Did God the Father have to slaughter His Son in order to forgive us?
Dec 14, 2010
The Base for Grace - part twenty-one in a study of the book of Hebrews
By Mike Gaudet
Did God the Father have to slaughter His Son in order to forgive us?
“When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.” Hebrews 9:6-7
For many of us the rituals and practices of ancient Judaism feel strange and unfamiliar. This is especially true when it comes to animal sacrifice. Biblical commands to secure forgiveness by slaughtering lambs, goats or bulls seem backwards and barbaric.
The reality is that Christianity was birthed from Judaism. In order to understand divine forgiveness we must look at it through the lens of ancient Judaism.
God instructed Moses to build a portable tabernacle to use during the wilderness wanderings. An “outer” and an “inner” room were located in the center. While many priests were permitted access into the outer room, “only the high priest” could enter into the inner room.
The high priest “entered the inner room” on the Day of Atonement. “Atonement” refers to the act of wiping away or removing sin. God instructed the high priest to use the blood of a sacrificed goat to wipe away “the sins the people had committed in ignorance.”
The blood of animals was used to wipe away unintentional sins.
“But if just one person sins unintentionally, he must bring a year-old female goat for a sin offering. The priest is to make atonement before the LORD for the one who erred by sinning unintentionally, and when atonement has been made for him, he will be forgiven.” Numbers 15:27-28
Someone who “sins unintentionally” is either unaware of God’s law or is unaware that his or her actions violated it. In the case of unintentional sin, the blood of a “sin offering” could wipe away the sin.
Intentional sins were a different matter.
“But anyone who sins defiantly, whether native-born or alien, blasphemes the LORD, and that person must be cut off from his people. Because he has despised the LORD’s word and broken his commands, that person must surely be cut off; his guilt remains on him.” Numbers 15:30-31
Someone who sins “defiantly” was not permitted to use a sin offering to wipe away sin. In the case of someone who committed an intentional sin, “his guilt remains on him.”
The blood of animals wasn’t used to wipe away Intentional sins.
The “scapegoat” atoned for intentional sins.
The high priest was instructed, “to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites — all their sins — and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert.” Leviticus 16:21-22
The “wickedness and rebellion”- the intentional sins- were transferred to the scapegoat. The scapegoat was then released. It was not killed. It was not punished. The scapegoat walked away unharmed.
This is the image of divine forgiveness . . . God’s scapegoat taking away sins.
“Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” Hebrews 9:28
Jesus’ sacrifice allowed Him “to take away the sins of many people.” He is the divine scapegoat. The sins of the world were placed on Him. When He rose from the dead He took them away.
The word translated “forgiveness” in the Bible literally means to “send someone or something away.” It depicts “the voluntary release of a person or thing over which one has legal or actual control.” God does not forgive intentional sins by slaughtering the scapegoat. He forgives these sins by sending the scapegoat away.
God did not slaughter His Son to forgive our sins.
He sent His Son to take them away.
Jesus is our scapegoat.