29/03/2024
Thoughts… Ruminating on God’s word
THE SCAPEGOAT AND THE SCAPEGRACE
As I ponder on the issue of the scapegoat, I stumbled on the word scapegrace defined as a wild and reckless person (especially a boy); a scoundrel. And how serious that is that there be a word coined as such; that the issue of the Scapegoat should even be more important.
“and Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the Lord’s lot fell, and offer him as a sin offering. 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 16:8-10
The bible makes it clear that the Old Testament happenings are like a script of what would later be brought to full act in the New Testament. Having laid out the process by which the High priest must take to offer an acceptable sacrifice for the children of Israel.
One may be tempted to more carefully look into the atonement lamb totally overlooking the scapegoat. Yet it seems to me that God does not mean to say that the scapegoat is not significant even though the name suggests so.
It appears that the two goats are both important as we would later see in the life of Jesus. The blood of the atonement lamb shed and sprinkled stands for the cleansing of the sins of the people.
Note however, that then it was a yearly sacrifice, meaning that within the year, before the next sacrifice, the children of Israel would have sinned against God countless times worthy of instant judgment. But, inasmuch as the scapegoat is still alive, whenever God sees the scapegoat, he remembers that the SINS of the people had been cast on it, and He repents from dishing out recompense. So, through the scapegoat, the enduring mercy of the Lord is kept.
Jesus is our atonement lamb (He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:2 NIV), but also our scapegoat! (…but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Heb 7:24-25 NIV). Through the death of Jesus on the cross, He effectively made a once and for all sacrifice for our sins (Rom 3:25). Now, this makes the yearly sacrifice of the blood of the lamb of no more use and effect.
At the same time, it is clear that Jesus died and resurrected on the third day, living forever before God, making intercessions for us. This was what the scapegoat stood for. In His (Jesus) death and His resurrection is the enduring mercy of God perfected. It is not just that the blood of Jesus washes us from all our sin, He lives forever at the right hand of God, making intercession for us. Both the atonement goat and the scapegoat are two sides of the same coin, performing and perfecting the same function, God’s mercy and forgiveness.
Though a man be as a scapegrace, reckless and wild by life’s definition, yet by the mercy of God is Jesus made for us a scapegoat. How shall we then escape, if we throw away such a precious gift of salvation to make eternal peace with God?
Reckless we might have been, yet, the price has been paid long ago; only that you would accept it by Faith. Jesus says Come!
Happy Easter
Shalom
