I take issue with the way the scapegoat story is typically taught, with the implication being that death is the only way to atone for sin. I agree that the goat who carried the sins of God's people had to die, but I don't believe that death is the only way to deal with sin. I don't like the picture of the goat being sent out into the dark, judgemental world without God's protection, especially when contrasted with the image of the Shepherd and his flock.First and foremost, it is crucial to comprehend that when we speak of sin, we are not discussing something that hinders or oppresses us, nor something that shapes our identity in a negative light. Instead, we are referring to an occurrence or series of events that God employs to demonstrate His entirely different perspective. In other words, when we sin, it is not something for which we are accountable; rather, it is something that God uses to display His love and mercy. Consequently, when we are dispatched into the world as His envoys, we are not burdened by our own sin, but rather by the weight of His love and mercy.When we get caught up in the physical features of a type, we often fail to see the deeper, metaphysical relationship that exists between us and the Shepherd. This way of thinking provides us with a more accurate view of our identity. We can then draw a parallel between sin and the scapegoat, in that not only does sin need to be dealt with, but also how it affects the scapegoat, who carries the burden of sin for us.If God does indeed keep His promise to remove our sins as far as the east is from the west, then He is also promising to carry us who are burdened by the weight of sin and sorrow. There is nothing more comforting than to know that we have a scapegoat in this world that keeps us from being judged as wicked.The idea that a scapegoat should take on the burdens and face the consequences of disaster in their own identity, rather than in that of the person they are protecting, should give us new trust in His promise to be our real substitute in this relationship of grace. In this paradigm, old things have passed away and all things are made new. As He goes out before us, old reality is meeting new identity.