The Scapegoat: Jesus the Sin-Bearer

In the Scriptures, you will find many fascinating things that God required from the book of Leviticus. It involves the sacrifice of a Scapegoat. How did this animal become relevant to us today? Let us begin our study on this fascinating topic. John Barnett shared this insight:

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“The scapegoat was guilty of nothing. But the High Priest, as it were, laid all the sins of the people on the scapegoat and sent him away. He was without sin. But sin was credited to His account as if He had personally committed it and then God punished Him though the fact is He never committed any of it. That’s imputation.”[1]

Moreover, Bible Study Tools Dictionary expounded:

“When the priest laid Israel's guilt on the scapegoat, the goat was sent into the wilderness as a reminder that their sins went away out of the land where the people lived. I think of God casting our sins away in Micah 7:19. Because a scapegoat “carried away” the sins of the people, Jesus is often compared to being the Scapegoat of all believers.”[2]

The Scapegoat is an extraordinary depiction of the Messiah yet to come. The prophet Isaiah saw Him so clearly and inspired to pen the following:  

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:5–6).

Upon seeing Jesus, John the Baptist uttered, look and "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 NASB) Jesus became the Scapegoat of Leviticus. In this position, He carried all our sins for our complete redemption. In doing so, Jesus gave us an abounding hope and an inexpressible joy when “…our sins are removed as far as the East is from the West” (Psalms 103:12). It happened when He became the “scapegoat” carrying the sins of the people at the Cross of Calvary.

Emma Danzey wrote in her article, “How Is Jesus Our Scapegoat Today?” shared:

“Knowing that Jesus is our scapegoat frees us from the burden of having to go through a priest anymore. We no longer have the pressure to have a ceremony correctly to cover our sins, but we have the blood of Jesus over our lives.”[3]

God sent His Son Jesus as the sacrificial Lamb and a Scapegoat to complete His redemption plan for us.

J. Allan Peterson shared this story:

“I read about a small boy who was consistently late coming home from school. His parents warned him one day that he must be home on time that afternoon, but nevertheless he arrived later than ever. His mother met him at the door and said nothing. At dinner that night, the boy looked at his plate. There was a slice of bread and a glass of water. He looked at his father’s full plate and then at his father, but his father remained silent. The boy was crushed. The father waited for the full impact to sink in, then quietly took the boy’s plate and placed it in front of himself. He took his own plate of meat and potatoes, put it in front of the boy, and smiled at his son. When that boy grew to be a man, he said, “All my life I’ve known what God is like by what my father did that night.”

Because of His great love for the fallen humanity, He sent Jesus as the Lamb of God and a Scapegoat for our redemption and salvation. What is remaining is our response to this great love. We can only reciprocate by recognizing our need for a Saviour and Lord. Therefore, may we respond to His call and not harden our hearts now. Securing our eternal status in Christ is of paramount importance. Remember, if we missed this opportunity, we only have ourselves to blame. Hear what Peter said to the crowd when asked:

“Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:37b-38 ESV).

It’s your turn now to do so.

Let’s talk again!

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[1] https://www.christianity.com/jesus/death-and-resurrection/the-crucifixion/how-is-jesus-our-substitute.html

[2] https://www.christianity.com/wiki/jesus-christ/how-is-jesus-our-scapegoat-today.html

[3] https://www.christianity.com/wiki/jesus-christ/how-is-jesus-our-scapegoat-today.html

The Sacrifice Acceptable to God’s Standard

Moses interceded for Israel’s deliverance from God’s wrath by offering himself as the payment: “But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written” (Exodus 32:32 ESV).   

Maybe you are wondering why Moses made such an offer to God. Bridgeway Bible Commentary provided Moses’ commitment to Israel: “In a display of genuine love for the unbelieving people, Moses offered to die on their behalf and so be punished for them.”[1]

What occurred that God became incensed with anger against Israel? Moses took longer than expected to receive God’s Tablet of Stones at Mount Moriah. Here’s what happened:

“When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him” (32:1).

While in the mountain, God told Moses what the people did in his absence:

“And the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” 9And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. 10Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you” (32: 7-10).

