Rescue The Perishing
 
Part of the Old Testament Day of Atonement included the following:

Then he shall take the two goats and set them before the LORD at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for Azazel. And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the LORD and use it as a sin offering, but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.  (Leviticus 16:7-10 ESV)

And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:21-22 ESV) 

What this signified “was the removal of their sins far away, both from the people, and out of God’s sight, or from the place of his presence.” 1 

The prophet Jeremiah said, “In those days and in that time, declares the LORD, iniquity shall be sought in Israel, and there shall be none, and sin in Judah, and none shall be found, for I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant. (Jer 50:20ESV) 

“The losing of the goat was a sign to them that the sins of Israel would be sought for, and not found.” 2 

When the High Priest laid his hands on the goat and confessed the sins of the  people the significance was that the sins of Israel were being transferred, or “put on” the goat. Then the goat was taken far out into the wilderness and set free bearing “all their iniquities on itself,” after which the sins of Israel would not be found. 

This is all a wonderful foreshadowing of the work of Christ on behalf of every believer:


All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6 KJV)

He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:11 KJV)

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. (1 Peter 2:24 ESV)

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2Cor 5:21 ESV) 

Jesus bore our sins in his own body on the cross! All our sins were laid on him. Just like the scapegoat he bore our sins away, while he himself was forsaken to die on our behalf. He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (Mark 15:34). Our sins, every one, were put to his account; while our own slate was wiped clean, and our own account was marked “paid in full”! In him we are dead to sin, but alive unto righteousness. He takes out the hard, stony, impenitent heart from us and gives us a soft heart toward him. He puts a new spirit within us (Eze 36:26). We become born again; born from above. It is a spiritual rebirth miraculously accomplished by the life giving Holy Spirit that rose up Jesus from the dead! (See: John 3:3, 5-6; Rom 8:11). 

Jesus came willingly to take away our sins (Phil 2:5-8: John 1:29)! Now he asks you to come willingly to him. If you confess and forsake your sins (Pro 28:13) through repentance  (Luke 13:3, 5) putting all your hope and trust in the work of Christ in bearing your sins on the cross; if you’ll come to him in simple child-like faith and believe that he is both Savior and Lord, he will grant you forgiveness of sins and  eternal life!  Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Rom 10:13), and Jesus promised that “whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37).  
He came to take away our sins. 

You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. (1John 3:5 ESV)   

And how far has our scapegoat carried our sins away? 

As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. (Psa 103:12) 

Think about the mercy that is higher than the heavens (Psalm 108:4) and the love of God the Father in sending his “beloved Son” (Matthew 3:17)--knowing that he would lay down his life for our sins, when we were without strength and still sinners (Rom 5:6, 8). Truly, the love of “Christ surpasses knowledge” (Eph 3:19). 

1. Matthew Poole Commentary, comments on Lev 16:21

2. Matthew Henry Commentary, comments on Jer 50:20
 


Comments

Taco Don

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:18:38

Nice message. Keep up the good work

 



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