Once a year , on the great Day of Atonement , the priest entered the most holy place for the cleansing of the sanctuary . The work there performed completed the yearly round of ministration . On the Day of Atonement two kids of the goats were brought to the door of the tabernacle , and lots were cast upon them , " one lot for the Lord , and the other lot for the scapegoat ." Verse 8 . The goat upon which fell the lot for the Lord was to be slain as a sin offering for the people . And the priest was to bring his blood within the veil and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat and before the mercy seat . The blood was also to be sprinkled upon the altar of incense that was before the veil .
" And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat , and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel , and all their transgressions in all their sins , putting them upon the head of the goat , and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness : and the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited ." Verses 21 , 22 . The scapegoat came no more into the camp of Israel , and the man who led him away was required to wash himself and his clothing with water before returning to the camp .
The whole ceremony was designed to impress the Israelites with the holiness of God and His abhorrence of sin ; and , further , to show them that they could not come in contact with sin without becoming polluted . Every man was required to afflict his soul while this work of atonement was going forward . All business was to be laid aside , and the whole congregation of Israel were to spend the day in solemn humiliation before God , with prayer , fasting , and deep searching of heart . Important truths concerning the atonement are taught by the typical service . A substitute was accepted in the sinner ' s stead ; but the sin was not canceled by the blood of the victim . A means was thus provided by which it was transferred to the sanctuary .
By the offering of blood the sinner acknowledged the authority of the law , confessed his guilt in transgression , and expressed his desire for pardon through faith in a Redeemer to come ; but he was not yet entirely released from the condemnation of the law . On the Day of Atonement the high priest , having taken an offering from the congregation , went into the most holy place with the blood of this offering , and sprinkled it upon the mercy seat , directly over the law , to make satisfaction for its claims . Then , in his character of mediator , he took the sins upon himself and bore them from the sanctuary . Placing his hands upon the head of the scapegoat , he confessed over him all these sins , thus in figure transferring them from himself to the goat . The goat then bore them away , and they were regarded as forever separated from the people .
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