sermonette: Atonement Goats and Passover Lambs


David C. Grabbe
Given 24-Dec-16; Sermon #1356s; 18 minutes

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The Day of Atonement is not about Satan at all, but about the complete cleansing from sins. Rather than a duplication of Passover, the Atonement goats and the sacrificial lamb of Passover have totally different, though complementary, functions. The two goats of Leviticus 16 together make a single offering for sin; one is sacrificed to cleanse the altar and provide access into the Holy of Holies, while the second is left alive and led away to symbolize sin being completely removed. The goats chosen for Atonement were to be free from blemish, something one cannot attribute to Satan. The purpose for Atonement is the propitiation for all sin—including the cleansing of our conscience—made possible by Jesus Christ and not in any way made possible by scape-goating Satan; we are responsible for our own sins. Contrary to common belief, the Passover is not a sin offering, but a peace offering; it celebrates the peace and satisfaction that comes from intimate fellowship with God. The assumption that the azazel (meaning "goat of departure") represents a fallen angel who is the cause of human sin does not originate in the canonized scriptures, but springs from the apocryphal "Book of Enoch," a work laden with errors.




For those of you who like titles, I have entitled this, “Atonement Goats and Passover Lambs.” As John mentioned on the Day of Atonement and at the Feast, this past summer we had cause to take another look at the azazel goat, and what came to light is that our understanding has been wanting. In identifying the azazel goat as Satan, we have essentially made that Holy Day about the Devil, when in fact, the Day of Atonement is not about Satan at all. As we will see, it is about the complete cleansing of sin, which Satan plays no part in.

Now, an interesting thing happens when we take the focus of the Day of Atonement off of Satan and instead put it on the work of Jesus Christ, where it belongs. The question arises, since the Day of Atonement is about the cleansing of our sin, then what is the Passover about? In other words, is there a duplication between what the Day of Atonement teaches and what the Passover teaches? Well, that is what we will be looking at today.

We will begin with the Day of Atonement. There is far more material on the two goats than can be covered here, but God-willing, we will be publishing several articles on it before long. But for now, I will give a very brief summary.

Nearly all discussions about the azazel begin with identifying it as the name of a wilderness demon, and thus a type of Satan. The problem with that starting point, though, is that it does not come from the Bible. It comes from “ancient Jewish literature,” and specifically from the Book of Enoch. The Book of Enoch is an apocryphal work that happens to contain some biblical themes, but also gross heresy. In the Book of Enoch, “Azazel” is the name of a demon who is the source of human sin, and upon whose head all sins are laid.

However, if one uses only the Bible as a source, the Hebrew word azazel is never given as the name of a demon. The word azazel is made of two roots, and together they simply mean “the goat of departure.” In the Bible, the word azazel is not a name at all, but rather it describes a function. In order to identify the azazel as Satan, one must leave the inspired word of God and plunge into some very murky waters.

Leviticus 16:5 says specifically that the two goats together make up a single offering for sin. One goat is sacrificed as a propitiation, to symbolically pay the death penalty. The second goat is left alive, and it departs after having the sins of the nation symbolically put on its head. Its function is to show the sins being completely removed from view. Jesus Christ not only pays the penalty for our sins, but in His work as our living High Priest, He also cleanses our consciences, so that our sins are completely removed.

In other words, both goats are types of what Jesus Christ accomplished, and Satan is not in the picture at all. The goat of departure, like all sacrificial animals, had to be without blemish to represent an innocent party. It is absolutely impossible, though, for Satan to be represented by an unblemished animal, nor is he ever said to bear the sins of mankind. The bearing of sins belongs to Jesus Christ alone. It is only in the imaginative Book of Enoch that the sins of mankind are ascribed to a fallen angel, whereas the Bible consistently shows that each sinning being is accountable for his or her own sins.

If it were true that Satan is responsible for our sins, then there would be no point in the high priest placing his hands on the head of the azazel, because all sin would already be on Satan’s head. And yet the ritual prescribes that there be a representative to bear sin of which it is completely innocent. In addition, the reason that mankind is not reconciled to God is not because of the presence of Satan, but because of the presence of sin. If mankind is going to be one with God, it will be through addressing the problem of sin, rather than though binding Satan. Satan cannot make anyone sin. Even when Satan is bound during the Millennium, people will still be sinning.

We of all people understand the great danger in underestimating Satan and his influence over the world today. But there is an even greater peril in attributing to the Devil the perfect work that Jesus Christ alone accomplished. We have inadvertently made the adversary the focus of the most solemn holy day of the year, when the focus should be on the work of the Savior.

Please turn with me to Leviticus 16, where we will read the summary of this ceremony:

Leviticus 16:30-34 For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever. And the priest, who is anointed and consecrated to minister as priest in his father's place, shall make atonement, and put on the linen clothes, the holy garments; then he shall make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tabernacle of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year." And he did as the Lord commanded Moses.

This is the day that God designates for the cleansing from all sins. For Israel, it included a cleansing of the tabernacle furniture, as well as an atonement for the priesthood. But, as it says in verse 34, the purpose is to make atonement for sins, once a year. For us, the application is different, because we have faith in Christ’s single, perfect sacrifice. It is still, though, a solemn memorial of the propitiation and expiation of our sins, performed by our Savior. He was completely innocent, and yet He both paid the penalty and also removes the sins completely from view, so even our conscience is cleansed.

