How does Leviticus 16:7 illustrate the concept of atonement in Christian theology? The Day and the Doorway Leviticus 16:7: “Then he shall take the two goats and set them before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.” What’s happening? • It is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. • Aaron, the high priest, stands at “the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,” the very threshold between a holy God and a sinful people. • Two goats are positioned “before the LORD,” underscoring that atonement is God-directed, not human-devised. Two Goats, One Message 1. The sacrificial goat (Leviticus 16:15). • Blood poured out, life given. • Symbolizes substitution—sin paid for by another. 2. The scapegoat (Leviticus 16:21-22). • Sins confessed over its head. • Sent away, carrying guilt into the wilderness—sin removed, forgotten. How Verse 7 Captures the Heart of Atonement • Divine Initiative – The goats are “set… before the LORD.” God provides and prescribes the means of reconciliation (cf. Leviticus 17:11). • Substitutionary Framework – Two blameless animals stand in for a guilty nation, prefiguring Christ, “who knew no sin” yet became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). • Dual Aspect – One goat dies to satisfy justice; the other departs to demonstrate cleansing. Both aspects meet perfectly in Jesus. • Singular Focus – Only one entrance, only one appointed ritual, foreshadowing the single, sufficient sacrifice of the cross (Hebrews 9:12). Foreshadowing the Cross • Hebrews 9:11-12 – Christ enters “once for all” with His own blood, surpassing the goats. • Hebrews 10:4 – Animal blood could only point forward; it “is impossible… to take away sins.” • Isaiah 53:6 – The LORD “laid upon Him the iniquity of us all,” echoing the scapegoat imagery. • Hebrews 13:11-12 – Jesus suffers “outside the city gate,” paralleling the goat driven outside the camp. Why It Matters Today • Assurance – The same God who required atonement has provided it fully in Christ. • Gratitude – Our sin is both paid for and carried away; we live forgiven and free. • Holiness – Standing “before the LORD,” we respond with surrendered lives, confident that the barrier of guilt is gone. The doorway of the tabernacle with two goats standing ready points directly to the cross where one Savior both died in our place and removed our sins forever. |
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