,transcriber's note3 ,text enclosed by underscores is in italics 7italics74 ,text enclosed by equal signs is n boldface 7bold74 ,small capital text has been replaced with all capitals4 ,variations in spelling1 punctuation and hyphenation have been retained except in obvious cases of typographical error4 ,the cover for the e,book version of this book was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain4 ,page #ahh3 ,the thought of the inspired writer appears to be this3 ,just as 444 ,the transcriber has added the colon4 ,page #ccg3 ,and in order to do this1 we must 444 ,the transcriber has supplied the word do4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,expositor',s ,,bible ,,edited ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,w4 ,,robertson ,,nicoll1 ,m4,a41 ,,ll4,d4 ,editor of ,the ,expositor1 etc4 ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,leviticus ,,by ,,the ,,rev ,s4 ,h4 ,,kellogg1 ,d4,d4 ,toronto1 ,canada ,london ,,hodder ,,and ,,stoughton #bg1 ,,paternoster ,,row ,,mcmvi ,,the ,,expositor',s ,,bible4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 price #gs4 #f;d4 each vol4 ,,first ,,series4 ,colossians4 ,by the ,rev4 ,a4 ,,maclaren1 ,d4,d41 ,d4,lit4 ,st4 ,mark4 ,by the ,right ,rev4 the ,bishop of ,derry4 ,genesis4 ,by ,prof4 ,,marcus ,,dods1 ,d4,d4 #a ,samuel4 ,by ,prof4 ,w4 ,g4 ,,blaikie1 ,d4,d4 #b ,samuel4 ,by the same ,author4 ,hebrews4 ,by ,principal ,t4 ,c4 ,,edwards1 ,d4,d4 ,,second ,,series4 ,galatians4 ,by ,prof4 ,g4 ,g4 ,,findlay1 ,b4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,the ,pastoral ,epistles4 ,by the ,rev4 ,a4 ,,plummer1 ,d4,d4 ,isaiah ,i4--,,xxxix4 ,by ,prof4 ,g4 ,a4 ,,smith1 ,,dd4 ,vol4 ,i4 ,the ,book of ,revelation4 ,by ,prof4 ,w4 ,,milligan1 ,d4,d4 #a ,corinthians4 ,by ,prof4 ,,marcus ,,dods1 ,d4,d1 ,the ,epistles of ,st4 ,john4 ,by the ,most ,rev4 the ,archbishop of ,armagh4 ,,third ,,series4 ,judges and ,ruth4 ,by the ,rev4 ,r4 ,a4 ,,watson1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,jeremiah4 ,by the ,rev4 ,c4 ,j4 ,,ball1 ,m4,a4 ,isaiah ,,xl4--,,lxvi4 ,by ,prof4 ,g4 ,a4 ,,smith1 ,d4,d4 ,vol4 ,,ii4 ,st4 ,matthew4 ,by the ,rev4 ,j4 ,,monro ,,gibson1 ,d4,d4 ,exodus4 ,by the ,right ,rev4 the ,bishop of ,derry4 ,st4 ,luke4 ,by the ,rev4 ,h4 ,,burton1 ,m4,a4 ,,fourth ,,series4 ,ecclesiastes4 ,by the ,rev4 ,,samuel ,,cox1 ,d4,d4 ,st4 ,james and ,st4 ,jude4 ,by the ,rev4 ,a4 ,,plummer1 ,d4,d4 ,proverbs4 ,by the ,rev4 ,r4 ,f4 ,,horton1 ,d4,d4 ,leviticus4 ,by the ,rev4 ,s4 ,h4 ,,kellogg1 ,d4,d4 ,the ,gospel of ,st4 ,john4 ,by ,prof4 ,m4 ,,dods1 ,d4,d4 ,vol4 ,i4 ,the ,acts of the ,apostles4 ,by ,prof4 ,,stokes1 ,d4,d4 ,vol4 ,i4 ,,fifth ,,series4 ,the ,psalms4 ,by the ,rev4 ,a4 ,,maclaren1 ,d4,d4 ,vol4 ,i4 #a and #b ,thessalonians4 ,by ,prof4 ,,james ,,denney1 ,d4,d4 ,the ,book of ,job4 ,by the ,rev4 ,r4 ,a4 ,,watson1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,ephesians4 ,by ,prof4 ,g4 ,g4 ,,findlay1 ,b4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,the ,gospel of ,st4 ,john4 ,by ,prof4 ,m4 ,,dods1 ,d4,d4 ,vol4 ,,ii4 ,the ,acts of the ,apostles4 ,by ,prof4 ,,stokes1 ,d4,d4 ,vol4 ,,ii4 ,,sixth ,,series4 #a ,kings4 ,by the ,very ,rev4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,farrar1 ,f4,r4,s4 ,philippians4 ,by ,principal ,,rainy1 ,d4,d4 ,ezra1 ,nehemiah1 ,esther4 ,by ,prof4 ,w4 ,f4 ,,adeney1 ,m4,a4 ,joshua4 ,by ,prof4 ,w4 ,g4 ,,blaikie1 ,d4,d4 ,the ,psalms4 ,by the ,rev4 ,a4 ,,maclaren1 ,d4,d4 ,vol4 ,,ii4 ,the ,epistles of ,st4 ,peter4 ,by ,prof4 ,,rawson ,,lumby1 ,d4,d4 ,,seventh ,,series4 #b ,kings4 ,by the ,very ,rev4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,farrar1 ,f4,r4,s4 ,romans4 ,by the ,right ,rev4 ,h4 ,c4 ,g4 ,,moule1 ,d4,d4 ,the ,books of ,chronicles4 ,by ,prof4 ,w4 ,h4 ,,bennett1 ,d4,d41 ,d4,lit4 #b ,corinthians4 ,by ,prof4 ,,james ,,denney1 ,d4,d4 ,numbers4 ,by the ,rev4 ,r4 ,a4 ,,watson1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,the ,psalms4 ,by the ,rev4 ,a4 ,,maclaren1 ,d4,d4 ,vol4 ,,iii4 ,,eighth ,,series4 ,daniel4 ,by the ,very ,rev4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,farrar1 ,f4,r4,s4 ,the ,book of ,jeremiah4 ,by ,prof4 ,w4 ,h4 ,,bennett1 ,d4,d41 ,d4,lit4 ,deuteronomy4 ,by ,prof4 ,,andrew ,,harper1 ,b4,d4 ,the ,song of ,solomon and ,lamentations4 ,by ,prof4 ,w4 ,f4 ,,adeney1 ,m4,a4 ,ezekiel4 ,by ,prof4 ,,john ,,skinner1 ,m4,a4 ,the ,books of the ,twelve ,prophets4 ,by ,prof4 ,g4 ,a4 ,,smith1 ,d4,d4 ,two ,vols4 ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,leviticus ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,s4 ,h4 ,,kellogg1 ,d4,d4 ,,author ,,of ,,the ,,jews2 ,,or1 ,,prediction ,,and ,,fulfilment1 ,,the ,,light ,,of ,,asia ,,and ,,the ,,light ,,of ,,the ,,world1 ,,etc4 ,,fifth ,,edition ,london ,,hodder ,,and ,,stoughton #bg1 ,,paternoster ,,row ,,mcmvi ,printed by ,hazell1 ,watson ,viney1 ,ld41 ,london and ,aylesbury4 ,,contents4 ,,part ,i4 ,,the ,,tabernacle ,,worship4 7,,lev4 i4-x41 xvi47 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,page ,,introductory 7i4 #a7 #c ,the ,origin and ,authority of ,leviticus1 #e4--,the ,occasion and ,plan of ,leviticus1 #ah4--,the ,purpose of ,leviticus1 #bj4--,the ,present-day use of ,leviticus1 #bd4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,sacrifice3 ,,the ,,burnt-,,offering 7i4 #b-d7 #bi ,the ,ritual of the ,burnt-offering1 #cf4--,the ,presentation of the ,victim1 #ci4--,the ,laying on of the ,hand1 #da4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,the ,,burnt-,,offering ,,concluded 7i4 #e-ag2 vi4 #h-ac7 #dg ,the ,killing of the ,victim1 #dg4--,the ,sprinkling of the ,blood1 #dh4--,the ,sacrificial ,burning1 #ej4--,the ,continual ,burnt-offering1 #ei4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,the ,,meal-,,offering 7ii4 #a-af2 vi4 #ad-bc7 #fc ,the ,daily ,meal-,offering1 #gi4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,the ,,peace-,,offering 7iii4 #a-ag2 vii4 #aa-cd2 xix4 #e-h2 xxii4 #ba-be7 #hb ,the ,prohibition of ,fat and ,blood1 #ii4--,thank-offerings1 ,vows1 and ,freewill-offerings1 #ajd4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,the ,,sin-,,offering 7iv4 #a-ce7 #aji ,graded ,responsibility1 #abj4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,the ,,ritual ,,of ,,the ,,sin-,,offering 7iv4 #d-ce2 v4 #a-ac2 vi4 #bd-cj7 #acd ,the ,sprinkling of the ,blood1 #acf4--,the ,sanctity of the ,sin-offering1 #aej4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,the ,,guilt-,,offering 7v4 #ad2 vi4 #g2 vii4 #a-g7 #aee ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,the ,,priests' ,,portions 7vi4 #af-ah1 #bf2 vii4 #f-aj1 #ad1 #ca-cf7 #age ,,chapter ,x4 ,,the ,,consecration ,,of ,,aaron ,,and ,,his ,,sons1 ,,and ,,of ,,the ,,tabernacle 7viii4 #a-cf7 #aha ,the ,levitical ,priesthood and ,tabernacle as ,types1 #ahd4--,the ,washing with ,water1 #aij4--,the ,investiture1 #aia4--,the ,anointing1 #bja4--,the ,consecration ,sacrifices1 #bjd4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,the ,,inauguration ,,of ,,the ,,tabernacle ,,service 7ix4 #a-bd7 #bai ,the ,double ,benediction1 #bca4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,nadab',s ,,and ,,abihu',s ,,strange ,,fire 7x4 #a-bj7 #bcg ,mourning in ,silence1 #bdg4--;,carefulness after ,judgment1 #bej4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,great ,,day ,,of ,,atonement 7xvi4 #a-cd7 #bef ,azazel1 #bfd4 ,,part ,,ii4 ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,the ,,daily ,,life4 7,,lev4 xi4-xv42 xvii4-xxv47 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,clean ,,and ,,unclean ,,animals1 ,,and ,,defilement ,,by ,,dead ,,bodies 7xi4 #a-dg7 #bgg ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,of ,,the ,,uncleanness ,,of ,,issues 7xv4 #a-cc7 #cje ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,the ,,uncleanness ,,of ,,child-,,bearing 7xii4 #a-h7 #cac ,the ,ordinance of ,circumcision1 #cae4--,purification after ,child-birth1 #cbj4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,the ,,uncleanness ,,of ,,leprosy 7xiii4 #a-df7 #cbg ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,the ,,cleansing ,,of ,,the ,,leper 7xiv4 #a-cb7 #cde ,leprosy in a ,garment or ,house1 #ceh4 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,holiness ,,in ,,eating 7xvii4 #a-af7 #cfg ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,holiness3 ,,chastity 7xviii4 #a-cj7 #cgi ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,holiness ,,concluded 7xix4 #a-cg7 #cia ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,,penal ,,sanctions 7xx4 #a-bg7 #dah ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,priestly ,,holiness 7xxi4 #a-xxii4 #cc7 #dcb ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,,the ,,set ,,feasts ,,of ,,the ,,lord 7xxiii4 #a-dd7 #ddg ,the ,weekly ,sabbath1 #dec4--,passover and ,unleavened ,bread1 #dee4--,pentecost1 #dei4--,the ,feast of ,trumpets1 #dfa4--,the ,day of ,atonement1 #dfc4--,the ,feast of ,tabernacles1 #dfd4--,typical ,meaning of the ,feasts of the ,seventh ,month1 #dfh4 ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,,the ,,holy ,,light ,,and ,,the ,,shew-,,bread3 ,,the ,,blasphemer',s ,,end 7xxiv4 #a-bc7 #dgd ,the ,bread of the ,presence1 #dgg4--,the ,penalty of ,blasphemy1 #dhj4 ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,,the ,,sabbatic ,,year ,,and ,,the ,,jubilee 7xxv4 #a-ee7 #dhg ,the ,jubilee1 #dhi4--,the ,jubilee and the ,land1 #dia4--,the ,jubilee and ,dwelling-houses1 #did4--,the ,jubilee and ,slavery1 #dig4--,practical ,objects of the ,sabbatic ,year and the ,jubilee1 #ejb4--,typical ,significance of the ,sabbatic and ,jubilee ,years1 #eaj4 ,,part ,,iii4 ,,conclusion ,,and ,,appendix4 7,,lev4 xxvi41 xxvii47 ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,,the ,,promises ,,and ,,threats ,,of ,,the ,,covenant 7xxvi4 #a-df7 #eai ,the ,promises of the ,covenant1 #eba4--,the ,vengeance of the ,covenant1 #ebb4--,the ,promised ,restoration1 #ecd4 ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,,concerning ,,vows 7xxvii4 #a-cd7 #eda ,the ,vowing of ,persons1 #edb4--,the ,vowing of ,domestic ,animals1 #ede4--,the ,vowing of ,houses and ,fields1 #edf4--,the ,vow in ,new ,testament ,ethics1 #edi4--;,exclusions from the ,vow1 #eec4--,the ,law of the ,ban1 #eed4--,the ,law of the ,tithe1 #eei4 ,,part ,i4 ,,the ,,tabernacle ,,worship4 ,i4-,x41 ,,xvi4 ,,section #a4 ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,the ,,offerings3 i4-vi4 ,,section #b4 ,,the ,,institution ,,of ,,the ,,tabernacle ,,service3 viii4-x4 7#a7 ,,the ,,consecration ,,of ,,the ,,priesthood3 vii4 7#b7 ,,the ,,induction ,,of ,,the ,,priesthood3 ix41 x4 ,,section #c4 ,,the ,,day ,,of ,,atonement3 xvi4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,introductory4 ,and the ,lord called unto ,moses1 and spake unto him out of the tent of meeting4--,,lev4 i4 #a4 ,perhaps no book in the ,bible presents to the ordinary reader so many and peculiar difficulties as the book of ,leviticus4 ,even of those who devoutly believe1 as they were taught in their childhood1 that1 like all the other books contained in the ,holy ,scriptures1 it is to be received throughout with unquestioning faith as the very ,word of ,god1 a large number will frankly own in a discouraged way that this is with them merely a matter of belief1 which their personal experience in reading the book has for the most part failed to sustain2 and that for them so to see through symbol and ritual as to get much spiritual profit from such reading has been quite impossible4 ,a larger class1 while by no means denying or doubting the original ,divine authority of this book1 yet suppose that the elaborate ritual of the ,levitical law1 with its multiplied1 minute prescriptions regarding matters religious and secular1 since the ,mosaic dispensation has now long passed away1 neither has nor can have any living relation to present-day questions of ,christian belief and practice2 and so1 under this impression1 they very naturally trouble themselves little with a book which1 if they are right1 can now only be of special interest to the religious antiquarian4 ,others1 again1 while sharing this feeling1 also confess to a great difficulty which they feel in believing that many of the commands of this law can ever have been really given by inspiration from ,god4 ,the extreme severity of some of the laws1 and what seems to them to be the arbitrary and even puerile character of other prescriptions1 appear to them to be irreconcilable1 in the one case1 with the mercy1 in the other1 with the dignity and majesty1 of the ,divine ,being4 ,with a smaller1 but1 it is to be feared1 an increasing number1 this feeling1 either of indifference or of doubt1 regarding the book of ,leviticus1 is further strengthened by their knowledge of the fact that in our day its ,mosaic origin and inspired authority is strenuously denied by a large number of eminent scholars1 upon grounds which they claim to be strictly scientific4 ,and if such ,christians do not know enough to decide for themselves on its merits the question thus raised1 they at least know enough to have a very uncomfortable doubt whether an intelligent ,christian has any longer a right to regard the book as in any true sense the ,word of ,god2 and--what is still more serious--they feel that the question is of such a nature that it is impossible for any one who is not a specialist in ,hebrew and the higher criticism to reach any well-grounded and settled conviction1 one way or the other1 on the subject4 ,such persons1 of course1 have little to do with this book4 ,if the ,word of ,god is indeed there1 it cannot reach them4 ,with such mental conditions so widely prevailing1 some words regarding the origin1 authority1 purpose1 and use of this book of ,leviticus seem to be a necessary preliminary to its profitable exposition4 ,,the ,,origin ,,and ,,authority ,,of ,,leviticus4 ,as to the origin and authority of this book1 the first verse presents a very formal and explicit statement3 ,the ,lord called unto ,moses1 and spake unto him4 ,these words evidently contain by necessary implication two affirmations3 first1 that the legislation which immediately follows is of ,mosaic origin3 ,the ,lord spake unto ,moses2 and1 secondly1 that it was not the product merely of the mind of ,moses1 but came to him1 in the first instance1 as a revelation from ,jehovah3 ,jehovah spake unto ,moses4 ,and although it is quite true that the words in this first verse strictly refer only to that section of the book which immediately follows1 yet1 inasmuch as the same or a like formula is used repeatedly before successive sections1--in all1 no less than fifty-six times in the twenty-seven chapters1--these words may with perfect fairness be regarded as expressing a claim respecting these two points1 which covers the entire book4 ,we must not1 indeed1 put more into these words than is truly there4 ,they simply and only declare the ,mosaic origin and the inspired authority of the legislation which the book contains4 ,they say nothing as to whether or not ,moses wrote every word of this book himself2 or whether the ,spirit of ,god directed and inspired other persons1 in ,moses' time or afterward1 to commit this ,mosaic law to writing4 ,they give us no hint as to when the various sections which make up the book were combined into their present literary form1 whether by ,moses himself1 as is the traditional view1 or by men of ,god in a later day4 ,as to these and other matters of secondary importance which might be named1 the book records no statement4 ,the words used in the text1 and similar expressions used elsewhere1 simply and only declare the legislation to be of ,mosaic origin and of inspired authority4 ,only1 be it observed1 so much as this they do affirm in the most direct and uncompromising manner4 ,it is of great importance to note all this3 for in the heat of theological discussion the issue is too often misapprehended on both sides4 ,the real question1 and1 as every one knows1 the burning ,biblical question of the day1 is precisely this1 whether the claim this book contains1 thus exactly defined1 is true or false4 ,a certain school of critics1 comprising many of the greatest learning1 and of undoubted honesty of intention1 assures the ,church and the world that a strictly scientific criticism compels one to the conclusion that this claim1 even as thus sharply limited and defined1 is1 to use plain words1 not true2 that an enlightened scholarship must acknowledge that ,moses had little or nothing to do with what we find in this book2 that1 in fact1 it did not originate till nearly a thousand years later1 when1 after the ,babylonian captivity1 certain ,jewish priests1 desirous of magnifying their authority with the people1 fell on the happy expedient of writing this book of ,leviticus1 together with certain other parts of the ,pentateuch1 and then1 to give the work a prestige and authority which on its own merits or over their own names it could not have had1 delivered it to their countrymen as nearly a thousand years old1 the work of their great lawgiver4 ,and1 strangest of all1 they not only did this1 but were so successful in imposing this forgery upon the whole nation that history records not even an expressed suspicion of a single person1 until modern times1 of its non-,mosaic origin2 that is1 they succeeded in persuading the whole people of ,israel that a law which they had themselves just promulgated had been in existence among them for nearly ten centuries1 the very work of ,moses1 when1 in reality1 it was quite a new thing4 ,astonishing and even incredible as all this may seem to the uninitiated1 substantially this theory is held by many of the ,biblical scholars of our day as presenting the essential facts of the case2 and the discovery of these supposed facts we are called upon to admire as one of the chief literary triumphs of modern critical scholarship6 ,now the average ,christian1 whether minister or layman1 though intelligent enough in ordinary matters of human knowledge1 or even a well-educated man1 is not1 and cannot be1 a specialist in ,hebrew and in the higher criticism4 ,what is he then to do when such a theory is presented to him as endorsed by scholars of the highest ability and the most extensive learning8 ,must we1 then1 all learn ,hebrew and study this higher criticism before we can be permitted to have any well-justified and decided opinion whether this book1 this law of ,leviticus1 be the ,word of ,god or a forgery8 ,we think not4 ,there are certain considerations1 quite level to the understanding of every one2 certain facts1 which are accepted as such by the most eminent scholars1 which ought to be quite sufficient for the maintenance and the abundant confirmation of our faith in this book of ,leviticus as the very ,word of ,god to ,moses4 ,in the first place1 it is to be observed that if any theory which denies the ,mosaic origin and the inspired authority of this book be true1 then the fifty-six assertions of such origin and authority which the book contains are unqualifiedly false4 ,further1 however any may seek to disguise the issue with words1 if in fact this ,levitical ritual and code of laws came into existence only after the ,babylonian captivity and in the way suggested1 then the book of ,leviticus can by no possibility be the ,word of ,god in any sense1 but is a forgery and a fraud4 ,surely this needs no demonstration4 ,the ,lord spake unto ,moses1 reads1 for instance1 this first verse2 ,the ,lord did not speak these things unto ,moses1 answer these critics2 they were invented by certain unscrupulous priests centuries afterwards4 ,such is the unavoidable issue4 ,now who shall arbitrate in these matters8 who shall settle these questions for the great multitude of believers who know nothing of ,hebrew criticism1 and who1 although they may not well understand much that is in this book1 have yet hitherto accepted it with reverent faith as being what it professes to be1 the very ,word of ,god through ,moses8 ,to whom1 indeed1 can we refer such a question as this for decision but to ,jesus ,christ of ,nazareth1 our ,lord and ,saviour1 confessed of all believers to be in verity the only-begotten ,son of ,god from the bosom of the ,father8 ,for ,he declared that the ,father showed unto ,him1 the ,son1 all things that ,he ,himself did2 ,he will therefore be sure to know the truth of this matter1 sure to know the ,word of ,his ,father from the word of man1 if ,he will but speak4 ,and ,he has spoken on this matter1 ,he1 the ,son of ,god4 ,what was the common belief of the ,jews in the time of our ,lord as to the ,mosaic origin and ,divine authority of this book1 as of all the ,pentateuch1 every one knows4 ,not a living man disputes the statement made by a recent writer on this subject1 that previous to the ,christian era1 there are no traces of a second opinion on this question2 the book was universally ascribed to ,moses4 ,now1 that ,jesus ,christ shared and repeatedly endorsed this belief of ,his contemporaries should be perfectly clear to any ordinary reader of the ,gospels4 ,the facts as to ,his testimony1 in brief1 are these4 ,as to the ,pentateuch in general1 ,he called it 7,luke xxiv4 #dd7 the law of ,moses2 and1 as regards its authority1 ,he declared it to be such that till heaven and earth pass away1 one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law1 till all be fulfilled 7,matt4 v4 #ah74 ,could this be truly said of this book of ,leviticus1 which is undoubtedly included in this term1 the law1 if it were not the ,word of ,god1 but a forgery1 so that its fifty-six affirmations of its ,mosaic origin and inspired authority were false8 ,again1 ,christ declared that ,moses in his writings wrote of ,him1--a statement1 which1 it should be observed1 imputes to ,moses foreknowledge1 and therefore supernatural inspiration2 and further said that faith in ,himself was so connected with faith in ,moses1 that if the ,jews had believed ,moses1 they would have also believed ,him 7,john v4 #df1 #dg74 ,is it conceivable that ,christ should have spoken thus1 if the writings referred to had been forgeries8 ,but not only did our ,lord thus endorse the ,pentateuch in general1 but also1 on several occasions1 the ,mosaic origin and inspired authority of ,leviticus in particular4 ,thus1 when ,he healed the lepers 7,matt4 viii4 #d7 ,he sent them to the priests on the ground that ,moses had commanded this in such cases4 ,but such a command is found only in this book of ,leviticus 7xiv4 #c-aj74 ,again1 in justifying ,his disciples for plucking the ears of corn on the ,sabbath day1 ,he adduces the example of ,david1 who ate the shew-bread when he was an hungered1 which was not lawful for him to eat1 but only for the priests 7,matt4 xii4 #d72 thus referring to a law which is only found in ,leviticus 7xxiv4 #i74 ,but the citation was only pertinent on the assumption that ,he regarded the prohibition of the shew-bread as having the same inspired authority as the obligation of the ,sabbath4 ,in ,john vii4 #cb1 again1 ,he refers to ,moses as having renewed the ordinance of circumcision1 which at the first had been given to ,abraham2 and1 as usual1 assumes the ,divine authority of the command as thus given4 ,but this renewal of the ordinance of circumcision is recorded only in ,leviticus 7xii4 #c74 ,yet once more1 rebuking the ,pharisees for their ingenious justification of the hard-hearted neglect of parents by undutiful children1 ,he reminds them that ,moses had said that he who cursed father or mother should be put to death2 a law which is only found in the so-called priest-code1 ,exod4 xxi4 #ag and ,lev4 xx4 #i4 ,further1 ,he is so far from merely assuming the truth of the ,jewish opinion for the sake of an argument1 that ,he formally declares this law1 equally with the fifth commandment1 to be a commandment of ,god1 which they by their tradition had made void 7,matt4 xiv4 #c-f74 ,one would suppose that it had been impossible to avoid the inference from all this1 that our ,lord believed1 and intended to be understood as teaching1 that the law of ,leviticus was1 in a true sense1 of ,mosaic origin1 and of inspired1 and therefore infallible1 authority4 ,we are in no way concerned1 indeed1--nor is it essential to the argument1--to press this testimony of ,christ as proving more than the very least which the words fairly imply4 ,for instance1 nothing in ,his words1 as we read them1 any more than in the language of ,leviticus itself1 excludes the supposition that in the preparation of the law1 ,moses1 like the ,apostle ,paul1 may have had co-labourers or amanuenses1 such as ,aaron1 ,eleazar1 ,joshua1 or others1 whose several parts of the work might then have been issued under his endorsement and authority2 so that ,christ's testimony is in no wise irreconcilable with the fact of differences of style1 or with the evidence of different documents1 if any think that they discover this1 in the book4#a #a ,genesis may be made up of various documents1 and yet have been compiled by ,moses2 and the same thing is possible1 even in the later books of the ,pentateuch4 ,if these could be successfully partitioned among different writers1 on the score of variety in literary execution1 why may not these have been engaged jointly with ,moses himself in preparing each his appointed portion1 and the whole have been finally reduced by ,moses to its present form8444 ,why might not these continue their work1 and record what occurred after ,moses was taken away8--,professor ,w4 ,h4 ,green1 ,schaff-,herzog ,encyclopdia2 article1 ,the ,pentateuch4 ,we are willing to go further1 and add that in the testimony of our ,lord we find nothing which declares against the possibility of one or more redactions or revisions of the laws of ,leviticus in post-,mosaic times1 by one or more inspired men2 as1 e4g41 by ,ezra1 described 7,ezra vii4 #f7 as a ready scribe in the law of ,moses1 which the ,lord1 the ,god of ,israel1 had given2 to whom also ancient ,jewish tradition attributes the final settlement of the ,old ,testament canon down to his time4 ,hence no words of ,christ touch the question as to when the book of ,leviticus received its present form1 in respect of the order of its chapters1 sections1 and verses4 ,this is a matter of quite secondary importance1 and may be settled any way without prejudice to the ,mosaic origin and authority of the laws it contains4 ,neither1 in the last place1 do the words of our ,lord1 carefully weighed1 of necessity exclude even the possibility that such persons1 acting under ,divine direction and inspiration1 may have first reduced some parts of the law given by ,moses to writing2#b or even1 as an extreme supposition1 may have entered here and there1 under the unerring guidance of the ,holy ,ghost1 prescriptions which1 although new as to the letter1 were none the less truly ,mosaic1 in that by necessary implication they were logically involved in the original code4#c #b ,if it be proven that a record was committed to writing at a comparatively late date1 it does not necessarily follow that the essential part has not been accurately handed down4--,professor ,strack1 ibid4 #c ,something like this seems to have been the final position of the late ,professor ,delitzsch1 who said3 ,we hold firmly that ,moses laid the foundation of this codification 7of the priest-code of ,leviticus1 etc471 but it was continued in the post-,mosaic period within the priesthood1 to whom was entrusted the transmission1 interpretation1 and administration of the law4 ,we admit this willingly2 and even the participation of ,ezra in this codification in itself furnishes no stumbling block for us4 ,for it is not inconceivable that laws which until then had been handed down orally were fixed by him in writing to secure their judicial authority and execution4 ,the most important thing for us is the historico-traditional character of the ,pentateuchal legislation1 and especially the occasions for 7the laws7 and the fundamental arrangements in the history of the times4 ,that which we cannot be persuaded to admit is that the so-called ,priestly ,code is the work of the free invention of the latest date1 which takes on the artificial appearance of ancient history4--,the ,presbyterian ,review1 ,july #ahhb2 article1 ,delitzsch on the ,origin and ,composition of the ,pentateuch1 p4 #egh4 ,we do not indeed here argue either for or against any of these suppositions1 which were apart from the scope of the present work4 ,we are only concerned here to remark that ,christ has not incontrovertibly settled these questions4 ,these things may be true or not true2 the decision of such matters properly belongs to the literary critics4 ,but decide them as one will1 it will still remain true that the law is the law of ,moses1 given by revelation from ,god4 ,so much as this1 however1 is certain4 ,whatsoever modifications may conceivably have passed upon the text1 all work of this kind was done1 as all agree1 long before the time of our ,lord2 and the text to which ,he refers as of ,mosaic origin and of inspired authority1 was therefore essentially the text of ,leviticus as we have it to-day4 ,we are thus compelled to insist that whatever modifications may have been made in the original ,levitical law1 they cannot have been1 according to the testimony of our ,lord1 such as in any way conflicted with ,his affirmation of its ,mosaic origin and its inspired authority4 ,they can thus1 at the very utmost1 only have been1 as suggested1 in the way of legitimate logical development and application to successive circumstances1 of the ,levitical law as originally given to ,moses2 and that1 too1 under the administration of a priesthood endowed with the possession of the ,urim and ,thummim1 so as to give such official deliverances1 whenever required1 the sanction of inerrant ,divine authority1 binding on the conscience as from ,god4 ,here1 at least1 surely1 ,christ by ,his testimony has placed an immovable limitation upon the speculations of the critics4 ,and yet there are those who admit the facts as to ,christ's testimony1 and nevertheless claim that without any prejudice to the absolute truthfulness of our ,lord1 we may suppose that in speaking as ,he did1 with regard to the law of ,leviticus1 ,he merely conformed to the common usage of the ,jews1 without intending thereby to endorse their opinion2 any more than1 when1 conforming to the ordinary mode of speech1 ,he spoke of the sun as rising and setting1 ,he meant thereby to be understood as endorsing the common opinion of men of that time that the sun actually passed round the earth every twenty-four hours4 ,to which it is enough to reply that this illustration1 which has so often been used in this argument1 is not relevant to the case before us4 ,for not only did our ,lord use language which implied the truth of the ,jewish belief regarding the origin and authority of the ,mosaic law1 but ,he formally teaches it2 and--what is of still more moment--,he rests the obligation of certain duties upon the fact that this law of ,leviticus was a revelation from ,god to ,moses for the children of ,israel4 ,but if the supposed facts1 upon which ,he bases ,his argument in such cases1 are1 in reality1 not facts1 then ,his argument becomes null and void4 ,how1 for instance1 is it possible to explain away the words in which ,he appeals to one of the laws of ,exodus and ,leviticus 7,matt4 xv4 #c-f7 as being not a ,jewish opinion1 but1 instead1 in explicit contrast with the traditions of the ,rabbis1 a commandment of ,god8 ,was this expression merely an accommodation to the mistaken notions of the ,jews8 ,if so1 then what becomes of ,his argument8 ,others1 again1 feeling the force of this1 and yet sincerely and earnestly desiring to maintain above possible impeachment the perfect truthfulness of ,christ1 still assuming that the ,jews were mistaken1 and admitting that1 if so1 our ,lord must have shared their error1 take another line of argument4 ,they remind us of what1 however mysterious1 cannot be denied1 that our ,lord1 in virtue of ,his incarnation1 came under certain limitations in knowledge2 and then urge that without any prejudice to ,his character we may suppose that1 not only with regard to the time of ,his advent and kingdom 7,matt4 xxiv4 #cf71 but also with respect to the authorship and the ,divine authority of this book of ,leviticus1 ,he may have shared in the ignorance and error of ,his countrymen4 ,but1 surely1 the fact of ,christ's limitation in knowledge cannot be pressed so far as the argument of such requires1 without by logical necessity nullifying ,christ's mission and authority as a religious teacher4 ,for it is certain that according to ,his own word1 and the universal belief of ,christians1 the supreme object of ,christ's mission was to reveal unto men through ,his life and teachings1 and especially through ,his death upon the cross1 the ,father2 and it is certain that ,he claimed to have1 in order to this end1 perfect knowledge of the ,father4 ,but how could this most essential claim of ,his be justified1 and how could ,he be competent to give unto men a perfect and inerrant knowledge of the ,father1 if the ignorance of ,his humiliation was so great that ,he was unable to distinguish from ,his ,father's ,word a book which1 by the hypothesis1 was not the ,word of the ,father1 but an ingenious and successful forgery of certain crafty post-exilian priests8 ,it is thus certain that ,jesus must have known whether the ,pentateuch1 and1 in particular1 this book of ,leviticus1 was the ,word of ,god or not2 certain also that1 if the ,word of ,god1 it could not have been a forgery2 and equally certain that ,jesus could not have intended in what ,he said on this subject to accommodate ,his speech to a common error of the people1 without thereby endorsing their belief4 ,it thus follows that critics of the radical school referred to are directly at issue with the testimony of ,christ regarding this book4 ,it is of immense consequence that ,christians should see this issue clearly4 ,while ,jesus taught in various ways that ,leviticus contains a law given by revelation from ,god to ,moses1 these teach that it is a priestly forgery of the days after ,ezra4 ,both cannot be right2 and if the latter are in the right1 then--we speak with all possible deliberation and reverence--,jesus ,christ was mistaken1 and was therefore unable even to tell us with inerrant certainty whether this or that is the ,word of ,god or not4 ,but if this is so1 then how can we escape the final inference that ,his claim to have a perfect knowledge of the ,father must have been an error2 ,his claim to be the incarnate ,son of ,god1 therefore1 a false pretension1 and ,christianity1 a delusion1 so that mankind has in ,him no ,saviour8 ,but against so fatal a conclusion stands the great established fact of the resurrection of ,jesus ,christ from the dead2 whereby ,he was with power declared to be the ,son of ,god1 so that we may know that ,his word on this1 as on all subjects where ,he has spoken1 settles controversy1 and is a sufficient ground of faith2 while it imposes upon all speculations of men1 literary or philosophical1 eternal and irremovable limitations4 ,let no one think that the case1 as regards the issue at stake1 has been above stated too strongly4 ,one could not well go beyond the often cited words of ,kuenen on this subject3 ,we must either cast aside as worthless our dearly bought scientific method1 or we must for ever cease to acknowledge the authority of the ,new ,testament in the domain of the exegesis of the ,old4 ,with good reason does another scholar exclaim at these words1 ,the ,master must not be heard as a witness6 ,we treat our criminals with more respect4 ,so then stands the question this day which this first verse of ,leviticus brings before us3 ,in which have we more confidence8 in literary critics1 like a ,kuenen or ,wellhausen1 or in ,jesus ,christ8 ,which is the more likely to know with certainty whether the law of ,leviticus is a revelation from ,god or not8 ,the devout ,christian1 who through the grace of the crucified and risen ,lord of whom ,moses1 in the law1 and the prophets did write1 and who has tasted the good word of ,god1 will not long hesitate for an answer4 ,he will not indeed1 if wise1 timidly or fanatically decry all literary investigation of the ,scriptures2 but he will insist that the critic shall ever hold his reason in reverent subjection to the ,lord ,jesus on all points where the ,lord has spoken4 ,such everywhere will heartily endorse and rejoice in those admirable words of the late venerable ,professor ,delitzsch2 words which stand almost as of his last solemn testament3--,the theology of glory which prides itself upon being its own highest authority1 bewitches even those who had seemed proof against its enchantments2 and the theology of the ,cross1 which holds ,divine folly to be wiser than men1 is regarded as an unscientific lagging behind the steps of progress4444 ,but the faith which ,i professed in my first sermons1 444 remains mine to-day1 undiminished in strength1 and immeasurably higher than all earthly knowledge4 ,even if in many ,biblical questions ,i have to oppose the traditional opinion1 certainly my opposition rests on this side of the gulf1 on the side of the theology of the ,cross1 of grace1 of miracles6444 ,by this banner let us stand2 folding ourselves in it1 let us die6#d ,to which truly noble words every true ,christian may well say1 ,amen6 #d ,the ,expositor1 ,january1 #ahhi2 article1 ,the ,old ,theology and the ,new1 pp4 #ed1 #ee4 ,we then stand without fear with ,jesus ,christ in our view of the origin and authority of the book of ,leviticus4 ,,the ,,occasion ,,and ,,order ,,of ,,leviticus4 ,before proceeding to the exposition of this book1 a few words need to be said regarding its occasion and plan1 and its object and present use4 ,the opening words of the book1 ,and the ,lord said1 connect it in the closest manner with the preceding book of ,exodus1 at the contents of which we have therefore to glance for a moment4 ,the kingdom of ,god1 rejected by corporate humanity in the founding of the ,babylonian world-power1 but continuing on earth in a few still loyal souls in the line of ,abraham and his seed1 at last1 according to promise1 had been formally and visibly re-established on earth at ,mount ,sinai4 ,the fundamental law of the kingdom contained in the ten commandments and certain applications of the same1 had been delivered in what is called the ,book of the ,covenant1 amid thunders and lightnings1 at the holy mount4 ,israel had solemnly entered into covenant with ,god on this basis1 saying1 ,all these things will we do and be obedient1 and the covenant had been sealed by the solemn sprinkling of blood4 ,this being done1 ,jehovah now issued commandment for the building of the tabernacle or tent of meeting1 where ,he might manifest ,his glory and from time to time communicate ,his will to ,israel4 ,as mediators between ,him and the people1 the priesthood was appointed1 their vestments and duties prescribed4 ,all this having been done as ordered1 the tent of meeting covering the interior tabernacle was set up2 the ,shekinah cloud covered it1 and the glory of ,jehovah filled the tabernacle1--the manifested presence of the ,king of ,israel6 ,out of the tent of meeting1 from this excellent glory1 ,jehovah now called unto ,moses1 and delivered the law as we have it in the first seven chapters of the book of ,leviticus4 ,to the law of offerings succeeds 7viii4-x47 an account of the consecration of ,aaron and his sons to the priestly office1 and their formal public assumption of their functions1 with an account of the very awful sanction which was given to the preceding law1 by the death of ,nadab and ,abihu before the ,lord1 for offering as ,he had not commanded them4 ,the next section of the book contains the law concerning the clean and the unclean1 under the several heads of food 7xi471 birth-defilement 7xii471 leprosy 7xiii41 xiv471 and unclean issues 7xv472 and closes 7xvi47 with the ordinance of the great day of atonement1 in which the high priest alone1 presenting the blood of a sin-offering in the ,holy of ,holies1 was to make atonement once a year for the sins of the whole nation4#e #e ,from the note in xvi4 #a it would appear that this chapter1 so different in subject from the five preceding chapters on ,uncleannesses1 originally preceded them1 and so followed x41 with which it is so closely connected4 ,its exposition is therefore given immediately after that of x4 ,the third section of the book contains the law of holiness1#f first1 for the people 7xvii4-xx471 and then the special laws for the priests 7xxi41 xxii474 ,these are followed1 first 7xxiii471 by the order for the feasts of the ,lord1 or appointed times of public holy convocation2 then 7xxiv471 by a historical incident designed to show that the law1 as given1 must1 in several respects noted1 be applied in all its strictness no less to the alien than to the native-born ,israelite2 and finally 7xxv471 by the remarkable ordinances concerning the sabbatic year1 and the culmination of the sabbatic system of the law in the year of jubilee4 #f ,this name is often restricted to xviii4-xx4 ,as a conclusion to the whole1 the legislation thus given is now sealed 7xxvi47 with promises from ,god of blessing to the nation if they will keep this law1 and threats of unsparing vengeance against the people and the land1 if they forsake ,his commandments and break the covenant1 though still with a promise of mercy when1 having thus transgressed1 they shall at any time repent4 ,the book then closes with a supplemental chapter on voluntary vows and dues 7xxvii474 ,,the ,,purpose ,,of ,,leviticus4 ,what now was the purpose of ,leviticus8 ,in general1 as regards ,israel1 it was given to direct them how they might live as a holy nation in fellowship with ,god4 ,the key-note of the book is ,holiness to ,jehovah4 ,more particularly1 the object of the book was to furnish for the theocracy set up in ,israel a code of law which should secure their physical1 moral1 and spiritual well-being4 ,but the establishment of the theocracy in ,israel was itself only a means to an end2 namely1 to make ,israel a blessing to all nations1 in mediating to the ,gentiles the redemption of ,god4 ,hence1 the ,levitical laws were all intended and adapted to train and prepare the nation for this special historic mission to which ,god had chosen them4 ,to this end1 it was absolutely necessary1 first of all1 that ,israel should be kept separate from the heathen nations4 ,to effect and maintain this separation1 these laws of ,leviticus were admirably adapted4 ,they are of such a character1 that obedience to them1 even in a very imperfect way1 has made the nation to this day to be1 in a manner and degree perfectly unique1 isolated and separate from all the peoples in the midst of whom they dwell4 ,the law of ,leviticus was intended to effect this preparation of ,israel for its world-mission1 not only in an external manner1 but also in an internal way2 namely1 by revealing in and to ,israel the real character of ,god1 and in particular ,his unapproachable holiness4 ,for if ,israel is to teach the nations the way of holiness1 in which alone they can be blessed1 the chosen nation must itself first be taught holiness by the ,holy ,one4 ,a lesson here for every one of us6 ,the revelation of the holiness of ,god was made1 first of all1 in the sacrificial system4 ,the great lesson which it must have kept before the most obtuse conscience was this1 that without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin2 that ,god therefore must be the ,most ,holy1 and sin against ,him no trifle4 ,it was made1 again1 in the precepts of the law4 ,if in some instances these seem to tolerate evils which we should have expected that a holy ,god would at once have swept away1 this is explained by our ,lord 7,matt4 xix4 #h7 by the fact that some things were of necessity ordained in view of the hardness of men's hearts2 while1 on the other hand1 it is certainly quite plain that the laws of ,leviticus constantly held before the ,israelite the absolute holiness of ,god as the only standard of perfection4 ,the holiness of ,god was further revealed by the severity of the penalties which were attached to these ,levitical laws4 ,men often call these harsh1 forgetting that we are certain to underestimate the criminality of sin2 forgetting that ,god must1 in any case1 have rights over human life which no earthly ruler can have4 ,but no one will deny that this very severity of the law was fitted to impress the ,israelite1 as nothing else could1 with ,god's absolute intolerance of sin and impurity1 and make him feel that he could not trifle with ,god1 and hope to sin with impunity4 ,and yet we must not forget that the law was adapted no less to reveal the other side of the ,divine holiness2 that the ,lord ,god is merciful and gracious1 and of great kindness4 ,for if the law of ,leviticus proclaims that without shedding of blood there is no remission1 with equal clearness it proclaims that with shedding of blood there can be remission of sin to every believing penitent4 ,and this leads to the observation that this law was further adapted to the training of ,israel for its world-mission1 in that to every thoughtful man it must have suggested a secret of redeeming mercy yet to be revealed4 ,every such one must have often said in his heart that it was not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sin2 and that as a substitute for human life1 when forfeited by sin1 more precious blood than this must be required2 even though he might not have been able to imagine whence ,god should provide such a ,lamb for an offering4 ,and so it was that the law was fitted1 in the highest degree1 to prepare ,israel for the reception of ,him to whom all these sacrifices pointed1 the ,high ,priest greater than ,aaron1 the ,lamb of ,god which should take away the sins of the world1 in whose person and work ,israel's mission should at last receive its fullest realisation4 ,but the law of ,leviticus was not only intended to prepare ,israel for the ,messiah by thus awakening a sense of sin and need1 it was so ordered as to be in many ways directly typical and prophetic of ,christ and ,his great redemption1 in its future historical development4 ,modern rationalism1 indeed1 denies this2 but it is none the less a fact4 ,according to the ,apostle ,john 7v4 #df7 our ,lord declared that ,moses wrote of ,him2 and1 according to ,luke 7xxiv4 #bg71 when ,he expounded unto the two walking to ,emmaus the things concerning himself1 ,he began ,his exposition with ,moses2 and 7ver4 #dd7 repeated what ,he had before ,his resurrection taught them1 that all things which were written in the law of ,moses concerning ,him1 must be fulfilled4 ,and in full accord with the teaching of the ,master taught also ,his disciples4 ,the writer of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews1 especially1 argues from this postulate throughout1 and also explicitly affirms the typical character of the ordinances of this book2 declaring1 for example1 that the ,levitical priests in the tabernacle service served that which is a copy of the heavenly things 7,heb4 viii4 #e72 that the blood with which the copies of the things in the heavens were cleansed1 prefigured better sacrifices than these1 even the one offering of ,him who put away sin by the sacrifice of ,himself 7,heb4 ix4 #bc-f72 and that the holy times and sabbatic seasons of the law were a shadow of the things to come4 ,the fact is familiar1 and one need not multiply illustrations4 ,many1 no doubt1 in the interpretation of these types1 have broken loose from the principles indicated in the ,new ,testament1 and given free rein to an unbridled fancy4 ,but this only warns us that we the more carefully take heed to follow the intimations of the ,new ,testament1 and beware of mistaking our own imaginings for the teaching of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,such interpretations may bring typology into disrepute1 but they cannot nullify it as a fact which must be recognised in any attempt to open up the meaning of the book4 ,neither is the reality of this typical correspondence between the ,levitical ritual and order and ,new ,testament facts set aside1 even though it is admitted that we cannot believe that ,israel generally could have seen all in it which the ,new ,testament declares to be there4 ,for the very same ,new ,testament which declares the typical correspondence1 no less explicitly tells us this very thing3 that many things predicted and prefigured in the ,old ,testament1 concerning the sufferings and glory of ,christ1 were not understood by the very prophets through whom they were anciently made known 7#a ,peter i4 #aj-ab74 ,we have then carefully to distinguish in our interpretation between the immediate historical intention of the ,levitical ordinances1 for the people of that time1 and their typical intention and meaning2 but we are not to imagine with some that to prove the one1 is to disprove the other4 ,,the ,,present-,,day ,,use ,,of ,,leviticus4 ,this very naturally brings us to the answer to the frequent question3 ,of what use can the book of ,leviticus be to believers now8 ,we answer1 first1 that it is to us1 just as much as to ancient ,israel1 a revelation of the character of ,god4 ,it is even a clearer revelation of ,god's character to us than to them2 for ,christ has come as the ,fulfiller1 and thus the ,interpreter1 of the law4 ,and ,god has not changed4 ,he is still exactly what ,he was when ,he called to ,moses out of the tent of meeting or spoke to him at ,mount ,sinai4 ,he is just as holy as then2 just as intolerant of sin as then2 just as merciful to the penitent sinner who presents in faith the appointed blood of atonement1 as ,he was then4 ,more particularly1 ,leviticus is of use to us now1 as holding forth1 in a singularly vivid manner1 the fundamental conditions of true religion4 ,the ,levitical priesthood and sacrifices are no more1 but the spiritual truth they represented abides and must abide for ever3 namely1 that there is for sinful man no citizenship in the kingdom of ,god apart from a ,high ,priest and ,mediator with a propitiatory sacrifice for sin4 ,these are days when many1 who would yet be called ,christians1 belittle atonement1 and deny the necessity of the shedding of substitutionary blood for our salvation4 ,such would reduce1 if it were possible1 the whole sacrificial ritual of ,leviticus to a symbolic self-offering of the worshipper to ,god4 ,but against this stands the constant testimony of our ,lord and ,his apostles1 that it is only through the shedding of blood not his own that man can have remission of sin4 ,but ,leviticus presents not only a ritual1 but also a body of civil law for the theocracy4 ,hence it comes that the book is of use for to-day1 as suggesting principles which should guide human legislators who would rule according to the mind of ,god4 ,not1 indeed1 that the laws in their detail should be adopted in our modern states2 but it is certain that the principles which underlie those laws are eternal4 ,social and governmental questions have come to the front in our time as never before4 ,the question of the relation of the civil government to religion1 the question of the rights of labour and of capital1 of land-holding1 that which by a suggestive euphemism we call the social evil1 with its related subjects of marriage and divorce1--all these are claiming attention as never before4 ,there is not one of these questions on which the legislation of ,leviticus does not cast a flood of light1 into which our modern law-makers would do well to come and walk4 ,for nothing can be more certain than this2 that if ,god has indeed once stood to a commonwealth in the relation of ,king and political ,head1 we shall be sure to discover in ,his theocratic law upon what principles infinite righteousness1 wisdom1 and goodness would deal with these matters4 ,we shall thus find in ,leviticus that the law which it contains1 from beginning to end1 stands in contradiction to that modern democratic secularism1 which would exclude religion from government and order all national affairs without reference to the being and government of ,god2 and1 by placing the law of sacrifice at the beginning of the book1 it suggests distinctly enough that the maintenance of right relation to ,god is fundamental to good government4 ,the severity of many of the laws is also instructive in this connection4 ,the trend of public opinion in many communities is against capital punishment1 as barbarous and inhuman4 ,we are startled to observe the place which this has in the ,levitical law2 which exhibits a severity far removed indeed from the unrighteous and undiscriminating severity of the earlier ,english law1 but no less so from the more undiscriminating leniency which has taken its place1 especially as regards those crimes in which large numbers of people are inclined to indulge4 ,no less instructive to modern law-makers and political economists is the bearing of the ,levitical legislation on the social question1 the relations of rich and poor1 of employer and employed4 ,it is a legislation which1 with admirable impartiality1 keeps the poor man and the rich man equally in view2 a body of law which1 if strictly carried out1 would have made in ,israel either a plutocracy or a proletariat alike impossible4 ,all these things will be illustrated in the course of exposition4 ,enough has been said to show that those among us who are sorely perplexed as to what government should do1 at what it should aim in these matters1 may gain help by studying the mind of ,divine wisdom concerning these questions1 as set forth in the theocratic law of ,leviticus4 ,further1 ,leviticus is of use to us now as a revelation of ,christ4 ,this follows from what has been already said concerning the typical character of the law4 ,the book is thus a treasury of divinely-chosen illustrations as to the way of a sinner's salvation through the priestly work of the ,son of ,god1 and as to his present and future position and dignity as a redeemed man4 ,finally1 and for this same reason1 ,leviticus is still of use to us as embodying in type and figure prophecies of things yet to come1 pertaining to ,messiah's kingdom4 ,we must not imagine with some that because many of its types are long ago fulfilled1 therefore all have been fulfilled4 ,many1 according to the hints of the ,new ,testament1 await their fulfilment in a bright day that is coming4 ,some1 for instance1 of the feasts of the ,lord have been fulfilled2 as passover1 and the feast of ,pentecost4 ,but how about the day of atonement for the sin of corporate ,israel8 ,we have seen the type of the day of atonement fulfilled in the entering into heaven of our great ,high ,priest2 but in the type ,he came out again to bless the people3 has that been fulfilled8 ,has ,he yet proclaimed absolution of sin to guilty ,israel8 ,how1 again1 about the feast of trumpets1 and that of the ingathering at full harvest8 ,how about the ,sabbatic year1 and that most consummate type of all1 the year of jubilee8 ,history records nothing which could be held a fulfilment of any of these2 and thus ,leviticus bids us look forward to a glorious future yet to come1 when the great redemption shall at last be accomplished1 and ,holiness to ,jehovah shall1 as ,zechariah puts it 7xiv4 #bj71 be written even on the bells of the horses4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,sacrifice3 ,,the ,,burnt-,,offering4 i4 #b-d4 ,the voice of ,jehovah which had spoken not long before from ,sinai1 now speaks from out the tent of meeting4 ,there was a reason for the change4 ,for ,israel had since then entered into covenant with ,god2 and ,moses1 as the mediator of the covenant1 had sealed it by sprinkling with blood both the ,book of the ,covenant and the people4 ,and therewith they had professedly taken ,jehovah for their ,god1 and ,he had taken ,israel for ,his people4 ,in infinite grace1 ,he had condescended to appoint for ,himself a tabernacle or tent of meeting1 where ,he might1 in a special manner1 dwell among them1 and manifest to them ,his will4 ,the tabernacle had been made1 according to the pattern shown to ,moses in the mount2 and it had been now set up4 ,and so now1 ,he who had before spoken amid the thunders of flaming1 trembling ,sinai1 speaks from the hushed silence of the tent of meeting4 ,the first words from ,sinai had been the holy law1 forbidding sin with threatening of wrath3 the first words from the tent of meeting are words of grace1 concerning fellowship with the ,holy ,one maintained through sacrifice1 and atonement for sin by the shedding of blood4 ,a contrast this which is itself a ,gospel6 ,the offerings of which we read in the next seven chapters are of two kinds1 namely1 bloody and unbloody offerings4 ,in the former class were included the burnt-offering1 the peace-offering1 the sin-offering1 and the guilt-1 or trespass-offering2 in the latter1 only the meal-offering4 ,the book begins with the law of the burnt-offering4 ,in any exposition of this law of the offerings1 it is imperative that our interpretation shall be determined1 not by any fancy of ours as to what the offerings might fitly symbolise1 nor yet1 on the other hand1 be limited by what we may suppose that any ,israelite of that day might have thought regarding them2 but by the statements concerning them which are contained in the law itself1 and in other parts of ,holy ,scripture1 especially in the ,new ,testament4 ,first of all1 we may observe that in the book itself the offerings are described by the remarkable expression1 the bread or food of ,god4 ,thus1 it is commanded 7xxi4 #f7 that the priests should not defile themselves1 on this ground3 the offerings of the ,lord made by fire1 the bread of their ,god1 do they offer4 ,it was an ancient heathen notion that in sacrifice1 food was provided for the ,deity in order thus to show ,him honour4 ,and1 doubtless1 in ,israel1 ever prone to idolatry1 there were many who rose no higher than this gross conception of the meaning of such words4 ,thus1 in ,psalm l4 #h-ae1 ,god sharply rebukes ,israel for so unworthy thoughts of ,himself1 using language at the same time which teaches the spiritual meaning of the sacrifice1 regarded as the food1 or bread1 of ,god3 ,i will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices2 and thy burnt-offerings are continually before ,me4444 ,i will take no bullock out of thy house1 nor he-goats out of thy stalls4444 ,if ,i were hungry1 ,i would not tell thee2 for the world is ,mine1 and the fulness thereof4 ,will ,i eat the flesh of bulls1 or drink the blood of goats8 ,offer unto ,god the sacrifice of thanksgiving2 and pay thy vows unto the ,most ,high2 and call upon ,me in the day of trouble3 ,i will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify ,me4 ,of which language the plain teaching is this4 ,if the sacrifices are called in the law the bread of ,god1 ,god asks not this bread from ,israel in any material sense1 or for any material need4 ,he asks that which the offerings symbolise2 thanksgiving1 loyal fulfilment of covenant engagements to ,him1 and that loving trust which will call on ,him in the day of trouble4 ,even so6 ,gratitude1 loyalty1 trust6 this is the food of ,god1 this the bread which ,he desires that we should offer1 the bread which those ,levitical sacrifices symbolised4 ,for even as man1 when hungry1 craves food1 and cannot be satisfied without it1 so ,god1 who is ,himself ,love1 desires our love1 and delights in seeing its expression in all those offices of self-forgetting and self-sacrificing service in which love manifests itself4 ,this is to ,god even as is food to us4 ,love cannot be satisfied except with love returned2 and we may say1 with deepest humility and reverence1 the ,god of love cannot be satisfied without love returned4 ,hence it is that the sacrifices1 which in various ways symbolise the self-offering of love and the fellowship of love1 are called by the ,holy ,ghost the food1 or bread of ,god4 ,and yet we must1 on no account1 hasten to the conclusion1 as many do1 that therefore the ,levitical sacrifices were only intended to express and symbolise the self-offering of the worshipper1 and that this exhausts their significance4 ,on the contrary1 the need of infinite ,love for this bread of ,god cannot be adequately met and satisfied by the self-offering of any creature1 and1 least of all1 by the self-offering of a sinful creature1 whose very sin lies just in this1 that he has fallen away from perfect love4 ,the symbolism of the sacrifice as the food of ,god1 therefore1 by this very phrase points toward the self-offering in love of the eternal ,son to the ,father1 and in behalf of sinners1 for the ,father's sake4 ,it was the sacrifice on ,calvary which first became1 in innermost reality1 that bread of ,god1 which the ancient sacrifices were only in symbol4 ,it was this1 not regarded as satisfying ,divine justice 7though it did this71 but as satisfying the ,divine love2 because it was the supreme expression of the perfect love of the incarnate ,son of ,god to the ,father1 in ,his becoming obedient unto death1 even the death of the cross4 ,and now1 keeping all this in view1 we may venture to say even more than at first as to the meaning of this phrase1 the bread of ,god1 applied to these offerings by fire4 ,for just as the free activity of man is only sustained in virtue of and by means of the food which he eats1 so also the love of the ,god of love is only sustained in free activity toward man through the self-offering to the ,father of the ,son1 in that atoning sacrifice which ,he offered on the cross1 and in the ceaseless service of that exalted life which1 risen from the dead1 ,christ now lives unto ,god for ever4 ,thus already1 this expression1 so strange to our ears at first1 as descriptive of ,jehovah's offerings made by fire1 points to the person and work of the adorable ,redeemer as its only sufficient explication4 ,but1 again1 we find another expression1 xvii4 #aa1 which is of no less fundamental consequence for the interpretation of the bloody offerings of ,leviticus4 ,in connection with the prohibition of blood for food1 and as a reason for that prohibition1 it is said3 ,the life of the flesh is in the blood2 and ,i have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls2 for it is the blood that maketh atonement1--mark the expression2 not1 as in the received version1 for the soul1 which were mere tautology1 and gives a sense which the ,hebrew cannot have1 but1 as the ,revised ,version has it1--by reason of the life1 or soul 7marg474 ,hence1 wherever in this law we read of a sprinkling of blood upon the altar1 this must be held fast as its meaning1 whether it be formally mentioned or not2 namely1 atonement made for sinful man through the life of an innocent victim poured out in the blood4 ,there may be1 and often are1 other ideas1 as we shall see1 connected with the offering1 but this is always present4 ,to argue1 then1 with so many in modern times1 that because1 not the idea of an atonement1 but that of a sacrificial meal given by the worshipper to ,god1 is the dominant conception in the sacrifices of the ancient nations1 therefore we cannot admit the idea of atonement and expiation to have been intended in these ,levitical sacrifices1 is simply to deny1 not only the ,new ,testament interpretation of them1 but the no less express testimony of the record itself4 ,but it is1 manifestly1 in the nature of the case impossible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins4 ,hence1 we are again1 by this phrase also1 constrained to look beyond this ,levitical shedding of sacrificial blood1 for some antitype of which the innocent victims slain at that altar were types2 one who1 by the shedding of his blood1 should do that in reality1 which at the door of the tent of meeting was done in symbol and shadow4 ,what the ,new ,testament teaches on this point is known to every one4 ,christ ,jesus was the ,antitype1 to whose all-sufficient sacrifice each insufficient sacrifice of every ,levitical victim pointed4 ,john the ,baptist struck the key-note of all ,new ,testament teaching in this matter1 when1 beholding ,jesus1 he cried 7,john i4 #bi71 ,behold the ,lamb of ,god1 which taketh away the sin of the world4 ,jesus ,christ declared the same thought again and again1 as in ,his words at the sacramental ,supper3 ,this is ,my blood of the new covenant1 which is shed for many for the remission of sins4 ,paul expressed the same thought1 when he said 7,eph4 v4 #b7 that ,christ gave ,himself up for us1 an offering and a sacrifice to ,god1 for an odour of a sweet smell2 and that our redemption1 the forgiveness of our trespasses1 is through ,his blood 7,eph4 i4 #g74 ,and ,peter also1 speaking in ,levitical language1 teaches that we were redeemed 444 with precious blood1 as of a lamb without blemish and without spot1 even the blood of ,christ2 to which he adds the suggestive words1 of which this whole ,levitical ritual is the most striking illustration1 that ,christ1 although manifested at the end of the times1 was foreknown as the ,lamb of ,god before the foundation of the world 7#a ,peter i4 #ah-bj74 ,john1 in like manner1 speaks in the language of ,leviticus concerning ,christ1 when he declares 7#a ,john i4 #g7 that the blood of ,jesus 444 cleanseth us from all sin2 and even in the ,apocalypse1 which is the ,gospel of ,christ glorified1 ,he is still brought before us as a ,lamb that had been slain1 and who has thus purchased with ,his blood men of every tribe1 and tongue1 and people1 and nation1 to be unto our ,god a kingdom and priests 7,rev4 v4 #f1 #i1 #aj74 ,in this clear light of the ,new ,testament1 one can see how meagre also is the view of some who would see in these ,levitical sacrifices nothing more than fines assessed upon the guilty1 as theocratic penalties4 ,leviticus itself should have taught such better than that4 ,for1 as we have seen1 the virtue of the bloody offerings is made to consist in this1 that the life of the flesh is in the blood2 and we are told that the blood makes atonement for the soul1 not in virtue of the monetary value of the victim1 in a commercial way1 but by reason of the life that is in the blood1 and is therewith poured out before ,jehovah on the altar1--the life of an innocent victim in the stead of the life of the sinful man4 ,no less inadequate1 if we are to let ourselves be guided either by the ,levitical or the ,new ,testament teaching1 is the view that the offerings only symbolised the self-offering of the worshipper4 ,we do not deny1 indeed1 that the sacrifice--of the burnt-offering1 for example--may have fitly represented1 and often really expressed1 the self-consecration of the offerer4 ,but1 in the light of the ,new ,testament1 this can never be held to have been the sole1 or even the chief1 reason in the mind of ,god for directing these outpourings of sacrificial blood upon the altar4 ,we must insist1 then1 on this1 as essential to the right interpretation of this law of the offerings1 that every one of these bloody offerings of ,leviticus typified1 and was intended to typify1 our ,saviour1 ,jesus ,christ4 ,the burnt-offering represented ,christ2 the peace-offering1 ,christ2 the sin-offering1 ,christ2 the guilt-1 or trespass-offering1 ,christ4 ,moreover1 since each of these1 as intended especially to shadow forth some particular aspect of ,christ's work1 differed in some respects from all the others1 while yet in all alike a victim's blood was shed upon the altar1 we are by this reminded that in our ,lord's redemptive work the most central and essential thing is this1 that1 as ,he ,himself said 7,matt4 xx4 #bh71 ,he came to give ,his life a ransom for many4 ,keeping this guiding thought steadily before us1 it is now our work to discover1 if we may1 what special aspect of the one great sacrifice of ,christ each of these offerings was intended especially to represent4 ,only1 by way of caution1 it needs to be added that we are not to imagine that every minute circumstance pertaining to each sacrifice1 in all its varieties1 must have been intended to point to some correspondent feature of ,christ's person or work4 ,on the contrary1 we shall frequently see reason to believe that the whole purpose of one or another direction of the ritual is to be found in the conditions1 circumstances1 or immediate intention of the offering4 ,thus1 to illustrate1 when a profound interpreter suggests that the reason for the command that the victim should be slain on the north side of the altar1 is to be found in the fact that the north1 as the side of shadow1 signifies the gloom and joylessness of the sacrificial act1 we are inclined rather to see sufficient reason for the prescription in the fact that the other three sides were already in a manner occupied3 the east1 as the place of ashes2 the south1 as fronting the entrance2 and the west1 as facing the tent of meeting and the brazen laver4 ,,the ,,ritual ,,of ,,the ,,burnt-,,offering4 ,in the law of the offerings1 that of the burnt-offering comes first1 though in the order of the ritual it was not first1 but second1 following the sin-offering4 ,in this order of mention we need1 however1 seek no mystic meaning4 ,the burnt-offering was very naturally mentioned first1 as being the most ancient1 and also in the most constant and familiar use4 ,we read of burnt-offerings as offered by ,noah and ,abraham2 and of peace-offerings1 too1 in early times2 while the sin-offering and the guilt-offering1 in ,leviticus treated last1 were now ordered for the first time4 ,so also the burnt-offering was still1 by ,divine ordinance1 to be the most common4 ,no day could pass in the tabernacle without the offering of these4 ,indeed1 except on the great day of atonement for the nation1 in the ritual for which1 the sin-offering was the central act1 the burnt-offering was the most important sacrifice on all the great feast-days4 ,the first law1 which applies to bloody offerings in general1 was this3 that the victim shall be of the cattle1 even of the herd and of the flock 7ver4 #b72 to which is added1 in the latter part of the chapter 7ver4 #ad71 the turtle-dove or young pigeon4 ,the carnivora are all excluded2 for these1 which live by the death of others1 could never typify ,him who should come to give life4 ,and among others1 only clean beasts could be taken4 ,israel must not offer as the food of ,god that which they might not eat for their own food2 nor could that which was held unclean be taken as a type of the ,holy ,victim of the future4 ,and1 even among clean animals1 a further selection is made4 ,only domestic animals were allowed2 not even a clean animal was permitted1 if it were taken in hunting4 ,for it was fitting that one should offer to ,god that which had become endeared to the owner as having cost the most of care and labour in its bringing up4 ,for this1 also1 we can easily see another reason in the ,antitype4 ,nothing was to mark ,him more than this3 that ,he should be subject and obey1 and that not of constraint1 as the unwilling captive of the chase1 but freely and unresistingly4 ,and now follow the special directions for the burnt-offering4 ,the ,hebrew word so rendered means1 literally1 that which ascends4 ,it thus precisely describes the burnt-offering in its most distinctive characteristic4 ,of the other offerings1 a part was burned1 but a part was eaten2 in some instances1 even by the offerer himself4 ,but in the burnt-offering all ascends to ,god in flame and smoke4 ,for the creature is reserved nothing whatever4 ,the first specification in the law of the burnt-offering is this3 ,if his oblation be a burnt-offering of the herd1 he shall offer it a male without blemish 7ver4 #c74 ,it must be a male1 as the stronger1 the type of its kind2 and without blemish1 that is1 ideally perfect4 ,the reasons for this law are manifest4 ,the ,israelite was thereby taught that ,god claims the best that we have4 ,they needed this lesson1 as many among us do still4 ,at a later day1 we find ,god rebuking them by ,malachi 7i4 #f1 #ac71 with indignant severity1 for their neglect of this law3 ,a son honoureth his father3 444 if then ,i be a ,father1 where is ,my honour8444 ,ye have brought that which was taken by violence1 and the lame1 and the sick2 444 should ,i accept this of your hand8 saith the ,lord4 ,and as pointing to our ,lord1 the command was no less fitting4 ,thus1 as in other sacrifices1 it was foreshadowed that the great ,burnt-offering of the future would be the one ,man without blemish1 the absolutely perfect ,exemplar of what manhood should be1 but is not4 ,and this brings us now to the ritual of the offering4 ,in the ritual of the various bloody offerings we find six parts4 ,these are3 7#a7 the ,presentation2 7#b7 the ,laying on of the ,hand2 7#c7 the ,killing of the ,victim2 in which three the ritual was the same for all kinds of offerings4 ,the remaining three are3 7#d7 the ,sprinkling of ,blood2 7#e7 the ,burning2 7#f7 the ,sacrificial ,meal4 ,in these1 differences appear in the various sacrifices1 which give each its distinctive character2 and1 in the burnt-offering1 the sacrificial meal is omitted1--the whole is burnt upon the altar4 ,first is given the law concerning ,,the ,,presentation ,,of ,,the ,,victim4 ,he shall offer it at the door of the tent of meeting1 that he may be accepted before the ,lord 7ver4 #c74 ,in this it was ordered1 first1 that the offerer should bring the victim himself4 ,there were parts of the ceremony in which the priest acted for him2 but this he must do for himself4 ,even so1 he who will have the saving benefit of ,christ's sacrifice must himself bring this ,christ before the ,lord4 ,as by so doing1 the ,israelite signified his acceptance of ,god's gracious arrangements concerning sacrifice1 so do we1 bringing ,christ in our act of faith before the ,lord1 express our acceptance of ,god's arrangement on our behalf2 our readiness and sincere desire to make use of ,christ1 who is appointed for us4 ,and this no man can do for another4 ,and the offering must be presented for a certain purpose2 namely1 that he may be accepted before the ,lord2#g and that1 as the context tells us1 not because of a present made to ,god1 but through an atoning sacrifice4 ,and so now it is not enough that a man make much of ,christ1 and mention ,him in terms of praise before the ,lord1 as the ,one whom ,he would imitate and seek to serve4 ,he must in his act of faith bring this ,christ before the ,lord1 in such wise as to secure thus his personal acceptance through the blood of the ,holy ,victim4 #g ,the usage of the common ,hebrew phrase so rendered does not warrant the translation in the old version3 of his voluntary will4 ,and1 finally1 the place of presentation is prescribed4 ,it must be at the door of the tent of meeting4 ,it is easy to see the original reason for this4 ,for1 as we learn from other ,scriptures1 the ,israelites were ever prone to idolatry1 and that especially at places other than the appointed temple or tent of meeting1 in the fields and on high places4 ,hence the immediate purpose of this order concerning the place1 was to separate the worship of ,god from the worship of false gods4 ,there is now1 indeed1 no law concerning the place where we may present the great ,sacrifice before ,god4 ,at home1 in the closet1 in the church1 on the street1 wherever we will1 we may present this ,christ in our behalf and stead as a ,holy ,victim before ,god4 ,and yet the principle which underlies this ordinance of place is no less applicable in this age than then4 ,for it is a prohibition of all self-will in worship4 ,it was not enough that an ,israelite should have the prescribed victim2 it is not enough that we present the ,christ of ,god in faith1 or what we think to be faith4 ,but we must make no terms or conditions as to the mode or condition of the presentation1 other than ,god appoints4 ,and the command was also a command of publicity4 ,the ,israelite was therein commanded to confess publicly1 and thus attest1 his faith in ,jehovah1 even as ,god will now have us all make our confession of ,christ a public thing4 ,the second act of the ceremonial was ,,the ,,laying ,,on ,,of ,,the ,,hand4 ,it was ordered3 ,he shall lay his hand upon the head of the burnt offering2 and it shall be accepted for him1 to make atonement for him 7ver4 #d74 ,the laying on of the hand was not1 as some have maintained1 a mere declaration of the offerer's property in that which he offered1 as showing his right to give it to ,god4 ,if this were true1 we should find the ceremony also in the bloodless offerings2 where the cakes of corn were no less the property of the offerer than the bullock or sheep of the burnt-offering4 ,but the ceremony was confined to these bloody offerings4 ,it is nearer the truth when others say that this was an act of designation4 ,it is a fact that the ceremony of the laying on of hands in ,scripture usage does indicate a designation of a person or thing1 as to some office or service4 ,in this book 7xxiv4 #ad71 the witnesses are directed to lay their hands upon the blasphemer1 thereby appointing him to death4 ,moses is said to have laid his hands on ,joshua1 thus designating him in a formal way as his successor2 and1 in the ,new ,testament1 ,paul and ,barnabas are set apart to the ministry by the laying on of hands4 ,but1 in all these cases1 the ceremony symbolised more than mere designation2 namely1 a transfer or communication of something invisible1 in connection with this visible act4 ,thus1 in the ,new ,testament the laying on of hands always denotes the communication of the ,holy ,ghost1 either as an enduement for office1 or for bodily healing4 ,the laying of the hands of ,moses on ,joshua1 in like manner1 signified the transfer to him of the gifts1 office1 and authority of ,moses4 ,even in the case of the execution of the blaspheming son of ,shelomith1 the laying on of the hands of the witnesses had the same significance4 ,they thereby designated him to death1 no doubt2 but therewith thus symbolically transferred to the criminal the responsibility for his own death4 ,from the analogy of these cases we should expect to find evidence of an ideal transference of somewhat from the offerer to the victim here4 ,and the context does not leave the matter doubtful4 ,it is added 7ver4 #d71 ,it shall be accepted for him1 to make atonement for him4 ,hence it appears that while1 indeed1 the offerer1 by this laying on of his hand1 did dedicate the victim to death1 the act meant more than this4 ,it symbolised a transfer1 according to ,god's merciful provision1 of an obligation to suffer for sin1 from the offerer to the innocent victim4 ,henceforth1 the victim stood in the offerer's place1 and was dealt with accordingly4 ,this is well illustrated by the account which is given 7,numb4 viii47 of the formal substitution of the ,levites in the place of all the first-born of ,israel1 for special service unto ,god4 ,we read that the ,levites were presented before the ,lord2 and that the children of ,israel then laid their hands upon the heads of the ,levites1 who were thus1 we are told1 offered as an offering unto the ,lord1 and were thenceforth regarded and treated as substitutes for the first-born of all ,israel4 ,thus the obligation to certain special service was symbolically transferred1 as the context tells us1 from the first-born to the ,levites2 and this transfer of obligation from all the tribes to the single tribe of ,levi was visibly represented by the laying on of hands4 ,and just so here3 the laying on of the hand designated1 certainly1 the victim to death2 but it did this1 in that it was the symbol of a transfer of obligation4 ,this view of the ceremony is decisively confirmed by the ritual of the great day of atonement4 ,in the sin-offering of that day1 in which the conception of expiation by blood received its fullest symbolic expression1 it was ordered 7xvi4 #ba7 that ,aaron should lay his hands on the head of one of the goats of the sin-offering1 and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of ,israel4 ,thereupon the iniquity of the nation was regarded as symbolically transferred from ,israel to the goat2 for it is added1 and the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a solitary land4 ,so1 while in this ritual for the burnt-offering there is no mention of such confession1 we have every reason to believe the uniform ,rabbinical tradition1 that it was the custom to make also upon the head of the victim for the burnt-offering a solemn confession of sin1 for which they give the form to be used4 ,such then was the significance of the laying on of hands4 ,but the ceremony meant even more than this4 ,for the ,hebrew verb which is always used for this1 as the ,rabbis point out1 does not merely mean to lay the hand upon1 but so to lay the hand as to rest or lean heavily upon the victim4 ,this force of the word is well illustrated from a passage where it occurs1 in ,psalm lxxxviii4 #g1 ,thy wrath lieth hard upon me4 ,the ceremony1 therefore1 significantly represented the offerer as resting or relying on the victim to procure that from ,god for which he presented him1 namely1 atonement and acceptance4 ,this part of the ceremonial of this and other sacrifices was thus full of spiritual import and typical meaning4 ,by this laying on of the hand to designate the victim as a sacrifice1 the offerer implied1 and probably expressed1 a confession of personal sin and demerit2 as done before ,jehovah1 it implied also his acceptance of ,god's penal judgment against his sin4 ,it implied1 moreover1 in that the offering was made according to an arrangement ordained by ,god1 that the offerer also thankfully accepted ,god's merciful provision for atonement1 by which the obligation to suffer for sin was transferred from himself1 the guilty sinner1 to the sacrificial victim4 ,and1 finally1 in that the offerer was directed so to lay his hand as to rest upon the victim1 it was most expressively symbolised that he1 the sinful ,israelite1 rested and depended on this sacrifice as the atonement for his sin1 his divinely appointed substitute in penal death4 ,what could more perfectly set forth the way in which we are for our salvation to make use of the ,lamb of ,god as slain for us8 ,by faith1 we lay the hand upon ,his head4 ,in this1 we do frankly and penitently own the sins for which1 as the great ,burnt-sacrifice1 the ,christ of ,god was offered2 we also1 in humility and self-abasement1 thus accept the judgment of ,god against ourselves1 that because of sin we deserve to be cast out from ,him eternally2 while1 at the same time1 we most thankfully accept this ,christ as the ,lamb of ,god which taketh away the sins of the world1 and therefore our sins also1 if we will but thus make use of ,him2 and so lean and rest with all the burden of our sin on ,him4 99 99 99 99 99 ,for the ,israelite who should thus lay his hand upon the head of the sacrificial victim a promise follows4 ,it shall be accepted for him1 to make atonement for him4 ,in this word atonement we are introduced to one of the key-words of ,leviticus1 as indeed of the whole ,scripture4 ,the ,hebrew radical originally means to cover1 and is used once 7,gen4 vi4 #ad7 in this purely physical sense4 ,but1 commonly1 as here1 it means to cover in a spiritual sense1 that is1 to cover the sinful person from the sight of the ,holy ,god1 who is of purer eyes than to behold evil4 ,hence1 it is commonly rendered to atone1 or to make atonement2 also1 to reconcile1 or to make reconciliation4 ,the thought is this3 that between the sinner and the ,holy ,one comes now the guiltless victim2 so that the eye of ,god looks not upon the sinner1 but on the offered substitute2 and in that the blood of the substituted victim is offered before ,god for the sinner1 atonement is made for sin1 and the ,most ,holy ,one is satisfied4 ,and when the believing ,israelite should lay his hand with confession of sin upon the appointed victim1 it was graciously promised3 ,it shall be accepted for him1 to make atonement for him4 ,and just so now1 whenever any guilty sinner1 fearing the deserved wrath of ,god because of his sin1 especially because of his lack of that full consecration which the burnt-sacrifice set forth1 lays his hand in faith upon the great ,burnt-offering of ,calvary1 the blessing is the same4 ,for in the light of the cross1 this ,old ,testament word becomes now a sweet ,new ,testament promise3 ,when thou shalt rest with the hand of faith upon this ,lamb of ,god1 ,he shall be accepted for thee1 to make atonement for thee4 ,this is most beautifully expressed in an ancient ,order for the ,visitation of the ,sick1 attributed to ,anselm of ,canterbury1 in which it is written3-- ,the minister shall say to the sick man3 ,dost thou believe that thou canst not be saved but by the death of ,christ8 ,the sick man answereth1 ,yes4 ,then let it be said unto him3 ,go to1 then1 and whilst thy soul abideth in thee1 put all thy confidence in this death alone2 place thy trust in no other thing2 commit thyself wholly to this death2 cover thyself wholly with this alone4444 ,and if ,god would judge thee1 say3 ,lord6 ,i place the death of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ between me and ,thy judgment2 otherwise ,i will not contend or enter into judgment with ,thee4 ,and if ,he shall say unto thee that thou art a sinner1 say3 ,i place the death of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ between me and my sins4 ,if ,he shall say unto thee1 that thou hast deserved damnation1 say3 ,lord6 ,i put the death of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ between ,thee and all my sins2 and ,i offer ,his merits for my own1 which ,i should have1 and have not4 ,and whosoever of us can thus speak1 to him the promise speaks from out the shadows of the tent of meeting3 ,this ,christ1 the ,lamb of ,god1 the true ,burnt-offering1 shall be accepted for thee1 to make atonement for thee6 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,the ,,burnt-,,offering 7,,concluded74 ,,lev4 i4 #e-ag2 vi4 #h-ac4 ,after the laying on of the hand1 the next sacrificial act was-- ,,the ,,killing ,,of ,,the ,,victim4 ,and he shall kill the bullock before the ,lord 7ver4 #e74 ,in the light of what has been already said1 the significance of this killing1 in a typical way1 will be quite clear4 ,for with the first sin1 and again and again thereafter1 ,god had denounced death as the penalty of sin4 ,but here is a sinner who1 in accord with a ,divine command1 brings before ,god a sacrificial victim1 on whose head he lays his hand1 on which he thus rests as he confesses his sins1 and gives over the innocent victim to die instead of himself4 ,thus each of these sacrificial deaths1 whether in the burnt-offering1 the peace-offering1 or the sin-offering1 brings ever before us the death in the sinner's stead of that one ,holy ,victim who suffered for us1 the just for the unjust1 and thus laid down ,his life1 in accord with ,his own previously declared intention1 as a ransom for many4 ,in the sacrifices made by and for individuals1 the victim was killed1 except in the case of the turtle-dove or pigeon1 by the offerer himself2 but1 very naturally1 in the case of the national and public offerings1 it was killed by the priest4 ,as1 in this latter case1 it was impossible that all individual ,israelites should unite in killing the victim1 it is plain that the priest herein acted as the representative of the nation4 ,hence we may properly say that the fundamental thought of the ritual was this1 that the victim should be killed by the offerer himself4 ,and by this ordinance we may well be reminded1 first1 how ,israel1--for whose sake as a nation the antitypical ,sacrifice was offered1--,israel itself became the executioner of the ,victim2 and1 beyond that1 how1 in a deeper sense1 every sinner must regard himself as truly causal of the ,saviour's death1 in that1 as is often truly said1 our sins nailed ,christ to ,his cross4 ,but whether such a reference