Where Does the Idea of a Scapegoat Come From?

Remember yesterday we looked at the Passover lamb and its representation of Christ? Well, I don’t know about you, but something in the story has always puzzled me. Read this: Ex. 12:5-7  Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:  (6)  And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.  (7)  And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it….

If Jesus was the Passover lamb, why was a goat perfectly acceptable for the occasion? Now I think I have the answer.

Jesus was not only the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world, he was the goat and scapegoat described in Lev. 16, which we will look at below. One goat died to make atonement, as did Christ, while the other was released and was used for intercession. Very interesting.

In earthly confines, one goat could not be killed and later made alive. So two goats were used. One died, the other was free from death—just as Christ died, but was later freed from death, the firstborn from among the dead. (And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. Colossians 1:18) Look at the story below in the left column very carefully. You may never have looked at the way we are going to look at it.

Old Testament

Notes

Lev 16:5-10  And he [ Aaron ] shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.  (6)  And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.  (7)  And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.  (8)  And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.  (9)  And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD'S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.  (10)  But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness. Lev 16:15-16  Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:  (16)  And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness. Lev 16:20-22  And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:  (21)  And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:  (22)  And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

The two goats in this offering by Aaron represent Christ, one sacrificed in death as a sin offering, the other presented alive as the interceding risen Christ. The learning is that our atonement was not perfected only by the death of Christ, but also by his resurrection. The resurrection is a key part of the gospel 1Co 15:3-4  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  (4)  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: The blood of the goat that was killed as a sin offering was brought within the vail, that is, into the Holy of Holies, which represents heaven.  Heb 10:19-20  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,  (20)  By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;  It was the blood that reconciled: Col 1:20  And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. The goat that lived, the scapegoat, was used by Aaron, the priest, to make intercession for the people. Heb 7:25  Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.  Heb 9:24  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:  Rom 8:34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Nothing is More Important Than the Passover Lamb

I know I mentioned that Abraham offering Isaac is one of the two best pictures of salvation in the Old Testament. I had another story in mind as the second best picture, but now I think today’s story is the best. We are looking at presentations of the gospel by “type” in the Old Testament. We are delving into territory many Bible teachers don’t go. But I’ve seen a minimum of 24 stories representing types in the Old Testament that picture Christ and salvation. Here we go with the Passover lamb.

The Israelites were slaves in Egypt under the wicked Pharaoh. But deliverance was on the horizon. All families in Egypt were about to experience the wrath and judgment of God, but not the Israelites, if they followed God’s prescribed plan.

God’s deliverance plan for the Jews involved the sacrifice of a lamb for each family. It was called the Passover lamb. This was a type of the deliverance he planned for all mankind held in the bondage of sin. Jesus was the Passover lamb slain for all, but only those who believe experience deliverance.

This deliverance from the bondage of Egypt was so significant that God required them to establish a ceremony around it each year, so they would never forget and would be able to pass on the story to their children and their children’s children. We are still passing it on today.

Exo 11:4-7  And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt:  (5)  And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.  (6)  And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.  (7)  But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel…. Exo 12:3-7  Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:  (4)  And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.  (5)  Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:  (6)  And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.  (7)  And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it…. Exo 12:12-15  For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.  (13)  And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.  (14)  And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.  (15)  Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel…. Exo 12:21-27  Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover.  (22)  And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.  (23)  For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.  (24)  And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.  (25)  And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.  (26)  And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?  (27)  That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD'S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.

Judgment is planned for the world at large (Egypt is a type of the world), but not for the people of God. Who are the people of God? Those who have the lamb’s blood applied to them. In our case, we are in bondage to sin, and the only way to be released is through the shedding of blood, because we know that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission for sins (Heb. 9:22). There was a reason the lamb had to be without blemish. God was working on his picture that applies to us today. 1Pe 1:18-19  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;  (19)  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: This verse puts to rest any question about Christ’s identity as the lamb of God. But if there is any further doubt… Joh 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. As part of the requirement for deliverance, the Jews killed the lamb and ate it. Thus began a yearly Passover feast to memorialize their deliverance. Then came Christ, who during the Passover at the end of his life, instituted a new practice or memorial, where his body and blood, as the lamb of God, were at the center. Mat 26:26-28  And as they were eating [ the Passover ], Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.  (27)  And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;  (28)  For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Heb 10:12  But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; This was the completion of our salvation. God’s sacrificial lamb died and rose again. We remember him during our prescribed ceremony, communion.