Leviticus (15) Azazel and the Wilderness

The second goat selected on the Day of Cleansing is for Azazel. Many English translations call this goat the scapegoat, but the correct translation of the Hebrew word “azazel” is debated. The most common view is that Azazel was the name of a ruler-demon who controlled the wilderness areas. The wording of Leviticus 16:8 suggests two contrasting spiritual beings: Yahweh and Azazel.

Deuteronomy 8:15 describes it as “the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions, and its thirsty ground”. For the Israelites trekking through it towards the Promised Land, it was a dangerous place where they came under intense spiritual attack. The tabernacle offerings provided protection for them. Azazel was probably the controlling spirit organising these attacks.

The High Priest confessed the depravities and transgressions of the Israelites over the head of the goat for Azazel. These are really strong words. The Hebrew word translated depravity is “avon”, which comes from a root meaning twisted or bent. It means depravity, perversity or iniquity. The Hebrew word translated transgression is “pasha”, which comes from a root meaning breaking away. It means transgression or rebellion. These words indicate serious perversity and rebellion, which is quite different from the sins dealt with by the Decontamination Offering and the Reparation Offering. They were for sins committed by mistake or without realising something was being done wrong. Hebrews calls them sins committed in ignorance (Heb 9:7).

The sins confessed over the goat for Azazel were really of a different order, because they were done deliberately by people choosing to disobey God. Examples could be hatred, anger, cheating, pride, etc. These serious sins were not dealt with by tabernacle offerings because they were more serious than the Decontamination Offering or Reparation could deal with. Instead, they are placed on the head of this goat, which is sent out into the wilderness to die. A domestic goat would not survive being sent into a wilderness where predators abound.

The goat was assigned to Azazel, who is a demonic ruler of the spiritual powers of evil that operated in the wilderness. The depravities and transgression were sent back to him, because he was responsible for them. The spiritual forces he controlled were constantly harassing the children of Israel and persuading them to rebel against God. The reason that they rebelled was that their spiritual protection was incomplete, and the powers of evil were able to manipulate them.

God sent these serious depravities and transgressions back where they came from. Because he understood why they had fallen, he was willing to forgive them. All he required from them was a Decontamination Offering to remove any residual influence of the spiritual powers of evil from the tabernacle.

The Day of Cleansing could not deal with serious sins that polluted the land (sexual immorality, bloodshed, and idolatry). The only solution for these most serious sins was community exclusion. If that was not carried out, the entire people would eventually be exiled from the land. Allowing the land a set of Sabbaths would purify it from the influence of the spiritual powers of evil.