The Scapegoat
“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 for 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.” Leviticus16.8-10
In the Bible, the term”scapegoat” originates from the ancient Hebrew ritual described in Leviticus 16 during the Day of Atonement, where a goat was symbolically burdened with the community’s sins and sent into the wilderness to carry them away. This ancient ritual serves as a foreshadowing or symbol of Jesus Christ,who, in the New Testament, is considered the ultimate scapegoat, having borne humanity’s sins and iniquities on the cross to provide atonement and forgiveness.
The Levitical Scapegoat Ritual occurred on the Day of Atonement. The ritual took place on the annual Day of Atonement, a solemn occasion for national atonement and the removal of sins.Two goats were presented to the High Priest, who would cast lots to determine which would be for God and which would be the scapegoat.
The High Priest would place his hands on the head of the goat not destined for sacrifice, confessing all the community’s sins and iniquities onto it. This goat, now loaded with the symbolic weight of sin, was then led into the wilderness to carry the sins away from the community, out of God’s presence and protection. The sin-laden goat would never return and never plague God’s people again.
Jesus was the ultimate Scapegoat.God’s Word presents Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross as the fulfillment of this Levitical ritual. Just as the scapegoat carried the sins of the Israelites, Jesus bore the sins of all humanity in his body on the cross.
Through Jesus’ suffering, sins are symbolically transferred to him, bringing about true cleansing, forgiveness,and redemption for believers.
The New Testament reinforces this imagery by noting that Jesus “suffered outside the gate” (the wilderness – Hebrews 13.12), similar to how the scapegoat was sent away from the camp. As the Divine Scapegoat, Jesus offers, to anyone who believes, His provision of salvation and the removal of that person’s sins.
The Psalmist writes of this great blessing from God: “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath here moved our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103.12)
Copyright © 2025 Dr. John H. Hill, All rights reserved.
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