Leviticus 16 is centered as the nineteenth in the Book of Leviticus’s thirty-seven divine speeches. A central position emphasizes the core or essential element that drives the plot forward, resolving the conflict’s trajectory to the desired outcome. The Levitical theme defines how a majestically holy God came to dwell among morally bankrupt and sinful people, invited them into His fiery Presence, and protected them to transform them from death to life as a witness to the world that He is the only God. Through His Name, He became the hope of humanity.

After Aaron’s two sons died from not doing as YHWH commanded, approaching Him with profane fire, YHWH spoke to Moses, warning Aaron not to enter (pierce) the Holy of Holies whenever he chose. Irreverent intrusion ended in death since the Ark’s atonement cover was where He resided in the cloud, above the covenant tablets. When Aaron did come, he must follow YHWH’s instructions fully. First, Aaron offered a young bull for a sin offering to make atonement for himself and his family, and a ram for an ascension offering. Then he washed his entire body, dressed in linen clothing, tied with a linen sash around his waist, and put a linen turban on his head. Thus, purified and humbly dressed, he was ready to perform the day of atonements ritual.

The people of Israel brought Aaron two unblemished kid goats as one sin offering and one ram as a burnt offering. Aaron took the two identical goats and presented them before YHWH at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. There, YHWH commanded Aaron to cast lots for the two goats: one lot for YHWH and the other lot for Azazel. In this blog, we will look at this seemingly strange ritual of YHWH deciding which goat went in which direction, yet together, they formed one purification offering that prefigured Yeshua’s offering Himself.

From the beginning, Scripture shows a pattern in God choosing between two people, usually brothers. When Cain and Abel brought offerings to YHWH, He looked at Abel offering the firstborn of his flocks with favor and Cain offering some fruit of the ground with rejection. Abel’s spilled blood cried out from the ground, and Cain went east, away from God. God chose Isaac over Ishmael. Abraham bound Isaac as an offering (substituted with a ram) and sent Ishmael (after taunting Isaac) away to dwell east in the wilderness. God chose Jacob over Esau. Jacob received the birthright and blessing of the covenant, and his hairy goat-like brother Esau, disregarding his birthright, dwelt east in the wilderness of Edom after threatening to kill Jacob. In the three cases, YHWH chose, and from His choice, one brother served as a sacrifice while the other dwelt east in the wilderness. Does this repeated motif foretell YHWH choosing the two goats for a sin offering on the Day of Atonements?

In Leviticus 14, YHWH spoke to Moses concerning the cleansing of lepers. The individual was brought before the priest. The priests performed a ceremony outside the camp involving two clean birds. One of the birds was killed in an earthen vessel over running water, and the live bird was dipped into the blood of the first bird. Some of the blood was sprinkled seven times on the leper, pronouncing him clean. The live bird was let loose in the open field. The symbolism in this story is strikingly similar to that of the two atonement goats.

After Aaron had offered a bull for his own sin, making atonement for himself and his house, he took Israel’s two goats and presented them before YHWH at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then, to determine God’s will, he cast lots for the two goats: one lot for YHWH and the other lot for the Azazel. (The high priest’s Urim and Thummim, representing YHWH’s light and truth, functioned as the lot as a means of dividing between one thing and another, Exo. 28:30). Sacrificed as a sin offering and drained of blood, Aaron took the first goat’s life in the blood and entered the tabernacle of the living God, sprinkling all the furnishing, returning the house of God to its pristine condition of purity, covering any trace of death with life. As for the second goat, after it was presented alive before YHWH, the priest laid both hands upon its head, confessing upon it all Israel’s sins, and sent it away bearing them into the wilderness to the east, the opposite direction from the Source of Life. Together, the two goats atoned for Israel’s iniquities.

In the Ancient Near East, lots were cast to discern a deity’s answer or will. Proverbs 16:33 reads, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from YHWH.” The reason Aaron carried the Urim and the Thummim in the fold of his breastpiece was to determine YHWH’s will, “Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of YHWH. Thus, Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before YHWH” (Exo. 28:30). Lots were used to reveal the sin of Achan (Josh. 7) and to divide the land (Josh 18-19). Sometimes, they were used in deciding military maneuvers (Judg. 20:9). Casting lots designated who was king (1Sa. 10:19-20) and the divisions of the twenty-four courses of priestly service (1Ch. 24:1-18). The primary function of the lot casting was to discern YHWH’s will, dividing between one or the other for the purpose of blessing. On the Day of Atonements, Aaron cast lots, revealing YHWH’s will regarding which goat went into YHWH’s house to purify it and which goat went into the dwelling place of the dead, bearing Israel’s sins.

Takeaway:
The two goats of the Day of Atonements formed one sin offering, one of purifying the House of YHWH with the gift of its life and the other bearing away Israel’s sins outside the camp. The two-goat sin offering prefigured Yeshua’s offering Himself unblemished to God so His blood, carrying His life-giving Spirit, cleanses our consciences from acts that lead to death, that we may serve the living God (Heb. 9:14).

Fun Factors:
Leviticus 16 has 2062 (2 × 1031) letters in 552 (23 × 24) Hebrew words, totaling 150756, 2² × 3 × 17 × 739, 12 × 17 × 131^st P, suggesting victory for Israel through atonement. The number sequence 1-3-1 marks these 34 verses with “verily, truly, and surely,” Hebrew amnam, sum 131. Dividing 150756 into two numbers, 15 and 756, shows restoration (15) and life complete (108 x 7).