were intended in this law of the offering or not1 the great1 significant1 outstanding fact remains1 that as soon as the offerer1 by his laying on of the hand1 signified the transfer of the personal obligation to die for sin from himself to the sacrificial victim1 then came at once upon that victim the penalty denounced against sin4 ,and the added words1 before the ,lord1 cast further light upon this1 in that they remind us that the killing of the victim had reference to ,jehovah1 whose holy law the offerer1 failing of that perfect consecration which the burnt-offering symbolised1 had failed to glorify and honour4 ,,the ,,sprinkling ,,of ,,blood4 ,and ,aaron's sons1 the priests1 shall present the blood1 and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is at the door of the tent of meeting 7ver4 #e74 ,and now follows the fourth act in the ceremonial1 the ,sprinkling of the ,blood4 ,the offerer's part is now done1 and herewith the work of the priest begins4 ,even so must we1 having laid the hand of faith upon the head of the substituted ,lamb of ,god1 now leave it to the heavenly ,priest to act in our behalf with ,god4 ,the directions to the priest as to the use of the blood vary in the different offerings1 according as the design is to give greater or less prominence to the idea of expiation4 ,in the sin-offering this has the foremost place4 ,but in the burnt-offering1 as also in the peace-offering1 although the conception of atonement by blood was not absent1 it was not the dominant conception of the sacrifice4 ,hence1 while the sprinkling of blood by the priest could in no wise be omitted1 it took in this case a subordinate place in the ritual4 ,it was to be sprinkled only on the sides of the altar of burnt-offering which stood in the outer court4 ,we read 7ver4 #e73 ,aaron's sons1 the priests1 shall present the blood1 and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is at the door of the tent of meeting4 ,it was in this sprinkling of the blood that the atoning work was completed4 ,the altar had been appointed as a place of ,jehovah's special presence2 it had been designated as a place where ,god would come unto man to bless him4 ,thus1 to present and sprinkle the blood upon the altar was symbolically to present the blood unto ,god4 ,and the blood represented life1--the life of an innocent victim atoning for the sinner1 because rendered up in the stead of his life4 ,and the priests were to sprinkle the blood4 ,so1 while to bring and present the sacrifice of ,christ1 to lay the hand of faith upon ,his head1 is our part1 with this our duty ends4 ,to sprinkle the blood1 to use the blood ,god-ward for the remission of sin1 this is the work alone of our heavenly ,priest4 ,we are then to leave that with ,him4 ,reserving a fuller exposition of the meaning of this sprinkling of blood for the exposition of the sin-offering1 in which it was the central act of the ritual1 we pass on now to the burning of the sacrifice1 which in this offering marked the culmination of its special symbolism4 ,,the ,,sacrificial ,,burning4 i4 #f-i1 #ab1 #ac1 #ag4 ,and he shall flay the burnt offering1 and cut it into its pieces4 ,and the sons of ,aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar1 and lay wood in order upon the fire3 and ,aaron's sons1 the priests1 shall lay the pieces1 the head1 and the fat1 in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar3 but its inwards and its legs shall he wash with water3 and the priest shall burn the whole on the altar1 for a burnt offering1 an offering made by fire1 of a sweet savour unto the ,lord4444 ,and he shall cut it into its pieces1 with its head and its fat3 and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar3 but the inwards and the legs shall he wash with water3 and the priest shall offer the whole1 and burn it upon the altar3 it is a burnt offering1 an offering made by fire1 of a sweet savour unto the ,lord4444 ,and he shall rend it by the wings thereof1 but shall not divide it asunder3 and the priest shall burn it upon the altar1 upon the wood that is upon the fire3 it is a burnt offering1 an offering made by fire1 of a sweet savour unto the ,lord4 ,it was the distinguishing peculiarity of the burnt-offering1 from which it takes its name1 that in every case the whole of it was burned1 and thus ascended heavenward in the fire and smoke of the altar4 ,the place of the burning1 in this and other sacrifices1 is significant4 ,the flesh of the sin-offering1 when not eaten1 was to be burned in a clean place without the camp4 ,but it was the law of the burnt-offering that it should be wholly consumed upon the holy altar at the door of the tent of meeting4 ,in the directions for the burning we need seek for no occult meaning2 the most of them are evidently intended simply as means to the end2 namely1 the consumption of the offering with the utmost readiness1 ease1 and completeness4 ,hence it must be flayed and cut into its pieces1 and carefully arranged upon the wood4 ,the inwards and the legs must be washed with water1 that into the offering1 as to be offered to the ,holy ,one1 might come nothing extraneous1 nothing corrupt and unclean4 ,in vv4 #aj-ac and #ad-ag provision is made for the offering of different victims1 of the flock1 or of the fowls4 ,the reason for this permitted variation1 although not mentioned here1 was doubtless the same which is given for a similar permission in chap4 v4 #g1 where it is ordered that if the offerer's means suffice not for a certain offering1 he may bring one of less value4 ,poverty shall be no plea for not bringing a burnt-sacrifice2 to the ,israelite of that time it thus set forth the truth1 that if there first be a willing heart1 it is accepted according to that a man hath1 and not according to that he hath not4 ,the variations in the prescriptions regarding the different victims to be used in the sacrifice are but slight4 ,the bird having been killed by the priest 7why this change it is not easy to see71 its crop1 with its contents of food unassimilated1 and therefore not a part of the bird1 as also the feathers1 was to be cast away4 ,it was not to be divided1 like the bullock1 and the sheep or goat1 simply because1 with so small a creature1 it was not necessary to the speedy and entire combustion of the offering4 ,in each case alike1 the declaration is made that the sacrifice1 thus offered and wholly burnt upon the altar1 is an offering made by fire1 of a sweet savour unto the ,lord4 ,and now a question comes before us1 the answer to which is vital to the right understanding of the burnt-offering1 whether in its original or typical import4 ,what was the significance of the burning8 ,it has been very often answered that the consumption of the victim by fire symbolised the consuming wrath of ,jehovah1 utterly destroying the victim which represented the sinful person of the offerer4 ,and1 observing that the burning followed the killing and shedding of blood1 some have even gone so far as to say that the burning typified the eternal fire of hell6 ,but when we remember that1 without doubt1 the sacrificial victim in all the ,levitical offerings was a type of our blessed ,lord1 we may well agree with one who justly calls this interpretation hideous4 ,and yet many1 who have shrunk from this1 have yet in so far held to this conception of the symbolic meaning of the burning as to insist that it must at least have typified those fiery sufferings in which our ,lord offered up ,his soul for sin4 ,they remind us how often1 in the ,scripture1 fire stands as the symbol of the consuming wrath of ,god against sin1 and hence argue that this may justly be taken here as the symbolic meaning of the burning of the victim on the altar4 ,but this interpretation is nevertheless1 in every form1 to be rejected4 ,as regards the use of fire as a symbol in ,holy ,scripture1 while it is true that it often represents the punitive wrath of ,god1 it is equally certain that it has not always this meaning4 ,quite as often it is the symbol of ,god's purifying energy and might4 ,fire was not the symbol of ,jehovah's vengeance in the burning bush4 ,when the ,lord is represented as sitting as a refiner and a purifier of silver1 surely the thought is not of vengeance1 but of purifying mercy4 ,we should rather say that fire1 in ,scripture usage1 is the symbol of the intense energy of the ,divine nature1 which continually acts upon every person and on every thing1 according to the nature of each person or thing2 here conserving1 there destroying2 now cleansing1 now consuming4 ,the same fire which burns the wood1 hay1 and stubble1 purifies the gold and the silver4 ,hence1 while it is quite true that fire often typifies the wrath of ,god punishing sin1 it is certain that it cannot always symbolise this1 not even in the sacrificial ritual4 ,for in the meal-offering of chap4 ii4 it is impossible that the thought of expiation should enter since no life is offered and no blood is shed2 yet this also is presented unto ,god in fire4 ,the fire then in this case must mean something else than the ,divine wrath1 and presumably must mean one thing in all the sacrifices4 ,and that not even in the burnt-offering can the burning of the sacrifice symbolise the consuming wrath of ,god1 becomes plain1 when we observe that1 according to the uniform teaching of the sacrificial ritual1 atonement is already fully accomplished1 prior to the burning1 in the sprinkling of the blood4 ,that the burning1 which follows the atonement1 should have any reference to ,christ's expiatory sufferings1 is thus quite impossible4 ,we must hold1 therefore1 that the burning can only mean in the burnt-offering that which alone it can signify in the meal-offering2 namely1 the ascending of the offering in consecration to ,god1 on the one hand2 and1 on the other1 ,god's gracious acceptance and appropriation of the offering4 ,this was impressively set forth in the case of the burnt-offering presented when the tabernacle service was inaugurated2 when1 we are told 7ix4 #bd71 the fire which consumed it came forth from before ,jehovah1 lighted by no human hand1 and was thus a visible representation of ,god accepting and appropriating the offering to ,himself4 ,the symbolism of the burning thus understood1 we can now perceive what must have been the special meaning of this sacrifice4 ,as regarded by the believing ,israelite of those days1 not yet discerning clearly the deeper truth it shadowed forth as to the great ,burnt-sacrifice of the future1 it must have symbolically taught him that complete consecration unto ,god is essential to right worship4 ,there were sacrifices having a different special import1 in which1 while a part was burnt1 the offerer might even himself join in eating the remaining part1 taking that for his own use4 ,but1 in the burnt-offering1 nothing was for himself3 all was for ,god2 and in the fire of the altar ,god took the whole in such a way that the offering for ever passed beyond the offerer's recall4 ,in so far as the offerer entered into this conception1 and his inward experience corresponded to this outward rite1 it was for him an act of worship4 ,but to the thoughtful worshipper1 one would think1 it must sometimes have occurred that1 after all1 it was not himself or his gift that thus ascended in full consecration to ,god1 but a victim appointed by ,god to represent him in death on the altar4 ,and thus it was that1 whether understood or not1 the offering in its very nature pointed to a ,victim of the future1 in whose person and work1 as the ,one only fully-consecrated ,man1 the burnt-offering should receive its full explication4 ,and this brings us to the question1 ,what aspect of the person and work of our ,lord was herein specially typified8 ,it cannot be the resultant fellowship with ,god1 as in the peace-offering2 for the sacrificial feast which set this forth was in this case wanting4 ,neither can it be expiation for sin2 for although this is expressly represented here1 yet it is not the chief thing4 ,the principal thing1 in the burnt-offering1 was the burning1 the complete consumption of the victim in the sacrificial fire4 ,hence what is represented chiefly here1 is not so much ,christ representing ,his people in atoning death1 as ,christ representing ,his people in perfect consecration and entire self-surrender unto ,god2 in a word1 in perfect obedience4 ,of these two things1 the atoning death and the representative obedience1 we think1 and with reason1 much of the former2 but most ,christians1 though without reason1 think less of the latter4 ,and yet how much is made of this aspect of our ,lord's work in the ,gospels6 ,the first words which we hear from ,his lips are to this effect1 when1 at twelve years of age1 ,he asked ,his mother 7,luke ii4 #di71 ,wist ye not that ,i must be 7lit47 in the things of ,my ,father8 and after ,his official work began in the first cleansing of the temple1 this manifestation of ,his character was such as to remind ,his disciples that it was written1 ,the zeal of ,thy house shall eat me up2--phraseology which brings the burnt-offering at once to mind4#h ,and ,his constant testimony concerning ,himself1 to which ,his whole life bare witness1 was in such words as these3 ,i came down from heaven1 not to do ,my own will1 but the will of ,him that sent ,me4 ,in particular1 ,he especially regarded ,his atoning work in this aspect4 ,in the parable of the ,good ,shepherd 7,john x4 #a-ah71 for example1 after telling us that because of ,his laying down ,his life for the sheep the ,father loved ,him1 and that to this end ,he had received from the ,father authority to lay down ,his life for the sheep1 ,he then adds as the reason of this3 ,this commandment have ,i received from ,my ,father4 ,and so elsewhere 7,john xii4 #di1 #ej7 ,he says of all ,his words1 as of all ,his works3 ,the ,father hath given ,me a commandment1 what ,i should say1 and what ,i should speak2 444 the things therefore which ,i speak1 even as the ,father hath said unto ,me1 so ,i speak4 ,and when at last ,his earthly work approaches its close1 and we see ,him in the agony of ,gethsemane1 there ,he appears1 above all1 as the perfectly consecrated ,one1 offering ,himself1 body1 soul1 and spirit1 as a whole burnt-offering unto ,god1 in those never-to-be-forgotten words 7,matt4 xxvi4 #ci71 ,father1 if it be possible1 let this cup pass away from ,me2 nevertheless1 not as ,i will1 but as ,thou wilt4 ,and1 if any more proof were needed1 we have it in that inspired exposition 7,heb4 x4 #e-aj7 of ,psalm xl4 #f-h wherein it is taught that this perfect obedience of ,christ1 in full consecration1 was indeed the very thing which the ,holy ,ghost foresignified in the whole burnt-offerings of the law3 ,when ,he cometh into the world1 ,he saith1 ,sacrifice and offering ,thou wouldest not1 but a body didst ,thou prepare for ,me2 in whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin ,thou hadst no pleasure3 then said ,i1 ,lo1 ,i am come 7in the roll of the book it is written of ,me7 to do ,thy will1 ,o ,god4 #h ,see ,psalm lxix4 #i1 and compare in the ,hebrew such expressions as1 the fire hath consumed the burnt-offering2 and ,deut4 iv4 #bd1 thy ,god is a devouring fire1 etc41 in all which the verb signifying to eat is idiomatically used of fire4 ,thus the burnt-offering brings before us in type1 for our faith1 ,christ as our ,saviour in virtue of ,his being the ,one wholly surrendered to the will of the ,father4 ,nor does this exclude1 but rather defines1 the conception of ,christ as our substitute and representative4 ,for ,he said that it was for our sakes that ,he sanctified1 or consecrated ,himself 7,john xvii4 #ai72 and while the ,new ,testament represents ,him as saving us by ,his death as an expiation for sin1 it no less explicitly holds ,him forth to us as having obeyed in our behalf1 declaring 7,rom4 v4 #ai7 that it is by the obedience of the ,one ,man that many are made righteous4 ,and1 elsewhere1 the same ,apostle represents the incomparable moral value of the atoning death of the cross as consisting precisely in this fact1 that it was a supreme act of self-renouncing obedience1 as it is written 7,phil4 ii4 #f-i73 ,being in the form of ,god1 ,he yet counted it not a prize to be on an equality with ,god1 but emptied ,himself1 taking the form of a servant1 being made in the likeness of men2 444 becoming obedient even unto death1 yea1 the death of the cross4 ,wherefore also ,god highly exalted ,him1 and gave unto ,him the name which is above every name4 ,and so the burnt-offering teaches us to remember that ,christ has not only died for our sins1 but has also consecrated ,himself for us to ,god in full self-surrender in our behalf4 ,we are therefore to plead not only ,his atoning death1 but also the transcendent merit of ,his life of full consecration to the ,father's will4 ,to this1 the words1 three times repeated concerning the burnt-offering 7vv4 #i1 #ac1 #ag71 in this chapter1 blessedly apply3 it is an offering made by fire1 of a sweet savour1 a fragrant odour1 unto the ,lord4 ,that is1 this full self-surrender of the holy ,son of ,god unto the ,father is exceedingly delightful and acceptable unto ,god4 ,and for this reason it is for us an ever-prevailing argument for our own acceptance1 and for the gracious bestowment for ,christ's sake of all that there is in ,him for us4 ,only let us ever remember that we cannot argue1 as in the case of the atoning death1 that as ,christ died that we might not die1 so ,he offered ,himself in full consecration unto ,god1 that we might thus be released from this obligation4 ,here the exact opposite is the truth4 ,for ,christ ,himself said in ,his memorable prayer1 just before ,his offering of ,himself to death1 ,for their sakes ,i sanctify 7marg4 consecrate7 ,myself1 that they also might be sanctified in truth4 ,and thus is brought before us the thought1 that if the sin-offering emphasised1 as we shall see1 the substitutionary death of ,christ1 whereby ,he became our righteousness1 the burnt-offering1 as distinctively1 brings before us ,christ as our sanctification1 offering ,himself without spot1 a whole burnt-offering to ,god4 ,and as by that one life of sinless obedience to the will of the ,father ,he procured our salvation by ,his merit1 so in this respect ,he has also become our one perfect ,example of what consecration to ,god really is4 ,a thought this is which1 with evident allusion to the burnt-offering1 the ,apostle ,paul brings before us1 charging us 7,eph4 v4 #b7 that we walk in love1 as ,christ also loved us1 and gave ,himself for us1 an offering and a sacrifice to ,god for an odour of a sweet smell4 ,and the law further suggests that no extreme of spiritual need can debar any one from availing himself of our great ,burnt-sacrifice4 ,a burnt-offering was to be received even from one who was so poor that he could bring but a turtle-dove or a young pigeon 7ver4 #ad74 ,one might1 at first thought1 not unnaturally say3 ,surely there can be nothing in this to point to ,christ2 for the true ,sacrifice is not many1 but one and only4 ,and yet the very fact of this difference allowed in the typical victims1 when the reason of the allowance is remembered1 suggests the most precious truth concerning ,christ1 that no spiritual poverty of the sinner need exclude him from the full benefit of ,christ's saving work4 ,provision is made in ,him for all those who1 most truly and with most reason1 feel themselves to be poor and in need of all things4 ,christ1 as our sanctification1 is for all who will make use of ,him2 for all who1 feeling most deeply and painfully their own failure in full consecration1 would take ,him1 as not only their sin-offering1 but also their burnt-offering1 both their example and their strength1 unto perfect self-surrender unto ,god4 ,we may well here recall to mind the exhortation of the ,apostle to ,christian believers1 expressed in language which at once reminds us of the burnt-offering 7,rom4 xii4 #a73 ,i beseech you1 brethren1 by the mercies of ,god1 to present your bodies a living sacrifice1 holy1 acceptable to ,god1 which is your reasonable service4 ,,the ,,continual ,,burnt-,,offering4 vi4 #h-ac4 ,and the ,lord spake unto ,moses1 saying1 ,command ,aaron and his sons1 saying1 ,this is the law of the burnt offering3 the burnt offering shall be on the hearth upon the altar all night unto the morning2 and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning thereon4 ,and the priest shall put on his linen garment1 and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh2 and he shall take up the ashes whereto the fire hath consumed the burnt offering on the altar1 and he shall put them beside the altar4 ,and he shall put off his garments1 and put on other garments1 and carry forth the ashes without the camp unto a clean place4 ,and the fire upon the altar shall be kept burning thereon1 it shall not go out2 and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning3 and he shall lay the burnt offering in order upon it1 and shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings4 ,fire shall be kept burning upon the altar continually2 it shall not go out4 ,in chap4 vi4 #h-ac we have a law of the burnt-offering specially addressed to ,aaron and his sons1 and designed to secure that the fire of the burnt-offering should be continually ascending unto ,god4 ,in chap4 i4 we have the law regarding burnt-offerings brought by the individual ,israelite4 ,but besides these it was ordered1 ,exod4 xxix4 #ch-df1 that every morning and evening the priest should offer a lamb as a burnt-offering for the whole people1--an offering which primarily symbolised the constant renewal of ,israel's consecration as a kingdom of priests unto the ,lord4 ,it is to this1 the daily burnt-offering1 that this supplementary law of chap4 vi4 refers4 ,all the regulations are intended to provide for the uninterrupted maintenance of this sacrificial fire2 first1 by the regular removal of the ashes which would else cover and smother the fire2 and1 secondly1 by the supply of fuel4 ,the removal of the ashes from the fire is a priestly function2 hence it was ordained that the priest for this service put on his robes of office1 his linen garment and his linen breeches1 and then take up the ashes from the altar1 and lay them by the side of the altar4 ,but as from time to time it would be necessary to remove them from this place quite without the tent1 it was ordered that he should carry them forth without the camp unto a clean place1 that the sanctity of all connected with ,jehovah's worship might never be lost sight of2 though1 as it was forbidden to wear the priestly garments except within the tent of meeting1 the priest1 when this service was performed1 must put on other garments1 his ordinary1 unofficial robes4 ,the ashes being thus removed from the altar each morning1 then the wood was put on1 and the parts of the lamb laid in order upon it to be perfectly consumed4 ,and whenever during the day any one might bring a peace-offering unto the ,lord1 on this ever-burning fire the priest was to place also the fat1 the richest part1 of the offering1 and with it also the various individual burnt-offerings and meal-offerings of each day4 ,and thus it was arranged by the law that1 all day long1 and all night long1 the smoke of the burnt-offering should be continually ascending unto the ,lord4 ,the significance of this can hardly be missed4 ,by this supplemental law which thus provided for a continual burnt-offering to the ,lord1 it was first of all signified to ,israel1 and to us1 that the consecration which the ,lord so desires and requires from ,his people is not occasional1 but continuous4 ,as the priest1 representing the nation1 morning by morning cleared away the ashes which had else covered the flame and caused it to burn dull1 and both morning by morning and evening by evening1 laid a new victim on the altar1 so will ,god have us do4 ,our self-consecration is not to be occasional1 but continual and habitual4 ,each morning we should imitate the priest of old1 in putting away all that might dull the flame of our devotion1 and1 morning by morning1 when we arise1 and evening by evening1 when we retire1 by a solemn act of self-consecration give ourselves anew unto the ,lord4 ,so shall the word in substance1 thrice repeated1 be fulfilled in us in its deepest1 truest sense3 ,the fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually2 it shall not go out 7vv4 #i1 #ab1 #ac74 ,but we must not forget that in this part of the law1 as in all else1 we are pointed to ,christ4 ,this ordinance of the continual burnt-offering reminds us that ,christ1 as our burnt-offering1 continually offers ,himself to ,god in self-consecration in our behalf4 ,very significant it is that the burnt-offering stands in contrast in this respect with the sin-offering4 ,we never read of a continual sin-offering2 even the great annual sin-offering of the day of atonement1 which1 like the daily burnt-offering1 had reference to the nation at large1 was soon finished1 and once for all4 ,and it was so with reason2 for in the nature of the case1 our ,lord's offering of ,himself for sin as an expiatory sacrifice was not and could not be a continuous act4 ,but with ,his presentation of ,himself unto ,god in full consecration of ,his person as our ,burnt-offering1 it is different4 ,throughout the days of ,his humiliation this self-offering of ,himself to ,god continued2 nor1 indeed1 can we say that it has yet ceased1 or ever can cease4 ,for still1 as the ,high ,priest of the heavenly sanctuary1 ,he continually offers ,himself as our ,burnt-offering in constantly renewed and constantly continued devotement of ,himself to the ,father to do ,his will4 ,in this ordinance of the daily burnt-offering1 ever ascending in the fire that never went out1 the idea of the burnt-sacrifice reaches its fullest expression1 the type its most perfect development4 ,and thus the law of the burnt-offering leaves us in the presence of this holy vision3 the greater than ,aaron1 in the heavenly place as our great ,representative and ,mediator1 morning by morning1 evening by evening1 offering ,himself unto the ,father in the full self-devotement of ,his risen life unto ,god1 as our continual burnt-offering4 ,in this1 let us rejoice and be at peace4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,the ,,meal-,,offering4 ,,lev4 ii4 #a-af2 vi4 #ad-bc4 ,the word which in the original uniformly stands for the ,english meal-offering 7,a4,v4 meat-offering1 i4e41 food-offering7 primarily means simply a present1 and is often properly so translated in the ,old ,testament4 ,it is1 for example1 the word which is used 7,gen4 xxxii4 #ac7 when we are told how ,jacob sent a present to ,esau his brother2 or1 later1 of the gift sent by ,israel to his son ,joseph in ,egypt 7,gen4 xliii4 #aa72 and1 again 7#b ,sam4 viii4 #b71 of the gifts sent by the ,moabites to ,david4 ,whenever thus used of gifts to men1 it will be found that it suggests a recognition of the dignity and authority of the person to whom the present is made1 and1 in many cases1 a desire also to procure thereby his favour4 ,in the great majority of cases1 however1 the word is used of offerings to ,god1 and in this use one or both of these ideas can easily be traced4 ,in ,gen4 iv4 #d1 #e1 in the account of the offerings of ,cain and ,abel1 the word is applied both to the bloody and the unbloody offering2 but in the ,levitical law1 it is only applied to the latter4 ,we thus find the fundamental idea of the meal-offering to be this3 it was a gift brought by the worshipper to ,god1 in token of his recognition of ,his supreme authority1 and as an expression of desire for ,his favour and blessing4 ,but although the meal-offering1 like the burnt-offering1 was an offering made to ,god by fire1 the differences between them were many and significant4 ,in the burnt-offering1 it was always a life that was given to ,god2 in the meal-offering1 it was never a life1 but always the products of the soil4 ,in the burnt-offering1 again1 the offerer always set apart the offering by the laying on of the hand1 signifying thus1 as we have seen1 a transfer of obligation to death for sin2 thus connecting with the offering1 in addition to the idea of a gift to ,god1 that of expiation for sin1 as preliminary to the offering by fire4 ,in the meal-offering1 on the other hand1 there was no laying on of the hand1 as there was no shedding of blood1 so that the idea of expiation for sin is in no way symbolised4 ,the conception of a gift to ,god1 which1 though dominant in the burnt-offering1 is not in that the only thing symbolised1 in the meal-offering becomes the only thought the offering expresses4 ,it is further to be noted that not only must the meal-offering consist of the products of the soil1 but of such alone as grow1 not spontaneously1 but by cultivation1 and thus represent the result of man's labour4 ,not only so1 but this last thought is the more emphasised1 that the grain of the offering was not to be presented to the ,lord in its natural condition as harvested1 but only when1 by grinding1 sifting1 and often1 in addition1 by cooking in various ways1 it has been more or less fully prepared to become the food of man4 ,in any case1 it must1 at least1 be parched1 as in the variety of the offering which is last mentioned in the chapter 7vv4 #ad-af74 ,with these fundamental facts before us1 we can now see what must have been the primary and distinctive significance of the meal-offering1 considered as an act of worship4 ,as the burnt-offering represented the consecration of the life1 the person1 to ,god1 so the meal-offering represented the consecration of the fruit of his labours4 ,if it be asked1 why it was that when man's labours are so manifold1 and their results so diverse1 the product of the cultivation of the soil should be alone selected for this purpose1 for this1 several reasons may be given4 ,in the first place1 of all the occupations of man1 the cultivation of the soil is that of by far the greatest number1 and so1 in the nature of the case1 must continue to be2 for the sustenance of man1 so far as he is at all above the savage condition1 comes1 in the last analysis1 from the soil4 ,then1 in particular1 the ,israelites of those days of ,moses were about to become an agricultural nation4 ,most natural and suitable1 then1 it was that the fruit of the activities of such a people should be symbolised by the product of their fields4 ,and since even those who gained their living in other ways than by the cultivation of the ground1 must needs purchase with their earnings grain and oil1 the meal-offering would1 no less for them than for others1 represent the consecration to ,god of the fruit of their labour4 ,the meal-offering is no longer an ordinance of worship1 but the duty which it signified remains in full obligation still4 ,not only1 in general1 are we to surrender our persons without reserve to the ,lord1 as in the burnt-offering1 but unto ,him must also be consecrated all our works4 ,this is true1 first of all1 regarding our religious service4 ,each of us is sent into the world to do a certain spiritual work among our fellow-men4 ,this work and all the result of it is to be offered as a holy meal-offering to the ,lord4 ,a ,german writer has beautifully set forth this significance of the meal-offering as regards ,israel4 ,israel's bodily calling was the cultivation of the ground in the land given him by ,jehovah4 ,the fruit of his calling1 under the ,divine blessing1 was corn and wine1 his bodily food1 which nourished and sustained his bodily life4 ,israel's spiritual calling was to work in the field of the kingdom of ,god1 in the vineyard of his ,lord2 this work was ,israel's covenant obligation4 ,of this1 the fruit was the spiritual bread1 the spiritual nourishment1 which should sustain and develop his spiritual life4#i ,and the calling of the spiritual ,israel1 which is the ,church1 is still the same1 to labour in the field of the kingdom of ,god1 which is the world of men2 and the result of this work is still the same1 namely1 with the ,divine blessing1 spiritual fruit1 sustaining and developing the spiritual life of men4 ,and in the meal-offering we are reminded that the fruit of all our spiritual labours is to be offered to the ,lord4 #i ,kurtz1 ,der ,alt-testamentliche ,opfercultus1 p4 #bdc4 ,the reminder might seem unneedful1 as indeed it ought to be2 but it is not4 ,for it is sadly possible to call ,christ ,lord1 and1 labouring in ,his field1 do in ,his name many wonderful works1 yet not really unto ,him4 ,a minister of the ,word may with steady labour drive the ploughshare of the law1 and sow continually the undoubted seed of the ,word in the ,master's field2 and the apparent result of his work may be large1 and even real1 in the conversion of men to ,god1 and a great increase of ,christian zeal and activity4 ,and yet it is quite possible that a man do this1 and still do it for himself1 and not for the ,lord2 and when success comes1 begin to rejoice in his evident skill as a spiritual husbandman1 and in the praise of man which this brings him2 and so1 while thus rejoicing in the fruit of his labours1 neglect to bring of this good corn and wine which he has raised for a daily meal-offering in consecration to the ,lord4 ,most sad is this1 and humiliating1 and yet sometimes it so comes to pass4 ,and so1 indeed1 it may be in every department of religious activity4 ,the present age is without its like in the wonderful variety of its enterprise in matters benevolent and religious4 ,on every side we see an ever-increasing army of labourers driving their various work in the field of the world4 ,city ,missions of every variety1 ,poor ,committees with their free lodgings and soup-kitchens1 ,young ,men's ,christian ,associations1 ,blue ,ribbon ,societies1 the ,white ,cross ,army and the ,red ,cross ,army1 ,hospital ,work1 ,prison ,reform1 and so on2--there is no enumerating all the diverse improved methods of spiritual husbandry around us1 nor can any one rightly depreciate the intrinsic excellence of all this1 or make light of the work or of its good results4 ,but for all this1 there are signs that many need to be reminded that all such labour in ,god's field1 however ,god may graciously make use of it1 is not necessarily labour for ,god2 that labour for the good of men is not therefore of necessity labour consecrated to the ,lord4 ,for can we believe that from all this the meal-offering is always brought to ,him8 ,the ordinance of this offering needs to be remembered by us all in connection with these things4 ,the fruit of all these our labours must be offered daily in solemn consecration to the ,lord4 ,but the teaching of the meal-offering reaches further than to what we call religious labours4 ,for in that it was appointed that the offering should consist of man's daily food1 ,israel was reminded that ,god's claim for full consecration of all our activities covers everything1 even to the very food we eat4 ,there are many who consecrate1 or think they consecrate1 their religious activities2 but seem never to have understood that the consecration of the true ,israelite must cover the secular life as well1--the labour of the hand in the field1 in the shop1 the transactions of the office or on ',change1 and all their results1 as also the recreations which we are able to command1 the very food and drink which we use1--in a word1 all the results and products of our labours1 even in secular things4 ,and to bring this idea vividly before ,israel1 it was ordered that the meal-offering should consist of food1 as the most common and universal visible expression of the fruit of man's secular activities4 ,the ,new ,testament has the same thought 7#a ,cor4 x4 #ca73 ,whether ye eat or drink1 or whatsoever ye do1 do all to the glory of ,god4 ,and the offering was not to consist of any food which one might choose to bring1 but of corn and oil1 variously prepared4 ,not to speak yet of any deeper reason for this selection1 there is one which lies quite on the surface4 ,for these were the most common and universal articles of the food of the people4 ,there were articles of food1 then as now1 which were only to be seen on the tables of the rich2 but grain1 in some form1 was and is a necessity for all4 ,so also the oil1 which was that of the olive1 was something which in that part of the world1 all1 the poor no less than the rich1 were wont to use continually in the preparation of their food2 even as it is used to-day in ,syria1 ,italy1 and other countries where the olive grows abundantly4 ,hence it appears that that was chosen for the offering which all1 the richest and the poorest alike1 would be sure to have2 with the evident intent1 that no one might be able to plead poverty as an excuse for bringing no meal-offering to the ,lord4 ,thus1 if this ordinance of the meal-offering taught that ,god's claim for consecration covers all our activities and all their result1 even to the very food that we eat1 it teaches also that this claim for consecration covers all persons4 ,from the statesman who administers the affairs of an ,empire to the day-labourer in the shop1 or mill1 or field1 all alike are hereby reminded that the ,lord requires that the work of every one shall be brought and offered to ,him in holy consecration4 ,and there was a further prescription1 although not mentioned here in so many words4 ,in some offerings1 barley-meal was ordered1 but for this offering the grain presented1 whether parched1 in the ear1 or ground into meal1 must be only wheat4 ,the reason for this1 and the lesson which it teaches1 are plain4 ,for wheat1 in ,israel1 as still in most lands1 was the best and most valued of the grains4 ,israel must not only offer unto ,god of the fruit of their labour1 but the best result of their labours4 ,not only so1 but when the offering was in the form of meal1 cooked or uncooked1 the best and finest must be presented4 ,that1 in other words1 must be offered which represented the most of care and labour in its preparation1 or the equivalent of this in purchase price4 ,which emphasises1 in a slightly different form1 the same lesson as the foregoing4 ,out of the fruit of our several labours and occupations we are to set apart especially for ,god1 not only that which is best in itself1 the finest of the wheat1 but that which has cost us the most labour4 ,david finely represented this thought of the meal-offering when he said1 concerning the cattle for his burnt-offerings1 which ,araunah the ,jebusite would have him accept without price3 ,i will not offer unto the ,lord my ,god of that which doth cost me nothing4 ,but in the meal-offering it was not the whole product of his labour that the ,israelite was directed to bring1 but only a small part4 ,how could the consecration of this small part represent the consecration of all8 ,the answer to this question is given by the ,apostle ,paul1 who calls attention to the fact that in the ,levitical symbolism it was ordained that the consecration of a part should signify the consecration of the whole4 ,for he writes 7,rom4 xi4 #af71 ,if the first-fruit is holy1 then the lump--the whole from which the first-fruit is taken--is also holy2 that is1 the consecration of a part signifies and symbolically expresses the consecration of the whole from which that part is taken4 ,the idea is well illustrated by a custom in ,india1 according to which1 when one visits a man of distinction1 he will offer the guest a silver coin2 an act of social etiquette which is intended to express the thought that all he has is at the service of the guest1 and is therewith offered for his use4 ,and so in the meal-offering4 ,by offering to ,god1 in this formal way1 a part of the product of his labour1 the ,israelite expressed a recognition of ,his claim upon the whole1 and professed a readiness to place1 not this part merely1 but the whole1 at ,god's service4 ,but in the selection of the materials1 we are pointed toward a deeper symbolism1 by the injunction that in certain cases1 at least1 frankincense should be added to the offering4 ,but this was not of man's food1 neither was it1 like the meal1 and cakes1 and oil1 a product of man's labour4 ,its effect1 naturally1 was to give a grateful perfume to the sacrifice1 that it might be1 even in a physical sense1 an odour of a sweet smell4 ,the symbolical meaning of incense1 in which the frankincense was a chief ingredient1 is very clearly intimated in ,holy ,scripture4 ,it is suggested in ,david's prayer 7,psalm cxli4 #b73 ,let my prayer be set forth as incense2 the lifting up of my hands1 like the evening oblation4 ,so1 in ,luke i4 #aj1 we read of the whole multitude of the people praying without the sanctuary1 while the priest ,zacharias was offering incense within4 ,and1 finally1 in the ,apocalypse1 this is expressly declared to be the symbolical significance of incense2 for we read 7v4 #h71 that the four-and-twenty elders fell down before the ,lamb1 having 444 golden bowls full of incense1 which are the prayers of the saints4 ,so then1 without doubt1 we must understand it here4 ,in that frankincense was to be added to the meal-offering1 it is signified that this offering of the fruit of our labours to the ,lord must ever be accompanied by prayer2 and1 further1 that our prayers1 thus offered in this daily consecration1 are most pleasing to the ,lord1 even as the fragrance of sweet incense unto man4 ,but if the frankincense1 in itself1 had thus a symbolical meaning1 it is not unnatural to infer the same also with regard to other elements of the sacrifice4 ,nor is it1 in view of the nature of the symbols1 hard to discover what that should be4 ,for inasmuch as that product of labour is selected for the offering1 which is the food by which men live1 we are reminded that this is to be the final aspect under which all the fruit of our labours is to be regarded2 namely1 as furnishing and supplying for the need of the many that which shall be bread to the soul4 ,in the highest sense1 indeed1 this can only be said of ,him who by ,his work became the ,bread of ,life for the world1 who was at once the ,sower and the ,corn of ,wheat cast into the ground2 and yet1 in a lower sense1 it is true that the work of feeding the multitudes with the bread of life is the work of us all2 and that in all our labours and engagements we are to keep this in mind as our supreme earthly object4 ,just as the products of human labour are most diverse1 and yet all are capable of being exchanged in the market for bread for the hungry1 so are we to use all the products of our labour with this end in view1 that they may be offered to the ,lord as cakes of fine meal for the spiritual sustenance of man4 ,and the oil1 too1 which entered into every form of the meal-offering1 has in ,holy ,scripture a constant and invariable symbolical meaning4 ,it is the uniform symbol of the ,holy ,spirit of ,god4 ,isaiah lxi4 #a is decisive on this point1 where in prophecy the ,messiah speaks thus3 ,the ,spirit of the ,lord ,god is upon me2 because the ,lord ,god hath anointed me to preach good tidings4 ,quite in accord with this1 we find that when ,jesus reached thirty years of age1--the time for beginning priestly service1--,he was set apart for ,his work1 not as the ,levitical priests1 by anointing with symbolical oil1 but by the anointing with the ,holy ,ghost descending on ,him at ,his baptism4 ,so1 also1 in the ,apocalypse1 the ,church is symbolised by seven golden candlesticks1 or lamp-stands1 supplied with oil after the manner of that in the temple1 reminding us that as the lamp can give light only as supplied with oil1 so1 if the ,church is to be a light in the world1 she must be continually supplied with the ,spirit of ,god4 ,hence1 the injunction that the meal of the offering be kneaded with oil1 and that1 of whatever form the offering be1 oil should be poured upon it1 is intended1 according to this usage1 to teach us1 that in all work which shall be offered so as to be acceptable to ,god1 must enter1 as an inworking and abiding agent1 the life-giving ,spirit of ,god4 ,it is another direction as to these meal-offerings1 as also regarding all offerings made by fire1 that into them should never enter leaven 7ver4 #aa74 ,the symbolical significance of this prohibition is familiar to all4 ,for in all leaven is a principle of decay and corruption1 which1 except its continued operation be arrested betimes in our preparation of leavened food1 will soon make that in which it works offensive to the taste4 ,hence1 in ,holy ,scripture1 leaven1 without a single exception1 is the established symbol of spiritual corruption4 ,it is this1 both as considered in itself1 and in virtue of its power of self-propagation in the leavened mass4 ,hence the ,apostle ,paul1 using familiar symbolism1 charged the ,corinthians 7#a ,cor4 v4 #g7 that they purge out from themselves the old leaven2 and that they keep festival1 not with the leaven of malice and wickedness1 but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth4 ,thus1 in this prohibition is brought before us the lesson1 that we take heed to keep out of those works which we present to ,god for consumption on ,his altar the leaven of wickedness in every form4 ,the prohibition1 in the same connection1 of honey 7ver4 #aa7 rests upon the same thought2 namely1 that honey1 like leaven1 tends to promote fermentation and decay in that with which it is mixed4 ,the ,revised ,version--in this case doubtless to be preferred to the other--brings out a striking qualification of this universal prohibition of leaven or honey1 in these words 7ver4 #ab73 ,as an oblation of first-fruits ye shall offer them unto the ,lord2 but they shall not come up for a sweet savour on the altar4 ,thus1 as the prohibition of leaven and honey from the meal-offering burned by fire upon the altar reminds us that the ,holy ,one demands absolute freedom from all that is corrupt in the works of ,his people2 on the other hand1 this gracious permission to offer leaven and honey in the first-fruits 7which were not burned on the altar7 seems intended to remind us that1 nevertheless1 from the ,israelite in covenant with ,god through atoning blood1 ,he is yet graciously pleased to accept even offerings in which sinful imperfection is found1 so that only1 as in the offering of first-fruits1 there be the hearty recognition of ,his rightful claim1 before all others1 to the first and best we have4 ,in ver4 #ac we have a last requisition as to the material of the meal-offering3 ,every oblation of thy meal-offering shalt thou season with salt4 ,as leaven is a principle of impermanence and decay1 so salt1 on the contrary1 has the power of conservation from corruption4 ,accordingly1 to this day1 among the most diverse peoples1 salt is the recognised symbol of incorruption and unchanging perpetuity4 ,among the ,arabs of to-day1 for example1 when a compact or covenant is made between different parties1 it is the custom that each eat of salt1 which is passed around on the blade of a sword2 by which act they regard themselves as bound to be true1 each to the other1 even at the peril of life4 ,in like manner1 in ,india and other ,eastern countries1 the usual word for perfidy and breach of faith is1 literally1 unfaithfulness to the salt2 and a man will say1 ,can you distrust me8 ,have ,i not eaten of your salt8 ,that the symbol has this recognised meaning in the meal-offering is plain from the words which follow 7ver4 #ac73 ,neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy ,god to be wanting from thy meal-offering4 ,in the meal-offering1 as in all offerings made by fire1 the thought was this3 that ,jehovah and the ,israelite1 as it were1 partake of salt together1 in token of the eternal permanence of the holy covenant of salvation into which ,israel has entered with ,god4 ,herein we are taught1 then1 that by the consecration of our labours to ,god we recognise the relation between the believer and his ,lord1 as not occasional and temporary1 but eternal and incorruptible4 ,in all our consecration of our works to ,god1 we are to keep this thought in mind3 ,i am a man with whom ,god has entered into an everlasting covenant1 'a covenant of salt4' ,three varieties of the meal-offering were prescribed3 the first 7vv4 #a-c71 of uncooked meal2 the second 7vv4 #d-aa71 of the same fine meal and oil1 variously prepared by cooking2 the third 7vv4 #ad-af71 of the first and best ears of the new grain1 simply parched in the fire4 ,if any special significance is to be recognised in this variety of the offerings1 it may possibly be found in this1 that one form might be suited better than another to persons of different resources4 ,it has been supposed that the different implements named--the oven1 the baking-pan or plate1 the frying-pan--represent1 respectively1 what different classes of the people might be more or less likely to have4 ,this thought more certainly appears in the permission even of parched grain1 which then1 as still in the ,east1 while used more or less by all1 was especially the food of the poorest of the people2 such as might even be too poor to own so much as an oven or a baking-pan4 ,in any case1 the variety which was permitted teaches us1 that whatever form the product of our labour may take1 as determined either by our poverty or our riches1 or by whatever reason1 ,god is graciously willing to accept it1 so the oil1 frankincense1 and salt be not wanting4 ,it is our privilege1 as it is our duty1 to offer of it in consecration to our redeeming ,lord1 though it be no more than parched corn4 ,the smallness or meanness of what we have to give1 need not keep us back from presenting our meal-offering4 ,if we have rightly understood the significance of this offering1 the ritual which is given will now easily yield us its lessons4 ,as in the case of the burnt-offering1 the meal-offering also must be brought unto the ,lord by the offerer himself4 ,the consecration of our works1 like the consecration of our persons1 must be our own voluntary act4 ,yet the offering must be delivered through the mediation of the priest2 the offerer must not presume himself to lay it on the altar4 ,even so still4 ,in this1 as in all else1 the ,heavenly ,high ,priest must act in our behalf with ,god4 ,we do not1 by our consecration of our works1 therefore become able to dispense with ,his offices as ,mediator between us and ,god4 ,this is the thought of many1 but it is a great mistake4 ,no offering made to ,god1 except in and through the appointed ,priest1 can be accepted of ,him4 ,it was next directed that the priest1 having received the offering at the hand of the worshipper1 should make a twofold use of it4 ,in the burnt-offering the whole was to be burnt2 but in the meal-offering only a small part4 ,the priest was to take out of the offering1 in each case1 a memorial thereof1 and burn it on the altar2 and then it is added 7vv4 #c-aj71 that which is left of the meal offering--which was always much the larger part--shall be ,aaron's and his sons'4 ,the small part taken out by the priest for the altar was burnt with fire2 and its consumption by the fire of the altar1 as in the other offerings1 symbolised ,god's gracious acceptance and appropriation of the offering4 ,but here the question naturally arises1 if the total consecration of the worshipper and his full acceptance by ,god1 in the case of the burnt-offering1 was signified by the burning of the whole1 how is it that1 in this case1 where also we must think of a consecration of the whole1 yet only a small part was offered to ,god in the fire of the altar8 ,but the difficulty is only in appearance4 ,for1 no less than in the burnt-offering1 all of the meal-offering is presented to ,god1 and all is no less truly accepted by ,him4 ,the difference in the two cases is only in the use to which ,god puts the offering4 ,a part of the meal-offering is burnt on the altar as a memorial1 to signify that ,god takes notice of and graciously accepts the consecrated fruit of our labours4 ,it is called a memorial in that1 so to speak1 it reminded the ,lord of the service and devotion of ,his faithful servant4 ,the thought is well illustrated by the words of ,nehemiah 7v4 #ai71 who said3 ,think upon me1 ,o ,lord1 for good1 according to all that ,i have done for this people2 and by the word of the angel to ,cornelius 7,acts x4 #d73 ,thy prayers and thine alms are gone up for a memorial before ,god2 for a memorial in such wise as to procure to him a gracious visitation4 ,the remaining and larger portion of the meal-offering was given to the priest1 as being the servant of ,god in the work of ,his house4 ,to this service he was set apart from secular occupations1 that he might give himself wholly to the duties of this office4 ,in this he must needs be supported2 and to this end it was ordained by ,god that a certain part of the various offerings should be given him1 as we shall see more fully hereafter4 ,in striking contrast with this ordinance1 which gave the largest part of the meal-offering to the priest1 is the law that of the frankincense he must take nothing2 all must go up to ,god1 with the memorial1 in the fire of the altar 7vv4 #b1 #af74 ,but in consistency with the symbolism it could not be otherwise4 ,for the frankincense was the emblem of prayer1 adoration1 and praise2 of this1 then1 the priest must take nought for himself4 ,the manifest lesson is one for all who preach the ,gospel4 ,of the incense of praise which may ascend from the hearts of ,god's people1 as they minister the ,word1 they must take none for themselves4 ,not unto us1 ,o ,lord1 but unto ,thy name be the glory4 ,such then was the meaning of the meal-offering4 ,it represents the consecration unto ,god by the grace of the ,holy ,spirit1 with prayer and praise1 of all the work of our hands2 an offering with salt1 but without leaven1 in token of our unchanging covenant with a holy ,god4 ,and ,god accepts the offerings thus presented by ,his people1 as a savour of a sweet smell1 with which ,he is well pleased4 ,we have called this consecration a duty2 is it not rather a most exalted privilege8 ,only let us remember1 that although our consecrated offerings are accepted1 we are not accepted because of the offerings4 ,most instructive it is to observe that the meal-offerings were not to be offered alone2 a bloody sacrifice1 a burnt-offering or sin-offering1 must always precede4 ,how vividly this brings before us the truth that it is only when first our persons have been cleansed by atoning blood1 and thus and therefore consecrated unto ,god1 that the consecration and acceptance of our works is possible4 ,we are not accepted because we consecrate our works1 but our consecrated works themselves are accepted because first we have been accepted in the ,beloved through faith in the blood of the holy ,lamb of ,god4 ,,the ,,daily ,,meal-,,offering4 vi4 #ad-bc4 ,and this is the law of the meal-offering3 the sons of ,aaron shall offer it before the ,lord1 before the altar4 ,and he shall take up therefrom his handful1 of the fine flour of the meal-offering and of the oil thereof1 and all the frankincense which is upon the meal-offering1 and shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour1 as the memorial thereof1 unto the ,lord4 ,and that which is left thereof shall ,aaron and his sons eat3 it shall be eaten without leaven in a holy place3 in the court of the tent of meeting they shall eat it4 ,it shall not be baken with leaven4 ,i have given it as their portion of ,my offerings made by fire2 it is most holy1 as the sin-offering1 and as the guilt-offering4 ,every male among the children of ,aaron shall eat of it1 as a due for ever throughout your generations1 from the offerings of the ,lord made by fire3 whosoever toucheth them shall be holy4 ,and the ,lord spake unto ,moses1 saying1 ,this is the oblation of ,aaron and of his sons1 which they shall offer unto the ,lord in the day when he is anointed2 the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meal-offering perpetually1 half of it in the morning1 and half thereof in the evening4 ,on a baking-pan it shall be made with oil2 when it is soaked1 thou shalt bring it in3 in baken pieces shalt thou offer the meal-offering for a sweet savour unto the ,lord4 ,and the anointed priest that shall be in his stead from among his sons shall offer it3 by a statute for ever it shall be wholly burnt unto the ,lord4 ,and every meal-offering of the priest shall be wholly burnt3 it shall not be eaten4 ,as there were not only the burnt-offerings of the individual ,israelite1 but also a daily burnt-offering1 morning and evening1 presented by the priest as the representative of the collective nation1 so also with the meal-offering4 ,the law concerning this daily meal-offering is given in chap4 vi4 #ai4 ,the amount in this case was prescribed1 being apparently the amount regarded as a day's portion of food--the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour1 half of which was to be offered in the morning and half in the evening1 made on a baking pan with oil1 for a sweet savour unto the ,lord4 ,unlike the meal-offering of the individual1 it is said1 by a statute for ever1 it shall be wholly burnt unto the ,lord4444 ,every meal-offering of the priest shall be wholly burnt2 it shall not be eaten4 ,this single variation from the ordinance of chap4 ii4 is simply an application of the principle which governs all the sacrifices except the peace-offering1 that he who offered any sacrifice could never himself eat of it2 and as the priest in this case was the offerer1 the symbolism required that he should himself have nothing of the offering1 as being wholly given by him to the ,lord4 ,and this meal-offering was to be presented1 not merely1 as some have inferred from ver4 #bj1 on the day of the anointing of the high priest1 but1 as is expressly said1 perpetually4 ,the typical meaning of the meal-offering1 and1 in particular1 of this daily meal-offering1 which1 as we learn from ,exod4 xxx4 #ci1 #dj1 was offered with the daily burnt-offering1 is very clear4 ,every meal-offering pointed to ,christ in ,his consecration of all ,his works to the ,father4 ,and as the daily burnt-offering presented by ,aaron and his sons typified our heavenly ,high ,priest as offering ,his person in daily consecration unto ,god in our behalf1 so1 in the daily meal-offering1 wholly burnt upon the altar1 we see ,him in like manner offering unto ,god in perfect consecration1 day by day1 perpetually1 all ,his works for our acceptance4 ,to the believer1 often sorely oppressed with the sense of the imperfection of his own consecration of his daily works1 in that because of this the ,father is not glorified by him as ,he should be1 how exceedingly comforting this view of ,christ6 ,for that which1 at the best1 we do so imperfectly and interruptedly1 ,he does in our behalf perfectly1 and with never-failing constancy2 thus at once perfectly glorifying the ,father1 and also1 through the virtue of the boundless merit of this consecration1 constantly procuring for us daily grace unto the life eternal4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,the ,,peace-,,offering4 ,,lev4 iii4 #a-ag2 vii4 #aa-cd2 xix4 #e-h2 xxii4 #ba-be4 ,in chap4 iii4 is given1 though not with completeness1 the law of the peace-offering4 ,the alternative rendering of this term1 thank-offering 7marg4 ,r4,v471 precisely expresses only one variety of the peace-offering2 and while it is probably impossible to find any one word that shall express in a satisfactory way the whole conception of this offering1 it is not easy to find one better than the familiar term which the ,revisers have happily retained4 ,as will be made clear in the sequel1 it was the main object of this offering1 as consisting of a sacrifice terminating in a festive sacrificial meal1 to express the conception of friendship1 peace1 and fellowship with ,god as secured by the shedding of atoning blood4 ,like the burnt-offering and the meal-offering1 the peace-offering had come down from the times before ,moses4 ,we read of it1 though not explicitly named1 in ,gen4 xxxi4 #ed1 on the occasion of the covenant between ,jacob and ,laban1 wherein they jointly took ,god as witness of their covenant of friendship2 and1 again1 in ,exod4 xviii4 #ab1 where ,jethro took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for ,god2 and ,aaron came and all the elders of ,israel1 to eat bread with ,moses' father-in-law before ,god4 ,nor was this form of sacrifice1 any more than the burnt-offering1 confined to the line of ,abraham's seed4 ,indeed1 scarcely any religious custom has from the most remote antiquity been more universally observed than this of a sacrifice essentially connected with a sacrificial meal4 ,an instance of the heathen form of this sacrifice is even given in the ,pentateuch1 where we are told 7,exod4 xxxii4 #f7 how the people1 having made the golden calf1 worshipped it with peace-offerings1 and sat down to eat and to drink at the sacrificial meal which was inseparable from the peace-offering2 while in #a ,cor4 x4 ,paul refers to like sacrificial feasts as common among the idolaters of ,corinth4 ,it hardly needs to be again remarked that there is nothing in such facts as these to trouble the faith of the ,christian1 any more than in the general prevalence of worship and of prayer among heathen nations4 ,rather1 in all these cases alike1 are we to see the expression on the part of man of a sense of need and want1 especially1 in this case1 of friendship and fellowship with ,god2 and1 seeing that the conception of a sacrifice culminating in a feast was1 in truth1 most happily adapted to symbolise this idea1 surely it were nothing strange that ,god should base the ordinances of ,his own worship upon such universal conceptions and customs1 correcting in them only1 as we shall see1 what might directly or indirectly misrepresent truth4 ,where an alphabet1 so to speak1 is thus already found existing1 whether in letters or in symbols1 why should the ,lord communicate a new and unfamiliar symbolism1 which1 because new and unfamiliar1 would have been1 for that reason1 far less likely to be understood8 ,the plan of chap4 iii4 is very simple2 and there is little in its phraseology requiring explanation4 ,prescriptions are given for the offering of peace-offerings1 first1 from the herd 7vv4 #a-e72 then1 from the flock1 whether of the sheep 7vv4 #f-aa7 or of the goats 7vv4 #ab-af74 ,after each of these three sections it is formally declared of each offering that it is a sweet savour1 an offering made by fire1 or the food of the offering made by fire unto the ,lord4 ,the chapter then closes with a prohibition1 specially occasioned by the directions for this sacrifice1 of all use by ,israel of fat or blood as food4 ,the regulations relating to the selection of the victim for the offering differ from those for the burnt-offering in allowing a greater liberty of choice4 ,a female was permitted1 as well as a male2 though recorded instances of the observance of the peace-offering indicate that the male was even here preferred when obtainable4 ,the offering of a dove or a pigeon is not1 however1 mentioned as permissible1 as in the case of the burnt-offering4 ,but this is no exception to the rule of greater liberty of choice1 since these were excluded by the object of the offering as a sacrificial meal1 for which1 obviously1 a small bird would be insufficient4 ,ordinarily1 the victim must be without blemish2 and yet1 even in this matter1 a larger liberty was allowed 7chap4 xxii4 #bc7 in the case of those which were termed free-will offerings1 where it was permitted to offer even a bullock or a lamb which might have some part superfluous or lacking4 ,the latitude of choice thus allowed finds its sufficient explanation in the fact that while the idea of representation and expiation had a place in the peace-offering as in all bloody offerings1 yet this was subordinate to the chief intent of the sacrifice1 which was to represent the victim as food given by ,god to ,israel in the sacrificial meal4 ,it is to be observed that only such defects are therefore allowed in the victim as could not possibly affect its value as food4 ,and so even already1 in these regulations as to the selection of the victim1 we have a hint that we have now to do with a type1 in which the dominant thought is not so much ,christ1 the ,holy ,victim1 our representative1 as ,christ the ,lamb of ,god1 the food of the soul1 through participation in which we have fellowship with ,god4 ,as before remarked1 the ritual acts in the bloody sacrifices are1 in all1 six1 each of which1 in the peace-offering1 has its proper place4 ,of these1 the first four1 namely1 the presentation1 the laying on of the hand1 the killing of the victim1 and the sprinkling of the blood1 are precisely the same as in the burnt-offering1 and have the same symbolic and typical significance4 ,in both the burnt-offering and the peace-offering1 the innocent victim typified the ,lamb of ,god1 presented by the sinner in the act of faith to ,god as an atonement for sin through substitutionary death2 and the sprinkling of the blood upon the altar signifies in this1 as in the other1 the application of that blood ,godward by the ,divine ,priest acting in our behalf1 and thereby procuring for us remission of sin1 redemption through the blood of the slain ,lamb4 ,in the other two ceremonies1 namely1 the burning and the sacrificial meal1 the peace-offering stands in strong contrast with the burnt-offering4 ,in the burnt-offering all was burned upon the altar2 in the peace-offering all the fat1 and that only4 ,the detailed directions which are given in the case of each class of victims are intended simply to direct the selection of those parts of the animal in which the fat is chiefly found4 ,they are precisely the same for each1 except in the case of the sheep4 ,with regard to such a victim1 the particular is added1 according to ,king ,james's version1 the whole rump2 but the ,revisers have with abundant reason corrected this translation1 giving it correctly as the fat tail entire4 ,the change is an instructive one1 as it points to the idea which determined this selection of all the fat for the offering by fire4 ,for the reference is to a special breed of sheep which is still found in ,palestine1 ,arabia1 and ,north ,africa4 ,with these1 the tail grows to an immense size1 sometimes weighing fifteen pounds or more1 and consists almost entirely of a rich substance1 in character between fat and marrow4 ,by the ,orientals in the regions where this variety of sheep is found it is still esteemed as the most valuable part of the animal for food4 ,and thus1 just as in the meal-offering the ,israelite was required to bring out of all his grain the best1 and of his meal the finest1 so in the peace-offering he is required to bring the fat1 and in the case of the sheep this fat tail1 as the best and richest parts1 to be burnt upon the altar to ,jehovah4 ,and the burning1 as in the whole burnt-sacrifice1 was1 so to speak1 the visible ,divine appropriation of that which was placed upon the altar1 the best of the offering1 as appointed to be the food of ,god4 ,if the symbolism1 at first thought1 perplex any1 we have but to remember how frequently in ,scripture fat and fatness are used as the symbol of that which is richest and best2 as1 e4g41 where the ,psalmist says1 ,they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of ,thy house2 and ,isaiah1 ,come unto ,me1 and let your soul delight itself in fatness4 ,thus when1 in the peace-offering1 of which the larger part was intended for food1 it is ordered that the fat should be given to ,god in the fire of the altar1 the same lesson is taught as in the meal-offering1 namely1 ,god is ever to be served first and with the best that we have4 ,all the fat is the ,lord's4 ,in the burnt-offering1 the burning ended the ceremonial3 in the nature of the case1 since all was to be burnt1 the object of the sacrifice was attained when the burning was completed4 ,but in the case of the peace-offering1 to the burning of the fat upon the altar now followed the culminating act of the ritual1 in the eating of the sacrifice4 ,in this1 however1 we must distinguish from the eating by the offerer and his household1 the eating by the priests2 of which only the first-named properly belonged to the ceremonial of the sacrifice4 ,the assignment of certain parts of the sacrifice to be eaten by the priests has the same meaning as in the meal-offering4 ,these portions were regarded in the law as given1 not by the offerer1 but by ,god1 to ,his servants the priests2 that they might eat them1 not as a ceremonial act1 but as their appointed sustenance from ,his table whom they served4 ,to this we shall return in a subsequent chapter1 and therefore need not dwell upon it here4 ,this eating of the sacrifice by the priests has thus not yet taken us beyond the conception of the meal-offering1 with a part of which they1 in like manner1 by ,god's arrangement1 were fed4 ,quite different1 however1 is the sacrificial eating by the offerer which follows4 ,he had brought the appointed victim2 it had been slain in his behalf2 the blood had been sprinkled for atonement on the altar2 the fat had been taken off and burned upon the altar2 the thigh and breast had been given back by ,god to the officiating priest2 and now1 last of all1 the offerer himself receives back from ,god1 as it were1 the remainder of the flesh of the victim1 that he himself might eat it before ,jehovah4 ,the chapter before us gives no directions as to this sacrificial eating2 these are given in ,deut4 xii4 #f1 #g1 #ag1 #ah1 to which passage1 in order to the full understanding of that which is most distinctive in the peace-offering1 we must refer4 ,in the two verses last named1 we have a regulation which covers1 not only the peace-offerings1 but with them all other sacrificial eatings1 thus3 ,thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn1 or of thy wine1 or of thy oil1 or the firstlings of thy herd or of thy flock1 nor any of thy vows which thou vowest1 nor thy free-will offerings1 nor the heave-offering of thy hand3 but thou shalt eat them before the ,lord thy ,god in the place which the ,lord thy ,god shall choose1 thou and thy son1 and thy daughter1 and my man-servant1 and thy maid-servant1 and the ,levite that is within thy gates2 and thou shalt rejoice before the ,lord thy ,god in all that thou puttest thy hand unto4 ,in these directions are three particulars2 the offerings were to be eaten1 by the offerer1 not at his own home1 but before ,jehovah at the central sanctuary2 he was to include in this sacrificial feast all the members of his family1 and any ,levite that might be stopping with him2 and he was to make the feast an occasion of holy joy before the ,lord in the labour of his hands4 ,what was now the special significance of all this8 ,as this was the special characteristic of the peace-offering1 the answer to this question will point us to its true significance1 both for ,israel in the first place1 and then for us as well1 as a type of ,him who was to come4 ,it is not hard to perceive the significance of a feast as a symbol4 ,it is a natural and suitable expression of friendship and fellowship4 ,he who gives the feast thereby shows to the guests his friendship toward them1 in inviting them to partake of the food of his house4 ,and if1 in any case1 there has been an interruption or breach of friendship1 such an invitation to a feast1 and association in it of the formerly alienated parties1 is a declaration on the part of him who gives the feast1 as also of those who accept his invitation1 that the breach is healed1 and that where there was enmity1 is now peace4 ,so natural is this symbolism that1 as above remarked1 it has been a custom very widely spread among heathen peoples to observe sacrificial feasts1 very like to this peace-offering of the ,hebrews1 wherein a victim is first offered to some deity1 and its flesh then eaten by the offerer and his friends4 ,of such sacrificial feasts we read in ancient ,babylonia and ,assyria1 in ,persia1 and1 in modern times1 among the ,arabs1 ,hindoos1 and ,chinese1 and various native races of the ,american continent2 always having the same symbolic intent and meaning--namely1 an expression of desire after friendship and intercommunion with the deity thus worshipped4 ,the existence of this custom in ,old ,testament days is recognised in ,isa4 lxv4 #aa 7,r4,v471 where ,god charges the idolatrous ,israelites with preparing a table for the god ,fortune1 and filling up mingled wine unto 7the goddess7 ,destiny--certain ,babylonian 787 deities2 and in the ,new ,testament1 as already remarked1 the ,apostle ,paul refers to the same custom among the idolatrous ,greeks of ,corinth4 ,and because this symbolic meaning of a feast is as suitable and natural as it is universal1 we find that in the symbolism of ,holy ,scripture1 eating and drinking1 and especially the feast1 has been appropriated by the ,holy ,spirit to express precisely the same ideas of reconciliation1 friendship1 and intercommunion between the giver of the feast and the guest1 as in all the great heathen religions4 ,we meet this thought1 for instance1 in ,psalm xxii4 #e3 ,thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies2 and in ,psalm xxxvi4 #h1 where it is said of ,god's people3 ,they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of ,thy house2 and again1 in the grand prophecy in ,isaiah1 xxv41 of the final redemption of all the long-estranged nations1 we read that when ,god shall destroy in ,mount ,zion the veil that is spread over all nations1 and swallow up death for ever1 then the ,lord of hosts shall make unto all peoples a feast of fat things1 a feast of wines on the lees1 of fat things full of marrow1 of wines on the lees well refined4 ,and in the ,new ,testament1 the symbolism is taken up again1 and used repeatedly by our ,lord1 as1 for example1 in the parables of the ,great ,supper 7,luke xiv4 #ae-bd7 and the ,prodigal ,son 7,luke xv4 #bc71 the ,marriage of the ,king's ,son 7,matt4 xxii4 #a-ad71 concerning the blessings of redemption2 and also in that ordinance of the ,holy ,supper1 which ,he has appointed to be a continual reminder of our relation to ,himself1 and means for the communication of ,his grace1 through our symbolic eating therein of the flesh of the slain ,lamb of ,god4 ,thus1 nothing in the ,levitical symbolism is better certified to us than the meaning of the feast of the peace-offering4 ,employing a symbol already familiar to the world for centuries1 ,god ordained this eating of the peace-offering in ,israel1 to be the symbolic expression of peace and fellowship with ,himself4 ,in ,israel it was to be eaten before the ,lord1 and1 as well it might be1 with rejoicing4 ,but1 just at this point1 the question has been raised3 ,how are we to conceive of the sacrificial feast of the peace-offering8 ,was it a feast offered and presented by the ,israelite to ,god1 or a feast given by ,god to the ,israelite8 ,in other words1 in this feast1 who was represented as host1 and who as guest8 ,among other nations than the ,hebrews1 it was the thought in such cases that the feast was given by the worshipper to his god4 ,this is well illustrated by an ,assyrian inscription of ,esarhaddon1 who1 in describing his palace at ,nineveh1 says3 ,i filled with beauties the great palace of my empire1 and ,i called it 'the ,palace which rivals the ,world4' ,ashur1 ,ishtar of ,nineveh1 and the gods of ,assyria1 all of them1 ,i feasted within it4 ,victims1 precious and beautiful1 ,i sacrificed before them1 and ,i caused them to receive my gifts4 ,but here we come upon one of the most striking and instructive contrasts between the heathen conception of the sacrificial feast and the same symbolism as used in ,leviticus and other ,scripture4 ,in the heathen sacrificial feasts1 it is man who feasts ,god2 in the peace-offering of ,leviticus1 it is ,god who feasts man4 ,some have indeed denied that this is the conception of the peace-offering1 but most strangely4 ,it is true that the offerer1 in the first instance1 had brought the victim2 but it seems to be forgotten by such1 that prior to the feasting he had already given the victim to ,god1 to be offered in expiation for sin4 ,from that time the victim was no longer1 any part of it1 his own property1 but ,god's4 ,god having received the offering1 now directs what use shall be made of it2 a part shall be burned upon the altar2 another part ,he gives to the priests1 ,his servants2 with the remaining part ,he now feasts the worshipper4 ,and as if to make this clearer yet1 while ,esarhaddon1 for example1 gives his feast to the gods1 not in their temples1 but in his own palace1 as himself the host and giver of the feast1 the ,israelite1 on the contrary1--that he might not1 like the heathen1 complacently imagine himself to be feasting ,god1--is directed to eat the peace-offering1 not at his own house1 but at ,god's house4 ,in this way ,god was set forth as the host1 the ,one who gave the feast1 to whose house the ,israelite was invited1 at whose table he was to eat4 ,profoundly suggestive and instructive is this contrast between the heathen custom in this offering1 and the ,levitical ordinance4 ,for do we not strike here one of the deepest points of contrast between all of man's religion1 and the ,gospel of ,god8 ,man's idea always is1 until taught better by ,god1 ,i will be religious and make ,god my friend1 by doing something1 giving something for ,god4 ,god1 on the contrary1 teaches us in this symbolism1 as in all ,scripture1 the exact reverse2 that we become truly religious by taking1 first of all1 with thankfulness and joy1 what ,he has provided for us4 ,a breach of friendship between man and ,god is often implied in the heathen rituals1 as in the ritual of ,leviticus2 as also1 in both1 a desire for its removal1 and renewed fellowship with ,god4 ,but in the former1 man ever seeks to attain to this intercommunion of friendship by something that he himself will do for ,god4 ,he will feast ,god1 and thus ,god shall be well pleased4 ,but ,god's way is the opposite6 ,the sacrificial feast at which man shall have fellowship with ,god is provided not by man for ,god1 but by ,god for man1 and is to be eaten1 not in our house1 but spiritually partaken in the presence of the invisible ,god4 ,we can now perceive the teaching of the peace-offering for ,israel4 ,in ,israel1 as among all the nations1 was the inborn craving after fellowship and friendship with ,god4 ,the ritual of the peace-offering taught him how it was to be obtained1 and how communion might be realised4 ,the first thing was for him to bring and present a divinely-appointed victim2 and then1 the laying of the hand upon his head with confession of sin2 then1 the slaying of the victim1 the sprinkling of its blood1 and the offering of its choicest parts to ,god in the altar fire4 ,till all this was done1 till in symbol expiation had been thus made for the ,israelite's sin1 there could be no feast which should speak of friendship and fellowship with ,god4 ,but this being first done1 ,god now1 in token of ,his free forgiveness and restoration to favour1 invites the ,israelite to a joyful feast in ,his own house4 ,what a beautiful symbol6 ,who can fail to appreciate its meaning when once pointed out8 ,let us imagine that through some fault of ours a dear friend has become estranged2 we used to eat and drink at his house1 but there has been none of that now for a long time4 ,we are troubled1 and perhaps seek out one who is our friend's friend and also our friend1 to whose kindly interest we entrust our case1 to reconcile to us the one we have offended4 ,he has gone to mediate2 we anxiously await his return2 but or ever he has come back again1 comes an invitation from him who was estranged1 just in the old loving way1 asking that we will eat with him at his house4 ,any one of us would understand this2 we should be sure at once that the mediator had healed the breach1 that we were forgiven1 and were welcome as of old to all that our friend's friendship had to give4 ,but ,god is the good ,friend whom we have estranged2 and the ,lord ,jesus1 ,his beloved ,son1 and our own ,friend as well1 is the ,mediator2 and ,he has healed the breach2 having made expiation for our sin in offering ,his own body as a sacrifice1 ,he has ascended into heaven1 there to appear in the presence of ,god for us2 ,he has not yet returned4 ,but meantime the message comes down from ,him to all who are hungering after peace with ,god3 ,the feast is made2 and ye all are invited2 come6 all things are now ready6 ,and this is the message of the ,gospel4 ,it is the peace-offering translated into words4 ,can we hesitate to accept the invitation8 ,or1 if we have sent in our acceptance1 do we need to be told1 as in ,deuteronomy1 that we are to eat with rejoicing4 ,and now we may well observe another circumstance of profound typical significance4 ,when the ,israelite came to ,god's house to eat before ,jehovah1 he was fed there with the flesh of the slain victim4 ,the flesh of that very victim whose blood had been given for him on the altar1 now becomes his food to sustain the life thus redeemed4 ,whether the ,israelite saw into the full meaning of this1 we may easily doubt2 but it leads us on now to consider1 in the clearer light of the ,new ,testament1 the deepest significance of the peace-offering and its ritual1 as typical of our ,lord and our relation to ,him4 ,that the victim of the peace-offering1 as of all the bloody offerings1 was intended to typify ,christ1 and that the death of that victim1 in the peace-offering1 as in all the bloody offerings1 foreshadowed the death of ,christ for our sins1--this needs no further proof4 ,and so1 again1 as the burning of the whole burnt-offering represented ,christ as accepted for us in virtue of ,his perfect consecration to the ,father1 so the peace-offering1 in that the fat is burned1 represents ,christ as accepted for us1 in that ,he gave to ,god in our behalf the very best ,he had to offer4 ,for in that incomparable sacrifice we are to think not only of the completeness of ,christ's consecration for us1 but also of the supreme excellence of that which ,he offered unto ,god for us4 ,all that was best in ,him1 reason1 affection1 and will1 as well as the members of ,his holy body1--nay1 the ,godhead as well as the ,manhood1 in the holy mystery of the ,trinity and the ,incarnation1 ,he offered for us unto the ,father4 ,this1 however1 has taken us as yet but little beyond the meaning of the burnt-offering4 ,the closing act of the ritual1 the sacrificial eating1 however1 reaches in its typical significance far beyond this or any of the bloody offerings4 ,first1 in that he who had laid his hand upon the victim1 and for whom the blood had been sprinkled1 is now invited by ,god to feast in ,his house1 upon food given by himself1 the food of the sacrifice1 which is called in the ritual the bread of ,god1 the eating of the peace-offering symbolically teaches us that if we have indeed presented the ,lamb of ,god as our peace1 not only has the ,priest sprinkled for us the blood1 so that our sin is pardoned1 but1 in token of friendship now restored1 ,god invites the penitent believer to sit down at ,his own table1--in a word1 to joyful fellowship with ,himself6 ,which means1 if our weak faith but take it in1 that the ,almighty and ,most ,holy ,god now invites us to fellowship in all the riches of ,his ,godhead2 places all that ,he has at the service of the believing sinner1 redeemed by the blood of the slain ,lamb4 ,the prodigal has returned2 the ,father will now feast him with the best that ,he has4 ,fellowship with ,god through reconciliation by the blood of the slain ,lamb1--this then is the first thing shadowed forth in this part of the ritual of the peace-offering4 ,it is a sufficiently wonderful thought1 but there is truth yet more wonderful veiled under this symbolism4 ,for when we ask1 what then was the bread or food of ,god1 of which ,he invited him to partake who brought the peace-offering1 and learn that it was the flesh of the slain victim2 here we meet a thought which goes far beyond atonement by the shedding of blood4 ,the same victim whose blood was shed and sprinkled in atonement for sin is now given by ,god to be the redeemed ,israelite's food1 by which his life shall be sustained6 ,surely we cannot mistake the meaning of this4 ,for the victim of the altar and the food of the table are one and the same4 ,even so ,he who offered ,himself for our sins on ,calvary1 is now given by ,god to be the food of the believer2 who now thus lives by eating the flesh of the slain ,lamb of ,god4 ,does this imagery1 at first thought1 seem strange and unnatural8 ,so did it also seem strange to the ,jews1 when in reply to our ,lord's teaching they wonderingly asked 7,john vi4 #eb71 ,how can this man give us ,his flesh to eat8 ,and yet so ,christ spoke2 and when ,he had first declared ,himself to the ,jews as the ,antitype of the manna1 the true ,bread sent down from heaven1 ,he then went on to say1 in words which far transcended the meaning of that type 7,john vi4 #ea71 ,the bread which ,i will give is ,my flesh1 for the life of the world4 ,how the light begins now to flash back from the ,gospel to the ,levitical law1 and from this1 again1 back to the ,gospel6 ,in the one we read1 ,ye shall eat the flesh of your peace-offerings before the ,lord with joy2 in the other1 the word of the ,lord ,jesus concerning ,himself 7,john vi4 #cc1 #ee1 #eg73 ,the bread of ,god is that which cometh down out of heaven1 and giveth life unto the world4444 ,my flesh is meat indeed1 and ,my blood is drink indeed4444 ,as the living ,father sent ,me1 and ,i live because of the ,father1 so he that eateth ,me1 he also shall live because of ,me4 ,and now the ,shekinah light of the ancient tent of meeting begins to illumine even the sacramental table1 and as we listen to the words of ,jesus1 ,take1 eat6 this is ,my body which was broken for you1 we are reminded of the feast of the peace-offerings4 ,the ,israel of ,god is to be fed with the flesh of the sacrificed ,lamb which became their peace4 ,let us hold fast then to this deepest thought of the peace-offering1 a truth too little understood even by many true believers4 ,the very ,christ who died for our sins1 if we have by faith accepted ,his atonement and have been for ,his sake forgiven1 is now given us by ,god for the sustenance of our purchased life4 ,let us make use of ,him1 daily feeding upon ,him1 that so we may live and grow unto the life eternal6 ,but there is yet one thought more concerning this matter1 which the peace-offering1 as far as was possible1 shadowed forth4 ,although ,christ becomes the bread of ,god for us only through ,his offering of ,himself first for our sins1 as our atonement1 yet this is something quite distinct from atonement4 ,christ became our sacrifice once for all2 the atonement is wholly a fact of the past4 ,but ,christ is now still1 and will ever continue to be unto all ,his people1 the bread or food of ,god1 by eating whom they live4 ,he was the propitiation1 as the slain victim2 but1 in virtue of that1 ,he is now become the flesh of the peace-offering4 ,hence ,he must be this1 not as dead1 but as living1 in the present resurrection life of ,his glorified humanity4 ,here evidently is a fact which could not be directly symbolised in the peace-offering without a miracle ever repeated4 ,for ,israel ate of the victim1 not as living1 but as dead4 ,it could not be otherwise4 ,and yet there is a regulation of the ritual 7chap4 vii4 #ae-ah2 xix4 #f1 #g7 which suggests this phase of truth as clearly as possible without a miracle4 ,it was ordered that none of the flesh of the peace-offering should be allowed to remain beyond the third day2 if any then was left uneaten1 it was to be burned with fire4 ,the reason for this lies upon the surface4 ,it was doubtless that there might be no possible beginning of decay2 and thus it was secured that the flesh of the victim with which ,god fed the accepted ,israelite should be the flesh