The Scapegoat

In 1855, Holman Hunt made a trip to the Holy Land which would inspire many of his greatest paintings. His first major work while there was “The Scapegoat.” The painting was inspired when Hunt saw the extraordinary sight of the Dead Sea for the first time. Hunt spent about two weeks painting in the landscape and making sketches and notes. He took a white goat with him but he left that part of the picture blank; he did not paint the goat until he returned to his Jerusalem studio. Due to the threat from hostile tribesmen, Hunt had to leave the Dead Sea earlier than he wished. He took back samples of mud and salt to help him finish the foreground.

This Old Testament image of the scapegoat (Leviticus 16:23-28, Saturday's Old Testament reading) provides a powerful shadow of the Christ whose death would once and for all take away the sins of those who put their faith in Him. The high priest ceremonially laid his hands on the scapegoat, transferring the sin of Israel to the animal, who then was released to take the sin away into the desert. A sacrifice was then offered to make atonement for the sin. Jesus is our high priest, our sacrifice and our scapegoat who carries away our sin. And so the Hebrew writer says this of Christ in Hebrews 9:12-14-

12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)