He is to cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat. – Leviticus 16:8

Today's Scripture Reading (November 13, 2021): Leviticus 16

In Chapterhouse: Dune, the sixth novel in Frank Herbert's Dune series, Herbert remarks, "Democracy is susceptible to being led astray by having scapegoats paraded in front of the electorate. Get the rich, the greedy, the criminals, the stupid leader and so on ad nauseam." It is still a valid observation even in our contemporary society, and we hear the message all of the time. If only the rich would pay their share of the taxes, if only the borders could be secured so that criminals did not cross our borders, if only the lazy would go to work, or if our leaders had an ounce of sense, then everything would be okay. These are the scapegoats that our society, the proper place for us to put our blame.

Except that wasn't really the way that the original scapegoat worked. According to Leviticus, Israel was to choose two goats. And while the mechanism isn't clearly understood, somehow, lots were cast for the two goats. One was declared to belong to God, and it was on that goat that society's blame was placed. It was the Lord's goat that would be sacrificed. The other was the scapegoat, or quite literally the "escape goat." Instead of being killed, the scapegoat was sent off into the wilderness as an example of atonement. There was nothing that separated the two goats other than the lots that were cast for them. The goats were to be identical or, at the very least, similar, in every way, with both goats possessing the same coloring, size, and weight. And yet one was killed, and the other, the scapegoat, was set free. One died for the sins committed by the people, the Lord's goat, and the other lived; it was forgiven and sent off into the wilderness to live out its life, and that goat was the scapegoat. The scapegoat represented every life in Israel that had sinned and yet escaped the penalty for their wrongdoing.

In our modern society, the scapegoat has become the one on whom we place the blame, and yet in ancient Israel, that description fits the goat that is declared to be God's more than the scapegoat. It was the Lord's goat that died for our sins, and it was the Lord's goat that took our blame. The scapegoat went free, just as we are forgiven for our sin.

The scapegoat is not the rich, or the lazy, the criminal, or the stupid. In reality, the scapegoat is every one of us who sins, and yet gets to go free.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Leviticus 17