of a victim that was not to see corruption4 ,but does not this at once remind us how it was written of the ,antitype1 ,thou wilt not suffer ,thy ,holy ,one to see corruption8 while1 moreover1 the extreme limit of time allowed further reminds us how it was precisely on the third day that ,christ rose from the dead in the incorruptible life of the resurrection1 that so ,he might through all time continue to be the living bread of ,his people4 ,and thus this special regulation points us not indistinctly toward the ,new ,testament truth that ,christ is now unto us the bread of ,god1 not merely as the ,one who died1 but as the ,one who1 living again1 was not allowed to see corruption4 ,for so the ,apostle argues 7,rom4 v4 #aa71 that being justified by faith1 and so having peace with ,god through our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 our peace-offering1 having been thus reconciled by ,his death1 we shall now be saved by ,his life4 ,and thus1 as we appropriate ,christ crucified as our atonement1 so by a like faith we are to appropriate ,christ risen as our life1 to be for us as the flesh of the peace-offering1 our nourishment and strength by which we live4 ,,the ,,prohibition ,,of ,,fat ,,and ,,blood4 iii4 #af1 #ag2 vii4 #bb-bg2 xvii4 #aj-af4 ,and the priest shall burn them upon the altar3 it is the food of the offering made by fire1 for a sweet savour3 all the fat is the ,lord's4 ,it shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings1 that ye shall eat neither fat nor blood4444 ,and the ,lord spake unto ,moses1 saying1 ,speak unto the children of ,israel1 saying1 ,ye shall eat no fat1 of ox1 or sheep1 or goat4 ,and the fat of that which dieth of itself1 and the fat of that which is torn of beasts1 may be used for any other service3 but ye shall in no wise eat of it4 ,for whosoever eateth the fat of the beast1 of which men offer an offering made by fire unto the ,lord1 even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people4 ,and ye shall eat no manner of blood1 whether it be of fowl or of beast1 in any of your dwellings4 ,whosoever it be that eateth any blood1 that soul shall be cut off from his people4444 ,and whatsoever man there be of the house of ,israel1 or of the strangers that sojourn among them1 that eateth any manner of blood2 ,i will set ,my face against that soul that eateth blood1 and will cut him off from among his people4 ,for the life of the flesh is in the blood3 and ,i have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls3 for it is the blood that maketh atonement by reason of the life4 ,therefore ,i said unto the children of ,israel1 ,no soul of you shall eat blood1 neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood4 ,and whatsoever man there be of the children of ,israel1 or of the strangers that sojourn among them1 which taketh in hunting any beast or fowl that may be eaten2 he shall pour out the blood thereof1 and cover it with dust4 ,for as to the life of all flesh1 the blood thereof is all one with the life thereof3 therefore ,i said unto the children of ,israel1 ,ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh3 for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof3 whosoever eateth it shall be cut off4 ,and every soul that eateth that which dieth of itself1 or that which is torn of beasts1 whether he be homeborn or a stranger1 he shall wash his clothes1 and bathe himself in water1 and be unclean until the even3 then shall he be clean4 ,but if he wash them not1 nor bathe his flesh1 then he shall bear his iniquity4 ,the chapter concerning the peace-offering ends 7vv4 #af1 #ag7 with these words3 ,all the fat is the ,lord's4 ,it shall be a perpetual statute for you throughout your generations1 that ye shall eat neither fat nor blood4 ,to this prohibition so much importance was attached that in the supplemental law of the peace-offering 7vii4 #bb-bg7 it is repeated with added explanation and solemn warning1 thus3 ,and the ,lord spake unto ,moses1 saying1 ,speak unto the children of ,israel1 saying1 ,ye shall eat no manner of fat1 of ox1 or of sheep1 or of goat4 ,and the fat of the beast that dieth of itself1 and the fat of that which is torn with beasts1 may be used for any other service3 but ye shall in no wise eat of it4 ,for whosoever eateth the fat of the beast1 of which men offer an offering made by fire unto the ,lord1 even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people4 ,and ye shall eat no manner of blood1 whether it be of fowl or of beast1 in any of your dwellings4 ,whosoever it be that eateth any blood1 that soul shall be cut off from his people4 ,from which it appears that this prohibition of the eating of fat referred only to the fat of such beasts as were used for sacrifice4 ,with these1 however1 the law was absolute1 whether the animal was presented for sacrifice1 or only slain for food4 ,it held good with regard to these animals1 even when1 because of the manner of their death1 they could not be used for sacrifice4 ,in such cases1 though the fat might be used for other purposes1 still it must not be used for food4 ,the prohibition of the blood as food appears from xvii4 #aj to have been absolutely universal2 it is said1 ,whatsoever man there be of the house of ,israel1 or of the strangers that sojourn among them1 that eateth any manner of blood1 ,i will set ,my face against that soul that eateth blood1 and will cut him off from among his people4 ,the reason for the prohibition of the eating of blood1 whether in the case of the sacrificial feasts of the peace-offerings or on other occasions1 is given 7xvii4 #aa1 #ab71 in these words3 ,for the life of the flesh is in the blood3 and ,i have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls3 for it is the blood that maketh atonement by reason of the life4 ,therefore ,i said unto the children of ,israel1 ,no soul of you shall eat blood1 neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood4 ,and the prohibition is then extended to include not only the blood of animals which were used upon the altar1 but also such as were taken in hunting1 thus 7ver4 #ac73 ,and whatsoever man there be of the children of ,israel1 or of the strangers that sojourn among them1 which taketh in hunting any beast or fowl that may be eaten1 he shall pour out the blood thereof1 and cover it with dust1 as something of peculiar sanctity2 and then the reason previously given is repeated with emphasis 7ver4 #ad73 ,for as to the life of all flesh1 the blood thereof is all one with the life thereof3 therefore ,i said unto the children of ,israel1 ,ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh3 for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof2 whosoever eateth it shall be cut off4 ,and since1 when an animal died from natural causes1 or through being torn of a beast1 the blood would be drawn from the flesh either not at all or but imperfectly1 as further guarding against the possibility of eating blood1 it is ordered 7vv4 #ae1 #af7 that he who does this shall be held unclean3 ,every soul that eateth that which dieth of itself1 or that which is torn of beasts1 whether he be home-born or a stranger1 he shall wash his clothes1 and bathe himself in water1 and be unclean until the even4 ,but if he wash them not nor bathe his flesh1 then he shall bear his iniquity4 ,these passages explicitly state the reason for the prohibition by ,god of the use of blood for food to be the fact that1 as the vehicle of the life1 it has been appointed by ,him as the means of expiation for sin upon the altar4 ,and the reason for the prohibition of the fat is similar2 namely1 its appropriation for ,god upon the altar1 as in the peace-offerings1 the sin-offerings1 and the guilt-offerings2 all the fat is the ,lord's4 ,thus the ,israelite1 by these two prohibitions1 was to be continually reminded1 so often as he partook of his daily food1 of two things3 by the one1 of atonement by the blood as the only ground of acceptance2 and by the other1 of ,god's claim on the man redeemed by the blood1 for the consecration of his best4 ,not only so1 but by the frequent repetition1 and still more by the heavy penalty attached to the violation of these laws1 he was reminded of the exceeding importance that these two things had in the mind of ,god4 ,if he eat the blood of any animal claimed by ,god for the altar1 he should be cut off from his people2 that is1 outlawed1 and cut off from all covenant privilege as a citizen of the kingdom of ,god in ,israel4 ,and even though the blood were that of the beast taken in the chase1 still ceremonial purification was required as the condition of resuming his covenant position4 ,nothing1 doubtless1 seems to most ,christians of our day more remote from practical religion than these regulations touching the fat and the blood1 which are brought before us with such fulness in the law of the peace-offering and elsewhere4 ,and yet nothing is of more present-day importance in this law than the principles which underlie these regulations4 ,for as with type1 so with antitype4 ,no less essential to the admission of the sinful man into that blessed fellowship with a reconciled ,god1 which the peace-offering typified1 is the recognition of the supreme sanctity of the precious sacrificial blood of the ,lamb of ,god2 no less essential to the life of happy communion with ,god1 is the ready consecration of the best fruit of our life to ,him4 ,surely1 both of these1 and especially the first1 are truths for our time4 ,for no observing man can fail to recognise the very ominous fact that a constantly increasing number1 even of professed preachers of the ,gospel1 in so many words refuse to recognise the place which propitiatory blood has in the ,gospel of ,christ1 and to admit its pre-eminent sanctity as consisting in this1 that it was given on the altar to make atonement for our souls4 ,nor has the present generation outgrown the need of the other reminder touching the consecration of the best to the ,lord4 ,how many there are1 comfortable1 easy-going ,christians1 whose principle--if one might speak in the idiom of the ,mosaic law--would rather seem to be1 ever to give the lean to ,god1 and keep the fat1 the best fruit of their life and activity1 for themselves6 ,such need to be most urgently and solemnly reminded that in spirit the warning against the eating of the blood and the fat is in full force4 ,it was written of such as should break this law1 that soul shall be cut off from his people4 ,and so in the ,epistle to the ,hebrews 7x4 #bf-bi7 we find one of its most solemn warnings directed to those who count this blood of the covenant1 the blood of ,christ1 an unholy 7i4e41 common7 thing2 as exposed by this1 their undervaluation of the sanctity of the blood1 to a sorer punishment than overtook him that set at nought ,moses' law1 even the retribution of ,him who said1 ,vengeance is ,mine2 ,i will repay1 saith the ,lord4 ,and so in this law of the peace-offerings1 which ordains the conditions of the holy feast of fellowship with a reconciled ,god1 we find these two things made fundamental in the symbolism3 full recognition of the sanctity of the blood as that which atones for the soul2 and the full consecration of the redeemed and pardoned soul to the ,lord4 ,so was it in the symbol2 and so shall it be when the sacrificial feast shall at last receive its most complete fulfilment in the communion of the redeemed with ,christ in glory4 ,there will be no differences of opinion then and there1 either as to the transcendent value of that precious blood which made atonement1 or as to the full consecration which such a redemption requires from the redeemed4 ,,thank-,,offerings1 ,,vows1 ,,and ,,freewill-,,offerings4 vii4 #aa-ba4 ,and this is the law of the sacrifice of peace-offerings which one shall offer unto the ,lord4 ,if he offer it for a thanksgiving1 then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil1 and unleavened wafers anointed with oil1 and cakes mingled with oil1 of fine flour soaked4 ,with cakes of leavened bread he shall offer his oblation with the sacrifice of his peace-offerings for thanksgiving4 ,and of it he shall offer one out of each oblation for an heave-offering unto the ,lord2 it shall be the priest's that sprinkleth the blood of the peace-offerings4 ,and the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace-offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his oblation2 he shall not leave any of it until the morning4 ,but if the sacrifice of his oblation be a vow1 or a freewill offering1 it shall be eaten on the day that he offereth his sacrifice3 and on the morrow that which remaineth of it shall be eaten3 but that which remaineth of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire4 ,and if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace-offerings be eaten on the third day1 it shall not be accepted1 neither shall it be imputed unto him that offereth it3 it shall be an abomination1 and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity4 ,and the flesh that toucheth any unclean thing shall not be eaten2 it shall be burnt with fire4 ,and as for the flesh1 everyone that is clean shall eat thereof3 but the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings1 that pertain unto the ,lord1 having his uncleanness upon him1 that soul shall be cut off from his people4 ,and when any one shall touch any unclean thing1 the uncleanness of man1 or an unclean beast1 or any unclean abomination1 and eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings1 that soul shall be cut off from his people4 ,according to this supplemental section on the law of the peace-offerings1 these were of three kinds2 namely1 sacrifices of thanksgiving1 vows1 and freewill-offerings4 ,the first were offered in token of gratitude for mercies received2 as in ,psalm cxvi4 #af1 #ag1 where we read3 ,thou hast loosed my bonds2 ,i will offer to ,thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving4 ,the second1 like these1 were offered also in grateful return for prayer answered and mercy received1 but with the difference that they were promised before1 upon the condition of the prayer for mercy being granted4 ,lastly1 the freewill-offerings were those which had no special occasion1 but were merely the spontaneous expression of the love of the offerer to ,god1 and his desire to live in friendship and fellowship with ,him4 ,it is apparently these freewill-offerings that we are to recognise in the many instances recorded where the peace-offering was presented in connection with supplication for special help and favour from ,god2 as1 e4g41 when 7,judges xx4 #bf7 ,israel supplicated mercy from ,god after their disastrous defeat in the civil war with the tribe of ,benjamin2 and when ,david entreated the ,lord 7#b ,sam4 xxiv4 #be7 for the staying of the plague in ,israel4 ,with not only the thank-offering1 but all peace-offerings1 as is clear from ,numb4 xv4 #b-d1 a full meal-offering1 consisting of three kinds of unleavened cakes1 was to be offered1 of each of which1 one was to be presented as a heave-offering1 with the heave-shoulder of the sacrifice1 to the ,lord 7vii4 #ab74 ,for the sacrificial feast1 in which the offerer1 his family1 and friends were to partake1 he was also to bring cakes of leavened bread1 which1 however1 though eaten before ,god by the offerer1 might not be presented unto ,god for a heave-offering1 nor come upon the altar 7ver4 #ac74 ,from what we have already seen1 the spiritual meaning of this will be clear4 ,thus in symbol the ,israelite offered unto ,god1 with his life1 the fruit of the labour of his hands1 in gratitude to ,him1 and expressed his happy consciousness of friendship and fellowship with ,god through atonement1 by feasting before ,him4 ,the leavened bread is offered simply1 as ,bhr suggests1 as the usual accompaniment to a feast2 though regard is still had to the fact1 never once forgotten in ,holy ,scripture1 that leaven is nevertheless an element and symbol of corruption2 so that however the reconciled ,israelite may eat his leavened bread before ,god1 yet it cannot be allowed to come upon the altar of the ,most ,holy ,one4 ,two slight differences appear in the ritual for the different kinds of peace-offerings4 ,first1 in the case of the freewill-offering1 a single exception is allowed to the general rule that the victim must be without blemish1 in the permission to offer what1 otherwise perfect1 might have anything superfluous or lacking in its parts 7xxii4 #bc72 a circumstance which could not affect its fitness as the symbol of spiritual food4 ,for a vow 7and1 we may infer1 for a thank-offering also7 such a victim1 however1 could not be offered2 evidently because it would seem peculiarly unsuitable1 where the object of the offering was to make in some sense a return for the always perfect and most gracious gifts of ,god1 that anything else than the absolutely perfect should be offered4 ,in the case of the thank-offering1 again1 an exception is made to the general regulation permitting the eating of the offering on the first and second days1 requiring that all be eaten on the day that it is presented1 or else be burnt with fire 7vii4 #ae74 ,we need seek for no spiritual meaning in this4 ,a sufficient reason for this special restriction in this case is probably to be found in the consideration that as this was the most common variety of the offering1 there was the most danger that the flesh1 by some oversight1 might be kept too long4 ,the flesh of the victim offered to ,god1 the type of the ,victim of ,calvary1 must on no account be allowed to see corruption2 and to this end every needed precaution must be taken1 that by no chance it shall remain unconsumed on the third day4 ,it is easy to connect the special characteristics of these several varieties of the peace-offering with the great ,antitype4 ,so may we use ,him as our thank-offering2 for what more fitting as an expression of gratitude and love to ,god for mercies received1 than renewed and special fellowship with ,him through feeding upon ,christ as the slain ,lamb8 ,so also we may thus use ,christ in our vows2 as when1 supplicating mercy1 we promise and engage that if our prayer be heard we will renewedly consecrate our service to the ,lord1 as in the meal-offering1 and anew enter into life-giving fellowship with ,him through feeding by faith on the flesh of the ,lord4 ,and it is beautifully hinted in the permission of the use of leaven in this feast of the peace-offering1 that while the work of the believer1 as presented to ,god in grateful acknowledgment of ,his mercies1 is ever affected with the taint of his native corruption1 so that it cannot come upon the altar where satisfaction is made for sin1 yet ,god is graciously pleased1 for the sake of the great ,sacrifice1 to accept such imperfect service offered to ,him1 and make it in turn a blessing to us1 as we offer it in ,his presence1 rejoicing in the work of our hands before ,him4 ,but there was one condition without which the ,israelite could not have communion with ,god in the peace-offering4 ,he must be clean6 even as the flesh of the peace-offering must be clean also4 ,there must be in him nothing which should interrupt covenant fellowship with ,god2 as nothing in the type which should make it an unfit symbol of the ,antitype4 ,for it was ordered 7vii4 #ai-ba71 as regards every possible occasion of uncleanness1 thus3 ,the flesh that toucheth any unclean thing shall not be eaten2 it shall be burnt with fire4 ,as for the flesh1 every one that is clean shall eat thereof2 but the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings1 that pertain unto the ,lord1 having his uncleanness upon him1 that soul shall be cut off from his people4 ,and when any one shall touch any unclean thing1 the uncleanness of man1 or an unclean beast1 or any unclean abomination1 and eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings1 that soul shall be cut off from his people4 ,in such cases1 he must first go and purify himself1 as provided in the law2 and then1 and then only1 presume to come to eat before the ,lord4 ,and so ,israel was ever impressively reminded that he who would have fellowship with ,god1 and eat in happy fellowship with ,him at ,his table1 must keep himself pure4 ,so by the spirit of these commands are we no less warned that we take not encouragement from ,god's grace1 in providing for us the flesh of the ,lamb as our food1 to be careless in walk and life4 ,if we will use ,christ as our peace-offering1 we must keep ourselves unspotted from the world2 must hate even the garment spotted by the flesh1 remembering ever that it is written in the ,new ,testament 7#a ,peter i4 #ae1 #af71 with direct reference to the typical law of ,leviticus3 ,as ,he which called you is holy1 be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living2 because it is written1 ,ye shall be holy2 for ,i am holy4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,the ,,sin-,,offering4 ,,lev4 iv4 #a-ce4 ,both in the burnt-offering and in the peace-offering1 ,israel was taught1 as we are1 that all consecration and all fellowship with ,god must begin with1 and ever depends upon1 atonement made for sin4 ,but this was not the dominant thought in either of these offerings2 neither did the atonement1 as made in these1 have reference to particular acts of sin4 ,for such1 these offerings were never prescribed4 ,they remind us therefore of the necessity of atonement1 not so much for what we do or fail to do1 as for what we are4 ,but the sin even of true believers1 whether then or now1 is more than sin of nature4 ,the true ,israelite was liable to be overtaken in some overt act of sin2 and for all such cases was ordained1 in this section of the law 7iv4 #a-v4 #ac71 the sin-offering2 an offering which should bring out into sole and peculiar prominence the thought revealed in other sacrifices more imperfectly1 that in order to pardon of sin1 there must be expiation4 ,there was indeed a limitation to the application of this offering2 for if a man1 in those days1 sinned wilfully1 presumptuously1 stubbornly1 or1 as the phrase is1 with a high hand1 there was no provision made in the law for his restoration to covenant standing4 ,he that despised ,moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses2 he was cut off from his people4 ,but for sins of a lesser grade1 such as resulted not from a spirit of wilful rebellion against ,god1 but were mitigated in their guilt by various reasons1 especially ignorance1 rashness1 or inadvertence1 ,god made provision1 in a typical way1 for their removal by means of the atonement of the sin- and the guilt-offerings4 ,by means of these1 accompanied also with full restitution of the wrong done1 when such restitution was possible1 the guilty one might be restored in those days to his place as an accepted citizen of the kingdom of ,god4 ,no part of the ,levitical law is more full of deep1 heart-searching truth than the law of the sin-offering4 ,first of all1 it is of consequence to observe that the sins for which this chief atoning sacrifice was appointed1 were1 for the most part1 sins of ignorance4 ,for so runs the general statement with which this section opens 7ver4 #b73 ,if any one shall sin unwittingly1 in any of the things which the ,lord hath commanded not to be done1 and shall do any of them4 ,and to these are afterwards added sins committed through rashness1 the result rather of heat and hastiness of spirit than of deliberate purpose of sin2 as1 for instance1 in chap4 v4 #d3 ,whatsoever it be that a man shall utter rashly with an oath1 and it be hid from him4 ,besides these1 in the same section 7vv4 #a-d7 as also in all the cases mentioned under the guilt-offering1 and the special instance of a wrong done to a slave-girl 7xix4 #ba71 a number of additional offences are mentioned which all seem to have their special palliation1 not indeed in the ignorance of the sinner1 but in the nature of the acts themselves1 as admitting of reparation4 ,for all such it was also ordained that the offender should bring a sin- 7or a guilt-7 offering1 and that by this1 atonement being made for him1 his sin might be forgiven4 ,all this must have brought before ,israel1 and is meant to bring before us1 the absolute equity of ,god in dealing with ,his creatures4 ,we think often of ,his stern justice in that ,he so unfailingly takes note of every sin4 ,but here we may learn also to observe ,his equity in that ,he notes no less carefully every circumstance that may palliate our sin4 ,we thankfully recognise in these words the spirit of ,him of whom it was said 7,heb4 v4 #b1 marg47 that in the days of ,his flesh ,he could reasonably bear with the ignorant2 and who said concerning those who know not their ,master's will and do it not 7,luke xii4 #dh71 that their stripes shall be few2 and who1 again1 with equal justice and mercy1 said of ,his disciples' fault in ,gethsemane 7,matt4 xxvi4 #da71 ,the spirit indeed is willing1 but the flesh is weak4 ,we do well to note this4 ,for in these days we hear it often charged against the holy religion of ,christ1 that it represents ,god as essentially and horribly unjust in consigning all unbelievers to one and the same unvarying punishment1 the eternal lake of fire2 and as thus making no difference between those who have sinned against the utmost light and knowledge1 wilfully and inexcusably1 and those who may have sinned through ignorance1 or weakness of the flesh4 ,to such charges as these we have simply to answer that neither in the ,old ,testament nor in the ,new is ,god so revealed4 ,we may come back to this book of ,leviticus1 and declare that even in those days when law reigned1 and grace and love were less clearly revealed than now1 ,god made a difference1 a great difference1 between some sins and others2 ,he visited1 no doubt1 wilful and defiant sin with condign punishment2 but1 on the other hand1 no less justly than mercifully1 ,he considered also every circumstance which could lessen guilt1 and ordained a gracious provision for expiation and forgiveness4 ,the ,god revealed in ,leviticus1 like the ,god revealed in the ,gospel1 the ,god with whom we have to do1 is then no hard and unreasonable tyrant1 but a most just and equitable ,king4 ,he is no less the ,most ,just1 that ,he is the ,most ,holy2 but1 rather1 because ,he is most holy1 is ,he therefore most just4 ,and because ,god is such a ,god1 in the ,new ,testament also it is plainly said that ignorance1 as it extenuates guilt1 shall also ensure mitigation of penalty2 and in the ,old ,testament1 that while he who sins presumptuously and with a high hand against ,god1 shall die without mercy under two or three witnesses1 on the other hand1 he who sins unwittingly1 or in some sudden rash impulse1 doing that of which he afterward truly repents2 or who1 again1 has sinned1 if knowingly1 still in such a way as admits of some adequate reparation of the wrong1--all these things shall be judged palliation of his guilt2 and if he confess his sin1 and make all possible reparation for it1 then1 if he present a sin- or a guilt-offering1 atonement may therewith be made1 and the sinner be forgiven4 ,this then is the first thing which the law concerning the sin-offering brings before us3 it calls our attention to the fact that the heavenly ,king and ,judge of men is righteous in all ,his ways1 and therefore will ever make all the allowance that strict justice and righteousness demand1 for whatever may in any way palliate our guilt4 ,but none the less for this do we need also to heed another intensely practical truth which the law of the sin-offering brings before us3 namely1 that while ignorance or other circumstances may palliate guilt1 they do not and cannot nullify it4 ,we may have sinned without a suspicion that we were sinning1 but here we are taught that there can be no pardon without a sin-offering4 ,we may have sinned through weakness or sudden passion1 but still sin is sin1 and we must have a sin-offering before we can be forgiven4 ,we may observe1 in passing1 the bearing of this teaching of the law on the question so much discussed in our day1 as to the responsibility of the heathen for the sins which they commit through ignorance4 ,in so far as their ignorance is not wilful and avoidable1 it doubtless greatly diminishes their guilt2 and the ,lord ,himself has said of such that their stripes shall be few4 ,and yet more than this ,he does not say4 ,except we are prepared to cast aside the teaching alike of ,leviticus and the ,gospels1 it is certain that their ignorance does not cancel their guilt4 ,that the ignorance of any one concerning moral law can secure his exemption from the obligation to suffer for his sin1 is not only against the teaching of all ,scripture1 but is also contradicted by all that we can see about us of ,god's government of the world4 ,for when does ,god ever suspend the operation of physical laws1 because the man who violates them does not know that he is breaking them8 ,and so also1 will we but open our eyes1 we may see that it is with moral law4 ,the heathen1 for example1 are ignorant of many moral laws2 but do they therefore escape the terrible consequences of their law-breaking1 even in this present life1 where we can see for ourselves how ,god is dealing with them8 ,and is there any reason to think it will be different in the life hereafter8 ,does it seem harsh that men should be punished even for sins of ignorance1 and pardon be impossible1 even for these1 without atonement8 ,it would not seem so1 would men but think more deeply4 ,for beyond all question1 the ignorance of men as to the fundamental law of ,god1 to love ,him with all the heart1 and our neighbour as ourselves1 which is the sum of all law1 has its reason1 not in any lack of light1 but in the evil heart of man1 who everywhere and always1 until he is regenerated1 loves self more than he loves ,god4 ,the words of ,christ 7,john iii4 #bj7 apply3 ,he that doeth evil cometh not to the light2 not even to the light of nature4 ,and yet1 one who should look only at this chapter might rejoin to this1 that the ,israelite was only obliged to bring a sin-offering1 when afterward he came to the knowledge of his sin as sin2 but1 in case he never came to that knowledge1 was not then his sin passed by without an atoning sacrifice8 ,to this question1 the ordinance which we find in chapter xvi4 is the decisive answer4 ,for therein it was provided that once every year a very solemn sin-offering should be offered by the high priest1 for all the multitudinous sins of ,israel1 which were not atoned for in the special sin-offerings of each day4 ,hence it is strictly true that no sin in ,israel was ever passed over without either penalty or shedding of blood4 ,and so the law keeps it ever before us that our unconsciousness of sinning does not alter the fact of sin1 or the fact of guilt1 nor remove the obligation to suffer because of sin2 and that even the sin of which we are quite ignorant1 interrupts man's peace with ,god and harmony with him4 ,thus the best of us must take as our own the words of the ,apostle ,paul 7#a ,cor4 iv4 #d1 ,r4,v473 ,i know nothing against myself2 yet am ,i not hereby justified2 ,he that judgeth me is the ,lord4 ,nor does the testimony of this law end here4 ,we are by it taught that the guilt of sins unrecognised as sins at the time of their committal1 cannot be cancelled merely by penitent confession when they become known4 ,confession must indeed be made1 according to the law1 as one condition of pardon1 but1 besides this1 the guilty man must bring his sin-offering4 ,what truths can be more momentous and vital than these6 ,can any one say1 in the light of such a revelation1 that all in this ancient law of the sin-offering is now obsolete1 and of no concern to us8 ,for how many there are who are resting all their hopes for the future on the fact that they have sinned1 if at all1 then ignorantly2 or that they have meant to do right2 or that they have confessed the sin when it was known1 and have been very sorry4 ,and yet1 if this law teach anything1 it teaches that this is a fatal mistake1 and that such hopes rest on a foundation of sand4 ,if we would be forgiven1 we must indeed confess our sin and we must repent2 but this is not enough4 ,we must have a sin-offering2 we must make use of the great ,sin-,offering which that of ,leviticus typified2 we must tell our compassionate ,high ,priest how in ignorance1 or in the rashness of some unholy1 over-mastering impulse1 we sinned1 and commit our case to ,him1 that ,he may apply the precious blood in our behalf with ,god4 ,it is a third impressive fact1 that after we include all the cases for which the sin-offering was provided1 there still remain many sins for the forgiveness of which no provision was made4 ,it was ordered elsewhere1 for instance 7,numb4 xxxv4 #ca-cc7 that no satisfaction1 should be taken for the life of a murderer4 ,he might confess and bewail his sin1 and be never so sorry1 but there was no help for him2 he must die the death4 ,so was it also with blasphemy2 so with adultery1 and with many other crimes4 ,this exclusion of so many cases from the merciful provision of the typical offering had a meaning4 ,it was intended1 not only to emphasise to the conscience the aggravated wickedness of such crimes1 but also to develop in ,israel the sense of need for a more adequate provision1 a better sacrifice than any the ,levitical law could offer2 blood which should cleanse1 not merely in a ceremonial and sacramental way1 but really and effectively2 and not only from some sins1 but from all sins4 ,the law of the sin-offering is introduced by phraseology different from that which is used in the case of the preceding offerings4 ,in the case of each of these1 the language used implies that the ,israelites were familiar with the offering before its incorporation into the ,levitical sacrificial system4 ,the sin-offering1 on the other hand1 is introduced as a new thing4 ,and such1 indeed1 it was4 ,while1 as we have seen1 each of the offerings before ordered had been known and used1 both by the ,shemitic and the other nations1 since long before the days of ,moses1 before this time there is no mention anywhere1 in ,scripture or out of it1 of a sacrifice corresponding to the sin- or the guilt-offering4 ,the significance of this fact is apparent so soon as we observe what was the distinctive conception of the sin-offering1 as contrasted with the other offerings4 ,without question1 it was the idea of expiation of guilt by the sacrifice of a substituted victim4 ,this idea1 as we have seen1 was indeed not absent from the other bloody offerings2 but in those its place was secondary and subordinate4 ,in the ritual of the sin-offering1 on the contrary1 this idea was brought out into almost solitary prominence2--sin pardoned on the ground of expiation made through the presentation to ,god of the blood of an innocent victim4 ,the introduction of this new sacrifice1 then1 marked the fact that the spiritual training of man1 of ,israel in particular1 herewith entered on a new stadium2 which was to be distinguished by the development1 in a degree to that time without a precedent1 of the sense of sin and of guilt1 and the need therefore of atonement in order to pardon4 ,this need had not indeed been unfelt before2 but never in any ritual had it received so full expression4 ,not only is the idea of expiation by the shedding of blood almost the only thought represented in the ritual of the offering1 but in the order afterward prescribed for the different sacrifices1 the sin-offering1 in all cases where others were offered1 must go before them all2 before the burnt-offering1 the meal-offering1 the peace-offering4 ,so again1 this new law insists upon expiation even for those sins which have the utmost possible palliation and excuse1 in that at the time of their committal the sinner knew them not as sins2 and thus teaches that even these so fatally interrupt fellowship with the holy ,god1 that only such expiation can restore the broken harmony4 ,what a revelation was this law1 of the way in which ,god regards sin6 and of the extremity1 in consequence1 of the sinner's need6 ,most instructive1 too1 were the circumstances under which this new offering1 with such a special purpose1 embodying such a revelation of the extent of human guilt and responsibility1 was first ordained4 ,for its appointment followed quickly upon the tremendous revelation of the consuming holiness of ,god upon ,mount ,sinai4 ,it was in the light of the holy mount1 quaking and flaming with fire1 that the eye of ,moses was opened to receive from ,god this revelation of ,his will1 and he was moved by the ,holy ,ghost to appoint for ,israel1 in the name of ,jehovah1 an offering which should differ from all other offerings in this--that it should hold forth to ,israel1 in solitary and unprecedented prominence1 this one thought1 that without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin1 not even of sins which are not known as sins at the time of their committal4 ,our own generation1 and even the ,church of to-day1 greatly needs to consider the significance of this fact4 ,the spirit of our age is much more inclined to magnify the greatness and majesty of man1 than the infinite greatness and holy majesty of ,god4 ,hence many talk lightly of atonement1 and cannot admit its necessity to the pardon of sin4 ,but can we doubt1 with this narrative before us1 that if men saw ,god more clearly as ,he is1 there would be less talk of this kind8 ,when ,moses saw ,god on ,mount ,sinai1 he came down to ordain a sin-offering even for sins of ignorance6 ,and nothing is more certain1 as a fact of human experience in all ages1 than this1 that the more clearly men have perceived the unapproachable holiness and righteousness of ,god1 the more clearly they have seen that expiation of our sins1 even of our sins of ignorance1 by atoning blood1 is the most necessary and fundamental of all conditions1 if we will have pardon of sin and peace with a ,holy ,god4 ,man is indeed slow to learn this lesson of the sin-offering4 ,it is quite too humbling and abasing to our natural1 self-satisfied pride1 to be readily received4 ,this is strikingly illustrated by the fact that it is not until late in ,israel's history that the sin-offering is mentioned in the sacred record2 while even from that first mention till the ,exile1 it is mentioned only rarely4 ,this fact is indeed often in our day held up as evidence that the sin-offering was not of ,mosaic origin1 but a priestly invention of much later days4 ,but the fact is quite as well accounted for by the spiritual obtuseness of ,israel4 ,the whole narrative shows that they were a people hard of heart and slow to learn the solemn lessons of ,sinai2 slow to apprehend the holiness of ,god1 and the profound spiritual truth set forth in the institution of the sin-offering4 ,and yet it was not wholly unobserved1 nor did every individual fail to learn its lessons4 ,nowhere in heathen literature do we find such a profound conviction of sin1 such a sense of responsibility even for sins of ignorance1 as in some of the earliest ,psalms1 and the earlier prophets4 ,the self-excusing which so often marks the heathen confessions1 finds no place in the confessions of those ,old ,testament believers1 brought up under the moral training of that ,sinaitic law which had the sin-offering as its supreme expression on this subject4 ,search me1 ,o ,god1 and try my heart2 and see if there be in me any wicked way 7,psalm cxxxix4 #bc1 #bd72 ,cleanse ,thou me from secret sins 7,psalm xix4 #ab72 ,against ,thee only have ,i sinned1 and done this evil in ,thy sight 7,psalm li4 #d74 ,such words as these1 with many other like prayers and confessions1 bear witness to the deepening sense of sin1 till at the last the sin-offering teaches1 as its own chief lesson1 its own inadequacy for the removal of guilt1 in those words of the prophetic ,psalm1 7xl4 #f7 from the man who mourned iniquities more than the hairs of his head3 ,sin-offering ,thou hast not required4 ,but1 according to the epistle to the ,hebrews1 we are to regard ,david in these words1 speaking by the ,holy ,ghost1 as typifying ,christ2 for we thus read1 x4 #e-aj3 ,when ,he cometh into the world ,he saith1 ,sacrifice and offering ,thou wouldest not1 but a body didst ,thou prepare for ,me2 in whole burnt-offerings and sin-offerings ,thou hadst no pleasure4 ,then said ,i1 ,lo1 ,i am come 7in the roll of the book it is written of ,me7 to do ,thy will1 ,o ,god4 ,which words are then expounded thus3 ,saying above1 ,sacrifices and offerings1 and whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin ,thou wouldest not1 neither hadst pleasure therein 7the which are offered according to the law72 then hath ,he said1 ,lo1 ,i am come to do ,thy will4 ,he taketh away the first that ,he may establish the second4 ,by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of ,jesus ,christ once for all4 ,and so1 as the deepest lesson of the sin-offering1 we are taught to see in it a type and prophecy of ,christ1 as the true and one eternally effectual sin-offering for the sins of ,his people2 who1 ,himself at once ,high ,priest and ,victim1 offering ,himself for us1 perfects us for ever1 as the old sin-offering could not1 giving us therefore boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of ,jesus4 ,may we all have grace by faith to receive and learn this deepest lesson of this ordinance1 and thus in the law of the sin-offering discover ,him who in ,his person and work became the ,fulfiller of this law4 ,,graded ,,responsibility4 iv4 #c1 #ac1 #ad1 #bb1 #bc1 #bg1 #bh4 ,if the anointed priest shall sin so as to bring guilt on the people2 then let him offer for his sin1 which he hath sinned1 a young bullock without blemish unto the ,lord for a sin-offering4444 ,and if the whole congregation of ,israel shall err1 and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly1 and they have done any of the things which the ,lord hath commanded not to be done1 and are guilty2 when the sin wherein they have sinned is known1 then the assembly shall offer a young bullock for a sin-offering1 and bring it before the tent of meeting4444 ,when a ruler sinneth1 and doeth unwittingly any one of all the things which the ,lord his ,god hath commanded not to be done1 and is guilty2 if his sin1 wherein he hath sinned1 be made known to him1 he shall bring for his oblation a goat1 a male without blemish4444 ,and if any one of the common people sin unwittingly1 in doing any of the things which the ,lord hath commanded not to be done1 and be guilty2 if his sin1 which he hath sinned1 be made known to him1 then he shall bring for his oblation a goat1 a female without blemish1 for his sin which he hath sinned4 ,the law concerning the sin-offering is given in four sections1 of which the last1 again1 is divided into two parts1 separated by the division of the chapter4 ,these four sections respectively treat of--first1 the law of the sin-offering for the anointed priest 7vv4 #c-ab72 secondly1 the law for the offering for the whole congregation 7vv4 #ac-ba72 thirdly1 that for a ruler 7vv4 #bb-bf72 and lastly1 the law for an offering made by a private person1 one of the common people 7iv4 #bg-v4 #af74 ,in this last section we have1 first1 the general law 7iv4 #bg-ce71 and then are added 7v4 #a-af7 special prescriptions having reference to various circumstances under which a sin-offering should be offered by one of the people4 ,under this last head are mentioned first1 as requiring a sin-offering1 in addition to sins of ignorance or inadvertence1 which only were mentioned in the preceding chapter1 also sins due to rashness or weakness 7vv4 #a-d72 and then are appointed1 in the second place1 certain variations in the material of the offering1 allowed out of regard to the various ability of different offerers 7vv4 #e-af74 ,in the law as given in chap4 iv41 it is to be observed that the selection of the victim prescribed is determined by the position of the persons who might have occasion to present the offering4 ,for the whole congregation1 the victim must be a bullock1 the most valuable of all2 for the high priest1 as the highest religious official of the nation1 and appointed also to represent them before ,god1 it must also be a bullock4 ,for the civil ruler1 the offering must be a he-goat--an offering of a value less than that of the victim ordered for the high priest1 but greater than that of those which were prescribed for the common people4 ,for these1 a variety of offerings were appointed1 according to their several ability4 ,if possible1 it must be a female goat or lamb1 or1 if the worshipper could not bring that1 then two turtle doves1 or two young pigeons4 ,if too poor to bring even this small offering1 then it was appointed that1 as a substitute for the bloody offering1 he might bring an offering of fine flour1 without oil or frankincense1 to be burnt upon the altar4 ,evidently1 then1 the choice of the victim was determined by two considerations3 first1 the rank of the person who sinned1 and1 secondly1 his ability4 ,as regards the former point1 the law as to the victim for the sin-offering was this3 the higher the theocratic rank of the sinning person might be1 the more costly offering he must bring4 ,no one can well miss of perceiving the meaning of this4 ,the guilt of any sin in ,god's sight is proportioned to the rank and station of the offender4 ,what truth could be of more practical and personal concern to all than this8 ,in applying this principle1 the law of the sin-offering teaches1 first1 that the guilt of any sin is the heaviest1 when it is committed by one who is placed in a position of religious authority4 ,for this graded law is headed by the case of the sin of the anointed priest1 that is1 the high priest1 the highest functionary in the nation4 ,we read 7ver4 #c73 ,if the anointed priest shall sin so as to bring guilt on the people1 then let him offer for his sin which he hath committed1 a young bullock without blemish1 unto the ,lord1 for a sin-offering4 ,that is1 the high priest1 although a single individual1 if he sin1 must bring as large and valuable an offering as is required from the whole congregation4 ,for this law there are two evident reasons4 ,the first is found in the fact that in ,israel the high priest represented before ,god the entire nation4 ,when he sinned it was as if the whole nation sinned in him4 ,so it is said that by his sin he brings guilt on the people--a very weighty matter4 ,and this suggests a second reason for the costly offering that was required from him4 ,the consequences of the sin of one in such a high position of religious authority must1 in the nature of the case1 be much more serious and far-reaching than in the case of any other person4 ,and here we have another lesson as pertinent to our time as to those days4 ,as the high priest1 so1 in modern time1 the bishop1 minister1 or elder1 is ordained as an officer in matters of religion1 to act for and with men in the things of ,god4 ,for the proper administration of this high trust1 how indispensable that such a one shall take heed to maintain unbroken fellowship with ,god6 ,any shortcoming here is sure to impair by so much the spiritual value of his own ministrations for the people to whom he ministers4 ,and this evil consequence of any unfaithfulness of his is the more certain to follow1 because1 of all the members of the community1 his example has the widest and most effective influence2 in whatever that example be bad or defective1 it is sure to do mischief in exact proportion to his exalted station4 ,if then such a one sin1 the case is very grave1 and his guilt proportionately heavy4 ,this very momentous fact is brought before us in an impressive way in the ,new ,testament1 where1 in the epistles to the ,seven ,churches of ,asia 7,rev4 ii41 iii471 it is the angel of the church1 the presiding officer of the church in each city1 who is held responsible for the spiritual state of those committed to his charge4 ,no wonder that the ,apostle ,james wrote 7,james iii4 #a73 ,be not many teachers1 my brethren1 knowing that we shall receive heavier judgment4 ,well may every true-hearted minister of ,christ's ,church tremble1 as here in the law of the sin-offering he reads how the sin of the officer of religion may bring guilt1 not only on himself1 but also on the whole people6 ,well may he cry out with the ,apostle ,paul 7#b ,cor4 ii4 #af73 ,who is sufficient for these things8 and1 like him1 beseech those to whom he ministers1 ,brethren1 pray for us6 ,with the sin of the high priest is ranked that of the congregation1 or the collective nation4 ,it is written 7vv4 #ac1 #ad73 ,if the whole congregation of ,israel shall err1 and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly1 and they have done any one of the things which the ,lord hath commanded not to be done1 and are guilty1 then the assembly shall offer a young bullock for a sin-offering4 ,thus ,israel was taught by this law1 as we are1 that responsibility attaches not only to each individual person1 but also to associations of individuals in their corporate character1 as nations1 communities1 and--we may add--all ,societies and ,corporations1 whether secular or religious4 ,let us emphasise it to our own consciences1 as another of the fundamental lessons of this law3 there is individual sin2 there is also such a thing as a sin by the whole congregation4 ,in other words1 ,god holds nations1 communities--in a word1 all associations and combinations of men for whatever purpose1 no less under obligation in their corporate capacity to keep ,his law than as individuals1 and will count them guilty if they break it1 even through ignorance4 ,never has a generation needed this reminder more than our own4 ,the political and social principles which1 since the ,french ,revolution in the end of the last century1 have been1 year by year1 more and more generally accepted among the nations of ,christendom1 are everywhere tending to the avowed or practical denial of this most important truth4 ,it is a maxim ever more and more extensively accepted as almost axiomatic in our modern democratic communities1 that religion is wholly a concern of the individual2 and that a nation or community1 as such1 should make no distinction between various religions as false or true1 but maintain an absolute neutrality1 even between ,christianity and idolatry1 or theism and atheism4 ,it should take little thought to see that this modern maxim stands in direct opposition to the principle assumed in this law of the sin-offering2 namely1 that a community or nation is as truly and directly responsible to ,god as the individual in the nation4 ,but this corporate responsibility the spirit of the age squarely denies4 ,not that all1 indeed1 in our modern so-called ,christian nations have come to this4 ,but no one will deny that this is the mind of the vanguard of nineteenth century liberalism in religion and politics4 ,many of our political leaders in all lands make no secret of their views on the subject4 ,a purely secular state is everywhere held up1 and that with great plausibility and persuasiveness1 as the ideal of political government2 the goal to the attainment of which all good citizens should unite their efforts4 ,and1 indeed1 in some parts of ,christendom the complete attainment of this evil ideal seems not far away4 ,it is not strange1 indeed1 to see atheists1 agnostics1 and others who deny the ,christian faith1 maintaining this position2 but when we hear men who call themselves ,christians--in many cases1 even ,christian ministers--advocating1 in one form or another1 governmental neutrality in religion as the only right basis of government1 one may well be amazed4 ,for ,christians are supposed to accept the ,holy ,scriptures as the law of faith and of morals1 private and public2 and where in all the ,scripture will any one find such an attitude of any nation or people mentioned1 but to be condemned and threatened with the judgment of ,god8 ,will any one venture to say that this teaching of the law of the sin-offering was only intended1 like the offering itself1 for the old ,hebrews8 ,is it not rather the constant and most emphatic teaching of the whole ,scriptures1 that ,god dealt with all the ancient ,gentile nations on the same principle8 ,the history which records the overthrow of those old nations and empires does so1 even professedly1 for the express purpose of calling the attention of men in all ages to this principle1 that ,god deals with all nations as under obligation to recognise ,himself as ,king of nations1 and submit in all things to ,his authority4 ,so it was in the case of ,moab1 of ,ammon1 of ,nineveh1 and ,babylon2 in regard to each of which we are told1 in so many words1 that it was because they refused to recognise this principle of national responsibility to the one true ,god1 which was brought before ,israel in this part of the law of the sin-offering1 that the ,divine judgment came upon them in their utter national overthrow4 ,how awfully plain1 again1 is the language of the second ,psalm on this same subject1 where it is precisely this national repudiation of the supreme authority of ,god and of ,his ,christ1 so increasingly common in our day1 which is named as the ground of the derisive judgment of ,god1 and is made the occasion of exhorting all nations1 not merely to belief in ,god1 but also to the obedient recognition of ,his only-begotten ,son1 the ,messiah1 as the only possible means of escaping the future kindling of ,his wrath4 ,no graver sign of our times could perhaps be named than just this universal tendency in ,christendom1 in one way or another1 to repudiate that corporate responsibility to ,god which is assumed as the basis of this part of the law of the sin-offering4 ,there can be no worse omen for the future of an individual than the denial of his obligations to ,god and to ,his ,son1 our ,saviour2 and there can be no worse sign for the future of ,christendom1 or of any nation in ,christendom1 than the partial or entire denial of national obligation to ,god and to ,his ,christ4 ,what it shall mean in the end1 what is the future toward which these popular modern principles are conducting the nations1 is revealed in ,scripture with startling clearness1 in the warning that the world is yet to see one who shall be in a peculiar and eminent sense the ,antichrist 7#a ,john ii4 #ah72 who shall deny both the ,father and ,son1 and be the ,lawless ,one1 and the ,man of ,sin1 in that ,he shall set ,himself forth as ,god 7#b ,thess4 ii4 #c-h72 to whom authority will be given over every tribe1 and people1 and tongue1 and nation 7,rev4 xiii4 #g74 ,the nation1 then1 as such1 is held responsible to ,god6 ,so stands the law4 ,and1 therefore1 in ,israel1 if the nation should sin1 it was ordained that they also1 like the high priest1 should bring a bullock for a sin-offering1 the most costly victim that was ever prescribed4 ,this was so ordained1 no doubt1 in part because of ,israel's own priestly station as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation1 exalted to a position of peculiar dignity and privilege before ,god1 that they might mediate the blessings of redemption to all nations4 ,it was because of this fact that1 if they sinned1 their guilt was peculiarly heavy4 ,the principle1 however1 is of present-day application4 ,privilege is the measure of responsibility1 no less now than then1 for nations as well as for individuals4 ,thus national sin1 on the part of the ,british or ,american nation1 or indeed with any of the so-called ,christian nations1 is certainly judged by ,god to be a much more evil thing than the same sin if committed1 for example1 by the ,chinese or ,turkish nation1 who have had no such degree of ,gospel light and knowledge4 ,and the law in this case evidently also implies that sin is aggravated in proportion to its universality4 ,it is bad1 for example1 if in a community one man commit adultery1 forsaking his own wife2 but it argues a condition of things far worse when the violation of the marriage relation becomes common2 when the question can actually be held open for discussion whether marriage1 as a permanent union between one man and one woman1 be not a failure1 as debated not long ago in a leading ,london paper2 and when1 as in many of the ,united ,states of ,america and other countries of modern ,christendom1 laws are enacted for the express purpose of legalising the violation of ,christ's law of marriage1 and thus shielding adulterers and adulteresses from the condign punishment their crime deserves4 ,it is bad1 again1 when individuals in a ,state teach doctrines subversive of morality2 but it evidently argues a far deeper depravation of morals when a whole community unite in accepting1 endowing1 and upholding such in their work4 ,next in order comes the case of the civil ruler4 ,for him it was ordered3 ,when a ruler sinneth1 and doeth unwittingly any of the things which the ,lord his ,god hath commanded not to be done1 and is guilty2 if his sin1 wherein he hath sinned1 be made known to him1 he shall bring for his oblation a goat1 a male without blemish 7ver4 #bb74 ,thus1 the ruler was to bring a victim of less value than the high-priest or the collective congregation2 but it must still be of more value than that of a private person2 for his responsibility1 if less than that of the officer of religion1 is distinctly greater than that of a man in private life4 ,and here is a lesson for modern politicians1 no less than for rulers of the olden time in ,israel4 ,while there are many in our ,parliaments and like governing bodies in ,christendom who cast their every vote with the fear of ,god before their eyes1 yet1 if there be any truth in the general opinion of men upon this subject1 there are many in such places who1 in their voting1 have before their eyes the fear of party more than the fear of ,god2 and who1 when a question comes before them1 first of all consider1 not what would the law of absolute righteousness1 the law of ,god1 require1 but how will a vote1 one way or the other1 in this matter1 be likely to affect their party8 ,such certainly need to be emphatically reminded of this part of the law of the sin-offering1 which held the civil ruler specially responsible to ,god for the execution of his trust4 ,for so it is still2 ,god has not abdicated ,his throne in favour of the people1 nor will ,he waive ,his crown-rights out of deference to the political necessities of a party4 ,nor is it only those who sin in this particular way who need the reminder of their personal responsibility to ,god4 ,all need it who either are or may be called to places of greater or less governmental responsibility2 and it is those who are the most worthy of such trust who will be the first to acknowledge their need of this warning4 ,for in all times those who have been lifted to positions of political power have been under peculiar temptation to forget ,god1 and become reckless of their obligation to ,him as ,his ministers4 ,but under the conditions of modern life1 in many countries of ,christendom1 this is true as perhaps never before4 ,for now it has come to pass that1 in most modern communities1 those who make and execute laws hold their tenure of office at the pleasure of a motley army of voters1 ,protestants and ,romanists1 ,jews1 atheists1 and what not1 a large part of whom care not the least for the will of ,god in civil government1 as revealed in ,holy ,scripture4 ,under such conditions1 the place of the civil ruler becomes one of such special trial and temptation that we do well to remember in our intercessions1 with peculiar sympathy1 all who in such positions are seeking to serve supremely1 not their party1 but their ,god1 and so best serve their country4 ,it is no wonder that the temptation too often to many becomes overpowering1 to silence conscience with plausible sophistries1 and to use their office to carry out in legislation1 instead of the will of ,god1 the will of the people1 or rather1 of that particular party which put them in power4 ,yet the great principle affirmed in this law of the sin-offering stands1 and will stand for ever1 and to it all will do well to take heed2 namely1 that ,god will hold the civil ruler responsible1 and more heavily responsible than any private person1 for any sin he may commit1 and especially for any violation of law in any matter committed to his trust4 ,and there is abundant reason for this4 ,for the powers that be are ordained of ,god1 and in ,his providence are placed in authority2 not as the modern notion is1 for the purpose of executing the will of their constituents1 whatever that will may be1 but rather the unchangeable will of the ,most ,holy ,god1 the ,ruler of all nations1 so far as revealed1 concerning the civil and social relations of men4 ,nor must it be forgotten that this eminent responsibility attaches to them1 not only in their official acts1 but in all their acts as individuals4 ,no distinction is made as to the sin for which the ruler must bring his sin-offering1 whether public and official1 or private and personal4 ,of whatsoever kind the sin may be1 if committed by a ruler1 ,god holds him specially responsible1 as being a ruler2 and reckons the guilt of that sin1 even if a private offence1 to be heavier than if it had been committed by one of the common people4 ,and this1 for the evident reason that1 as in the case of the high priest1 his exalted position gives his example double influence and effect4 ,thus1 in all ages and all lands1 a corrupt king or nobility have made a corrupt court2 and a corrupt court or corrupt legislators are sure to demoralise all the lower ranks of society4 ,but however it may be under the governments of men1 under the equitable government of the ,most ,holy ,god1 high station can give no immunity to sin4 ,and in the day to come1 when the ,great ,assize is set1 there will be many who in this world stood high in authority1 who will learn1 in the tremendous decisions of that day1 if not before1 that a just ,god reckoned the guilt of their sins and crimes in exact proportion to their rank and station4 ,last of all1 in this chapter1 comes the law of the sin-offering for one of the common people1 of which the first part is given vv4 #bg-ce4 ,the victim which is appointed for those who are best able to give1 a female goat1 is yet of less value than those ordered in the cases before given2 for the responsibility and guilt in the case of such is less4 ,the first prescription for a sin-offering by one of the common people1 is introduced by these words3--,if any one of the common people sin unwittingly1 in doing any of the things which the ,lord hath commanded not to be done1 and be guilty2 if his sin1 which he hath sinned1 be made known to him1 then he shall bring for his oblation a goat1 a female without blemish1 for his sin which he hath sinned 7vv4 #bg1 #bh74 ,in case of his inability to bring so much as this1 offerings of lesser value are authorised in the section following 7v4 #e-ac71 to which we shall attend hereafter4 ,meanwhile it is suggestive to observe that this part of the law is expanded more fully than any other part of the law of the sin-offering4 ,we are hereby reminded that if none are so high as to be above the reach of the judgment of ,god1 but are held in that proportion strictly responsible for their sin2 so1 on the other hand1 none are of station so low that their sins shall therefore be overlooked4 ,the common people1 in all lands1 are the great majority of the population2 but no one is to imagine that1 because he is a single individual1 of no importance in a multitude1 he shall therefore1 if he sin1 escape the ,divine eye1 as it were1 in a crowd4 ,not so4 ,we may be of the very lowest social station2 the provision in chapter v4 #aa regards the case of such as might be so poor as that they could not even buy two doves4 ,men may judge the doings of such poor folk of little or no consequence2 but not so ,god4 ,with ,him is no respect of persons1 either of rich or poor4 ,from all alike1 from the anointed high priest1 who ministers in the ,holy of ,holies1 down to the common people1 and among these1 again1 from the highest down to the very lowest1 poorest1 and meanest in rank1 is demanded1 even for a sin of ignorance1 a sin-offering for atonement4 ,what a solemn lesson we have herein concerning the character of ,god6 ,his omniscience1 which not only notes the sin of those who are in some conspicuous position1 but also each individual sin of the lowest of the people6 ,his absolute equity1 exactly and accurately grading responsibility for sin committed1 in each case1 according to the rank and influence of him who commits it6 ,his infinite holiness1 which cannot pass by without expiation even the transient act or word of rash hands or lips1 not even the sin not known as sin by the sinner2 a holiness which1 in a word1 unchangeably and unalterably requires1 from every human being1 nothing less than absolute moral perfection like ,his own6 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,the ,,ritual ,,of ,,the ,,sin-,,offering4 ,,lev4 iv4 #d-ce2 v4 #a-ac2 vi4 #bd-cj4 ,according to the ,authorised ,version 7v4 #f1 #g71 it might seem that the section1 v4 #a-ac1 referred not to the sin-offering1 but to the guilt-offering1 like the latter part of the chapter2 but1 as suggested in the margin of the ,revised ,version1 in these verses we may properly read1 instead of guilt-offering1 for his guilt4 ,that the latter rendering is to be preferred is clear when we observe that in vv4 #f1 #g1 #i this offering is called a sin-offering2 that1 everywhere else1 the victim for the guilt-offering is a ram2 and1 finally1 that the estimation of a money value for the victim1 which is the most characteristic feature of the guilt-offering1 is absent from all the offerings described in these verses4 ,we may safely take it therefore as certain that the marginal reading should be adopted in ver4 #f1 so that it will read1 he shall bring for his guilt unto the ,lord2 and understand the section to contain a further development of the law of the sin-offering4 ,in the law of the preceding chapter we have the direction for the sin-offering as graded with reference to the rank and station of the offerer2 in this section we have the law for the sin-offering for the common people1 as graded with reference to the ability of the offerer4 ,the specifications 7v4 #a-e7 indicate several cases under which one of the common people was required to bring a sin-offering as the condition of forgiveness4 ,as an exhaustive list would be impossible1 those named are taken as illustrations4 ,the instances selected are significant as extending the class of offences for which atonement could be made by a sin-offering1 beyond the limits of sins of inadvertence as given in the previous chapter4 ,for however some cases come under this head1 we cannot so reckon sins of rashness 7ver4 #d71 and still less1 the failure of the witness placed under oath to tell the whole truth as he knows it4 ,and herein it is graciously intimated that it is in the heart of ,god to multiply ,his pardons2 and1 on condition of the presentation of a sin-offering1 to forgive also those sins in palliation of which no such excuse as inadvertence or ignorance can be pleaded4 ,it is a faint foreshadowing1 in the law concerning the type1 of that which should afterward be declared concerning the great ,antitype 7#a ,john i4 #g71 ,the blood of ,jesus 444 cleanseth from all sin4 ,when we look now at the various prescriptions regarding the ritual of the offering which are given in this and the foregoing chapter1 it is plain that the numerous variations from the ritual of the other sacrifices were intended to withdraw the thought of the sinner from all other aspects in which sacrifice might be regarded1 and centre his mind upon the one thought of sacrifice as expiating sin1 through the substitution of an innocent life for the guilty4 ,in many particulars1 indeed1 the ritual agrees with that of the sacrifices before prescribed4 ,the victim must be brought by the guilty person to be offered to ,god by the priest2 he must1 as in other cases of bloody offerings1 then lay his hand on the head of the victim1 and then 7a particular not mentioned in the other cases7 he must confess the sin which he has committed1 and then and thus entrust the victim to the priest1 that he may apply its blood for him in atonement before ,god4 ,the priest then slays the victim1 and now comes that part of the ceremonial which by its variations from the law of other offerings is emphasised as the most central and significant in this sacrifice4 ,,the ,,sprinkling ,,of ,,the ,,blood4 iv4 #f1 #g1 #af-ah1 #be1 #cj2 v4 #i4 ,and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood1 and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the ,lord1 before the veil of the sanctuary4 ,and the priest shall put of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the ,lord1 which is in the tent of meeting2 and all the blood of the bullock shall he pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering1 which is at the door of the tent of meeting4444 ,and the anointed priest shall bring of the blood of the bullock to the tent of meeting3 and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood1 and sprinkle it seven times before the ,lord1 before the veil4 ,and he shall put of the blood upon the horns of the altar which is before the ,lord1 that is in the tent of meeting1 and all the blood shall he pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering1 which is at the door of the tent of meeting4444 ,and the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger1 and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering1 and the blood thereof shall he pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering4444 ,and the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger1 and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering1 and all the blood thereof shall he pour out at the base of the altar4444 ,and he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin offering upon the side of the altar2 and the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar3 it is a sin offering4 ,in the case of the burnt-offering and of the peace-offering1 in which the idea of expiation1 although not absent1 yet occupied a secondary place in their ethical intent1 it sufficed that the blood of the victim1 by whomsoever brought1 be applied to the sides of the altar4 ,but in the sin-offering1 the blood must not only be sprinkled on the sides of the altar of burnt-offering1 but1 even in the case of the common people1 be applied to the horns of the altar1 its most conspicuous and1 in a sense1 most sacred part4 ,in the case of a sin committed by the whole congregation1 even this is not enough2 the blood must be brought even into the ,holy ,place1 be applied to the horns of the altar of incense1 and be sprinkled seven times before the ,lord before the veil which hung immediately before the mercy seat in the ,holy of ,holies1 the place of the ,shekinah glory4 ,and in the great sin-offering of the high priest once a year for the sins of all the people1 yet more was required4 ,the blood was to be taken even within the veil1 and be sprinkled on the mercy seat itself over the tables of the broken law4 ,these several cases1 according to the symbolism of these several parts of the tabernacle differ1 in that atoning blood is brought ever more and more nearly into the immediate presence of ,god4 ,the horns of the altar had a sacredness above the sides2 the altar of the ,holy ,place before the veil1 a sanctity beyond that of the altar in the outer court2 while the ,most ,holy ,place1 where stood the ark1 and the mercy-seat1 was the very place of the most immediate and visible manifestation of ,jehovah1 who is often described in ,holy ,scripture1 with reference to the ark1 the mercy-seat1 and the overhanging cherubim1 as the ,god who dwelleth between the cherubim4 ,from this we may easily understand the significance of the different prescriptions as to the blood in the case of different classes4 ,a sin committed by any private individual or by a ruler1 was that of one who had access only to the outer court1 where stood the altar of burnt-offering2 for this reason1 it is there that the blood must be exhibited1 and that on the most sacred and conspicuous spot in that court1 the horns of the altar where ,god meets with the people4 ,but when it was the anointed priest that had sinned1 the case was different4 ,in that he had a peculiar position of nearer access to ,god than others1 as appointed of ,god to minister before ,him in the ,holy ,place1 his sin is regarded as having defiled the ,holy ,place itself2 and in that ,holy ,place must ,jehovah therefore see atoning blood ere the priest's position before ,god can be re-established4 ,and the same principle required that also in the ,holy ,place must the blood be presented for the sin of the whole congregation4 ,for ,israel in its corporate unity was a kingdom of priests1 a priestly nation2 and the priest in the ,holy ,place represented the nation in that capacity4 ,thus because of this priestly office of the nation1 their collective sin was regarded as defiling the ,holy ,place in which1 through their representatives1 the priests1 they ideally ministered4 ,hence1 as the law for the priests1 so is the law for the nation4 ,for their corporate sin the blood must be applied1 as in the case of the priest who represented them1 to the horns of the altar in the ,holy ,place1 whence ascended the smoke of the incense which visibly symbolised accepted priestly intercession1 and1 more than this1 before the veil itself2 in other words1 as near to the very mercy-seat itself as it was permitted to the priest to go2 and it must be sprinkled there1 not once1 nor twice1 but seven times1 in token of the re-establishment1 through the atoning blood1 of ,god's covenant of mercy1 of which1 throughout the ,scripture1 the number seven1 the number of sabbatic rest and covenant fellowship with ,god1 is the constant symbol4 ,and it is not far to seek for the spiritual thought which underlies this part of the ritual4 ,for the tabernacle was represented as the earthly dwelling-place1 in a sense1 of ,god2 and just as the defiling of the house of my fellow-man may be regarded as an insult to him who dwells in the house1 so the sin of the priest and of the priestly people is regarded as1 more than that of those outside of this relation1 a special affront to the holy majesty of ,jehovah1 criminal just in proportion as the defilement approaches more nearly the innermost shrine of ,jehovah's manifestation4 ,but though ,israel is at present suspended from its priestly position and function among the nations of the earth1 the ,apostle ,peter 7#a ,peter ii4 #e7 reminds us that the body of ,christian believers now occupies ,israel's ancient place1 being now on earth the royal priesthood1 the holy nation4 ,hence this ritual solemnly reminds us that the sin of a ,christian is a far more evil thing than the sin of others2 it is as the sin of the priest1 and defiles the ,holy ,place1 even though unwillingly committed1 and thus1 even more imperatively than other sin1 demands the exhibition of the atoning blood of the ,lamb of ,god1 not now in the ,holy ,place1 but more than that1 in the true ,holiest of all1 where our ,high ,priest is now entered4 ,and thus1 in every possible way1 with this elaborate ceremonial of sprinkling of blood does the sin-offering emphasise to our own consciences1 no less than for ancient ,israel1 the solemn fact affirmed in the ,epistle to the ,hebrews 7ix4 #bb71 ,without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin4 ,because of this1 we do well to meditate much and deeply on this symbolism of the sin-offering1 which1 more than any other in the law1 has to do with the propitiation of our ,lord for sin4 ,especially does this use of the blood1 in which the significance of the sin-offering reached its supreme expression1 claim our most reverent attention4 ,for the thought is inseparable from the ritual1 that the blood of the slain victim must be presented1 not before the priest1 or before the offerer1 but before ,jehovah4 ,can any one mistake the evident significance of this8 ,does it not luminously hold forth the thought that atonement by sacrifice has to do1 not only with man1 but with ,god8 ,there is cause enough in our day for insisting on this4 ,many are teaching that the need for the shedding of blood for the remission of sin1 lies only in the nature of man2 that1 so far as concerns ,god1 sin might as well have been pardoned without it2 that it is only because man is so hard and rebellious1 so stubbornly distrusts the ,divine love1 that the death of the ,holy ,victim of ,calvary became a necessity4 ,nothing less than such a stupendous exhibition of the love of ,god could suffice to disarm his enmity to ,god and win him back to loving trust4 ,hence the need of the atonement4 ,that all this is true1 no one will deny2 but it is only half the truth1 and the less momentous half1--which indeed is hinted in no offering1 and in the sin-offering least of all4 ,such a conception of the matter as completely fails to account for this part of the symbolic ritual of the bloody sacrifices1 as it fails to agree with other teachings of the ,scriptures4 ,if the only need for atonement in order to pardon is in the nature of the sinner1 then why this constant insistence that the blood of the sacrifice should always be solemnly presented1 not before the sinner1 but before ,jehovah8 ,we see in this fact most unmistakably set forth1 the very solemn truth that expiation by blood as a condition of forgiveness of sin is necessary1 not merely because man is what he is1 but most of all because ,god is what ,he is4 ,let us then not forget that the presentation unto ,god of an expiation for sin1 accomplished by the death of an appointed substitutionary victim1 was in ,israel made an indispensable condition of the pardon of sin4 ,is this1 as many urge1 against the love of ,god8 ,by no means6 ,least of all will it so appear1 when we remember who appointed the great ,sacrifice1 and1 above all1 who came to fulfil this type4 ,god does not love us because atonement has been made1 but atonement has been made because the ,father loved us1 and sent ,his ,son to be the propitiation for our sins4 ,god is none the less just1 that ,he is love2 and none the less holy1 that ,he is merciful2 and in ,his nature1 as the ,most ,just and ,holy ,one1 lies this necessity of the shedding of blood in order to the forgiveness of sin1 which is impressively symbolised in the unvarying ordinance of the ,levitical law1 that as a condition of the remission of sin1 the blood of the sacrifice must be presented1 not before the sinner1 but before ,jehovah4 ,to this generation of ours1 with its so exalted notions of the greatness and dignity of man1 and its correspondingly low conceptions of the ineffable greatness and majesty of the ,most ,holy ,god1 this altar truth may be most distasteful1 so greatly does it magnify the evil of sin2 but just in that degree is it necessary to the humiliation of man's proud self-complacency1 that1 whether pleasing or not1 this truth be faithfully held forth4 ,very instructive and helpful to our faith are the allusions to this sprinkling of blood in the ,new ,testament4 ,thus1 in the ,epistle to the ,hebrews 7xii4 #bd71 believers are reminded that they are come unto the blood of sprinkling1 that speaketh better than that of ,abel4 ,the meaning is plain4 ,for we are told 7,gen4 iv4 #aj71 that the blood of ,abel cried out against ,cain from the ground2 and that its cry for vengeance was prevailing2 for ,god came down1 arraigned the murderer1 and visited him with instant judgment4 ,but in these words we are told that the sprinkled blood of the holy ,victim of ,calvary1 sprinkled on the heavenly altar1 also has a voice1 and a voice which speaketh better than that of ,abel2 better1 in that it speaks1 not for vengeance1 but for pardoning mercy2 better1 in that it procures the remission even of a penitent murderer's guilt2 so that1 being now justified through ,his blood we may all be saved from wrath through ,him 7,rom4 v4 #i74 ,and1 if we are truly ,christ's1 it is our blessed comfort to remember also that we are said 7#a ,peter i4 #b7 to have been chosen of ,god unto the sprinkling of this precious blood of ,jesus ,christ2 words which remind us1 not only that the blood of a ,lamb without blemish and without spot has been presented unto ,god for us1 but also that the reason for this distinguishing mercy is found1 not in us1 but in the free love of ,god1 who chose us in ,christ ,jesus to this grace4 ,and as in the burnt-offering1 so in the sin-offering1 the blood was to be sprinkled by the priest4 ,the teaching is the same in both cases4 ,to present ,christ before ,god1 laying the hand of faith upon ,his head as our sin-offering1 this is all we can do or are required to do4 ,with the sprinkling of the blood we have nothing to do4 ,in other words1 the effective presentation of the blood before ,god is not to be secured by some act of our own2 it is not something to be procured through some subjective experience1 other or in addition to the faith which brings the ,victim4 ,as in the type1 so in the ,antitype1 the sprinkling of the atoning blood--that is1 its application ,god-ward as a propitiation--is the work of our heavenly ,priest4 ,and our part in regard to it is simply and only this1 that we entrust this work to ,him4 ,he will not disappoint us2 ,he is appointed of ,god to this end1 and ,he will see that it is done4 ,in a sacrifice in which the sprinkling of the blood occupies such a central and essential place in the symbolism1 one would anticipate that this ceremony would never be dispensed with4 ,very strange it thus appears1 at first sight1 to find that to this law an exception was made4 ,for it was ordained 7ver4 #aa7 that a man so poor that his means suffice not to bring even two doves or young pigeons1 might bring1 as a substitute1 an offering of fine flour4 ,from this1 some have hastened to infer that the shedding of the blood1 and therewith the idea of substituted life1 was not essential to the idea of reconciliation with ,god2 but with little reason4 ,most illogical and unreasonable it is to determine a principle1 not from the general rule1 but from an exception2 especially when1 as in this case1 for the exception a reason can be shown1 which is not inconsistent with the rule4 ,for had no such exceptional offering been permitted in the case of the extremely poor man1 it would have followed that there would have remained a class of persons in ,israel whom ,god had excluded from the provision of the sin-offering1 which ,he had made the inseparable condition of forgiveness4 ,but two truths were to be set forth in the ritual2 the one1 atonement by means of a life surrendered in expiation of guilt2 the other1--as in a similar way in the burnt-offering1--the sufficiency of ,god's gracious provision for even the neediest of sinners4 ,evidently1 here was a case in which something must be sacrificed in the symbolism4 ,one of these truths may be perfectly set forth2 both cannot be1 with equal perfectness2 a choice must therefore be made1 and is made in this exceptional regulation1 so as to hold up clearly1 even though at the expense of some distinctness in the other thought of expiation1 the unlimited sufficiency of ,god's provision of forgiving grace4 ,and yet the prescriptions in this form of the offering were such as to prevent any one from confounding it with the meal-offering1 which typified consecrated and accepted service4 ,the oil and the frankincense which belonged to the latter1 are to be left out 7ver4 #aa72 incense1 which typifies accepted prayer1--thus reminding us of the unanswered prayer of the ,holy ,victim when ,he cried upon the cross1 ,my ,god6 ,my ,god6 why hast ,thou forsaken ,me8 and oil1 which typifies the ,holy ,ghost1--reminding us1 again1 how from the soul of the ,son of ,god was mysteriously withdrawn in that same hour all the conscious presence and comfort of the ,holy ,spirit1 which withdrawment alone could have wrung from ,his lips that unanswered prayer4 ,and1 again1 whereas the meal for the meal-offering had no limit fixed as to quantity1 in this case the amount is prescribed--the tenth part of an ephah 7ver4 #aa72 an amount which1 from the story of the manna1 appears to have represented the sustenance of one full day4 ,thus it was ordained that if1 in the nature of the case1 this sin-offering could not set forth the sacrifice of life by means of the shedding of blood1 it should at least point in the same direction1 by requiring that1 so to speak1 the support of life for one day shall be given up1 as forfeited by sin4 ,all the other parts of the ceremonial are in this ordinance made to take a secondary place1 or are omitted altogether4 ,not all of the offering is burnt upon the altar1 but only a part2 that part1 however1 the fat1 the choicest2 for the same reason as in the peace-offering4 ,there is1 indeed1 a peculiar variation in the case of the offering of the two young pigeons1 in that1 of the one1 the blood only was used in the sacrifice1 while the other was wholly burnt like a burnt-offering4 ,but for this variation the reason is evident enough in the nature of the victims4 ,for in the case of a small creature like a bird1 the fat would be so insignificant in quantity1 and so difficult to separate with thoroughness from the flesh1 that the ordinance must needs be varied1 and a second bird be taken for the burning1 as a substitute for the separated fat of larger animals4 ,the symbolism is not essentially affected by the variation4 ,what the burning of the fat means in other offerings1 that also means the burning of the second bird in this case4 ,,the ,,eating ,,and ,,the ,,burning ,,of ,,the ,,sin-,,offering ,,without ,,the ,,camp4 iv4 #h-ab1 #ai-ba1 #bf1 #ca2 v4 #aj1 #ab4 ,and all the fat of the bullock of the sin offering he shall take off from it2 the fat that covereth the inwards1 and all the fat that is upon the inwards1 and the two kidneys1 and the fat that is upon them1 which is by the loins1 and the caul upon the liver1 with the kidneys1 shall he take away1 as it is taken off from the ox of the sacrifice of peace offerings3 and the priest shall burn them upon the altar of burnt offering4 ,and the skin of the bullock1 and all its flesh1 with its head1 and with its legs1 and its inwards1 and its dung1 even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place1 where the ashes are poured out1 and burn it on wood with fire3 where the ashes are poured out shall it be burnt4444 ,and all the fat thereof shall he take off from it1 and burn it upon the altar4 ,thus shall he do with the bullock2 as he did with the bullock of the sin offering1 so shall he do with this3 and the priest shall make atonement for them1 and they shall be forgiven4 ,and he shall carry forth the bullock without the camp1 and burn it as he burned the first bullock3 it is the sin offering for the assembly4444 ,and all the fat thereof shall he burn upon the altar1 as the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings3 and the priest shall make atonement for him as concerning his sin1 and he shall be forgiven4444 ,and all the fat thereof shall he take away1 as the fat is taken away from off the sacrifice of peace offerings2 and the priest shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour unto the ,lord2 and the priest shall make atonement for him1 and he shall be forgiven4444 ,and he shall offer the second for a burnt offering1 according to the ordinance3 and the priest shall make atonement for him as concerning his sin which he hath sinned1 and he shall be forgiven4444 ,and he shall bring it to the priest1 and the priest shall take his handful of it as the memorial thereof1 and burn it on the altar1 upon the offerings of the ,lord made by fire3 it is a sin offering4 ,in the ritual of the sin-offering1 sacrificial