Chapter – 33 ‘Yosef a Chaplin in Israel’
Two weeks after returning from Brooklyn Yosef stood at the podium in the CENTER, to speak the truths of scripture to a small group in the city of Tel Aviv. Yosef told the audience that he would be referencing Leviticus, chapter 16, if they cared to open their bibles. ”In Olden Times; when Moses was the Prophet,” said the Chaplin, as some were beginning to call him, “On the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur, which is the Day of Atonement, a Jewish ceremony took place. The High Priest would stand before the people with two male goats at his side. Each goat had to look exact in appearance to the other. LOTS would be cast by the high priest. Each LOT had a different significance to it. One stone identified the goat that would die as the sacrifice for the sins of the people. The other, identified the goat that would be called a scapegoat and then let go. So, before there could be a sacrifice to God, there must be a selection of the two goats who were before the people; each with a different destiny.” He picked his bible up from the podium and read verses 7 thru 10. He paused a moment and then Yosef ask, “What did that ceremony, from those times, have to do with Jesus, you might be thinking?”
Yosef looked down, then he asked, “Do you understand my question?” The former Rabbi looked at the people for a moment before he continued, “What took place before Christ sacrifice? Wasn’t he presented before the people, for the determination of two destinies?” There was an Aaaah sound coming from the crowd just before Yosef continued, “Check Matthew chapter 27; that is why there were ‘two’ back when Aaron was High Priest in Israel and that’s why there were two men being presented before the people by Caiaphas, who was the high priest, about two-thousand years ago.”
He brushed the hair back from his forehead and continued, “Only one could become the sacrifice. Jesus had to be one of the two lives presented before the people in order to be chosen as the sacrifice. According to the Hebrew scripture, the other life had to be let go. What happened to the other life that was presented that day? He was let go just like the Torah READS from Moses time. The Chaplin smiled, then he asked, “Do you remember his name?” The echo of responses from the crowd seated before him was, “Barabbas.”
“According to the requirements of the ancient ceremony, the two goats or lives had to be look-alikes. Messiah was the Son of God, the Son of the Heavenly Father. Do you know what the name Barabbas means?” There was no response so Yosef paused to breathe deeply before he continued.
Yosef told them that several years in the past, his messianic Rabbi had taught; “Barabbas comes from two Hebrew words, bar, which is defined as son, and Abba, which means Father; each one bears the name, the Son of the Father. So, the sacrifice AND the one set free, must be, in a sense, the same or similar.” He paused long enough to lift his finger then continued, “Understand this folks, if God and only God were to die in my place; HE would have to become like me or you to become my substitute; HE would become flesh and blood, and have the likeness of sinful me.” Yosef told them that the Plan of God for the Atonement of sin, was thru the blood shed by God; the one we call the Son; that’s why he is called Savior; HE is our atonement; God, himself provided the LAMB as our substitute.
Yosef commented, “The New covenant, Jesus, supersedes the Old Mosaic covenant. Hebrews chapter 8 tells us, who are New Covenant Christians that the old is obsolete; so think NEW.”
“So folks, who are really the scapegoats in today’s world?” [Those HE died for]
Attachment
Leviticus 16:1-10 – (NASB) [Law of Atonement, which was practiced by Israel prior to Christ Jesus.]
16 Now the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they had approached the presence of the Lord and died.2 The Lord said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, or he will die; for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. 3 Aaron shall enter the holy place with this: with a bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 4 He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and the linen undergarments shall be next to his body, and he shall be girded with the linen sash and attired with the linen turban (these are holy garments). Then he shall bathe his body in water and put them on.5 He shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering. 6 Then Aaron shall offer the bull for the sin offering which is for himself, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household. 7 He shall take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 8 Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9 Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the Lord fell, and make it a sin offering. 10 But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat. …etc…
Matthew 27:15-24 – (NASB)
15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. 17 So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over. 19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.” 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. 21 But the governor said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate *said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Crucify Him!” 23 And he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!” 24 When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.” [Barabbas was the scapegoat let loose by the governor, Pilate.]
John 18:12-14 – (NASB)
12 So the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him, 13 and led Him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14 Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people. [The trial by the High Priest was part of the New Plan of God; GOD provided the LAMB for atonement.]
*
Jesus is the New Covenant. He is the High Priest and is at the right hand of Father God. At the moment HE resides in the heavenly Holy-of-Holies as our mediator. When a child of God prays; the prayer is accepted; it doesn’t mean you always get what you ask for but it is heard. Think about it; sometimes what I want isn’t what is best for me. Since GOD has a plan for you and me, we should figure it out and try to live by it. If you want to have JOY, put Jesus first in your plan.
The Old Covenant was temporary. It was known as the Mosaic covenant given to the first generation ‘Sons of Israel’ as they were leaving Egypt and going to the Promised Land. It became the LAW to live by, BUT according to Hebrews 8:13 it became obsolete when Christ Jesus became the New Covenant. The blood of Jesus was and is the ATONEMENT needed for salvation. So, have you accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior?
DG