6 February | Teens
«Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord’s lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering. But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness.» Leviticus 16:8-10
On the great Day of Atonement, something very important happened that teaches us a lot about forgive-ness and how God deals with our mistakes. This special day was when all the people of Israel sought God’s forgiveness for their sins. Only on this day of the year did the High Priest enter the Most Holy place, the Holy of Holies, to intercede for the sin of all people. To do this, he used two goats in very meaningful ways that teach us about how God deals with our mistakes.
One of the goats was sacrificed, meaning that it would die in the the sinner’s place, showing that some-one had to pay for what was done wrong. This goat represented Jesus, who many years later would die for all of us so that we could be forgiven. The other goat, Azazel, was sent into the wilderness, carrying all the errors and sins far away from the people. This scapegoat represented our enemy, and it showed that God not only forgives but also forgets our sins, sending them away, never to remember them again.
It is amazing to think that God devised a way to teach us about forgiveness long before Jesus came into the world. He wanted us to understand that our relationship with Him can be restored, no matter what we have done, because Jesus paid the price of all our mistakes for us. He actually provided atonement for us!
Take Action
To remember this special day, how about drawing a picture of the two goats and explaining to someone in your family what each one represents? This will help us understand how God’s forgiveness works and how He wants to cleanse us of all our sins, just as He did on the Day of Atonement.