What is the meaning of Leviticus 16:21? Laying Both Hands on the Head of the Live Goat • Aaron places both hands—signifying full identification—on the goat (compare Leviticus 1:4, “He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him,”). • Two hands instead of one underline the completeness of the transfer; nothing partial is happening here. • The live goat (“azazel,” the scapegoat) stands before the LORD as a substitute, foreshadowing the perfect Substitute who would come (John 1:29; Hebrews 9:11-12). Confess Over It All the Iniquities and Rebellious Acts of the Israelites • Confession is spoken aloud, naming the specific “iniquities and rebellious acts.” Sin isn’t glossed over; it is openly acknowledged (see Psalm 32:5). • This moment shows the priest acting as mediator, a preview of the ultimate Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). • It stresses personal accountability yet offers corporate cleansing—both individual and national guilt are addressed (Numbers 14:19). In Regard to All Their Sins • “All” leaves no category of wrongdoing uncovered—intentional, unintentional, habitual, or forgotten (Leviticus 4:13; 5:17). • God’s provision for sin is as thorough as the need is vast (Isaiah 1:18; Colossians 2:13-14). • The Day of Atonement thus resets the covenant community, pointing to the once-for-all atonement of Christ (Hebrews 10:1-4, 10). Put Them on the Goat’s Head • The sins symbolically move from the people to the substitute—an act of imputation (Isaiah 53:6, “The LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all,”). • This transfer teaches that sin must be dealt with; it cannot remain on the sinner if fellowship with God is to continue (Micah 7:19). • The physical gesture illustrates a spiritual reality later fulfilled when Jesus “bore our sins in His body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). Send It Away into the Wilderness • The wilderness represents barrenness and separation; sin is carried far from the camp of God’s people (Psalm 103:12, “as far as the east is from the west”). • No one follows the goat; once gone, the sins are out of sight, out of reach, out of memory (Jeremiah 31:34). • The removal foreshadows the empty tomb—sin and death taken away so God’s people can move forward in freedom (Romans 6:4). By the Hand of a Man Appointed for the Task • A designated man ensures the job is done; sin’s removal is purposeful, not accidental (Leviticus 16:26 explains he later washes, illustrating cleansing). • Appointment highlights order in God’s house; redemption follows God’s precise plan (Galatians 4:4-5). • It reflects that Christ was “appointed” and “sent” by the Father to carry our sins outside the camp (Hebrews 13:11-12). Summary Leviticus 16:21 paints a vivid picture of substitution and separation. With both hands Aaron identifies the goat with the people, audibly confesses every category of sin, transfers guilt onto the animal, and has it borne away into desolation by a chosen servant. The rite proclaims God’s justice—sin must be punished—and His mercy—He provides a substitute. Each movement anticipates the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus, who carried our sins outside the city so we might be reconciled to God forever. |
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