the entire city of Jerusalem

Josephus, a Jewish historian, accompanied the Roman army during this siege.  In his writings he describes in vivid details the siege and taking of Jerusalem.  Many died by starvation during the siege and the death toll is said to have reached two million people.

Jesus predicted the destruction brought about by the Romans.  In Matthew 24 with parallels in Mark and Luke, Jesus gave the signs that would precede the destruction of Jerusalem and told his disciples that “this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”

With the destruction of the temple came an end to the worship of God in Jerusalem in the manner described in the writings of Moses.  The priesthood was abolished.  The temple records recording the genealogical data for Israel were destroyed.  The system of sacrifices God put in place at Mt. Sinai came to an end.

The question that must be asked is:  “How could God set up a system of worship for Himself and then allow that system to become impossible to follow?”  There is a very simple answer to this dilemma.  That answer is simply, Jesus.

Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.”  To fulfill is to complete, to fill up, to finish.  This Jesus did with his death on Golgotha.

Dozens of prophecies in the Old Testament predict the coming of one to Israel who would be their king, their prophet, their priest.  Jesus fulfills all of these prophecies by combining in himself the roles of prophet, priest and king.

In particular, as we consider Yom Kippur, the Great Day of Atonement, Jesus is both the goat that was sacrificed and the scapegoat who takes away sin.  Jesus came to complete what God had ordained at Mt. Sinai.  Completing both parts of the ritual, Jesus died on the cross, shedding his blood.  He ascended to heaven and presented his blood as an offering to God, thus completing the part of the first goat. The second part, the part of the scapegoat is completed when sins are actually taken away.  In the New Testament this occurs when one is baptized.

Here are a few quotes:  “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved.”  “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  “Now why do you delay?  Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.”  “Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

God did not remove the opportunity to celebrate Yom Kippur according to the Law of Moses until he had put in place His new system.  With the death of Jesus and his offering of his blood in heaven, the way was cleared to remove the ceremony of Yom Kippur since it had become obsolete.  There is no need to seek other means to celebrate Yom Kippur.  One need only accept the “once for all” sacrifice of Jesus as atonement for your sins.  God does not expect you to make a substitution for His program.  He expects you to accept what He has done.