What role does the man releasing the goat play in the Day of Atonement? The Text in View “The man who releases the goat as the scapegoat must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may come into the camp.” Immediate Context • Verses 20-22 – Aaron lays Israel’s sins on the live goat; the goat is sent away “by the hand of a man appointed for the task” into the wilderness. • Verse 27 – The bull and goat sacrificed for sin are burned outside the camp, and those handling their remains must wash as well. Who Is This Man? • A “fit” or “ready” individual (vv. 21-22). • Not necessarily a priest, but someone ceremonially qualified and physically able. • Serves as the people’s representative, ensuring the goat actually departs and never wanders back. His Specific Role 1. Receives the sin-laden goat from the high priest. 2. Leads it far into a desolate place so it cannot return. 3. Releases it there, symbolically carrying Israel’s transgressions away (Psalm 103:12). 4. Returns to the camp only after full washing, acknowledging contact with what now bears sin. Why Must He Wash? • The goat, though alive, is viewed as ceremonially defiled by the nation’s sins (Leviticus 16:21). • Contact with that uncleanness requires cleansing—water and fresh garments—before re-entering holy community. • Emphasizes that sin cannot linger among God’s people; even its symbol must be removed and cleansed from those who carried it. Symbolic Layers • Removal – Sin isn’t merely forgiven; it is sent away (Isaiah 53:6). • Separation – Holiness demands distance between God’s camp and sin’s presence (Hebrews 9:22-26). • Cleansing – The man’s washing anticipates the continual need for purification, fulfilled ultimately in Christ’s blood (Hebrews 10:22). Foreshadowing Christ • The scapegoat pictures Jesus “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). • The goat is led outside; Jesus suffers “outside the gate” (Hebrews 13:11-12). • The unnamed man insures the sins are carried away; God the Father lays our iniquity on His Son, ensuring they never return (2 Corinthians 5:21). Practical Takeaways • Sin’s removal is complete, yet it required a costly, deliberate action. • Holiness involves both release from guilt and ongoing cleansing (1 John 1:9). • God appoints faithful servants—even unnamed ones—to make redemption visible. The man releasing the goat embodies God’s determination that forgiven sin is banished, not merely covered, and models the cleansing that follows genuine atonement. |
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