Commentaries:
The LORD who dealt with ancient Israel is the member of the God Family who became Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 10:1-4). Therefore this goat, which was sacrificed for a sin offering and whose blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat for an atonement for all Israel, represented Jesus Christ.
Although the two goats appeared to be alike, one was to typify Christ. Men were utterly unqualified to determine which goat was suitable. Therefore it was necessary for God to decide.
Casting a lot is a solemn appeal to God to decide a matter supernaturally (Proverbs 16:33). It is a sacred religious ceremony. Modern lotteries profane this ancient holy ceremony appealing to God.
Men, without God's supernatural intervention, are unable to determine who represents Christ. Many people who think they worship Christ are actually following ministers who are deceived by the Devil (II Corinthians 11:13-15). Satan has so deceived the whole world (Revelation 12:9) that mankind as a whole does not know who is God and who is the adversary.
The Day of Atonement: The World at One with God
The English word scapegoat is not a correct translation of the Hebrew word God inspired. The original word was azazel. Azazel, among the early Semitic dwellers in the Sinai desert, referred to Satan the Devil! James Moffatt therefore translated this as "Azazel the demon."
William Gesenius wrote this: "This name was used for that of an evil demon. . . . The name Azazel . . . is also used by the Arabs as that of an evil demon" (Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon, page 617). "The devil, named Eblis in the Koran, was once one of the archangels in heaven, and was called Azazil, but by disobedience fell" (J.W.H. Stobart, Islam and Its Founder, p. 114).
Hermann Schultz wrote: "Azazel is . . . an Aramaic . . . name for an unclean and ungodlike power, which has its abode in the wilderness, in the accursed land outside the sacred bounds of the camp" (Old Testament Theology, translated by Paterson, 1892, v. 1, p. 405).
"The high priest . . . cast lots upon the two goats. One was to be for the Lord for a sin-offering. The other was for Azazel (the completely separate one, the evil spirit regarded as dwelling in the desert), to be sent away alive into the wilderness" (F. Watson, The Cambridge Companion to the Bible, 1893, page 161.)
Modern commentaries often misunderstand this azazel goat. This is not too surprising, since Satan has deceived the whole world, and deceived many into thinking he does not exist. Some commentators claim that this azazel goat represents Christ. Such theories have no biblical or symbolic support.
Let's notice a modern Jewish commentary that makes it clear that the azazel goat represented—Satan the devil: "Azazel . . . was probably a demonic being. . . . Apocryphal Jewish works, composed in the last few centuries before the Christian era, tell of angels who were lured . . . into rebellion against God. In these writings, Azazel is one of the two leaders of the rebellion. And posttalmudic documents tell a similar story about two rebel angels, Uzza and Azzael—both variations of the name Azazel. These mythological stories, which must have been widely known, seem to confirm the essentially demonic character of the old biblical Azazel" (Union of American Hebrew Congregations, The Torah—a Modern Commentary, p. 859).
The word scapegoat carries a wrong connotation. Originally it meant "escape goat"—the goat that was allowed to escape. But today the word scapegoat signifies "one who bears blame or guilt for others." This is definitely not the meaning that God inspired. Azazel—Satan—bears his own guilt in deceiving mankind. Satan is not a scapegoat for another's sins. He will be punished for his own guilt.
The real cause—the actual author—of human sin is Satan the Devil (John 8:42-44; Ephesians 2:2). Satan is guilty of inspiring the sins of mankind. Christ paid the penalty for our part in every sin we repent of. But He did not pay for Satan's part in these sins, or the sins of the other demons. Demons are not offered salvation, and they refuse to repent! So here, in this Levitical ritual, all of man's Satan-inspired sins were symbolically put back on Satan's head, where they belong!
When Jesus Christ returns, Satan's part of the blame for mankind's sins will be placed on him, and he will then be removed from the presence of man. Justice will be done.
The Day of Atonement: The World at One with God
The goat that represented Jesus Christ was offered as a sin offering, typifying His taking our sins upon Himself as an innocent substitute sacrifice. The other goat, representing Satan, was called the azazel. The high priest laid his hands upon the Azazel goat's head, confessing the sins of the people. The goat, now bearing those sins, was driven into the wilderness. After Christ's return, Satan will bear his own guilt and be completely removed from man's presence, being bound for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1-3).
Martin G. Collins
Basic Doctrines: The Laying On of Hands
This lengthy, involved ritual depicts all of the steps that must be accomplished before mankind can truly be at one with God. In short, the following must occur:
- A high priest must be pure and sinless to mediate between God and man (verse 4). Christ, having lived a sinless life, is our eternal High Priest.
- The high priest must enter God's presence with blood to open the way between God and man (verses 3, 14-16). Christ, by His own sacrifice, gains us entrance before God's throne, having rent the veil (Matthew 27:51).
- The sins of men must be covered by the offering of an innocent victim (verses 9, 15). Christ's blood covers our sins, and God grants us forgiveness.
- The cause of man's sins must be removed (verses 10, 20-22). After Christ returns, Satan—the being who first sinned and has been broadcasting his sinful, rebellious nature to all mankind—will be imprisoned so he cannot deceive men.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Holy Days: Atonement
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
Amos 2:4
Library resources that contain this verse:
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