"Barnette, You Read Too Much Bible"

"Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat.  And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord's lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering.  But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness....And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place,..he shall bring the live goat.  Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel,..putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man.  The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.  "  (Leviticus 16:8-10, 20-22)

You can see Jesus here, can you not?  "....presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement.., to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness."  The Hebrew writer picks up this reality.  "For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary...are burned outside the camp.  THEREFOR JESUS ALSO, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate." 

If you read all of Leviticus 16 (which I highly recommend), you will notice all of the animal sacrifices which were to sanctify the tabernacle and the people--- and all by blood.  "For God loved the world thus: He gave His only begotten," viz., "Unique Son."  There is a "reason" for this, if you will, revealed in the Book of Hebrews, "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.....Therefore Jesus...."

The shedding of blood and death is necessary for the forgiveness of sin.  To those who have a problem with this, those who have called this "slaughterhouse religion," I say it's not my idea.  This is the Godhead, Blessed Trinity, Living Triune God declaring and showing that, "neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."  Man did not, nor could not have conceived of atonement, forgiveness of sin, which brings a person into moment by moment fellowship in the Triune God Himself, other than in, "Immanuel, God with us...,the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."  This is nothing but, "to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness."

Ah, "But to us who are being saved, it is the power of God."  So, I have no other exhortation to you today than that of Hebrews 13, "For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp.  Therefore Jesus also, that He might set apart the people with His own Blood, suffered outside the gate.  THEREFORE LET US GO FORTH TO HIM, OUTSIDE THE CAMP, BEARING HIS REPROACH....For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.  Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God...."

Father, in Jesus' Name I so thank You for, "so great a salvation," and Savior.  Amen.

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Please pray for Sarah and me.  She is having tests tomorrow, 09:30, January 24

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2