King's Business - 1917-06

The Two Goats 3Levitl®®g X V I

M j M ew . C .H . L e g g e t t S’ls 's i JSaptSpi CBrarcSa, 3L©zaaa©2a, g„ ;©„

(TO>J G5(7)ei HE tenth day of the seventh month (Tisri) was a great fC&Wc^-JlD day in Israel. In virtue of this day God could dwell O ^ ^==g^0] among His people. His tab­ ernacle could still be pitched in the midst of a camp of sinners; His shekinah glory could still be manifest upon the mercy seat over the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies. The Day of Atonement was the one day of the whole year upon which the High Priest alone, representing all the people, was permitted to turn the corner of the inner veil which separated the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, and stand in the very presence of Him who dwelt between the cherubim. On- this special day the High Priest entered the Holy Place, and having doffed his ordinary garments, bathed himself, and dressed himself from head to foot in snow- white linen, he proceeded to offer the bul­ lock of the sin offering for himself and for the people. It is significant that in this sixteenth chapter of Leviticus which may appropriately be called the atonement chapter of the Bible, only the two offerings are mentioned namely the Sin offering and the burnt offering, i.e., the two offerings which typify man’s need and God’s glory. The-other three, namely, the meat offering, the peace offering and the trespass offering,

are not mentioned in connection with the observances on the great Day of Atone­ ment. The paramount object of the day would thus seem to be to set forth in type God’s dignity and glory in contrast with man’s sinfulness and also the necessary steps to create a basis upon which they could meet. Atonement has thus been at times not in-appropriately styled, at-one- ment. Practically everything and everybody connected with the tabernacle and its wor­ ship represented Christ in type or symbol. Thus Aaron in the Atonement chapter, attired in white, sets forth the pure spot­ less character of our Great High Priest; the shed blood points to calvary’s sacrifice; the two goats to the two great aspects of the atonement of Christ, namely, God’s claims and man’s need. These two -sacrifi­ cial goats, like all other animals offered to the Lord, must be without blemish, in fact perfect specimens of their kind. Thus the perfection of the animals themselves as well as the completeness of their fulfilment of the functions allotted to them on the day of atonement, set forth the perfection of Christ’s atonement. He perfectly satisfies God and perfectly meets man’s need. Verse 8 tells of the manner of designa­ ting the, “Lord’s Lot” and the “Scapegoat.” The “Lord’s Lot” was God’s portion of the double offering, and good, though no sin-

Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker