What role do the goats play in the purification process in 2 Chronicles 29:23? Setting the Scene in Hezekiah’s Revival • Judah’s new king, Hezekiah, reopens and cleanses the temple after years of neglect (2 Chronicles 29:3–5). • He calls the priests and Levites to restore proper worship and reinstate the sacrificial system commanded in the Law of Moses. • As part of this restart, seven male goats are selected “for a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah” (2 Chronicles 29:21). Why Goats? A Quick Review of Sin Offerings • In the Torah, goats are repeatedly designated for sin offerings (Leviticus 4:23–28; 16:15). • A sin offering centers on substitution: an innocent victim bears the guilt of the people so they can stand clean before God. • Goats represent the cost of forgiveness and highlight the seriousness of sin—blood must be shed to atone (Hebrews 9:22). Hands Laid on the Goats: Identification and Transfer “Then they brought the male goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands upon them.” (2 Chronicles 29:23) Laying hands communicates: • Identification – the king and congregation publicly associate themselves with the animals. • Transfer – their collective guilt is symbolically placed on the goats (Leviticus 1:4). • Unity – ruler and people share accountability; purification is a communal need (2 Chronicles 29:24). Sacrifice and Purification Accomplished Once hands are laid, the priests: 1. Slaughter the goats. 2. Sprinkle the blood on the altar “to make atonement for all Israel” (v. 24). 3. Declare the temple, the kingdom, and the people ceremonially cleansed. Results: • The defilement introduced under King Ahaz is removed. • Temple worship can resume without offense to God (Hebrews 9:13). • The nation is re-aligned under covenant blessing. Echoes of the Day of Atonement • Leviticus 16 also features goats—one slaughtered, one sent into the wilderness—showing both atonement (blood) and removal of guilt (scapegoat). • Hezekiah’s ceremony mirrors that first half: the slain goat whose blood purifies sacred space (Leviticus 16:15–16). • By following this pattern, Judah signals full obedience to God’s revealed method of cleansing. Looking Forward to the Perfect Substitute • These goats, though effective for ceremonial purification, point beyond themselves (Hebrews 10:1–4). • Christ fulfills their role as the once-for-all sin offering: “For God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf” (2 Corinthians 5:21; cf. Hebrews 9:12–14). • The goats illustrate the gospel truth that only a blameless substitute can remove guilt and bring lasting reconciliation with God. So, in 2 Chronicles 29:23 the goats serve as the divinely appointed sin offerings whose sacrificed lives and sprinkled blood purify the temple, the kingdom, and the people, restoring them to fellowship with the holy God. |
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