How does Leviticus 16:8 foreshadow Christ's atoning sacrifice for our sins? The Day of Atonement in View • Leviticus 16 describes the one day each year when Israel’s sins were dealt with through two goats. • One goat was slain, its blood carried into the Holy of Holies (Leviticus 16:15). • The other remained alive, bearing confessed sin and then removed “into the wilderness” (Leviticus 16:21-22). • Leviticus 16:8: “He is to cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat.” Two Goats, One Salvation Message • The lot “for the LORD” pictures satisfaction of divine justice. • The lot “for the scapegoat” (Azazel) pictures the removal of guilt from the people. • Together they portray atonement as both payment and cleansing—fulfilled in one Person, Christ. Christ as the Goat “for the LORD” • Substitutionary death: “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous” (1 Peter 3:18). • His blood, not animal blood, reaches the heavenly sanctuary: “He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12). • Divine choosing prefigured: the lot reminds us that the Father sent the Son by sovereign purpose (Acts 2:23). Christ as the Scapegoat • Sin transferred: “The LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). • Sin carried away: Jesus suffers “outside the city gate to sanctify the people by His own blood” (Hebrews 13:12). • Final removal: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). Unified Fulfillment at the Cross • One sacrifice, two results—propitiation toward God and expiation of sin from us (Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2). • The double imagery underscores the completeness of Christ’s work: justice satisfied, guilt gone. • Unlike yearly goats, His offering is “once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). Key Takeaways for Today • God Himself provided the atonement foreshadowed in Leviticus 16:8. • In Christ we stand both forgiven and cleansed—no remaining offering required (Hebrews 10:18). • Trusting Him unites us forever to the mercy Leviticus only previewed. |
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