After hearing what God wanted to do, Moses interceded on behalf of Israel and offered his life instead. However, God said no to his offer. Bridgeway Bible Commentary shared, “But God would not accept the death of one person for another, for all were sinners, though the extent of their sin varied. God would hold each person responsible for his or her actions. He would show mercy on the unfaithful nation, but he would punish individuals who rebelled against him.”[2]

Although God acknowledged the intercession of Moses for his people as a righteous act, unfortunately, his life is not considered a sufficient payment for the sins of Israel. Moreover, God reserved the right as far as His justice is concerned based on His prerogative. Simply stated, “33. . .the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. 35 Then the LORD sent a plague on the people because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made.” (32:33, 35).

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Dr. Constable's Expository Notes shared, “He chose not to take Moses’ life as a substitute for the guilty in Israel since this would not have been just. Moses being a sinner himself could not have served as a final acceptable substitute for other sinners in any case.”[3]

God didn’t accept Moses’ life because of God’s requirement of an unblemished life. Moses, even as God’s chosen individual, overstated his status.

God, in this episode, provided the qualification of anyone doing so. God’s plan and purpose became
evident. Thus, Jesus’s sacrifice paid for the penalty of sin, i.e., death on the cross became the only sufficient payment required by God. John the Baptist, in seeing Jesus declared: “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 ESV).

What Jesus did become the only acceptable payment for the sins of humanity: “Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand (Isaiah 53:10 ESV).

When God sent Jesus, He fulfilled what anyone, including Moses, cannot do, i.e., redemption from God’s wrath against sin. Most importantly, without Jesus and His sacrifice for us at the Cross of Calvary, we remain in our sin and cannot expect forgiveness from God.

In addition, the author of Hebrews has made it abundantly clear that Jesus fulfilled in His death what the Old Testament sacrificial system could only point to. In Hebrews 10:1-4 (ESV), it stated:

“For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. 2Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 3But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

There’s no doubt that Jesus embodied the fulfillment of God’s requirement. Between Moses and Jesus, there’s no comparison as to who fulfilled the redemption requirements against God’s wrath. Knowing this, why wouldn’t anyone put their trust in Jesus?

Let’s talk again!

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[1] https://www.studylight.org/commentary/exodus/32-32.html#:~:text=In%20a%20display,him%20(30%2D35).

[2] https://www.studylight.org/commentary/exodus/32-32.html#:~:text=In%20a%20display,him%20(30%2D35).

[3] https://www.studylight.org/commentary/exodus/32-32.html#:~:text=He%20chose%20not%20to%20take%20Moses%E2%80%99%20life%20as%20a%20substitute%20for%20the%20guilty%20in%20Israel%20since%20this%20would%20not%20have%20been%20just.%20Moses%20being%20a%20sinner%20himself%20could%20not%20have%20served%20as%20a%20final%20acceptable%20substitute%20for%20other%20sinners%20in%20any%20case. 

Intimacy with God: No More Limitations

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A. W. Tozer shared his thoughts about intimacy with God and what it meant: “What's closest to your heart is what you talk about, and if God is close to your heart, you'll talk about Him.” However, intimacy is a word that many frown upon. People think that being intimate with God is for special people only. People assumed intimacy with God was a special call that an average person could not experience. They felt disqualified due to compromised sinful Christian life. Others claim it is too hard to figure out the 'how' to's of being intimate with God.”  Unfortunately, those claiming intimacy with God but never describing the process of attaining it are useless to many trying to achieve it.

Moses, as the prophet of God, provided a glimpse of what intimacy meant: “11Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent” (Exodus 33:7-11 ESV). Moses showed a glimpse of seeking intimacy with God and how God responds to genuine seekers and His willingness to accommodate those who wholeheartedly seek it. Enduring Word Commentary[1] shared this insight:

 “Moses was unique because of his personal intimacy with God. The term face to face does not literally mean “physical face to physical face,” but it has the idea of free and unhindered communication. Moses had a remarkably intimate relationship with God.”

Here’s how the Scripture described Moses and his desire for intimacy with God when he made a daring request to God, “Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight.” (Exodus 33:13 ESV). Then God replied to Moses, “And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name” (Exodus 33:17 ESV).

One important lesson about this episode: God always welcomes, with open arms, any requests for insights into His heart and purposes through intimacy with Him. Being intimate with God cannot happen without anyone seeking it with the intensity of desire and complete humility. God hears and accommodates His people, especially in matters involving intimacy with Him.

