time, of course) I was able to dwell on each stipulation and command regarding this special day, which was to be "an everlasting ordinance" on "the seventh month, the tenth day of the month" (Leviticus 16:29). The central feature of Yom Kippur, obviously, is atonement -- a day to have the sins of all the Israelites expiated. The way in which this is to happen was fascinating to me. And now we come to the issue of the "scapegoat." The high priest was to select two goats, one to be sacrificed to God, and one to release into the wilderness. The latter, through translation, came to be known as the "scapegoat," for on it were placed all the sins of God's people, so that when it was released into the wilderness and left to be devoured by wild beasts (or pushed off a precipice, as some think), so went the people's sins, and thus they were atoned. I found this remarkable practice wonderfully symbolic. But what is more, there is an even more profound symbolism going on here. For what did Jesus do but act as our scapegoat?! All of our sins were placed on Him! And through His Passion (as the scapegoat met a violent end in the wilderness) we are atoned! Yom Kippur is simply a sign of things to come. It is an imperfect day of atonement; whereas what happened on Good Friday was a perfect atonement for the sins of all of mankind!
Friday, January 22, 2010
Leviticus 14-16: The Scapegoat
As a fan of etymology, I was delighted to discover in Leviticus 16 the origin of our word "scapegoat." In these chapters of Leviticus we read of the institution of the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur. I knew little about the origin of this holy day. In fact, the first time I read Leviticus I must have been completely ignorant of the fact that Yom Kippur is even mentioned. But this time around (taking my 
time, of course) I was able to dwell on each stipulation and command regarding this special day, which was to be "an everlasting ordinance" on "the seventh month, the tenth day of the month" (Leviticus 16:29). The central feature of Yom Kippur, obviously, is atonement -- a day to have the sins of all the Israelites expiated. The way in which this is to happen was fascinating to me. And now we come to the issue of the "scapegoat." The high priest was to select two goats, one to be sacrificed to God, and one to release into the wilderness. The latter, through translation, came to be known as the "scapegoat," for on it were placed all the sins of God's people, so that when it was released into the wilderness and left to be devoured by wild beasts (or pushed off a precipice, as some think), so went the people's sins, and thus they were atoned. I found this remarkable practice wonderfully symbolic. But what is more, there is an even more profound symbolism going on here. For what did Jesus do but act as our scapegoat?! All of our sins were placed on Him! And through His Passion (as the scapegoat met a violent end in the wilderness) we are atoned! Yom Kippur is simply a sign of things to come. It is an imperfect day of atonement; whereas what happened on Good Friday was a perfect atonement for the sins of all of mankind!
time, of course) I was able to dwell on each stipulation and command regarding this special day, which was to be "an everlasting ordinance" on "the seventh month, the tenth day of the month" (Leviticus 16:29). The central feature of Yom Kippur, obviously, is atonement -- a day to have the sins of all the Israelites expiated. The way in which this is to happen was fascinating to me. And now we come to the issue of the "scapegoat." The high priest was to select two goats, one to be sacrificed to God, and one to release into the wilderness. The latter, through translation, came to be known as the "scapegoat," for on it were placed all the sins of God's people, so that when it was released into the wilderness and left to be devoured by wild beasts (or pushed off a precipice, as some think), so went the people's sins, and thus they were atoned. I found this remarkable practice wonderfully symbolic. But what is more, there is an even more profound symbolism going on here. For what did Jesus do but act as our scapegoat?! All of our sins were placed on Him! And through His Passion (as the scapegoat met a violent end in the wilderness) we are atoned! Yom Kippur is simply a sign of things to come. It is an imperfect day of atonement; whereas what happened on Good Friday was a perfect atonement for the sins of all of mankind!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment