Topical Bible: The Goat: The Young of Offered at the Passover

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In the context of biblical sacrificial practices, the goat holds significant importance, particularly in the observance of the Passover. The Passover, a pivotal event in the history of Israel, commemorates the deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. The instructions for the Passover sacrifice are detailed in the Book of Exodus, where the Israelites were commanded to select a lamb or a young goat for the sacrifice.

Biblical Instructions and Symbolism

The instructions for the Passover sacrifice are found in Exodus 12:5, which states, "Your lamb must be an unblemished year-old male, and you may take it from the sheep or the goats." This directive highlights the acceptability of a young goat as a substitute for a lamb, emphasizing the flexibility within the sacrificial system while maintaining the requirement for the offering to be without blemish. The unblemished nature of the goat symbolizes purity and perfection, qualities that are essential for a sacrifice that is pleasing to God.

The use of a young goat in the Passover sacrifice also underscores the theme of redemption and deliverance. The blood of the sacrificial animal, whether lamb or goat, was to be applied to the doorposts and lintels of the Israelite homes. As recorded in Exodus 12:13, "The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt." This act of faith and obedience resulted in the sparing of the firstborn of Israel, marking a pivotal moment in their liberation from slavery.

Cultural and Religious Significance

The inclusion of the goat in the Passover ritual reflects its broader role in Israelite culture and religious practice. Goats were commonly kept by the Israelites for their milk, meat, and hides, making them a valuable asset in agrarian society. Their role in sacrificial rites, including the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:7-10), further illustrates their importance in the religious life of the community.

The Passover sacrifice, whether of a lamb or a goat, served as a foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the "Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). The young goat, like the lamb, points to the necessity of a perfect and unblemished offering for the atonement of sin, a theme that resonates throughout the New Testament.

Theological Implications

Theologically, the use of a young goat in the Passover sacrifice reinforces the concept of substitutionary atonement. The death of the innocent animal in place of the firstborn of Israel prefigures the substitutionary death of Christ on behalf of sinners. This typology is central to Christian soteriology, where Christ's sacrifice is seen as the fulfillment of the Old Testament sacrificial system.

Moreover, the Passover event, with its inclusion of the goat, serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness and the importance of obedience to His commands. The meticulous observance of the Passover regulations by the Israelites is a testament to

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 12:5
Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: you shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Chronicles 35:7
And Josiah gave to the people, of the flock, lambs and kids, all for the passover offerings, for all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bullocks: these were of the king's substance.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Separation to God.
... day he shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons, to ... for a burnt-offering, while
one he-goat sufficed for ... The same offerings were offered at the Feasts of ...
/.../taylor/separation and service/part i separation to god.htm

The Shepherd of Pella
... "Then," he offered promptly, "come ... Momus ate, and looked with growing grace at his
young host ... But Laodice succeeded only in drinking the goat's milk and lapsed ...
/.../miller/the city of delight/chapter iii the shepherd of.htm

Scriptural Types.
... able to bring two turtle doves or two young pigeons." He ... also were the flour, wine,
and oil offered with the ... to the victim, as in the case of the scape-goat. ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxvii scriptural types.htm

Appendix xii. The Baptism of Proselytes
... a pair of turtle doves or of young doves (Maimonides ... Services, to take the place
of the Sacrifice previously offered. ... not even offer to God a bullock or a goat. ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix xii the baptism of.htm

Letter xxii. To Eustochium.
... Because what is freely offered is worth more than what is ... also you avoid the eyes
of the young men, you ... Some clothe themselves in goat's hair, and, putting on ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter xxii to eustochium.htm

Covenanting Provided for in the Everlasting Covenant.
... saints, in early times, while they offered sacrifice by ... ashes were for purification;
the she-goat of three ... offering; the turtle-dove and the young pigeon, for ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter vi covenanting provided for.htm

Period iii. The Critical Period: AD 140 to AD 200
... with dark and secret wounds by the young novice, who ... He attaches no importance to
meats offered to idols ... wolf, the ape, the lion, and the goat, whose properties ...
/.../a source book for ancient church history/period iii the critical period .htm

P??dobaptism. Its Accordance with the Institution of Christ, and ...
... and says, that under the law, the sheep and the goat were not offered in sacrifice ...
that it was not necessary to wait for mature age, the young and tender ...
/.../chapter 16 paedobaptism its accordance.htm

Light for them that Sit in Darkness;
... angel comes to them in Egypt, and bids them take the young child, and ... this was
effectually foretold by all the bloody sacrifices that were offered under the law ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/light for them that sit.htm

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
... use, such as the ass, buffalo, sheep, goat, dog, and ... to those places where sacrifices
were no longer offered to Him. ... i.1). He must have been quite young in the ...
/.../chapter iiithe medes and the.htm