meal1 such as that of the peace-offering1 wherein the offerer and his house1 with the priest and the ,levite1 partook together of the flesh of the sacrificed victim1 there was none4 ,the eating of the flesh of the sin-offerings by the priests1 prescribed in chap4 vi4 #bf1 had1 primarily1 a different intention and meaning4 ,as set forth elsewhere 7vii4 #ce71 it was the anointing portion of ,aaron and his sons2 an ordinance expounded by the ,apostle ,paul to this effect1 that 7#a ,cor4 ix4 #ac7 they which wait upon the altar should have their portion with the altar4 ,yet not of all the sin-offerings might the priest thus partake4 ,for when he was himself the one for whom the offering was made1 whether as an individual1 or as included in the congregation1 then it is plain that he for the time stood in the same position before ,god as the private individual who had sinned4 ,it was a universal principle of the law that because of the peculiarly near and solemn relation into which the expiatory victim had been brought to ,god1 it was most holy1 and therefore he for whose sin it is offered could not eat of its flesh4 ,hence the general law is laid down 7vi4 #cj73 ,no sin offering1 whereof any of the blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the holy place1 shall be eaten2 it shall be burnt with fire4 ,and yet1 although1 because the priests could not eat of the flesh1 it must be burnt1 it could not be burnt upon the altar2 not1 as some have fancied1 because it was regarded as unclean1 which is directly contradicted by the statement that it is most holy1 but because so to dispose of it would have been to confound the sin-offering with the burnt-offering1 which had1 as we have seen1 a specific symbolic meaning1 quite distinct from that of the sin-offering4 ,it must be so disposed of that nothing shall divert the mind of the worshipper from the fact that1 not sacrifice as representing full consecration1 as in the burnt-offering1 but sacrifice as representing expiation1 is set forth in this offering4 ,hence it was ordained that the flesh of these sin-offerings for the anointed priest1 or for the congregation1 which included him1 should be burnt on wood with fire without the camp 7iv4 #aa1 #ab1 #ba74 ,and the more carefully to guard against the possibility of confounding this burning of the flesh of the sin-offering with the sacrificial burning of the victims on the altar1 the ,hebrew uses here and in all places where this burning is referred to1 a verb wholly distinct from that which is used of the burnings on the altar1 and which1 unlike that1 is used of any ordinary burning of anything for any purpose4 ,but this burning of the victim without the camp was not therefore empty of all typical significance4 ,the writer of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews calls our attention to the fact that in this part of the appointed ritual there was also that which prefigured ,christ and the circumstances of ,his death4 ,for we read 7,heb4 xiii4 #aj-ab71 after an exhortation to ,christians to have done with the ritual observances of ,judaism regarding meats3--,we1 that is1 we ,christian believers1 have an altar1--the cross upon which ,jesus suffered1--whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle2 i4e41 they who adhere to the now effete ,jewish tabernacle service1 the unbelieving ,israelites1 derive no benefit from this sacrifice of ours4 ,for the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the ,holy ,place by the high priest as an offering for sin1 are burned without the camp2 the priesthood are debarred from eating them1 according to the law we have before us4 ,and then attention is called to the fact that in this respect ,jesus fulfilled this part of the type of the sin-offering1 thus3 ,wherefore ,jesus also1 that ,he might sanctify the people with ,his own blood1 suffered without the camp4 ,that is1 as ,alford interprets 7,comm4 sub4 loc471 in the circumstance that ,jesus suffered without the gate1 is seen a visible adumbration of the fact that ,he suffered outside the camp of legal ,judaism1 and thus1 in that ,he suffered for the sin of the whole congregation of ,israel1 fulfilled the type of this sin-offering in this particular4 ,thus a prophecy is discovered here which perhaps we had not else discerned1 concerning the manner of the death of the antitypical victim4 ,he should suffer as a victim for the sin of the whole congregation1 the priestly people1 who should for that reason be debarred1 in fulfilment of the type1 from that benefit of ,his death which had else been their privilege4 ,and herein was accomplished to the uttermost that surrender of ,his whole being to ,god1 in that1 in carrying out that full consecration1 ,he1 bearing ,his cross went forth1 not merely outside the gate of ,jerusalem1--in itself a trivial circumstance1--but1 as this fitly symbolised1 outside the congregation of ,israel1 to suffer4 ,in other words1 ,his consecration of ,himself to ,god in self-sacrifice found its supreme expression in this1 that ,he voluntarily submitted to be cast out from ,israel1 despised and rejected of men1 even of the ,israel of ,god4 ,and so this burning of the flesh of the sin-offering of the highest grade in two places1 the fat upon the altar1 in the court of the congregation1 and the rest of the victim outside the camp1 set forth prophetically the full self-surrender of the ,son to the ,father1 as the sin-offering1 in a double aspect3 in the former1 emphasising simply1 as in the peace-offering1 ,his surrender of all that was highest and best in ,him1 as ,son of ,god and ,son of man1 unto the ,father as a ,sin-offering2 in the latter1 foreshowing that ,he should also1 in a special manner1 be a sacrifice for the sin of the congregation of ,israel1 and that ,his consecration should receive its fullest exhibition and most complete expression in that ,he should die outside the camp of legal ,judaism1 as an outcast from the congregation of ,israel4 ,accordingly we find that this part of the type of the sin-offering was formally accomplished when the high priest1 upon ,christ's confession before the ,sanhedrim of ,his ,sonship to ,god1 declared ,him to be guilty of blasphemy2 an offence for which it had been ordered by the ,lord 7,lev4 xxiv4 #ad7 that the guilty person should be taken without the camp to suffer for his sin4 ,in the light of these marvellous correspondences between the typical sin-offering and the self-offering of the ,son of ,god1 what a profound meaning more and more appears in those words of ,christ concerning ,moses3 ,he wrote of ,me4 ,,the ,,sanctity ,,of ,,the ,,sin-,,offering4 vi4 #bd-cj4 ,and the ,lord spake unto ,moses1 saying1 ,speak unto ,aaron and to his sons1 saying1 ,this is the law of the sin offering3 in the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the ,lord3 it is most holy4 ,the priest that offereth it for sin shall eat it3 in a holy place shall it be eaten1 in the court of the tent of meeting4 ,whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy3 and when there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any garment1 thou shalt wash that whereon it was sprinkled in a holy place4 ,but the earthen vessel wherein it is sodden shall be broken3 and if it be sodden in a brasen vessel1 it shall be scoured1 and rinsed in water4 ,every male among the priests shall eat thereof3 it is most holy4 ,and no sin offering1 whereof any of the blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the holy place1 shall be eaten3 it shall be burnt with fire4 ,in chap4 vi4 #bd-cj we have a section which is supplemental to the law of the sin-offering1 in which1 with some repetition of the laws previously given1 are added certain special regulations1 in fuller exposition of the peculiar sanctity attaching to this offering4 ,as in the case of other offerings called most holy1 it is ordered that only the males among the priests shall eat of it2 among whom1 the officiating priest takes the precedence4 ,further1 it is declared that everything that touches the offering shall be regarded as holy1 that is1 as invested with the sanctity attaching to every person or thing specially devoted to the ,lord4 ,then by way of application of this principle to two of the most common cases in which it could apply1 it is ordered1 first 7ver4 #bg71 with regard to any garment which should be sprinkled with the blood1 thou shalt wash that whereon it was sprinkled in a holy place2 that so by no chance should the least of the blood which had been shed for the remission of sin1 come into contact with anything unclean and unholy4 ,and then1 again1 inasmuch as the flesh which should be eaten by the priest must needs be cooked1 and the vessel used by this contact became holy1 it is commanded 7ver4 #bh7 that1 if a brazen vessel1 it shall be scoured and then rinsed with water2 that in no case should a vessel in which might remain the least of the sacrificial flesh1 be used for any profane purpose1 and so the holy flesh be defiled4 ,and because when an 7unglazed7 earthen vessel was used1 even such scouring and rinsing could not so cleanse it1 but that something of the juices of the holy flesh should be absorbed into its substance1 therefore1 in order to preclude the possibility of its ever being used for any common purpose it is directed 7ver4 #bh7 that it shall be broken4#aj #aj ,a striking parallel to this ordinance is found in a caste custom in ,north ,india1 where the caste ,hindoo1 as ,i have often seen1 if he give you a drink of water in a vessel1 will only use an earthen vessel1 which1 immediately after you have drunk1 he breaks1 to preclude the possibility of its accidental use thereafter1 by which ceremonial defilement might be contracted4 ,for the ,hindoo does not regard it as possible so to cleanse a metallic vessel as to remove the defilement thus caused2 and as he could not afford to throw it away1 he will give one to drink in the cheap earthen vessel1 or else no drink at all4 ,by such regulations as these1 it is plain that even in those days of little light the thoughtful ,israelite would be impressed with the feeling that in the expiation of sin he came into a peculiarly near and solemn relation to the holiness of ,god1 even though he might not be able to formulate his thought more exactly4 ,in modern times1 however1 strange to say1 these very regulations with regard to the sin-offering1 when it has been taken as typical of ,christ1 have been used as an argument against the ,new ,testament teaching as to the expiatory nature of ,his death as a true satisfaction to the holy justice of ,god for the sins of men4 ,for it is argued1 that if ,christ was really1 in a legal sense1 regarded as a sinner1 because standing in the sinner's place1 to receive in ,his person the wrath of ,god against the sinner's sin1 it could not have been ordered that the blood and the flesh of the typical offering should be thus regarded as of peculiar and pre-eminent holiness4 ,rather1 we are told1 should we1 for example1 have read in the ritual1 ,no one1 and1 least of all1 the priests1 shall eat of it2 for it is most unclean4 ,an extraordinary argument and conclusion6 ,for surely it is an utter misapprehension both of the so-called orthodox view of the atonement1 and of the ,new ,testament teaching on the subject1 to represent it as involving the suggestion that ,christ1 when for us made sin1 and suffering as our substitute1 thereby must have been for the time ,himself unclean4 ,surely1 according to the constant use of the word1 in imputation of sin1 of any sin1 to any one1 there is no conveyance of character2 it is only implied that such person is1 for whatsoever reason1 justly or unjustly1 treated as if he were guilty of that sin which is imputed to him4 ,imputing falsehood to a man who is truth itself1 does not make him a liar1 though it does involve treating him as if he were4 ,just so it is in this case4 ,there is1 then1 in these regulations which emphasise the peculiar holiness of the sin-offering1 nothing which is inconsistent with the strictest juridical view of the great atonement which in type it represented4 ,on the contrary1 one can hardly think of anything which should more effectively represent the great truth of the incomparable holiness of the victim of ,calvary1 than just this strenuous insistence that the blood and the flesh of the typical victim should be treated as of the most peculiar sanctity4 ,if1 when we see the victim of the sin-offering slain and its blood presented before ,god1 we behold a vivid representation of ,christ1 the ,lamb of ,god1 made sin in our behalf2 so when1 in these regulations1 we see how the flesh and blood of the offered victim is treated as of the most pre-eminent sanctity1 we are as impressively reminded how it is written 7#b ,cor4 v4 #ba7 that it was ,him who knew no sin1 that ,god made to be sin on our behalf4 ,thus does the type1 in order that nothing might be wanting in this law of the offering1 insist in every possible way on the holiness of the great ,victim who became the ,antitype2 and most of all in the sin-offering1 because in this1 where1 not consecration of the person or the works1 or the impartation and fellowship of the life of ,christ1 but expiation1 was the central idea of the sacrifice1 there was a special need for emphasising1 in an exceptional way1 this thought2 that the ,victim who bore our sins1 although visibly laden with the curse of ,god1 was none the less all the time ,himself most holy2 so that in that unfathomable mystery of ,calvary1 never was ,he more truly and really the well-beloved ,son of the ,father than when ,he cried out in the extremity of ,his anguish as made sin for us1 ,my ,god1 ,my ,god1 why hast ,thou forsaken ,me8 ,how wonderfully adapted in all its details was this law of the sin-offering1 not only for the education of ,israel1 but1 if we will meditate upon these things1 also for our own6 ,how the truths which underlie this law should humble us1 even in proportion as they exalt to the uttermost the ineffable majesty of the holiness of ,god6 ,and1 if we will but yield to their teachings1 how mightily should they constrain us1 in grateful recognition of the love of the ,holy ,one who was made sin in our behalf1 and of the love of the ,father who sent ,him for this end1 to accept ,him as our ,sin-offering1 set forth in the consummation of the ages1 to put away sin by the sacrifice of ,himself4 ,no more are offered the sin-offerings of the law of ,moses3-- ,but ,christ1 the heavenly ,lamb1 ,takes all our sins away2 ,a sacrifice of nobler name1 ,and richer blood1 than they4 ,if1 then1 the law of the ,levitical sin-offering abides in force no longer1 this is not because ,god has changed1 or because the truths which it set forth concerning sin1 and expiation1 and pardon1 are obsolete1 but only because the great ,sin-offering which the ancient sacrifice typified1 has now appeared4 ,god hath taken away the first1 that ,he may establish the second 7,heb4 x4 #i74 ,we have thus to do with the same ,god as the ,israelite4 ,now1 as then1 ,he takes account of all our sins1 even of sins committed unwittingly2 ,he reckons guilt with the same absolute impartiality and justice as then2 ,he pardons sin1 as then1 only when the sinner who seeks pardon1 presents a sin-offering4 ,but ,he has now ,himself provided the ,lamb for this offering1 and now in infinite love invites us all1 without distinction1 with whatsoever sins we may be burdened1 to make free use of the all-sufficient and most efficient blood of ,his well-beloved ,son4 ,shall we risk neglecting this ,divine provision1 and undertake to deal with ,god by-and-bye1 in the great day of judgment1 on our own merits1 without a sacrifice for sin8 ,god forbid6 ,rather let us go on to say in the words of that old hymn3-- ,my faith would lay her hand ,on that dear ,head of ,thine1 ,while like a penitent ,i stand1 ,and there confess my sin4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,the ,,guilt-,,offering4 ,,lev4 v4 #ad2 vi4 #g2 vii4 #a-g4 ,as in the ,english version1 so also in the ,hebrew1 the special class of sins for which the guilt-offering#aa is prescribed1 is denoted by a distinct and specific word4 ,that word1 like the ,english trespass1 its equivalent1 always has reference to an invasion of the rights of others1 especially in respect of property or service4 ,it is used1 for instance1 of the sin of ,achan 7,josh4 vii4 #a71 who had appropriated spoil from ,jericho1 which ,god had commanded to be set apart for ,himself4 ,thus1 also1 the neglect of ,god's service1 and especially the worship of idols1 is often described by this same word1 as in #b ,chron4 xxviii4 #bb1 xxix4 #f1 and many other places4 ,the reason is evident2 for idolatry involved a withholding from ,god of those tithes and other offerings which ,he claimed from ,israel1 and thus became1 as it were1 an invasion of the ,divine rights of property4 ,the same word is even applied to the sin of adultery 7,numb4 v4 #ab1 #bg71 apparently from the same point of view1 inasmuch as the woman is regarded as belonging to her husband1 who has therefore in her certain sacred rights1 of which adultery is an invasion4 ,thus1 while every trespass is a sin1 yet every sin is not a trespass4 ,there are1 evidently1 many sins of which this is not a characteristic feature4 ,but the sins for which the guilt-offering is prescribed are in every case sins which may1 at least1 be specially regarded under this particular point of view1 to wit1 as trespasses on the rights of ,god or man in respect of ownership2 and this gives us the fundamental thought which distinguishes the guilt-offering from all others1 namely1 that for any invasion of the rights of another in regard to property1 not only must expiation be made1 in that it is a sin1 but also satisfaction1 and1 so far as possible1 plenary reparation of the wrong1 in that the sin is also trespass4 #aa ,it is to be regretted that the ,revisers had not allowed in this case the rendering trespass-offering to stand1 as in the ,authorised ,version4 ,for1 unlike the more generic term guilt1 our word trespass very precisely indicates the class of offences for which this particular offering was ordained4 ,it is indeed true that the ,hebrew word so rendered is quite distinct from that rendered trespass2 yet1 in this instance1 by the attempt to represent this fact in ,english1 more has been lost than gained4 ,from this it is evident that1 as contrasted with the burnt-offering1 which pre-eminently symbolised full consecration of the person1 and the peace-offering1 which symbolised fellowship with ,god1 as based upon reconciliation by sacrifice1 the guilt-offering takes its place1 in a general sense1 with the sin-offering1 as1 like that1 specially designed to effect the reinstatement of an offender in covenant relation with ,god4 ,thus1 like the latter1 and unlike the former offerings1 it was only prescribed with reference to specific instances of failure to fulfil some particular obligation toward ,god or man4 ,so also1 as the express condition of an acceptable offering1 the formal confession of such sin was particularly enjoined4 ,and1 finally1 unlike the burnt-offering1 which was wholly consumed upon the altar1 or the peace-offering1 of the flesh of which1 with certain reservations1 the worshipper himself partook1 in the case of the guilt-offering1 as in the sin-offering1 the fat parts only were burnt on the altar1 and the remainder of the victim fell to the priests1 to be eaten by them alone in a holy place1 as a thing most holy4 ,the law is given in the following words 7vii4 #c-g73 ,he shall offer of it all the fat thereof2 the fat tail1 and the fat that covereth the inwards1 and the two kidneys1 and the fat that is on them1 which is by the loins1 and the caul upon the liver1 with the kidneys1 shall he take away3 and the priest shall burn them upon the altar for an offering made by fire unto the ,lord3 it is a guilt offering4 ,every male among the priests shall eat thereof3 it shall be eaten in a holy place3 it is most holy4 ,as is the sin offering1 so is the guilt offering3 there is one law for them3 the priest that maketh atonement therewith1 he shall have it4 ,but while1 in a general way1 the guilt-offering was evidently intended1 like the sin-offering1 to signify the removal of sin from the conscience through sacrifice1 and thus may be regarded as a variety of the sin-offering1 yet the ritual presents some striking variations from that of the latter4 ,these are all explicable from this consideration1 that whereas the sin-offering represented the idea of atonement by sacrifice1 regarded as an expiation of guilt1 the guilt-offering represented atonement under the aspect of a satisfaction and reparation for the wrong committed4 ,hence1 because the idea of expiation here fell somewhat into the background1 in order to give the greater prominence to that of reparation and satisfaction1 the application of the blood is only made1 as in the burnt-offering and the peace-offering1 by sprinkling on the altar 7of burnt-offering7 round about 7vii4 #a74 ,hence1 again1 we find that the guilt-offering always had reference to the sin of the individual1 and never to the congregation2 because it was scarcely possible that every individual in the whole congregation should be guilty in such instances as those for which the guilt-offering is prescribed4 ,again1 we have another contrast in the restriction imposed upon the choice of the victim for the sacrifice4 ,in the sin-offering1 as we have seen1 it was ordained that the offering should be varied according to the theocratic rank of the offender1 to emphasise thereby to the conscience gradations of guilt1 as thus determined2 also1 it was permitted that the offering might be varied in value according to the ability of the offerer1 in order that it might thus be signified in symbol that it was the gracious will of ,god that nothing in the personal condition of the sinner should exclude any one from the merciful provision of the expiatory sacrifice4 ,but it was no less important that another aspect of the matter should be held forth1 namely1 that ,god is no respecter of persons2 and that1 whatever be the condition of the offender1 the obligation to plenary satisfaction and reparation for trespass committed1 cannot be modified in any way by the circumstances of the offender4 ,the man who1 for example1 has defrauded his neighbour1 whether of a small sum or of a large estate1 abides his debtor before ,god1 under all conceivable conditions1 until restitution is made4 ,the obligation of full payment rests upon every debtor1 be he poor or rich1 until the last farthing is discharged4 ,hence1 the sacrificial victim of the guilt-offering is the same1 whether for the poor man or the rich man1 a ram of the flock4 ,it was a ram of the flock1 because1 as contrasted with the ewe or the lamb1 or the dove and the pigeon1 it was a valuable offering4 ,and yet it is not a bullock1 the most valuable offering known to the law1 because that might be hopelessly out of the reach of many a poor man4 ,the idea of value must be represented1 and yet not so represented as to exclude a large part of the people from the provisions of the guilt-offering4 ,the ram must be without blemish1 that naught may detract from its value1 as a symbol of full satisfaction for the wrong done4 ,but most distinctive of all the requisitions touching the victim is this1 that1 unlike all other victims for other offerings1 the ram of the guilt-offering must in each case be definitely appraised by the priest4 ,the phrase is 7v4 #ae71 that it must be according to thy estimation in silver by shekels1 after the shekel of the sanctuary4 ,this expression evidently requires1 first1 that the offerer's own estimate of the value of the victim shall not be taken1 but that of the priest1 as representing ,god in this transaction2 and1 secondly1 that its value shall in no case fall below a certain standard2 for the plural expression1 by shekels1 implies that the value of the ram shall not be less than two shekels4 ,and the shekel must be of full weight2 the standard of valuation must be ,god's1 and not man's1 the shekel of the sanctuary4 ,still more to emphasise the distinctive thought of this sacrifice1 that full satisfaction and reparation for all offences is with ,god the universal and unalterable condition of forgiveness1 it was further ordered that in all cases where the trespass was of such a character as made this possible1 that which had been unjustly taken or kept back1 whether from ,god or man1 should be restored in full2 and not only this1 but inasmuch as by this misappropriation of what was not his own1 the offender had for the time deprived another of the use and enjoyment of that which belonged to him1 he must add to that of which he had defrauded him the fifth part more1 a double tithe4 ,thus the guilty person was not allowed to have gained even any temporary advantage from the use for a while of that which he now restored2 for the fifth part more would presumably quite overbalance all conceivable advantage or enjoyment which he might have had from his fraud4 ,how admirable in all this the exact justice of ,god6 ,how perfectly adapted was the guilt-offering1 in all these particulars1 to educate the conscience1 and to preclude any possible wrong inferences from the allowance which was made1 for other reasons1 for the poor man1 in the expiatory offerings for sin6 ,the arrangement of the law of the guilt-offering is very simple4 ,it is divided into two sections1 the first of which 7v4 #ad-ai7 deals with cases of trespass in the holy things of the ,lord1 things which1 by the law or by an act of consecration1 were regarded as belonging in a special sense to ,jehovah2 the second section1 on the other hand 7vi4 #a-g71 deals with cases of trespass on the property rights of man4 ,the first of these1 again1 consists of two parts4 ,verses #ad-af give the law of the guilt-offering as applied to cases in which a man1 through inadvertence or unwittingly1 trespasses in the holy things of the ,lord1 but in such manner that the nature and extent of the trespass can afterward be definitely known and valued2 verses #ag-ai deal with cases where there has been trespass such as to burden the conscience1 and yet such as1 for whatsoever reason1 cannot be precisely measured4 ,by the holy things of the ,lord are intended such things as1 either by universal ordinance or by voluntary consecration1 were regarded as belonging to ,jehovah1 and in a special sense ,his property4 ,thus1 under this head would come the case of the man who1 for instance1 should unwittingly eat the flesh of the firstling of his cattle1 or the flesh of the sin-offering1 or the shew-bread2 or should use his tithe1 or any part of it1 for himself4 ,even though he did this unwittingly1 yet it none the less disturbed the man's relation to ,god2 and therefore1 when known1 in order to his reinstatement in fellowship with ,god1 it was necessary that he should make full restitution with a fifth part added1 and1 besides this1 sacrifice a ram1 duly appraised1 as a guilt-offering4 ,in that the sacrifice was prescribed over and above the restitution1 the worshipper was reminded that1 in view of the infinite majesty and holiness of ,god1 it lies not in the power of any creature to nullify the wrong ,god-ward1 even by fullest restitution4 ,for trespass is not only trespass1 but is also sin2 an offence not only against the rights of ,jehovah as ,owner1 but also an affront to ,him as ,supreme ,king and ,lawgiver4 ,and yet1 because the worshipper must not be allowed to lose sight of the fact that sin is of the nature of a debt1 a victim was ordered which should especially bring to mind this aspect of the matter4 ,for not only among the ,hebrews1 but among the ,arabs1 the ,romans and other ancient peoples1 sheep1 and especially rams1 were very commonly used as a medium of payment in case of debt1 and especially in paying tribute4 ,thus we read 7#b ,kings iii4 #d71 that ,mesha1 king of ,moab1 rendered unto the king of ,israel an hundred thousand lambs1 and an hundred thousand rams1 with the wool1 in payment of tribute2 and1 at a later day1 ,isaiah 7xvi4 #a1 ,r4,v47 delivers to ,moab the mandate of ,jehovah3 ,send ye the lambs for the ruler of the land 444 unto the mount of the daughter of ,zion4 ,and so the ram having been brought and presented by the guilty person1 with confession of his fault1 it was slain by the priest1 like the sin-offering4 ,the blood1 however1 was not applied to the horns of the altar of burnt-offering1 still less brought into the ,holy ,place1 as in the case of the sin-offering2 but 7vii4 #b7 was to be sprinkled upon the altar round about1 as in the burnt-offering4 ,the reason of this difference in the application of the blood1 as above remarked1 lies in this1 that1 as in the burnt-offering1 the idea of sacrifice as symbolising expiation takes a place secondary and subordinate to another thought2 in this case1 the conception of sacrifice as representing satisfaction for trespass4 ,the next section 7vv4 #ag-ai7 does not expressly mention sins of trespass2 for which reason some have thought that it was essentially a repetition of the law of the sin-offering4 ,but that it is not to be so regarded is plain from the fact that the victim is still the same as for the guilt-offering1 and from the explicit statement 7ver4 #ai7 that this is a guilt-offering4 ,the inference is natural that the prescription still has reference to trespass in the holy things of the ,lord2 and the class of cases intended is probably indicated by the phrase1 though he knew it not4 ,in the former section1 the law provided for cases in which though the trespass had been done unwittingly1 yet the offender afterward came to know of the trespass in its precise extent1 so as to give an exact basis for the restitution ordered in such cases4 ,but it is quite supposable that there might be cases in which1 although the offender was aware that there had been a probable trespass1 such as to burden his conscience1 he yet knew not just how much it was4 ,the ordinance is only in so far modified as such a case would make necessary2 where there was no exact knowledge of the amount of trespass1 obviously there the law of restitution with the added fifth could not be applied4 ,yet1 none the less1 the man is guilty2 he bears his iniquity1 that is1 he is liable to the penalty of his fault2 and in order to the re-establishment of his covenant relation with ,god1 the ram must be offered as a guilt-offering4 ,it is suggestive to observe the emphasis which is laid upon the necessity of the guilt-offering1 even in such cases4 ,three times1 reference is explicitly made to this fact of ignorance1 as not affecting the requirement of the guilt-offering3 7ver4 #ag7 ,though he knew it not1 yet is he guilty1 and shall bear his iniquity2 and again 7ver4 #ah71 with special explicitness1 ,the priest shall make atonement for him concerning the thing wherein he erred unwittingly and knew it not2 and yet again 7ver4 #ai71 ,it is a guilt-offering3 he is certainly guilty before the ,lord4 ,the repetition is an urgent reminder that in this case1 as in all others1 we are never to forget that however our ignorance of a trespass at the time1 or even lack of definite knowledge regarding its nature and extent1 may affect the degree of our guilt1 it cannot affect the fact of our guilt1 and the consequent necessity for satisfaction in order to acceptance with ,god4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the second section of the law of the guilt-offering 7vi4 #a-g7 deals with trespasses against man1 as also1 like trespasses against ,jehovah1 requiring1 in order to forgiveness from ,god1 full restitution with the added fifth1 and the offering of the ram as a guilt-offering4 ,five cases are named 7vv4 #b1 #c171 no doubt as being common1 typical examples of sins of this character4 ,the first case is trespass upon a neighbour's rights in a matter of deposit2 where a man has entrusted something to another to keep1 and he has either sold it or unlawfully used it as if it were his own4 ,the second case takes in all fraud in a bargain1 as when1 for example1 a man sells goods1 or a piece of land1 representing them to be better than they really are1 or asking a price larger than he knows an article to be really worth4 ,the third instance is called robbery2 by which we are to understand any act or process1 even though it should be under colour of legal forms1 by means of which a man may manage unjustly to get possession of the property of his neighbour1 without giving him due equivalent therefor4 ,the fourth instance is called oppression of his neighbour4 ,the ,english word contains the same image as the ,hebrew word1 which is used1 for instance1 of the unnecessary retention of the wages of the employ by the employer 7xix4 #ac72 it may be applied to all cases in which a man takes advantage of another's circumstances to extort from him any thing or any service to which he has no right1 or to force upon him something which it is to the poor man's disadvantage to take4 ,the last example of offences to which the law of the guilt-offering applied1 is the case in which a man finds something and then denies it to the rightful owner4 ,the reference to false swearing which follows1 as appears from ver4 #e1 refers not merely to lying and perjury concerning this last-named case1 but equally to all cases in which a man may lie or swear falsely to the pecuniary damage of his neighbour4 ,it is mentioned not merely as aggravating such sin1 but because in swearing touching any matter1 a man appeals to ,god as witness to the truth of his words2 so that by swearing in these cases he represents ,god as a party to his falsehood and injustice4 ,in all these cases1 the prescription is the same as in analogous offences in the holy things of ,jehovah4 ,first of all1 the guilty man must confess the wrong which he has done 7,numb4 v4 #g71 then restitution must be made of all of which he has defrauded his neighbour1 together with one-fifth additional4 ,but while this may set him right with man1 it has not yet set him right with ,god4 ,he must bring his guilt-offering unto ,jehovah 7vv4 #f1 #g72 a ram without blemish out of the flock1 according to the priest's estimation1 for a guilt offering1 unto the priest3 and the priest shall make atonement for him before the ,lord1 and he shall be forgiven2 concerning whatsoever he doeth so as to be guilty thereby4 ,and this completes the law of the guilt-offering4 ,it was thus prescribed for sins which involve a defrauding or injuring of another in respect to material things1 whether ,god or man1 whether knowingly or unwittingly4 ,the law was one and unalterable for all2 the condition of pardon was plenary restitution for the wrong done1 and the offering of a costly sacrifice1 appraised as such by the priest1 the earthly representative of ,god1 in the shekel of the sanctuary1 a ram without blemish out of the flock4 ,there are lessons from this ordinance1 so plain that1 even in the dim light of those ancient days1 the ,israelite might discern and understand them4 ,and they are lessons which1 because man and his ways are the same as then1 and ,god the same as then1 are no less pertinent to all of us to-day4 ,thus we are taught by this law that ,god claims from man1 and especially from ,his own people1 certain rights of property1 of which ,he will not allow ,himself to be defrauded1 even through man's forgetfulness or inadvertence4 ,in a later day ,israel was sternly reminded of this in the burning words of ,jehovah by the prophet ,malachi 7iii4 #h1 #i73 ,will a man rob ,god8 yet ye rob me4 ,but ye say1 ,wherein have we robbed thee8 ,in tithes and offerings4 ,ye are cursed with the curse2 for ye rob me1 even this whole nation4 ,nor has ,god relaxed ,his claim in the present dispensation4 ,for the ,apostle ,paul charges the ,corinthian ,christians 7#b ,cor4 viii4 #g71 in the name of the ,lord1 with regard to their gifts1 that as they abounded in other graces1 so they should abound in this grace also4 ,and this is the first lesson brought before us in the law of the guilt-offering4 ,god claims ,his tithe1 ,his first-fruit1 and the fulfilment of all vows4 ,it was a lesson for that time2 it is no less a lesson for our time4 ,and the guilt-offering further reminds us that as ,god has rights1 so man also has rights1 and that ,jehovah1 as the ,king and ,judge of men1 will exact the satisfaction of those rights1 and will pass over no injury done by man to his neighbour in material things1 nor forgive it unto any man1 except upon condition of the most ample material restitution to the injured party4 ,then1 yet again1 if the sin-offering called especially for faith in an expiatory sacrifice as the condition of the ,divine forgiveness1 the guilt-offering as specifically called also for repentance1 as a condition of pardon1 no less essential4 ,its unambiguous message to every ,israelite was the same as that of ,john the ,baptist at a later day 7,matt4 iii4 #h1 #i73 ,bring forth fruit worthy of repentance3 and think not to say within yourselves1 ,we have ,abraham to our father4 ,the reminder is as much needed now as in the days of ,moses4 ,how specific and practical the selection of the particular instances mentioned as cases for the application of the inexorable law of the guilt-offering6 ,let us note them again1 for they are not cases peculiar to ,israel or to the fifteenth century before ,christ4 ,if any one 444 deal falsely with his neighbour in a matter of deposit2 as1 e4g41 in the case of moneys entrusted to a bank or railway company1 or other corporation2 for there is no hint that the law did not apply except to individuals1 or that a man might be released from these stringent obligations of righteousness whenever in some such evil business he was associated with others2 the guilt-offering must be forthcoming1 with the amplest restitution1 or there is no pardon4 ,then false dealing in a bargain is named1 as involving the same requirement2 as when a man prides himself on driving a good bargain1 by getting something unfairly for less than its value1 taking advantage of his neighbour's straits2 or by selling something for more than its value1 taking advantage of his neighbour's ignorance1 or his necessity4 ,then is mentioned robbery2 by which word is covered not merely that which goes by the name in polite circles1 but all cases in which a man takes advantage of his neighbour's distress or helplessness1 perhaps by means of some technicality of law1 to strip him1 as the ,hebrew word is1 of his property of any kind4 ,and next is specified the man who may have oppressed his neighbour1 especially a man or woman who serves him1 as the usage of the word suggests2 grinding thus the face of the poor2 paying1 for instance1 less for labour than the law of righteousness and love demands1 because the poor man must have work or starve with his house4 ,what sweeping specifications6 ,and all such1 in all lands and all ages1 are solemnly reminded in the law of the guilt-offering that in these their sharp practices they have to reckon not with man merely1 but with ,god2 and that it is utterly vain for a man to hope for the forgiveness of sin from ,god1 offering or no offering1 so long as he has in his pocket his neighbour's money4 ,for all such1 full restoration with the added fifth1 according to the law of the theocratic kingdom1 was the unalterable condition of the ,divine forgiveness2 and we shall find that this law of the theocratic kingdom will also be the law applied in the adjudications of the great white throne4 ,furthermore1 in that it was particularly enjoined that in the estimation of the value of the guilt-offering1 not the shekel of the people1 often of light weight1 but the full weight shekel of the sanctuary was to be held the invariable standard2 we1 who are so apt to ease things to our consciences by applying to our conduct the principles of judgment current among men1 are plainly taught that if we will have our trespasses forgiven1 the reparation and restitution which we make must be measured1 not by the standard of men1 but by that of ,god1 which is absolute righteousness4 ,yet again1 in that in the case of all such trespasses on the rights of ,god or man it was ordained that the offering1 unlike other sacrifices intended to teach other lessons1 should be one and the same1 whether the offender were rich or poor2 we are taught that the extent of our moral obligations or the conditions of their equitable discharge are not determined by a regard to our present ability to make them good4 ,debt is debt by whomsoever owed4 ,if a man have appropriated a hundred pounds of another man's money1 the moral obligation of that debt cannot be abrogated by a bankrupt law1 allowing him to compromise at ten shillings in the pound4 ,the law of man may indeed release him from liability to prosecution1 but no law can discharge such a man from the unalterable obligation to pay penny for penny1 farthing for farthing4 ,there is no bankrupt law in the kingdom of ,god4 ,this1 too1 is evidently a lesson quite as much needed by ,gentiles and nominal ,christians in the nineteenth century after ,christ1 as by ,hebrews in the fifteenth century before ,christ4 ,but the spiritual teaching of the guilt-offering is not yet exhausted4 ,for1 like all the other offerings1 it pointed to ,christ4 ,he is the end of the law unto righteousness 7,rom4 x4 #d71 as regards the guilt-offering1 as in all else4 ,as the burnt-offering prefigured ,christ the heavenly ,victim1 in one aspect1 and the peace-offering1 ,christ in another aspect1 so the guilt-offering presents to our adoring contemplation yet another view of ,his sacrificial work4 ,while1 as our burnt-offering1 ,he became our righteousness in full self-consecration2 as our peace-offering1 our life2 as our sin-offering1 the expiation for our sins2 so1 as our guilt-offering1 ,he made satisfaction and plenary reparation in our behalf to the ,god on whose inalienable rights in us1 by our sins we had trespassed without measure4 ,nor is this an over-refinement of exposition4 ,for in ,isa4 liii4 #aj1 where both the ,authorised and the ,revised ,versions read1 shall make his soul an offering for sin1 the margin of the latter rightly calls attention to the fact that in the ,hebrew the word here used is the very same which through all this ,levitical law is rendered guilt-offering4 ,and so we are expressly told by this evangelic prophet1 that the ,holy ,servant of ,jehovah1 the suffering ,messiah1 in this ,his sacrificial work should make ,his soul a guilt-offering4 ,he became ,himself the complete and exhaustive realisation of all that in sacrifice which was set forth in the ,levitical guilt-offering4 ,a declaration this is which holds forth both the sin for which ,christ atoned1 and the ,sacrifice itself1 in a very distinct and peculiar light4 ,in that ,christ's sacrifice was thus a guilt-offering in the sense of the law1 we are taught that1 in one aspect1 our sins are regarded by ,god1 and should therefore be regarded by us1 as debts which are due from us to ,god4 ,this is1 indeed1 by no means the only aspect in which sin should be regarded2 it is1 for example1 rebellion1 high treason1 a deadly affront to the ,supreme ,majesty1 which must be expiated with the blood of the sin-offering4 ,but our sins are also of the nature of debts4 ,that is1 ,god has claims on us for service which we have never met2 claims for a portion of our substance which we have often withheld1 or given grudgingly1 trespassing thus in the holy things of the ,lord4 ,just as the servant who is set to do his master's work1 if1 instead1 he take that time to do his own work1 is debtor to the full value of the service of which his master is thus defrauded1 so stands the case between the sinner and ,god4 ,just as with the agent who fails to make due returns to his principal on the moneys committed to him for investment1 using them instead for himself1 so stands the case between ,god and the sinner who has used his talents1 not for the ,lord1 but for himself1 or has kept them laid up1 unused1 in a napkin4 ,thus1 in the ,new ,testament1 as the correlate of this representation of ,christ as a guilt-offering1 we find sin again and again set forth as a debt which is owed from man to ,god4 ,so1 in the ,lord's prayer we are taught to pray1 ,forgive us our debts2 so1 twice the ,lord ,himself in ,his parables 7,matt4 xviii4 #bc-ce2 ,luke vii4 #da1 #db7 set forth the relation of the sinner to ,god as that of the debtor to the creditor2 and concerning those on whom the tower of ,siloam fell1 asks 7,luke xiii4 #d71 ,think ye that they were sinners 7,greek 'debtors1'7 above all that dwelt in ,jerusalem8 ,indeed so imbedded is this thought in the conscience of man that it has been crystallised in our word ought1 which is but the old preterite of owe2 as in ,tyndale's ,new ,testament1 where we read 7,luke vii4 #da71 there was a certain lender1 which ought him five hundred pence4 ,what a startling conception is this1 which forms the background to the great guilt-offering6 ,man a debtor to ,god6 a debtor for service each day due1 but no day ever fully and perfectly rendered6 in gratitude for gifts1 too often quite forgotten1 oftener only paid in scanty part6 ,we are often burdened and troubled greatly about our debts to men2 shall we not be concerned about the enormous and ever accumulating debt to ,god6 ,or is ,he an easy creditor1 who is indifferent whether these debts of ours be met or not8 ,so think multitudes2 but this is not the representation of ,scripture1 either in the ,old or the ,new ,testament4 ,for in the law it was required1 that if a man1 guilty of any of these offences for the forgiveness of which the guilt-offering was prescribed1 failed to confess and bring the offering1 and make the restitution with the added fifth1 as commanded by the law1 he should be brought before the judges1 and the full penalty of law exacted1 on the principle of an eye for an eye1 a tooth for a tooth6 ,and in the ,new ,testament1 one of those solemn parables of the two debtors closes with the awful words concerning one of them who was delivered to the tormentors1 that he should not come out of prison till he had paid the uttermost farthing4 ,not a hint is there in ,holy ,scripture1 of forgiveness of our debts to ,god1 except upon the one condition of full restitution made to ,him to whom the debt is due1 and therewith the sacrificial blood of a guilt-offering4 ,but ,christ is our ,guilt-,offering4 ,he is our ,guilt-,offering1 in that ,he ,himself did that1 really and fully1 with respect to all our debts as sinful men to ,god1 which the guilt-offering of ,leviticus symbolised1 but accomplished not4 ,his soul ,he made a guilt-offering for our trespasses6 ,isaiah's words imply that ,he should make full restitution for all that of which we1 as sinners1 defraud ,god4 ,he did this by that perfect and incomparable service of lowly obedience such as we should render1 but have never rendered2 in which ,he has made full satisfaction to ,god for all our innumerable debts4 ,he has made such satisfaction1 not by a convenient legal fiction1 or in a rhetorical figure1 or as judged by any human standard4 ,even as the ram of the guilt-offering was appraised according to the shekel of the sanctuary1 so upon our ,lord1 at the beginning of that life of sacrificial service1 was solemnly passed the ,divine verdict that with this antitypical ,victim of the ,guilt-,offering1 ,god ,himself was well pleased 7,matt4 iii4 #ag74 ,not only so4 ,for we cannot forget that according to the law1 not only the full restitution must be made1 but the fifth must be added thereto4 ,so with our ,lord4 ,for who will not confess that ,christ not only did all that we should have done1 but1 in the ineffable depth of ,his self-humiliation and obedience unto death1 even the death of the cross1 paid therewith the added fifth of the law4 ,said a ,jewish ,rabbi to the writer1 ,i have never been able to finish reading in the ,gospel the story of the ,jesus of ,nazareth2 for it too soon brings the tears to my eyes6 ,so affecting even to ,jewish unbelief was this unparalleled spectacle1 the adorable ,son of ,god making ,himself a guilt-offering1 and paying1 in the incomparable perfection of ,his holy obedience1 the added fifth in our behalf6 ,thus has ,christ magnified this law of the guilt-offering1 and made it honourable1 even as ,he did all law 7,isa4 xlii4 #ba74 ,and1 as is intimated1 by the formal valuation of the sacrificial ram1 in the type1 even the death of ,christ as the guilt-offering1 in one aspect is to be regarded as the consummating act of service in the payment of debts ,godward4 ,just as the sin-offering represented ,his death in its passive aspect1 as meeting the demands of justice against the sinner as a rebel under sentence of death1 by dying in his stead1 so1 on the other hand1 the guilt-offering represents that same sacrificial death1 rather in another aspect1 no less clearly set forth in the ,new ,testament2 namely1 the supreme act of obedience to the will of ,god1 whereby ,he discharged to the uttermost farthing1 even with the added fifth of the law1 all the transcendent debt of service due from man to ,god4 ,this representation of ,christ's work has in all ages been an offence1 the offence of the cross4 ,all the more need we to insist upon it1 and never to forget1 or let others forget1 that ,christ is expressly declared in the ,word of ,god to have been a guilt-offering1 in the ,levitical sense of that term2 that1 therefore1 to speak of ,his death as effecting our salvation merely through its moral influence1 is to contradict and nullify the ,word of ,god4 ,well may we set this word in ,isa4 liii4 #aj1 concerning the ,servant of ,jehovah1 against all modern ,unitarian theology1 and against all ,socinianising teaching2 all that would maintain any view of ,christ's death which excludes or ignores the divinely revealed fact that it was in its essential nature a guilt-offering2 and1 because a guilt-offering1 therefore of the nature of the payment of a debt in behalf of those for whom ,he suffered4 ,most blessed truth this1 for all who can receive it6 ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 our ,guilt-,offering6 ,like the poor ,israelite1 who had defrauded ,god of that which was ,his due1 so must we do2 coming before ,god1 confessing that wherein we have wronged ,him1 and bringing forth fruit meet for repentance1 we must bring and plead ,christ in the glory of ,his person1 in all the perfection of ,his holy obedience1 as our ,guilt-,offering4 ,and therewith the ancient promise to the penitent ,israelite becomes ours 7vi4 #g71 ,the priest shall make atonement for him before the ,lord1 and he shall be forgiven2 concerning whatsoever he doeth so as to be guilty thereby4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,the ,,priests' ,,portions4 ,,lev4 vi4 #af-ah1 #bf2 vii4 #f-aj1 #ad1 #ca-cf4 ,after the law of the guilt-offering follows a section 7vi4 #h-vii4 #ch7 with regard to the offerings previously treated1 but addressed especially to the priests1 as the foregoing were specially directed to the people4 ,much of the contents of this section has already passed before us1 in anticipation of its order in the book1 as this has seemed necessary in order to a complete exposition of the several offerings4 ,an important part of the section1 however1 relating to the portion of the offerings which was appointed for the priests1 has been passed by until now1 and must claim our brief attention4 ,in the verses indicated above1 it is ordered that of the meal-offerings1 the sin-offerings1 and the guilt-offerings1 all that was not burnt1 as also the wave-breast and the heave-shoulder of the peace-offerings1 should be for ,aaron and his sons4 ,in particular1 it is directed that the priest's portion of the sin-offering and the guilt-offering shall be eaten by the priest that maketh atonement therewith 7vii4 #g72 and that of the meal-offerings prepared in the oven1 the frying-pan1 or the baking-pan1 all that is not burned upon the altar1 according to the law of chap4 ii41 shall be eaten by the priest that offereth it2 and that of every meal-offering mingled with oil1 or dry1 the same part shall all the sons of ,aaron have1 one as well as another 7vii4 #i1 #aj74 ,of the burnt-offering1 all the flesh being burned1 the hide alone fell to the officiating priest as his perquisite 7vii4 #h74 ,these regulations are explained in the concluding verses of the section 7vii4 #ce1 #cf7 as follows1 ,this is the anointing-portion of ,aaron1 and the anointing-portion of his sons1 out of the offerings of the ,lord made by fire1 in the day when he presented them to minister unto the ,lord in the priest's office2 which the ,lord commanded to be given them of the children of ,israel1 in the day that he anointed them4 ,it is a due for ever throughout their generations4 ,hence1 it is plain that this use which was to be made of certain parts of certain offerings does not touch the question of the consecration of the whole to ,god4 ,the whole of each offering is none the less wholly accepted and appropriated by ,god1 that ,he designates a part of it to the maintenance of the priesthood4 ,that even as thus used by the priest it is used by him as something belonging to ,god1 is indicated by the phrase used1 it is most holy 7vi4 #ag72 expressive words1 which in the law of the offerings always have a technical use1 as denoting those things of which only the sons of ,aaron might partake1 and that only in the holy place4 ,in the case of the meal-offering1 its peculiarly sacred character as belonging1 the whole of it1 exclusively to ,god1 is further marked by the additional injunctions that it should be eaten without leaven in a holy place 7vi4 #af72 and that whosoever touched these offerings should be holy 7vi4 #ah72 that is1 he should be as a man separated to ,god1 under all the restrictions 7doubtless1 without the privileges17 which belonged to the priesthood1 as men set apart for ,god's service4 ,in the eating of their portion of the various offerings by the priests1 we are to recognise no official act3 we simply see the servants of ,god supported by the bread of ,his table4 ,this last thought1 which is absent in the case of no one of the offerings1#ab is brought out with special clearness and fulness in the ceremonial connected with the peace-offerings 7vii4 #bh-cd74 ,in this case1 certain parts1 the right thigh 7or shoulder87 and the breast1 are set apart as the due of the priest4 ,the selection of these is determined by the principle which marks all the ,levitical legislation3 ,god and those who represent ,him are to be honoured by the consecration of the best of everything4 ,in the animals used upon the altar1 these were regarded as the choice parts1 and are indeed referred to as such in other ,scriptures4 ,but1 in order that neither the priest nor the people may imagine that the priest receives these as a man from his fellow-men1 but may understand that they are given to ,god1 and that it is from ,god that the priest now receives them1 as ,his servant1 fed from ,his table2 to this end1 certain ceremonies were ordained to be used with these parts2 the breast was to be heaved1 the thigh was to be waved1 before the ,lord4 ,what was the meaning of these actions8 #ab ,even in the burnt-offering1 the hide of the victim was assigned to the priest 7vii4 #h74 ,the breast was to be heaved2 that is1 elevated heavenward4 ,the symbolic meaning of this act can scarcely be missed4 ,by it1 the priest acknowledged his dependence upon ,god for the supply of this sacrificial food1 and1 again1 by this act consecrated it anew to ,him as the ,one that sitteth in the heavens4 ,but ,god is not only the ,one that sitteth in the heavens2 ,he is the ,god who has condescended also to dwell among men1 and especially in the tent of meeting in the midst of ,israel4 ,and thus1 as by the elevation of the breast heavenward1 ,god1 the ,giver1 was recognised as the ,one enthroned in heaven1 so by the waving of the thigh1 which1 as the rabbis tell us1 was a movement backward and forward1 to and from the altar1 ,he was recognised also as ,jehovah1 who had condescended from heaven to dwell in the midst of ,his people4 ,like the heaving1 so the waving1 then1 was an act of acknowledgment and consecration to ,god2 the former1 to ,god1 as in heaven1 the ,god of creation2 the other1 to ,god1 as the ,god of the altar1 the ,god of redemption4 ,and that this is the true significance of these acts is illustrated by the fact that in the ,pentateuch1 in the account of the gold and silver brought by the people for the preparation of the tabernacle 7,exod4 xxxv4 #bb71 the same word is used to describe the presentation of these offerings which is here used of the wave-offering4 ,and so in the peace-offering the principle is amply illustrated upon which the priests received their dues4 ,the worshippers bring their offerings1 and present them1 not to the priest1 but through him to ,god2 who1 then1 having used such parts as ,he will in the service of the sanctuary1 gives again such parts of them as ,he pleases to the priests4 ,the lesson of these arrangements lies immediately before us4 ,they were intended to teach ,israel1 and1 according to the ,new ,testament1 are also designed to teach us1 that it is the will of ,god that those who give up secular occupations to devote themselves to the ministry of ,his house should be supported by the free-will offerings of ,god's people4 ,very strange indeed it is to hear a few small sects in our day denying this4 ,for the ,apostle ,paul argues at length to this effect1 and calls the attention of the ,corinthians 7#a ,cor4 ix4 #ac1 #ad7 to the fact that the principle expressed in this ordinance of the law of ,moses has not been set aside1 but holds good in this dispensation4 ,know ye not that they which 444 wait upon the altar have their portion with the altar8 ,even so did the ,lord ordain that they which proclaim the ,gospel should live of the ,gospel4 ,the principle plainly covers the case of all such as give up secular callings to devote themselves to the ministry of the ,word1 whether to proclaim the ,gospel in any of the great mission fields1 or to exercise the pastorate of the local church4 ,such are ever to be supported out of the consecrated offerings of ,god's people4 ,to point in disparagement of modern hireling ministers and missionaries1 as some have done1 to the case of ,paul1 who laboured with his own hands1 that he might not be chargeable to those to whom he ministered1 is singularly inapt1 seeing that in the chapter above referred to he expressly vindicates his right to receive of the ,corinthians his support1 and in this ,second ,epistle to them even seems to express a doubt 7#b ,cor4 xii4 #ac7 whether in refusing1 as he did1 to receive support from them1 he had not done them a wrong1 making them thus inferior to the rest of the churches1 from whom1 in fact1 he did receive such material aid 7,phil4 iv4 #aj1 #af74 ,and if ever claims of this kind upon our benevolence and liberality seem to be heavy1 and if to nature the burden is sometimes irksome1 we shall do well to remember that the requirement is not of man1 and not of the ,church1 but of ,god4 ,it comes to us with the double authority of the ,old and ,new ,testament1 of the ,law and the ,gospel4 ,and it will certainly help us all to give to these ends the more gladly1 if we keep that in mind which the ,levitical law so carefully kept before ,israel1 that the giving was to be regarded by them as not to the priesthood1 but to the ,lord1 and that in our giving outwardly to support the ministry of ,god's ,word1 we give1 really1 to the ,lord ,himself4 ,and it stands written 7,matt4 x4 #db73 ,whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only1 444 he shall in no wise lose his reward4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,the ,,consecration ,,of ,,aaron ,,and ,,his ,,sons1 ,,and ,,of ,,the ,,tabernacle4 ,,lev4 viii4 #a-cf4 ,the second section of the book of ,leviticus 7viii4 #a-x4 #bj7 is historical1 and describes 7viii47 the consecration of the tabernacle and of ,aaron and his sons1 7ix47 their induction into the duties of their office1 and1 finally 7x471 the terrible judgment by which the high sanctity of the priestly office and of the tabernacle service was very solemnly impressed upon them and all the people4 ,first in order 7chap4 viii47 is described the ceremonial of consecration4 ,we read 7vv4 #a-d73 ,and the ,lord spake unto ,moses1 saying1 ,take ,aaron and his sons with him1 and the garments1 and the anointing oil1 and the bullock of the sin offering1 and the two rams1 and the basket of unleavened bread2 and assemble thou all the congregation at the door of the tent of meeting4 ,and ,moses did as the ,lord commanded him2 and the congregation was assembled at the door of the tent of meeting4 ,these words refer us back to ,exod4 xxviii41 xxix41 in which are recorded the full directions previously given for the making of the garments and the oil of anointing1 and for the ceremonial of the consecration of the priests4 ,the law of offerings having been delivered1 ,moses now proceeds to consecrate ,aaron and his sons to the priestly office1 according to the commandment given2 and to this end1 by ,divine direction1 he orders all the congregation to be assembled at the door of the tent of meeting4 ,in this last statement some have seen a sufficient reason for rejecting the whole account as fabulous1 insisting that it is palpably absurd to suppose that a congregation numbering some millions could be assembled at the door of a single tent6 ,but1 surely1 if the words are to be taken in the ultra-literal sense required in order to make out this difficulty1 the impossibility must have been equally evident to the supposed fabricator of the fiction2 and it is yet more absurd to suppose that he should ever have intended his words to be pressed to such a rigid literality4 ,two explanations lie before us1 either of which meets the supposed difficulty2 the one1 that endorsed by ,dillmann1#ac that the congregation was gathered in their appointed representatives2 the other1 that which refuses to see in the words a statement that every individual in the nation was literally at the door1 and further reminds us that1 inasmuch as the ceremonies of the consecration are said to have continued seven days1 we are not1 by the terms of the narrative1 required to believe that all1 in any sense1 were present1 either at the very beginning or at any one time during that week4 ,it is not too much to say that by a captious criticism of this kind1 any narrative1 however sober1 might be shown to be absurd4 #ac ,see ,die ,bcher ,exodus und ,leviticus1 #b ,aufl41 p4 #dfb4 ,the consecration ceremonial was introduced by a solemn declaration made by ,moses to assembled ,israel1 that the impressive rites which they were now about to witness1 were of ,divine appointment4 ,we read 7ver4 #e71 ,moses said unto the congregation1 ,this is the thing which the ,lord hath commanded to be done4 ,just here we may pause to note the great emphasis which the narrative lays upon this fact of the ,divine appointment of all pertaining to these consecration rites4 ,not only is this ,divine ordination of all thus declared at the beginning1 but in connection with each of the chief parts of the ceremonial the formula is repeated1 as the ,lord commanded ,moses4 ,also1 at the close of the first day's rites1 ,moses twice reminds ,aaron and his sons that this whole ritual1 in all its parts1 is for them an ordinance of ,god1 and is to be regarded accordingly1 upon pain of death 7vv4 #cd1 #ce74 ,and the narrative of the chapter closes 7ver4 #cf7 with the words1 ,aaron and his sons did all the things which the ,lord commanded by the hand of ,moses4 ,twelve times in this one chapter is reference thus made to the ,divine appointment of these consecration rites4 ,this is full of significance and instruction4 ,it is of the highest importance in an apologetic way4 ,for it is self-evident that this twelvefold affirmation1 twelve times directly contradicts the modern theory of the late origin and human invention of the ,levitical priesthood4 ,there is no evading of the issue which is thus placed squarely before us4 ,to talk of the inspiration from ,god1 in any sense possible to that word1 of a writing containing such affirmations1 so numerous1 formal1 and emphatic1 if the critics referred to are right1 and these affirmations are all false1 is absurd4 ,there is no such thing as inspired falsehood4 ,again1 a great spiritual truth is herein brought before us1 which concerns believers in all ages4 ,it is set forth in so many words in ,heb4 v4 #d1 where the writer1 laying down the essential conditions of priesthood1 specially mentions ,divine appointment as one of these2 which he affirms as satisfied in the high-priesthood of ,christ3 ,no man taketh the honour unto himself1 but when he is called of ,god1 even as was ,aaron4 ,so ,christ also glorified not ,himself to be made a high priest4 ,fundamental to ,christian faith and life is this thought3 priesthood is not of man1 but of ,god4 ,in particular1 in all that ,christ has done and is still doing as the ,high ,priest1 in the true holiest1 ,he is acting under ,divine appointment4 ,and we are hereby pointed to the truth of which some may need to be reminded1 that the work of our ,lord in our behalf1 and that of the whole universe into which sin has entered1 has its cause and origin in the mind and gracious will of the ,father4 ,it was in ,his incomprehensible love1 who appointed the priestly office1 that the whole work of atonement1 and therewith purification and full redemption1 had its mysterious origin4 ,the thoughtful reader of the ,gospels will hardly need to be reminded how constantly our blessed ,lord1 in the days of ,his high-priestly service upon earth1 acted in all that ,he did under the consciousness1 often expressed1 of ,his appointment by the ,father to this work4 ,thus1 ,aaron in the solemn ceremonial of those days of consecration1 as ever afterward1 doing all the things which the ,lord commanded by the hand of ,moses1 in so doing fitly represented ,him who should come afterward1 who said of ,himself 7,john vi4 #ch71 ,i came down from heaven1 not to do ,mine own will1 but the will of ,him that sent ,me4 ,,the ,,levitical ,,priesthood ,,and ,,tabernacle ,,as ,,types4 ,in order to any profitable study of the following ceremonial1 it is indispensable to have distinctly before us the ,new ,testament teaching as to the typical significance of the priesthood and the tabernacle4 ,a few words on this subject1 therefore1 seem to be needful as preliminary to more detailed exposition4 ,as to the typical character of ,aaron1 as high priest1 the ,new ,testament leaves us no room for doubt4 ,throughout the ,epistle to the ,hebrews1 ,christ is held forth as the true and heavenly ,high ,priest1 of whom ,aaron1 with his successors1 was an eminent type4 ,as regards the other priests1 while it is true that1 considered in themselves1 and without reference to the high priest1 each of them also1 in the performance of his daily functions in the tabernacle1 was a lesser type of ,christ1 as is intimated in ,heb4 x4 #aa1 yet1 as contrasted with the high priest1 who was ever one1 while they were many1 it is plain that another typical reference must be sought for the ordinary priesthood4 ,what that may be is suggested to us in several ,new ,testament passages2 as1 especially1 in ,rev4 v4 #aj1 where the whole body of believers1 bought by the blood of the slain ,lamb1 is said to have been made unto our ,god a kingdom and priests2 with which may be compared ,heb4 xiii4 #aj1 where it is said1 ,we have an altar1 whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle2 words which plainly assume the priesthood of all believers in ,christ1 as the antitype of the priesthood of the ,levitical tabernacle4#ad #ad ,especially striking in this connection is the expression used by the ,apostle ,paul 7,rom4 xv4 #af71 where he speaks of himself as a minister of ,christ ,jesus unto the ,gentiles1 ministering the ,gospel of ,god2 in which last phrase1 the ,greek word denotes ministration as a priest4 ,see ,r4,v41 margin4 ,as to the typical meaning of the tabernacle1 which also is anointed in the consecration ceremonial1 there has been much difference of opinion4 ,that it was typical is declared1 in so many words1 in the ,epistle to the ,hebrews 7viii4 #e71 where the ,levitical priests are said to have served that which is a copy and shadow of the heavenly things2 as also ix4 #bd1 where we read1 ,christ entered not into a holy place made with hands1 like in pattern to the true2 but into heaven itself1 now to appear before the face of ,god for us4 ,but when we ask what then were the heavenly things of which the tabernacle was the copy and shadow1 we have different answers4 ,many have replied that the antitype of the tabernacle1 as of the temple1 was the ,church of believers2 and1 at first thought1 with some apparent ,scriptural reason4 ,for it is certain that ,christians are declared 7#a ,cor4 iii4 #af7 to be the temple of the living ,god2 where1 however1 it is to be noted that the original word denotes1 not the temple or tabernacle in general1 but the sanctuary or inner shrine--the holy of holies4 ,more to the point is #a ,peter ii4 #e1 where it is said to ,christians1 ,ye also1 as living stones1 are built up a spiritual house4 ,such passages as these do certainly warrant us in saying that the tabernacle1 and especially the inner sanctuary1 as the special place of the ,divine habitation and manifestation1 did in so far typify the ,church4 ,but when we consider the tabernacle1 not in itself1 but in relation to its priesthood and ministry1 the explanation fails1 and we fall into confusion4 ,as when the priests are considered1 not in themselves1 but in their relation to the high priest1 we are compelled to seek an antitype different from the ,antitype of the high priest1 so in this case4 ,to identify the typical meaning of the tabernacle1 considered as a part of a whole system and order1 with that of the priesthood who serve in it1 is to throw that whole typical system into confusion4 ,furthermore1 this cannot be harmonised with a number of ,new ,testament expressions with regard to the tabernacle and temple1 as related to the high priesthood of our ,lord4 ,it is hard to see1 for example1 how the ,church of believers could be properly described as things in the heavens4 ,moreover1 we are expressly taught 7,heb4 ix4 #bd71 that the ,antitype of the ,holy ,place into which the high priest entered every year1 with blood1 was heaven itself1 the presence of ,god2 and again1 ,his ascension to the right hand of ,god is described 7,heb4 iv4 #ad1 ,r4,v471 with evident allusion to the passing of the high priest through the ,holy ,place into the ,holiest1 as a passing through the heavens2 and also 7,heb4 ix4 #aa71 as an entering into the ,holy ,place1 through the greater and more perfect tabernacle4 ,these expressions exclude reference to the ,church of ,christ as the antitype of the earthly tabernacle4 ,others1 again1 have regarded the tabernacle as a type of the human nature of ,christ1 referring in proof to ,john ii4 #ai-ba1 where our ,lord speaks of the temple of ,his body2 and also to ,heb4 x4 #ai1 #bj1 where it is said that believers have access to the ,holiest by a new and living way1 which ,he dedicated for us through the veil1 that is to say1 ,his flesh4 ,as regards the first of these passages1 we should note that the original word is1 again1 not the word for the temple in general1 but that which is invariably used to denote the inner sanctuary1 as the special shrine of ,jehovah's presence3 so that it really gives us no warrant for affirming that the tabernacle1 as a whole1 was a type of our ,lord's humanity2 nor1 on that supposition1 does it seem possible to explain the meaning of the three parts into which the tabernacle was divided4 ,and the second passage referred to is no more to the point4 ,for the writer had only a little before described the tabernacle as a pattern of things in the heavens2 words which1 surely1 could not be applied to the humanity in which our ,lord appeared in ,his incarnation and humiliation1--a humanity which was not a thing of the heavens1 but of the earth4 ,the reference to the flesh of ,christ1 as being the veil through which ,he passed into the ,holiest 7,heb4 x4 #ai1 #bj7 is merely by way of illustration1 and not of typical interpretation4 ,the thought of the inspired writer appears to be this3 ,just as1 in the ,levitical tabernacle1 the veil must be parted before the high priest could go into the ,holiest ,place1 even so was it necessary that the flesh of our ,lord should be rent in order that thus1 through death1 it might be possible for ,him to enter into the true holiest4 ,the thought has been happily expressed by ,delitzsch1 thus3 ,while ,he was with us here below1 the weak1 limit-bound1 and mortal flesh which ,he had assumed for our sakes hung like a curtain between ,him and the ,divine sanctuary into which ,he would enter2 and in order to such entrance1 this curtain had to be withdrawn by death1 even as the high priest had to draw aside the temple veil in order to make his entry to the ,holy of ,holies4#ae #ae ,commentary on the ,epistle to the ,hebrews1 vol4 ii41 p4 #agb4 ,not to review other opinions on this matter1 the various expressions used constrain us to regard the tabernacle as typifying the universe itself1 measured and appointed in all its parts by infinite wisdom1 as the abode of ,him who filleth immensity with ,his presence1 the place of the ,divine manifestation1 and the abode of ,his holiness4 ,in the outer court1 where the victims were offered1 we have this world of sense in which we live1 in which our ,lord was offered in the sight of all2 in the ,holy ,place1 and the ,holy of ,holies1 the unseen and heavenly worlds1 through the former of which our ,lord is represented as having passed 7,heb4 iv4 #ad1 ix4 #aa7 that ,he might appear with ,his blood in the true ,holiest1 where ,god in the innermost shrine of ,his glory covereth ,himself with light as with a garment4 ,for this cosmical dwelling-place of the ,most ,high ,god has been defiled by sin1 which1 as it were1 has profaned the whole sanctuary2 for we read 7,col4 i4 #bj71 that not only things upon the earth1 but also things in the heavens1 are to be reconciled through ,christ1 even through the blood of ,his cross2 and1 still more explicitly1 to the same effect 7,heb4 ix4 #bc71 that as the typical copies of the things in the heavens needed to be cleansed with the blood of bullocks and of goats1 so it was necessary that 444 the heavenly things themselves should be cleansed with better sacrifices than these4 ,and so1 at this present time1 ,christ1 as the ,high ,priest of this cosmical tabernacle1 not made with hands1 having offered ,his great sacrifice for sins for ever1 is now engaged in carrying out ,his work of cleansing the people of ,god1 and the earthly and the heavenly sanctuary1 to the uttermost completion4 ,with these preliminary words1 which have seemed essential to the exposition of these chapters1 we are now prepared to consider the ceremonial of the consecration of the priesthood and tabernacle1 and the spiritual meaning which it was intended to convey4 ,,the ,,washing ,,with ,,water4 viii4 #f4 ,and ,moses brought ,aaron and his sons1 and washed them with water4 ,the consecration ceremonies consisted of four parts1 namely1 the ,washing1 the ,investiture1 the ,anointing1 and the ,sacrifices4 ,of these1 first in order was the ,washing4 ,we read that ,moses--acting throughout1 we must remember1 as ,mediator1 representing ,god--brought ,aaron and his sons1 and washed them with water4 ,the meaning of this act is so evident as not to have been called in question4 ,washing ever signifies cleansing2 the ceremonial cleansing of the body1 therefore1 in symbol ever represents the inward purification of the spirit4 ,of this usage the ,biblical illustrations are very numerous4 ,thus1 the spiritual purification of ,israel in the latter day is described 7,isa4 iv4 #d7 by the same word as is used here1 as a washing away of the filth of the daughters of ,zion by the ,lord4 ,so1 again1 in the ,new ,testament1 we read that ,christ declared unto ,nicodemus that in order to see the kingdom of ,god a man must be born again1 of water and the ,spirit1 and in the ,epistle to ,titus 7iii4 #e7 we read of a cleansing of the ,church with the washing 7marg41 laver7 of water1 by the ,word1 even the washing of regeneration4 ,the symbolism in this case1 therefore1 points to cleansing from the defilement of sin as a fundamental condition of priesthood4 ,as regards our ,lord indeed1 such cleansing was no more needed for ,his high priesthood than was the sin-offering for ,himself2 for in ,his holy incarnation1 though ,he took our nature indeed with all the consequences and infirmities consequent on sin ,he was yet without sin4 ,but all the more it was necessary in the symbolism that if ,aaron was to typify the sinless ,christ of ,god he must be cleansed with water1 in type of the cleansing of human nature1 without which no man can approach to ,god4 ,and in that not only ,aaron1 but also his sons1 the ordinary priests1 were thus cleansed1 we are in the ordinance significantly pointed to the deep spiritual truth that they who are called to be priests to ,god must be qualified for this office1 first of all1 by the cleansing of their human nature through the washing of regeneration1 by the power of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,,the ,,investiture4 viii4 #g-i4 ,and he put upon him the coat1 and girded him with the girdle1 and clothed him with the robe1 and put the ephod upon him1 and he girded him with the cunningly woven band of the ephod1 and bound it unto him therewith4 ,and he placed the breastplate upon him3 and in the breastplate he put the ,urim and the ,thummim4 ,and he set the mitre upon his head3 and upon the mitre1 in front1 did he set the golden plate1 the holy crown2 as the ,lord commanded ,moses4 ,the next ceremony of the consecration was the ,investiture of ,aaron with his official1 high-priestly robes1 as they had been appointed of ,god to be made 7,exod4 xxviii474 ,the investiture of the sons of ,aaron significantly takes place only after the anointing of the tabernacle1 and of ,aaron as high priest4 ,of the investiture of ,aaron we read in vv4 #g-i1 above4 ,as these garments were official1 we must needs regard them as symbolical2 a thought which is the more emphasised by the very minute and special directions given by the ,lord for making them4 ,nothing was left to the fancy of man2 all was prescribed by the ,lord4 ,the official robes of the high priest consisted of eight pieces1 four of which1 the coat1 the girdle1 the turban 7or mitre71 and the breeches1 were1 with the exception of the turban1 of white linen1 and identical in every respect with the official dress of the ordinary priests4 ,four pieces more were peculiar to himself1 the special insignia of his office1 and unlike the dress of the ordinary priest1 were richly made in gold and various colours1 garments for glory and for beauty4 ,these were3 the robe of the ephod1 made all of blue1 with a border of pendant pomegranates and golden bells in alternation2 the ephod itself consisting of two pieces1 broidered in gold and blue1 purple1 scarlet1 and fine white linen1 the one hanging in front1 the other behind1 over the robe of the ephod1 and joined on the shoulders with two onyx stones1 on which were graven the names of the twelve tribes1 six on the one shoulder and six on the other2 it was girt about him with a girdle of the same material and colours4 ,the third was the breast-plate1 which was a double square of the same material and colours as the ephod1 within the fold of which1 as it hung from his shoulders by golden chains1 was placed the ,urim and the ,thummim1 whatever these may have been1 and upon the front of which were set twelve precious stones1 on which1 severally1 were engraved the names of the twelve tribes of the children of ,israel4 ,and the fourth and last article of his attire was the golden plate1 the holy crown2 a band of gold bound about his forehead over the turban1 with blue lace1 on which were engraven the words1 ,holiness to ,jehovah4 ,this dress of the high priest represented him1 in the first place1 as the appointed minister of the tabernacle4 ,the number of pieces1 twice four1 like the four of the common priests' attire1 answered to the four which was represented in the ground plan of the tabernacle1 quadrangular both in its form as a whole and in its several parts1 the ,holy of ,holies being a perfect cube2 four being in ,scripture constantly the number which symbolises the universe1 as created by ,god and bearing witness to ,him4 ,so also the garments of the high priest marked him as the minister of the tabernacle by their colours1 also four in number1 and the same as those of the latter1 namely1 blue1 purple1 scarlet1 and white4 ,but the official robes of the high priest marked him1 in the second place1 as the servant of the ,god of the tabernacle1 whose livery he wore4 ,for these colours1 various modifications of light1 all thus had a symbolic reference to the ,god of light1 who made the universe of which the ,mosaic tabernacle was a type4 ,of these1 the blue1 the colour of the overarching heaven1 has been in many lands and religions naturally regarded as the colour symbolising ,god1 as the ,god of the heaven1 bowing to the earth in condescending love and self-revelation4 ,in like manner1 we find it repeatedly recurring in the symbolic manifestations of ,jehovah in the ,holy ,scriptures1 where it always brings ,god before us with special reference to ,his condescending love as entering into covenant with man1 and revealing for their good ,his holy law4#af ,the purple1 as will occur to every one1 is everywhere recognised as the colour of royalty1 and therefore symbolised the kingly exaltation and majesty of ,god1 as the ,ruler of heaven and earth4 ,the scarlet reminds us at once of the colour of blood1 which stands in the very foreground of the ,mosaic symbolism as the symbol of life1 and thus points us to the conception of ,god1 as the essentially ,living ,one1 who is ,himself the sole primal source of all life1 whether physical or spiritual1 in the creature4 ,no one can mistake1 again1 the symbolic meaning of the white1 which1 not only in the ,scripture1 but among all nations1 has ever been the symbol of purity and holiness1 and thus represented the high priest as the minister of ,god1 as the ,most ,holy ,one4 ,by this investiture1 therefore1 ,aaron was symbolically constituted the minister of the tabernacle1 on the one hand1 and of ,god1 on the other2 and1 in particular1 of ,god as the ,god of revelation1 in covenant with ,israel2 of ,god as the ,most ,high1 the ,king of ,israel2 of ,god as the ,god of life1 the ,giver of life in the redemption of ,israel2 and1 finally1 of ,god as the ,most ,holy1 the ,god who is light1 and with whom is no darkness at all4 #af ,see1 e4g41 ,exod4 xxiv4 #aj2 ,ezek4 i4 #bf4 ,the robe of the ephod was woven in one piece1 and all of blue4 ,in that it was thus without seam1 was symbolised the wholeness and absolute integrity necessary to him who should bear the high priestly office4 ,in that it was made all of blue1 the colour which symbolised the ,god of heaven as manifesting ,himself to ,israel in condescending love1 in the holy law and covenant1 this robe of the ephod specially marked the high priest as the minister of ,jehovah and of ,his revealed law4 ,the ephod1 which depended from the shoulders before and behind1 according to the usage of ,scripture1 was the garment specially significant of rule and authority2 a thought which reached full expression in the breast-plate which was fastened to it1 which contained the ,urim and ,thummim1 by which ,god's will was made known to ,israel in times of perplexity1 and was called the breast-plate of judgment4 ,the ornamentation of these garments had also a symbolic meaning1 though it may not be in each instance equally clear4 ,in that the high priest1 as thus robed1 bore upon the ephod and the breast-plate of judgment1 graven on precious stones1 the names of the twelve tribes of ,israel1 he was marked as one who in all his high-priestly work before and with ,god1 presented and represented ,israel4 ,in that the names were engraven upon precious stones was signified the exceeding preciousness of ,israel in ,god's sight1 as ,his peculiar treasure4 ,in that1 again1 they were worn upon his shoulders1 ,aaron was represented to ,israel as upholding and bearing them before ,god in the strength of his office2 in that he wore their names upon his breast1 he was represented as also bearing them upon his heart in love and affection4 ,the symbolic meaning of the pomegranates and golden bells1 which formed the border of the robe of the ephod1 is not quite so clear4 ,but we may probably find a hint as to their significance in the ,divine direction as to the border of blue which every ,israelite was to wear upon the bottom of his garment 7,numb4 xv4 #ci74 ,the purpose of this is said to be that it might be for a continual reminder of the law3 ,it shall be unto you for a fringe1 that ye may look upon it1 and remember all the commandments of the ,lord1 and do them4 ,if then this border in the garment of each individual member of the priestly nation was designed symbolically to mark them as the keepers of the law of the ,god of heaven1 we may safely infer an analogous meaning in the similar border to the official garment of the high priest4 ,and if so1 then we shall perhaps not be far out of the way if in this case we follow ,jewish tradition in regarding the pomegranate1 a fruit distinguished by being filled to the full with seeds1 as the symbol1 par excellence1 of the law of commandments1 the words of the living ,god1 as incorruptible seed1 endowed by ,him with vital energy and power4#ag #ag ,thus e4g41 in ,cant4 iv4 #ac1 where the ,revised ,version reads1 ,thy shoots are an orchard of pomegranates1 the ,jewish paraphrast in the ,chaldee ,targum renders1 ,thy young men are filled with the commandments 7of ,god7 like unto pomegranates 7sc4 with their seeds74 ,as for the bells1 we naturally think at once of the common use of the bell to give a signal1 and announce what one may be concerned to know4 ,so we read of these golden bells 7,exod4 xxviii4 #ce71 the sound thereof shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the ,lord 444 that he die not4 ,these golden bells in the border of his garment1 between each pair of pomegranates1 thus announced him as officially appearing before ,god as the fulfiller of the law of commandments1 and as1 for this reason1 acceptable to ,god in the execution of his high-priestly functions4 ,as to the ,urim and ,thummim1 ,light and ,perfection1 which were apparently placed within the fold of the breast-plate of judgment1 as the tables of the law within the ark of the covenant1 there has been in all ages much debate2 but what they were cannot be said to have been certainly determined4 ,most probable appears the opinion that they were two sacred lots1 which on solemn occasions were used by the high priest for determining the will of ,god4 ,so much1 in any case1 is clear from the ,scriptures1 that in some way through them the will of ,god as the ,king of ,israel was made known to the high priest1 for the direction of the nation in doubtful matters4 ,most fitly1 therefore1 they were placed within the breast-plate of judgment1 which1 indeed1 may have received this name from this circumstance4 ,the high priest1 therefore1 as the bearer of the ,urim and ,thummim1 was set forth1 in accordance with the meaning of these words1 as one who in virtue of his office received perfect enlightenment from ,god as to ,his will1 in all that concerned ,israel's action4 ,the plate of graven gold1 called