EPISODE 42 :: LEVITICUS 16 THRU 18 :: LAWS OF ATONEMENT :: IMMORAL RELATIONS

LEVITICUS 16:7-10 THE TWO GOATS

7He shall take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 8Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the Lord fell and make it a sin offering. 10But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat.

            The two goats have two different destinations, but one is designated as the “scapegoat” and I think we all know the reason why.  One goat would be killed to satisfy God’s justice for sin while the other would have the sins of all of the people laid upon its head and it would carry them away into the wilderness as a type of remission of their sins. Psalm 103:12 tells us, “12As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”  This is about the mercy God extends to those who fear Him.  The east and west are farther apart than the north is from the south.  What does that mean for the believer? It means a full pardon to the greatest extent.  How extensive?  By the shed blood of Jesus God has made it so that our sin can never be recovered and it will never rise up in judgement against us.  Satan is bringing charges against God’s elect 24 hours a day, and the result is that those charges are brought before God’s bench and they are dismissed as inadmissible evidence.  Placing faith in Jesus Christ means our sins are thoroughly forgiven.