6. The redemption of the people of Israel was placed on God's people (Leviticus 16:20-22). The sins of God's people were placed on the goat that went out into the wilderness. The sins of the people were imputed to the goat and the righteousness of the divine Savior was imputed to the sinner. Aaron symbolically transferred the sins to the goat. Aaron released the goat into the wilderness and the transgressions will symbolically disappear out of the people's presence and never to be brought up again. The scapegoat was offered in blood sacrifice, but not to offer it in blood sacrifice would be blasphemous. Their sins were removed by the second goat and the people could rejoice. The sins of the people were removed by the blood sacrifice in the first goat. The goat propitiated the sins of God's people. That is, the goat atoned for the sins of the people. The second goat expiated the sins of God's people and removed them from God's people. The sins of God's people were removed by God's people and most importantly the sins of God's people were removed from the presence of God. There ought to be a transference of sin and virtue in progressive sanctification. We ought to confess our sins and impart sin and punishment to the Cross through the application of the Holy Spirit, and by the Spirit the Son from the Cross imparts forgiveness, cleansing and virtue.
7. The separation of sin from God's people was a glorious concept. The sins of God's people were cast all their sins behind His back (Isaiah 38:17). The sins of God's people were tossed out of their sight. The God of Jesus Christ will never remember my sins (Isaiah 43:25). God has chosen to wipe the slate clean through and by and in Jesus Christ our Lord and Redeemer and Deliverer. He elected to cast away our slate altogether. God does not forget our sins but He chooses not to remember them. O God, please never remember my sins in a condemning way (Romans 8). Amen and amen. God has casted our sins into the eternal depths of the sea (Micah 7:19). God removes the sin of His people from His sight. The sins of God's people are gone for good. Psalm 103:12, "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." The east and the west never meet because God's removal of our sins is infinite. May You O Lord blot out my sins as far as the east is from the west. Amen and amen.
8. However, in the NT it says it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins (Hebrews 10:4). Did God later change His mind? Did God make all the blood sacrifices meaningless? Did God have a higher intention in mind? God made the blood sacrifices a foreshadow or a point to refer to all the blood sacrifices that would remove our sins through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ alone. John the Baptist placed His eyes on Jesus Christ and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). Hebrews 9 says that the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of heirfer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for cleansing of the flesh, "how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrew 9:13-14). There was a day of atonement; that is, it happened on that first Good Friday. The OT gave way to reality through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. The animals were totally insufficient but who needed someone to be totally sufficient as a human being; that is, God became man in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ had two natures: He was fully man and fully God. Jesus lived the perfect life to earn salvation for His people and He offered Himself on the Cross for a divine substitute. The sin of God's people was placed on Jesus Christ alone and was punished by God the Father alone. Jesus received the wrath that we deserved. Jesus experienced the hell that we would take if it was not for His sacrifice. The shedding of Jesus' precious blood made spiritual salvation available. The work of Jesus Christ is finished at the Cross and the sin of His people is removed. The sin and wrath are gone from us because by the Holy Spirit He has applied it to the Cross. The wrath is taken away and now we are the recipients of God's awesome and precious and benevolent love. The Lord has given us grace upon grace. This bliss of the glorious thought of heaven! Sin is taken out of the way! The sin "not in part but the whole is nailed to the Cross and I bear it it no more: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!" (Horatio Spafford, "It is Well with My Soul").
9. We learn with Jesus that the separation between man and God is over, because Jesus died on the Cross for His people (Mark 15:38). We ought to draw near with confidence to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). We have complete access to God because we have been completely pardoned. We find a loving Heavenly Father when we enter that throne room in heaven in the Spirit of God and we have a Faithful High Priest as our Divine Advocate. Aaron transferred our sins on to the goats. The gift of spiritual salvation is through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ alone died and shed His blood to remove our sins. Deliver us O Triune God alone from pretenders! The Christian faith is one true religion of grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone for God's glory alone because of Scripture alone! O Triune God remove my sins from me through faith alone in Jesus alone.
10. Jesus made full atonement for the sins of God's people through the shedding of the God-man's blood. The people of God are true Christians. Jesus expiated our sins by eternally removing them from God's presence. The sins of God's people have been drowned in the blood of our Lord and Savior and Deliverer Jesus Christ the Lamb of God. The first goat has been killed and "imagine them loaded on the back of the second goat never to be seen again." (Pastor Randy Smith, "Jesus Is Our Scapegoat" April 02, 2010 on Leviticus 16:7-10 upon which most of this sermon has been based).
This blog web site is for the in-depth, sound and basic exegetical study of the Bible in Reformed apologetics; that is, I shall expound upon the inerrant and infallible Word of God, the Holy Scriptures. There shall be biblical studies in world religions and non-Christian cults. I also quote and research reformed writers and I am happy to study from them. May the Lord bless everyone who reads this blog with spiritual riches in Christ which is His imputed merit by faith alone.
