Hovering over Leviticus 16 this morning . . . The Day of Atonement . . . Yom Kippur . . . the one day a year when the high priest enters the Most Holy Place with sacrificial blood to make atonement for himself and the people. A lot here . . . needed some help from one of my commentaries to help me get clear on the order of events. But one thing I didn’t need a lot of help with was noticing the two goats.

Along with the bull to be offered as a sin offering, Aaron also brought two goats. One of the goats was “for the Lord” and the other for “Azazel” (16:8). Only the ESV and MSG use the literal Hebrew term “Azazel” . . . other translations say “the scapegoat.” One of the goats was to be used as a sin offering . . . to be killed and its blood brought into the tabernacle, into the Most Holy Place and sprinkled on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat (16:15). The other goat was presented alive . . . Aaron laying his hands on “Azazel”, the scapegoat, and confessing over it all the iniquities of the people . . . all the transgressions of their sins. He put on the head of the goat all their sin and then the goat was led out . . . to bear all their iniquities on itself in a remote area . . . to carry their sin into the wilderness (16:20-22).

One goat, though its death, dealt with the problem of the unclean amidst the holy . . . the two being mutually exclusive. And so, atonement was made . . . the way for the high priest to continue ministering on behalf of the people was secured . . . through the blood. In a sense, access to the holy was secured for another year because blood was shed and applied. In like manner, Jesus “entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption” (Heb. 9:12). And, through the blood of Jesus, I have confidence to enter boldly into the Holy of Holies, into the presence of God (Heb. 10:19). The blood of Jesus, the once for all sacrifice, having forever made clean the unclean so that I might know unfettered access to God . . . having prepared the way for me to “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience” (Heb. 10:22). O, praise God for cleansing! Praise Him for a way into the most holy . . . that I might have opportunity to behold the glory.

But, having the way “made open” was only part of the deal . . . the “baggage” of sin was not permitted. That needed to be left at the door . . . more yet, it needs to be put away . . . far, far away. Thus the scapegoat. Place the sin on the head of the other goat . . . send that goat into the wilderness . . . let it bear the sin to a place of no return. And in this picture, I can’t help but be moved as I consider that Jesus was not only my blood sacrifice . . . but also my “Azazel” . . . my scapegoat.

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) The Lamb of God was the scapegoat, the One who takes way my sin. The perfect, spotless, Son of God allowed me, as it were, to place my hands upon Him and convey my sin to Him. “For He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2Cor. 5:21 NKJV).

Isaiah prophesied of the lowly Servant of God who would fulfill the role of “Azazel” . . . “He shall bear their iniquities” (Isa. 53:11) . . . “He bore the sin of many” (Isa. 53:12). Peter knew what it was to have the baggage of sin removed, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” (1Peter 2:24). Through death He carried my sins to a remote wilderness . . . “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). Gone . . . gone . . . gone . . . gone . . . all my sins are gone!!!

A way made into the Holy of Holies . . . and a means to check all my baggage at the door . . . to have it forever removed . . . to never be picked up again.

Hallelujah! What a Savior! Amen?