Leviticus 16:18-22: a reflection

18“He shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the bull’s blood, and some of the goat’s blood, and put it around on the horns of the altar. 19He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and make it holy from the uncleanness of the children of Israel. 20“When he has finished atoning for the Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, he shall present the live goat. 21Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, even all their sins; and he shall put them on the head of the goat, and shall send him away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is ready. 22The goat shall carry all their iniquities on himself to a solitary land, and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.

On the Day of Atonement, after the priest has made atonement, comes the ritual of the scapegoat. The priest lays both hands on the head of a live goat, confesses over it all the sins of the people, and then sends it away into the wilderness, to a solitary land. The goat carries all their iniquities away on itself, far off, never to return. It is a vivid picture of sins being taken away, removed, carried off, so that they are gone from the people.

Notice what the scapegoat pictured: sins carried away and removed. The people's sins were confessed and laid on the goat, and then the goat carried them away into the wilderness, far from the camp, to a place from which it would not return. The sins were not merely covered, but carried away, removed, taken off to a solitary land. It was a picture of God's dealing with sin, not merely covering it, but taking it away, removing it far off, so that it is gone.

That picture points to what Christ has done with our sins. Like the scapegoat, Christ has borne our sins, taken them upon himself, and carried them away, so that they are removed from us, gone, as far as the east is from the west. Our sins are not merely covered over, still hanging about us; in Christ, they are carried away, removed, taken off, gone. When you are burdened by your sins, feeling them still clinging to you, remember the scapegoat, and what Christ has done: he has carried your sins away, removed them, taken them off to a place from which they will not return. Your sins, confessed and laid on Christ, are not merely covered but carried away, gone. Do not go on carrying the burden of sins that Christ has carried away; the scapegoat took the sins to a solitary land, and Christ has taken yours away. Rest in the knowledge that your sins, borne by Christ, are carried away, removed, gone, rather than still clinging to you.

Lord, on the Day of Atonement, the priest laid his hands on a live goat, confessed over it all the sins of the people, and sent it away into the wilderness, so that the goat carried all their iniquities away, far off, never to return; a vivid picture of sins removed, carried off, gone. Show me what the scapegoat pictured: sins carried away, not merely covered but taken off to a solitary land. And let it point me to what Christ has done with my sins. Like the scapegoat, Christ has borne my sins, taken them upon himself, and carried them away, so that they are removed from me, gone, as far as the east is from the west. My sins are not merely covered over, still hanging about me; in Christ, they are carried away, removed, taken off, gone. When I am burdened by my sins, feeling them still clinging to me, help me remember the scapegoat, and what Christ has done: he has carried my sins away, removed them, taken them off to a place from which they will not return. Keep me from going on carrying the burden of sins that Christ has carried away; help me rest in the knowledge that my sins, borne by Christ, are carried away, removed, gone, Lord, rather than still clinging to me. Thank you that Christ has carried my sins away.