I know those verses James. It just puts a totally different light on "the wages of sin is death".
The wage is still death but not necessarily for the one who commited the sin.
Of course a similar system was very frequently used in OT. The wages of sin is the death of a sheep/goat
Exactly.
This is an interesting article.
In the book of Leviticus we read of an intriguing ceremony which was performed every year on the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur, in ancient Israel. God commanded the people of Israel, "From the Israelite community he [the high priest] is to take two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. . . Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He is to CAST LOTS for the two goats -- one lot for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat. Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the LORD and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat . . .
"He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and take its blood behind the curtain and do with it as he did with the bull's blood: He shall sprinkle it on the atonement cover and in front of it. In this way he will MAKE ATONEMENT for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been. . . .
"When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Ten of Meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites -- all their sins -- and put them on the goat's head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a SOLITARY PLACE; and the man shall release it in the desert" (Lev.16:5-22).
What is this mysterious "scapegoat" that carries the sins of all the people into the desert? What does this strange ceremony symbolize and foretell?
All commentators are agreed that the first goat, which is sacrificed for a sin offering, whose blood is sprinkled over the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, represents Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who was slain for the sins of the world. John the Baptist looked upon Jesus, and declared to his disciples, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). The apostle Paul wrote of Christ, our High Priest, "Such a high priest meets our need -- one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins ONCE FOR ALL when he offered himself" (Heb.7:26-27).
Paul explained further, "When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place ONCE FOR ALL BY HIS OWN BLOOD, having obtained eternal redemption" (Heb.9:11-12).
As Paul wrote, "For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place ever year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared ONCE FOR ALL at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, NOT TO BEAR SIN, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him" (Heb.9:24-28).
Notice! Jesus gave His life for our sins ONCE and for all time. His sacrifice COMPLETELY paid the penalty of our sins. This awesome event is portrayed by the first of the two goats, the one whose lot fell "to the LORD," the goat that was sacrificed by the high priest as a SIN offering for the people! As Paul explains to the Corinthians, "God made him who had no sin to BE SIN for us, so that in HIM we might become the righteousness of God" (II Cor.5:21).
Therefore, this first goat which was offered on the Day of Atonement every year, pictured to perfection the unique sacrifice of Jesus Christ who laid down His life for our sins, as our "sin offering." Jesus is also the "Passover Lamb" who was slain for us, that our sins might be covered by His blood, and we might be forgiven, and have peace and reconciliation with God. "For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed" (I Cor.5:7).
Why then, in the ancient yearly ceremony on the Day of Atonement, was there the unique feature of a SECOND GOAT -- one not "for the LORD," but for "Azazel"? The sacrifice of Jesus Christ PERFECTLY satisfied the requirement and symbolism of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. There would have been no need whatsoever for a second, additional goat to also represent Christ in His capacity as our "sin bearer." The first goat, who was SLAIN for our sins, fulfills this symbolism PERFECTLY! What, then, does this second goat really represent?
Let's understand!
The "Azazel" Goat
Peake's Commentary on the Bible asserts, "Having thus isolated the sin of the people from all holy things, Aaron now proceeds to get rid of their sin altogether. He puts both hands on the head of the live goat, recites over it all the sins of the people of Israel and thus transfers their sins to the goat. The goat is then sent away and is lost in the wilderness. There was a man waiting in order to follow the goat and see that it was successfully lost. In the time of the Second Temple this man was usually a non-Israelite" (p.248).
This Commentary continues:
"According to Hebrew tradition, as preserved in the Mishnah,
Yoma vi, 8, the goat was driven to a rocky terrace twelve miles
east of Jerusalem, identified as the modern Bet Hudedun, and
was driven over these jagged rocks to perish over this precipice
. . . G. R. Driver, 'Three Technical Terms in the Pentateuch,' . . .
shows that the 11th century Jewish commentator Rashi was right
when he understood AZAZEL to refer to the place to which the
goat was sent. It means, 'jagged rocks, precipice,' and only later
did the word come to refer to a desert demon . . . the Rabbis were
very clear that the goat was in no sense a gift to Azazel. Rabbi
Eliezer declared that the goat was not a gift to Semjaza (Sammael),
the chief of the Fallen Angels, nor a bribe to him not to make their
offerings void or falsely to accuse Israel. It was not a sacrifice
since it was not slaughtered. It was SENT AWAY BY GOD'S
COMMAND. God chooses the goat that is sent away to Azazel.
Plainly and simply God himself is providing a means of getting
rid of Israel's sin" (p.248-249).
Notice carefully! This second goat was NOT A SACRIFICE! Therefore, it could NOT picture Jesus Christ, who as a sacrifice paid the penalty for all our sins. Secondly, this second goat was "sent away" to the desert by the COMMAND of GOD! Christ was never sent away to the desert, carrying our sins to the remote wilderness. This pictures some other altogether different event!
Notice once more: This second goat is chosen "by lot," as is the first goat. That is, God Himself choses which goat will represent Christ as our Saviour and Redeemer, and which goat will represent this other symbolism -- the "Azazel."
The very name "Azazel" itself is very significant. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible points out that this term literally means "GOAT OF DEPARTURE." It comes from two roots: aze, "a she goat (as strong)," and azal, aw-zal -- "a primitive root, to GO AWAY, hence to DISAPPEAR, fail, gad about, go to and fro, BE GONE, SPENT."
http://www.triumphpro.com/azazel-goat.htmFor as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.--Psa 103
"AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE." [Heb 10:17]
