Leviticus 16: The Scapegoat

When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites- all their sins- and put them on the goat's head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert.

What an interesting tradition. In the Israelite ritual described here in chapter 16, Aaron symbolically transfers all the people's sins onto a goat and drives it away into the desert- a sort of liberating act that allows for a fresh start. The English word scapegoat (escape goat) was formed to capture the essence of this crucial ceremony. But, today the word's connotation has changed and is applied to anyone who takes the blame for indiscretions of other people.

The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) is the most sacred day of the Jewish year. All adult Jews are expected to fast from sunset until nightfall the next day, to atone for their sins. During the Yom Kippur service, the congregation chants a prayer known as Kol Nidre, which asks God's forgiveness for sin and for any unfulfilled vows made in the Lord's name. Fasting is made genuine by going out to others, especially the poor and the unfortunate, and by concentrating on a change of life for all.

.

In Leviticus, the Israelites- following the scapegoat ritual and purification of the ark- are now ready for the change to a life of holiness and obedience to God's commands.

.

Life Question: What are the difficulties/ challenges in playing the part of a scapegoat?

.

One's reputation is undoubtedly at stake. Yet, Christianity gives us such an awesome hero to emulate- in Jesus Christ. Invariably, the day will come where we'll find ourselves at a crossroads- the great escape vs. taking the high road and placing the burdens of someone else on our own shoulders. The key is to simply put your life into God's hands and believe with absolute certainty that good will come. Again, to be able to reflect upon what Christ did for all of us- well, that should make our jobs/ decisions a bit easier when we try to tackle the smaller issues that life throws at us...of course, as a child, I use to ALWAYS play the scapegoat role for both my sisters when something got broken, a quarrel ensued, or chores were left undone...(ha, ha)