daily-devotionals

Reading: And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.”Leviticus 16:21–22

There are several interesting points here graciously revealed. First, this was at the express command of God. Yes, who but God could transfer sin? This is one of the most blessed parts of the gospel, that when Jesus bore our sins in His own body on the tree, it was by the express will and appointment of Jehovah. The Lord Jesus took not those sins on Himself; but the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Then, next, consider that as Jesus had a transfer of all the sins of His people, consequently, they were no longer on the people. Here faith finds full scope for exercise, in giving God the credit due to God. The sending away of the goat was intended to represent the full remission of sins; and by the goat bearing them away into a land not inhabited, intimated that those sins should never be seen nor known anymore.

The goat thus laden with all the sins of the people, was to be sent away by the hand of some fit man into the wilderness. As none but Jesus could be competent to bear sins, so none but Jesus could be fit to bear them away into a land of everlasting forgetfulness. None but Jesus can indeed accomplish all: He is the High Priest, the Altar, and the Sacrifice, through all the law; and He is the fit man, as well as the burden-bearer of sin.

Taken from The Poor Man’s Evening and Morning Portions by Rev. Robert Hawker, Works, Vol. 8; 1830. Edited by Aaron Dunlop for thinkgospel.com ©2014.