How can we apply the concept of atonement from Leviticus 16:8 today? Why Leviticus 16:8 Still Matters “He shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for the scapegoat.” (Leviticus 16:8) This single verse introduces the heart of the Day of Atonement: one goat offered to God, the other carrying sin far away. The pattern still speaks because it prefigures the finished work of Jesus Christ. The Two Goats: One Sacrifice, Two Pictures • Goat for the LORD — its spotless life was substituted for sinners; its blood taken “behind the veil” (Leviticus 16:15) satisfied divine justice. • Scapegoat — Aaron “shall confess over it all the iniquities of the Israelites … and send it away into the wilderness” (Leviticus 16:21-22). Guilt is removed, never to return. Together they portray both propitiation (God’s wrath appeased) and expiation (sin carried off). Atonement Fulfilled in Christ • “He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” (Hebrews 9:26) • “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) • “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) At Calvary, Jesus became the perfect substitute and the true scapegoat. Every aspect of Leviticus 16 finds its literal, historical fulfillment in Him. Personal Application • Rest — Stop striving to earn acceptance; Christ’s blood secures it (Romans 5:1). • Confess — Bring sin into the light daily; cleansing is promised (1 John 1:9). • Forgive — Release others’ debts as God has released yours (Ephesians 4:32). • Pursue Holiness — Draw near “with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22). • Witness — Share the word of reconciliation; you are now an ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:19-20). Corporate Application • Christ-Centered Worship — Gather with boldness, celebrating the once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 10:19-25). • Communion — Regularly remember and proclaim His atoning death until He comes (1 Corinthians 11:26). • Restorative Community — Gently restore the fallen, modeling the scapegoat’s removal of guilt (Galatians 6:1). Walking in Freedom Because the lot has fallen forever on Jesus, your sin is both covered and carried away. Live gratefully, walk freely, and keep pointing others to the Lamb whose atonement Leviticus 16:8 so vividly foretold. |
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