Moving forward, Jesus provided the best picture of intimacy with His Father:

“At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Matthew 11:26-30, ESV)

The most important revelation is this: God sent His Son Jesus to re-establish an intimate relationship with God’s people through His Son Jesus. In the Old Testament, intimacy with God is shown only with specific individuals God chose. Thus, God, in His great love for humanity, made intimacy possible again through His Son Jesus.

From Adam and Eve’s intimacy with God, Enoch’s walk with God, and Moses’ intimacy with God, a common thread exists, i.e., each had limitations on the revelations of God and the level of intimacy experienced. However, when Jesus walked the earth, He revealed a specific distinction between His intimacy with God and the new level of intimacy with anyone who believes Him:

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” “…Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:6-7, 9 ESV)

Simply stated, intimacy is God’s idea. God sent His Son Jesus and made it happen. Now, it’s your turn. When you surrender your life to Jesus, the path to intimacy with God begins.

Let me end with this insight from Malcolm Webber:[2]

“When they saw the Lord Jesus, they saw the Father. When they heard the Lord Jesus, they were listening to the Father. When they touched the Lord Jesus, they were touching God. This was how Jesus lived. This was the source of all of His life and ministry, inward union with His Father.”

Let’s talk again!

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[1] https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/deuteronomy-34/

[2] https://healthyleaders.com/jesus-fellowship-father/

The Manna From Heaven

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God sent Manna to Israel for a specific purpose and timetable as recorded in Exodus 16:35, “The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan” (ESV).

“Manna, basically a word that means “what is it?” is a bread-like substance that fell from heaven (Psalm 78:24), and that tasted like honey. The Israelites would go and collect a daily portion of manna each day, ensuring to get a double portion before the Sabbath (so they didn’t work for their food on the Sabbath). If they grabbed too much or too little, they suffered the consequences (Exodus 16:20).”[1]

Maybe you have this question: Why Did God Send Manna to the Israelites? One of the primary reasons is God meeting their physical need for hunger. Next, God wanted their trust and obedience in collecting them as commanded. Unfortunately, some of them collected more than enough manna on some days, and it rotted in their tents, full of maggots. Others didn’t obey the command of God in collecting double portions before the Sabbath, and they ended up hungry on the Sabbath because manna didn’t fall that day. Finally, it is God foreshadowing the coming of Jesus as the Manna from Heaven. God wanted a foretaste of what heavenly bread tastes like as a temporary relief. How about receiving a more permanent solution with an eternal impact?

Mark Woods in his article “Three Lessons For Today From The Manna In The Wilderness” shared the following reasons why God wanted them to collect what’s only needed for the day:

“The Israelites at this time were a travelling people, reliant on finding grazing and supplies where they could. They were unable to store up large reserves of food. So when God gives them food that can't be stored up for a rainy day, he is encouraging them to depend on him daily. It was a way of warning them not to hold on to good things too long. Many of us face this temptation: we like things as they are, and we are resistant to change. But hold on to things instead of letting them go, and they can turn very sour.” [2]

Let’s always remember that the provision of God comes daily and supernaturally with a specific purpose for the exact benefit of His people. God’s miracles may not manifest as they did in the past, but instead sent the greatest miracle of them all, i.e., Jesus Christ. Jesus embodied and contained the miracles of God in the past, present and future in Him.

“More than 1,000 years later, Jesus Christ repeated the miracle of manna in the Feeding of the 5,000. The crowd following him was in the "wilderness" and he multiplied a few loaves of bread until everyone had eaten their fill. Some scholars believe that Jesus' phrase, "Give us this day our daily bread" in the Lord's Prayer, is a reference to manna, meaning that we are to trust God to supply our physical needs one day at a time, as the Jews did in the desert. Christ frequently referred to himself as bread: "the true Bread from heaven" (John 6:32), "the Bread of God" (John 6:33), "the Bread of life" (John 6:35, 48), and John 6:51: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." (NIV)[3]

God sent Jesus as the Eternal Bread of life, and those who believed in Him received the full blessing of eternal satisfaction that God promised. In sending Jesus, God is a constant and abundant provider of all our needs. The feeding of the five thousand became an enduring reminder in our daily Christian life that nothing on earth is too big for God. Therefore, if Jesus can do it, He can do it again for us today.

