Scape Goat

I was doing my "Bible Study Fellowship"(BSF) work moments ago and this year we are studying about the life of Moses, in Egypt and out of it. Specifically, Exodus and right now, Leviticus.

So this week we were learning about the goat and sacrifices.Now, as I was doing the questions. One of the question reads:

10."Describe the symbolic ceremony for the removal of the sins that had been atoned by death"
(ref. Leviticus 16:20-28)

Apparently the process is somewhat unique, to say the least. Aaron(the high priest, not the one blogging about this when he's got better things to do) is to bring forth a live goat.But before this, he actually has to find 2 goats in the middle of the dessert. Thankfully he has the whole community of Israelites ready to help him cause they too, committed MANY sins.

(Their worst)

I'll bring you back to another part of Levitcus, 16:7-10.

"....Then he is to take the two goats and present them before he Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.He is to cast lots for thre two goats-one lot for the Lord and another for the scapegoat.Aaron shall bring the goat whose lots falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering.But the goat chosen by lot as a scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat."

Some of the things I learn:

1) The method of casting lots for choosing a goat to kill is also used to elect the new disciple to replace Judas.
2)I never know sacrificing goats involves lucky draws, or for this matter, unlucky.
3) Either way, both goats are screwed.

Anyway, back to the topic. In essence, if Aaron the High Priest is to make a sin offering to God, he has to choose 2 goats. One of them gets a quick but brutal death whilst the other has oppurtunity to die with dignity,albeit a slow but painful one.

(I'm sure one of them is still wandering here...)

I want to concentrate on the goat which will be spending it's last days in the desert.The whole process continues when Aaron is "to lay both hands" on the goat.Why? "To confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites-All their sin-and put them on the goat's head". Basically Aaron is placing all the wickedness of the Israelites unto the goat and thus, the goat will be used as a "scapegoat".After that, the goat will carry the sin's of the people ans sent to the dessert to rot and die.

(Death to you evil goat!)

If you haven't noticed, this is where the term "scapegoat" originated. It's amazing that the many of the phrases used nowadays originated from the bible. Think of "David vs Goliath", "Spare the rod,spoil the child" or even what we call our loved ones:"apple of my eye"! The word scapegoat is defined as "something or someone selected to bear blame for a calamity" (Wikipedia.com), very much the way the Israelites did for the goat.Ironically, the Israelites will be scapegoats themselves during the Holocaust period as they are blamed for Germany's poor economy during Post-WWI period.

But there is another scapegoat, this time on a bigger scale-Jesus-. He is hummanity scapegoat don't you think.We can't denied the fact that everyday, more and more people are doing bad things and thus, more sins are committed. Now, we can't atone for our sins anymore with goats because:

1) All goats are imperfect as they may have some defects, externally and/or internally.
2) There is too many people's sins for that poor little goat.
3) If more goats are slaughtered, they will become endangered species and WWF will be making a big news out of farm animals.

.

(not this one)

So that's why God gave us a solution. And it meant that His only son, Jesus Christ has to be a human being, live like a commoner,be a servant,live in the desert for 40 days(the irony),laughed at,got in disputee with religious authorities,and to top it all, DIE FOR US ON THE CROSS. He die in place of all of us on that cross that he has to carry by himself most of the time and nailed on it, 3 times.Moreover, he was flogged,spatted at,beaten,blashphemed and all of his disciples fled away.But the greatest comfort in the crucification is that Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead 3 days later!!! And that is why he has the power to atone for our sins cause he is sinless and he is alive to be a testimony to all of us and the Devil himself.

(Somewhere in there Jesus is laughing at Death and the Devil)

And all Jesus Christ ask from you and me is that we accpet him to be his Lord and Saviour. No other conditions, just a short prayer to acknowledge him for all the torture and ordeal he had to go through. Isn't that the best deal we can get in our lives?


References:

www.Wikipedia.com
www.dreamstime.com
www.brandsoftheworld.com
www.nigraphic.com
www.dreamstime.com