Azazel

Originally written 09/09/2007

Lev 16:30   “For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the Lord from all your sins.

This is Yom Kipper, the day of atonement. Through a long and complex process atonement is made for the sins of the nation of Israel. The following is an excerpt about Yom Kippur from Tracey Rich's website Judaism 101.

The name "Yom Kippur" means "Day of Atonement," and that pretty much explains what the holiday is. It is a day set aside to "afflict the soul," to atone for the sins of the past year. In Days of Awe, I mentioned the "books" in which G-d inscribes all of our names. On Yom Kippur, the judgment entered in these books is sealed. This day is, essentially, your last appeal, your last chance to change the judgment, to demonstrate your repentance and make amends.  http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday4.htm

The Days of Awe is the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kipper; this is also referred to as the Days of Repentance. It is believed that sins that are not repented prior to Yom Kippur are forever held against you. In his article about the Days of Awe Tracey Rich states:

One of the ongoing themes of the Days of Awe is the concept that G-d has "books" that he writes our names in, writing down who will live and who will die, who will have a good life and who will have a bad life, for the next year. These books are written in on Rosh Hashanah, but our actions during the Days of Awe can alter G-d's decree. The actions that change the decree are ... repentance, prayer, good deeds (usually, charity). http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday3.htm

This troubles me in a number of respects but the most troubling is that our actions; repentance, prayer, and good deeds; are enough to get our name in the book of life. The problem is that it is impossible for us to know and repent every sin made every year for we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23 NKJV).

I would like to explore the biblical ceremony of Yom Kipper in a little more depth. I have chosen to the English Standard Version for a specific reason, which will be explained below. This is Leviticus 16 versus 7-10 and 21-22:

7Then he shall take the two goats and set them before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting.8And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel.9And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the Lord and use it as a sin offering,10but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.

21And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness.22The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness.

Azazel is a Hebrew word that the translators of the ESV chose not to translate. It is only used four times in the scripture; all in Leviticus 16 (vs 8, 10, and 26). It is formed from two Hebrew root words:

• ez - female goat
  
• azal – to go away; disappear
  

In the KJ and NKJ it is translated scapegoat however the word signifies more than that. It is a complete removal of sin. The scapegoat is sent into the wilderness never to be heard from again.
So how does this relate to me and my walk with the Lord? Lets take a look at:

Jhn 1:29   The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

When I think of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world I think of the passover lamb. In the first passover each household sacrificed a lamb and took its blood and put it above their doors and the angel of death would passover that house. This is a picture of Jesus Christ for through His blood death will pass over us for The wages of sin [is] death, but the gift of God [is] eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 NKJV).
Leviticus 16 shows me that the Lamb of God is more than just the passover lamb. As King David tells us As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:12 NKJ) This is the purpose of Azazel. As the root azal indicates the goat disappeared from the sight of the nation and with it the sins of the nation disappeared from the Lord. Jesus Christ is our Azazel “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”