Title Oh! Azazel! (Le 16:1-22)
Contents
For the Israelites, sacrifices to God were very important. Among the Levites established by God, only those appointed as priests could lead the sacrificial service, and sacrifices had to be made strictly according to the method God had instructed. In Leviticus 10, we can read that Aaron's two sons, Naab and Abihu, died on the spot while offering a sacrifice with a fire other than God's command. To that extent, going before God required thorough obedience and holiness.
God reminded Moses of this fact again today, and he spoke about the sacrifices offered on the Day of Atonement. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest of Israel could only pass through the veil of the sanctuary once a year to enter the Most Holy, where the ark of the covenant was kept. Even the high priest could not enter the Most Holy, where the Ark of the Covenant was located, only on the Day of Atonement and could enter on that day according to the strict procedures required by God. First the bull had to be made for a sin offering and the ram for a burnt offering, and they had to put on a linen undergarment, a linen undergarment over them, a linen belt around their waist, and a linen crown on their head. Of course, it was only natural to wash the body thoroughly before putting on clothes. Then he shall bring from the children of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, first to offer a bull for himself and his household as a sin offering, and then two male goats for the people of Israel. I did.
However, in today's text, we find that the sacrifice of a goat to make atonement for the people's sins is a bit unusual. He tells them to take two goats and place them before the LORD at the door of the tent of meeting, cast lots to offer one as a sin offering to God, and keep the other goat alive and offer it to Azazel later. The sin offering to God is understandable, but it is difficult to understand what the sacrifice is for Azazel.
‘Asazel’ is the English word ‘Azazel’, and it is a compound word of ‘Azal’ which means ‘leave or disappear’ and ‘Ez’ which means ‘goat’. So it would mean ‘leaving goat’ or ‘disappearing goat’. However, looking at verses 20-22, God tells the high priest to offer the sacrifice for atonement first, and then lay his hands on the other live goat and put all the sins of the children of Israel on the goat's head. And he tells them to take the goat, which bears all the sins of the children of Israel, into the wilderness and leave it there.
We need to meditate on what this ‘Azazel’ is. Asazel, who bore all the sins of the children of Israel, symbolizes Jesus Christ. The Azazel, who was left alone in the wilderness and had to end a lonely life, symbolizes our Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ took on the sins of all people in the world and became a Lamb and was abandoned in the wilderness. And that is how he laid down his life alone on the cross. In the wilderness, when John the Baptist saw Jesus approaching him, he confessed, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). That's right. Jesus was the one Lamb who took the sin of all sinners in the world, including me and you, and went alone into the wilderness of death. And that Jesus died on the cross to take away our sins.
Today, as we meditate on ‘Azazel’, who was left alone in the wilderness of death, bearing all the sins of the children of Israel, I hope that we can remember the atoning death of Jesus Christ once again. Our Lord died on the cross for you and me for all your sins. To atone for all our sins.