28. The Scope of Atonement (Leviticus 16:4-10)

• Jun, 23 2025

Chapter Twenty-Eight Summary: “The Scope of Atonement” (Leviticus 16:4–10) Rushdoony on Scapegoats, Cosmic Justice, and the Total Reach of RedemptionLeviticus 16:4–10 unfolds the heart of the Day of Atonement ritual—a dual offering involving two goats, one for the LORD and the other as the scapegoat (Azazel). Rushdoony sees this as central not only to understanding biblical atonement but also to the cosmic scope of salvation, where God’s justice touches man, land, and history. 🔑 Key Ritual ElementsTwo goats = one sin offering (v. 5)One goat is sacrificed, its blood shed for sin.The other—the scapegoat—remains alive, carrying Israel’s iniquities into the wilderness.Aaron’s clothing (v. 4): He wears simple linen—not the high priestly regalia—to emphasize humility and focus on atonement, not office.Sacrifice begins with himself and his household (v. 6): Even the high priest must confess his own sin before acting as intercessor.🧠 Theological Reflections 1. One Atonement, Two MovementsThe two goats represent one singular act of atonement split into two dimensions:“The sin of the people requires two things: First, the death penalty must be executed on all sinners. Second, the living goat is separated from the land and the people.”The first goat satisfies God’s justice (death for sin).The second goat symbolizes the removal of guilt from the community.🟢 Result: God’s justice is upheld, and the people are cleansed, reconciled, and restored. 2. The Scapegoat and Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21)Rushdoony connects the scapegoat directly to Christ:“He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Cor. 5:21)Christ is our sin-bearer, both sacrificed and sent away, so we might become:“A new creation”God’s justice peopleAmbassadors of reconciliationThe Gospel is not just about justifying individuals but about recommissioning them as righteous agents in a defiled world. 3. Atonement Affects the LandCiting Leviticus 18:24–30, Rushdoony stresses that sin defiles the land. It’s not only souls that are polluted—but the soil, the culture, the institutions. This is a covenantal reality, not symbolism.“At the very least, these verses tell us that God has established a symbolic relationship between man and the land... man’s sins recoil on him in a number of ways.”The ritual removal of guilt via the scapegoat reflects this. The atonement cleanses the environment—both spiritually and socially. 💥 Contrasting Worldviews on Atonement ➤ Christian Atonement:Active, just, redemptiveReconciles us to a holy GodProduces a new creation: individuals, nations, cultures➤ Pagan Atonement:Passive, fear-based, amoralSeeks to appease evil, not uphold truthResults in placating injustice and empowering wickedness“False atonement propitiates evil... a culture without Christ’s atonement will seek to placate evil.”Examples:Prioritizing a criminal’s rights over the victim’sExcusing tyrants in the name of diplomacyDefending disorder as “equity” or “compassion”🧱 Foundational PointsThe scapegoat (Azazel) was not an offering to Satan or chaos, but part of the LORD’s appointed system of justice.Confession, both by the high priest and the people, is essential: no atonement without truth.The land and society must be cleansed, not merely the individual.The atonement is action: Christ did not passively suffer but actively obeyed unto death.✅ Final TakeawayGod’s atonement is holistic—it deals not just with guilt but with restoration, cleansing, and dominion. The twin goats of Leviticus 16 are a vivid picture of both judgment satisfied and sin removed.Through Christ, the true sin-bearer, God remakes His people as His “justicers”—agents of reconciliation and justice in a world marred by sin. This is not private piety—it’s cosmic transformation.“The people who are justified are to be God’s justice people. For people who call themselves Christians to be indifferent to justice is to deny their Justifier.” – Rushdoony

Author

R.J. Rushdoony

Chalcedon Founder

Narrated by

Nathan F. Conkey

Narrator, teacher, missionary