the holy crown1 was bound by ,moses with a lace of blue upon the mitre of ,aaron in front4 ,the precious metal here1 as elsewhere in the official garments of the high priest1 and in the tabernacle1 was symbolic of the boundless riches of the glory of the ,god of ,israel1 whose minister the high priest was4 ,the special significance1 however1 of this holy crown1 is found in the words which appeared upon it1 ,holiness to ,jehovah4 ,this was a continual visible mark and reminder of the fact that the high priest1 in all that he was1 and in all that he did1 was a person in the highest possible sense consecrated to ,jehovah1 the heavenly ,king of ,israel1 whose livery he wore4 ,and in that this golden plate with this inscription is called his crown1 it is further suggested that in this last-named fact is found the crowning glory and dignity of the high priest's office4 ,he is the minister of the ,god of ,israel1 ,jehovah1 whose own supreme glory is just this1 that ,he is holy4 ,in the directions given for this crown in ,exod4 xxviii4 #cf-ch it is said that in virtue of his wearing this1 or1 rather1 in virtue of the fact thus set forth1 ,aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of ,israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts2 and it shall always be upon his forehead1 that they may be accepted before the ,lord4 ,that is1 even ,israel's consecrated things1 their holiest gifts1 are yet defiled by the ever abiding sinfulness of those who offer them2 but they are nevertheless graciously accepted1 as being offered by ,aaron1 himself holy to the ,lord4 ,such then appears to have been the symbolic meaning of these garments for glory and for beauty1 with which ,moses now robed ,aaron1 in token of his investiture with the manifold dignities of the exalted office to which ,god had called him4 ,but we must not forget that we are not1 in all this1 dealing merely with matters of antiquarian or archological interest4 ,nothing is plainer than the teaching of the ,new ,testament1 that ,aaron1 as the high priest1 not by accident1 but by ,divine intention1 prefigured ,christ4 ,in all the directions given concerning his investiture with his office1 and the work which1 as high priest1 he had to do1 the ,holy ,ghost intended to prefigure1 directly or indirectly1 something concerning the person1 office1 and work of ,jesus ,christ1 as our heavenly ,high ,priest1 the ,fulfiller of all these types4 ,as ,aaron appears in his fourfold high-priestly garments of four colours1 which represented him as the minister1 on the one hand1 of the tabernacle1 and1 on the other1 of the ,god of ,israel1 the ,inhabitant of the tabernacle1 so are we reminded how ,christ is appointed as the ,minister of the greater and more perfect tabernacle1 not made with hands 7,heb4 ix4 #aa71 the earth1 the heaven1 and the heaven of heavens1 to reconcile1 by the offering of ,his blood1 both the things which are on earth and those which are in the heavens 7,col4 i4 #bj74 ,we look upon the blue robe of the ephod1 and remember how ,christ is made a minister of a better covenant1 enacted upon better promises 7,heb4 viii4 #f71 representing1 as that old covenant did not1 the fulness of the revelation of ,god's condescending love and saving mercy4 ,so also the inwoven scarlet reminds us how ,christ1 again1 as the great ,high ,priest1 is the minister of the ,god of life1 and is also ,himself life and the ,giver of life to all ,his people4 ,we look upon the high priest's purple and gold1 and are reminded again that ,christ1 the ,high ,priest1 is also invested with regal power and dominion1 all authority being given unto ,him in heaven and on earth 7,matt4 xxviii4 #ah74 ,again1 we look on the ephod of fine linen1 inwoven with blue1 and scarlet1 and purple1 and gold1 with its girdle1 symbolising service1 and its pendant breast-plate of judgment1 and are reminded how ,christ in all the relations thus pertaining to ,him as ,high ,priest1 is the ,ruler and the ,judge of ,his people1 who1 as the bearer of the true ,urim and ,thummim1 is not only ,priest1 and ,king1 and ,judge1 but also1 and in order to the salvation of ,his people1 their ,prophet1 continually revealing unto those who seek ,him1 the will of ,god for their direction and guidance in every emergency of life4 ,the girdle1 the symbol of service1 brings to mind1 again1 how in all this ,he is the ,servant of the ,lord1 serving the ,father in saving us4 ,the symbolism of the pomegranates and the golden bells reminds us1 for the strengthening of our faith1 how our exalted ,high ,priest1 who appears before ,god in our behalf in the ,holiest1 appears there as the great ,preserver and ,fulfiller of the ,divine law1 supremely qualified1 no less by ,his supreme merit than by ,divine appointment1 to urge our needs with prevalence before ,god1 ,his very presence in the heavenly sanctuary vocal with sweet music4 ,did ,aaron bear the names of the twelve tribes of ,israel on his shoulders and on his breast before ,god continually8 ,even so does his great ,antitype bear continually all ,his people before ,god1 as ,he executes ,his high-priestly office2 and this1 too1 not merely in a vague and general way1 but tribe by tribe1 community by community1 each with its peculiar case and special need2 nay1 we may say even more2 each individual1 as such1 is thus borne continually on the shoulders and the breast of the heavenly ,priest2 on ,his shoulders ,he bears them1 to support them by ,his power2 on ,his heart1 in tenderest love and sympathy4 ,and so often as we are distressed and discouraged by the consciousness of defilement still pertaining even to the holiest of our holy things1 consecration ever imperfect at the best1 we may bethink ourselves of the golden crown which ,aaron wore1 and its inscription1 and remember how the ,lord ,jesus is in fullest reality holy to the ,lord2 so that we may take heart of grace as1 with full reason and right1 we apply to ,him what is said of this crown of holiness on ,aaron's brow3 ,the crown of holiness is ever on ,his forehead1 and ,he shall bear the iniquity of the holy things which we shall hallow in all our holy gifts2 it is always on ,his forehead1 that our works may be accepted before the ,lord4 ,and so we are taught by this symbolism ever to look away from all conscious defilement and sin to the infinite holiness of the person of the ,lord ,jesus1 as ,he continually appears before ,god as ,high ,priest in our behalf1 the all-sufficient ,surety for the acceptance of our persons and of our imperfect works1 for ,his own sake4 ,the investiture1 as also the anointing1 of the sons of ,aaron1 followed the robing and anointing of ,aaron4 ,we read 7ver4 #ac73 ,moses brought ,aaron's sons1 and clothed them with coats1 and girded them with girdles1 and bound head-tires upon them2 as the ,lord commanded ,moses4 ,to the three articles of their attire here mentioned1 must be added the linen breeches 7,exod4 xxviii4 #db1 #dc72 so that they also1 in the several parts of their official vestments1 bore the number four1 the signature of the creaturely1 as represented in the tabernacle4 ,all was of pure white linen1 signifying the holiness and righteousness of those who should act as priests before ,god4 ,so once and again in the ,apocalypse1 the same symbol is used to denote the spotless holiness and righteousness of the blood-bought saints1 who are made a kingdom and priests unto ,god2 as1 for instance1 it is said of that same holy body1 symbolised as the bride of the ,lamb1 that it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen1 bright and pure3 for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints 7,rev4 xix4 #h74 ,,the ,,anointing4 viii4 #aj-ab4 ,and ,moses took the anointing oil1 and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein1 and sanctified them4 ,and he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times1 and anointed the altar and all its vessels1 and the laver and its base1 to sanctify them4 ,and he poured of the anointed oil upon ,aaron's head1 and anointed him1 to sanctify him4 ,next in order came the anointing1 first of the tabernacle and all that pertained to its service1 and then the anointing of ,aaron4 ,the anointing oil was made 7,exod4 xxx4 #bb-cc7 with a perfume of choice spices1 their number1 four1 the sacred number so constantly recurring in the tabernacle4 ,to make or use this oil1 except for the sacred purposes of the sanctuary1 was forbidden under penalty of being cut off from the holy people4 ,the purpose of the anointing of the tabernacle and all within it1 is declared to be its consecration thereby to the service of ,jehovah4 ,the altar1 as a place of special sanctity1 the place where ,god had covenanted to meet with ,israel1 was anointed seven times4 ,for the number seven1 compounded of three1 the signet number of the ,godhead1 and four1 the constant symbol of the creaturely1 is thus by eminence the sacred number1 the number1 in particular1 which is the sign and reminder of the covenant of redemption2 and so here it is with special meaning that the altar1 as being the place where ,god had specially covenanted to meet with ,israel as reconciled through the blood of atonement1 should receive a sevenfold anointing4 ,after this1 the anointing oil was poured on the head of ,aaron1 to sanctify him4 ,as to the meaning of this part of the symbolic service1 there is little room for doubt4 ,the anointing is said to have been to sanctify or set apart to the service of ,jehovah him that was anointed4 ,and1 inasmuch as oil1 in the ,holy ,scriptures1 is the constant symbol of the ,holy ,spirit1 it is taught hereby that consecration is secured only through the anointing with the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the direct typical reference of this part of the ceremonial to ,christ1 will not be denied by any one for whom the ,scripture any longer has authority4 ,for ,christ ,himself quoted the words we find in ,isa4 lxi4 #a1 as fulfilled in ,himself3 ,the ,spirit of the ,lord ,god is upon ,me1 because the ,lord ,god hath anointed ,me4 ,and the ,apostle ,peter afterward taught 7,acts x4 #ch7 that ,god had anointed ,jesus with the ,holy ,ghost and with power2 while the most common title of our ,lord1 as the ,messiah or ,christ1 as we all know1 though often forgetful of its meaning1 simply means the ,anointed ,one4 ,so every time we use the word1 we unconsciously testify to the fulfilment of this type of the anointing of ,aaron as priest1 as1 afterward1 of the anointing of ,david as king1 in ,him4 ,and as the anointing of ,aaron took place in the sight of all ,israel1 assembled at the door of the tent of meeting1 so in the fulness of time was ,jesus1 in the sight of all the multitude that waited on the baptism of ,john1 after having been washed with water1 to fulfil all righteousness1 anointed from heaven1 as the ,holy ,ghost descended in bodily form1 as a dove1 and abode upon him 7,luke iii4 #bb74 ,and while1 according to ,jewish tradition1 the anointing oil was applied to the ordinary priests only in small quantity and by the finger1 on the head of ,aaron it was poured2 in which word1 as suggested in ,psalm cxxxiii4 #b1 we are to understand a reference to the great copiousness with which it was used4 ,in which1 again1 the type exactly corresponds to the ,antitype4 ,for while it is true of all believers that they have an anointing from the ,holy ,one 7#a ,john ii4 #bj71 even as their ,lord1 yet of ,him alone is it true that unto ,him the ,spirit was not given by measure 7,john iii4 #cd74 ,and by this ,divine anointing with the ,holy ,spirit without limit1 was ,jesus sanctified and qualified for the office of ,high ,priest for all ,his people4 ,the anointing of the tabernacle with the same holy oil was according to a custom long before prevalent1 and however it may seem strange to any of us now1 will not have seemed strange to ,israel4 ,we read1 for instance 7,gen4 xxviii4 #ah71 of the anointing of the stone at ,bethel by ,jacob1 by which he thus consecrated it to be a stone of remembrance of the revelation of ,god to him in that place4 ,so by this anointing1 the tabernacle1 with all that it contained1 was sanctified2 that is1 consecrated that so the use of these might be made1 through the power of the ,holy ,ghost1 a means of grace and blessing to ,israel4 ,and it was thus anointed1 and for this purpose1 as being a copy and pattern of the heavenly things4 ,by the ceremony is signified to us1 that by the power of the ,holy ,ghost1 through the high-priesthood of our ,lord1 the whole universe and all that is in it has been consecrated and endowed by ,god with virtue1 to become a means of grace and blessing to all believers1 by ,his grace and might who works in all things and through all things to this end4 ,,the ,,consecration ,,sacrifices4 viii4 #ad-cb4 ,and he brought the bullock of the sin offering3 and ,aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the bullock of the sin offering4 ,and he slew it2 and ,moses took the blood1 and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger1 and purified the altar1 and poured out the blood at the base of the altar1 and sanctified it1 to make atonement for it4 ,and he took all the fat that was upon the inwards1 and the caul of the liver1 and the two kidneys1 and their fat1 and ,moses burned it upon the altar4 ,but the bullock1 and its skin1 and its flesh1 and its dung1 he burnt with fire without the camp2 as the ,lord commanded ,moses4 ,and he presented the ram of the burnt offering3 and ,aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram4 ,and he killed it3 and ,moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about4 ,and he cut the ram into its pieces2 and ,moses burnt the head1 and the pieces1 and the fat4 ,and he washed the inwards and the legs with water2 and ,moses burnt the whole ram upon the altar3 it was a burnt offering for a sweet savour3 it was an offering made by fire unto the ,lord2 as the ,lord commanded ,moses4 ,and he presented the other ram1 the ram of consecration3 and ,aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram4 ,and he slew it2 and ,moses took of the blood thereof1 and put it upon the tip of ,aaron's right ear1 and upon the thumb of his right hand1 and upon the great toe of his right foot4 ,and he brought ,aaron's sons1 and ,moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right ear1 and upon the thumb of their right hand1 and upon the great toe of their right foot3 and ,moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about4 ,and he took the fat1 and the fat tail1 and all the fat that was upon the inwards1 and the caul of the liver1 and the two kidneys and their fat1 and the right thigh3 and out of the basket of unleavened bread1 that was before the ,lord1 he took one unleavened cake1 and one cake of oiled bread1 and one wafer1 and placed them on the fat1 and upon the right thigh3 and he put the whole upon the hands of ,aaron1 and upon the hands of his sons1 and waved them for a wave offering before the ,lord4 ,and ,moses took them from off their hands1 and burnt them on the altar upon the burnt offering3 they were a consecration for a sweet savour3 it was an offering made by fire unto the ,lord4 ,and ,moses took the breast and waved it for a wave offering before the ,lord3 it was ,moses' portion of the ram of consecration2 as the ,lord commanded ,moses4 ,and ,moses took of the anointing oil1 and of the blood which was upon the altar1 and sprinkled it upon ,aaron1 upon his garments1 and upon his sons1 and upon his sons' garments with him2 and sanctified ,aaron1 his garments1 and his sons1 and his sons' garments with him4 ,and ,moses said unto ,aaron and to his sons1 ,boil the flesh at the door of the tent of meeting3 and there eat it and the bread that is in the basket of consecration1 as ,i commanded1 saying1 ,aaron and his sons shall eat it4 ,and that which remaineth of the flesh and of the bread shall ye burn with fire4 ,the last part of the consecration ceremonial was the sacrifices4 ,each of the chief sacrifices of the law were offered in order2 first1 a sin-offering2 then1 a burnt-offering2 then1 a peace-offering1 with some significant variations from the ordinary ritual1 adapting it to this occasion2 with which was conjoined1 after the usual manner1 a meal-offering4 ,a sin-offering was offered1 first of all2 there had been a symbolical cleansing with water1 but still a sin-offering is required4 ,it signified1 what so many in these days seem to forget1 that in order to our acceptableness before ,god1 not only is needed a cleansing of the defilement of nature by the regeneration of the ,holy ,ghost1 but also expiation for the guilt of our sins4 ,the sin-offering was first1 for the guilt of ,aaron and his sons must be thus typically removed1 before their burnt-offerings and their meal- and peace-offerings can be accepted4 ,the peculiarities of the offerings as rendered on this occasion are easily explained from the circumstances of their presentation4 ,moses officiates1 for this time only1 as specially delegated for this occasion1 inasmuch as ,aaron and his sons are not yet fully inducted into their office4 ,the victim for the sin-offering is the costliest ever employed3 a bullock1 as ordered for the sin of the anointed priest4 ,but the blood is not brought into the ,holy ,place1 as in the ritual for the offering for the high priest1 because ,aaron is not yet fully inducted into his office4 ,nor do ,aaron and his sons eat of the flesh of the sin-offering1 as ordered in the case of other sin-offerings whose blood is not brought within the ,holy ,place2 obviously1 because of the principle which rules throughout the law1 that he for whose sin the sin-offering is offered1 must not himself eat of the flesh2 it is therefore burnt with fire1 without the camp1 that it may not see corruption4 ,by this sin-offering1 not only ,aaron and his sons were cleansed1 but we read that hereby atonement was also made for the altar2 a mysterious type1 reminding us that1 in some way which we cannot as yet fully understand1 sin has affected the whole universe3 in such a sense1 that not only for man himself who has sinned1 is propitiation required1 but1 in some sense1 even for the earth itself1 with the heavens4 ,that in expounding the meaning of this part of the ritual we do not go beyond the ,scripture is plain from such passages as ,heb4 ix4 #bc1 where it is expressly said that even as the tabernacle and the things in it were cleansed with the blood of the bullock1 so was necessary that1 not merely man1 but the heavenly things themselves1 of which the tabernacle and its belongings were the copies1 should be cleansed with better sacrifices than these1 even the offering of ,christ's own blood4 ,so also we read in ,col4 i4 #bj1 before cited1 that through ,christ1 even through the blood of ,his cross1 not merely persons1 but all things1 whether things on the earth1 or things in the heavens1 should be reconciled unto ,god4 ,mysterious words these1 no doubt2 but words which teach us at least so much as this1 how profound and far-reaching is the mischief which sin has wrought1 even our sin4 ,not merely the sinning man must be cleansed with blood before he can be made a priest unto ,god1 but even nature1 made subject to vanity 7,rom4 viii4 #bj71 for man's sin1 needs the reconciling blood before redeemed man can exercise his priesthood unto ,god in the heavenly places4 ,evidently we have here an estimate of the evil of sin which is incomparably higher than that which is commonly current among men2 and we shall do well to conform our estimate to that of ,god1 who required atonement to be made even for the earthen altar1 to sanctify it4 ,reconciliation being made by the sin-offering1 next in order came the burnt-offering1 symbolic1 as we have seen1 of the full consecration of the person of the offerer to ,god2 in this case of the full consecration of ,aaron and his sons to the service of ,god in the priesthood4 ,the ritual was according to the usual law1 and requires no further exposition4 ,the ceremonial culminated and was completed in the offering of the ram of consecration4 ,the expression is1 literally1 the ram of fillings2 in which phrase there is a reference to the peculiar ceremony described in vv4 #bg1 #bh1 in which certain portions of the victim and of the meal-offering were placed by ,moses on the hands of ,aaron and his sons1 and waved by them for a wave-offering2 and afterwards burnt wholly on the altar upon the burnt-offering1 in token of their full devotement to the ,lord4 ,of these it is then added1 they were a consecration 7lit4 fillings1 sc4 of hands1 were these74 ,the meaning of the phrase and the action it denoted is determined by its use in #a ,chron4 xxix4 #e and #b ,chron4 xxix4 #ca1 where it is used of the bringing of the freewill-offerings by the people for ,jehovah4 ,the ceremonial in this case therefore signified the formal making over of the sacrifices into the charge of ,aaron and his sons1 which henceforth they were to offer2 that they received them to offer them to and for ,jehovah1 was symbolised by their presentation to be waved before ,jehovah1 and further by their being burnt upon the altar1 as a sacrifice of sweet savour4 ,another thing peculiar to this special consecration sacrifice1 was the use which was made of the blood1 which 7ver4 #bc7 was put upon the tip of ,aaron's right ear1 upon the thumb of his right hand1 and upon the great toe of his right foot4 ,although the solution is not without difficulty1 we shall probably not err in regarding this as distinctively an act of consecration1 signifying that in virtue of the sacrificial blood1 ,aaron and his sons were set apart to sacrificial service4 ,it is applied to the ear1 to the hand1 and the foot1 and to the most representative member in each case1 to signify the consecration of the whole body to the ,lord's service in the tabernacle2 the ear is consecrated by the blood to be ever attentive to the word of ,jehovah1 to receive the intimations of ,his will2 the hand1 to be ever ready to do the ,lord's work2 and the foot1 to run on ,his service4 ,another peculiarity of this offering was in the wave-offering of ,aaron and his sons4 ,not the breast1 but the thigh1 and that together with the fat 7ver4 #bg7 was waved before the ,lord2 and1 afterward1 not only the fat was burnt upon the altar1 according to the law1 but also the thigh1 which in other cases was the portion of the priest1 was burnt with the fat and the memorial of the meal-offering4 ,the breast was afterward waved1 as the law commanded in the case of the peace-offerings1 but was given to ,moses as his portion4 ,the last particular is easy to understand2 ,moses in this ceremonial stands in the place of the officiating priest1 and it is natural that he should thus receive from the ,lord his reward for his service4 ,as for the thigh1 which1 when the peace-offering was offered by one of the people1 was presented to the ,lord1 and then given to the officiating priest to be eaten1 obviously the law could not be applied here1 as the priests themselves were the bringers of the offering2 hence the only alternative was1 as in the case of sin-offerings of the holy place1 to burn the flesh with fire upon the altar1 as the food of ,jehovah4 ,the remainder of the flesh was to be eaten by the priests alone as the offerers1 under the regulation for the thank-offering1 except that whatever remained until the next day was to be burnt2 a direction which is explained by the fact that the sacrifice was to be repeated for seven days1 so that there could be no reason for keeping the flesh until the third day4 ,last of all1 it is to be noted that whereas in the thank-offerings of the people1 the offerer was allowed to bring leavened bread for the sacrificial feast1 in the feast of the consecration of priests this was not permitted2 no doubt to emphasise the peculiar sanctity of the office to which they were inducted4 ,with these modifications1 it is plain that the sacrifice of consecration was essentially1 not a guilt-offering1 as some have supposed1 but a peace-offering4 ,it is true that a ram was enjoined as the victim instead of a lamb1 but the correspondence here with the law of the guilt-offering is of no significance when we observe that rams were also enjoined or used for peace-offerings on other occasions of exceptional dignity and sanctity1 as in the peace-offerings for the nation1 mentioned in the following chapter1 and the peace-offerings for the princes of the tribes 7,numb4 vii474 ,unlike the guilt-offering1 but after the manner of the other1 the sacrifice was followed by a sacrificial feast4 ,that participation in this was restricted to the priests1 is sufficiently explained by the special relation of this sacrifice to their own consecration4 ,before the sacrificial feast1 however1 one peculiar ceremony still remained4 ,we read 7ver4 #cj73 ,moses took of the anointing oil1 and of the blood 7of the peace-offering7 which was upon the altar1 and sprinkled it upon ,aaron1 upon his garments1 and upon his sons1 and upon his sons' garments with him2 and sanctified ,aaron1 his garments1 and his sons1 and his sons' garments with him4 ,this sprinkling signified that now1 through the atoning blood which had been accepted before ,god upon the altar1 and through the sanctifying ,spirit of grace1 which was symbolised by the anointing1 thus inseparably associated each with the other1 they had been brought into covenant relation with ,god regarding the office of the priesthood4 ,that this their covenant relation to ,god concerned them1 not merely as private persons1 but in their official character1 was intimated by the sprinkling1 not only of their persons1 but of the garments which were the insignia of their priestly office4 ,all this completed1 now followed the sacrificial feast4 ,we read that ,moses now ordered ,aaron and his sons 7ver4 #ca73 ,boil the flesh at the door of the tent of meeting3 and there eat it and the bread that is in the basket of consecration1 as ,i commanded1 saying1 ,aaron and his sons shall eat it4 ,and that which remaineth of the flesh and of the bread shall ye burn with fire4 ,this sacrificial feast most fitly marked the conclusion of the rites of consecration4 ,hereby it was signified1 first1 that by this solemn service they were now brought into a relation of peculiarly intimate fellowship with ,jehovah1 as the ministers of ,his house1 to offer ,his offerings1 and to be fed at ,his table4 ,it was further signified1 that strength for the duties of this office should be supplied to them by ,him whom they were to serve1 in that they were to be fed of ,his altar4 ,and1 finally1 in that the ritual took the specific form of a thank-offering1 was thereby expressed1 as was fitting1 their gratitude to ,god for the grace which had chosen them and set them apart to so holy and exalted service4 ,these consecration services were to be repeated for seven consecutive days1 during which time they were not to leave the tent of meeting1--obviously1 that by no chance they might contract any ceremonial defilement2 so jealously must the sanctity of everything pertaining to the service be guarded4 ,the commandment was 7vv4 #cc-ce73 ,ye shall not go out from the door of the tent of meeting seven days1 until the days of your consecration be fulfilled3 for he shall consecrate you seven days4 ,as hath been done this day1 so the ,lord hath commanded to do1 to make atonement for you4 ,and at the door of the tent of meeting shall ye abide day and night seven days1 and keep the charge of the ,lord1 that ye die not3 for so ,i am commanded4 ,by the sevenfold repetition of the consecration ceremonies was expressed1 in the most emphatic manner known to the ,mosaic symbolism1 the completeness of the consecration and qualification of ,aaron and his sons for their office1 and the fact also that1 in virtue of this consecration1 they had come into a special covenant relation with ,jehovah concerning the priestly office4 ,that these consecration sacrifices by which ,aaron and his sons were set apart to the priesthood1 no less than the preceding part of the ceremonial1 pointed forward to ,christ and ,his priestly people as the ,antitype1 it will be easy to see4 ,as regards our ,lord1 in ,heb4 vii4 #bh1 the sacred writer applies to the consecration of our ,lord as high priest the very term which the ,seventy had used long before in this chapter of ,leviticus to denote this formal consecration1 and represents the consecration of the ,son as the antitype of the consecration of ,aaron by the law3 the law appointeth men high priests1 having infirmity2 but the word of the oath1 which was after the law1 appointeth a ,son1 perfected for evermore4 ,an exception1 indeed1 must be made1 as regards our ,lord1 in the case of the sin-offering2 of whom it is said 7,heb4 vii4 #bg71 that ,he needeth not 444 like those high priests1 to offer up sacrifices1 first for ,his own sins4 ,but as regards the other two sacrifices1 we can see that in their distinctive symbolical import they each bring before us essential elements in the consecration of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ as ,high ,priest4 ,in the burnt-offering1 we see ,him consecrating ,himself by the complete self-surrender of ,himself to the ,father4 ,in the offering of consecrations1 we see ,him in the meal-offering of unleavened bread1 offering in like manner ,his most holy works unto the ,father2 and in the sacrifice of the peace-offering1 wherein ,aaron ate of the food of ,god's house in ,his presence1 we see ,jesus in like manner as qualified for ,his high-priestly work by ,his admission into terms of the most intimate fellowship with the ,father1 and sustained for ,his work by the strength given from ,him1 according to ,his own word3 ,the living ,father hath sent ,me1 and ,i live because of the ,father4 ,in the formal filling of the hands of ,aaron with the sacrificial material1 in token of his endowment with the right to offer sacrifices for sin for the sake of sinful men1 we are reminded how our ,lord refers to the fact that ,he had received in like manner authority from the ,father to lay down ,his life for ,his sheep1 emphatically adding the words1 7,john x4 #ah71 ,this commandment have ,i received of ,my ,father4 ,so also was the meaning of the collateral ceremonies fully realised in ,him4 ,if ,aaron was anointed with the blood on ear1 hand1 and foot1 by way of signifying that the members of his body should be wholly devoted unto ,god in priestly service1 even so we are reminded 7,heb4 x4 #e1 #g71 that when ,he cometh into the world ,he saith1 444 ,sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not1 but a body didst thou prepare for ,me2 444 ,lo1 ,i am come to do ,thy will1 ,o ,god4 ,and so1 as ,aaron was at the end of the sacrifice sprinkled with blood and oil1 in token that ,god had now1 through the blood and the oil1 entered into a covenant of priesthood with him1 so we find repeated reference to the fact of such a solemn covenant and compact between ,god and the ,high ,priest of our profession summed up in the words of prophecy1 ,the ,lord hath sworn1 and will not repent1 ,thou art a priest for ever after the order of ,melchizedek4 ,so did this whole consecration ceremony1 with the exception only of such parts of it as had reference to the sin of ,aaron1 point forward to the future investiture of the ,son of ,god with the high-priestly office1 by ,god the ,father1 that ,he might act therein for our salvation in all matters between us and ,god4 ,how can any who have eyes to see all this1 as opened out for us in the ,new ,testament1 fail with fullest joy and thankfulness to accept ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 now passed into the ,holiest1 as the ,high ,priest of our profession8 ,how naturally to all such come the words of exhortation with which is concluded the great argument upon ,christ's high-priesthood in the ,epistle to the ,hebrews 7x4 #ai-bc73 ,having therefore1 brethren1 boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of ,jesus2 444 and having a great priest over the house of ,god2 let us draw near with a true heart1 in fulness of faith1 having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience1 and our body washed with pure water3 let us hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not2 for ,he is faithful that promised4 ,but not only was ,aaron thus consecrated to be high priest of the tabernacle1 but his sons also1 to be priests under him in the same service4 ,in this also the type holds good4 ,for when in ,heb4 ii4 ,christ is brought before us as the ,high ,priest of our confession1 ,he is represented as saying 7ver4 #ac71 ,behold1 ,i and the children which ,god hath given me6 ,as ,aaron had his sons appointed to perform priestly functions under him in the earthly tabernacle1 so also his great ,antitype has sons1 called to priestly office under ,him in the heavenly tabernacle4 ,accordingly1 we find that in the ,new ,testament1 not any caste or class in the ,christian ,church1 but all believers1 are represented as a holy priesthood1 to offer up spiritual sacrifices1 acceptable to ,god through ,jesus ,christ 7#a ,peter ii4 #e74 ,to the testimony of ,peter corresponds that of ,john in the ,apocalypse1 where in like manner believers are declared to be priests unto ,god1 and represented as also acting as priests of ,god and of ,christ in the age which is to come after the first resurrection#ah 7,rev4 xx4 #f74 ,hence it is plain that according to the ,new ,testament we shall rightly regard the consecration of the sons of ,aaron as no less typical than that of ,aaron himself4 ,it is typical of the consecration of all believers to priesthood under ,christ4 ,it thus sets forth in symbol the fact and the manner of our own consecration to ministrations between lost men and ,god1 in the age which now is and that which is to come1 in things pertaining to sin and salvation1 according to the measure to each one of the gift of ,christ4 #ah ,not1 however1 as many imagine1 in behalf of those who have in this age died in sin1 but in ministrations to the living nations in the flesh1 in the age to come4 ,we find no ground of hope1 in ,holy ,scripture1 for the impenitent dead4 ,as the consecration of ,aaron's sons began with the washing with pure water1 so ours with the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the ,holy ,ghost 7,titus iii4 #e74 ,as ,aaron's sons1 thus washed1 were then invested in white linen1 clean and pure1 so for the believer must the word be fulfilled 7,isa4 lxi4 #aj73 ,he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness1 as a bridegroom decketh himself 7marg4 decketh as a priest74 ,that is1 the reality of our appointment of ,god unto this high dignity must be visibly attested unto men by the righteousness of our lives4 ,but whereas the sons of ,aaron were not clothed until first ,aaron himself had been clothed and anointed1 it is signified that the robing and anointing of ,christ's people follows and depends upon the previous robing and anointing of their ,head4 ,again1 as ,aaron's sons were also anointed with the same holy oil as was ,aaron1 only in lesser measure1 so are believers consecrated to the priestly office1 like their ,lord1 by the anointing with the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the anointing of ,pentecost follows and corresponds to the anointing of the ,high ,priest at the ,jordan with one and the same ,spirit4 ,this is another necessary consecration mark1 on which the ,new ,testament ,scriptures constantly insist4 ,as ,jesus was anointed with the ,holy ,ghost and 7thereby7 with power1 so ,he ,himself said to ,his disciples 7,acts i4 #h71 ,ye shall receive power1 when the ,holy ,ghost is come upon you2 which promise being fulfilled1 ,paul could say 7#b ,cor4 i4 #ba71 ,he that 444 anointed us is ,god2 and ,john 7#a ,john ii4 #bj71 to all believers1 ,ye have an anointing from the ,holy ,one4 ,and the sacrificial symbols are also all fulfilled in the case of the ,lord's priestly people4 ,for them1 no less essential to their consecration than the washing of the ,holy ,ghost1 is the removal of guilt by the great ,sin-offering of ,calvary2 which same offering1 and true ,lamb of ,god1 has also become their burnt-offering1 their meal-offering1 and their sacrifice of consecrations1 as it is written 7,heb4 x4 #aj71 that1 by the will of ,god1 we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of ,jesus ,christ once for all3 and that ,he also is become our peace1 in that ,he has expiated our sins1 and also given ,himself to us as our spiritual food2 that so we may derive daily strength for the daily service in the priest's office1 by feeding on the ,lamb of ,god1 the true food of the altar1 given by ,god for our support4 ,also1 as the sons of ,aaron1 like ,aaron himself1 were anointed with the blood of the peace-offering of consecration1 on the ear1 the hand1 and the foot1 so has the blood of the ,lamb1 in that it has brought us into peace with ,god1 set apart every true believer unto full surrender of all the members of his body unto ,him2 ears1 that they may be quick to hear ,god's ,word2 hands1 that they may be quick to do it2 feet1 that they may only run in the way of ,his commandments4 ,and finally1 whereas the solemn covenant of priesthood into which ,aaron and his sons had entered with ,god1 was sealed and ratified by the sprinkling with the oil and the blood1 so by the unction of the ,holy ,spirit given to believers1 and the cleansing of the conscience by the blood1 is it witnessed and certified that they are a people called out to enter into covenant of priestly service with the ,god of all the earth and the heavens4 ,what searching questions as to personal experience all this raises6 ,what solemn thoughts throng into the mind of every thoughtful reader6 ,all this essential1 if we are to be indeed members of that royal priesthood1 who shall reign as priests of ,god and of ,christ8 ,have we then the marks1 all of them8 ,let us not shrink from the questions1 but probe with them the innermost depths of our hearts4 ,have we had the washing of regeneration8 ,if we think that we have had this1 then let us also remember that after the washing came the investiture in white linen4 ,let us ask1 ,have we then put on these white garments of righteousness8 ,all that were washed1 were also clad in white2 these were their official robes1 without which they could not act as priests unto ,god4 ,and there was also an anointing4 ,have we1 in like manner1 received the anointing with the ,holy ,ghost1 endowing us with power and wisdom for service8 ,then1 the sin-offering1 the burnt-offering1 the peace-offering of consecration1--has the ,lamb of ,god been used by us in all these various ways1 as our expiation1 our consecration1 our peace1 and our life8 ,and has the blood which consecrates also been applied to ear1 hand1 and foot8 ,are we consecrated in all the members of our bodies8 ,what questions these are6 ,truly1 it is no light thing to be a ,christian2 to be called and consecrated to be1 with and under the great ,high ,priest1 ,jesus ,christ1 a priest unto ,god in this life and in that of the first resurrection2 to deal between ,god and men in matters of salvation4 ,have we well understood what is our high calling1 and what the conditions on which alone we may exercise our ministry8 ,to this may ,god give us grace1 for ,jesus' sake4 ,amen4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,the ,,inauguration ,,of ,,the ,,tabernacle ,,service4 ,,lev4 ix4 #a-bd4 ,aaron and his sons having now been solemnly consecrated to the priestly office by the ceremonies of seven days1 their formal assumption of their daily duties in the tabernacle was marked by a special service suited to the august occasion1 signalised at its close by the appearance of the glory of ,jehovah to assembled ,israel1 in token of ,his sanction and approval of all that had been done4 ,it would appear that the daily burnt-offering and meal-offering had been indeed offered before this1 from the time that the tabernacle had been set up2 in which service1 however1 ,moses had thus far officiated4 ,but now that ,aaron and his sons were consecrated1 it was most fitting that a service should thus be ordered which should be a complete exhibition of the order of sacrifice as it had now been given by the ,lord1 and serve1 for ,aaron and his sons in all after time1 as a practical model of the manner in which the divinely-given law of sacrifice should be carried out4 ,the order of the day began with a very impressive lesson of the inadequacy of the blood of beasts to take away sin4 ,for seven consecutive days a bullock had been offered for ,aaron and his sons1 and so far as served the typical purpose1 their consecration was complete4 ,but still ,aaron and his sons needed expiating blood2 for before they could offer the sacrifices of the day for the people1 they are ordered yet again first of all to offer a sin-offering for themselves4 ,we read 7vv4 #a1 #b73 ,and it came to pass on the eighth day1 that ,moses called ,aaron and his sons1 and the elders of ,israel2 and he said unto ,aaron1 ,take thee a bull calf for a sin offering1 and a ram for a burnt offering1 without blemish1 and offer them before the ,lord4 ,and then ,aaron was commanded 7vv4 #c-e73 ,unto the children of ,israel thou shalt speak1 saying1 ,take ye a he-goat for a sin offering2 and a calf and a lamb1 both of the first year1 without blemish1 for a burnt offering2 and an ox and a ram for peace offerings1 to sacrifice before the ,lord2 and a meal offering mingled with oil3 for to-day the ,lord appeareth unto you4 ,and they brought that which ,moses commanded before the tent of meeting3 and all the congregation drew near and stood before the ,lord4 ,there is little in these directions requiring explanation4 ,because of the exceptional importance of the occasion1 therefore1 as in the feasts of the ,lord1 a special sin-offering was ordered1 and a burnt-offering1 besides the regular daily burnt-offering1 meal-offering1 and drink-offering2 and1 in addition1 peculiar to this occasion1 a peace-offering for the nation2 which last was evidently intended to signify that now on the basis of the sacrificial worship and the mediation of a consecrated priesthood1 ,israel was privileged to enter into fellowship with ,jehovah1 the ,lord of the tabernacle4 ,no peace-offering was ordered for ,aaron and his sons1 as1 according to the law of the peace-offering1 they would themselves take part in that of the people4 ,the sin-offering prescribed for the people was1 not a kid1 as in ,king ,james's version1 but a he-goat1 which1 with the exception of the case of a sin of commission as described in chap4 iv4 #ac1 #ad1 appears to have been the usual victim4 ,for the selection of such a victim1 no reason appears more probable than that assigned by rabbinical tradition1 namely1 that it was intended to counteract the tendency of the people to the worship of shaggy he-goats1 referred to in chap4 xvii4 #g1 ,they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices unto the he-goats 7,r4,v471 after whom they go a whoring4 ,,the ,,order ,,of ,,the ,,offerings4 ix4 #g-ba4 ,and ,moses said unto ,aaron1 ,draw near unto the altar1 and offer thy sin offering1 and thy burnt offering1 and make atonement for thyself1 and for the people3 and offer the oblation of the people1 and make atonement for them2 as the ,lord commanded4 ,so ,aaron drew near unto the altar1 and slew the calf of the sin offering1 which was for himself4 ,and the sons of ,aaron presented the blood unto him3 and he dipped his finger in the blood1 and put it upon the horns of the altar1 and poured out the blood at the base of the altar3 but the fat1 and the kidneys1 and the caul from the liver of the sin offering1 he burnt upon the altar2 as the ,lord commanded ,moses4 ,and the flesh and the skin he burnt with fire without the camp4 ,and he slew the burnt offering2 and ,aaron's sons delivered unto him the blood1 and he sprinkled it upon the altar round about4 ,and they delivered the burnt offering unto him1 piece by piece1 and the head3 and he burnt them upon the altar4 ,and he washed the inwards and the legs1 and burnt them upon the burnt offering on the altar4 ,and he presented the people's oblation1 and took the goat of the sin offering which was for the people1 and slew it1 and offered it for sin1 as the first4 ,and he presented the burnt offering1 and offered it according to the ordinance4 ,and he presented the meal offering1 and filled his hand therefrom1 and burnt it upon the altar1 besides the burnt offering of the morning4 ,he slew also the ox and the ram1 the sacrifice of peace offerings1 which was for the people3 and ,aaron's sons delivered unto him the blood1 and he sprinkled it upon the altar round about1 and the fat of the ox2 and of the ram1 the fat tail1 and that which covered the inwards1 and the kidneys1 and the caul of the liver3 and they put the fat upon the breasts1 and he burnt the fat upon the altar3 and the breast and the right thigh ,aaron waved for a wave offering before the ,lord2 as ,moses commanded4 ,verses #g-ba detail the way in which this commandment of ,moses was carried out in the offerings1 first1 for ,aaron and his sons1 and then for all the people2 but1 as the peculiarities of these several offerings have been already explained1 they need not here detain us4 ,that which is new1 and of profound spiritual and typical meaning1 is the order of the sacrifices as here enjoined2 an order1 which as we learn from many ,scriptures1 represented what was intended to be the permanent and invariable law4 ,the appointed order of the offerings was as follows3 first1 whenever presented1 came the sin-offering1 as here2 then1 the burnt-offering1 with its meal-offering2 and last1 always1 the peace-offering1 with its characteristic sacrificial feast4 ,the significance of this order will readily appear if we consider the distinctive meaning of each of these offerings4 ,the sin-offering had for its central thought1 expiation of sin by the shedding of blood2 the burnt-offering1 the full surrender of the person symbolised by the victim1 to ,god2 the meal-offering1 in like manner1 the consecration of the fruit of his labours2 the peace-offering1 sustenance of life from ,god's table1 and fellowship in peace and joy with ,god and with one another4 ,and the great lesson for us now from this model tabernacle service is this3 that this order is determined by a law of the spiritual life4 ,so much as this1 even without clear prevision of the ,antitype of all these sacrifices1 the thoughtful ,israelite might have discerned2 and even though the truth thus symbolised is placed before us no more in rite and symbol1 yet it abides1 and ever will abide1 a truth4 ,man everywhere needs fellowship with ,god1 and cannot rest without it2 to attain such fellowship is the object of all religions which recognise the being of a ,god at all4 ,even among the heathen1 we are truly told1 there are many who are feeling after ,god if haply they may find ,him2 and1 among ourselves in ,christian lands1 and even in the external fellowship of ,christian churches1 there are many who with aching hearts are seeking after an unrealised experience of peace and fellowship with ,god4 ,and yet ,god is not far from any one of us2 and the whole ,scripture represents ,him as longing on ,his part with an incomprehensible condescension and love after fellowship with us1 desiring to communicate to us ,his fulness2 and still so many seek and find not6 ,we need not go further than this order of the offerings1 and the spiritual truth it signifies regarding the order of grace1 to discover the secret of these spiritual failures4 ,the peace-offering1 the sacrificial feast of fellowship with ,god1 the joyful banqueting on the food of ,his table1 was always1 as on this day1 in order4 ,before this must ever come the burnt-offering4 ,the ritual prescribed that the peace-offering should be burnt upon the burnt-offering2 the presence of the burnt-offering is thus presupposed in every acceptable peace-offering4 ,but what if one had ventured to ignore this divinely-appointed order1 and had offered his peace-offering to be burnt alone2 can we imagine that it would have been accepted8 ,these things are a parable1 and not a hard one4 ,for the burnt-offering with its meal-offering symbolised full consecration of the person and the works to the ,lord4 ,remembering this1 we see that the order is not arbitrary4 ,for1 in the nature of the case1 full consecration to ,god must precede fellowship with ,god2 he who would know what it is to have ,god give ,himself to him1 must first be ready to give himself to ,god4 ,and that ,god should enter into loving fellowship with any one who is holding back from loving self-surrender is not to be expected4 ,this is not merely an ,old ,testament law1 still less merely a fanciful deduction from the ,mosaic symbolism2 everywhere in the ,new ,testament is the thought pressed upon us1 no longer indeed in symbol1 but in plainest language4 ,it is taught by precept in some of the most familiar words of the great ,teacher4 ,there is promise1 for example1 of constant supply of sufficient food and raiment1 fellowship with ,god in temporal things2 but only on condition that we seek first the kingdom of ,god1 and ,his righteousness1 shall all these things be added unto us 7,matt4 vi4 #cc74 ,there is a promise of a hundred-fold in this life1 and in the world to come1 eternal life2 but it is prefaced by the condition of surrender of father1 mother1 brethren1 sisters1 of houses and lands1 for the ,lord's sake 7,matt4 xix4 #bi74 ,not1 indeed1 that the actual parting with these is enjoined in every case2 but1 certainly1 it is intended that we shall hold all at the ,lord's disposal1 possessing1 but as though we possessed not2--this is the least that we can take out of these words4 ,full consecration of the person and the works1 this then is the condition of fellowship with ,god2 and if so many lament the lack of the latter1 it is no doubt because of the lack of the former4 ,we often act strangely in this matter2 half unconsciously1 searching1 perhaps1 every corner of our life but the right one1 from looking into which by the clear light of ,god's ,word we instinctively shrink1 conscience softly whispering that just there is something about which we have a lurking doubt1 and which therefore1 if we will be fully consecrated1 we must at once give up1 till we are sure that it is right1 and right for us2 and for that self-denial1 that renunciation unto ,god1 we are not ready4 ,is it a wonder that1 if such be our experience1 we lack that blessed1 joyful fellowship with the ,lord1 of which some tell us8 ,is it not rather the chief wonder that we should wonder at the lack1 when yet we are not ready to consecrate all1 body1 soul1 and spirit1 with all our works1 unto the ,lord8 ,let us then remember the law of the offerings upon this point4 ,no ,israelite could have the blessed feast of the peace-offering1 except1 first1 the burnt-offering and the meal-offering1 symbolising full consecration1 were smoking on the altar4 ,but this full consecration seems to many so exceeding hard1--nay1 we may say more1 to many it is utterly impossible4 ,a consecration of some things1 especially those for which they care little1 this they can hear of2 but a consecration of all1 that the whole may be consumed upon the altar before and unto ,god1 this they cannot think of4 ,which means--can we escape the conclusion8--that the love of ,god does not yet rule supreme4 ,how sad6 and how strange6 ,but the law of the offerings will again declare the secret of the strange holding back from full consecration4 ,for it was ordained1 that wherever there was sin in the offerer1 unconfessed and unforgiven1 before even the burnt-offering must go the sin-offering1 expiating sin by blood presented on the altar before ,god4 ,and here we come upon another law of the spiritual life in all ages4 ,if fellowship with ,god in peace and joy is conditioned by the full consecration of person and service to ,him1 this consecration1 even as a possibility for us1 is in turn conditioned by the expiation of sin through the great ,sin-offering4 ,so long as conscience is not satisfied that the question of sin has been settled in grace and righteousness with ,god1 so long it is a spiritual impossibility that the soul should come into that experience of the love of ,god1 manifested through atonement1 which alone can lead to full consecration4 ,this truth is always of vital importance2 but it is1 if possible1 more important than ever to insist upon it in our day1 when1 more and more1 the doctrine of the expiation of sin through the blood of the ,lamb of ,god is denied1 and that1 forsooth1 under the claim of superior enlightenment4 ,men are well pleased to hear of a burnt-offering1 so long especially as it is made to signify no more than the self-devotement of the offerer2 but for a sin-offering1 much modern theology has no place4 ,so soon as we begin to speak of the sacrifice of our ,lord for sin in the dialect of the ancient altar--which1 it must never be forgotten1 is that of ,christ and ,his apostles--we are told that it would be better for the world if the ,christian doctrine of sacrifice could be presented to men apart from the old ,jewish ideas and terms1 which only serve to obscure the simplicity that is in ,christ767 ,and so men1 under the pretext of magnifying the love of ,god1 and laying a truer basis for spiritual life1 in effect deny the supreme and incomparable manifestation of that love1 that ,god made ,him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf 7#b ,cor4 v4 #ba74 ,very different is the teaching1 not merely of the law of ,moses1 but of the whole ,new ,testament2 which1 in all it has to say of the ,christian life as proceeding from full self-surrender1 ever represents this full consecration as inspired by the believing recognition and penitent acceptance of ,christ1 not merely as the great ,example of perfect consecration1 but as a sin-offering1 reconciling us first of all by ,his death1 before ,he saves us by ,his life 7,rom4 v4 #aj74 ,the expiation of sin by the sin-offering1 before the consecration which burnt-offering and meal-offering typify1--this is the invariable order in both ,testaments4 ,the ,apostle ,paul1 in his account of his own full consecration1 is in full accord with the spiritual teaching of the ,mosaic ritual when he gives this as the order4 ,he describes himself1 and that in terms of no undue exaggeration1 as so under the constraint of the love of ,christ as to seem to some beside himself2 and then he goes on to explain the secret of this consecration1 in which he had placed himself and all he had upon ,god's altar1 as a whole burnt-sacrifice1 as consisting just in this1 that he had first apprehended the mystery of ,christ's death1 as a substitution so true and real of the sinless ,victim in the place of sinful men1 that it might be said that one died for all1 therefore all died2 whence he thus judged1 that they which live should no longer live unto themselves1 but unto ,him who for their sakes died and rose again 7#b ,cor4 v4 #ac-ae74 ,to the same effect is the teaching of the ,apostle ,john4 ,for all true consecration springs from the thankful recognition of the love of ,god2 and1 according to this ,apostle also1 the ,divine love which inspires the consecration is manifest in this1 that ,he sent ,his ,son to be the propitiation for our sins 7#a ,john iv4 #aj74 ,the apprehension1 then1 of the reality of the expiation made by the great ,sin-offering1 and the believing appropriation of its virtue to the cancelling of our guilt1 this is the inseparable previous condition of full consecration of person and work unto the ,lord4 ,it is so1 because only the apprehension of the need of expiation by the blood of the ,son of ,god1 as the necessary condition of forgiveness1 can give us any adequate measure of the depth of our guilt and ruin1 as ,god sees it2 and1 on the other hand1 only when we remember that ,god spared not ,his only-begotten ,son1 but sent ,him to become1 through death upon the cross1 a propitiation for our sins1 can we begin to have such an estimate of the love of ,god and of ,christ ,his ,son as shall make full consecration easy1 or even possible4 ,let us then1 on no account1 miss this lesson from the order of this ritual2 before the peace-offering1 the burnt-offering2 before the burnt-offering1 the sin-offering4 ,or1 translating the symbolism1 perfect fellowship with ,god in peace and joy and life1 only after consecration2 and the consecration only possible in fulness1 and only accepted of ,god1 in any case1 when the great ,sin-offering has been first believingly appropriated1 according to ,god's ordination1 as the propitiation for our sins1 for the cancelling of our guilt4 ,but there is yet more in this order of the offerings4 ,for1 as the ,new ,testament in every way teaches us1 the ,antitype of every offering was ,christ4 ,as we have already seen1 in the ,sin-offering we have the type of ,christ as our propitiation1 or expiation2 in the burnt-offering1 of ,christ as consecrating ,himself unto ,god in our behalf2 in the meal-offering1 as1 in like manner1 consecrating all ,his works in our behalf2 in the peace-offering1 as imparting ,himself to us as our life1 and thus bringing us into fellowship of peace and love and joy with the ,father4 ,now this last is1 in fact1 the ultimate aim of salvation2 rather1 indeed1 we may say1 it is salvation4 ,for life in its fulness means the cancelling of death2 death spiritual1 and bodily death also1 in resurrection from the dead2 it means also perfect fellowship with the living ,god1 and this1 attained1 is heaven4 ,hence it must needs be that the peace-offering which represents ,christ as giving ,himself to us as our life1 and introducing us into this blessed state1 comes last4 ,but before this1 in order1 not of time1 but of grace1 as also of logic1 must be ,christ as ,sin-offering1 and ,christ as ,burnt-offering4 ,and1 first of all1 ,christ as ,sin-offering4 ,for ,god's way of peace puts the cancelling of guilt1 the satisfaction of ,his holy law and justice1 and therewith the restoration of our right relation to ,him1 first1 and in order to a holy life and fellowship2 while man will ever put these last1 and regard the latter as the means to obtaining a right standing with ,god4 ,hence1 inasmuch as ,christ1 coming to save us1 finds us under a curse1 the first thing in order is1 and must be1 the removal of that curse of the holy wrath of ,god1 against every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law1 to do them4 ,and so1 first in order in the typical ritual is the sin-offering which represents ,christ as made a curse for us1 that ,he might thus redeem us from the curse of the law 7,gal4 iii4 #ac74 ,but this is not a complete account of the work of our ,lord for us in the days of ,his flesh4 ,his work indeed was one1 but the ,scriptures set it forth in a twofold aspect4 ,on the one hand1 ,he is the ,sinless ,one bearing the curse for us2 but also1 in all ,his suffering for our sins1 ,he is also manifested as the ,righteous ,one1 making many righteous by ,his obedience1 even an obedience unto the death of the cross 7,rom4 v4 #ai2 ,phil4 ii4 #h74 ,and if we ask what was the essence of this obedience of our ,lord for us1 what was it1 indeed1 but that which is the essence of all obedience to ,god1 namely1 full1 unreserved1 uninterrupted consecration and self-surrender to the will of the ,father8 ,and as1 by ,his suffering1 ,christ endured the curse for us1 so by all ,his obedience and suffering in full submission to the will of ,god1 ,he became also the ,lord our righteousness4 ,and this1 as repeatedly remarked1 is the central thought of the burnt-offering and the meal-offering1--full consecration of the person and the work to ,god4 ,in the sin-offering1 then1 we see ,christ as our propitiation2 in the burnt-offering1 we see ,him rather as our righteousness2 but the former is presupposed in the latter2 and apart from this1 that in ,his death ,he became the expiation of our sins1 ,his obedience could have availed us nothing4 ,but given now ,christ as our propitiation and also our righteousness1 the whole question of the relation of ,christ's people to ,god in law and righteousness is settled1 and the way is now clear for the communication of life which the peace-offering symbolised4 ,thus1 as by faith in ,christ as the ,sin-offering1 our propitiation and righteousness1 we are justified freely by grace1 apart from the works of the law1 so now the way is open1 by the appropriation of ,christ as our life in the peace-offering1 for our sanctification and complete redemption4 ,in a word1 the law of the order of the offerings teaches1 symbolically and typically1 exactly what1 in ,rom4 vi4 and vii41 the ,apostle ,paul teaches dogmatically1 namely1 that the order of grace is first justification1 then sanctification2 but both by the same crucified ,christ1 our propitiation1 our righteousness1 and our life3 in whom we come to have fellowship in all good and blessing with the ,father4 ,it is interesting to observe that after the analogy of this order of the offerings1 is the most usual order of the development of ,christian experience4 ,for the awakened soul is usually first of all concerned about the question of forgiveness of sin and acceptance2 and hence1 most commonly1 faith first apprehends ,christ in this aspect1 as the ,one who bare our sins in ,his body1 by whose stripes we are healed2 and then1 at a later period of experience1 as the ,one who also1 in lowly consecration to the ,father's will1 obeyed for us1 that we might be made righteous through ,his obedience4 ,but no one who is truly justified by faith in ,christ as our propitiation and righteousness1 can long rest with this4 ,he very quickly finds what he had little thought of before1 that the evil nature abides even in the justified and accepted believer2 nay1 more1 that it has still a terrible strength to overcome him and lead him into sin1 even often when he would not4 ,and this prepares the believer1 still in accord with the law of the order of grace here set forth1 to lay hold also on ,christ by faith as ,his ,peace-offering1 by feeding on whom we receive spiritual strength1 so that ,he thus1 in a word1 becomes our sanctification and1 at last1 full redemption4 ,,the ,,double ,,benediction4 ix4 #bb-bd4 ,and ,aaron lifted up his hands toward the people1 and blessed them2 and he came down from offering the sin offering1 and the burnt offering1 and the peace offerings4 ,and ,moses and ,aaron went into the tent of meeting1 and came out1 and blessed the people3 and the glory of the ,lord appeared unto all the people4 ,and there came forth fire from before the ,lord1 and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat3 and when all the people saw it1 they shouted1 and fell on their faces4 ,the sacrifices having now been made1 and the offerings presented in this divinely-appointed order1 by the ordained and consecrated priesthood1 two things followed3 a double benediction was pronounced upon the people1 and ,jehovah manifested to them ,his glory4 ,we read 7ver4 #bb71 ,and ,aaron lifted up his hands toward the people1 and blessed them2 and he came down from offering the sin offering1 and the burnt offering1 and the peace offerings4 ,presumably1 the form of benediction which ,aaron used was that which1 according to ,numb4 vi4 #bd-bg1 the priests were commanded by the ,lord to use3 ,the ,lord bless thee1 and keep thee3 the ,lord make ,his face to shine upon thee1 and be gracious unto thee3 the ,lord lift up ,his countenance upon thee1 and give thee peace4 ,it was not an empty form2 for the ,lord at that time also promised ,himself to make this blessing efficient1 saying thereafter1 ,so shall they put ,my ,name--,jehovah1 the name of ,god in covenant1--upon the children of ,israel2 and ,i will bless them4 ,so also the ,lord ,jesus1 just before withdrawing from the bodily sight of ,his disciples after the completion of ,his great sacrifice1 lifted up ,his hands1 and blessed them2 and thereupon disappeared from their sight1 ascending into heaven4 ,even so was it in the typical service of this day2 for when ,aaron had thus lifted up his hands and blessed the people 7ver4 #bc71 ,moses and ,aaron went into the tent of meeting4 ,the work of ,aaron in the outer court had been finished1 and now he disappears from ,israel's sight2 for he must1 in like manner1 be inducted into the priestly work within the ,holy ,place4 ,he must there be shown all those things to which1 in his priestly ministrations1 the blood must be applied2 and1 especially1 must also offer the sweet incense at the golden altar which was before the veil which enshrined the immediate presence of ,jehovah4 ,but this offering of incense1 as all have agreed1 typifies the precious and most effective intercession of the great ,antitype2 so that thus it was shown in a figure1 how the ,christ of ,god1 having finished ,his sacrificial work in the sight of men1 and having ascended into heaven1 should there for a season abide1 hidden from human sight1 making intercession for ,his waiting people4 ,after an interval--we are not told how long--,moses and ,aaron again 7vv4 #bc1 #bd71 came out1 and blessed the people3 and the glory of the ,lord appeared unto all the people4 ,and there came forth fire from before the ,lord1 and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat3 and when all the people saw it1 they shouted1 and fell on their faces4 ,this second blessing by ,moses and ,aaron conjointly1 followed ,aaron's reappearance to ,israel1 and marked the completion of these inauguration services1 the intercession within the veil1 as well as the sacrifices4 ,and the revelation in a visible way of the glory of the ,lord added what now was alone required1 the manifest attestation by the ,lord of the tabernacle of ,his approval of all that had been done in these memorable eight days4 ,this appearance of the ,shekinah glory was followed by a flash of fire which1 in token of the ,divine appropriation of the sacrifices1 consumed in an instant the burnt-offering on the altar with the fat of the sin-offering and the peace-offering1 which had been laid upon it4 ,we cannot follow here the ,jewish tradition1 which has it that with this act the sacrificial fire which was never to go out upon the altar1 was originated4 ,on the contrary1 as we have seen1 the offerings had before this been made by ,moses1 and even on this day the fire had been kindled before 7ver4 #aj1 et seq474 ,nor is there any necessary inconsistency here2 for we have but to suppose that the burning of the sacrifices which had been kindled by ,aaron was not yet complete1 when the flash from the cloud of glory in an instant consummated the burning1 teaching in a most august and impressive manner the symbolic meaning of the burning of the sacrifices on the altar1 as signifying the acceptance and appropriation of that which was offered1 by the ,lord who had commanded all1 and thereby endorsing all that had been done1 as according to ,his mind and will4 ,and even so1 according to the sure ,word of prophecy1 our heavenly ,high ,priest has yet in reserve for ,his people a second benediction4 ,his first blessing upon leaving the world was followed by ,pentecost2 the second1 on ,his reappearing1 shall bring in resurrection and full salvation4 ,and in that day1 when ,he shall appear a second time1 apart from sin1 to them that wait for ,him unto salvation 7,heb4 ix4 #bh71 therewith shall appear the glory which on that day1 long ago1 appeared to ,israel2 for ,he shall come in the glory of ,his ,father1 and thus shall ,god1 the ,most ,high and the ,most ,holy1 testify before the universe ,his gracious acceptance of the service of the true ,aaron and ,his many sons1 the priestly people of ,god1 through all the ,christian ages4 ,thus1 the services and events of that day of induction1 in their order from beginning to end1 were not only a parable of the order of grace1 but also1 as it were1 a typical epitome of the whole work of redemption4 ,they are thus a prophecy that the work which began when ,christ made ,his soul an offering for sin1 and to perfect which ,he is now withdrawn from our sight for a season1 shall be consummated at last by ,his reappearing in glory for the final blessing of ,his waiting people4 ,and if we look at other and subordinate aspects of this inauguration service1 we shall still find this sequel of all1 no less richly suggestive4 ,expiation1 righteousness1 fellowship in peace with ,god1 shall bring with it the blessing of the ,lord1 and finally issue in the revelation of ,his glory in the sight of all who accept this great redemption through sacrifice4 ,and so also in the personal life4 ,as the trustful acceptance and use of the appointed ,sin-offering leads to the consecration of the person and the life1 and as by this consecration we come into conscious fellowship with ,god in joy and peace1 as we feed on the flesh of the slain ,lamb1 so1 as the blessed result1 unto every true believer1 according to the measure of his faith1 this is followed by the double benediction of the ,lord2 one for this life1 and a larger1 for the life which is to come4 ,the ,lord blesses him1 and keeps him3 the ,lord makes ,his face to shine upon him1 and is gracious unto him3 the ,lord lifts up ,his countenance upon him1 and gives him peace1 according to that word of the great ,high ,priest3 ,peace ,i leave with you2 ,my peace ,i give unto you 7,john xiv4 #bg74 ,and then1 after the present peace1 is yet to follow1 as the final issue of the expiated sin1 and the consecrated life1 and fellowship in peace with the ,god of life and love1 the beholding of the glory of the ,lord2 according to that high-priestly prayer of our ,redeemer1 ,that which ,thou hast given ,me1 ,i will that1 where ,i am1 they also may be with ,me3 that they may behold ,my glory 7,john xvii4 #bd74 ,even here some know a little of this1 and find that expiated sin and full consecration are followed here and now by bright glimpses of the glory of the ,lord4 ,but what is now seen thus in part shall then be seen fully and face to face4 ,who would not make sure of that beatific vision of the glory of the ,lord8 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,nadab',s ,,and ,,abihu',s ,,strange ,,fire4 ,,lev4 x4 #a-bj4 ,the solemn and august ceremonies of the consecration of the priests and the tabernacle1 and the inauguration of the tabernacle service1 had a sad and terrible termination4 ,the sacrifices of the inauguration day had been completed1 the congregation had received the priestly benediction1 the glory of ,jehovah had appeared unto the people1 and1 in token of ,his acceptance of all that had been done1 consumed the victims on the altar4 ,this manifestation of the glory of the ,lord so affected the people--as well it might--that when they saw it1 they shouted1 and fell on their faces4 ,it was1 probably1 under the influence of the excitement of this occasion that 7vv4 #a1 #b71 ,nadab and ,abihu1 the sons of ,aaron1 took each of them his censer1 and put fire therein1 and laid incense thereon1 and offered strange fire before the ,lord1 which ,he had not commanded them4 ,and there came forth fire from before the ,lord1 and devoured them1 and they died before the ,lord4 ,there has been no little speculation as to what it was1 precisely1 which they did4 ,some will have it1 that they lighted their incense1 not from the altar fire1 but elsewhere4 ,as to this1 while it is not easy to prove that to light the incense at the altar fire was an invariable requirement1 yet it is certain that this was commanded for the great day of atonement 7xvi4 #ab72 and also1 that when ,moses offered incense in connection with the plague which broke out upon the rebellion of ,korah1 ,dathan1 and ,abiram1 ,moses commanded him to take the fire for the censer from off the altar 7,numb4 xvi4 #df72 so that1 perhaps this is not unlikely to have been one element1 at least1 in their offence4 ,others1 again1 have thought that their sin lay in this1 that they offered their incense at a time not commanded in the order of worship which ,god had just prescribed2 and this1 too1 may very probably have been another element in their sin1 for it is certain that the divinely-appointed order of worship for the day had been already completed4 ,yet again1 others have supposed that they rashly and without ,divine warrant pressed within the veil1 into the immediate presence of the ,shekinah glory of ,god1 to offer their incense there4 ,for this1 too1 there is evidence1 in the fact that the institution of the great annual day of atonement1 and the prohibition of entrance within the veil at any other time1 even to the high priest himself1 is said to have followed after the death of the two sons of ,aaron1 when they drew near before the ,lord1 and died 7xvi4 #a1 #b74 ,it is perfectly possible1 and even likely1 that all these elements were combined in their offence4 ,in any case1 the gravamen of their sin is expressed in these words2 they offered fire which the ,lord had not commanded them3 offered it1 either in a way not commanded1 or at a time not commanded1 or in a place not commanded2 or1 perhaps1 in each and all of these ways1 offered fire which the ,lord had not commanded4 ,this was their sin1 and one which brought instant and terrible judgment4 ,it is easy enough to believe that yet they meant well in what they did4 ,it probably seemed to them the right thing to do4 ,after such a stupendous display as they had just witnessed1 of the flaming glory of ,jehovah1 why should they not1 in token of reverence and adoration1 offer incense1 even in the most immediate presence of ,jehovah8 ,and why should such minor variations from the appointed law1 as to manner1 or time1 or place1 matter very much1 so the motive was worship8 ,so may they probably have reasoned1 if indeed they thought at all4 ,but1 nevertheless1 this made no difference2 all the same1 fire came forth from ,jehovah1 and devoured them4 ,they had been but so lately consecrated6 and--as we learn from ver4 #e--their priestly robes were on them at the time1 in token of their peculiar privilege of special nearness to ,god6 ,but this1 too1 made no difference2 there came forth fire from before the ,lord and devoured them4 ,their sin1 in the form in which it was committed1 can never be repeated2 but as regards its inner nature and essence1 no sin has been in all ages more common4 ,for the essence of their sin was this1 that it was will-worship2 worship in which they consulted not the revealed will of ,god regarding the way in which ,he would be served1 but their own fancies and inclinations4 ,the directions for worship had been1 as we have seen1 exceedingly full and explicit2 but they apparently imagined that the fragrance of their incense1 and its intrinsic suitableness as a symbol of adoration and prayer1 was sufficient to excuse neglect of strict obedience to the revealed will of ,god touching ,his own worship4 ,their sin was not unlike that of ,saul in a later day1 who thought to excuse disobedience by the offering of enormous sacrifices4 ,but he was sharply reminded that to obey is better than sacrifice 7#a ,sam4 xv4 #bb72 and the priesthood were in like manner on this occasion very terribly taught that obedience is also better than incense1 even the incense of the sanctuary4 ,in all ages1 men have been prone to commit this sin1 and in ours as much as any4 ,it is true that in the present dispensation the ,lord has left more in ,his worship than in earlier days to the sanctified judgment of ,his people1 and has not minutely prescribed details for our direction4 ,it is true1 again1 that there is1 and always will be1 room for some difference of judgment among good and loyal servants of the ,lord1 as to how far the liberty left us extends4 ,but we are certainly all taught as much as this1 that wherever we are not clear that we have a ,divine warrant for what we do in the worship of ,god1 we need to be exceeding careful1 and to act with holy fear1 lest possibly1 like ,nadab and ,abihu1 we be chargeable with offering strange fire1 which the ,lord has not commanded4 ,and when one goes into many a church and chapel1 and sees the multitude of remarkable devices by which1 as is imagined1 the worship and adoration of ,god is furthered1 it must be confessed that it certainly seems as if the generation of ,nadab and ,abihu was not yet extinct2 even although a patient ,god1 in the mystery of ,his long-suffering1 flashes not instantly forth ,his vengeance4 ,this then is the first lesson of this tragic occurrence4 ,we have to do with a ,god who is very jealous2 who will be worshipped as ,he wills1 or not at all4 ,nor can we complain4 ,if ,god be such a ,being as we are taught in the ,holy ,scripture1 it must be ,his inalienable right to determine and prescribe how ,he will be served4 ,and it is a second lesson1 scarcely less evident1 that with ,god1 intention of good1 though it palliate1 cannot excuse disobedience where ,he has once made known ,his will4 ,no one can imagine that ,nadab and ,abihu meant wrong2 but for all that1 for their sin they died4 ,again1 we are herein impressively taught that1 with ,god1 high position confers no immunity when a man sins2 least of all1 high position in the ,church4 ,on the contrary1 the greater the exaltation in spiritual honour and privilege1 the more strictly will a man be held to account for every failure to honour ,him who exalted him4 ,we have seen this illustrated already by the law of the sin-offering2 and this tragic story illustrates the same truth again4 ,but the question naturally arises1 ,how could these men1 who had been so exalted in privilege1 who had even beheld the glory of the ,god of ,israel in the holy mount 7,exod4 xxiv4 #a1 #i1 #aj71 have ventured upon such a perilous experiment8 ,the answer is probably suggested by the warning which immediately followed their death 7vv4 #h1 #i73 ,the ,lord spake unto ,aaron1 saying1 ,drink no wine nor strong drink1 444 when ye go into the tent of the meeting1 that ye die not4 ,it is certainly distinctly hinted by these words1 that it was under the excitement of strong drink that these men so fatally sinned4 ,if so1 then1 although their sin may not be repeated in its exact form among us1 yet the fact points a very solemn warning1 not only regarding the careless use of strong drink1 but1 more than that1 against all religious worship and activity which is inspired by other stimulus than by the ,holy ,spirit of ,god4 ,of this every age of the ,church's history has furnished sad examples4 ,sometimes we see it illustrated in revivals1 even in such as may be marked by some evidence of the presence of the ,spirit of ,god2 when injudicious speakers seek by various methods to work up what is1 after all1 merely a physical excitement of a strange1 infectious kind1 though too often mistaken for the work of the ,holy ,spirit of ,god4 ,more subtle and yet more common is the sin of such as in preaching the ,word find their chief stimulation in the excitement of a crowded house1 or the visible signs of approbation on the part of the hearers2 and perhaps sometimes mistake the natural effect of this influence for the quickening power of the ,holy ,ghost1 and go on to offer before the ,lord the incense of their religious service and worship1 but with strange fire4 ,of this all need to beware2 and most of all1 ministers of the ,word4 ,the penalty of sin is often long delayed1 but it did not lag in this case4 ,the strange fire in the hands of ,nadab and ,abihu was met by a flash of flame that instantly withered their life2 and1 just as they were1 their priestly robes upon them unconsumed1 their censers in their hands1 they dropped dead before the fatal bolt4 ,in reading this account and other similar narratives in ,holy ,scripture1 of the deadly outbreak of ,god's wrath1 many have felt not a little disquieted in mind because of the terrific severity of the judgment1 which to them seems so out of all proportion to the guilt of the offender4 ,and so1 in many hearts1 and even to many lips1 the question has perforce arisen3 ,is it possible to believe that in this passage1 for instance1 we have a true representation of the character of ,god8 ,in answering such a question we ought always to remember1 first of all1 that1 apart from our imperfect knowledge1 just because we all are sinners1 we are1 by that fact1 all more or less disqualified and incapacitated for forming a correct and unbiassed judgment regarding the demerit of sin4 ,it is quite certain that every sinful man is naturally inclined to take a lenient view of the guilt of sin1 and1 by necessary consequence1 of its desert in respect of punishment4 ,in approaching this question1 here and elsewhere in ,god's ,word1 it is imperative that we keep this fact in mind4 ,again1 it is not unnecessary to remark1 that we must be careful and not read into this narrative what1 in fact1 is not here4 ,for it is often assumed without evidence1 that when we read in the ,bible of men being suddenly cut off by death for some special sin1 we are therefore required to believe that the temporal judgment of physical death must have been followed1 in each instance1 by the judgment of the eternal fire4 ,but always to infer this in such cases1 when1 as here1 nothing of the kind is hinted in the text1 is a great mistake1 and introduces a difficulty which is wholly of our own making4 ,that sometimes1 at least1 the facts are quite the opposite1 is expressly certified to us in #a ,cor4 xi4 #cj-cb1 where we are told that among the ,christians of ,corinth1 many1 because of their irreverent approach to the ,holy ,supper of the ,lord1 slept the sleep of death2 but that these judgments from the ,lord1 of bodily death1 instead of being necessarily intended for their eternal destruction1 were sent that they might not finally perish4 ,for the ,apostle's words are most explicit2 for it is with reference to these cases of sickness and death of which he had spoken1 that he adds 7ver4 #cb73 ,but when we are 7thus7 judged1 we are chastened of the ,lord1 that we may not be condemned with the world4 ,what we have here before us1 then1 is not the question of the eternal condemnation of ,nadab and ,abihu for their thoughtless1 though perhaps not so intended1 profanation of ,god's worship1--a point on which the narrative gives us no information1--but1 simply and only1 the inflicting on them1 for this sin1 of the judgment of temporal death4 ,and if this yet seem to some undue severity1 as no doubt it will1 there remain other considerations which deserve to have great weight here4 ,in the first place1 if this reveal ,god as terribly severe in ,his judgment1 even upon what1 compared with other crimes1 may seem a small sin1 we have to remember that1 after all1 this ,god of the ,bible1 this ,jehovah of the ,old ,testament1 is only herein revealed as in this respect like the ,god whose working we see in nature and in history4 ,was the ,god of ,nadab and ,abihu a severe ,god8 ,is not the ,god of nature a terribly severe ,god8 ,who then is it that has so appointed the economy of nature that even for one thoughtless indulgence by a young man1 he shall be racked with pain all his life thereafter8 ,it is a law of nature1 one says4 ,but what is a law of nature but the ordinary operation of the ,divine ,being who made nature8 ,so let us not forget that the reasoning which1 because of the confessed severity of this judgment on the sons of ,aaron1 argues ,god out of the tenth of ,leviticus1 and refuses to believe that this can be a revelation of ,his mind and character1 by parity of reasoning must go on to argue ,god out of nature and out of history4 ,but if one be not yet ready for the latter1 let him take heed how he too hastily decide on this ground against the verity of the history and the truth of the revelation in the case before us4 ,then1 again1 we need to be careful that we pass not judgment before considering all that was involved in this act of sin4 ,we cannot look upon the case as if the act of ,nadab and ,abihu had been merely a private matter1 personal to themselves alone4 ,this it was not1 and could not be4 ,they did what they did in their official robes2 moreover1 it was a peculiarly public act3 it took place before the sanctuary1 where all the people were assembled4 ,what was the influence of this their act1 if it passed unrebuked and unpunished1 likely to be8 ,history shows that nothing was more inbred in the nature of the people than just this tendency to will-worship4 ,for centuries after this1 notwithstanding many like terrible judgments1 it mightily prevailed1 taking the form of numberless attempted improvements on the arrangements of worship appointed by ,god1 and introducing1 under such pretexts of expediency often the grossest idolatry4 ,and although the ,babylonian judgment made an end of the idolatrous form of will-worship1 the old tendency persisted1 and worked on under a new form till1 as we learn from our ,lord's words in the ,gospel1 the people were in ,his day utterly overwhelmed with heavy burdens and grievous to be borne1 rabbinical additions to the law1 attempted improvements on ,moses1 under pretext of honouring ,moses1 all begotten of this same inveterate spirit of will-worship4 ,nor are such things of little consequence1 as some seem to imagine1 whether we find them among ,jews or in ,christian communions4 ,on the contrary1 all will-worship1 in all its endless variety of forms1 tends to confuse conscience1 by confounding with the commandments of ,god the practices and traditions of men2 and all history1 no less of the ,church than of ,israel1 shows that the tendency of all such will-worship is to the subversion alike of morality religion1 occasioning1 too often1 total misapprehension as to what indeed is the essence of religion well pleasing to ,god4 ,was the sin of the priests1 ,nadab and ,abihu1 then1 committed in such a public manner1 such a trifling matter after all8 ,and when we further remember the peculiar circumstances of the occasion1--that the whole ceremonial of the day was designed in a special manner to instruct the people as to the manner in which ,jehovah1 their ,king and their ,god1 would be worshipped1--it certainly is not so hard1 after all1 to see how it was almost imperative that in the very beginning of ,israel's national history1 ,god should give them a lesson on the sanctity of ,his ordinances and ,his hatred of will-worship1 which should be remembered to all time4 ,the solemn lesson of the terrible judgment1 ,moses1 as ,prophet and ,interpreter of ,god's will to the people1 declares in these words 7ver4 #c73 ,this is it that the ,lord spake1 saying1 ,i will be sanctified in them that come nigh ,me1 and before all the people ,i will be glorified4 ,if ,god separate a people to be specially near unto ,him1 it is that1 admitted to such special nearness to ,himself1 they shall ever reverently recognise ,his transcendent exaltation in holiness1 and take care that ,he be ever glorified in them before all men4 ,but if any be careless of this1 ,god will nevertheless not be defrauded4 ,if they will recognise ,his august holiness1 in the reverence of loyal service1 well2 ,god shall thus glorify ,himself in them before all4 ,but if otherwise1 still ,god will be glorified in them before all people1 though now in their chastisement and in retribution4 ,the principle is that which is announced by ,amos 7iii4 #b73 ,you only have ,i known of all the families of the earth2 therefore ,i will visit upon you all your iniquities4 ,and when we remember that the sons of ,aaron typically represent the whole body of believers in ,christ1 as a priestly people1 it is plain that the warning of this judgment comes directly home to us all4 ,if1 as ,christians1 we have been brought into a relation of special nearness and privilege with ,god1 we have to remember that the place of privilege is1 in this case1 a place of peculiar danger4 ,if we forget the reverence and honour due to ,his name1 and insist on will-worship of any kind1 we shall in some way suffer for it4 ,god may wink at the sins of others1 but not at ours4 ,he is a ,god of love1 and desires not our death1 but that ,he may be glorified in our life2 but if any will not have it so1 ,he will not be robbed of ,his glory4 ,hence the warning of the ,apostle ,peter1 who was so filled with these ,old ,testament conceptions of ,god and ,his worship3 ,it is written1 ,ye shall be holy1 for ,i am holy4 ,and if ye call on ,him as ,father1 who without respect of persons judgeth according to each man's work1 pass the time of your sojourning in fear 7#a ,peter i4 #ag74 ,ver4 #c3 ,and ,aaron held his peace4 ,for rebellion were useless2 nay1 it had been madness4 ,even the tenderest natural affection must be silent when ,god smites for sin2 and in this case the sin was so manifest1 and the connection therewith of the judgment so evident1 that ,aaron could say nothing1 though his heart must have been breaking4 ,,mourning ,,in ,,silence4 x4 #d-g4 ,and ,moses called ,mishael and ,elzaphan1 the sons of ,uzziel the uncle of ,aaron1 and said unto them1 ,draw near1 carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp4 ,so they drew near1 and carried them in their coats out of the camp2 as ,moses had said4 ,and ,moses said unto ,aaron1 and unto ,eleazar and unto ,ithamar1 his sons1 ,let not the hair of your heads go loose1 neither rend your clothes2 that ye die not1 and that ,he be not wroth with all the congregation3 but let your brethren1 the whole house of ,israel1 bewail the burning which the ,lord hath kindled4 ,and ye shall not go out from the door of the tent of meeting1 lest ye die3 for the anointing oil of the ,lord is upon you4 ,and they did according to the word of ,moses4 ,even in ordinary cases1 restrictions were placed upon ,aaron and his sons as regards the outward signs of mourning2 but exceptions were made in the case of the nearest relations1 and1 in particular1 of the death of a son1 or a brother 7chap4 xxi4 #b74 ,in this case1 however1 this permission could not be given2 and they are warned that by public expressions of grief they would not only bring death from the ,lord upon themselves1 but also bring ,his wrath upon the whole congregation which they represented before ,god4 ,they are not indeed forbidden to mourn in their hearts1 but from all the outward and customary signs of mourning they must abstain4 ,and the reason for this is given2 ,the anointing oil of the ,lord is upon you4 ,that is1 by the anointing they had been set apart to represent ,god before ,israel4 ,hence1 when ,god had thus manifested ,his holy wrath against sin1 for them to have exhibited the public signs of mourning for this1 even though the stroke of wrath had fallen into their own family1 would have been a visible contradiction between their actions and their priestly position4 ,to others1 indeed1 these outward tokens of mourning are expressly permitted1 for they stood in no such special relation to ,god2 their brethren1 the whole house of ,israel1 might bewail the burning which the ,lord had kindled1 but they1 although nearest of kin to the dead1 are not permitted even to follow the slain of the ,lord to the grave1 and 7vv4 #d1 #e7 the sad duty is assigned to their cousins1 who bear the dead1 in their white priestly robes1 just as they had fallen1 out of the camp to burial1 while ,aaron and his sons mourn silently within the tent of meeting4 ,this has seemed hard to many1 and has furnished some another illustration of the hardness and severity of the character of ,god as held up in the ,pentateuch4 ,but we shall do well to remember that in all this we have nothing which in any respect goes beyond the very solemn words of the tender-hearted and most compassionate ,saviour1 who said1 for example1 ,if any man cometh unto ,me1 and hateth not his own father1 and mother1 and wife1 and children1 and brethren1 and sisters1 444 he cannot be ,my disciple 7,luke xiv4 #bf74 ,in language such as this1 we cannot but recognise the same character as in this command unto ,aaron and his sons2 and if such hard sayings are to be held reason for rejecting the revelation of the character of ,god as given in the ,old ,testament1 the same logic1 in the presence of similar words1 will require us also to reject the revelation of ,god's character as given by ,christ in the ,new ,testament4 ,the teaching of both ,testaments on this matter is plain4 ,natural affection is right2 it is indeed implanted in our hearts by the ,god who made us in all our human relations4 ,but none the less1 whenever the feelings which belong even to the nearest and tenderest earthly relations come into conflict with absolute fealty and submission to the will of ,god1 and unswerving loyalty to the will of ,christ1 then1 hard though indeed it may be1 natural affection must give way1 and mourn within the tent in the silence of a holy submission to the ,lord4 ,,carefulness ,,after ,,judgment4 x4 #h-bj4 ,and the ,lord spake unto ,aaron1 saying1 ,drink no wine nor strong drink1 thou1 nor thy sons with thee1 when ye go into the tent of meeting1 that ye die not3 it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations3 and that ye may put difference between the holy and the common1 and between the unclean and the clean2 and that ye may teach the children of ,israel all the statutes which the ,lord hath spoken unto them by the hand of ,moses4 ,and ,moses spake unto ,aaron1 and unto ,eleazar and unto ,ithamar1 his sons that were left1 ,take the meal offering that remaineth of the offerings of the ,lord made by fire1 and eat it without leaven beside the altar3 for it is most holy3 and ye shall eat it in a holy place1 because it is thy due1 and thy sons' due1 of the offerings of the ,lord made by fire3 for so ,i am commanded4 ,and the wave breast and the heave thigh shall ye eat in a clean place2 thou1 and thy sons1 and thy daughters with thee3 for they are given as thy due1 and thy sons' due1 out of the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the children of ,israel4 ,the heave thigh and the wave breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat1 to wave it for a wave offering before the ,lord3 and it shall be thine1 and thy sons' with thee1 as a due for ever2 as the ,lord hath commanded4 ,and ,moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering1 and1 behold1 it was burnt3 and he was angry with ,eleazar and with ,ithamar1 the sons of ,aaron that were left1 saying1 ,wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary1 seeing it is most holy1 and ,he hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation1 to make atonement for them before the ,lord8 ,behold1 the blood of it was not brought into the sanctuary within3 ye should certainly have eaten it in the sanctuary1 as ,i commanded4 ,and ,aaron spake unto ,moses1 ,behold1 this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the ,lord2 and there have befallen me such things as these3 and if ,i had eaten the sin offering to-day1 would it have been well-pleasing in the sight of the ,lord8 ,and when ,moses heard that1 it was well-pleasing in his sight4 ,such a judgment as the foregoing ought to have had a good effect1 and it did4 ,this appeared in renewed carefulness to secure the most exact obedience hereafter in all their official duties4 ,to this end1 the ,lord ,himself now laid down a law evidently designed to preclude1 as far as possible1 every risk of any such fault in the priestly service as might again bring down judgment4 ,it is not only holiness1 but considerate and anxious love1 which speaks in the next words1 addressed to ,aaron 7vv4 #h1 #i73 ,drink no wine nor strong drink1 thou1 nor thy sons with thee1 when ye go into the tent of meeting1 that ye die not3 it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations4 ,and for this prohibition the reason is given 7vv4 #aj1 #aa73 ,that ye may put difference between the holy and the common1 and between the unclean and the clean2 and that ye may teach the children of ,israel all the statutes which the ,lord hath spoken unto them by the hand of ,moses4 ,it was not then that the use of wine was in itself sinful2 for this is taught nowhere in the ,old or ,new ,testament1 and as a doctrine of religion is characteristic1 not of ,judaism or ,christianity1 but only of ,mohammedanism1 of ,buddhism and other heathen religions4 ,the ground of this command of abstinence1 as of the ,new ,testament counsel 7,rom4 xiv4 #bj1 #ba71 is that of expediency4 ,because1 in the use of wine or strong drink1 there was involved a certain risk1 that by undue indulgence the judgment might be confused or the memory weakened1 so that something might be done amiss2 therefore the priests1 who were specially commissioned to teach the statutes of the ,lord to ,israel1 and this most of all1 by their own carefulness to obey all the least of ,his commandments1 are here warned to abstain whenever about engaging in their official duties4 ,as suggested above1 it is at least very natural to infer1 from the historical setting of this prohibition1 that the fatal offence of ,nadab and ,abihu was occasioned by such an indulgence in wine or strong drink as made it possible for impulse to get the better of knowledge and judgment4 ,but1 however this may be1 the lesson for us abides the same2 a lesson which each one according to his circumstances must faithfully apply to his own case4 ,for the ,christian it is not enough that he shall abstain from what is in its own nature always sinful2 it must be the law of our life that we abstain also from whatever may needlessly become occasion of sin4 ,in this we cannot1 indeed1 lay down a universal code of law4 ,heathen reformers have done this1 and their imitators in the ,church1 but never ,christ or ,his ,apostles4 ,and this with reason4 ,for that which for one carries with it inevitable risk of sin1 is not always fraught with the same danger to another person with a different temperament1 or even to the same person under different circumstances4 ,in each instance we must judge for ourselves1 taking heed not to abuse our liberty to another's harm2 and also1 on the other hand1 being careful how we judge others in regard to things which in their essential nature are neither right nor wrong4 ,but we shall be wise to recognise the fact that it is just in such things that many ,christians do most harm1 both to their own souls and to those of others4 ,and in regard to the drinking of wine in particular1 one must be blind indeed not to perceive it to be the fact that1 whatever the reason may be1 the ,english-speaking peoples seem to be peculiarly susceptible to the danger of undue indulgence in wine and strong drink4 ,on both sides of the ,atlantic1 drunkenness must be set down as one of the most prevalent national sins4 ,in deciding the question of personal duty in this and like cases1 all believers are bound1 as the ,lord's priestly people1 to remember that ,he has appointed them that they should walk before ,him as a separated people1 who1 by their daily walk1 above all1 are to teach others to put a difference between holy and common1 and unclean and clean1 and to observe all the statutes which the ,lord hath spoken4 ,in vv4 #ab-ae we have a repetition of the commandments previously given1 concerning the use to be made of the meal-offering and the peace-offering4 ,from this it appears that ,moses himself1 in view of the tragic occurrence of the day1 was stirred up to charge ,aaron and his sons anew on matters on which he had already commanded them4 ,and with this intensified care on his part is evidently connected the incident recorded in the verses which follow1 where we read that1 having repeated the directions as to the meal-offering and the peace-offering 7vv4 #af1 #ag71 ,moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering1 and1 behold1 it was burnt2 and he was angry with ,eleazar and with ,ithamar1 the sons of ,aaron that were left1 saying1 ,wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary1 seeing it is most holy1 and ,he hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation1 to make atonement for them before the ,lord8 ,it had indeed been commanded1 in the case of those sin-offerings of which the blood was brought into the holy place1 that their flesh should not be eaten2 but that the flesh of all others should be eaten1 as belonging to the class of things most holy1 by the priests alone within the ,holy ,place4 ,hence ,moses continued 7ver4 #ah73 ,behold1 the blood of it was not brought into the sanctuary within3 ye should certainly have eaten it in the sanctuary1 as ,i commanded4 ,what had been done1 as it appears1 had been done with ,aaron's knowledge and sanction2 for ,aaron then answered in behalf of his sons 7ver4 #ai73 ,behold1 this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the ,lord2 and there have befallen me such things as these3 and if ,i had eaten the sin offering to-day1 would it have been well-pleasing in the sight of the ,lord8 ,of which answer1 the intention seems to have been this4 ,in this day of special exaltation and privilege1 when for the first time they had performed their solemn priestly duties1 when most of all there should have been the utmost care to please the ,lord in the very smallest things1 ,his holy ,name had been profaned by the will-worship of his sons1 and the wrath of ,god had broken out against them1 and1 in them1 against their father's house4 ,could it be the will of ,god that a house in which was found the guilt of such a sin1 should yet partake of the most holy things of ,god in the sanctuary8 ,from this it appears that the judgment sent into the house of ,aaron had had a most wholesome spiritual effect4 ,they had received such an impression of their own profound sinfulness as they had never had before4 ,and it is very instructive to observe that they assume to themselves a part in the sinfulness which had been shown in the sin of ,nadab and ,abihu4 ,it did not occur to ,aaron or his remaining sons to say1 in the spirit of ,israel in the day of our ,lord1 ,if we had been in their place1 we would not have done so4 ,rather their consciences had been so awakened to the holiness of ,god and their own inborn evil1 that they coupled themselves with the others as under the displeasure of ,god4 ,was it possible1 even though they personally had not sinned1 that such as they should eat that which was most holy unto ,god8 ,they had thus in the letter disobeyed the law2 but because their offence was begotten of a misapprehension1 and only showed how deeply and thoroughly they had taken to heart the lesson of the sore judgment1 we read that when ,moses heard their explanation1 it was well pleasing in his sight4 ,all this which followed the sin of ,nadab and ,abihu1 and the judgment which fell on them1 and thus upon the whole house of ,aaron1 is a most instructive illustration of the working of the chastising judgments of the ,lord1 when rightly received4 ,its effect was to awaken the utmost solicitude that nothing else might be found about the tabernacle service1 even through oversight1 which was not according to the mind of ,god2 and1 in those immediately stricken1 to produce a very profound sense of personal sinfulness and unworthiness before ,god4 ,the ,new ,testament gives us a graphic description of this effect of the chastisement of ,god on the believer1 in the account which we have of the result of the discipline which the ,apostle ,paul inflicted on the sinning member of the ,church of ,corinth2 concerning which he afterward wrote to them 7#b ,cor4 vii4 #aa73 ,behold1 this selfsame thing1 that ye were made sorry after a godly sort1 what earnest care it wrought in you1 yea1 what clearing of yourselves1 yea1 what indignation1 yea1 what fear1 yea1 what longing1 yea1 what zeal1 yea1 what avenging6 ,a good test is this1 which1 when we have passed under the chastising hand of ,god1 we may well apply to ourselves3 this earnest care1 this clearing of ourselves1 this holy fear of a humbled heart1--have we known what it means8 ,if so1 though we sorrow1 we may yet rejoice that by grace we are enabled to sorrow after a godly sort1 with a repentance which bringeth no regret4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,great ,,day ,,of ,,atonement4 ,,lev4 xvi4 #a-cd4 ,in the first verse of chapter xvi41 which ordains the ceremonial for the great annual day of atonement1 we are told that this ordinance was delivered by the ,lord to ,moses after the death of the two sons of ,aaron1 when they drew near before the ,lord1 and died4#ai ,because of the close historical connection thus declared between this chapter and chapter x41 and also because in this ordinance the ,mosaic sacrificial worship1 which has been the subject of the book thus far1 finds its culmination1 it seems most satisfactory to anticipate the order of the book by taking up at this point the exposition of this chapter1 before proceeding in chapter xi4 to a wholly different subject4 #ai ,the interposition of chapters xi4-xv4 on ceremonial uncleanness1 between chapters x4 and xvi41 which are so closely connected by this historical note in xvi4 #a1 certainly suggests an editorial redaction--as the phrase is--in which the latter chapter1 for whatsoever reason1 has been removed from its original context4 ,but that such a redaction1 of which we have in the book other traces1 does not of necessity affect in the slightest degree the question of its inspiration and ,divine authority1 should be self-evident4 ,this ordinance of the day of atonement was perhaps the most important and characteristic in the whole ,mosaic legislation4 ,in the law of the offerings1 the most distinctive part was the law of the sin-offering2 and it was on the great annual day of atonement that the conceptions embodied in the sin-offering obtained their most complete development4 ,the central place which this day occupied in the whole system of sacred times is well illustrated in that it is often spoken of by the rabbis1 without any more precise designation1 as simply ,yom1 ,the ,day4 ,it was the day because1 on this day1 the idea of sacrificial expiation and the consequent removal of all sin1 essential to the life of peace and fellowship with ,god1 which was set forth imperfectly1 as regards individuals and the nation1 by the daily sin-offerings1 received the highest possible symbolical expression4 ,it is plain that countless sins and transgressions and various defilements must yet have escaped unrecognised as such1 even by the most careful and conscientious ,israelite2 and that1 for this reason1 they could not have been covered by any of the daily offerings for sin4 ,hence1 apart from this full1 solemn1 typical purgation and cleansing of the priesthood and the congregation1 and the holy sanctuary1 from the uncleannesses and transgressions of the children of ,israel1 even all their sins 7ver4 #af71 the sacrificial system had yet fallen short of expressing in adequate symbolism the ideal of the complete removal of all sin4 ,with abundant reason then do the rabbis regard it as the day of days in the sacred year4 ,it is insisted by the radical criticism of our day that the general sense of sin and need of expiation which this ordinance expresses could not have existed in the days of ,moses2 and that since1 moreover1 the later historical books of the ,old ,testament contain no reference to the observance of the day1 therefore its origin must be attributed to the days of the restoration from ,babylon1 when1 as such critics suppose1 the deeper sense of sin1 developed by the great judgment of the ,babylonian captivity and exile1 occasioned the elaboration of this ritual4 ,to this one might reply that the objection rests upon an assumption which the ,christian believer cannot admit1 that the ordinance was merely a product of the human mind4 ,but if1 as our ,lord constantly taught1 and as the chapter explicitly affirms1 the ordinance was a matter of ,divine1 supernatural revelation1 then naturally we shall expect to find in it1 not man's estimate of the guilt of sin1 but ,god's1 which in all ages is the same4 ,but1 meeting such objectors on their own ground1 we need not go into the matter further than to refer to the high authority of ,dillmann1 who declares this theory of the post-exilian origin of this institution to be absolutely incredible2 and in reply to the objection that the day is not alluded to in the whole ,old ,testament history1 justly adds that this argument from silence would equally forbid us to assign the origin of the ordinance to the days of the return from ,babylon1 or any of the pre-,christian centuries6 for one would then have to maintain that the festival first arose in the first ,christian century2 since only out of that age do we first have any explicit testimonies concerning it4#bj #bj ,die ,bcher ,exodus und ,leviticus1 #b ,aufl41 p4 #ebe4 ,again1 the first verse of the chapter gives as the occasion of the promulgation of this law1 the death of the two sons of ,aaron1 ,nadab and ,abihu1 when they drew near before the ,lord and died2 a historical note which is perfectly natural if we have here a narrative dating from ,mosaic days1 but which seems most objectless and unlikely to have been entered1 if the law were a late invention of rabbinical forgers4 ,on that occasion it was1 as we read 7v4 #b71 that the ,lord said unto ,moses1 ,speak unto ,aaron thy brother1 that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil1 before the mercy-seat which is upon the ark2 that he die not3 for ,i will appear in the cloud upon the mercy-seat4 ,into this place of ,jehovah's most immediate earthly manifestation1 even ,aaron is to come only once a year1 and then only with atoning blood1 as hereinafter prescribed4 ,the object of the whole service of this day is represented as atonement2 expiation of sin1 in the highest and fullest sense then possible4 ,it is said to be appointed to make atonement for ,aaron and for his house 7ver4 #f71 for the holy place1 and for the tent of meeting 7vv4 #ae-ag72 for the altar of burnt-offering in the outer court 7vv4 #ah1 #ai72 and for all the congregation of ,israel 7vv4 #bj-bb1 #cc72 and this1 not merely for such sins of ignorance as had been afterward recognised and acknowledged in the ordinary sin-offerings of each day1 but for all the iniquities of the children of ,israel1 and all their transgressions1 even all their sins3 even such as were still unknown to all but ,god 7ver4 #ba74 ,the fact of such an ordinance for such a purpose taught a most impressive lesson of the holiness of ,god and the sinfulness of man1 on the one hand1 and1 on the other1 the utter insufficiency of the daily offerings to cleanse from all sin4 ,day by day these had been offered in each year2 and yet1 as we read 7,heb4 ix4 #h1 #i71 the ,holy ,ghost this signified by this ordinance1 that the way into the holy place hath not yet been made manifest2 it was a parable for the time now present2 teaching that the temple sacrifices of ,judaism could not as touching the conscience1 make the worshipper perfect 7,heb4 ix4 #i74 ,we may well reverse the judgment of the critics1 and say--not that the deepened sense of sin in ,israel was the cause of the day of atonement2 but rather1 that the solemn observances of this day1 under ,god1 were made for many in ,israel a most effective means to deepen the conviction of sin4 ,the time which was ordained for this annual observance is significant--the tenth day of the seventh month4 ,it was appointed for the seventh month1 as the sabbatic month1 in which all the related ideas of rest in ,god and with ,god1 in the enjoyment of the blessings of a now complete redemption1 received in the great feast of tabernacles their fullest expression4 ,it was therefore appointed for that month1 and for a day which shortly preceded this greatest of the annual feasts1 to signify in type the profound and most vital truth1 that the full joy of the sabbatic rest of man with ,god1 and the ingathering of the fruits of complete redemption1 is only possible upon condition of repentance and the fullest possible expiation for sin4 ,it was appointed for the tenth day of this month1 no doubt1 because in the ,scripture symbolism the number ten is the symbol of completeness2 and was fitly thus connected with a service which signified expiation completed for the sins of the year4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the observances appointed for the day had regard1 first1 to the people1 and1 secondly1 to the tabernacle service4 ,as for the former1 it was commanded 7ver4 #bi7 that they should do no manner of work1 observing the day as a ,sabbath ,sabbathon1 a high ,sabbath1 or ,sabbath of solemn rest 7ver4 #ca72 and1 secondly1 that they should afflict their souls 7ver4 #ca71 namely1 by solemn fasting1 in visible sign of sorrow and humiliation for sin4 ,by which it was most distinctly taught1 that howsoever complete atonement may be1 and howsoever1 in making that atonement through a sacrificial victim1 the sinner himself have no part1 yet apart from his personal repentance for his sins1 that atonement shall profit him nothing2 nay1 it was declared 7xxiii4 #bi71 that if any man should fail on this point1 ,god would cut him off from his people4 ,the law abides as regards the greater sacrifice of ,christ2 except we repent1 we shall1 even because of that sacrifice1 only the more terribly perish2 because not even this supreme exhibition of the holy love and justice of ,god has moved us to renounce sin4 ,as regards the tabernacle service for the day1 the order was as follows4 ,first1 as most distinctive of the ritual of the day1 only the high-priest could officiate4 ,the other priests1 who1 on other occasions1 served continually in the holy place1 must on this day1 during these ceremonies1 leave it to him alone2 taking their place1 themselves as sinners for whom also atonement was to be made1 with the sinful congregation of their brethren4 ,for it was ordered 7ver4 #ag73 ,there shall be no man in the tent of meeting when the high priest goeth in to make atonement in the holy place1 until he come out1 and the work of atonement be completed4 ,and the high priest could himself officiate only after certain significant preparations4 ,first 7ver4 #d71 he must bathe in water his whole person4 ,the word used in the original is different from that which is used of the partial washings in connection with the daily ceremonial cleansings2 and1 most suggestively1 the same complete washing is required as that which was ordered in the law for the consecration of the priesthood1 and for cleansing from leprosy and other specific defilements4 ,thus was expressed1 in the clearest manner possible1 the thought1 that the high priest1 who shall be permitted to draw near to ,god in the holiest place1 and there prevail with ,him1 must himself be wholly pure and clean4 ,then1 having bathed1 he must robe himself in a special manner for the service of this day4 ,he must lay aside the bright-coloured garments for glory and beauty which he wore on all other occasions1 and put on1 instead1 a vesture of pure1 unadorned white1 like that of the ordinary priest2 excepting only that for him1 on this day1 unlike them1 the girdle also must be white4 ,by this substitution of these garments for his ordinary brilliant robes was signified1 not merely the absolute purity which the white linen symbolised1 but especially also1 by the absence of adornment1 humiliation for sin4 ,on this day he was thus made in outward appearance essentially like unto the other members of his house1 for whose sin1 together with his own1 he was to make atonement4 ,thus washed and robed1 wearing on his white turban the golden crown inscribed ,holiness to ,jehovah 7,exod4 xxviii4 #ch71 he now took 7vv4 #c1 #e-g71 as a sin-offering for himself and for his house1 a bullock2 and for the congregation1 two he-goats for a sin offering2 with a ram for himself1 and one for them1 for a burnt offering4 ,the two goats were set before the ,lord at the door of the tent of meeting4 ,the bullock was the offering before prescribed for the sin-offering for the high priest 7iv4 #c71 as being the most valuable of all sacrificial victims4 ,for the choice of the goats many reasons have been given1 none of which seem wholly satisfactory4 ,both of the goats are equally declared 7ver4 #e7 to be for a sin offering2 yet only one was to be slain4 ,the ceremonial which followed is unique2 it is without its like either in ,mosaism or in heathenism4 ,it was ordered 7ver4 #h73 ,aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats2 one lot for the ,lord1 and the other lot for ,azazel2 an expression to which we shall shortly return4 ,only the goat on whom the lot fell for the ,lord was to be slain4 ,the two goats remain standing before the ,lord2 while now ,aaron kills the sin-offering for himself and for his house 7ver4 #aa72 then enters1 first1 the ,holy of ,holies within the veil1 having taken 7ver4 #ab7 a censer full of coals of fire from off the altar before the ,lord1 with his hands full of incense 7ver4 #ac71 that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy-seat that is upon the testimony 7i4e41 the two tables of the law within the ark71 that he die not4 ,then 7ver4 #ac7 he sprinkles the blood upon the mercy-seat on the east--by which was signified the application of the blood ,god-ward1 accompanied with the fragrance of intercession1 for the expiation of his own sins and those of his house2 and then seven times1 before the mercy-seat1--evidently1 on the floor of the sanctuary1 for the symbolic cleansing of the holiest place1 defiled by all the uncleannesses of the children of ,israel1 in the midst of whom it stood4 ,then1 returning1 he kills the goat of the sin-offering for ,jehovah1 and repeats the same ceremony1 now in behalf of the whole congregation1 sprinkling1 as before1 the mercy-seat1 and1 seven times1 the ,holy of ,holies1 thus making atonement for it1 because of the uncleannesses of the children of ,israel1 and because of their transgressions1 even all their sins 7ver4 #af74 ,in like manner1 he was then to cleanse1 by a seven-fold sprinkling1 the ,holy ,place2 and then again going into the outer court1 also the altar of burnt-offering2 this last1 doubtless1 as in other cases1 by applying the blood to the horns of the altar4 ,in all this it will be observed that the difference from the ordinary sin-offerings and the wider reach of its symbolical virtue is found1 not in that the offering is different from or larger than others1 but in that1 symbolically speaking1 the blood is brought1 as in no other offering1 into the most immediate presence of ,god2 even into the secret darkness of the ,holy of ,holies1 where no child of ,israel might tread4 ,for this reason did this sin-offering become1 above all others1 the most perfect type of the one offering of ,him1 the ,god-,man1 who reconciled us to ,god by doing that in reality which was here done in symbol1 even entering with atoning blood into the very presence of ,god1 there to appear in our behalf4 ,,azazel4 xvi4 #bj-bh4 ,and when he hath made an end of atoning for the holy place1 and the tent of meeting1 and the altar1 he shall present the live goat3 and ,aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat1 and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of ,israel1 and all their transgressions1 even all their sins2 and he shall put them upon the head of the goat1 and shall send him away by the hand of a man that is in readiness into the wilderness3 and the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a solitary land3 and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness4 ,and ,aaron shall come into the tent of meeting1 and shall put off the linen garments1 which he put on when he went into the holy place1 and shall leave them there3 and he shall bathe his flesh in water in a holy place1 and put on his garments1 and come forth1 and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people1 and make atonement for himself and for the people4 ,and the fat of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar4 ,and he that letteth go the goat for ,azazel shall wash his clothes1 and bathe his flesh in water1 and afterward he shall come into the camp4 ,and the bullock of the sin offering1 and the goat of the sin offering1 whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place1 shall be carried forth without the camp2 and they shall burn in the fire their skins1 and their flesh1 and their dung4 ,and he that burneth them shall wash his clothes1 and bathe his flesh in water1 and afterward he shall come into the camp4 ,and now followed the second stage of the ceremonial1 a rite of the most singular and impressive character4 ,the live goat1 during the former part of the ceremony1 had been left standing before ,jehovah1 where he had been placed after the casting of the lot 7ver4 #aj74 ,the rendering of ,king ,james' version1 that the goat was so placed1 to make an atonement with him1 assumes a meaning to the ,hebrew preposition here which it never has4 ,usage demands either that which is given in the text or the margin of the ,revised ,version1 to make atonement for him or over him4 ,but to the former the objection seems insuperable that there is nothing in the whole rite suggesting an atonement as made for this living goat2 while1 on the other hand1 if the rendering over be adopted from the margin1 it may not unnaturally be understood of the performance over this goat of that part of the atonement ceremonial described as follows3-- ,vv4 #bj-bb3 ,when he hath made an end of atoning for the holy place1 and the tent of meeting1 and the altar1 he shall present the live goat 444 and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of ,israel1 and all their transgressions1 even all their sins2 and he shall put them upon the head of the goat1 and shall send him away by the hand of a man that is in readiness into the wilderness3 and the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a solitary land3 and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness4 ,and with this ceremony the atonement was completed4 ,aaron now laid aside the robes which he had put on for this service1 bathed again1 and put on again his richly coloured garments of office1 came forth and offered the burnt-offering for himself and for the people1 and burnt the fat of the sin-offering as usual on the altar 7vv4 #bc-be71 while its flesh was burned1 according to the law for such sacrifices1 without the camp 7ver4 #bg74 ,what was the precise significance of this part of the service1 is one of the most difficult questions which arises in the exposition of this book2 the answer to which chiefly turns upon the meaning which is attached to the expression1 for ,azazel 7,o4,v41 for a scapegoat74 ,what is the meaning of ,azazel8 ,there are three fundamental facts which stand before us in this chapter1 which must find their place in any explanation which may be adopted4 #a4 ,both of the goats are declared to be a sin-offering2 the live goat1 no less than the other4 #b4 ,in consistency with this1 the live goat1 no less than the other1 was consecrated to ,jehovah1 in that he was set alive before the ,lord4 #c4 ,the function expressly ascribed to him in the law is the complete removal of the transgressions of ,israel1 symbolically transferred to him as a burden1 by the laying on of hands with confession of sin4 ,passing by1 then1 several interpretations1 which seem intrinsically irreconcilable with one or other of these facts1 or are1 for other reasons1 to be rejected1 the case seems to be practically narrowed down to this alternative4 ,either ,azazel is to be regarded as the name of an evil spirit1 conceived of as dwelling in the wilderness1 or else it is to be taken as an abstract noun1 as in the margin 7,r4,v471 signifying removal1 dismissal4 ,that the word may have this meaning is very commonly admitted even by those who deny that meaning here2 and if1 with ,bhr#ba and others1 we adopt it in this passage1 all that follows is quite clear4 ,the goat for removal bears away all the iniquities of ,israel1 which are symbolically laid upon him1 into a solitary land2 that is1 they are taken wholly away from the presence of ,god and from the camp of ,his people4 ,thus1 as the killing and sprinkling of the blood of the first goat visibly set forth the means of reconciliation with ,god1 through the substituted offering of an innocent victim1 so the sending away of the second goat1 laden with those sins1 the expiation of which had been signified by the sacrifice of the first1 no less vividly set forth the effect of that sacrifice1 in the complete removal of those expiated sins from the holy presence of ,jehovah4 ,that this effect of atonement should have been adequately represented by the first slain victim was impossible2 hence the necessity for the second goat1 ideally identified with the other1 as jointly constituting with it one sin-offering1 whose special use it should be to represent the blessed effect of atonement4 ,the truth symbolised1 as the goat thus bore away the sins of ,israel1 is expressed in those glad words 7,psalm ciii4 #ab71 ,as far as the east is from the west1 so far hath ,he removed our transgressions from us2 or1 under another image1 by ,micah 7vii4 #ai71 ,thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea4 #ba ,symbolik des ,mosischen ,cultus1 #b ,band41 p4 #ffh4 ,so far all seems quite clear1 and this explanation1 no doubt1 will always be accepted by many4 ,and yet there remains one serious objection to this interpretation2 namely1 that the meaning we thus give this word ,azazel is not what we would expect from the phrase which is used regarding the casting of the lots 7ver4 #h73 ,one lot for the ,lord1 and the other lot for ,azazel4 ,these words do most naturally suggest that ,azazel is the name of a person1 who is here contrasted with ,jehovah2 and hence it is believed by a large number of the best expositors that the term must be taken here as the name of an evil spirit1 represented as dwelling in the wilderness1 to whom this goat1 thus laden with ,israel's sins1 is sent4 ,in addition to this phraseology1 it is urged1 in support of this interpretation1 that even the ,scripture lends apparent sanction to the ,jewish belief that demons are1 in some special sense1 the inhabitants of waste and desolate places2 and1 in particular1 that ,jewish demonology does in fact recognise a demon named ,azazel1 also called ,sammael4 ,it is admitted1 indeed1 that the name ,azazel does not occur in the ,scripture as the name of ,satan or of any evil spirit2 and1 moreover1 that there is no evidence that the ,jewish belief concerning the existence of a demon called ,azazel dates nearly so far back as ,mosaic days2 and1 again1 that even the rabbis themselves are not agreed on this interpretation here1 many of them rejecting it1 even on traditional grounds4 ,still the interpretation has secured the support of the majority of the best modern expositors1 and must claim respectful consideration4 ,but if ,azazel indeed denotes an evil spirit to whom the second goat of the sin-offering is thus sent1 laden with the iniquities of ,israel1 the question then arises3 ,how then1 on this supposition1 is the ceremony to be interpreted8 ,the notion of some1 that we have in this rite a relic of the ancient demon-worship1 is utterly inadmissible4 ,for this goat is expressly said 7ver4 #e7 to have been1 equally with the goat that was slain1 a sin-offering1 and 7vv4 #aj1 #bj7 it is placed before the ,lord1 as an offering to ,him2 nor is there a hint1 here or elsewhere1 that this goat was sacrificed in the wilderness to this ,azazel2 while1 moreover1 in this very priest-code 7xvii4 #g-i1 ,r4,v47 this special form of idolatry is forbidden1 under the heaviest penalty4 ,that the goat sent to ,azazel personified1 by way of warning and in a typical manner1 ,israel1 as rejecting the great ,sin-offering1 and thus laden with iniquity1 and therefore delivered over to ,satan1 is an idea equally untenable4 ,for the goat1 as we have seen1 is regarded as ideally one with the goat which is slain2 they jointly constitute one sin-offering4 ,if1 therefore1 the slain goat represented in type ,christ as the ,lamb of ,god1 our ,sin-offering1 so also must this goat represent ,him as our ,sin-offering4 ,further1 the ceremonial which is performed over him is explicitly termed an atonement2 that is1 it was an essential part of a ritual designed to symbolise1 not the condemnation of ,israel for sin1 but their complete deliverance from the guilt of their sins4 ,not to speak of other explanations1 more or less untenable1 which have each found their advocates1 the only one which1 upon this understanding of the meaning of ,azazel1 the context and the analogy of the ,scripture will both admit1 appears to be the following4 ,holy ,scripture teaches that ,satan has power over man1 only because of man's sin4 ,because of his sin1 man is judicially left by ,god in ,satan's power 7#a ,john v4 #ai1 ,r4,v474 ,when as the prince of this world he came to the sinless ,man1 ,jesus ,christ1 he had nothing in ,him1 because ,he was the ,holy ,one of ,god2 while1 on the other hand1 he is represented 7,heb4 ii4 #ad7 as having over men under sin the authority of death4 ,in full accord with this conception1 he is represented1 both in the ,old and the ,new ,testament1 as the accuser of ,god's people4 ,he is said to have accused ,job before ,god 7,job i4 #i-aa2 ii4 #d1 #e74 ,when ,zechariah 7iii4 #a7 saw ,joshua the high-priest standing before the angel of ,jehovah1 he saw ,satan also standing at his right hand to be his adversary4 ,so1 again1 in the ,apocalypse 7xii4 #aj7 he is called the ,accuser of our brethren1 which accuseth them before our ,god day and night1 and who is only overcome by means of the blood of the ,lamb4 ,to this ,evil ,one1 then1 the ,accuser and ,adversary of ,god's people in all ages--if we assume the interpretation before us--the live goat was symbolically sent1 bearing on him the sins of ,israel4 ,but does he bear their sins as forgiven1 or as unforgiven8 ,surely1 as forgiven2 for the sins which he symbolically carries are those very sins of the bygone year for which expiating blood had just been offered and accepted in the ,holy of ,holies4 ,moreover1 he is sent as being ideally one with the goat that was slain4 ,as sent to ,azazel1 he therefore symbolically announces to the ,evil ,one that with the expiation of sin by sacrificial blood the foundation of his power over forgiven ,israel is gone4 ,his accusations are now no longer in place2 for the whole question of ,israel's sin has been met and settled in the atoning blood4 ,thus1 as the acceptance of the blood of the one goat offered in the ,holiest symbolised the complete propitiation of the offended holiness of ,god and ,his pardon of ,israel's sin1 so the sending of the goat to ,azazel symbolised the effect of this expiation1 in the complete removal of all the penal effects of sin1 through deliverance by atonement from the power of the ,adversary as the executioner of ,god's wrath4 ,which of these two interpretations shall be accepted must be left to the reader3 that neither is without difficulty1 those who have most studied this very obscure question will most readily admit2 that either is at least consistent with the context and with other teachings of ,scripture1 should be sufficiently evident4 ,in either case1 the symbolic intention of the first part of the ritual1 with the first goat1 was to symbolise the means of reconciliation with ,god2 namely1 through the offering unto ,god of the life of an innocent victim1 substituted in the sinner's place3 in either case alike1 the purpose of the second part of the ceremonial1 with the second goat1 was to symbolise the blessed effect of this expiation2 either1 if the reading of the margin be taken1 in the complete removal of the expiated sin from the presence of the ,holy ,god1 or1 if ,azazel be taken as a proper name1 in the complete deliverance of the sinner1 through expiatory blood presented in the ,holiest1 from the power of ,satan4 ,if in the former case1 we think of the words already cited1 ,as far as the east is from the west1 so far hath ,he removed our transgressions from us2 in the latter the words from the ,apocalypse 7xii4 #aj1 #aa7 come to mind1 ,the ,accuser of our brethren is cast down1 which accuseth them before our ,god day and night4 ,and they overcame him because of the blood of the ,lamb4 ,on other particulars in the ceremonial of the day we need not dwell1 as they have received their exposition in earlier chapters of the law of the offerings4 ,of the burnt-offerings1 indeed1 which followed the dismissal of the living goat of the sin-offering1 little is said2 it is1 emphatically1 the sin-offering upon which1 above all else1 it was designed to centre the attention of ,israel on this occasion4 ,and so1 with an injunction to the perpetual observance of this day1 this remarkable chapter closes4 ,in it the sacrificial law of ,moses attains its supreme expression2 the holiness and the grace alike of ,israel's ,god1 their fullest revelation4 ,for the like of the great day of atonement1 we look in vain in any other people4 ,if every sacrifice pointed to ,christ1 this most luminously of all4 ,what the fifty-third of ,isaiah is to his ,messianic prophecies1 that1 we may truly say1 is the sixteenth of ,leviticus to the whole system of ,mosaic types1--the most consummate flower of the ,messianic symbolism4 ,all the sin-offerings pointed to ,christ1 the great ,high ,priest and ,victim of the future2 but this1 as we shall now see1 with a distinctness found in no other4 ,as the unique sin-offering of this day could only be offered by the one high-priest1 so was it intimated that the ,high ,priest of the future1 who should indeed make an end of sin1 should be one and only4 ,as once only in the whole year1 a complete cycle of time1 this great atonement was offered1 so did it point toward a sacrifice which should indeed be once for all 7,heb4 ix4 #bf2 x4 #aj72 not only for the lesser on of the year1 but for the on of ons which is the lifetime of humanity4 ,in that the high-priest1 who was on all other occasions conspicuous among his sons by his bright garments made for glory and for beauty1 on this occasion laid them aside1 and assumed the same garb as his sons for whom he was to make atonement2 herein was shadowed forth the truth that it behoved the great ,high ,priest of the future to be in all things made like unto ,his brethren 7,heb4 ii4 #ag74 ,when1 having offered the sin-offering1 ,aaron disappeared from the sight of ,israel within the veil1 where in the presence of the unseen glory he offered the incense and sprinkled the blood1 it was presignified how ,christ having come a ,high ,priest of the good things to come1 through the greater and more perfect tabernacle1 not made with hands1 444 nor yet through the blood of goats and calves1 but through ,his own blood1 entered in once for all into the holy place1 even into heaven itself1 now to appear before the face of ,god for us 7,heb4 ix4 #aa1 #ab1 #bd74 ,and1 in like manner1 in that when the sin-offering had been offered1 the blood sprinkled1 and his work within the veil was ended1 arrayed again in his glorious garments1 he reappeared to bless the waiting congregation2 it was again foreshown how yet that must be fulfilled which is written1 that this same ,christ1 having been once offered to bear the sins of many1 shall appear a second time1 apart from sin1 to them that wait for ,him1 unto salvation 7,heb4 ix4 #bh74 ,to all this yet more might be added of dispensational truth typified by the ceremonial of this day1 which we defer to the exposition of chap4 xxv41 where its consideration more properly belongs4 ,but even were this all1 what a marvellous revelation here of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ6 ,the fact of these correspondences between the ,levitical ritual and the ,new ,testament facts1 let it be observed1 is wholly independent of the questions as to the date and origin of this law2 and every theory on this subject must find a place for these correspondences and account for them4 ,but how can any one believe that all these are merely accidental coincidences of a post-exilian forgery with the facts of the incarnation1 and the high priestly work of ,christ in death and resurrection as set forth in the ,gospels8 ,how can they all be adequately accounted for1 except by assuming that to be true which is expressly taught in the ,new ,testament concerning this very ritual3 that in it the ,holy ,ghost presignified things that were to come2 that1 therefore1 the ordinance must have been1 not of man1 but of ,god2 not a mere product of the human mind1 acting under the laws of a religious evolution1 but a revelation from ,him unto whom known are all ,his works from the foundation of the world8 ,nor must we fail to take in the blessed truth so vividly symbolised in the second part of the ceremonial4 ,when the blood of the sin-offering had been sprinkled in the ,holiest1 the sins of ,israel were then1 by the other goat of the sin-offering1 borne far away4 ,israel stood there still a sinful people2 but their sin1 now expiated by the blood1 was before ,god as if it were not4 ,so does the ,holy ,victim in the ,antitype1 who first by ,his death expiated sin1 then as the ,living ,one bear away all the believer's sins from the presence of the ,holy ,one into a land of forgetfulness4 ,and so it is that1 as regards acceptance with ,god1 the believing sinner1 though still a sinner1 stands as if he were sinless2 all through the great ,sin-offering4 ,to see this1 to believe in it and rest in it1 is life eternal2 it is joy1 and peace1 and rest6 ,,it ,,is ,,the ,,gospel6 ,,part ,,ii4 ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,the ,,daily ,,life4 ,,xi4-,,xv41 ,,xvii4-,,xxv4 ,,section #a4 ,,the ,,law ,,concerning ,,the ,,clean ,,and ,,the ,,unclean3 xi4-xv4 ,,section #b4 ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,holiness3 xvii4-xxii4 ,,section #c4 ,,the ,,law ,,concerning ,,sacred ,,times 7,,with ,,episode1 xxiv473 xxiii4-xxv4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,clean ,,and ,,unclean ,,animals1 ,,and ,,defilement ,,by ,,dead ,,bodies4 ,lev4 xi4 #a-dg4 ,with chap4 xi4 begins a new section of this book1 extending to the end of chap4 xv41 of which the subject is the law concerning various bodily defilements1 and the rites appointed for their removal4 ,the law is given under four heads1 as follows3-- ,i4 ,clean and ,unclean ,animals1 and ,defilement by ,dead ,bodies3 chap4 xi4 ,,ii4 ,the ,uncleanness of ,child-birth3 chap4 xii4 ,,iii4 ,the ,uncleanness of ,leprosy3 chaps4 xiii41 xiv4 ,,iv4 ,the ,uncleanness of ,issues3 chap4 xv4 ,from the modern point of view this whole subject appears to many1 with no little reason1 to be encompassed with peculiar difficulties4 ,we have become accustomed to think of religion as a thing so exclusively of the spirit1 and so completely independent of bodily conditions1 provided that these be not in their essential nature sinful1 that it is a great stumbling-block to many that ,god should be represented as having given to ,israel an elaborate code of laws concerning such subjects as are treated in these five chapters of ,leviticus3 a legislation which1 to not a few1 seems puerile and unspiritual1 if not worse4 ,and yet1 for the reverent believer in ,christ1 who remembers that our blessed ,lord did repeatedly refer to this book of ,leviticus as1 without any exception or qualification1 the ,word of ,his ,father1 it should not be hard1 in view of this fact1 to infer that the difficulties which most of us have felt are presumably due to our very imperfect knowledge of the subject4 ,remembering this1 we shall be able to approach this part of the law of ,moses1 and1 in particular1 this chapter1 with the spirit1 not of critics1 but of learners1 who know as yet but little of the mysteries of ,god's dealings with ,israel or with the human race4 ,chap4 xi4 may be divided into two sections1 together with a concluding appeal and summary 7vv4 #da-dg74 ,the first section treats of the law of the clean and the unclean in relation to eating 7vv4 #a-bc74 ,under this head1 the animals which are permitted or forbidden are classified1 after a fashion not scientific1 but purely empirical and practical1 into 7#a7 the beasts which are upon the earth 7vv4 #b-h72 7#b7 things that are in the waters 7vv4 #i-ab72 7#c7 flying things1--comprising1 first1 birds and flying animals like the bat 7vv4 #ac-ai72 and1 secondly1 insects1 winged creeping things that go upon all four 7vv4 #bj-bc74 ,the second section treats of defilement by contact with the dead bodies of these1 whether unclean 7vv4 #bd-ch71 or clean 7vv4 #ci1 #dj74 ,of the living things among the beasts that are upon the earth 7vv4 #b-h71 those are permitted for food which both chew the cud and divide the hoof2 every animal in which either of these marks is wanting is forbidden4 ,of the things which live in the waters1 those only are allowed for food which have both fins and scales2 those which lack either of these marks1 such as1 for example1 eels1 oysters1 and all the mollusca and crustacea1 are forbidden 7vv4 #i-ab74 ,of flying things 7vv4 #ac-ai7 which may be eaten1 no special mark is given2 though it is to be noted that nearly all of those which are by name forbidden are birds of prey1 or birds reputed to be unclean in their habits4 ,all insects1 winged creeping things that go upon all four 7ver4 #bj71 or whatsoever hath many feet1 or goeth upon the belly1 as worms1 snakes1 etc41 are prohibited 7ver4 #db74 ,of insects1 a single class1 described as those which have legs above their feet1 to leap withal upon the earth1 is excepted 7vv4 #ba1 #bb73 these are known to us as the order ,saltatoria1 including1 as typical examples1 the cricket1 the grasshopper1 and the migratory locust2 all of which1 it may be noted1 are clean feeders1 living upon vegetable products only4 ,it is worthy of notice that the law of the clean and the unclean in food is not extended1 as it was in ,egypt1 to the vegetable kingdom4 ,the second section of the chapter 7vv4 #bd-dj7 comprises a number of laws relating chiefly to defilement by contact with the dead bodies of animals4 ,in these regulations1 it is to be observed that the dead body1 even of a clean animal1 except when killed in accordance with the law1 so that its blood is all drained out 7xvii4 #aj-af71 is regarded as defiling him who touches it2 while1 on the other hand1 even an unclean animal is not held capable of imparting defilement by mere contact1 so long as it is living4 ,very minute charges are given 7vv4 #bi-ch7 concerning eight species of unclean animals1 of which six 7vv4 #bi1 #cj1 ,r4,v47 appear to be different varieties of the lizard family4 ,regarding these1 it is ordered that not only shall the person be held unclean who touches the dead body of one of them 7ver4 #ca71 but also anything becomes unclean on which such a dead body may fall1 whether household utensil1 or food1 or drink 7vv4 #cb-ce74 ,the exception only is made 7vv4 #cf-ch71 that fountains1 or wells of water1 or dry seed for sowing1 shall not be held to be by such defiled4 ,that which has been made unclean must be put into water1 and be unclean until the even 7ver4 #cb72 with the exception that nothing which is made of earthenware1 whether a vessel1 or an oven1 or a range1 could be thus cleansed2 for the obvious reason that the water could not adequately reach the interior of its porous material4 ,it must therefore be broken in pieces 7vv4 #cc1 #cd74 ,if a person be defiled by any of these1 he remained unclean until the even 7ver4 #ca74 ,no washing is prescribed1 but1 from analogy1 is probably to be taken for granted4 ,such is a brief summary of the law of the clean and the unclean as contained in this chapter4 ,to preclude adding needless difficulty to a difficult subject1 the remark made above should be specially noted1--that so far as general marks are given by which the clean is to be distinguished from the unclean1 these marks are evidently selected simply from a practical point of view1 as of easy recognition by the common people1 for whom a more exact and scientific mode of distinction would have been useless4 ,we are not therefore for a moment to think of cleanness or uncleanness as causally determined1 for instance1 by the presence or absence of fins or scales1 or by the habit of chewing the cud1 and the dividing of the hoof1 or the absence of these marks1 as if they were themselves the ground of the cleanness or uncleanness1 in any instance4 ,for such a fancy as this1 which has diverted some interpreters from the right line of investigation of the subject1 there is no warrant whatever in the words of the law1 either here or elsewhere4 ,than this law concerning things clean and unclean nothing will seem to many1 at first1 more alien to modern thought1 or more inconsistent with any intelligent view of the world and of man's relation to the things by which he is surrounded4 ,and1 especially1 that the strict observance of this law should be connected with religion1 and that1 upon what professes to be the authority of ,god1 it should be urged on ,israel on the ground of their call to be a holy people to a holy ,god1--this1 to the great majority of ,bible readers1 certainly appears1 to say the least1 most extraordinary and unaccountable4 ,and yet the law is here1 and its observance is enforced by this very consideration2 for we read 7vv4 #dc1 #dd73 ,ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth1 neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them1 that ye should be defiled thereby4 ,for ,i am the ,lord your ,god3 sanctify yourselves therefore1 and be ye holy2 for ,i am holy4 ,and1 in any case1 explain the matter as we may1 many will ask1 ,how1 since the ,new ,testament formally declares this law concerning clean and unclean beasts to be no longer binding 7,col4 ii4 #af1 #bj-bc71 is it possible to imagine that there should now remain anything in this most perplexing law which should be of spiritual profit still to a ,new ,testament believer8 ,to the consideration of these questions1 which so naturally arise1 we now address ourselves4 ,first of all1 in approaching this subject it is well to recall to mind the undeniable fact1 that a distinction in foods as clean and unclean1 that is1 fit and unfit for man's use1 has a very deep and apparently irremovable foundation in man's nature4 ,even we ourselves1 who stumble at this law1 recognise a distinction of this kind1 and regulate our diet accordingly2 and also1 in like manner1 feel1 more or less1 an instinctive repugnance to dead bodies4 ,as regards diet1 it is true that when the secondary question arises as to what particular animals shall be reckoned clean or unclean1 fit or unfit for food1 nations and tribes differ among themselves1 as also from the law of ,moses1 in a greater or less degree2 nevertheless1 this does not alter the fact that such a distinction is recognised among all nations of culture2 and that1 on the other hand1 in those who recognise it not1 and who eat1 as some do1 without discrimination1 whatever chances to come to hand1--insects1 reptiles1 carrion1 and so on1--this revolting indifference in the matter of food is always associated with gross intellectual and moral degradation4 ,certainly these indisputable facts should suffice to dispose of the charge of puerility1 as sometimes made against the laws of this chapter4 ,and not only this1 but more is true4 ,for while even among nations of the highest culture and ,christian enlightenment many animals are eaten1 as1 e4g41 the oyster1 the turtle1 the flesh of the horse and the hog1 which the law of ,moses prohibits2 on the other hand1 it remains true that1 with the sole exception of creatures of the locust tribe1 the animals which are allowed for food by the ,mosaic code are reckoned suitable for food by almost the entire human family4 ,a notable exception to the fact is indeed furnished in the case of the ,hindoos1 and also the ,buddhists 7who follow an ,indian religion71 who1 as a rule1 reject all animal food1 and especially1 in the case of the former1 the flesh of the cow1 as not to be eaten4 ,but this exception is quite explicable by considerations into which we cannot here enter at length1 but which do not affect the significance of the general fact4 ,and1 again1 on the other hand1 it may also be said that1 as a general rule1 the appetite of the great majority of enlightened and cultivated nations revolts against using as food the greater part of the animals which this code prohibits4 ,birds of prey1 for instance1 and the carnivora generally1 animals having paws1 and reptiles1 for the most part1 by a kind of universal instinct among cultivated peoples1 are judged unfit for human food4 ,the bearing of these facts upon our exposition is plain4 ,they certainly suggest1 at least1 that this law of ,lev4 xi4 may1 after all1 very possibly have a deep foundation both in the nature of man and that of the things permitted or forbidden2 and they also raise the question as to how far exceptions and divergencies from this law1 among peoples of culture1 may possibly be due to a diversity in external physical and climatic conditions1 because of which that which may be wholesome and suitable food in one place--the wilderness of ,sinai1 or ,palestine1 for instance--may not be wholesome and suitable in other lands1 under different physical conditions4 ,we do not yet enter into this question1 but barely call attention to it1 as adapted to check the hasty judgment of many1 that such a law as this is necessarily puerile and unworthy of ,god4 ,but while it is of no small consequence to note this agreement in the fundamental ideas of this law with widely extended instincts and habits of mankind1 on the other hand1 it is also of importance to emphasise the contrast which it exhibits with similar codes of law among other peoples4 ,for while1 as has just been remarked1 there are many most suggestive points of agreement between the ,mosaic distinctions of clean and unclean and those of other nations1 on the other hand1 remarkable contrasts appear1 even in the case of those people with whom1 like the ,egyptians1 the ,hebrews had been most intimately associated4 ,in the ,egyptian system of dietary law1 for instance1 the distinction of clean and unclean in food was made to apply1 not only in the animal1 but also in the vegetable world2 and1 again1 while all fishes having fins and scales are permitted as food in the ,mosaic law1 no fishes whatever are permitted by the ,egyptian code4 ,but more significant than such difference in details is the difference in the religious conception upon which such distinctions are based4 ,in ,egypt1 for example1 animals were reckoned clean or unclean according as they were supposed to have more predominant the character of the good ,osiris or of the evil ,typhon4 ,among the ancient ,persians1 those were reckoned clean which were supposed to be the creation of ,ormazd1 the good ,spirit1 and those unclean whose origin was attributed to ,ahriman1 the evil ,spirit4 ,in ,india1 the prohibition of flesh as food rests on pantheistic assumptions4 ,not to multiply examples1 it is easy to see that1 without anticipating anything here with regard to the principle which determined the ,hebrew distinctions1 it is certain that of such dualistic or pantheistic principles as are manifested in these and other instances which might be named1 there is not a trace in the ,mosaic law4 ,how significant and profoundly instructive is the contrast here1 will only fully appear when we see what in fact appears to have been the determining principle in the ,mosaic legislation4 ,but when we now seek to ascertain upon what principle certain animals were permitted and others forbidden as food1 it must be confessed that we have before us a very difficult question1 and one to which1 accordingly1 very diverse answers have been given4 ,in general1 indeed1 we are expressly told that the object of this legislation1 as of all else in this book of laws1 was moral and spiritual4 ,thus1 we are told in so many words 7vv4 #dc-de7 that ,israel was to abstain from eating or touching the unclean1 on the ground that they were to be holy1 because the ,lord their ,god was holy4 ,but to most this only increases the difficulty4 ,what possible connection could there be between eating1 or abstinence from eating1 animals which do not chew the cud1 or fishes which have not scales1 and holiness of life8 ,in answer to this question1 some have supposed a mystical connection between the soul and the body1 such that the former is defiled by the food which is received and assimilated by the latter4 ,in support of this theory1 appeal has been made to ver4 #dd of this chapter1 which1 in the ,septuagint translation1 is rendered literally3 ,ye shall not defile your souls4 ,but1 as often in ,hebrew1 the original expression here is simply equivalent to our compound pronoun yourselves1 and is therefore so translated both in the ,authorised and the ,revised ,versions4 ,as for any other proof of such a mystical evil influence of the various kinds of food prohibited in this chapter1 there is simply none at all4 ,others1 again1 have sought the explication of these facts in the undoubted ,divine purpose of keeping ,israel separate from other nations2 to secure which separation this special dietetic code1 with other laws regarding the clean and the unclean1 was given them4 ,that these laws have practically helped to keep the children of ,israel separate from other nations1 will not be denied2 and we may therefore readily admit1 that inasmuch as the food of the ,hebrews has differed from that of the nations among whom they have dwelt1 this separation of the nation may therefore have been included in the purpose of ,god in these regulations4 ,however1 it is to be observed that in the law itself the separation of ,israel from other nations is represented1 not as the end to be attained by the observance of these food laws1 but instead1 as a fact already existing1 which is given as a reason why they should keep these laws 7xx4 #bd1 #be74 ,moreover1 it will be found impossible1 by reference to this principle alone1 to account for the details of the laws before us4 ,for the question is not merely why there should have been food laws1 but also why these laws should have been such as they are8 ,the latter question is not adequately explained by reference to ,god's purpose of keeping ,israel separate from the nations4 ,some1 again1 have held that the explanation of these laws was to be found simply in the design of ,god1 by these restrictions1 to give ,israel a profitable moral discipline in self-restraint and control of the bodily appetites2 or to impose1 in this way1 certain conditions and limitations upon their approach to ,him1 which should have the effect of deepening in them the sense of awe and reverence for the ,divine majesty of ,god1 as their ,king4 ,of this theory it may be said1 as of the last-named1 that there can be no doubt that in fact these laws did tend to secure these ends2 but that yet1 on the other hand1 the explanation is still inadequate1 inasmuch as it only would show why restrictions of some kind should have been ordered1 and not1 in the least1 why the restrictions should have been such1 in detail1 as we have here4 ,quite different from any of these attempted explanations is that of many who have sought to explain the law allegorically4 ,we are told by such that ,israel was forbidden the flesh of certain animals1 because they were regarded as typifying by their character certain sins and vices1 as1 on the other hand1 those which were permitted as food were regarded as typifying certain moral virtues4 ,hence1 it is supposed by such that the law tended to the holiness of ,israel1 in that it was1 so to speak1 a continual object-lesson1 a perpetually acted allegory1 which should continually remind them of the duty of abstaining from the typified sins and of practising the typified virtues4 ,but1 assuredly1 this theory cannot be carried out4 ,animals are in this law prohibited as food whose symbolic meaning elsewhere in ,scripture is not always bad1 but sometimes good4 ,the lion1 for example1 as having paws1 is prohibited as food2 and yet it is the symbol of our blessed ,lord1 the ,lion of the tribe of ,judah4 ,nor is there the slightest evidence that the ,hebrews ever attached any such allegorical significance to the various prescriptions of this chapter as the theory would require4 ,other expositors allegorise in a different but no more satisfactory manner4 ,thus a popular1 and1 it must be added1 most spiritual and devout expositor1 sets forth the spiritual meaning of the required conjunction of the two marks in clean animals of the chewing of the cud and the dividing of the hoof in this wise3 ,the two things were inseparable in the case of every clean animal4 ,and1 as to the spiritual application1 it is of the very last importance in a practical point of view4444 ,a man may profess to love and feed upon1 to study and ruminate over1 the ,word of ,god--the pasture of the soul2 but if his footprints along the pathway of life are not such as the ,word requires1 he is not clean4 ,but it should be evident that such allegorising interpretation as this can carry with it no authority1 and sets the door wide open to the most extravagant fancy in the exposition of ,scripture4 ,others1 again1 find the only principle which has determined the laws concerning defilement by the dead1 and the clean and unclean meats1 to be the presence in that which was reckoned unclean1 of something which is naturally repulsive to men2 whether in odour1 or in the food of a creature1 or its other habits of life4 ,but while it is true that such marks distinguish many of the creatures reckoned unclean1 they are wanting in others1 and are also found in a few animals which are nevertheless permitted4 ,if this had been the determining principle1 surely1 for example1 the law which permitted for food the he-goat and forbade the horse1 would have been exactly the opposite2 while1 as regards fishes and insects permitted and forbidden1 it is hard to see any evidence whatever of the influence of this principle4 ,much more plausible1 at first sight1 and indeed much more nearly approaching the truth1 than any of the theories above criticised1 is one which has been elaborated with no little learning and ingenuity by ,sommer1#bb according to which the laws concerning the clean and the unclean1 whether in regard to food or anything else1 are all grounded in the antithesis of death and life4 ,death1 everywhere in ,holy ,scripture1 is set in the closest ethical and symbolical connection with sin4 ,bodily death is the wages of sin2 and inasmuch as it is the outward physical expression and result of the inner fact that sin1 in its very nature1 is spiritual death1 therefore the dead is always held to be unclean2 and the various laws enforcing this thought are all intended to keep before the mind the fact that death is the visible representation and evidence of the presence of sin1 and the consequent curse of ,god4 ,hence1 also1 it will follow that the selection of foods must be governed by a reference to this principle4 ,the carnivora1 on this principle1 must be forbidden1--as they are1--because they live by taking the life of other animals2 hence1 also1 is explained the exclusion of the multitudinous varieties of the insect world1 as feeding on that which is dead and corrupt4 ,on the other hand1 the animals which chew the cud and divide the hoof are counted clean2 inasmuch as the sheep and the cattle1 the chief representatives of this class1 were by every one recognised as at the furthest possible remove from any such connection with death and corruption in their mode of life2 and hence the familiar marks which distinguish them1 as a matter merely of practical convenience1 were taken as those which must distinguish every animal lawful for food4 #bb ,biblische ,abhandlungen1 pp4 #bci-bgj4 ,but while this view has been elaborated with great ability and skill1 it yet fails to account for all the facts4 ,it is quite overlooked that if the reason of the prohibition of carnivorous birds and quadrupeds is to be found in the fact that they live by the destruction of life1 the same reason should have led to the prohibition of all fishes without exception1 as in ,egypt2 inasmuch as those which have fins and scales1 no less than others1 live by preying on other living creatures4 ,on the other hand1 by the same principle1 all insects which derive their sustenance from the vegetable world should have been permitted as food1 instead of one order only of these4 ,where so much learning and profound thought has been expended in vain1 one might well hesitate to venture anything in exposition of so difficult a subject1 and rest content1 as some have1 with declaring that the whole subject is utterly inexplicable4 ,and yet the world advances in knowledge1 and we are therefore able to approach the subject with some advantage in this respect over earlier generations4 ,and in the light of the most recent investigations1 we believe it highly probable that the chief principle determining the laws of this chapter will be found in the region of hygiene and sanitation1 as relating1 in this instance1 to diet1 and to the treatment of that which is dead4 ,and this in view of the following considerations4 ,it is of much significance to note1 in the first place1 that a large part of the animals which are forbidden as food are unclean feeders4 ,it is a well-ascertained fact that even the cleanest animal1 if its food be unclean1 becomes dangerous to health if its flesh be eaten4 ,the flesh of a cow which has drunk water contaminated with typhoid germs1 if eaten1 especially if insufficiently cooked1 may communicate typhoid fever to him who eats it4 ,it is true1 indeed1 that not all animals that are prohibited are unclean in their food2 but the fact remains that1 on the other hand1 among those which are allowed is to be found no animal whose ordinary habits of life1 especially in respect of food1 are unclean4 ,but1 in the second place1 an animal which is not unclean in its habits may yet be dangerous for food1 if it be1 for any reason1 specially liable to disease4 ,one of the greatest discoveries of modern science is the fact that a large number of diseases to which animals are liable are due to the presence of low forms of parasitic life4 ,to such diseases those which are unclean in their feeding will be especially exposed1 while none will perhaps be found wholly exempt4 ,another discovery of recent times which has a no less important bearing on the question raised by this chapter is the now ascertained fact that many of these parasitic diseases are common to both animals and men1 and may be communicated from the former to the latter4 ,all are familiar with the fact that the smallpox1 in a modified and mild form1 is a disease of cattle as well as of men1 and we avail ourselves of this fact in the practice of vaccination4 ,scarcely less familiar is the communication of the parasitic trichin1 which often infest the flesh of swine1 to those who eat such meat4 ,and research is constantly extending the number of such diseases4 ,turkeys1 we are now told1 have the diphtheria1 and may communicate it to men2 men also sometimes take from horses the loathsome disease known as the glanders4 ,now in the light of such facts as these1 it is plain that an ideal dietary law would1 as far as possible1 exclude from human food all animals which1 under given conditions1 might be especially liable to these parasitic diseases1 and which1 if their flesh should be eaten1 might thus become a frequent medium of communicating them to men4 ,now it is a most remarkable and significant fact that the tendency of the most recent investigations of this subject has been to show that the prohibitions and permissions of the ,mosaic law concerning food1 as we have them in this chapter1 become apparently explicable in view of the above facts4 ,not to refer to other authorities1 among the latest competent testimonies on this subject is that of ,dr4 ,noel ,gueneau de ,mussy1 in a paper presented to the ,paris ,academy of ,medicine in #ahhe1 in which he is quoted as saying3 ,there is so close a connection between the thinking being and the living organism in man1 so intimate a solidarity between moral and material interests1 and the useful is so constantly and so necessarily in harmony with the good1 that these two elements cannot be separated in hygiene4444 ,it is this combination which has exercised so great an influence on the preservation of the ,israelites1 despite the very unfavourable external circumstances in which they have been placed4444 ,the idea of parasitic and infectious maladies1 which has conquered so great a position in modern pathology1 appears to have greatly occupied the mind of ,moses1 and to have dominated all his hygienic rules4 ,he excludes from ,hebrew dietary animals particularly liable to parasites2 and as it is in the blood that the germs or spores of infectious disease circulate1 he orders that they must be drained of their blood before serving for food4 ,if this professional testimony1 which is accepted and endorsed by ,dr4 ,behrends1 of ,london1 in his remarkable paper on ,diseases caught from ,butcher's ,meat1#bc be admitted1 it is evident that we need look no further for the explanation of the minute prescriptions of these dietary laws which we find here and elsewhere in the ,pentateuch4 #bc ,in ,the ,nineteenth ,century1 ,september1 #ahhi4 ,and1 it may be added1 that upon this principle we may also easily explain1 in a rational way1 the very minute prescriptions of the law with regard to defilement by dead bodies4 ,for immediately upon death begins a process of corruption which produces compounds not only obnoxious to the senses1 but actively poisonous in character2 and what is of still more consequence to observe1 in the case of all parasitic and infectious diseases1 the energy of the infection is specially intensified when the infected person or animal dies4 ,hence the careful regulations as to cleansing of those persons or things which had been thus defiled by the dead2 either by water1 where practicable2 or where the thing could not be thus thoroughly cleansed1 then by burning the article with fire1 the most certain of all disinfectants4 ,but if this be indeed the principle which underlies this law of the clean and the unclean as here given1 it will then be urged that since the ,hebrews have observed this law with strictness for centuries1 they ought to show the evidence of this in a marked immunity from sickness1 as compared with other nations1 and especially from diseases of an infectious character2 and a consequent longevity superior to that of the ,gentiles who pay no attention to these laws4 ,now it is the fact1 and one which evidently furnishes another powerful argument for this interpretation of these laws1 that this is exactly what we see4 ,in this matter we are not left to guessing2 the facts are before the world1 and are undisputed4 ,even so long ago as the days when the plague was desolating ,europe1 the ,jews so universally escaped infection that1 by this their exemption1 the popular suspicion was excited into fury1 and they were accused of causing the fearful mortality among their ,gentile neighbours by poisoning the wells and springs4 ,in our own day1 in the recent cholera epidemic in ,italy1 a correspondent of the ,jewish ,chronicle testifies that the ,jews enjoyed almost absolute immunity1 at least from fatal attack4 ,professor ,hosmer says3 ,throughout the entire history of ,israel1 the wisdom of the ancient lawgivers in these respects has been remarkably shown4 ,in times of pestilence the ,jews have suffered far less than others2 as regards longevity and general health1 they have in every age been noteworthy1 and1 at the present day1 in the life-insurance offices1 the life of a ,jew is said to be worth much more than that of men of other stock4 ,of the facts in the modern world which sustain these statements1 ,dr4 ,behrends gives abundant illustration in the article referred to1 such as the following3 ,in ,prussia1 the mean duration of ,jewish life averages five years more than that of the general population4 ,in ,furth1 the average duration of ,jewish life is #cg1 and of ,christians #bf years4 ,in ,hungary1 an exhaustive study of the facts shows that the average duration of life with the ,croats is #bjb1 of the ,germans #bfg1 but of the ,jews #dfe years1 and that although the latter generally are poor1 and live under much more unfavourable sanitary conditions than their ,gentile neighbours4 ,in the light of such well-certified facts1 the conclusion seems certainly to be warranted1 that at least one chief consideration which1 in the ,divine wisdom1 determined the allowance or prohibition1 as the food of ,israel1 of the animals named in this chapter1 has been their fitness or unfitness as diet from a hygienic point of view1 especially regarding their greater or less liability to have1 and to communicate to man1 infectious1 parasitic diseases4 ,from this position1 if it be justified1 we can now perceive a secondary reference in these laws to the deeper ethical truth which1 with much reason1 ,sommer has so emphasised2 namely1 the moral significance of the great antithesis of death to life2 the former being ever contrasted in ,holy ,scripture with the latter1 as the visible manifestation of the presence of sin in the world1 and of the consequent curse of ,god4 ,for whatever tends to weakness or disease1 by that fact tends to death1--to that death which1 according to the ,scriptures1 is1 for man1 the penal consequence of sin4 ,but ,israel was called to be a people redeemed from the power of death to life1 a life of full consecration to ,god4 ,hence1 because redeemed from death1 it was evidently fitting that the ,israelite should1 so far as possible in the flesh1 keep apart from death1 and all that in its nature tended1 or might specially tend1 to disease and death4 ,it is very strange that it should have been objected to this view1 that since the law declares the reason for these regulations to have been religious1 therefore any supposed reference herein to the principles of hygiene is by that fact excluded4 ,for surely the obligation so to live as to conserve and promote the highest bodily health must be regarded1 both from a natural1 and a ,biblical and ,christian point of view1 as being no less really a religious obligation than truthfulness or honesty4 ,if there appear sufficient reason for believing that the details of these laws are to be explained by reference to hygienic considerations1 surely this1 so far from contradicting the reason which is given for their observance1 helps us rather the more clearly to see how1 just because ,israel was called to be the holy people of a holy ,god1 they must needs keep this law4 ,for the central idea of the ,levitical holiness was consecration unto ,god1 as the ,creator and ,redeemer of ,israel1--consecration in the most unreserved1 fullest possible sense1 for the most perfect possible service4 ,but the obligation to such a consecration1 as the essence of a holy character1 surely carried with it1 by necessary consequence1 then1 as now1 the obligation to maintain all the powers of mind and body also in the highest possible perfection4 ,that1 as regards the body1 and1 in no small degree1 the mind as well1 this involves the duty of the preservation of health1 so far as in our power2 and that this1 again1 is conditioned by the use of a proper diet1 as one factor of prime importance1 will be denied by no one4 ,if1 then1 sufficient reason can be shown for recognising the determining influence of hygienic considerations in the laws of this chapter concerning the clean and the unclean1 this fact will only be in the fullest harmony with all that is said in this connection1 and elsewhere in the law1 as to the relation of their observance to ,israel's holiness as a consecrated nation4 ,it may very possibly be asked1 by way of further objection to this interpretation of these laws3 ,upon this understanding of the immediate purpose of these laws1 how can we account for the selection of such test marks of the clean and the unclean as the chewing of the cud1 and the dividing of the hoof1 or having scales and fins8 ,what can the presence or absence of these peculiarities have to do with the greater or less freedom from parasitic disease of the animals included or excluded in the several classes8 ,to which question the answer may fairly be given1 that the object of the law was not to give accurately distributed categories of animals1 scientifically arranged1 according to hygienic principles1 but was purely practical2 namely1 to secure1 so far as possible1 the observance by the whole people of such a dietary as in the land of ,palestine would1 on the whole1 best tend to secure perfect bodily health4 ,it is not affirmed that every individual animal which by these tests may be excluded from permitted food is therefore to be held specially liable to disease2 but only that the limitation of the diet by these test marks1 as a practical measure1 would1 on the whole1 secure the greatest degree of immunity from disease to those who kept the law4 ,it may be objected1 again1 by some who have looked into this question1 that1 according to recent researches1 it appears that cattle1 which occupy the foremost place in the permitted diet of the ,hebrews1 are found to be especially liable to tubercular disease1 and capable1 apparently1 under certain conditions1 of communicating it to those who feed upon their flesh4 ,and it has been even urged that to this source is due a large part of the consumption which is responsible for so large part of our mortality4 ,to which objection two answers may be given4 ,first1 and most important1 is the observation that we have as yet no statistics as to the prevalence of disease of this kind among cattle in ,palestine2 and that1 presumably1 if we may argue from the climatic conditions of its prevalence among men1 it would be found far less frequently there among cattle than in ,europe and ,america4 ,further1 it must be remembered that1 in the case even of clean cattle1 the law very strictly provides elsewhere that the clean animal which is slain for food shall be absolutely free from disease2 so that still we see here1 no less than elsewhere1 the hygienic principles ruling the dietary law4 ,it will be perhaps objected1 again1 that if all this be true1 then1 since abstinence from unwholesome food is a moral duty1 the law concerning clean and unclean meats should be of universal and perpetual obligation2 whereas1 in fact1 it is explicitly abrogated in the ,new ,testament1 and is not held to be now binding on any one4 ,but the abrogation of the law of ,moses touching clean and unclean food can be easily explained1 in perfect accord with all that has been said as to its nature and intent4 ,in the first place1 it is to be remembered that it is a fundamental characteristic of the ,new ,testament law as contrasted with that of the ,old1 that on all points it leaves much more to the liberty of the individual1 allowing him to act according to the exercise of an enlightened judgment1 under the law of supreme love to the ,lord1 in many matters which1 in the ,old ,testament day1 were made a subject of specific regulation4 ,this is true1 for instance1 regarding all that relates to the public worship of ,god1 and also many things in the government and administration of the ,church1 not to speak of other examples4 ,this does not indeed mean that it is of no consequence what a man or a ,church may do in matters of this kind2 but it is intended thus to give the individual and the whole ,church a discipline of a higher order than is possible under a system which prescribes a large part of the details of human action4 ,subjection to these rudiments of the law1 according to the ,apostle1 belongs