Leviticus 16 - Day 143 (link to reading plan)
Scripture: Leviticus 16: Commentary: The Day of Atonement is the highest day in the Jewish calendar. On this day Jews afflict themselves by abstaining from all earthly pleasures. They deny their bodies as they spur themselves to seek God solemnly for forgiveness of their sins...Next the high priest presented the living goat. He laid both his hands on the goat and confessed over it the sins of the people. Laden with these sins, the goat was sent away into the wilderness by one appointed for this task. That person’s responsibility was to make sure that the goat went away from the camp and did not wander back into it. In later times the goat was cast over a precipice to make sure that it died. This goat died in the wilderness, the haunt of demons and evil spirits. The purpose of this ritual was to remove the sins from the area where the people lived, to return them to their source, and to leave them there in order that they would have no more ill effect within the community. This rite completely broke the power of these sins over the people of God. Hartley, J. E. (1992). Leviticus (Vol. 4, p. 244). Dallas: Word, Incorporated. Application: This is where we got the term "scapegoat", meaning a person who is blamed for the wrongdoing of others. A goat was literally sent away into the wilderness, taking the sins of the people out of the camp. Jesus was our scapegoat, who died for the sins of the world. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the life we have because of your sacrifice. Comments are closed.
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January 2024
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