Let me end with this insight: “Jesus points out that the manna the Israelites ate in the wilderness only sustained their life for a short time, but they eventually died. The bread that He’s offering will give them eternal life. And He is that bread. He goes on to tell them “this bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”[4]

If Jesus can fulfill the hunger of our hearts, why wouldn’t you receive Him as the Bread of Life now?

Let’s talk again!

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[1] https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/what-is-manna.html

[2] https://www.christiantoday.com/article/3-lessons-for-today-from-the-manna-in-the-wilderness/102576.htm

[3] https://www.learnreligions.com/what-is-manna-700742

[4] https://www.jesusfilm.org/blog/jesus-feeds-5000/

Exhibiting Hope in a Hopeless-Filled World

The Psalmist’s exclaimed a deep sigh of discontent: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” (Psalm 43:5, ESV) 
In his book Winning Life’s Toughest Battles, psychologist Julius Segal wrote about the 25,000 soldiers who were held by the Japanese in POW camps during World War II: "Forced to exist under inhumane conditions, many of them died. Others, however, survived and eventually returned home. There was no reason to believe there was a difference in the stamina of these two groups of soldiers. The survivors, however, were different in one major respect: They confidently expected to be released someday." As described by Robins Readers in Holding On to Hope, 'They talked about the kinds of homes they would have, the jobs they would choose, and even described the kind of person they would marry. They drew pictures on the walls to illustrate their dreams. Some even found ways to study subjects related to the kind of career they wanted to pursue.'" Hope rises out of utter hopelessness and can only be appreciated when seen from this standpoint, thus hope produces its best fruit when fully trodden down.

What’s going on? Allow me to share some statistics that I’ve come across to demonstrate this state:

• Over 25,000 Americans commit suicide each year. Over one million will try but only one out of fifteen will succeed. It is the tenth highest killer in the U.S. More will die by suicide than by murder.
• The model age for attempting suicide is 32 for men and 27 for women. The model age of succeeding is 50-54 for men and women.
• Men kill themselves twice as often as women, but women attempt suicide twice as often as men.
• There are over 5,000 suicides among teen-agers each year.
• Some 10,000 college students will attempt suicide in a year. It is the second highest cause of death among young people aged 15-24 surpassed only by accidents.
• Thirteen young adults each day consider life not worth the living. That is twice as many as ten years ago and three times as many as twenty years ago.
• One report indicated that as many as 12 percent of all school-aged children will contemplate suicide at least once in their formative years.

What can we do to counter such trouble? Here’s some specific suggestions for consideration (a) Realize that there are hopeless situations in our lives and in this world that can cause probing questions within: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” (b) The only remedy that a genuine believer of God can declare is “Hope in God!” (c) There must be a constant renewal of dependence on God’s wisdom, saving power and sovereignty: “…for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”

How can we affect others and to encourage them to hope as well? Let’s start by learning to empathize and tell others to “Hope in God” as Jesus did with others in a hopeless situation. At the cross, Jesus empathize by dying in our behalf while He sympathize with Mary and Martha at the death of Lazarus when he wept. Thus, we must attempt to alleviate hopelessness around us and to follow Jesus’ example that He set for us to do. Speak constantly of one’s “Hope in God” like Jesus did in the midst of a hopeless situation. Exhibit evidences of what “Hope in God” is all about through worship, joy and courage.

Lastly, here’s a poem by John Maxwell from “Think on These Things” to express this level of hopefulness and to be known by others:

Hope shines brightest when the hour is darkest.


Hope motivates when discouragement comes.


Hope energizes when the body is tired.


Hope sweetens while bitterness bites.


Hope sings when all melodies are gone.


Hope believes when evidence is eliminated.


Hope listens for answers when no one is talking.


Hope climbs over obstacles when no one is helping.


Hope endures hardship when no on is caring.


Hope smiles confidently when no one is laughing.


Hope reaches for answers when no one is asking.


Hope presses toward victory when no one is encouraging.


Hope dares to give when no one is sharing.


Hope brings the victory when no one is winning.


Let’s talk again!