“The goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat.”
— Leviticus 16:10
Gabby wanted to buy a mountain bike and had earned $40 toward it so far. Mr. Brown, who owned the local bike store, was saving the bike for her. This week she would make her first small payment. Sighing, she told her friend, “At this rate, I’ll never get to take the bike home!” That Saturday when she went to make her first payment, Mr. Brown wheeled the bike out and handed it over to her. Gabby was puzzled. “What’s this? Even after my payment, I will still owe you $110.” Mr. Brown showed her the sales ticket. In bright red ink, he’d written, PAID IN FULL. “Your parents came in and paid it off. They said they were proud of all your help around home.” Gabby grinned.
In the Old Testament, a person’s sin debt had to be paid every year in the form of a goat sent into the wilderness — a scapegoat. But when Christ died on the cross, he wrote PAID IN FULL across your sins. He canceled the record that contained the charges against us. Salvation is a free gift to us — but it cost Jesus his life. Thank him today for being your scapegoat — and carrying away your sins forever.
More To Explore: Isaiah 53:6
Girl Talk: Do you have any debts? How would it feel to have someone pay them off?
God Talk: “Lord, thank you for being my scapegoat. I can’t imagine how it felt, but I’m so grateful you died for me. Amen.”
From Shine On, Girl! by Kristi Holl