to a condition of religious minority 7,gal4 iv4 #a-c71 and passes away when the individual1 or the ,church1 so to speak1 attains majority4 ,precisely so it is in the case of these dietary and other laws1 which1 indeed1 are selected by the ,apostle ,paul 7,col4 ii4 #bj-bb7 in illustration of this characteristic of the new dispensation4 ,that such matters of detail should no longer be made matter of specific command is only what we should expect according to the analogy of the whole system of ,christian law4 ,this is not1 indeed1 saying that it is of no consequence in a religious point of view what a man eats2 whether1 for instance1 he eat carrion or not1 though this1 which was forbidden in the ,old ,testament1 is nowhere expressly prohibited in the ,new4 ,but still1 as supplying a training of higher order1 the ,new ,testament uniformly refrains from giving detailed commandments in matters of this kind4 ,but1 aside from considerations of this kind1 there is a specific reason why these laws of ,moses concerning diet and defilement by dead bodies1 if hygienic in character1 should not have been made1 in the ,new ,testament1 of universal obligation1 however excellent they might be4 ,for it is to be remembered that these laws were delivered for a people few in number1 living in a small country1 under certain definite climatic conditions4 ,but it is well known that what is unwholesome for food in one part of the world may be1 and often is1 necessary to the maintenance of health elsewhere4 ,a class of animals which under the climatic conditions of ,palestine may be specially liable to certain forms of parasitic disease1 under different climatic conditions may be comparatively free from them4 ,abstinence from fat is commanded in the law of ,moses 7iii4 #ag71 and great moderation in this matter is necessary to health in hot climates2 but1 on the contrary1 to eat fat largely is necessary to life in the polar regions4 ,from such facts as these it would follow1 of necessity1 that when the ,church of ,god1 as under the new dispensation1 was now to become a world-wide organisation1 still to have insisted on a dietetic law perfectly adapted only to ,palestine would have been to defeat the physical object1 and by consequence the moral end1 for which that law was given4 ,under these conditions1 except a special law were to be given for each land and climate1 there was and could be1 if we have before us the true conception of the ground of these regulations1 no alternative but to abrogate the law4 ,this exposition has been much prolonged2 but not until we have before us a definite conception as to the principle underlying these regulations1 and the relation of their observance to the holiness of ,israel1 are we in a position to see and appreciate the moral and spiritual lessons which they may still have for us4 ,as it is1 if the conclusions to which our exposition has conducted be accepted1 such lessons lie clearly before us4 ,while we have here a law which1 as to the letter1 is confessedly abrogated1 and which is supposed by the most to be utterly removed from any present-day use for practical instruction1 it is now evident that1 annulled as to the letter1 it is yet1 as to the spirit and intention of it1 in full force and vital consequence to holiness of life in all ages4 ,in the first place1 this exposition being granted1 it follows1 as a present-day lesson of great moment1 that the holiness which ,god requires has to do with the body as well as the soul1 even with such commonplace matters as our eating and drinking4 ,this is so1 because the body is the instrument and organ of the soul1 with which it must do all its work on earth for ,god1 and because1 as such1 the body1 no less than the soul1 has been redeemed unto ,god by the blood of ,his ,son4 ,there is1 therefore1 no religion in neglecting the body1 and ignoring the requirements for its health1 as ascetics have in all ages imagined4 ,neither is there religion in pampering1 and thus abusing1 the body1 after the manner of the sensual in all ages4 ,the principle which inspires this chapter is that which is expressed in the ,new ,testament by the words3 ,whether therefore ye eat1 or drink1 or whatsoever ye do1 do all to the glory of ,god 7#a ,cor4 x4 #ca74 ,if1 therefore1 a man needlessly eats such things1 or in such a manner1 as may be injurious to health1 he sins1 and has come short of the law of perfect holiness4 ,it is therefore not merely a matter of earthly prudence to observe the laws of health in food and drink and recreation1 in a word1 in all that has to do with the appetite and desires of the body1 but it is essential to holiness4 ,we are in all these things to seek to glorify ,god1 not only in our souls1 but also in our bodies4 ,the momentous importance of this thought will the more clearly appear when we recall to mind that1 according to the law of ,moses 7v4 #b71 if a man was defiled by any unclean thing1 and neglected the cleansing ordered by this law1 even though it were through ignorance or forgetfulness1 he was held to have incurred guilt before ,god4 ,for it was therein declared that when a man defiled by contact with the dead1 or any unclean thing1 should for any reason have omitted the cleansing ordered1 his covenant relation with ,god could only be re-established on his presentation of a sin-offering4 ,by parity of reasoning it follows that the case is the same now2 and that ,god will hold no man guiltless who violates any of those laws which ,he has established in nature as the conditions of bodily health4 ,he who does this is guilty of a sin which requires the application of the great atonement4 ,how needful it is even in our day to remind men of all this1 could not be better illustrated than by the already mentioned argument of many expositors1 that hygienic principles cannot have dominated and determined the details of these laws1 because the law declares that they are grounded1 not in hygiene1 but in religion1 and have to do with holiness4 ,as if these two were exclusive1 one of the other1 and as if it made no difference in respect to holiness of character whether a man took care to have a sound body or not6 ,no less needful is the lesson of this law to many who are at the opposite extreme4 ,for as there are those who are so taken up with the soul and its health1 that they ignore its relation to the body1 and the bearing of bodily conditions upon character2 so there are others who are so preoccupied with questions of bodily health1 sanitation and hygiene1 regarded merely as prudential measures1 from an earthly point of view1 that they forget that man has a soul as well as a body1 and that such questions of sanitation and hygiene only find their proper place when it is recognised that health and perfection of the body are not to be sought merely that man may become a more perfect animal1 but in order that thus1 with a sound mind in a sound body1 he may the more perfectly serve the ,lord in the life of holiness to which we are called4 ,thus it appears that this forgotten law of the clean and the unclean in food1 so far from being1 at the best1 puerile1 and for us now certainly quite useless1 still teaches us the very important lesson that a due regard to wholeness and health of body is essential to the right and symmetrical development of holiness of character4 ,in every dispensation1 the law of ,god combines the bodily and the spiritual in a sacred synthesis4 ,if in the ,new ,testament we are directed to glorify ,god in our spirits1 we are no less explicitly commanded to glorify ,god in our bodies 7#a ,cor4 vi4 #bj74 ,and thus is given to the laws of health the high sanction of the ,divine obligation of the moral law1 as summed up in the closing words of this chapter3 ,be ye holy2 for ,i am holy4 ,this law concerning things unclean1 and clean and unclean animals1 as thus expounded1 is also an apologetic of no small value4 ,it has a direct and evident bearing on the question of the ,divine origin and authority of this part of the law4 ,for the question will at once come up in every reflecting mind3 ,whence came this law8 ,could it have been merely an invention of crafty ,jewish priests8 ,or is it possible to account for it as the product merely of the mind of ,moses8 ,it appears to have been ordered with respect to certain facts1 especially regarding various invisible forms of noxious parasitic life1 in their bearing on the causation and propagation of disease1--facts which1 even now1 are but just appearing within the horizon of modern science4 ,is it probable that ,moses knew about these things three thousand years ago8 ,certainly1 the more we study the matter1 the more we must feel that this is not to be supposed4 ,it is common1 indeed1 to explain much that seems very wise in the law of ,moses by referring to the fact that he was a highly educated man1 instructed in all the wisdom of the ,egyptians4 ,but it is just this fact of his ,egyptian education that makes it in the last degree improbable that he should have derived the ideas of this law from ,egypt4 ,could he have taken his ideas with regard1 for instance1 to defilement by the dead1 from a system of education which taught the contrary1 and which1 so far from regarding those who had to do with the dead as unclean1 held them especially sacred8 ,and so with regard to the dietetic laws3 these are not the laws of ,egypt2 nor have we any evidence that those were determined1 like these ,hebrew laws1 by such scientific facts as those to which we have referred4#bd ,in this day1 when1 at last1 men of all schools1 and those with most scientific knowledge1 most of all1 are joining to extol the exact wisdom of this ancient law1 a wisdom which has no parallel in like laws among other nations1 is it not in place to press this question8 ,whence had this man this unique wisdom1 three thousand years in advance of his times8 ,there are many who will feel compelled to answer1 even as ,holy ,scripture answers2 even as ,moses1 according to the record1 answers4 ,the secret of this wisdom will be found1 not in the court of ,pharaoh1 but in the holy tent of meeting2 it is all explained if we but assume that what is written in the first verse of this chapter is true3 ,the ,lord spake unto ,moses and unto ,aaron4 #bd ,see above1 p4 #bij-bib4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,of ,,the ,,uncleanness ,,of ,,issues4 ,,lev4 xv4 #a-cc4 ,inasmuch as the law concerning defilement from issues is presupposed and referred to in that concerning the defilement of child-bearing1 in chap4 xii41 it will be well to consider this before the latter4 ,for this order there is the more reason1 because1 as will appear1 although the two sections are separated1 in the present arrangement of the book1 by the law concerning defilement by leprosy 7xiii41 xiv471 they both refer to the same general topic1 and are based upon the same moral conceptions4 ,the arrangement of the law in chap4 xv4 is very simple4 ,verses #b-ah deal with the cases of ceremonial defilement by issues in men2 vv4 #ai-cj1 with analogous cases in women4 ,the principle in both classes is one and the same2 the issue1 whether normal or abnormal1 rendered the person affected unclean2 only1 when abnormal1 the defilement was regarded as more serious than in other cases1 not only in a physical1 but also in a ceremonial and legal aspect4 ,in all such cases1 in addition to the washing with water which was always required1 it was commanded that on the eighth day from the time of the cessation of the issue1 the person who had been so affected should come before the priest and present for his cleansing a sin-offering and a burnt-offering4 ,what now is the principle which underlies these regulations8 ,in seeking the answer to this question1 we at once note the suggestive fact that this law concerning issues takes cognisance only of such as are connected with the sexual organisation4 ,all others1 however1 in themselves1 from a merely physical point of view1 equally unwholesome or loathsome1 are outside the purview of the ,mosaic code4 ,they do not render the person affected1 according to the law1 ceremonially unclean4 ,it is therefore evident that the lawgiver must have had before him something other than merely the physical peculiarities of these defilements1 and that1 for the true meaning of this part of the law1 we must look deeper than the surface4 ,it should also be observed here that this characteristic of the law just mentioned1 places the law of issues under the same general category with the law 7chap4 xii47 concerning the uncleanness of child-bearing1 as indeed the latter itself intimates 7xii4 #b74 ,the question thus arises3 ,why are these particular cases1 and such as these only1 regarded as ceremonially defiling8 ,to see the reason of this1 we must recur to facts which have already come before us4 ,when our first parents sinned1 death was denounced against them as the penalty of their sin4 ,such had been the threat3 ,in the day that thou eatest thereof1 thou shalt die4 ,the death denounced indeed affected the whole being1 the spiritual as well as the physical nature of man2 but it comprehended the death of the body1 which thus became1 what it still is1 the most impressive manifestation of the presence of sin in every person who dies4 ,hence1 as we have seen1 the law kept this connection between sin and death steadily before the mind1 in that it constantly applied the principle that the dead defiles4 ,not only so1 but1 for this reason1 such things as tended to bring death were also reckoned unclean2 and thus the regulations of the law concerning clean and unclean meats1 while strictly hygienic in character1 were yet grounded in this profound ethical fact of the connection between sin and death2 had man not sinned1 nothing in the world had been able to bring in death1 and all things had been clean4 ,for the same reason1 again1 leprosy1 as exemplifying in a vivid and terrible way disease as a progressive death1 a living manifestation of the presence of the curse of ,god1 and therefore of the presence of sin1 a type of all disease1 was regarded as involving ceremonial defilement1 and therefore as requiring sacrificial cleansing4 ,but in the curse denounced upon our first parents was yet more4 ,it was specially taught that the curse should affect the generative power of the race4 ,for we read 7,gen4 iii4 #af73 ,unto the woman ,he said1 ,i will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception2 in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children4 ,whatever these words may precisely mean1 it is plain that they are intended to teach that1 because of sin1 the curse of ,god fell in some mysterious way upon the sexual organisation4 ,and although the woman only is specifically mentioned1 as being first in the transgression1 that the curse fell also upon the same part of man's nature is plain from the words in ,gen4 v4 #c1 where the long mortuary record of the antediluvians is introduced by the profoundly significant statement that ,adam began the long line1 with its inheritance of death1 by begetting a son in his own likeness1 after his image4 ,fallen himself under the curse of death1 physical and spiritual1 he therewith lost the capacity to beget a creature like himself in his original state1 in the image of ,god1 and could only be the means of bringing into the world a creature who was an inheritor of physical weakness and spiritual and bodily death4 ,in the light of this ancient record1 which must have been before the mind of the ,hebrew lawgiver1 we can now see why the law concerning unclean issues should have had special relation to that part of man's physical organisation which has to do with the propagation of the race4 ,just as death defiled1 because it was a visible representation of the presence of the curse of ,god1 and thus of sin1 as the ground of the curse1 even so was it with all the issues specified in this law4 ,they were regarded as making a man unclean1 because they were manifestations of the curse in a part of man's nature which1 according to the ,word of ,god1 sin has specially affected4 ,for this reason they fell under the same law as death4 ,they separated the person thus affected from the congregation1 and excluded him from the public worship of a holy ,god1 as making him unclean4 ,it is impossible now to miss the spiritual meaning of these laws concerning issues of this class4 ,in that these alone1 out of many others1 which from a merely physical point of view are equally offensive1 were taken under the cognisance of this law1 the fact was thereby symbolically emphasised that the fountain of life in man is defiled4 ,to be a sinner were bad enough1 if it only involved the voluntary and habitual practice of sin4 ,but this law of issues testifies to us1 even now1 that1 as ,god sees man's case1 it is far worse than this4 ,the evil of sin is so deeply seated that it could lie no deeper4 ,the curse has in such manner fallen on our being1 as that in man and woman the powers and faculties which concern the propagation of their kind have fallen under the blight4 ,all that any son of ,adam can now do is to beget a son in his own physical and moral image1 an heir of death1 and by nature unclean and unholy4 ,sufficiently distasteful this truth is in all ages2 but in none perhaps ever more so than our own1 in which it has become a fundamental postulate of much popular theology1 and of popular politics as well1 that man is naturally not bad1 but good1 and1 on the whole1 is doing as well as under the law of evolution1 and considering his environment1 can reasonably be expected4 ,the spiritual principle which underlies the law concerning defilement by issues1 as also that concerning the uncleanness of child-bearing1 assumes the exact opposite4 ,it is indeed true that similar causes of ceremonial uncleanness have been recognised in ancient and in modern times among many other peoples4 ,but this is no objection to the truth of the interpretation of the ,mosaic law here given4 ,for in so far as there is genuine agreement1 the fact may rather confirm than weaken the argument for this view of the case1 as showing that there is an ineradicable instinct in the heart of man which connects all that directly or indirectly has to do with the continuance of our race1 in a peculiar degree1 with the ideas of uncleanness and shame4 ,and1 on the other hand1 the differences in such cases from the ,mosaic law show us just what we should expect1--a degree of moral confusion and a deadening of the moral sense among the heathen nations1 which is most significant4 ,as has been justly remarked1 the ,hindoo has one law on this subject for the ,brahman1 another for others2 the outcast for some deadly sin1 often of a purely frivolous nature1 and a new-born child1 are reckoned equally unclean4 ,or1--to take the case of a people contemporary with the ,hebrews1--among the ancient ,chaldeans1 while these same issues were accounted ceremonially defiling1 as in the law of ,moses1 with these were also reckoned in the same category1 as unclean1 whatsoever was separated from the body1 even to the cuttings of the hair and the parings of the nails4 ,evidently1 we thus have here1 not likeness1 but a profound and most suggestive moral contrast between the ,chaldean and the ,hebrew law4 ,of the profound ethical truth which vitalises and gives deep significance to the law of ,moses1 we find no trace in the other system4 ,and it is no wonder if1 indeed1 the one law is1 as declared1 a revelation from the holy ,god1 and the other the work of sinful and sin-blinded man4 ,it is another moral lesson which is brought before us in these laws that1 as ,god looks at the matter1 sin pertains not only to action1 but also to being4 ,not only actions1 from which we can abstain1 but operations of nature which we cannot help1 alike defile2 defile in such a manner and degree as to require1 even as voluntary acts of sin1 the cleansing of water1 and the expiatory blood of a sin-offering4 ,one could not avoid many of the defilements mentioned in this chapter1 but that made no difference2 he was unclean4 ,for the lesser grades of uncleanness it sufficed that one be purified by washing with water2 and a sin-offering was only required when this purification had been neglected2 but in all cases where the defilement assumed its extreme form1 the sin-offering and the burnt-offering must be brought1 and be offered for the unclean person by the priest4 ,so is it1 we are taught1 with that sin of nature which these cases symbolised2 we cannot help it1 and yet the washing of regeneration and the cleansing of the blood of ,christ is required for its removal4 ,very impressive in its teaching now becomes the miracle in which our ,lord healed the poor woman afflicted with the issue of blood 7,mark v4 #be-cd71 for which she had vainly sought cure4 ,it was a case like that covered by the law in chap4 xv4 #be-bg2 and he who will read and consider the provisions of that law will understand1 as otherwise he could not1 how great her trial and how heavy her burden must have been4 ,he will wonder also1 as never before1 at the boldness of her faith1 who1 although1 according to the law1 her touch should defile the ,lord1 yet ventured to believe that not only should this not be so1 but that the healing power which went forth from ,him should neutralise the defilement1 and carry healing virtue to the very centre of her life4 ,thus1 if other miracles represent our ,lord as meeting the evil of sin in its various manifestations in action1 this miracle represents ,his healing power as reaching to the very source and fountain of life1 where it is needed no less4 ,the law concerning the removal of these defilements1 after all that has preceded1 will admit only of one interpretation4 ,the washing of water is the uniform symbol of the cleansing of the soul from pollution by the power of the ,holy ,ghost2 the sacrifices point to the sacrifice of ,christ1 in its twofold aspect as burnt-offering and sin-offering1 as required by and availing for the removal of the sinful defilement which1 in the mind of ,god1 attaches even to that in human nature which is not under the control of the will4 ,at the same time1 whereas in all these cases the sin-offering prescribed is the smallest known to the law1 it is symbolised1 in full accord with the teaching of conscience1 that the gravity of the defilement1 where there has not been the active concurrence of the will1 is less than where the will has seconded nature4 ,in all cases of prolonged defilement from these sources1 it was required that the affected person should still be regarded as unclean for seven days after the cessation of the infirmity1 and on the eighth day came the sacrificial cleansing4 ,the significance of the seven as the covenant number1 the number also wherein was completed the old creation1 has been already before us3 that of the eighth will best be considered in connection with the provisions of chap4 xii41 to which we next turn our attention4 ,the law of this chapter has a formal closing1 in which are used these words 7ver4 #ca73 ,thus shall ye separate the children of ,israel from their uncleanness2 that they die not in their uncleanness1 when they defile ,my tabernacle that is in the midst of them4 ,of which the natural meaning is this1 that the defilements mentioned1 as conspicuous signs of man's fallen condition1 were so offensive before a holy ,god1 as apart from these purifications to have called down the judgment of death on those in whom they were found4 ,in these words lies also the deeper spiritual thought--if we have rightly apprehended the symbolic import of these regulations--that not only1 as in former cases mentioned under the law of offerings1 do voluntary acts of sin separate from ,god and if unatoned for call down ,his judgment1 but that even our infirmities and the involuntary motions of sin in our nature have the same effect1 and1 apart from the cleansing of the ,holy ,spirit and the blood of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 ensure the final judgment of death4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,the ,,uncleanness ,,of ,,child-,,bearing4 ,,lev4 xii4 #a-h4 ,the reference in xii4 #b to the regulations given in xv4 #ai1 as remarked in the preceding chapter1 shows us that the author of these laws regarded the circumstances attending child-birth as falling under the same general category1 in a ceremonial and symbolic aspect1 as the law of issues4 ,as a special case1 however1 the law concerning child-birth presents some very distinctive and instructive features4 ,the period during which the mother was regarded as unclean1 in the full comprehension of that term1 was seven days1 as in the analogous case mentioned in xv4 #ai1 with the remarkable exception1 that when she had borne a daughter this period was doubled4 ,at the expiration of this period of seven days1 her ceremonial uncleanness was regarded as in so far lessened that the restrictions affecting the ordinary relations of life1 as ordered1 xv4 #ai-bc1 were removed4 ,she was not1 however1 yet allowed to touch any hallowed thing or to come into the sanctuary1 until she had fulfilled1 from the time of the birth of the child1 if a son1 forty days2 if a daughter1 twice forty1 or eighty days4 ,at the expiration of the longer period1 she was to bring1 as in the law concerning the prolonged issue of blood 7xv4 #be-cj71 a burnt-offering and a sin-offering unto the door of the tent of meeting1 wherewith the priest was to make an atonement for her2 when first she should be accounted clean1 and restored to full covenant privileges4 ,the only difference from the similar law in chap4 xv4 is in regard to the burnt-offering commanded1 which was larger and more costly1--a lamb1 instead of a turtle dove1 or a young pigeon4 ,still1 in the same spirit of gracious accommodation to the poor which was illustrated in the general law of the sin-offering1 it was ordered 7ver4 #h473 ,if her means suffice not for a lamb1 then she shall take two turtledoves1 or two young pigeons2 the one for a burnt offering1 and the other for a sin offering4 ,the law then applied1 according to xv4 #bi1 #cj4 ,a gracious provision this was1 as all will remember1 of which the mother of our ,lord availed herself 7,luke ii4 #bb-bd71 as being one of those who were too poor to bring a lamb for a burnt-offering4 ,to the meaning of these regulations1 the key is found in the same conceptions which we have seen to underlie the law concerning issues4 ,in the birth of a child1 the special original curse against the woman is regarded by the law as reaching its fullest1 most consummate and significant expression4 ,for the extreme evil of the state of sin into which the first woman1 by that first sin1 brought all womanhood1 is seen most of all in this1 that now woman1 by means of those powers given her for good and blessing1 can bring into the world only a child of sin4 ,and it is1 apparently1 because we here see the operation of this curse in its most conspicuous form1 that the time of her enforced separation from the tabernacle worship is prolonged to a period of forty or eighty days4 ,it has been usual to speak of the time of the mother's uncleanness1 and subsequent continued exclusion from the tabernacle worship1 as being doubled in the case of the birth of a daughter2 but it were1 perhaps1 more accurate to regard the normal length of these periods as being respectively fourteen and eighty days1 of which the former is double of that required in xv4 #bh4 ,this normal period would then be more properly regarded as shortened by one half in the case of a male child1 in virtue of his circumcision on the eighth day4 ,,the ,,ordinance ,,of ,,circumcision4 xii4 #c4 ,and in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised4 ,although the rite of circumcision here receives a new and special sanction1 it had been appointed long before by ,god as the sign of ,his covenant with ,abraham 7,gen4 xvii4 #aj-ad74 ,nor was circumcision1 probably1 even then a new thing4 ,that the ancient ,egyptians practised it is well known2 so also did the ,arabs and ,phoenicians2 in fact1 the custom has been very extensively observed1 not only by nations with whom the ,israelites came in contact1 but by others who have not had1 in historic times1 connection with any civilised peoples2 as1 for example1 the ,congo negroes1 and certain ,indian tribes in ,south ,america4 ,the fundamental idea connected with circumcision1 by most of the peoples who have practised it1 appears to have been physical purification2 indeed1 the ,arabs call it by the name tatur1 which has this precise meaning4 ,and it deserves to be noticed that for this idea regarding circumcision there is so much reason in fact1 that high medical authorities have attributed to it a real hygienic value1 especially in warm climates4 ,no one need feel any difficulty in supposing that this common conception attached to the rite also in the minds of the ,hebrews4 ,rather all the more fitting it was1 if there was a basis in fact for this familiar opinion1 that ,god should thus have taken a ceremony already known to the surrounding peoples1 and in itself of a wholesome physical effect1 and constituted it for ,abraham and his seed a symbol of an analogous spiritual fact2 namely1 the purification of sin at its fountain-head1 the cleansing of the evil nature with which we all are born4 ,it should be plain enough that it makes nothing against this as the true interpretation of the rite1 even if that be granted which some have claimed1 that it has had1 in some instances1 a connection with the phallic worship so common in the ,east1 or that it has been regarded by some as a sacrificial ceremony4 ,only the more noteworthy would it thus appear that the ,hebrews should have held strictly to that view of its significance which had a solid basis in physical fact1--a fact1 moreover1 which made it a peculiarly fitting symbol of the spiritual grace which the ,biblical writers connect with it4 ,for that it was so regarded by them will not be disputed4 ,in this very book 7xxvi4 #da7 we read of an uncircumcised heart2 as also in ,deuteronomy1 the prophecies of ,jeremiah and ,ezekiel1 and other books of ,scripture4 ,all this1 as intimating the signification of circumcision as here enjoined1 is further established by the ,new ,testament references4 ,of these the most formal is perhaps that in ,col4 ii4 #aj1 #aa1 where we read that believers in ,christ1 in virtue of their union with ,him in whom the unclean nature has been made clean1 are said to be circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands1 in the putting off of the body of the flesh1 in the circumcision of ,christ2 so that ,paul elsewhere writes to the ,philippians 7iii4 #c73 ,we are the circumcision1 who worship by the ,spirit of ,god1 and glory in ,christ ,jesus1 and have no confidence in the flesh4 ,and that ,god1 in selecting this ancient rite to be the sign of ,his covenant in the flesh of ,abraham and his seed 7,gen4 xvii4 #ac71 had regard to the deep spiritual meaning which it could so naturally carry is explicitly declared by the ,apostle ,paul 7,rom4 iv4 #aa71 who tells us that this sign of circumcision was a seal of the righteousness of faith1 even the righteousness and the faith concerning which1 in the previous context1 he was arguing2 and which are still1 for all men1 the one1 the ground1 and the other1 the condition1 of salvation4 ,it is truly strange that1 in the presence of these plain words of the ,apostle1 any should still cling to the idea that circumcision had reference only to the covenant with ,israel as a nation1 and not1 above all1 to this profound spiritual truth which is basal to salvation1 whether for the ,jew or for the ,gentile4 ,and so1 when the ,hebrew infant was circumcised1 it signified for him and for his parents these spiritual realities4 ,it was an outward sign and seal of the covenant of ,god with ,abraham and with his seed1 to be a ,god to him and to his seed after him2 and it signified further that this covenant of ,god was to be carried out and made effectual only through the putting away of the flesh1 the corrupt nature with which we are born1 and of all that belongs to it1 in order that1 thus circumcised with the circumcision of the heart1 every child of ,abraham might indeed be an ,israelite in whom there should be no guile4 ,and the law commands1 in accord with the original command to ,abraham1 that the circumcision should take place on the eighth day4 ,this is the more noticeable1 that among other nations which practised1 or still practise1 the rite1 the time is different4 ,the ,egyptians1 for example1 circumcised their sons between the sixth and tenth years1 and the modern ,mohammedans between the twelfth and fourteenth year4 ,what is the significance of this eighth day8 ,in the first place1 it is easy to see that we have in this direction a provision of ,god's mercy2 for if delayed beyond infancy or early childhood1 as among many other peoples1 the operation is much more serious1 and may even involve some danger2 while in so early infancy it is comparatively trifling1 and attended with no risk4 ,further1 by the administration of circumcision at the very opening of life1 it is suggested that in the ,divine ideal the grace which was signified thereby1 of the cleansing of nature1 was to be bestowed upon the child1 not first at a late period of life1 but from its very beginning1 thus anticipating the earliest awakening of the principle of inborn sin4 ,it was thus signified that before ever the child knew1 or could know1 the grace that was seeking to save him1 he was to be taken into covenant relation with ,god4 ,so even under the strange form of this ordinance we discover the same mind that was in ,him who said concerning infant children 7,luke xviii4 #af73 ,suffer the little children to come unto ,me1 and forbid them not3 for of such is the kingdom of ,god4 ,thus we may well recollect1 in passing1 that1 although the law has passed away in the ,levitical form1 the mind of the ,lawgiver concerning the little children of ,his people1 is still the same4 ,but the question still remains1 ,why was the eighth day selected1 and not rather1 for instance1 the sixth or the seventh1 which would have no less perfectly represented these ideas8 ,the answer is to be found in the symbolic significance of the eighth day4 ,as the old creation was completed in six days1 with a following ,sabbath of rest1 so that six is ever the number of the old creation1 as under imperfection and sin2 the eighth day1 which is the first day of a new week1 everywhere in ,scripture appears as the number symbolic of the new creation1 in which all things shall be restored in the great redemption through the ,second ,adam4 ,the thought finds its fullest expression in the resurrection of ,christ1 as the ,first-born from the dead1 the ,beginning and the ,lord of the new creation1 who in ,his resurrection-body manifested the first-fruits in physical life of the new creation1 rising from the dead on the first1 or1 in other words1 the day after the seventh1 the eighth day4 ,this gives the key to the use of the number eight in the ,mosaic symbolism4 ,thus in the law of the cleansing of the man or the woman that had an issue1 the sacrifices which effectuated their formal deliverance from the curse under which1 through the weakness of their old nature1 they had suffered1 were to be offered on the eighth day 7xv4 #ad1 #bi72 the priestly cleansing of the leper from the taint of his living death was also effected on the eighth day 7xiv4 #aj72 so also the cleansing of the ,nazarite who had been defiled by the dead 7,numb4 vi4 #aj74 ,so also the holy convocation which closed the feast of tabernacles or ingathering--the feast which1 as we shall see1 typically prefigured the great harvest of which ,christ was the ,first-fruits--was ordained1 in like manner1 for the eighth day 7xxiii4 #cf74 ,with good reason1 then1 was circumcision ordered for the eighth day1 seeing that what it symbolically signified was precisely this3 the putting off of the flesh with which we are born through the circumcision of ,christ1 and therewith the first beginning of a new and purified nature--a change so profound and radical1 and in which the ,divine efficiency is so immediately concerned1 that ,paul said of it that if any man was in ,christ1 in whose circumcision we are circised 7,col4 ii4 #aa71 there is a new creation 7#b ,cor4 v4 #ag1 margin1 ,r4,v474 ,,purification ,,after ,,child-,,birth4 xii4 #d-h4 ,and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days2 she shall touch no hallowed thing1 nor come into the sanctuary1 until the days of her purifying be fulfilled4 ,but if she bear a maid child1 then she shall be unclean two weeks1 as in her impurity3 and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six days4 ,and when the days of her purifying are fulfilled1 for a son1 or for a daughter1 she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering1 and a young pigeon1 or a turtledove1 for a sin offering1 unto the door of the tent of meeting1 unto the priest3 and he shall offer it before the ,lord1 and make atonement for her2 and she shall be cleansed from the fountain of her blood4 ,this is the law for her that beareth1 whether a male or a female4 ,and if her means suffice not for a lamb1 then she shall take two turtledoves1 or two young pigeons2 the one for a burnt offering1 and the other for a sin offering3 and the priest shall make atonement for her1 and she shall be clean4 ,until the circumcision of the new-born child1 on the eighth day1 he was regarded by the law as ceremonially still in a state of nature1 and therefore as symbolically unclean4 ,for this reason1 again1 the mother who had brought him into the world1 and whose life was so intimately connected with his life1 was regarded as unclean also4 ,unclean1 under analogous circumstances1 according to the law of xv4 #ai1 she was reckoned doubly unclean in this case1--unclean because of her issue1 and unclean because of her connection with this child1 uncircumcised and unclean4 ,but when the symbolic cleansing of the child took place by the ordinance of circumcision1 then her uncleanness1 so far as occasioned by her immediate relation to him1 came to an end4 ,she was not indeed completely restored2 for1 according to the law1 in her still continuing condition1 it was impossible that she should be allowed to come into the tabernacle of the ,lord1 or touch any hallowed thing2 but the ordinance which admitted her child1 admitted her also again to the fellowship of the covenant people4 ,the longer period of forty--or1 in the case of the birth of a female child1 of twice forty--days must also be explained upon symbolical grounds4 ,some have indeed attempted to account for these periods1 as also for the difference in their length in the two cases1 by a reference to beliefs of the ancients with regard to the physical condition of the mother during these periods2 but such notions of the ancients are not justified by facts2 nor1 especially1 would they by any means account for the greatly prolonged period of eighty days in the case of the female child4 ,it is possible that in the forty1 and twice forty1 we may have a reference to the forty weeks during which the life of the unborn child had been identified with that of the mother1--a child which1 it must be remembered1 according to the uniform ,biblical view1 was not innocent1 but conceived in sin2 for each week of which connection of life1 the mother suffered a judicial exclusion of one1 or1 in the case of the birth of a daughter1 of two days2 the time being doubled in the latter case with allusion to the double curse which1 according to ,genesis1 rested upon the woman1 as first in the transgression4 ,but1 apart from this1 however difficult it may be to give a satisfactory explanation of the fact1 it is certain that throughout ,scripture the number forty appears to have a symbolic meaning2 and one can usually trace in its application a reference1 more or less distinct1 to the conception of trial or testing4 ,thus for forty days was ,moses in the mount1--a time of testing for ,israel1 as for him3 forty days1 the spies explored the promised land2 forty years1 ,israel was tried in the wilderness2 forty days1 abode ,elijah in the wilderness2 forty days1 also1 was our ,lord fasting in the wilderness2 and forty days1 again1 ,he abode in resurrection life upon the earth4 ,the forty 7or eighty7 days ended1 the mother was now formally reinstated in the fulness of her privileges as a daughter of ,israel4 ,the ceremonial1 as in the law of issues1 consisted in the presentation of a burnt-offering and a sin-offering1 with the only variation that1 wherever possible1 the burnt-offering must be a young lamb1 instead of a dove or pigeon2 the reason for which variation is to be found either in the fact that the burnt-offering was to represent not herself alone1 but also her child1 or1 possibly1 as some have suggested1 it was because she had been so much longer excluded from the tabernacle service than in the other case4#be #be ,this latter reason1 however1 would rather appear to have demanded1 as in the case of the leper1 a guilt-offering4 ,the teaching of this law1 then1 is twofold3 it concerns1 first1 the woman2 and1 secondly1 the child which she bears4 ,as regards the woman1 it emphasises the fact that1 because first in the trangression1 she is under special pains and penalties in virtue of her sex4 ,the capacity of motherhood1 which is her crown and her glory1 though still a precious privilege1 has yet been made1 because of sin1 an inevitable instrument of pain1 and that because of her relation to the first sin4 ,we are thus reminded that the specific curse denounced against the woman1 as recorded in the book of ,genesis1 is no dead letter1 but a fact4 ,no doubt1 the conception is one which raises difficulties which in themselves are great1 and to modern thought are greater than ever4 ,nevertheless1 the fact abides unaltered1 that even to this day woman is under special pains and disabilities1 inseparably connected with her power of motherhood4 ,modern theorists1 men and women with nineteenth-century notions concerning politics and education1 may persist in ignoring this2 but the fact abides1 and cannot be got rid of by passing resolutions in a mass-meeting1 or even by ,act of ,parliament or ,congress4 ,and so1 as it is useless to object to facts1 it is only left to object to the ,mosaic view of the facts1 which connects them with sin1 and1 in particular1 with the first sin4 ,why should all the daughters of ,eve suffer because of her sin8 ,where is the justice in such an ordinance8 ,a question this is to which we cannot yet give any satisfactory answer4 ,but it does not follow that because in any proposition there are difficulties which at present we are unable to solve1 therefore the proposition is false4 ,and1 further1 it is important to observe that this law1 under which womanhood abides1 is after all only a special case under that law of the ,divine government which is announced in the second commandment1 by which the iniquities of the fathers are visited upon the children4 ,it is most certainly a law which1 to our apprehension1 suggests great moral difficulties1 even to the most reverent spirits2 but it is no less certainly a law which represents a conspicuous and tremendous fact1 which is illustrated1 for instance1 in the family of every drunkard in the world4 ,and it is well worth observing1 that while the ceremonial law1 which was specially intended to keep this fact before the mind and the conscience1 is abrogated1 the fact that woman is still under certain ,divinely imposed disabilities because of that first sin1 is reaffirmed in the ,new ,testament1 and is by apostolic authority applied in the administration of ,church government4 ,for ,paul wrote to ,timothy 7#a ,tim4 ii4 #ab1 #ac73 ,i permit not a woman to teach1 nor to have dominion over a man4444 ,for ,adam was not beguiled1 but the woman being beguiled hath fallen into transgression4 ,modern theorists1 and so-called reformers in ,church1 ,state1 and society1 busy with their social1 governmental1 and ecclesiastical novelties1 would do well to heed this apostolic reminder4 ,all the more beautiful1 as against this dark background of mystery1 is the word of the ,apostle which follows1 wherein he reminds us that1 through the grace of ,god1 even by means of those very powers of motherhood on which the curse has so heavily fallen1 has come the redemption of the woman2 so that she shall be saved through the childbearing1 if they continue in faith and love and sanctification with sobriety 7#a ,tim4 ii4 #ae1 ,r4,v472 seeing that in ,christ ,jesus1 in respect of the completeness and freeness of salvation1 there can be no male and female 7,gal4 iii4 #bh1 ,r4,v474 ,but1 in the second place1 we may also derive abiding instruction from this law1 concerning the child which is of man begotten and of woman born4 ,it teaches us that not only has the curse thus fallen on the woman1 but that1 because she is herself a sinful creature1 she can only bring forth another sinful creature like herself2 and if a daughter1 then a daughter inheriting all her own peculiar infirmities and disabilities4 ,the law1 as regards both mother and child1 expresses in the language of symbolism those words of ,david in his penitential confession 7,psalm li4 #e73 ,behold1 ,i was shapen in iniquity2 and in sin did my mother conceive me4 ,men may contemptuously call this theology1 or even rail at it as ,calvinism2 but it is more than theology1 more than ,calvinism2 it is a fact1 to which until this present time history has seen but one exception1 even that mysterious ,son of the ,virgin1 who claimed1 however1 to be no mere man1 but the ,christ1 the ,son of the ,blessed6 ,and yet many1 who surely can think but superficially upon the solemn facts of life1 still object to this most strenuously1 that even the new-born child should be regarded as in nature sinful and unclean4 ,difficulty here we must all admit1--difficulty so great that it is hard to overstate it--regarding the bearing of this fact on the character of the holy and merciful ,god1 who in the beginning made man4 ,and yet1 surely1 deeper thought must confess that herein the ,mosaic view of infant nature--a view which is assumed and taught throughout ,holy ,scripture--however humbling to our natural pride1 is only in strictest accord with what the admitted principles of the most exact science compel us to admit4 ,for whenever1 in any case1 we find all creatures of the same class doing1 under all circumstances1 any one thing1 we conclude that the reason for this can only lie in the nature of such creatures1 antecedent to any influence of a tendency to imitation4 ,if1 for instance1 the ox everywhere and always eats the green thing of the earth1 and not flesh1 the reason1 we say1 is found simply in the nature of the ox as he comes into being4 ,so when we see all men1 everywhere1 under all circumstances1 as soon as ever they come to the time of free moral choice1 always choosing and committing sin1 what can we conclude--regarding this1 not as a theological1 but merely as a scientific question--but that man1 as he comes into the world1 must have a sinful nature8 ,and this being so1 then why must not the law of heredity apply1 according to which1 by a law which knows of no exceptions1 like ever produces its like8 ,least of all1 then1 should those object to the view of child-nature which is represented in this law of ,leviticus1 who accept these commonplaces of modern science as representing facts4 ,wiser it were to turn attention to the other teaching of the law1 that1 notwithstanding these sad and humiliating facts1 there is provision made by ,god1 through the cleansing by grace of the very nature in which we are born1 and atonement for the sin which without our fault we inherit1 for a complete redemption from all the inherited corruption and guilt4 ,and1 last of all1 especially should ,christian parents with joy and thankfulness receive the manifest teaching of this law1--teaching reaffirmed by our blessed ,lord in the ,new ,testament1--that ,god our ,father offers to parental faith ,himself to take in hand our children1 even from the earliest beginning of their infant days1 and1 purifying the fountain of their life through a circumcision made without hands1 receive the little ones into covenant relation with ,himself1 to their eternal salvation4 ,and thus is the word of the ,apostle fulfilled3 ,where sin abounded1 grace did abound more exceedingly3 that1 as sin reigned in death1 even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life through ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,the ,,uncleanness ,,of ,,leprosy4 ,,lev4 xiii4 #a-df4 ,the interpretation of this chapter presents no little difficulty4 ,the description of the diseases with which the law here deals is not given in a scientific form2 the point of view1 as the purpose of all1 is strictly practical4 ,as for the ,hebrew word rendered leprosy1 it does not itself give any light as to the nature of the disease thus designated4 ,the word simply means a stroke1 as also does the generic term used in ver4 #b and elsewhere1 and translated plague4 ,inasmuch as the ,septuagint translators rendered the former term by the ,greek word lepra 7whence our word leprosy71 and as1 it is said1 the old ,greek physicians comprehended under that term only such scaly cutaneous eruptions as are now known as psoriasis 7vulg41 salt-rheum71 and for what is now known as leprosy reserved the term elephantiasis1#bf it has been therefore urged by high authority that in these chapters is no reference to the leprosy of modern speech1 but only to some disease or diseases much less serious1 either psoriasis or some other1 consisting1 like that1 of a scaly eruption on the skin4#bg ,to the above argument it is also added that the signs which are given for the recognition of the disease intended1 are not such as we should expect if it were the modern leprosy2 as1 for example1 there is no mention of the insensibility of the skin1 which is so characteristic a feature of the disease1 at least1 in a very common variety2 moreover1 we find in this chapter no allusion to the hideous mutilation which so commonly results from leprosy4 #bf ,this word1 it should be noted1 is now popularly used to denote a disease quite distinct from leprosy1 known also as ,barbadoes leg1 which consists essentially of an elephantine enlargement of the lower extremities4 #bg ,this opinion has been ably argued by ,sir ,risdon ,bennett1 ,m4,d41 ,,ll4,d41 ,f4,r4,s41 in ,by-paths of ,bible ,knowledge1 vol4 ix41 ,the ,diseases of the ,bible4 ,when the use of the ,hebrew term rendered leprosy is examined1 in this law and elsewhere1 it certainly seems to be used with great definiteness to describe a disease which had as a very characteristic feature a whitening of the skin throughout1 together with other marks common to the early stages of leprosy as given in this chapter4 ,only in ver4 #ab does the ,hebrew word appear to be applied to a disease of a different character1 though also marked by the whitening of the skin4 ,as for the symptoms indicated1 the undoubted absence of many conspicuous marks of leprosy may be accounted for by the following considerations4 ,in the first place1 with a single exception 7vv4 #i-aa71 the earliest stages of the disease are described2 and1 secondly1 it may reasonably be assumed that1 through the desire to ensure the earliest possible separation of a leprous man from the congregation1 signs were to be noted and acted upon1 which might also be found in other forms of skin disease4 ,the aim of the law is that1 if possible1 the man shall be removed from the camp before the disease has assumed its most unambiguous and revolting form4 ,as for the omission to mention the insensibility of the skin of the leper1 this seems to be sufficiently explained when we remember that this symptom is characteristic of only one1 and that not the most fatal1 variety of the disease4 ,but1 it has also been urged1 that elsewhere in the ,scripture the so-called lepers appear as mingling with other people--as1 for example1 in the case of ,naaman and ,gehazi--in a way which shows that the disease was not regarded as contagious2 whence it is inferred1 again1 that the leprosy of which we read in the ,bible cannot be the same with the disease which is so called in our time4 ,but1 in reply to this objection1 it may be answered that even modern medical opinion has been by no means as confident of the contagiousness of the disease--at least1 until quite recently--as were people in the middle ages2 nor1 moreover1 can we assume that the prevention of contagion must have been the chief reason for the segregation of the leper1 according to the ,levitical law1 seeing that a like separation was enjoined in many other cases of ceremonial uncleanness where any thought of contagion or infection was quite impossible4 ,in further support of the more common opinion1 which identifies the disease chiefly referred to in this chapter with the leprosy of modern times1 the following considerations appear to be of no little weight4 ,in the first place1 the words themselves which are applied to the disease in these chapters and elsewhere1--tsara'ath and nega'1 both meaning1 etymologically1 a stroke1 i4e41 a stroke in some eminent sense1#bh--while peculiarly fitting if the disease be that which we now know as leprosy1 seem very strangely chosen if1 as ,sir ,risdon ,bennett thinks1 they only designate varieties of a disease of so little seriousness as psoriasis4 ,then1 again1 the words used by ,aaron to ,moses 7,numb4 xii4 #ab71 referring to the leprosy of ,miriam1 deserve great weight here3 ,let her not1 ,i pray1 be as one dead1 of whom the flesh is half consumed4 ,these words sufficiently answer the allegation that there is no certain reference in ,scripture to the mutilation which is so characteristic of the later stages of the disease4 ,it would not be easy to describe in more accurate language the condition of the leper as the plague advances2 while1 on the other hand1 if the leprosy of the ,bible be only such a light affection as salt-rheum1 these words and the evident horror which they express1 are so exaggerated as to be quite unaccountable4 #bh ,compare our frequent use of the word to denote paralysis4 ,then1 again1 we cannot lose sight of the place which the disease known in ,scripture language as leprosy holds in the sight of the law4 ,as a matter of fact1 it is singled out from a multitude of diseases as the object of the most stringent and severe regulations1 and the most elaborate ceremonial1 known to the law4 ,now1 if the disease intended be indeed the awful elephantiasis ,grcorum of modern medical science1 popularly known as leprosy1 this is most natural and reasonable2 but if1 on the other hand1 only some such non-malignant disease as psoriasis be intended1 this fact is inexplicable4 ,further1 the tenour of all references to the disease in the ,scripture implies that it was deemed so incurable that its removal in any case was regarded as a special sign of the exercise of ,divine power4 ,the reference of the ,hebrew maid of ,naaman to the prophet of ,god 7#b ,kings v4 #c71 as one who could cure him1 instead of proving that it was thought curable--as has been strangely urged--by ordinary means1 surely proves the exact opposite4 ,naaman1 no doubt1 had exhausted medical resources2 and the hope of the maid for him is not based on the medical skill of ,elisha1 but on the fact that he was a prophet of ,god1 and therefore able to draw on ,divine power4 ,to the same effect is the word of the ,king of ,israel1 when he received the letter of ,naaman 7#b ,kings v4 #g73 ,am ,i ,god1 to kill and to make alive1 that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy8 ,in full accord with this is the appeal of our ,lord 7,matt4 xi4 #e7 to ,his cleansing of the lepers1 as a sign of ,his ,messiahship which ,he ranks for convincing power along with the raising of the dead4 ,nor is it a fatal objection to the usual understanding of this matter1 that because the ,levitical law prescribes a ritual for the ceremonial cleansing of the leper in case of his cure1 therefore the disease so called could not be one of the gravity and supposed incurability of the true leprosy4 ,for it is to be noted1 in the first place1 that there is no intimation that recovery from the leprosy was a common occurrence1 or even that it was to be expected at all1 apart from the direct power of ,god2 and1 in the second place1 that the ,scriptural narrative represents ,god as now and then--though very rarely--interposing for the cure of the leper4 ,and it may perhaps be added1 that while a recent authority writes1 and with truth1 that medical skill appears to have been more completely foiled by this than by any other malady1 it is yet remarked that1 when of the ansthetic variety1 some spontaneous cures are recorded4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the chapter before us calls for little detailed exposition4 ,the diagnosis of the disease by the priest is treated under four different heads3 7#a7 the case of a leprosy rising spontaneously 7vv4 #a-ag1 #ch1 #ci72 7#b7 leprosy rising out of a boil 7vv4 #ah-bd72 7#c7 rising out of a burn 7vv4 #bd-bh72 7#d7 leprosy on the head or beard 7vv4 #bi-cg1 #dj-dd74 ,the indications which are to be noted are described 7vv4 #b1 #c1 #bd-bg1 etc47 as a rising of the surface1 a scab 7or scale71 or a bright spot 7very characteristic71 the presence in the spot of hair turned white1 the disease apparently deeper than the outer or scarf skin1 a reddish-white colour of the surface1 and a tendency to spread4 ,the presence of raw flesh is mentioned 7ver4 #aj7 as an indication of a leprosy already somewhat advanced1 an old leprosy4 ,in cases of doubt1 the suspected case is to be isolated for a period of seven or1 if need be1 fourteen days1 at the expiration of which the priest's verdict is to be given1 as the symptoms may then indicate4 ,two cases are mentioned which the priest is not to regard as leprosy4 ,the first 7vv4 #ab1 #ac7 is that in which the plague covers all the skin of him that hath the plagues from his head even to his feet1 as far as appeareth to the priest1 so that he is all turned white4 ,at first thought1 this seems quite unaccountable1 seeing that leprosy finally affects the whole body4 ,but the solution of the difficulty is not far to seek4 ,for the next verse provides that1 in such a case1 if raw flesh appear1 he shall be held to be unclean4 ,the explanation of this provision of ver4 #ab is therefore apparently this3 that if an eruption had so spread as to cover the whole body1 turning it white1 and yet no raw flesh had appeared in any place1 the disease could not be true leprosy2 as1 if it were1 then1 by the time that it had so extended1 raw flesh would certainly have appeared somewhere4 ,the disease indicated by this exception was indeed well known to the ancients1 as it is also to the moderns as the dry tetter2 which1 although an affection often of long duration1 frequently disappears spontaneously1 and is never malignant4 ,the second case which is specified as not to be mistaken for leprosy is mentioned in vv4 #ch1 #ci1 where it is described as marked by bright spots of a dull whiteness1 but without the white hair1 and other characteristic signs of leprosy4 ,the ,hebrew word by which it is designated is rendered in the ,revised ,version tetter2 and the disease1 a non-malignant tetter or eczema1 is still known in the ,east under the same name 7bohak7 which is here used4 ,verses #de1 #df1 give the law for him who has been by the priest adjudged to be a leper4 ,he must go with clothes rent1 with his hair neglected1 his lip covered1 crying1 ,unclean6 unclean6 without the camp1 and there abide alone for so long as he continues to be afflicted with the disease4 ,in other words1 he is to assume all the ordinary signs of mourning for the dead2 he is to regard himself1 and all others are to regard him1 as a dead man4 ,as it were1 he is a continual mourner at his own funeral4 ,wherein lay the reason for this law8 ,one might answer1 in general1 that the extreme loathsomeness of the disease1 which made the presence of those who had it to be abhorrent even to their nearest friends1 would of itself make it only fitting1 however distressing might be the necessity1 that such persons should be excluded from every possibility of appearing1 in their revolting corruption1 in the sacred and pure precincts of the tabernacle of the holy ,god1 as also from mingling with ,his people4 ,many1 however1 have seen in the regulation only a wise law of public hygiene4 ,that a sanitary intent may very probably have been included in the purpose of this law1 we are by no means inclined to deny4 ,in earlier times1 and all through the middle ages1 the disease was regarded as contagious2 and lepers were accordingly segregated1 as far as practicable1 from the people4 ,in modern times1 the weight of opinion until recent years has been against this older view2 but the tendency of medical authority now appears to be to reaffirm the older belief4 ,the alarming increase of this horrible disease in all parts of the world1 of late1 following upon a general relaxation of those precautions against contagion which were formerly thought necessary1 certainly supports this judgment2 and it may thus be easily believed that there was just sanitary ground for the rigid regulations of the ,mosaic code4 ,and just here it may be remarked1 that if indeed there be any degree of contagiousness1 however small1 in this plague1 no one who has ever seen the disease1 or understands anything of its incomparable horror and loathsomeness1 will feel that there is any force in the objections which have been taken to this part of the ,mosaic law as of inhuman harshness toward the sufferers4 ,even were the risk of contagion but small1 as it probably is1 still1 so terrible is the disease that one would more justly say that the only inhumanity were to allow those afflicted with it unrestricted intercourse with their fellow-men4 ,the truth is1 that the ,mosaic law concerning the treatment of the leper1 when compared with regulations touching lepers which have prevailed among other nations1 stands contrasted with them by its comparative leniency4 ,the ,hindoo law1 as is well known1 even insists that the leper ought to put himself out of existence1 requiring that he shall be buried alive4 ,but if there be included in these regulations a sanitary intent1 this certainly does not exhaust their significance4 ,rather1 if this be admitted1 it only furnishes the basis1 as in the case of the laws concerning clean and unclean meats1 for still more profound spiritual teaching4 ,for1 as remarked before1 it is one of the fundamental thoughts of the ,mosaic law1 that death1 as being the extreme visible manifestation of the presence of sin in the race1 and a sign of the consequent holy wrath of ,god against sinful man1 is inseparably connected with legal uncleanness4 ,but all disease is a forerunner of death1 an incipient dying2 and is thus1 no less really than actual death1 a visible manifestation of the presence and power of sin working in the body through death4 ,and yet it is easy to see that it would have been quite impracticable to carry out a law that therefore all disease should render the sick person ceremonially unclean2 while1 on the other hand1 it was of consequence that ,israel1 and we as well1 should be kept in remembrance of this connection between sin and disease1 as death beginning4 ,what could have been more fitting1 then1 than this1 that the one disease which1 without exaggeration1 is of all diseases the most loathsome1 which is most manifestly a visible representation of that which is in a measure true of all disease1 that it is death working in life1 that disease which is1 not in a merely rhetorical sense1 but in fact1 a living image of death1--should be selected from all others for the illustration of this principle3 to be to ,israel and to us1 a visible1 perpetual1 and very awful parable of the nature and the working of sin8 ,and this is precisely what has been done4 ,this explains1 as sanitary considerations alone do not1 not merely the separation of the leper from the holy people1 but also the solemn symbolism which required him to assume the appearance of one mourning for the dead2 as also the symbolism of his cleansing1 which1 in like manner1 corresponded very closely with that of the ritual of cleansing from defilement by the dead4 ,hence1 while all sickness1 in a general way1 is regarded in the ,holy ,scriptures as a fitting symbol of sin1 it has always been recognised that1 among all diseases1 leprosy is this in an exceptional and pre-eminent sense4 ,this thought seems to have been in the mind of ,david1 when1 after his murder of ,uriah and adultery with ,bathsheba1 bewailing his iniquity 7,psalm li4 #g71 he prayed1 ,purge me with hyssop1 and ,i shall be clean4 ,for the only use of the hyssop in the law1 which could be alluded to in these words1 is that which is enjoined 7xiv4 #d-g7 in the law for the cleansing of the leper1 by the sprinkling of the man to be cleansed with blood and water with a hyssop branch4 ,and thus we find that1 again1 this elaborate ceremonial contains1 not merely an instructive lesson in public sanitation1 and practical suggestions in hygiene for our modern times2 but also lessons1 far more profound and momentous1 concerning that spiritual malady with which the whole human race is burdened1--lessons therefore of the gravest personal consequence for every one of us4 ,from among all diseases1 leprosy has been selected by the ,holy ,ghost to stand in the law as the supreme type of sin1 as seen by ,god6 ,this is the very solemn fact which is brought before us in this chapter4 ,let us well consider it1 and see that we receive the lesson1 however humiliating and painful1 in the spirit of meekness and penitence4 ,let us so study it that we shall with great earnestness and true faith resort to the true and heavenly ,high ,priest1 who alone can cleanse us of this sore malady4 ,and in order to do this1 we must carefully consider what is involved in this type4 ,in the first place1 leprosy is undoubtedly selected to be a special type of sin1 on account of its extreme loathsomeness4 ,beginning1 indeed1 as an insignificant spot1 a bright place1 a mere scale on the skin1 it goes on spreading1 progressing ever from worse to worse1 till at last limb drops from limb1 and only the hideous mutilated remnant of what was once a man is left4 ,a vivid picture of the horrible reality has been given by that veteran missionary and very accurate observer1 the ,rev4 ,william ,thomson1 ,d4,d41 who writes thus3 ,as ,i was approaching ,jerusalem1 ,i was startled by the sudden apparition of a crowd of beggars1 sans eyes1 sans nose1 sans hair1 sans everything4444 ,they held up their handless arms1 unearthly sounds gurgled through throats without palates1--in a word1 ,i was horrified4#bi ,too horrible is this to be repeated or thought of8 ,yes6 ,but then all the more solemnly instructive is it that the ,holy ,spirit should have chosen this disease1 the most loathsome of all1 as the most fatal of all1 to symbolise to us the true nature of that spiritual malady which affects us all1 as it is seen by the omniscient and most holy ,god4 #bi ,the ,land and the ,book1 vol4 i41 pp4 #ecj1 #eca4 ,but it will very naturally be rejoined by some2 ,surely it were gross exaggeration to apply this horrible symbolism to the case of many who1 although indeed sinners1 unbelievers also in ,christ1 yet certainly exhibit truly lovely and attractive characters4 ,that this is true regarding many who1 according to the ,scriptures1 are yet unsaved1 cannot be denied4 ,we read of one such in the ,gospel1--a young man1 unsaved1 who yet was such that ,jesus looking upon him loved him 7,mark x4 #ba74 ,but this fact only makes the leprosy the more fitting symbol of sin4 ,for another characteristic of the disease is its insignificant and often even imperceptible beginning4 ,we are told that in the case of those who inherit the taint1 it frequently remains quite dormant in early life1 only gradually appearing in later years4 ,how perfectly the type1 in this respect1 then1 symbolises sin6 ,and surely any thoughtful man will confess that this fact makes the presence of the infection not less alarming1 but more so4 ,no comfort then can be rightly had from any complacent comparison of our own characters with those of many1 perhaps professing more1 who are much worse than we1 as the manner of some is4 ,no one who knew that from his parents he had inherited the leprous taint1 or in whom the leprosy as yet appeared as only an insignificant bright spot1 would comfort himself greatly by the observation that other lepers were much worse2 and that he was1 as yet1 fair and goodly to look upon4 ,though the leprosy were in him but just begun1 that would be enough to fill him with dismay and consternation4 ,so should it be with regard to sin4 ,and it would so affect such a man the more surely1 when he knew that the disease1 however slight in its beginnings1 was certainly progressive4 ,this is one of the unfailing marks of the disease4 ,it may progress slowly1 but it progresses surely4 ,to quote again the vivid and truthful description of the above-named writer1 ,it comes on by degrees in different parts of the body3 the hair falls from the head and eyebrows2 the nails loosen1 decay1 and drop off2 joint after joint of the fingers and toes shrinks up and slowly falls away2 the gums are absorbed1 and the teeth disappear2 the nose1 the eyes1 the tongue1 and the palate are slowly consumed2 and1 finally1 the wretched victim sinks into the earth and disappears4 ,in this respect again the fitness of the disease to stand as an eminent type of sin is undeniable4 ,no man can morally stand still4 ,no one has ever retained the innocence of childhood4 ,except as counteracted by the efficient grace of the ,holy ,spirit in the heart1 the ,word 7#b ,tim4 iii4 #ac7 is ever visibly fulfilled1 evil men wax worse and worse4 ,sin may not develop in all with equal rapidity1 but it does progress in every natural man1 outwardly or inwardly1 with equal certainty4 ,it is another mark of leprosy that sooner or later it affects the whole man2 and in this1 again1 appears the sad fitness of the disease to stand as a symbol of sin4 ,for sin is not a partial disorder1 affecting only one class of faculties1 or one part of our nature4 ,it disorders the judgment2 it obscures our moral perceptions2 it either perverts the affections1 or unduly stimulates them in one direction1 while it deadens them in another2 it hardens and quickens the will for evil1 while it paralyses its power for the volition of that which is holy4 ,and not only the ,holy ,scripture1 but observation itself1 teaches us that sin1 in many cases1 also affects the body of man1 weakening its powers1 and bringing in1 by an inexorable law1 pain1 disease1 and death4 ,sooner or later1 then1 sin affects the whole man4 ,and for that reason1 again1 is leprosy set forth as its pre-eminent symbol4 ,it is another remarkable feature of the disease that1 as it progresses from bad to worse1 the victim becomes more and more insensible4 ,this numbness or insensibility of the spots affected--in one most common variety at least--is a constant feature4 ,in some cases it becomes so extreme that a knife may be thrust into the affected limb1 or the diseased flesh may be burnt with fire1 and yet the leper feels no pain4 ,nor is the insensibility confined to the body1 but1 as the leprosy extends1 the mind is affected in an analogous manner4 ,a recent writer says3 ,though a mass of bodily corruption1 at last unable to leave his bed1 the leper seems happy and contented with his sad condition4 ,is anything more characteristic than this of the malady of sin8 ,the sin which1 when first committed1 costs a keen pang1 afterward1 when frequently repeated1 hurts not the conscience at all4 ,judgments and mercies1 which in earlier life affected one with profound emotion1 in later life leave the impenitent sinner as unmoved as they found him4 ,hence we all recognise the fitness of the common expression1 a seared conscience1 as also of the ,apostle's description of advanced sinners as men who are past feeling 7,eph4 iv4 #ai74 ,of this moral insensibility which sin produces1 then1 we are impressively reminded when the ,holy ,spirit in the ,word holds before us leprosy as a type of sin4 ,another element of the solemn fitness of the type is found in the persistently hereditary nature of leprosy4 ,it may indeed sometimes arise of itself1 even as did sin in the case of certain of the holy angels1 and with our first parents2 but when once it is introduced1 in the case of any person1 the terrible infection descends with unfailing certainty to all his descendants2 and while1 by suitable hygiene1 it is possible to alleviate its violence1 and retard its development1 it is not possible to escape the terrible inheritance4 ,is anything more uniformly characteristic of sin8 ,we may raise no end of metaphysical difficulties about the matter1 and put unanswerable questions about freedom and responsibility2 but there is no denying the hard fact that since sin first entered the race1 in our first parents1 not a child of man1 of human father begotten1 has escaped the taint4 ,if various external influences1 as in the case of leprosy1 may1 in some instances1 modify its manifestations1 yet no individual1 in any class or condition of mankind1 escapes the taint4 ,the most cultivated and the most barbarous alike1 come into the world so constituted that1 quite antecedent to any act of free choice on their part1 we know that it is not more certain that they will eat than that1 when they begin to exercise freedom1 they will1 each and every one1 use their moral freedom wrongly1--in a word1 will sin4 ,no doubt1 then1 when such prominence is given to leprosy among diseases1 in the ,mosaic symbolism and elsewhere1 it is with intent1 among other truths1 to keep before the mind this very solemn and awful fact with regard to the sin which it so fitly symbolises4 ,and1 again1 we find yet another analogy in the fact that1 among the ancient ,hebrews1 the disease was regarded as incurable by human means2 and1 notwithstanding occasional announcements in our day that a remedy has been discovered for the plague1 this seems to be the verdict of the best authorities in medical science still4 ,that in this respect leprosy perfectly represents the sorer malady of the soul1 every one is witness4 ,no possible effort of will or fixedness of determination has ever availed to free a man from sin4 ,even the saintliest ,christian has often to confess with the ,apostle ,paul 7,rom4 vii4 #ai71 ,the evil which ,i would not1 that ,i practise4 ,neither is culture1 whether intellectual or religious1 of any more avail4 ,to this all human history testifies4 ,in our day1 despite the sad lessons of long experience1 many are hoping for much from improved government1 education1 and such like means2 but vainly1 and in the face of the most patent facts4 ,legislation may indeed impose restrictions on the more flagrant forms of sin1 even as it may be of service in restricting the devastations of leprosy1 and ameliorating the condition of lepers4 ,but to do away with sin1 and abolish crime by any conceivable legislation1 is a dream as vain as were the hope of curing leprosy by a good law or an imperial proclamation4 ,even the perfect law of ,god has proved inadequate for this end2 the ,apostle 7,rom4 viii4 #c7 reminds us that in this it has failed1 and could not but fail1 in that it was weak through the flesh4 ,nothing can well be of more importance than that we should be keenly alive to this fact2 that so we may not1 through our present apparently tolerable condition1 or by temporary alleviations of the trouble1 be thrown off our guard1 and hope for ourselves or for the world1 upon grounds which afford no just reason for hope4 ,last of all1 the law of leprosy1 as given in this chapter1 teaches the supreme lesson1 that as with the symbolic disease of the body1 so with that of the soul1 sin shuts out from ,god and from the fellowship of the holy4 ,as the leper was excluded from the camp of ,israel and from the tabernacle of ,jehovah1 so must the sinner1 except cleansed1 be shut out of the ,holy ,city1 and from the glory of the heavenly temple4 ,what a solemnly significant parable is this exclusion of the leper from the camp6 ,he is thrust forth from the congregation of ,israel1 wearing the insignia of mourning for the dead6 ,within the camp1 the multitude of them that go to the sanctuary of ,god1 and that joyfully keep holy day2 without1 the leper dwelling alone1 in his incurable corruption and never-ending mourning6 ,and so1 while we do not indeed deny a sanitary intention in these regulations of the law1 but are rather inclined to affirm it2 yet of far more consequence is it that we heed the spiritual truth which this solemn symbolism teaches4 ,it is that which is written in the ,apocalypse 7xxi4 #bg2 xxii4 #ae7 concerning the ,new ,jerusalem3 ,there shall in no wise enter into it anything unclean4444 ,without are the dogs1 and the sorcerers1 and the fornicators1 and the murderers1 and the idolaters1 and every one that loveth and maketh a lie4 ,in view of all these correspondences1 one need not wonder that in the symbolism of the law leprosy holds the place which it does4 ,for what other disease can be named which combines in itself1 as a physical malady1 so many of the most characteristic marks of the malady of the soul8 ,in its intrinsic loathsomeness1 its insignificant beginnings1 its slow but inevitable progress1 in the extent of its effects1 in the insensibility which accompanies it1 in its hereditary character1 in its incurability1 and1 finally1 in the fact that according to the law it involved the banishment of the leper from the camp of ,israel1--in all these respects1 it stands alone as a perfect type of sin2 it is sin1 as it were1 made visible in the flesh4 ,this is indeed a dark picture of man's natural state1 and very many are exceedingly loth to believe that sin can be such a very serious matter4 ,indeed1 the fundamental postulate of much of our nineteenth-century thought1 in matters both of politics and religion1 denies the truth of this representation1 and insists1 on the contrary1 that man is naturally not bad1 but good2 and that1 on the whole1 as the ages go by1 he is gradually becoming better and better4 ,but it is imperative that our views of sin and of humanity shall agree with the representations held before us in the ,word of ,god4 ,when that ,word1 not only in type1 as in this chapter1 but in plain language 7,jer4 xvii4 #i1 ,r4,v471 declares that the heart is deceitful above all things1 and it is desperately sick1 it must be a very perilous thing to deny this4 ,it is a profoundly instructive circumstance that1 according to this typical law1 the case of the supposed leper was to be judged by the priest 7vv4 #b1 #c1 et passim74 ,all turned for him upon the priest's verdict4 ,if he declared him clean1 it was well2 but if he pronounced him unclean1 it made no difference that the man did not believe it1 or that his friends did not believe it2 or that he or they thought better in any respect of his case than the priest1--out of the camp he must go4 ,he might plead that he was certainly not nearly in so bad a case as some of the poor1 mutilated1 dying creatures outside the camp2 but that would have no weight1 however true4 ,for still he1 no less really than they1 was a leper2 and1 until made whole1 into the fellowship of lepers he must go and abide4 ,even so for us all2 everything turns1 not on our own opinion of ourselves1 or on what other men may think of us2 but solely on the verdict of the heavenly ,priest4 ,the picture thus set before us in the symbolism of this chapter is sad enough2 but it would be far more sad did the law not now carry forward the symbolism into the region of redemption1 in making provision for the cleansing of the leper1 and his re-admission into the fellowship of the holy people4 ,to this our attention is called in the next chapter4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,the ,,cleansing ,,of ,,the ,,leper4 ,,lev4 xiv4 #a-cb4 ,the ceremonies for the restoration of the leper1 when healed of his disease1 to full covenant privileges1 were comprehended in two distinct series4 ,the first part of the ceremonial took place without the camp1 and sufficed only to terminate his condition as one ceremonially dead1 and allow of his return into the camp1 and his association1 though still under restriction1 with his fellow-,israelites4 ,the second part of the ceremonial took up his case on the eighth day thereafter1 where the former ceremonial had left him1 as a member1 indeed1 of the holy people1 but a member still under defilement such as debarred him from approach to the presence of ,jehovah2 and1 by a fourfold offering and an anointing1 restored him to the full enjoyment of all his covenant privileges before ,god4 ,this law for the cleansing of the leper certainly implies that the disease1 although incurable by human skill1 yet1 whether by the direct power of ,god1 as in several instances in ,holy ,scripture1 or for some cause unknown1 might occasionally cease its ravages4 ,in this case1 although the visible effects of the disease might still remain1 in mutilations and scars1 yet he would be none the less a healed man4 ,that occasionally instances have occurred of such arrest of the disease1 is attested by competent observers1 and the law before us thus provides for the restoration of the leper in such cases to the position from which his leprosy had excluded him4 ,the first part of the ceremonial 7vv4 #c-i7 took place without the camp2 for until legally cleansed the man was in the sight of the law still a leper1 and therefore under sentence of banishment from the congregation of ,israel4 ,thus1 as the outcast could not go to the priest1 the priest1 on receiving word of his desire1 went to him4 ,for the ceremony which was to be performed1 he provided himself with two living1 clean birds1 and with cedar-wood1 and scarlet1 and hyssop2 also he took with him an earthen vessel filled with living water1--i4e41 with water from some spring or flowing stream1 and therefore presumably pure and clean4 ,one of the birds was then killed in such a manner that its blood was received into the vessel of water2 then the living bird and the hyssop--bound1 as we are told1 with the scarlet band to the cedar-wood--were dipped into the mingled blood and water1 and by them the leper was sprinkled therewith seven times by the priest1 and was then pronounced clean2 when the living bird1 stained with the blood of the bird that was killed1 was allowed to fly away4 ,thereupon1 the leper washed his clothes1 shaved off all his hair1 bathed in water1 and entered the camp4 ,this completed the first stadium of his restoration4 ,certain things about this symbolism seem very clear4 ,first of all1 whereas the leper1 afflicted1 as it were1 with a living death1 had become1 as regards ,israel1 a man legally dead1 the sprinkling with blood1 in virtue of which he was allowed to take his place again in the camp as a living ,israelite1 symbolized the impartation of life2 and1 again1 inasmuch as death is defiling1 the blood was mingled with water1 the uniform symbol of cleansing4 ,the remaining symbols emphasise thoughts closely related to these4 ,the cedar-wood 7or juniper71 which is almost incorruptible1 signified that with this new life was imparted also freedom from corruption4 ,scarlet1 as a colour1 is the constant symbol1 again1 like the blood1 of life and health4 ,what the hyssop was is still in debate2 but we can at least safely say that it was a plant supposed to have healing and purifying virtues4 ,so far all is clear4 ,but what is the meaning of the slaying of the one bird1 and the loosing afterward of the other1 moistened with the blood of its fellow8 ,some have said that both of the birds symbolised the leper3 the one which was slain1 the leper as he was1--namely1 as one dead1 or under sentence of death by his plague2 the other1 naturally1 then1 the leper as healed1 who1 even as the living bird is let fly whither it will1 is now set at liberty to go where he pleases4 ,but when we consider that it is by means of being sprinkled with the blood of the slain bird that the leper is cleansed1 it seems quite impossible that this slain bird should typify the leper in his state of defilement4 ,indeed1 if this bird symbolised him as under his disease1 this supposition seems even absurd2 for the blood which cleansed must then have represented his own blood1 and his blood as diseased and unclean6 ,neither is it possible that the other bird1 which was set at liberty1 should represent the leper as healed1 and its release1 his liberation2 however plausible1 at first thought1 this explanation may seem4 ,for the very same ceremony as this with the two birds was also to be used in the cleansing of a leprous house 7vv4 #ej-ec71 where it is evident that the loosing of the living bird could not have any such significance2 since the notion of a liberty given would be wholly inapplicable in the case of a house4 ,but whatever the true meaning of the symbolism may be1 it is clear that it must be one which will apply equally well in each of the two cases1 the cleansing of the leprous house1 no less than that of the leprous person4 ,we are therefore compelled to regard the slaying of the one bird as a true sacrifice4 ,no doubt there are difficulties in the way1 but they do not seem insuperable1 and are1 in any case1 less than those which beset other suppositions4 ,it is true that the birds are not presented before ,jehovah in the tabernacle2 but as the ceremony took place outside the camp1 and therefore at a distance from the tabernacle1 this may be explained as merely because of the necessity of the case4 ,it is true1 again1 that the choice of the bird was not limited1 as in the tabernacle sacrifices1 to the turtle-dove or pigeon2 but it might easily be that when1 as in this case1 the sacrifice was elsewhere than at the tabernacle1 the rules for service there did not necessarily apply4 ,finally and decisively1 when we turn to the law for the cleansing of the leprous house1 we find that atoning virtue is explicitly ascribed to this rite with the birds 7ver4 #ec73 ,he shall make atonement for the house4 ,but sacrifice is here presented in a different aspect from elsewhere in the law4 ,in this ceremonial the central thought is not consecration through sacrifice1 as in the burnt-offering2 nor expiation of guilt through sacrifice1 as in the sin-offering2 nor yet satisfaction for trespass committed1 as in the guilt-offering4 ,it is sacrifice as procuring for the man for whom it is offered purity and life1 which is the main thought4 ,but1 according to vv4 #eb1 #ec1 the atonement is made with both the dead and the living bird4 ,the special thought which is emphasised by the use of the latter1 seems to be merely the full completeness of the work of cleansing which has been accomplished through the death of the other bird4 ,for the living bird was represented as ideally identified with the bird which was slain1 by being dipped in its blood2 and in that it was now loosed from its captivity1 this was in token of the fact that the bird1 having now given its life to impart cleansing and life to the leper1 has fully accomplished that end4 ,obviously1 this explanation is one that will apply no less readily to the cleansing of the leprous house than of the leprous person4 ,for the leprosy in the house signifies the working of corruption and of decay and death in the wall of the house1 in a way adapted to its nature1 as really as in the case of the person2 and the ceremonial with the birds and other material prescribed means the same with it as with the other1--namely1 the