Now, that might sound like the main theme of Passover, but only if we overlook what the Passover actually is. Within Protestantism, Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for sin is the predominate focus, and yet there were other sacrifices that He also fulfilled, which are ignored. Even within the church, we might lump all of the sacrifices and ceremonies together, knowing that Christ was the perfect fulfillment, and not give the details any thought.

If we are not careful, we might forget that the emphasis of Passover is actually not our sins. This is because the Passover is not a sin offering at all. That is a common assumption. Properly understood, though, the Passover is actually a form of the peace offering. It was distinct from the typical peace offering, and it had its own special requirements. Yet it still followed the general pattern of the peace offering, and not the sin offering.

The peace offering is also called a thanksgiving offering, or a fellowship offering, and in it there is still an acknowledgement of sin. The one making the sacrifice had to place his hands on the head of the animal to show a symbolic transference, and the blood of the animal was sprinkled all around on the altar. But the peace offering was a sweet-smelling sacrifice, meaning that it was pleasing to God. On the other hand, the sin offering had to be made outside the camp, away from God’s presence.

The peace offering pictures the effect of sins being atoned for, and the effect is that the individual can enjoy peaceful fellowship with God. In type, it shows God, the priest, and the individual sharing a meal in harmony, and everyone is satisfied. The satisfaction is not simply because of the food, but because everyone is at peace with each other, and that “everyone” includes the Most High God Himself. In short, the peace offering celebrates the fact that the relationship between God and the individual is on good terms, which should be a cause for extreme gratitude. And this is what the Passover is.

We will take a tour of some of the Passover verses to see the themes of the peace offering:

Genesis 14:18-20 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And he gave him a tithe of all.

Melchizedek brings out bread and wine, and serves as the priest within this peace or fellowship offering. In Melchizedek’s words, there is no mention of sin, even though as priest it was His responsibility to mediate between God and man, which implies sin. Instead, what He speaks about is the blessed condition of Abraham as a result of God’s favor. Melchizedek is officiating over a meal in which the focus is the fellowship and relationship between Abraham and God, and Melchizedek ties it to God’s willingness to intervene on Abraham’s behalf. It is a celebration of God’s favor of Abraham, while any sins are in the distant background, almost completely out of sight. In this Passover context, Abraham and God are at peace, contented, and satisfied.

We’ll fast-forward some 400 years, and see the next record of a Passover:

Exodus 12:5-11 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails. You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover.

Just like with the peace offering instructions in Leviticus 3, the Passover was intended to be eaten all at once, with nothing remaining until morning. And also as in Leviticus 3, there is blood, and yet the animal that is sacrificed is not a sin offering. There is an acknowledgment of sin, but the focus here is not on the payment for sin, but rather on what was eaten, and the overall state of favor in having the Great God on one’s side. The Passover was a meal that was shared because payment had been made.

Verse 13 says the blood was a sign, and in this case, it was a sign of those who had found favor in God’s eyes as this terrible judgment fell. It was not a light-hearted evening, because of the gravity of what was taking place around them, but at the same time, each household was tremendously blessed to be in this position. Through no merit of their own, they had the Creator God working for them rather than against them. They were in an extremely privileged state to be connected with the God of their fathers in this way, while the nation of Egypt was devastated by this final plague.

We’ll fast-forward even more, and look at Christ’s final Passover:

Luke 22:14-20 When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

Verse 15 tells us what was on Christ’s mind here at the Passover, and it wasn’t the disciples’ sin, or even His approaching crucifixion. There is an acknowledgment of sin in the mention of His shed blood, and yet the Son of God had been fervently looking forward to this meal—to this fellowship—with those whom the Father had given to Him. The bread and the wine teach us that the meal we partake of is Jesus Christ. Those partaking of this meal are accepted by God, and God is pleased to have them in His presence. Everyone comes away satisfied because of the peace and fulfillment that comes through the fellowship. Spiritual strength is imparted through eating the bread of life, and through drinking the symbolic blood, in which there is life—eternal life.

If we would study Christ’s words in John 13—17, we would see that these same themes are repeated in Christ’s Passover teaching. He spoke about the disciples being one with the Father, which is typical of what a priest and mediator would say. He spoke of the love and fellowship they could enjoy with each other as a result of the fellowship they had with God. He spoke of peace, of joy, of union, of being so close that the Father and Son are actually indwelling—and yet He does not mention their sins a single time. The whole focus is on what God, the disciples, and the Priest were sharing because of God’s grace and because God was overcoming the estrangement.

What is incredible is that this took place even before the sacrifice for sin was actually accomplished. As Paul says in Romans 4, God calls those things which do not exist as though they did. In this instance, God was counting their sins as covered on the basis of the sacrifice that would happen later on. God’s confidence that Jesus Christ would finish His work allowed the disciples to have this fellowship before the atonement technically was made.

What we have seen, then, is that there is no duplication between the Passover and the Day of Atonement. Atonement pictures the payment for sin and then sin’s complete removal, while the Passover is a feast celebrating the fellowship and intimacy we now have with God. Both of these Feasts put the emphasis on Jesus Christ’s work on our behalf, and they show that His work entails much more than simply paying the penalty for sin. It is through His fulfillment of the live goat, and through His being our living High Priest, that we are accepted into God’s presence, and can be strengthened by this fellowship we have with Him.

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