January 28, 2011 – Leviticus 16

I have to admit that I had no idea what “Azazel” was when I read through this.  I had heard about the idea of the scapegoat that the Jews had where they would sent one goat out into the wilderness to symbolize that their sins were leaving them, but I didn’t realize there was a character that it related to.  When you look it up on Wikipedia it talks about it being a possible fallen angle, a possible character of Satan, or other things.  But it relates to the idea that the Jews were sending their evil actions back to the one that gave these to them.     

Also seen as a foreshadowing of Christ.  He takes our sins upon Him and then is sent into hell, or the wilderness.  Unlike the goat, He rose from that wilderness to redeem us all, but the connection is there.