The Offerings for Sin

Leviticus 16:5‑10  •  5 min. read  •  grade level: 9
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"And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house. And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 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." Lev. 16:5-105And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. 6And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house. 7And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 8And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the Lord's lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. 10But 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. (Leviticus 16:5‑10)
After being thus clothed, Aaron was to " take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin-offering, and one ram for a burnt-offering." These two goats he presented before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and cast lots upon them; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat. The goat upon which the Lord's lot fell, was to be offered for a sin-offering, but the scapegoat was to be presented alive before the Lord to make an atonement, to send him for a scapegoat into the wilderness. It is important here to remark that the two goats were one sin-offering, and the apparent object of having two was, to present two aspects of the same offering for sin. An atonement accomplished for the Lord to satisfy Him; and this atonement made manifest to the people in the scapegoat sent into the wilderness. So that the one goat is directed to be offered for sin, viz: that upon which Jehovah's lot fell; and the other is spoken of as making atonement by being let go as a scapegoat into the wilderness. And here on consulting the Hebrew, we shall find a remarkable and important expression. If the 9th verse were literally translated, it would read thus, " and Aaron shall bring the goat upon which Jehovah's lot went up, and shall make it sin.1
Do we not find here the source from which that blessed sentence in the New Testament is derived, " he bath Made him sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Cor. 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21).
The goat on which the Lord's lot fell, and which therefore peculiarly belonged to the Lord, was killed as bearing the sin of the people. see ver. 15. No audible voice of the high priest laid the sin of the people upon its head; but in the act of killing the goat, he laid the judgment of death upon it because it represented the people's sin.
When the Lamb of God was nailed to the tree, He fell under the whole weight of God's judgment upon sin. God made Him who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf-dealing with Him according to His own holy and just indignation against sin. Christ became a curse for us-according to the solemn words of Deut. 21:23,23His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance. (Deuteronomy 21:23) " he that is hanged is the curse of God." Jesus was then our substitute-for what are we by nature but children of wrath? Jehovah's lot had fallen upon Him. God had selected Him in His own eternal counsels as the only one who could (because without sin) be the substitute for the sinner; and because He was the Son of man, the Son of God, the mighty God, He alone could endure the fearful penalty due to sin.
And what a wonderful result is deduced in that verse in the epistle to the Corinthians, from the fact of the Lord Jesus having been made sin-"that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." A different word is here used for made, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. The righteousness of God -what a glorious manifestation will the church be hereafter as a whole, and every living member of it, of the righteousness of God-the full expression of His perfect righteousness, because one in life, in glory with Christ-"in Him"-deriving all from Him, and united to Him. Receiving out of His fullness; and manifesting His fullness.
 
1. In some versions of the Sept. this Hebrew word is translated "make" (poiesei) in this passage. Lev. 16:99And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the Lord's lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. (Leviticus 16:9). See Trommius, vol. I, page 336, under the word prosphero. Montanus in his Latin translation of the Bible, renders the passage thus, "et faciet eum peccatum;" " and shall make him sin;" almost word for word the same rendering as the vulgate adopts for And Con v. 21, "eum pro nobis peccatum fecit," "He made him sin for us."
In the other passages of the Bible where this Hebrew word (ahsah) occurs in connection with sacrifices, (which are not many,) it is translated "offer;" although it is not the usual word for offer. These occurrences are Lev. 14:19,3019And the priest shall offer the sin offering, and make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed from his uncleanness; and afterward he shall kill the burnt offering: (Leviticus 14:19)
30And he shall offer the one of the turtledoves, or of the young pigeons, such as he can get; (Leviticus 14:30)
Lev. 15:15, 39 Lev. 16: 9, 24 Lev. 23:12, 1912And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the Lord. (Leviticus 23:12)
19Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings. (Leviticus 23:19)
; Num. 6:11, 16, 1711And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, and make an atonement for him, for that he sinned by the dead, and shall hallow his head that same day. (Numbers 6:11)
16And the priest shall bring them before the Lord, and shall offer his sin offering, and his burnt offering: 17And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the Lord, with the basket of unleavened bread: the priest shall offer also his meat offering, and his drink offering. (Numbers 6:16‑17)
; Num. 15: 14, 24; 29. Deut. 12: 27. In all which passages we might substitute the word "make' for "offer."