THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
by Given O. Blakely
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GOD HAS SPOKEN THROUGH HIS SON, #5
                          He Purged Our Sins
     The closer we are to the Lord, the more we will make of the removing of our sins. In a sense, this
work was introductory, but we must not allow that consideration to diminish the magnitude of this
accomplishment! God could proceed no further with His purpose for humanity until sin had been dealt
with, and that decisively! The thrice holy God could not overlook sin, or simply pass it by. As it is
written, "The LORD . . . by no means clearing the guilty" (Ex 34:7, NRSV). Nahum said of God, "the
LORD will by no means clear the guilty" (1:3). His nature will not allow Him to look past guilt. It must
be removed, and that in a righteous way; i.e., a manner that does not comprise the integrity of God, or
coerce mankind, made in the image of God. This, by no means, is a small or inconsequential task! 1,500
years of sacrifices under the Law did not remove so much as a single sin. No guilty conscience was
purged, and no individual regenerated under that ancient system--even though it  was God-ordained!With
the entrance of Jesus into the world, hope sprang forth like a beautiful flower. A resolution to the sin
problem loomed on the horizon of time. John the Baptist saw it and cried, "Here is the Lamb of God who
takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). Everything that was created was "made by Him!" It was all
made "for Him." It is all sustained "by Him."  Yet, He is the one that dealt with the wretched condition of
humanity. God Himself "laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isa 53:6). 
     Mark it well, Jesus did not "purge" our sins by a Divine fiat! He created "the worlds" with His Word,
and "upholds all things" by His Word--but it is not so with the purging of our sins! He could summon a
universe into existence by His word, but He could not speak our sins away! That would require a
sacrifice--the ultimate sacrifice! He must be "made to be sin for us" (2 Cor 5:21), bearing "our sins in His
body on the tree" (1 Pet 2:24). This would involve being "made a curse for us" (Gal 3:10-13), and being
forsaken by God (Matt 27:46). For our sins to be "removed," the Son must, for a season, be removed
from God! God would raise Him, but not until He had "delivered Him up for us all" (Rom 4:35; 8:32).
The Father would not allow His soul to remain in hades, but it must go there (Acts 2:27). Jesus, by
Himself, was made to "taste death for every man" (Heb 2:9).
     He "by Himself" purged our sins. It was a solitary work, performed by a solitary person. The KJV
carries the sense of this text--"by Himself."  Other versions lighten the sense of the text by saying,
"When
he had made purification for sins" (NRSV), and "After he had provided purification for sins" (NIV). The
expression translated "by Himself" (diV eautou/, Scriveners Greek NT; auvtou/, UBS Greek New
Testament) is "an intensive pronoun to emphasize identity, setting the individual person or thing apart
from others . . . "  The point is not only that He accomplished, but that He did it alone! The purging of
our sins was not a joint work! Jesus did it "by Himself." He accomplished this like David accomplished
the defeat of Goliath, or Samson the overthrow of the Philistines. 
   This is elsewhere emphasized in Scripture. The prophets foretold the accomplishment. "I have trodden
the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with . . . the year of my redemption has come. I looked,
but there was no one to help . . . so my own arm worked salvation for me, and my own wrath sustained
me" (Isa 63:3-5). The "day of vengeance" (Isa 63:4) may be interpreted to be the final public judgment of
God's enemies. However, we do well not to confine it  to that event. The Gospel of Christ, or the
announcement of the purging of sin, is also the announcement of the revelation of the "wrath of God . . .
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of man" (Rom 1:16-18). There, in the Son, God judged the
sins of the world. He poured out His indignation upon the Son. His holy, righteous character came into
sharp conflict with the transgressions of humanity. It was then that the "chastisement of our peace" was
tasted by Jesus (Isa 53:5). When Jesus was sin incarnate, He became the curse of God personified (Gal
3:10-13). It was God Himself that "did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all" (Rom 8:32,
NIV). He was ravaged by the devil, principalities and powers, and the peoples of the world. Like a Lamb,
He was led to a "slaughter," the likes of which no mortal is capable of conceiving (Isa 53:7).
   Jesus "purged our sins" by removing them from the face of God--from Divine consideration. He
fulfilled the type introduced in the pair of goats employed to deal with sin under the Old Covenant. "And
he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering . . . then
shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil . . . and
sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: and he shall make an atonement for the holy
place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their
sins . . . And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an
atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his
household, and for all the congregation of Israel . . . And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of
the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions
in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man
into the wilderness: And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he
shall let go the goat in the wilderness" (Lev 16:5-22).
   How marvelous the shadow! How much more extraordinary the reality! "Two kids of the goats" were
used to portray coming redemption. One would be used to appeal to Divine mercy; one to take the
offence away from view. The appeal to Divine mercy would be made with "no man" in the tabernacle of
the congregation! Until full atonement had been made, none could go into the presence of the Lord.
Nevertheless, more is involved than this. The sin itself must be removed. It is not enough to make an
appeal to Divine mercy if the sin, in fact, remains. Aaron, the High Priest, was to confess the sins of the
people while laying "both his hands upon the head of the live goat."  In one vicarious act, he transferred
the sins of the people, "putting them upon the head of the goat."  Now, the sins will be removed to a
place 
uninhabitable--where no man could dwell. It would take a "fit man" to accomplish the task. Once the
man
arrived in the desolate land, he would "let go the goat in the wilderness."  Never again would that goat be
seen! He was left where mortal could not dwell.
   How suitable the figure. The Lord Jesus is at once both goats, the High Priest, the mercy seat, and the
"fit man." He took the responsibility for our sins, then, by bearing them "in His body on the tree" (1 Pet
2:24), removed them to a place where they can never be seen again. They have been removed from those
in Christ, and can never be united with them again. "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he
removed our transgressions from us" (Psa 103:12).
   Who is not willing to spend and be spent for such a Savior as this? What Law is there as compelling as
the Lord Jesus Christ? If God has placed everything in His hands, what timorous soul would fail to place
their small challenges in that Almighty hand?
(More on this subject tomorrow)
In joyful expectation of glory
Given O. Blakely