Lev 16:22 | KingComments | STEP | Aaron identifies himself with the live goat – laying on hands is identification. Then he confesses all the sins, which are “all the iniquities”, the evil deeds of the Israelites. The sins are put on the goat, as it were. Then the goat is released in the wilderness. It refers to the Lord Jesus, Who has taken upon Himself the sins of all who believe in Him ( ). He has confessed every sin of every believer before God as His own sin, and He has borne the judgment over those sins. God says: “I will remember their sins no more” ( ). The believer may know and say: “You have cast all my sins behind Your back” ( ). He has thrown them “into the depths of the sea” ( ). He has put them away “as far as the east is from the west” ( ), that is, infinitely far away. They are borne “to a solitary land”. Where sin is, there is no dwelling place for God, neither for people who are reconciled to God.

‏ Leviticus 16:22

The Live, Send Away Goat

Aaron identifies himself with the live goat – laying on hands is identification. Then he confesses all the sins, which are “all the iniquities”, the evil deeds of the Israelites. The sins are put on the goat, as it were. Then the goat is released in the wilderness.

It refers to the Lord Jesus, Who has taken upon Himself the sins of all who believe in Him (1Pet 2:24). He has confessed every sin of every believer before God as His own sin, and He has borne the judgment over those sins. God says: “I will remember their sins no more” (Heb 8:12). The believer may know and say: “You have cast all my sins behind Your back” (Isa 38:17b). He has thrown them “into the depths of the sea” (Mic 7:19b). He has put them away “as far as the east is from the west” (Psa 103:12), that is, infinitely far away. They are borne “to a solitary land”. Where sin is, there is no dwelling place for God, neither for people who are reconciled to God.