The Scapegoat

Prince Horace was incorrigible.
Behind his back, he was known as Prince Brat.
As terrible as he was, it was forbidden to spank a Prince.

The King solved this discipline problem with an orphan boy, named Jeremy.
Jeremy was brought into the palace, from the streets, and kept in the castle.
This common boy was to be punished in the Prince’s place.
Jeremy was the whipping boy.

Jeremy would receive his twenty whacks, holding back his cries.
When Jeremy was being whipped, the Prince was standing nearby.
The King would always turn to his son and say, “And let that be a lesson to you!”

The Prince pretended to be humble and sorrowful.
He was really quite annoyed at his whipping boy.
The Prince wanted Jeremy to cry out, since that would be much more fun to watch.
Jeremy held back his tears so he would never give the Prince the satisfaction.

Such is the story of The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman.
As with any story, it can be read at face value, or read on deeper levels.

This is how Aaron is to enter the sanctuary area: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering…From the Israelite community he is to take two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for the burnt offering. Aaron is to offer the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household. Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He is to cast lots for the two goats – one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat. Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat…When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. He is 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 to 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 16:3-10; 20-22)

The scapegoat symbolically carried all of the sins of the Israelites into the desert.
The scapegoat was the substitute…bearing the sins of the people.
The scapegoat carried their sins away…outside the camp.
The total removal of sin.

In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. (Hebrews 9:22)

One animal slaughtered…its blood sprinkled.
One animal released…carrying the sins of the people on its back.

It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (Hebrews 10:4)

The sacrifices of bulls and goats would have to be repeated day after day.
There was no assurance of forgiveness.

As soon as an animal was sacrificed, inevitably someone would sin again.
To atone for that sin, another animal would be sacrificed.
On and on…

Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when the Priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool, because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. (Hebrews 10:11-14)

Jesus is our Whipping Boy.
Jesus is our Scapegoat.

Jesus had our sins placed on Him.
Jesus carried our sins to the cross.
Jesus died and was buried and rose again three days later.
Because He rose from the dead, we have assurance that God the Father accepted Jesus’ sacrificial death on our behalf.

We are forgiven through no merit of our own.
We, are like the Prince in the story.
Someone comes in and takes our punishment…even though He has done nothing wrong.

We do not feign gratitude.
We do not pretend to have sorrow for our sins.
We are so amazed by the Grace we have been given.
All because of our Whipping Boy…our Scapegoat.
The Lord Jesus.