He is only mentioned in one chapter (Leviticus 16), but I regard him as one of the most significant considerations of the Bible. This may seem especially strange since he is a goat. The word “Azazel” is attached to this goat either as a name or in reference to his destination. More commonly and specifically, he is referred to as the “scapegoat,” and he played his role on the Day of Atonement. On this day, two goats were selected, one as a sacrifice and the other as “the goat of removal.” They were chosen by casting lots. After the first goat had been sacrificed, Aaron (the High Priest) placed his hands on the head of the second goat and confessed all of the sins of the entire congregation of Israel. This goat was then led into the wilderness and released. The one who led him there was required to wash and change garments when he returned. The significance of this becomes immediately clear; it is God’s way of demonstrating how completely He removes our sins from us. I always associate this with a passage in the Book of Psalms: “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:11-12). It is absolutely wrong to think of God as one who nurses grudges. I imagine we think of Him this way