The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 278

sta.11ding in front of the tabem&ele, not the wrought full atonement or covering of sine: altnr ofinoell88, as has been supposed by some but in order to impress upon the mind of -and shall take of the blood of the bullook, the nation a joyful sense of entire libero.tion Rnd of the blood of the goat, and put it upon from the burden of sin, the seoond symbol the horns of the &lt&r round &bout. And he of the disappearing goo.t is used: so that shall spdnkle of the blood upon it with his not only sin, but the consciousness and the finger seven times. This oompletes the fear of the taint o.nd presence of sin, might <'-crcmony of "making an awnement for the be taken away from the oleansed and de- holy sancftl,(1.ry, and mal.-ing an atonement for livered people. 'l'he goo.t is to bear the the tabernacle of the congregation, and for iniquities of the people unto a land not ill• the altar" (ver. 3H.) habited. The latter words-in the original, Vers. 20, 21.-The second part of the eretz gezerah-would be more correctly trans- ceremonies of the day now commences. It lated, a land cut off, that is, completely iso- was not enough that the defilement of the lated from the surrounding country by some sanctuary should be covered, and the sins banicr of rock or torrent, which would make of the priests and people ntoned for by the it impossible for the goat to come back blood of the sacrifices. There remained a again. Thus the sins were utterly lost, as consciousness of sin. How was this to be though they had never been, and they could taken away? To effect this, Aaron pro- not return to the sanotified people. The ceeds to the unique ceremony of the <lay by Hebrew word gazar, to cut (I Kings iii. 25; which the utter removal of sin from the reoon- Ps. cxxxvi. 13), is represented in Arahio ciled people is typified. He shall bring the by jazara, and the substantive gezerah by live goat; this should be translated offer the jazirah, which means an island, or an area live goat. It is the word used above for the sunounded by rivers. The word is still offering of the goat that was slain, and it is in use in countries where Arabic is spoken, the word al ways used for offering sacrifices to as the designation of a district di,ided from the Lord. The first goat had been offered in the neighbouring territories hy rivers cutting the usual manner, the offerer laying his hand it off, and making it a sort of island or on his head and perl:aps praying over him. peninsula. Into such a district as this, the Now the second goat is offered, the high man who led the goat was to let him go. priest having to ley both his hands upon the In later times, contrary to the spirit of the l:.ead of the live goat, and oonfess over him all Mosaio appointment, the goat was pushed the iniquities of the children of Israel, . . . over a projecting ledge of rock, o.nd so putt::ng the;n upon the head of the goat. killed, a device of man clumsily introduced The confession of sins, at first extempore, for the purpose of pedecting a symbolism would naturally, e.s time progressed, become of Divine appointment. It was more in sterentypc·d into a liturgical form, as it is aoeordo.nce with the original institution found in the Mishna: "0 Lord, they have that "the arrival of the goat in the wilder- committed iniquity; they have transgressed; ness we.a immediately telegraphed by the they have sinncd,-thy people, the house of waving of flags, from station to station, till Is, acl. 0 Lord, cover over, I en treat thee, a few minutes o.fter its occurrence it was their iuiquities, their transgressions, and known in the temple, and whispered from their sins, which they have wickeclly com- ear to ear, that the goo.t had borne upon mitted, transgressed, and sinned before thee, him o.11 their iniquities into a land not -thy people, the house of Israel. As it is inhabited" (Edersheim, 'Temple Service'). written in the Law of Moses thy servant, Both the goat tho.t was sacrificecl and the saying, • For on that day shall it btl covered goat tho.t served as remover of sins typified over for you, to make you clean ; from all Christ. 'l'he first presents him to our faith your sius before the Lord ye shall be e.s the Victim on the cross, the other I\B the cleansed'" (Edersheim, 'Temple Service'). Sin-bearer on whom the Lord lnid "the During this confession of sine the people iniquity of us all" (Isa. liii. 4; of. 2 Cor. v. remained prostrate in humiliation and 21 ; Gal. iii. 13). "The reason for mo.king prayer in the court of the tabernacle, and use of two animals is to be found purely in it was the custom of lhe high priest to turn the physical impossibility of combining all towarJs them as he pronounced the last features that had to be sot forth ill the sin words, "Ye shall be cleansed." At the con- offering in one animal" (Keil). clusion of the oonfession, the high priest Vere. 23, 24.-In later times another handed over the goat to a fit man, that is, to scene was interposed at this point. The a man who was standing ready tf,take charge high priest, having sent away the man with of him, and aent him away by his hand i.ato tho goat, recited the passages of Scripture the wildemess. which commo.uded the observanoe of the V~r. 22.-Then the goat went forth, Day of Atonement (ohs. xvi.; xxiii. 27-32; b ~ upon him all their iniquitieL 'l'he Numb. xxix. 7-11), and olfored prayers slam goat had symbolized o.nd coremonially in which the people might mentally join, on. XVI. 1-34.] THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. 243