removal of the principle of corruption and disease1 and impartation of purity and wholesomeness4 ,in both cases the sevenfold sprinkling1 as in analogous cases elsewhere in the law1 signified the completeness of the cleansing1 to which nothing was lacking1 and also certified to the leper that by this impartation of new life1 and by his cleansing1 he was again brought into covenant relations with ,jehovah4 ,with these ceremonies1 the leper's cleansing was now in so far effected that he could enter the camp2 only he must first cleanse himself and his clothes with water and shave his hair1--ceremonies which1 in their primary meaning1 are most naturally explained by the importance of an actual physical cleansing in such a case4 ,every possible precaution must be taken that by no chance he bring the contagion of his late disease into the camp4 ,of what special importance in this connection1 besides the washing1 is the shaving of the hair1 will be apparent to all who know how peculiarly retentive is the hair of odours and infections of every kind4 ,the cleansed man might now come into the camp2 he is restored to his place as a living ,israelite4 ,and yet he may not come to the tabernacle4 ,for even an ,israelite might not come1 if defiled for the dead2 and this is precisely the leper's status at this point4 ,though delivered from the power of death1 there is yet persisting such a connection of his new self with his old leprous self as precludes him from yet entering the more immediate presence of ,god4 ,the reality of this analogy will appear to any one who compares the rites which now follow 7vv4 #aj-bj7 with those appointed for the ,nazarite1 when defiled by the dead 7,numb4 vi4 #i-ab74 ,seven days1 then1 as in that case1 he remains away from the tabernacle4 ,on the seventh day1 he again shaves himself even to the eyebrows1 thus ensuring the most absolute cleanness1 and washes himself and his clothes in water4 ,the final restoration ceremonial took place on the eighth day1--the day symbolic of the new creation1--when he appeared before ,jehovah at the tent of meeting with a he-lamb for a guilt-offering1 and another for a sin-offering1 and a ewe-lamb for a burnt-offering2 also a meal-offering of three tenth-deals1 one tenth for each sacrifice1 mingled with oil1 and a log 7#ccb qts47 of oil4 ,the oil was then waved for a wave-offering before the ,lord1 as also the whole lamb of the guilt-offering 7an unusual thing71 and then the lamb was slain and offered after the manner of the guilt-offering4 ,and now followed the most distinctive part of the ceremonial4 ,as in the case of the consecration of the priests was done with the blood of the peace-offering and with the holy oil1 so was it done here with the blood of the guilt-offering and with the common oil--now by its waving consecrated to ,jehovah--which the cleansed leper had brought4 ,the priest anoints the man's right ear1 the thumb of his right hand1 and the great toe of his right foot1 first with the blood of the guilt-offering1 and then with the oil1 having previously sprinkled of the oil seven times with his finger before the ,lord4 ,the remnant of the oil in the hand of the priest he then pours upon the cleansed leper's head2 then offers for him the sin-offering1 the burnt-offering1 and the meal-offering2 and therewith1 at last1 the atonement is complete1 and the man is restored to his full rights and privileges as a living member of the people of the living ,god4 ,the chief significance of this ceremonial lies in the prominence given to the guilt-offering4 ,this is evidenced1 not only by the special and peculiar use which is made of its blood1 in applying it to the leper1 but also in the fact that in the case of the poor man1 while the other offerings are diminished1 there is no diminution allowed as regards the lamb of the guilt-offering1 and the log of oil4 ,why should the guilt-offering have received on this occasion such a place of special prominence8 ,the answer has been rightly given by those who point to the significance of the guilt-offering as representing reparation and satisfaction for loss of service due4 ,by the fact of the man's leprosy1 and consequent exclusion from the camp of ,israel1 ,god had been1 for the whole period of his excision1 defrauded1 so to speak1 of ,his proper dues from him in respect of service and offerings2 and the guilt-offering precisely symbolised satisfaction made for this default in service which he had otherwise been able to render4 ,nor is it a fatal objection to this understanding of the matter that1 on this principle1 he also that for a long time had had an issue should have been required1 for his prolonged default of service1 to bring a guilt-offering in order to his restoration2 whereas from him no such demand was made4 ,for the need1 before the law1 for the guilt-offering lay1 not in the duration of the leprosy1 as such apprehend it1 but in the nature of the leprosy1 as being1 unlike any other visitation1 in a peculiar sense1 a death in life4 ,even when the man with an issue was debarred from the sanctuary1 he was not1 like the leper1 regarded by the law as a dead man2 but was still counted among them that were living in ,israel4 ,and if precluded for an indefinite time from the service and worship of ,god at the tabernacle1 he yet1 by his public submission to the demands of the law1 in the presence of all1 rendered still to ,god the honour due from a member of the living ,israel4 ,but in that the leper1 unlike any other defiled person1 was reckoned ceremonially dead1 obviously consistency in the symbolism made it impossible to regard him as having in any sense rendered honour or service to ,god so long as he continued a leper1 any more than if he had been dead and buried4 ,therefore he must bring a guilt-offering1 as one who had1 however unavoidably1 committed a trespass in the holy things of the ,lord4 ,and so this guilt-offering1 in the case of the leper1 as in all others1 represented the satisfaction of debt2 and as the reality or the amount of a debt cannot be affected by the poverty of the debtor1 the offering which symbolised satisfaction for the debt must be the same for the poor leper as for the rich leper4 ,and the application of the blood to ear1 hand1 and foot meant the same as in the case of the consecration of the priests4 ,inducted1 as one now risen from the dead1 into the number of the priestly people1 he receives the priestly consecration1 devoting ear1 hand1 and foot to the service of the ,lord4 ,and as it was fitting that the priests1 because brought into a relation of special nearness to ,god1 in order to be ministers of reconciliation to ,israel1 should therefore be consecrated with the blood of the peace-offering1 which specially emphasised the realisation of reconciliation1--so the cleansed leper1 who was re-established as a living member of the priestly nation1 more especially by the blood of the guilt-offering1 was therefore fittingly represented as consecrated in virtue1 and by means of that fact4 ,so1 like the priests1 he also was anointed by the priest with oil2 not indeed with the holy oil1 for he was not admitted to the priestly order2 yet with common oil1 sanctified by its waving before ,god1 in token of his consecration as a member of the priestly people4 ,especially suitable in his case was this anointing1 that the oil constantly stands as a symbol of healing virtue1 which in his experience he had so wondrously received4 ,remembering in all this how the leprosy stands as a pre-eminent type of sin1 in its aspect as involving death and corruption1 the application of these ceremonies to the antitypical cleansing1 at least in its chief aspects1 is almost self-evident4 ,as in all the ,levitical types1 so in this case1 at the very entrance on the redeemed life stands the sacrifice of a life1 and the service of a priest as mediator between ,god and man4 ,blood must be shed if the leper is to be admitted again into covenant standing with ,god2 and the blood of the sacrifice in the law ever points to the sacrifice of ,christ4 ,but that great ,sacrifice may be regarded in various aspects4 ,sin is a many-sided evil1 and on every side it must be met4 ,as often repeated1 because sin as guilt requires expiation1 hence the type of the sin-offering2 in that it is a defrauding of ,god of ,his just rights from us1 satisfaction is required1 hence the type of the guilt-offering2 as it is absence of consecration1 life for self instead of life for ,god1 hence the type of the burnt-offering4 ,and yet the manifold aspects of sin are not all enumerated4 ,for sin1 again1 is spiritual death2 and1 as death1 it involves corruption and defilement4 ,it is with special reference to this fact that the work of ,christ is brought before us here4 ,in the clean bird1 slain that its blood may be applied to the leper for cleansing1 we see typified ,christ1 as giving ,himself1 that ,his very life may be imparted to us for our life4 ,in that the blood of the bird is mingled with water1 the symbol of the ,word of ,god1 is symbolised the truth1 that with the atoning blood is ever inseparably united the purifying energy of the ,holy ,ghost through the ,word4 ,not the water without the blood1 nor the blood without the water1 saves1 but the blood with the water1 and the water with the blood4 ,so it is said of ,him to whom the ceremony pointed 7#a ,john v4 #f73 ,this is ,he that came by water and blood1 even ,jesus ,christ2 not with the water only1 but with the water and with the blood4 ,but the type yet lacks something for completeness2 and for this reason we have the second bird1 who1 when by his means the blood has been sprinkled on the leper1 and the man is now pronounced clean1 is released and flies away heavenward4 ,what a beautiful symbol of that other truth1 without which even the atonement of the ,lord were nought1 that ,he who died1 having by that death for us procured our life1 was then released from the bonds of death1 rising from the dead on the third day1 and ascending to heaven1 like the freed bird1 in token that ,his life-giving1 cleansing work was done4 ,thus the message which1 as the liberated bird flies carolling away1 sweet as a heavenly song1 seems to fall upon the ear1 is this1 ,delivered up for our trespasses1 and raised for our justification 7,rom4 iv4 #be2 see ,gr474 ,but although thus and then restored to his standing as a member of the living people of ,god1 not yet was the cleansed leper allowed to appear in the presence of ,god at the tent of meeting4 ,there was a delay of a week1 and only then1 on the eighth day1 the day typical of resurrection and new creation1 does ,he appear before ,god4 ,is there typical meaning in this delay8 ,we would not be too confident4 ,it is quite possible that this delay of a week1 before the cleansed man was allowed to present himself for the completion of the ceremonial which reinstated him in the plenary enjoyment of all the rights and privileges of a child of ,israel1 may have been intended merely as a precautionary rule1 of which the purpose was to guard against the possibility of infection1 and the defilement of the sanctuary by his presence1 through renewed activity of the disease2 while1 at the same time1 it would serve as a spiritual discipline to remind the man1 now cleansed1 of the extreme care and holy fear with which1 after his defilement1 he should venture into the presence of the ,holy ,one of ,israel2 and thus1 by analogy1 it becomes a like lesson to the spiritually cleansed in all ages4 ,but perhaps we may see a deeper significance in this week of delay1 and his appointed appearance before the ,lord on the eighth day4 ,if the whole course of the leper1 from the time of his infection till his final reappearing in the presence of ,jehovah at the tent of meeting1 be intended to typify the history and experience of a sinner as saved from sin2 and if the cleansing of the leper without the camp1 and his reinstatement thereupon as a member of ,god's ,israel1 represents in type the judicial reinstatement of the cleansed sinner1 through the application of the blood and ,spirit of ,christ1 in the number of ,god's people2 one can then hardly fail to recognise in the week's delay appointed to him1 before he could come into the immediate presence of ,god1 an adumbration of the fact that between the sinner's acceptance and the appointed time of his appearing1 finally and fully cleansed1 before the ,lord1 on the resurrection morning1 there intervenes a period of delay1 even the whole lifetime of the believer here in the flesh and in the disembodied state4 ,for only thereafter does he at last1 wholly perfected1 appear before ,god in the heavenly ,zion4 ,but before thus appearing1 the accepted man once and again had to cleanse his garments and his person1 that so he might remove everything in which by any chance uncleanness might still lurk4 ,which1 translated into ,new ,testament language1 gives us the charge of the ,apostle ,paul 7#b ,cor4 vii4 #a7 addressed to those who had indeed received the new life1 but were still in the flesh3 ,let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit1 perfecting holiness in the fear of ,god4 ,but1 at last1 the week of delay is ended4 ,after its seventh day follows an eighth1 the first-day morning of a new week1 the morning typical of resurrection and therewith completed redemption1 and the leper now1 completely restored1 appears before ,god in the holy tabernacle4 ,even so shall an eighth-day morning dawn for all who by the cleansing blood have been received into the number of ,god's people4 ,and when that day comes1 then1 even as when the cleansed man appeared at the tent of meeting1 he presented guilt-offering1 sin-offering1 and burnt-offering1 as the warrant for his presence there1 and the ground of his acceptance1 so shall it be in that day of resurrection1 when every one of ,god's once leprous but now washed and accepted children shall appear in ,zion before ,him4 ,they will all appear there as pleading the blood1 the precious blood of ,christ2 ,christ1 at last apprehended and received by them in all ,his fulness1 as expiation1 satisfaction1 and righteousness4 ,for so ,john represents it in the apocalyptic vision of the blood-washed multitude in the heavenly glory 7,rev4 vii4 #ad1 #ae73 ,these are they which come out of the great tribulation1 and they washed their robes1 and made them white in the blood of the ,lamb4 ,therefore are they before the throne of ,god2 and they serve ,him day and night in ,his temple4 ,and as it is written 7,rom4 viii4 #aa7 that the final quickening of our mortal bodies shall be accomplished by the ,spirit of ,god1 so the leper1 now in ,god's presence1 receives a special anointing2 a type of the unction of the ,holy ,ghost in resurrection power1 consecrating the once leprous ear1 hand1 and foot1 and therewith the whole body1 now cleansed from all defilement1 to the glad service of ,jehovah our ,god and our ,redeemer4 ,such1 in outline at least1 appears to be the typical significance of this ceremonial of the cleansing of the leper4 ,some details are indeed still left unexplained1 but1 probably1 the whole reason for some of the regulations is to be found in the immediate practical necessities of the leper's condition4 ,,of ,,leprosy ,,in ,a ,,garment ,,or ,,house4 xiii4 #dg-ei2 xiv4 #cc-ec4 ,the garment also that the plague of leprosy is in1 whether it be a woollen garment1 or a linen garment2 whether it be in warp1 or woof2 of linen1 or of woollen2 whether in a skin1 or in any thing made of skin2 if the plague be greenish or reddish in the garment1 or in the skin1 or in the warp1 or in the woof1 or in any thing of skin2 it is the plague of leprosy1 and shall be shewed unto the priest3 and the priest shall look upon the plague1 and shut up that which hath the plague seven days3 and he shall look on the plague on the seventh day3 if the plague be spread in the garment1 either in the warp1 or in the woof1 or in the skin1 whatever service skin is used for2 the plague is a fretting leprosy2 it is unclean4 ,and he shall burn the garment1 whether the warp or the woof1 in woollen or in linen1 or any thing of skin1 wherein the plague is3 for it is a fretting leprosy2 it shall be burnt in the fire4 ,and if the priest shall look1 and1 behold1 the plague be not spread in the garment1 either in the warp1 or in the woof1 or in any thing of skin2 then the priest shall command that they wash the thing wherein the plague is1 and he shall shut it up seven days more3 and the priest shall look1 after that the plague is washed3 and1 behold1 if the plague have not changed its colour1 and the plague be not spread1 it is unclean2 thou shalt burn it in the fire3 it is a fret1 whether the bareness be within or without4 ,and if the priest look1 and1 behold1 the plague be dim after the washing thereof1 then he shall rend it out of the garment1 or out of the skin1 or out of the warp1 or out of the woof3 and if it appear still in the garment1 either in the warp1 or in the woof1 or in any thing of skin1 it is breaking out3 thou shalt burn that wherein the plague is with fire4 ,and the garment1 either the warp1 or the woof1 or whatsoever thing of skin it be1 which thou shalt wash1 if the plague be departed from them1 then it shall be washed the second time1 and shall be clean4 ,this is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woollen or linen1 either in the warp1 or the woof1 or any thing of skin1 to pronounce it clean1 or to pronounce it unclean4444 ,and the ,lord spake unto ,moses and unto ,aaron1 saying1 ,when ye be come into the land of ,canaan1 which ,i give to you for a possession1 and ,i put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession2 then he that owneth the house shall come and tell the priest1 saying1 ,there seemeth to me to be as it were a plague in the house3 and the priest shall command that they empty the house1 before the priest go in to see the plague1 that all that is in the house be not made unclean3 and afterward the priest shall go in to see the house3 and he shall look on the plague1 and1 behold1 if the plague be in the walls of the house with hollow strakes1 greenish or reddish1 and the appearance thereof be lower than the wall2 then the priest shall go out of the house to the door of the house1 and shut up the house seven days3 and the priest shall come again the seventh day1 and shall look3 and1 behold1 if the plague be spread in the walls of the house2 then the priest shall command that they take out the stones in which the plague is1 and cast them into an unclean place without the city3 and he shall cause the house to be scraped within round about1 and they shall pour out the mortar that they scrape off without the city into an unclean place3 and they shall take other stones1 and put them in the place of those stones2 and he shall take other mortar1 and shall plaister the house4 ,and if the plague come again1 and break out in the house1 after that he hath taken out the stones1 and after he hath scraped the house1 and after it is plaistered2 then the priest shall come in and look1 and1 behold1 if the plague be spread in the house1 it is a fretting leprosy in the house3 it is unclean4 ,and he shall break down the house1 the stones of it1 and the timber thereof1 and all the mortar of the house2 and he shall carry them forth out of the city into an unclean place4 ,moreover he that goeth into the house all the while that it is shut up shall be unclean until the even4 ,and he that lieth in the house shall wash his clothes2 and he that eateth in the house shall wash his clothes4 ,and if the priest shall come in1 and look1 and1 behold1 the plague hath not spread in the house1 after the house was plaistered2 then the priest shall pronounce the house clean1 because the plague is healed4 ,and he shall take to cleanse the house two birds1 and cedar wood1 and scarlet1 and hyssop3 and he shall kill one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water3 and he shall take the cedar wood1 and the hyssop1 and the scarlet1 and the living bird1 and dip them in the blood of the slain bird1 and in the running water1 and sprinkle the house seven times3 and he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird1 and with the running water1 and with the living bird1 and with the cedar wood1 and with the hyssop1 and with the scarlet3 but he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open field3 so shall he make atonement for the house3 and it shall be clean4 ,there has been much debate as to what we are to understand by the leprosy in the garment or in a house4 ,was it an affection identical in nature with the leprosy of the body8 or was it merely so called from a certain external similarity to that plague8 ,however extraordinary the former supposition might once have seemed1 in the present state of medical science we are at least able to say that there is nothing inconceivable in it4 ,we have abundant experimental evidence that a large number of diseases1 and1 not improbably1 leprosy among them1 are caused by minute parasitic forms of vegetable life2 and1 also1 that in many cases these forms of life may1 and do1 exist and multiply in various other suitable media besides the fluids and tissues of the human body4 ,if1 as is quite likely1 leprosy be caused by some such parasitic life in the human body1 it is then evidently possible that such parasites1 under favourable conditions of heat1 moisture1 etc41 should exist and propagate themselves1 as in other analogous cases1 outside the body2 as1 for instance1 in cloth1 or leather1 or in the plaster of a house2 in which case it is plain that such garments or household implements1 or such dwellings1 as might be thus infected1 would be certainly unwholesome1 and presumably capable of communicating the leprosy to the human subject4 ,but we have not yet sufficient scientific observation to settle the question whether this is really so2 we can1 however1 safely say that1 in any case1 the description which is here given indicates a growth in the affected garment or house of some kind of mould or mildew2 which1 as we know1 is a form of life produced under conditions which always imply an unwholesome state of the article or house in which it appears4 ,we also know that if such growths be allowed to go on unchecked1 they involve more or less rapid processes of decomposition in that which is affected4 ,thus1 even from a merely natural point of view1 one can see the high wisdom of the ,divine ,king of ,israel in ordering that1 in all such cases1 the man whose garment or house was thus affected should at once notify the priest1 who was to come and decide whether the appearance was of a noxious and unclean kind or not1 and then take action accordingly4 ,whether the suspicious spot were in a house or in some article it contained1 the article or house 7the latter having been previously emptied7 was first shut up for seven days 7xiii4 #ej2 xiv4 #ch74 ,if in the garment or other article affected it was found then to have spread1 it was without any further ceremony to be burnt 7xiii4 #ea1 #eb74 ,if it had not spread1 it was to be washed and shut up seven days more1 at the end of which time1 even though it had not spread1 if the greenish or reddish colour remained unchanged1 it was still to be adjudged unclean1 and to be burned 7xiii4 #ee74 ,if1 on the other hand1 the colour had somewhat dimmed1 the part affected was to be cut out2 when1 if it spread no further1 it was to be washed a second time1 and be pronounced clean 7xiii4 #eh74 ,if1 however1 after the excision of the affected part1 the spot appeared again1 the article1 without further delay1 was to be burned 7xiii4 #eg74 ,the law1 in the case of the appearing of a leprosy in a house 7xiv4 #cc-ec71 was much more elaborate4 ,as in the former case1 when the occupant of the house suspects1 as it were a plague in the house1 he is to go and tell the priest2 who is1 first of all1 to order the emptying of the house before he goes in1 lest that which is in the house1 should it prove to be the plague1 be made unclean 7ver4 #cf74 ,the diagnosis reminds us of that of the leprosy in the body2 greenish or reddish streaks1 in appearance lower than the wall1 i4e41 deep-seated 7ver4 #cg74 ,where this is observed1 the empty house is to be shut up for seven days 7ver4 #ch72 and at the end of that time1 if the spot has spread1 the stones in which the plague is are to be taken out1 the plaster scraped off the walls of the house1 and all carried out into an unclean place outside of the city1 and new stones and new plaster put in the place of the old 7vv4 #dj-db74 ,if1 after this1 the plague yet reappear1 the house is to be adjudged unclean1 and is to be wholly torn down1 and all the material carried into an unclean place without the city 7vv4 #dd1 #de74 ,if1 on the other hand1 after this renewal of the interior of the house1 the spots do not reappear1 the priest shall pronounce the house clean1 because the plague is healed 7ver4 #dh74 ,but1 unlike the case of the leprous garment1 this does not end the ceremonial4 ,it is ordered that the priest shall take to cleanse 7lit4 to purge the house from sin7 7ver4 #di7 two birds1 scarlet1 cedar1 and hyssop1 which are then used precisely as in the case of the purgation of the leprous man2 and at the end1 he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open field3 so shall he make atonement for the house3 and it shall be clean 7vv4 #ej-ec74 ,for the time then present1 one can hardly fail to see in this ceremonial1 first1 a merciful sanitary intent4 ,by the observance of these regulations not only was ,israel to be saved from many sicknesses and various evils1 but was to be constantly reminded that ,israel's ,god1 like a wise and kind ,father1 had a care for everything that pertained to their welfare2 not only for their persons1 but also for their dwellings1 and even all the various articles of daily use4 ,the lesson is always in force1 for ,god has not changed4 ,he is not a ,god who cares for the souls of men only1 but for their bodies also1 and everything around them4 ,his servants do well to remember this1 and in this imitate ,him1 as happily many are doing more and more4 ,bibles and tracts are good1 and religious exhortation2 but we have here left us a ,divine warrant not to content ourselves with these things alone1 but to have a care for the clothing and the homes of those we would reach with the ,gospel4 ,in all the large cities of ,christendom it must be confessed that the principle which underlies these laws concerning houses and garments1 is often terribly neglected4 ,whether the veritable plague of leprosy be in the walls of many of our tenement houses or not1 there can be no doubt that it could not be much worse if it were2 and ,christian philanthropy and legislation could scarcely do better in many cases than vigorously to enforce the ,levitical law1 tear down1 re-plaster1 or1 in many cases1 destroy from the foundation1 tenement houses1 which could1 with little exaggeration1 be justly described as leprous throughout4 ,but all which is in this law cannot be thus explained4 ,even the ,israelite must have looked beyond this for the meaning of the ordinance of the two birds1 the cedar1 scarlet1 and hyssop1 and the atonement for the house4 ,he would have easily perceived that not only leprosy in the body1 but this leprosy in the garment and the house1 was a sign that both the man himself1 and his whole environment as well1 was subject to death and decay2 that1 as already he would have learned from the ,book of ,genesis1 even nature was under a curse because of man's sin2 and that1 as in the ,divine plan1 sacrificial cleansing was required for the deliverance of man1 so also it was somehow mysteriously required for the cleansing of his earthly abode and surroundings1 in default of which purgation they must be destroyed4 ,and from this to the antitypical truth prefigured by these laws it is but a step2 and a step which we take with full ,new ,testament light to guide us4 ,for if the leprosy in the body visibly typified the working of sin and death in the soul of man1 then1 as clearly1 the leprosy in the house must in this law be intended to symbolise the working of sin in the material earthly creation1 which is man's abode4 ,the type thus brings before us the truth which is set forth by the ,apostle ,paul in ,rom4 viii4 #bj-bb1 where we are taught in express words that1 not man alone1 but the whole creation also1 because of sin1 has come under a bondage of corruption4 ,the creation was subjected to vanity1 not of its own will1 but by reason of him who subjected it4444 ,for we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now4 ,this is one truth which is shadowed forth in this type4 ,but the type also shows us how1 as ,scripture elsewhere clearly teaches1 if after such partial purgation as was effected by means of the deluge the bondage of corruption still persist1 then the abode of man must itself be destroyed2 the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up 7#b ,peter iii4 #aj74 ,nothing less than fire will suffice to put an end to the working in material nature of this mysterious curse4 ,and yet beyond the fire is redemption4 ,for the atonement shall avail not only for the leprous man1 but for the purifying of the leprous abode4 ,the sprinkling of sacrificial blood and water by means of the cedar1 and hyssop1 and scarlet1 and the living bird1 which effected the deliverance of the leper1 are used also in the same way and for the same end1 for the leprous house4 ,and so according to his promise1 we look for new heavens and a new earth1 wherein dwelleth righteousness 7#b ,peter iii4 #ac72 and it shall be brought in through the virtue of atonement made by a ,saviour slain1 and applied by a ,saviour alive from the dead2 so that1 as the free bird flies away in token of the full completion of deliverance from the curse1 so the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of ,god 7,rom4 viii4 #ba74 ,but there was also a leprosy of the garment4 ,if the leprosy in the body typified the effect of sin in the soul1 and the leprosy in the house1 the effect of sin in the earthly creation1 which is man's home2 the leprosy of the garment can scarcely typify anything else than the presence and effects of sin in those various relations in life which constitute our present environment4 ,whenever1 in any of these1 we suspect the working of sin1 first of all we are to lay the case before the heavenly ,priest4 ,and then1 if ,he with the eyes like a flame of fire 7,rev4 i4 #ad2 ii4 #ah7 declare anything unclean1 then that in which the stain is found must be without hesitation cut out and thrown away4 ,and if still1 after this1 we find the evil reappearing1 then the whole garment must go1 fair and good though the most of it may still appear4 ,in other words1 those relations and engagements in which1 despite all possible care and precaution1 we find manifest sin persistently reappearing1 as if there were in them1 however inexplicably1 an ineradicable tendency to evil1--these we must resolutely put away1 hating even the garment spotted by the flesh4 ,the leprous garment must be burnt4 ,for its restoration or purification the law made no provision4 ,for here1 in the antitype1 we are dealing with earthly relationships1 which have only to do with the present life and order4 ,the fashion of this world passeth away 7#a ,cor4 vii4 #ca74 ,there shall be new heavens and a new earth1 but in that new creation the old environment shall be found no longer4 ,the old garments1 even such as were best1 shall be no longer used4 ,the redeemed shall walk with the ,king and ,redeemer1 clothed in the white robes which ,he shall give4 ,no more leprosy then in person1 house1 or garment6 ,for we shall be set before the presence of the ,father's glory1 without blemish1 in exceeding joy1 not having spot1 or wrinkle1 or any such thing4 ,wherefore to the only ,god our ,saviour1 through ,jesus ,christ our ,lord1 be glory1 majesty1 dominion and power1 before all time1 and now1 and for evermore4 ,amen4 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,of ,,holiness ,,in ,,eating4 ,,lev4 xvii4 #a-af4 ,with this chapter begins another subdivision of the law4 ,hitherto we have had before us only sacrificial worship and matters of merely ceremonial law4 ,the law of holy living contained in the following chapters 7xvii4-xx471 on the other hand1 has to do for the most part with matters rather ethical than ceremonial1 and consists chiefly of precepts designed to regulate morally the ordinary engagements and relationships of every-day life4 ,the fundamental thought of the four chapters is that which is expressed1 e4g41 in xviii4 #c3 ,israel1 redeemed by ,jehovah1 is called to be a holy people2 and this holiness is to be manifested in a total separation from the ways of the heathen4 ,this principle is enforced by various specific commands and prohibitions1 which naturally have particular regard to the special conditions under which ,israel was placed1 as a holy nation consecrated to ,jehovah1 the one1 true ,god1 but living in the midst of nations of idolaters4 ,the whole of chapter xvii41 with the exception of vv4 #h1 #i1 has to do with the application of this law of holy living to the use even of lawful food4 ,at first thought1 the injunctions of the chapter might seem to belong rather to ceremonial than to moral law2 but closer observation will show that all the injunctions here given have direct reference to the avoidance of idolatry1 especially as connected with the preparation and use of food4 ,it was not enough that the true ,israelite should abstain from food prohibited by ,god1 as in chap4 xii42 he must also use that which was permitted in a way well-pleasing to ,god1 carefully shunning even the appearance of any complicity with surrounding idolatry1 or fellowship with the heathen in their unholy fashions and customs4 ,even so for the ,christian3 it is not enough that he abstain from what is expressly forbidden2 even in his use of lawful food1 he must so use it that it shall be to him a means of grace1 in helping him to maintain an uninterrupted walk with ,god4 ,in vv4 #a-g is given the law to regulate the use of such clean animals for food as could be offered to ,god in sacrifice2 in vv4 #aj-af1 of such as1 although permitted for food1 were not allowed for sacrifice4 ,the directions regarding the first class may be summed up in this3 all such animals were to be treated as peace-offerings4 ,no private person in ,israel was to slaughter any such animal anywhere in the camp or out of it1 except at the door of the tent of meeting4 ,thither they were to be brought unto the priest1 and offered for peace-offerings 7ver4 #e72 the blood must be sprinkled on the altar of burnt-offering2 the fat parts burnt for a sweet savour unto the ,lord 7ver4 #f72 and then only1 the priest having first taken his appointed portions1 the remainder might now be eaten by the ,israelite1 as given back to him by ,god1 in peaceful fellowship with ,him4 ,the law could not have been burdensome1 as some might hastily imagine4 ,even when obtainable1 meat was probably not used as food by them so freely as with us2 and in the wilderness the lack of flesh1 it will be remembered1 was so great as to have occasioned at one time a rebellion among the people1 who fretfully complained 7,numb4 xi4 #d73 ,who shall give us flesh to eat8 ,even the uncritical reader must be able to see how manifest is the ,mosaic date of this part of ,leviticus4 ,the terms of this law suppose a camp-life2 indeed1 the camp is explicitly named 7ver4 #c74 ,that which was enjoined was quite practicable under the conditions of life in the wilderness1 when1 at the best1 flesh was scarce1 and the people dwelt compactly together2 but would have been utterly inapplicable and impracticable at a later date1 after they were settled throughout the land of ,canaan1 when to have slaughtered all beasts used for food at the central sanctuary would have been impossible4 ,hence we find that1 as we should expect1 the modified law of ,deuteronomy 7xii4 #ae1 #af1 #bj-bd71 assuming the previous existence of this earlier law1 explicitly repeals it4 ,to suppose that forgers of a later day1 as1 for instance1 of the time of ,josiah1 or after the ,babylonian exile1 should have needlessly invented a law of this kind1 is an hypothesis which is rightly characterised by ,dillmann as simply absurd4#cj #cj ,die ,bcher ,exodus und ,leviticus1 #b ,aufl41 p4 #ece4 ,this regulation for the wilderness days is said 7vv4 #e1 #g7 to have been made to the end that the children of ,israel may bring their sacrifices1 which they sacrifice in the open field 444 unto the ,lord1 444 and sacrifice them for sacrifices of peace offerings unto the ,lord4444 ,and they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices unto the he-goats1 after whom they go a whoring4 ,there can be no doubt that in the last sentence1 he-goats1 as in the ,revised ,version1 instead of devils1 as in the ,authorised1 is the right rendering4 ,the worship referred to was still in existence in the days of the monarchy2 for it is included in the charges against ,jeroboam1 the son of ,nebat1 who made ,israel to sin 7#b ,chron4 xi4 #ae71 that he appointed him priests1 444 for the he-goats1 and for the calves which he had made4 ,nor can here we agree with ,dillmann#ca that in this worship of he-goats here referred to1 there is no occasion to think of the goat-worship of ,egypt4 ,for inasmuch as we know that the worship of the sacred bull and that of the he-goat prevailed in ,egypt in those days1 and inasmuch as in ,ezekiel xx4 #f1 #g1 #ae-ah1 repeated reference is made to ,israel's having worshipped the idols of ,egypt1 one can hardly avoid combining these two facts1 and thus connecting the goat-worship to which allusion is here made1 with that which prevailed at ,mendes1 in ,lower ,egypt4 ,this cult at that place was accompanied with nameless revolting rites1 such as give special significance to the description of this worship 7ver4 #g7 as a whoring after the goats2 and abundantly explain and justify the severity of the penalty attached to the violation of this law 7ver4 #d7 in cutting off the offender from this people2 all the more when we observe the fearful persistency of this horrible goat-worship in ,israel1 breaking out anew1 as just remarked1 some five hundred years later1 in the reign of ,jeroboam4 #ca ,die ,bcher ,exodus und ,leviticus1 #b ,aufl41 p4 #ecg4 ,the words imply that the ordinary slaughter of animals for food was often connected with some idolatrous ceremony related to this goat-worship4 ,what precisely it may have been1 we know not2 but of such customs1 connecting the preparation of the daily food with idolatry1 we have abundant illustration in the usages of the ancient ,persians1 the ,hindoos1 and the heathen ,arabs of the days before ,mohammed4 ,the law was thus intended to cut out this every-day idolatry by the root4 ,with these field-devils1 as ,luther renders the word1 the holy people of the ,lord were to have nothing to do4 ,very naturally1 the requirement to present all slaughtered animals as peace-offerings to ,jehovah gives occasion to turn aside for a little from the matter of food1 which is the chief subject of the chapter1 in order to extend this principle beyond animals slaughtered for food1 and insist particularly that all burnt-offerings and sacrifices of every kind should be sacrificed at the door of the tent of meeting1 and nowhere else4 ,this law1 we are told 7ver4 #h71 was to be applied1 not only to the ,israelites themselves1 but also to strangers among them2 such as1 e4g41 were the ,gibeonites4 ,no idolatry1 nor anything likely to be associated with it1 was to be tolerated from any one in the holy camp4 ,the principle which underlies this stringent law1 as also the reason which is given for it1 is of constant application in modern life4 ,there was nothing wrong in itself in slaying an animal in one place more than another4 ,it was abstractly possible--as1 likely enough1 many an ,israelite may have said to himself--that a man could just as really eat unto the ,lord if he slaughtered and ate his animal in the field1 as anywhere else4 ,nevertheless this was forbidden under the heaviest penalties4 ,it teaches us that he who will be holy must not only abstain from that which is in itself always wrong1 but must carefully keep himself from doing even lawful or necessary things in such a way1 or under such associations and circumstances1 as may outwardly compromise his ,christian standing1 or which may be proved by experience to have an almost unavoidable tendency toward sin4 ,the laxity in such matters which prevails in the so-called ,christian world argues little for the tone of spiritual life in our day in those who indulge in it1 or allow it1 or apologise for it4 ,it may be true enough1 in a sense1 that as many say1 there is no harm in this or that4 ,perhaps not2 but what if experience have shown that1 though in itself not sinful1 a certain association or amusement almost always tends to worldliness1 which is a form of idolatry8 ,or--to use the apostle's illustration--what if one be seen1 though with no intention of wrong1 sitting at meat in an idol's temple1 and he whose conscience is weak be thereby emboldened to do what to him is sin8 ,there is only one safe principle1 now as in the days of ,moses3 everything must be brought before the ,lord2 used as from ,him and for ,him1 and therefore used under such limitations and restrictions as ,his wise and holy law imposes4 ,only so shall we be safe2 only so abide in living fellowship with ,god4 ,very beautiful and instructive1 again1 was the direction that the ,israelite1 in the cases specified1 should make his daily food a peace-offering4 ,this involved a dedication of the daily food to the ,lord2 and in his receiving it back again then from the hand of ,god1 the truth was visibly represented that our daily food is from ,god2 while also1 in the sacrificial acts which preceded the eating1 the ,israelite was continually reminded that it was upon the ground of an accepted atonement that even these every-day mercies were received4 ,such also should be1 in spirit1 the often neglected prayer before each of our daily meals4 ,it should be ever offered with the remembrance of the precious blood which has purchased for us even the most common mercies2 and should thus sincerely recognise what1 in the confusing complexity of the second causes through which we receive our daily food1 we so easily forget3 that the ,lord's prayer is not a mere form of words when we say1 ,give us this day our daily bread2 but that working behind1 and in1 and with1 all these second causes1 is the kindly ,providence of ,god1 who1 opening ,his hand1 supplies the want of every living thing4 ,and so1 eating in grateful1 loving fellowship with our ,heavenly ,father that which ,his bounty gives us1 to ,his glory1 every meal shall become1 as it were1 a sacramental remembrance of the ,lord4 ,we may have wondered at what we have read of the world-wide custom of the ,mohammedan1 who1 whenever the knife of slaughter is lifted against a beast for food1 utters his ,bism allh1 ,in the name of the most merciful ,god2 and not otherwise will regard his food as being made hall1 or lawful2 and1 no doubt1 in all this1 as in many a ,christian's prayer1 there may often be little heart4 ,but the thought in this ceremony is even this of ,leviticus1 and we do well to make it our own1 eating even our daily food in the name of the most merciful ,god1 and with uplifting of the heart in thankful worship toward ,him4 ,but there were many beasts which1 although they might not be offered to the ,lord in sacrifice1 were yet clean1 and permitted to the ,israelites as food4 ,such1 in particular1 were clean animals that are taken in the hunt or chase4 ,in vv4 #aj-af the law is given for the use of these4 ,it is prefaced by a very full and explicit prohibition of the eating of blood2#cb for while1 as regards the animals to be offered to the ,lord1 provision was made with respect to the blood1 that it was to be sprinkled around the altar1 there was the danger that in other cases1 where this was not permissible1 the blood might be used for food4 ,hence the prohibition against eating any manner of blood1 on a twofold ground3 first 7vv4 #aa1 #ad71 that the life of the flesh is the blood2 and second 7ver4 #aa71 that1 for this reason1 ,god had chosen the blood to be the symbol of life substituted for the life of the guilty in atoning sacrifice3 ,i have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls4 ,hence1 in order that this relation of the blood to the forgiveness of sins might be constantly kept before the mind1 it was ordained that never should the ,israelite eat of flesh except the blood should first have been carefully drained out4 ,and it was to be treated with reverence1 as having thus a certain sanctity2 when the beast was taken in hunting1 the ,israelite must 7ver4 #ac7 pour out the blood thereof1 and cover it with dust2--an act by which the blood1 the life1 was symbolically returned to ,him who in the beginning said 7,gen4 i4 #bd71 ,let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind4 ,and because1 in the case of that which dieth of itself1 or is torn of beasts1 the blood would not be thus carefully drained off1 all such animals 7ver4 #ae7 are prohibited as food4 #cb ,these verses have been partially expounded1 indeed1 before1 in so far as was necessary to a complete exposition of the sin-offering2 but in this context the subject is brought forward in another relation1 which renders necessary this additional exposition4 ,it is profoundly instructive to observe that here1 again1 we come upon declarations and a command1 the deep truth and fitness of which is only becoming clear now after three thousand years4 ,for1 as the result of our modern discoveries with regard to the constitution of the blood1 and the exact nature of its functions1 we in this day are able to say that it is not far from a scientific statement of the facts1 when we read 7ver4 #ad71 ,as to the life of all flesh1 the blood thereof is all one with the life thereof4 ,for it is in just this respect that the blood is most distinct from all other parts of the body2 that1 whereas it conveys and mediates nourishment to all1 it is itself nourished by none2 but by its myriad cells brought immediately in contact with the digested food1 directly and immediately assimilates it to itself4 ,we are compelled to say that as regards the physical life of man--which alone is signified by the original term here--it is certainly true of the blood1 as of no other part of the organism1 that the life of all flesh is the blood thereof4 ,and while it is true that1 according to the text1 a spiritual and moral reason is given for the prohibition of the use of blood as food1 yet it is well worth noting that1 as has been already remarked in another connection1 the prohibition1 as we are now beginning to see1 had also a hygienic reason4 ,for ,dr4 de ,mussy1 in his paper before the ,french ,academy of ,medicine already referred to1#cc calls attention to the fact that1 not only did the ,mosaic laws exclude from the ,hebrew dietary animals particularly liable to parasites2 but also that it is in the blood1 so rigidly prohibited by ,moses as food1 that the germs or spores of infectious disease circulate4 ,surely no one need fear1 with some expositors1 lest this recognition of a sanitary intent in these laws shall hinder the recognition of their moral and spiritual purport1 which in this chapter is so expressly taught4 ,rather should this cause us the more to wonder and admire the unity which thus appears between the demands and necessities of the physical and the moral and spiritual life2 and1 in the discovery of the marvellous adaptation of these ancient laws to the needs of both1 to find a new confirmation of our faith in ,god and in ,his revealed ,word4 ,for thus do they appear to be laws so far beyond the wisdom of that time1 and so surely beneficent in their working1 that in view of this it should be easy to believe that it must indeed have been the ,lord ,god1 the ,maker and ,preserver of all flesh1 who spake all these laws unto ,his servant ,moses4 #cc ,see p4 #bib4 ,the moral and spiritual purpose of this law concerning the use of blood was apparently twofold4 ,in the first place1 it was intended to educate the people to a reverence for life1 and purify them from that tendency to bloodthirstiness which has so often distinguished heathen nations1 and especially those with whom ,israel was to be brought in closest contact4 ,but secondly1 and chiefly1 it was intended1 as in the former part of the chapter1 everywhere and always to keep before the mind the sacredness of the blood as being the appointed means for the expiation of sin2 given by ,god upon the altar to make atonement for the soul of the sinner1 by reason of the life or soul with which it stood in such immediate relation4 ,not only were they therefore to abstain from the blood of such animals as could be offered on the altar1 but even from that of those which could not be offered4 ,thus the blood was to remind them1 every time that they ate flesh1 of the very solemn truth that without shedding of blood there was no remission of sin4 ,the ,israelite must never forget this2 even in the heat and excitement of the chase1 he must pause and carefully drain the blood from the creature he had slain1 and reverently cover it with dust2--a symbolic act which should ever put him in mind of the ,divine ordinance that the blood1 the life1 of a guiltless victim must be given1 in order to the forgiveness of sin4 ,a lesson lies here for us regarding the sacredness of all that is associated with sacred things4 ,all that is connected with ,god1 and with ,his worship1 especially all that is connected with ,his revelation of ,himself for our salvation1 is to be treated with the most profound reverence4 ,even though the blood of the deer killed in the chase could not be used in sacrifice1 yet1 because it was blood1 was in its essential nature like unto that which was so used1 therefore it must be treated with a certain respect1 and be always covered with earth4 ,it is the fashion of our age--and one which is increasing in an alarming degree--to speak lightly of things which are closely connected with the revelation and worship of the holy ,god4 ,against everything of this kind the spirit of this law warns us4 ,nothing which is associated in any way with what is sacred is to be spoken of or treated irreverently1 lest we thus come to think lightly of the sacred things themselves4 ,this irreverent treatment of holy things is a crying evil in many parts of the ,english-speaking world1 as also in continental ,christendom4 ,we need to beware of it4 ,after irreverence1 too often1 by no obscure law1 comes open denial of the ,holy ,one and of ,his holy ,son1 our ,lord and ,saviour4 ,the blood of ,christ1 which represented that holy life which was given on the cross for our sins1 is holy--an infinitely holy thing6 ,and what is ,god's estimate of its sanctity we may perhaps learn--looking through the symbol to that which was symbolised--from this law2 which required that all blood1 because outwardly resembling the holy blood of sacrifice1 and1 like it1 the seat and vehicle of life1 should be treated with most careful reverence4 ,and it is safe to say that just those most need the lesson taught by this command who find it the hardest to appreciate it1 and to whom its injunctions still seem regulations puerile and unworthy1 according to their fancy1 of the dignity and majesty of ,god4 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,holiness3 ,,chastity4 ,,lev4 xviii4 #a-cj4 ,chapters xviii41 xix41 and xx41 by a formal introduction 7xviii4 #a-e7 and a formal closing 7xx4 #bb-bf71 are indicated as a distinct section1 very commonly known by the name1 the ,law of ,holiness4 ,as this phrase indicates1 these chapters--unlike chap4 xvii41 which as to its contents has a character intermediate between the ceremonial and moral law--consist substantially of moral prohibitions and commandments throughout4 ,of the three1 the first two contain the prohibitions and precepts of the law2 the third 7xx471 the penal sanctions by which many of these were to be enforced4 ,the section opens 7vv4 #a1 #b7 with ,jehovah's assertion of ,his absolute supremacy1 and a reminder to ,israel of the fact that ,he had entered into covenant relations with them3 ,i am the ,lord your ,god4 ,with solemn emphasis the words are again repeated1 ver4 #d2 and yet again in ver4 #e3 ,i am the ,lord4#cd ,they would naturally call to mind the scene at ,sinai1 with its august and appalling grandeur1 attesting amid earthquake and fire and tempest at once the being1 power1 and unapproachable holiness of ,him who then and there1 with those stupendous solemnities1 in inexplicable condescension1 took ,israel into covenant with ,himself1 to be to ,himself a kingdom of priests and a holy nation4 ,there could be no question as to the right of the ,god thus revealed to impose law2 no question as to the peculiar obligation upon ,israel to keep ,his law2 no question as to ,his intolerance of sin1 and full power and determination1 as the ,holy ,one1 to enforce whatever ,he commanded4 ,all these thoughts--thoughts of eternal moment--would be called up in the mind of every devout ,israelite1 as he heard or read this preface to the law of holiness4 #cd ,it deserves to be noticed that in this phrase1 which recurs with such frequency in this ,law of ,holiness1 the original1 with evident allusion to ,exod4 iii4 #ae2 vi4 #b-d1 always has the covenant name of ,god1 commonly anglicised ,jehovah4 ,the retention of the term ,lord here1 as in many other places1 is much to be regretted1 as seriously weakening and obscuring the sense to the ordinary reader4 ,the prohibitions which we find in chap4 xviii4 are not given as an exhaustive code of laws upon the subjects traversed1 but rather deal with certain gross offences against the law of chastity1 which1 as we know from other sources1 were horribly common at that time among the surrounding nations4 ,to indulgence in these crimes1 ,israel1 as the later history sadly shows1 would be especially liable2 so contagious are evil example and corrupt associations6 ,hence the general scope of the chapter is announced in this form 7ver4 #c73 ,after the doings of the land of ,egypt1 wherein ye dwelt1 shall ye not do3 and after the doings of the land of ,canaan1 whither ,i bring you1 shall ye not do3 neither shall ye walk in their statutes4 ,instead of this1 they were 7ver4 #d7 to do ,god's judgments1 and keep ,his statutes1 to walk in them1 bearing in mind whose they were4 ,and as a further motive it is added 7ver4 #e73 which if a man do1 he shall live in them2 that is1 as the ,chaldee paraphrast1 ,onkelos1 rightly interprets in the ,targum1 with the life of eternity4 ,which far-reaching promise is sealed by the repetition1 for the third time1 of the words1 ,i am the ,lord4 ,that is enough2 for what ,jehovah promises1 that shall certainly be6 ,the law begins 7ver4 #f7 with a general statement of the principle which underlies all particular prohibitions of incest3 ,none of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him1 to uncover their nakedness2 and then1 for the fourth time1 are iterated the words1 ,i am the ,lord4 ,the prohibitions which follow require little special explanation4 ,as just remarked1 they are directed in particular to those breaches of the law of chastity which were most common with the ,egyptians1 from the midst of whom ,israel had come2 and with the ,canaanites1 to whose land they were going4 ,this explains1 for instance1 the fulness of detail in the prohibition of incestuous union with a sister or half-sister 7vv4 #i1 #aa71--;an iniquity very common in ,egypt1 having the sanction of royal custom from the days of the ,pharaohs down to the time of the ,ptolemies4 ,the unnatural alliance of a man with his mother1 prohibited in ver4 #h1 of which ,paul declared 7#a ,cor4 v4 #a7 that in his day it did not exist among the ,gentiles1 was yet the distinguishing infamy of the ,medes and ,persians for many centuries4 ,union with an aunt1 by blood or by marriage1 prohibited in vv4 #ab-ad1--;a connection less gross1 and less severely to be punished than the preceding1--seems to have been permitted even among the ,israelites themselves while in ,egypt1 as is plain from the case of ,amram and ,jochebed 7,exod4 vi4 #bj74 ,to the law forbidding connection with a brother's wife 7ver4 #af71 the later ,deuteronomic law 7,deut4 xxv4 #e-aj71 made an exception1 permitting that a man might marry the widow of his deceased brother1 when the latter had died without children1 and raise up seed unto his brother4 ,in this1 however1 the law but sanctioned a custom which--as we learn from the case of ,onan 7,gen4 xxxviii47--had been observed long before the days of ,moses1 both by the ,hebrews and other ancient nations1 and1 indeed1 even limited and restricted its application2 with good reason providing for exemption of the surviving brother from this duty1 in cases where for any reason it might be repugnant or impracticable4 ,the case of a connection with both a woman and her daughter or granddaughter is next mentioned 7ver4 #ag72 and1 with special emphasis1 is declared to be wickedness1 or enormity4 ,the prohibition 7ver4 #ah7 of marriage with a sister-in-law1 as is well known1 has been1 and still is1 the occasion of much controversy1 into which it is not necessary here to enter at length4 ,but1 whatever may be thought for other reasons as to the lawfulness of such a union1 it truly seems quite singular that this verse should ever have been cited as prohibiting such an alliance4 ,no words could well be more explicit than those which we have here1 in limiting the application of the prohibition to the life-time of the wife3 ,thou shalt not take a woman to her sister1 to be a rival to her1 to uncover her nakedness1 beside the other in her life time 7,r4,v474 ,the law therefore does not touch the question for which it is so often cited1 but was evidently only intended as a restriction on prevalent polygamy4 ,polygamy is ever likely to produce jealousies and heart-burnings2 but it is plain that this phase of the evil would reach its most extreme and odious expression when the new and rival wife was a sister to the one already married2 when it would practically annul sisterly love1 and give rise to such painful and peculiarly humiliating dissensions as we read of between the sisters ,leah and ,rachel4 ,the sense of the passage is so plain1 that we are told that this interpretation stood its ground unchallenged from the third century ,b4,c4 to the middle of the sixteenth century ,a4,d4 ,whatever opinion any may hold therefore as to the expediency1 upon other grounds1 of this much debated alliance1 this passage1 certainly1 cannot be fairly cited as forbidding it2 but is far more naturally understood as by natural implication permitting the union1 after the decease of the first wife4 ,the laws concerning incest therefore terminate with ver4 #ag2 and ver4 #ah1 according to this interpretation1 must be regarded as a restriction upon polygamous connections1 as ver4 #ai is upon the rights of marriage4 ,it seems somewhat surprising that the question should have been raised1 even theoretically1 whether the ,mosaic law1 as regards the degrees of affinity prohibited in marriage1 is of permanent authority4 ,the reasons for these prohibitions1 wherever given1 are as valid now as then2 for the simple reason that they are grounded fundamentally in a matter of fact1--namely1 the nature of the relation between husband and wife1 whereby they become one flesh1 implied in such phraseology as we find in ver4 #af2 and also the relation of blood between members of the same family1 as in vv4 #aj1 etc4 ,happily1 however1 whatever theory any may have held1 the ,church in all ages has practically recognised every one of these prohibitions1 as binding on all persons2 and has rather been inclined to err1 if at all1 by extending1 through inference and analogy1 the prohibited degrees even beyond the ,mosaic code4 ,so much1 however1 by way of guarding against excess in such inferential extensions of the law1 we must certainly say3 according to the law itself1 as further applied in chap4 xxi4 #a-d1 and limited in ,deut4 xxv4 #e-aj1 relationship by marriage is not to be regarded as precisely equivalent in degree of affinity to relationship by blood4 ,we cannot1 for instance1 conceive that1 under any circumstances1 the prohibition of the marriage of brothers and sisters should have had any exception2 and yet1 as we have seen1 the marriage between brother and sister-in-law is explicitly authorised1 in the case of the levirate marriage1 and by implication allowed in other cases1 by the language of ver4 #ah of this chapter4 ,but in these days1 when there is such a manifest inclination in ,christendom1 as especially in the ,united ,states and in ,france1 to ignore the law of ,god in regard to marriage and divorce1 and regulate these instead by a majority vote1 it assuredly becomes peculiarly imperative that1 as ,christians1 we exercise a holy jealousy for the honour of ,god and the sanctity of the family1 and ever refuse to allow a majority vote any authority in these matters1 where it contravenes the law of ,god4 ,while we must observe caution that in these things we lay no burden on the conscience of any1 which ,god has not first placed there1 we must insist--all the more strenuously because of the universal tendency to license--upon the strict observance of all that is either explicitly taught or by necessary implication involved in the teachings of ,god's ,word upon this question4 ,nothing more fundamentally concerns the well-being of society than the relation of the man and the woman in the constitution of the family2 and while1 unfortunately1 in our modern democratic communities1 the ,church may not be able always to control and determine the civil law in these matters1 she can at least utterly refuse any compromise where the civil law ignores what ,god has spoken2 and with unwavering firmness deny her sanction1 in any way1 to any connection between a man and a woman which is not according to the revealed will of ,god1 as set before us in this most holy1 good1 and beneficent law4 ,the chapter before us casts a light upon the moral condition of the most cultivated heathen peoples in those days1 among whom many of the grossest of these incestuous connections1 as already remarked1 were quite common1 even among those of the highest station4 ,there are many in our day more or less affected with the present fashion of admiration for the ancient 7and modern7 heathenisms1 who would do well to heed this light1 that their blind enthusiasm might thereby be somewhat tempered4 ,on the other hand1 these laws show us1 in a very striking contrast1 the estimate which ,god puts upon the maintenance of holiness1 purity1 and chastity between man and woman2 and ,his very jealous regard for the sanctity of the family in all its various relations4 ,even in the ,old ,testament we have hints of a reason for this1 deeper than mere expediency1--hints which receive a definite form in the clearer teaching of the ,new ,testament1 which tells us that in the ,divine plan it is ordained that in these earthly relations man shall be the shadow and image of ,god4 ,if1 as the ,apostle tells us 7,eph4 iii4 #ae1 ,r4,v471 every family in heaven and on earth is named from the ,father2 and if1 as he again teaches 7,eph4 v4 #bi-cb71 the relation of husband and wife is intended to be an earthly type and symbol of the relation between the ,lord ,jesus ,christ and ,his ,church1 which is ,his ,bride1--then we cannot wonder at the exceedingly strong emphasis which marks these prohibitions4 ,everything must be excluded which would be incompatible with this holy ideal of ,god for man2 that not only in the constitution of his person1 but in these sacred relations which belong to his very nature1 as created male and female1 he should be the image of the invisible ,god4 ,thus1 he who is a father is ever to bear in mind that in his fatherhood he is appointed to shadow forth the ineffable mystery of the eternal relation of the only-begotten and most holy ,son to this everlasting ,father4 ,as husband1 the man is to remember that since he who is joined to his wife becomes with her one flesh1 therefore this union becomes1 in the ,divine ordination1 a type and pattern of the yet more mysterious union of life between the ,son of ,god and the ,church1 which is ,his ,bride4 ,as brothers and sisters1 again1 the children of ,god are to remember that brotherly love1 in its purity and unselfish devotion1 is intended of ,god to be a living illustration of the love of ,him who has been made of ,god to be the firstborn among many brethren 7,rom4 viii4 #bi74 ,and thus1 with the family life pervaded through and through by these ideas1 will license and impurity be made impossible1 and1 as happily now in many a ,christian home1 it will appear that the family1 no less truly than the ,church1 is appointed of ,god to be a sanctuary of purity in a world impure and corrupt by wicked works1 and1 no less really than the ,church1 to be an effective means of ,divine grace1 and of preparation for the eternal life of the heavenly kingdom1 when all of ,god's many sons shall have been brought to glory1 the many brethren of the ,first-,begotten1 to abide with ,him in the ,father's house for ever and ever4 ,after the prohibition of adultery in ver4 #bj1 we have what at first seems like a very abrupt introduction of a totally different subject2 for ver4 #ba refers1 not to the seventh1 but to the second1 and1 therewith also1 to the sixth commandment4 ,it reads3 ,thou shalt not give any of thy seed to make them pass through the fire to ,molech1 neither shalt thou profane the name of thy ,god4 ,but the connection of thought is found in the historical relation of the licentious practices prohibited in the preceding verses to idolatry1 of which this ,molech-worship is named as one of the most hideous manifestations4 ,some1 indeed1 have supposed that this frequently recurring phrase does not designate an actual sacrifice of the children1 but only their consecration to ,molech by some kind of fire-baptism4 ,but certainly such passages as #b ,kings xvii4 #ca1 ,jer4 vii4 #ca1 xix4 #e1 distinctly require us to understand an actual offering of the children as burnt-offerings4 ,they were not indeed burnt alive1 as a late and untrustworthy tradition has it1 but were first slain1 as in the case of all burnt-sacrifices1 and then burnt4 ,the unnatural cruelty of the sacrifice1 even as thus made1 was such1 that both here and in xx4 #c it is described as in a special sense a profaning of ,god's holy name1--a profanation1 in that it represented ,him1 the ,lord of love and fatherly mercy1 as requiring such a cruel and unnatural sacrifice of parental love1 in the immolation of innocent children4 ,the inconceivably unnatural crimes prohibited in vv4 #bb1 #bc were in like manner essentially connected with idolatrous worship3 the former with the worship of ,astarte or ,ashtoreth2 the latter with the worship of the he-goat at ,mendes in ,egypt1 as the symbol of the generative power in nature4 ,what a hideous perversion of the moral sense was involved in these crimes1 as thus connected with idolatrous worship1 is illustrated strikingly by the fact that men and women1 thus prostituted to the service of false gods1 were designated by the terms qdesh and qdeshh1 sacred1 holy6#ce ,no wonder that the sacred writer brands these horrible crimes as1 in a peculiar and almost solitary sense1 abomination1 confusion4 #ce ,see1 for example1 in the ,hebrew text1 #a ,kings xiv4 #bd2 ,gen4 xxxviii4 #ba2 ,hosea iv4 #ad1 et passim4 ,in these days of ours1 when it has become the fashion among a certain class of cultured writers--who would still1 in many instances1 apparently desire to be called ,christian--to act as the apologists of idolatrous1 and1 according to ,holy ,scripture1 false religions1 the mention of these crimes in this connection may well remind the reader of what such seem to forget1 as they certainly ignore2 namely1 that in all ages1 in the modern heathenism no less than in the ancient1 idolatry and gross licentiousness ever go hand in hand4 ,still1 to-day1 even in ,her ,majesty's ,indian ,empire1 is the most horrible licentiousness practised as an office of religious worship4 ,nor are such revolting perversions of the moral sense confined to the ,maharjs of the temples in ,western ,india1 who figured in certain trials in ,bombay a few years ago2 for even the modern reformed ,hindooism1 from which some hope so much1 has not always been able to shake itself free from the pollution of these things1 as witness the argument conducted in recent numbers of the rya ,patrik of ,lahore1 to justify the infamous custom known as ,niyoga1 practised to this day in ,india1 e4g41 by the ,panday ,brahmans of ,allahabad2--a practice which is sufficiently described as being adultery arranged for1 under certain conditions1 by a wife or husband1 the one for the other4 ,one would fain charitably hope1 if possible1 that our modern apologists for ,oriental idolatries are unaccountably ignorant of what all history should have taught them as to the inseparable connection between idolatry and licentiousness4 ,both ,egypt and ,canaan1 in the olden time1--as this chapter with all contemporaneous history teaches1--and also ,india in modern times1 read us a very awful lesson on this subject4 ,not only have these idolatries led too often to gross licentiousness of life1 but in their full development they have1 again and again1 in audacious and blasphemous profanation of the most holy ,god1 and defiance even of the natural conscience1 given to the most horrible excesses of unbridled lust the supreme sanction of declaring them to be religious obligations4 ,assuredly1 in ,god's sight1 it cannot be a trifling thing for any man1 even through ignorance1 to extol1 or even apologise for1 religions with which such enormities are both logically and historically connected4 ,and so1 in these stern prohibitions1 and their heavy penal sanctions1 we may find a profitable lesson for even the cultivated intellect of the nineteenth century6 ,the chapter closes with reiterated charges against indulgence in any of these abominations4 ,israel is told 7vv4 #be1 #bh7 that it was because the ,canaanites practised these enormities that ,god was about to scourge them out of their land2--a judicial reason which1 one would think1 should have some weight with those whose sympathies are so drawn out with commiseration for the ,canaanites1 that they find it impossible to believe that it can be true1 as we are told in the ,pentateuch1 that ,god ordered their extermination4 ,rather1 in the light of the facts1 would we raise the opposite question3 whether1 if ,god indeed be a holy and righteous ,governor among the nations1 ,he could do anything else either in justice toward the ,canaanites1 or in mercy toward those whom their horrible example would certainly in like manner corrupt1 than1 in one way or another1 effect the extermination of such a people8 ,israel is then solemnly warned 7ver4 #bh7 that if they1 notwithstanding1 shall practise these crimes1 ,god will not spare them any more than ,he spared the ,canaanites4 ,no covenant of ,his with them shall hinder the land from spueing them out in like manner4 ,and though the nation1 as a whole1 give not itself to these things1 each individual is warned 7ver4 #bi71 ,whosoever shall commit any of these abominations1 even the souls that do them shall be cut off from among their people2 that is1 shall be outlawed and shut out from all participation in covenant mercies4 ,and therewith this part of the law of holiness closes1 with those pregnant words1 repeated now in this chapter for the fifth time3 ,i am the ,lord 7,heb4 ,jehovah7 your ,god6 ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,holiness 7,,concluded74 ,,lev4 xix4 #a-cg4 ,we have in this chapter a series of precepts and prohibitions which from internal evidence appear to have been selected by an inspired redactor of the canon from various original documents1 with the purpose1 not of presenting a complete enumeration of all moral and ceremonial duties1 but of illustrating the application in the everyday life of the ,israelite of the injunction which stands at the beginning of the chapter 7ver4 #b73 ,ye shall be holy3 for ,i the ,lord your ,god am holy4 ,truly strange it is1 in the full light of ,hebrew history1 to find any one1 like ,kalisch1 representing this conception of holiness1 so fundamental to this law1 as the ripest fruit of ,hebrew culture6 ,for it is insisted by such competent critics1 as ,dillmann1 that we have not in this chapter a late development of ,hebrew thought1 but ancient1 the most ancient material2#cf--we shall venture to say1 dating even from the days of ,moses1 as is declared in ver4 #a4 ,and we may say more4 ,for if such be the antiquity of this law1 it should be easy even for the most superficial reader of the history to see how immeasurably far was that horde of almost wholly uncultured fugitives from ,egyptian bondage from having attained through any culture this ,mosaic conception of holiness4 ,for ,hebrew culture1 even in its latest maturity1 has1 at the best1 only tended to develop more and more the idea1 not of holiness1 but of legality1--a very different thing6 ,the ideal expressed in this command1 ,ye shall be holy1 must have come1 not from ,israel1 not even from ,moses1 as if originated by him1 but from the ,holy ,god ,himself1 even as the chapter in its first verse testifies4 #cf ,die ,bcher ,exodus und ,leviticus1 #b ,aufl41 p4 #eej4 ,the position of this command at the head of the long list of precepts which follows1 is most significant and instructive4 ,it sets before us the object of the whole ceremonial and moral law1 and1 we may add1 the supreme object of the ,gospel also1 namely1 to produce a certain type of moral and spiritual character1 a ,,holy manhood2 it1 moreover1 precisely interprets this term1 so universally misunderstood and misapplied among all nations1 as essentially consisting in a spiritual likeness to ,god3 ,ye shall be holy3 for ,i the ,lord your ,god am holy4 ,these words evidently at once define holiness and declare the supreme motive to the attainment and maintenance of a holy character4 ,this then is brought before us as the central thought in which all the diverse precepts and prohibitions which follow find their unity2 and1 accordingly1 we find this keynote of the whole law echoing1 as it were1 all through this chapter1 in the constant refrain1 repeated herein no less than fourteen--twice seven--times3 ,i am the ,lord 7,heb4 ,jehovah76 ,i am the ,lord your ,god6 ,the first division of the law of holiness which follows 7vv4 #c-h71 deals with two duties of fundamental importance in the social and the religious life3 the one1 honour to parents2 the other1 reverence to ,god4 ,if we are surprised1 at first1 to see this place of honour in the law of holiness given to the fifth commandment 7ver4 #c71 our surprise will lessen when we remember how1 taking the individual in the development of his personal life1 he learns to fear ,god1 first of all1 through fearing and honouring his parents4 ,in the earliest beginnings of life1 the parent--to speak with reverence--stands to his child1 in a very peculiar sense1 for and in the place of ,god4 ,we gain the conception of the ,father in heaven first from our experience of fatherhood on earth2 and so it may be said of this commandment1 in a sense in which it cannot be said of any other1 that it is the foundation of all religion4 ,alas for the child who contemns the instruction of his father and the command of his mother6 for by so doing he puts himself out of the possibility of coming into the knowledge and experience of the ,fatherhood of ,god4 ,the principle of reverence toward ,god is inculcated1 not here by direct precept1 but by three injunctions1 obedience to which presupposes the fear of ,god in the heart4 ,these are1 first 7ver4 #c71 the keeping of the sabbaths2 the possessive1 ,my sabbaths1 reminding us tersely of ,god's claim upon the seventh part of all our time as ,his time4 ,then is commanded the avoidance of idolatry 7ver4 #d72 and1 lastly 7vv4 #e-h71 a charge as to the observance of the law of the peace-offering4 ,one reason seems to have determined the selection of each of these three injunctions1 namely1 that ,israel would be more liable to fail in obedience to these than perhaps any other duties of the law4 ,as for the sabbath1 this1 like the law of the peace-offering1 was a positive1 not a moral law2 that is1 it depended for its authority primarily on the explicit ordinance of ,god1 instead of the intuition of the natural conscience4 ,hence it was certain that it would only be kept in so far as man retained a vivid consciousness of the ,divine personality and moral authority4 ,moreover1 as all history has shown1 the law of the sabbath rest from labour constantly comes into conflict with man's love of gain and eager haste to make money4 ,it is a life-picture1 true for men of every generation1 when ,amos 7viii4 #e7 brings before us the ,israelites of his day as saying1 in their insatiate worldly greed1 ,when will the sabbath be gone1 that we may set forth wheat8 ,as regards the selection of the second commandment1 one can easily see that ,israel's loyalty1 surrounded as they were on every side with idolaters1 was to be tested with peculiar severity on this point1 whether they would indeed worship the living ,god alone and without the intervention of idols4 ,the circumstances1 as regards the peace-offering1 were different2 but the same principle of choice can be discovered in this also4 ,for among all the various ordinances of sacrificial worship there was none in which the requisitions of the law were more likely to be neglected2 partly because these were the most frequent of all offerings1 and also because the ,israelite would often be tempted1 through a short-sighted economy and worldly thriftiness1 to use the meat of the peace-offering for food1 if any remained until the third day1 instead of burning it1 in such case1 as the ,lord commanded4 ,hence the reminder of the law on this subject1 teaching that he who will be holy must not seek to save at the expense of obedience to the holy ,god4 ,the second section of this chapter 7vv4 #i-ah7 consists of five groups1 each of five precepts1 all relating to duties which the law of holiness requires from man to man1 and each of them closing with the characteristic and impressive refrain1 ,i am the ,lord4 ,the first of these pentads 7vv4 #i1 #aj7 requires habitual care for the poor3 we read1 ,thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field1 neither shalt thou gather the gleaning of thy harvest4 ,and thou shalt not glean thy vineyard1 neither shalt thou gather the fallen fruit of thy vineyard2 thou shalt leave them for the poor and for the stranger4 ,the law covers the three chief products of their agriculture3 the grain1 the product of the vine1 and the fruit of the trees1--largely olive-trees1 which were often planted in the vineyard4 ,so often as ,god blessed them with the harvest1 they were to remember the poor1 and also the stranger1 who according to the law could have a legal claim to no land in ,israel4 ,apart from the benefit to the poor1 one can readily see what an admirable discipline against man's natural selfishness1 and in loyalty to ,god1 this regulation1 faithfully observed1 must have been4 ,behind these commands lies the principle1 elsewhere explicitly expressed 7xxv4 #bc71 that the land which the ,israelite tilled was not his own1 but the ,lord's2 and it is as the ,owner of the land that ,he thus charges them that as ,his tenants they shall not regard themselves as entitled to everything that the land produces1 but bear in mind that ,he intends a portion of every acre of each ,israelite to be reserved for the poor4 ,and so the labourer in the harvest-field was continually reminded that in his husbandry he was merely ,god's steward1 bound to apply the product of the land1 the use of which was given him1 in such a way as should please the ,lord4 ,if the law is not in force as to the letter1 let us not forget that it is of full validity as to its spirit4 ,god is still the ,god of the poor and needy2 and we are still every one1 as truly as the ,hebrew in those days1 the stewards of ,god4 ,and the poor we have with us always2 perhaps never more than in these days1 in which so great masses of helpless humanity are crowded together in our immense cities1 did the cry of the poor and needy so ascend to heaven4 ,and that the ,apostles1 acting under ,divine direction1 and abolishing the letter of the theocratic law1 yet steadily maintained the spirit and intention of that law in care for the poor1 is testified with abundant fulness in the ,new ,testament4 ,one of the firstfruits of ,pentecost in the lives of believers was just this1 that all that believed 444 had all things common 7,acts ii4 #dd1 #de71 so that1 going even beyond the letter of the old law1 they sold their possessions and goods1 and parted them to all1 according as any man had need4 ,and the one only charge which the ,apostles at ,jerusalem gave unto ,paul is reported by him in these words 7,gal4 ii4 #aj73 ,only they would that we should remember the poor2 which very thing ,i was also zealous to do4 ,let the believer then remember this who has plenty3 the corners of his fields are to be kept for the poor1 and the gleanings of his vineyards2 and let the believer also take the peculiar comfort from this law1 if he is poor1 that ,god1 his heavenly ,father1 has a kindly care1 not merely for his spiritual wants1 but also for his temporal necessities4 ,the second pentad 7vv4 #aa1 #ab7 in the letter refers to three of the ten commandments1 but is really concerned1 primarily1 with stealing and defrauding2 for the lying and false swearing is here regarded only as commonly connected with theft and fraud1 because often necessary to secure the result of a man's plunder4 ,the pentad is in this form3 ,ye shall not steal2 neither shall ye deal falsely1 nor lie one to another4 ,and ye shall not swear by ,my name falsely1 so that thou profane the name of thy ,god3 ,i am the ,lord6 ,close upon stinginess and the careless greed which neglects the poor1 with eager grasping after the last grape on the vine1 follows the active effort to get1 not only the uttermost that might by any stretch of charity be regarded as our own1 but also to get something more that belongs to our neighbour4 ,there is thus a very close connection in thought1 as well as in position1 in these two groups of precepts4 ,and the sequence of thought in this group suggests what is1 indeed1 markedly true of stealing1 but also of other sins4 ,sin rarely goes alone2 one sin1 by almost a necessity1 leads straight on to another sin4 ,he who steals1 or deals falsely in regard to anything committed to his trust1 will most naturally be led on at once to lie about it2 and when his lie is challenged1 as it is likely to be1 he is impelled by a fatal pressure to go yet further1 and fortify his lie1 and consummate his sin1 by appealing by an oath to the ,holy ,god1 as witness to the truth of his lie4 ,thus1 the sin which in the beginning is directed only toward a fellow-man1 too often causes one to sin immediately against ,god1 in profanation of the name of the ,god of truth1 by calling on ,him as witness to a lie6 ,of this tendency of sin1 stealing is a single illustration2 but let us ever remember that it is a law of all sin that sin ever begets more sin4 ,this second group has dealt with injury to the neighbour in the way of guile and fraud2 the third pentad 7vv4 #ac1 #ad71 progressing further1 speaks of wrong committed in ways of oppression and violence4 ,thou shalt not oppress thy neighbour1 nor rob him3 the wages of a hired servant shall not abide with thee all night until the morning4 ,thou shalt not curse the deaf1 nor put a stumbling-block before the blind1 but thou shalt fear thy ,god3 ,i am the ,lord6 ,in these commands1 again1 it is still the helpless and defenceless in whose behalf the ,lord is speaking4 ,the words regard a man as having it in his power to press hard upon his neighbour2 as when an employer1 seeing that a man must needs have work at any price1 takes advantage of his need to employ him at less than fair wages2 or as when he who holds a mortgage against his neighbour1 seeing an opportunity to possess himself of a field or an estate for a trifle1 by pressing his technical legal rights1 strips his poor debtor needlessly4 ,no end of illustrations1 evidently1 could be given out of our modern life4 ,man's nature is the same now as in the days of ,moses4 ,but all dealings of this kind1 whether then or now1 the law of holiness sternly prohibits4 ,so also with the injunction concerning the retention of wages after it is due4 ,i have not fulfilled the law of love toward the man or woman whom ,i employ merely by paying fair wages2 ,i must also pay promptly4 ,the ,deuteronomic law repeats the command1 and1 with a peculiar touch of sympathetic tenderness1 adds the reason 7xxiv4 #ae73 for he is poor1 and setteth his heart upon it4 ,i must therefore give the labourer his wages in his day4 ,a sin this is1 of the rich especially1 and1 most of all1 of rich corporations1 with which the sense of personal responsibility to ,god is too often reduced to a minimum4 ,yet it is often1 no doubt1 committed through sheer thoughtlessness4 ,men who are themselves blessed with such abundance that they are not seriously incommoded by a delay in receiving some small sum1 too often forget how a great part of the poor live1 as the saying is1 from hand to mouth1 so that the failure to get what is due to them at the exact time appointed is frequently a sore trial2 and1 moreover1 by forcing them to buy on credit instead of for cash1 of necessity increases the expense of their living1 and so really robs them of that which is their own4 ,the thought is still of care for the helpless1 in the words concerning the deaf and the blind1 which1 of course1 are of perpetual force1 and1 in the principle involved1 reach indefinitely beyond these single illustrations4 ,we are not to take advantage of any man's helplessness1 and1 especially1 of such disabilities as he cannot help1 to wrong him4 ,even the common conscience of men recognises this as both wicked and mean2 and this verdict of conscience is here emphasised by the reminder ,i am the ,lord1--suggesting that the labourer who reaps the fields1 yea1 the blind also and the deaf1 are ,his creatures2 and that ,he1 the merciful and just ,one1 will not disown the relation1 but will plead their cause4 ,each of these groups of precepts has kept the poor and the needy in a special way1 though not exclusively1 before the conscience4 ,and yet no man is to imagine that therefore ,god will be partial toward the poor1 and that hence1 although one may not wrong the poor1 one may wrong the rich with impunity4 ,many of our modern social reformers1 in their zeal for the betterment of the poor1 seem to imagine that because a poor man has rights which are too frequently ignored by the rich1 and thus often suffers grievous wrongs1 therefore a rich man has no rights which the poor man is bound to respect4 ,the next pentad of precepts therefore guards against any such false inference from ,god's special concern for the poor1 and reminds us that the absolute righteousness of the ,holy ,one requires that the rights of the rich be observed no less than the rights of the poor1 those of the employer no less than those of the employed4 ,it deals especially with this matter as it comes up in questions requiring legal adjudication4 ,we read 7vv4 #ae1 #af71 ,ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment3 thou shalt not respect the person of the poor1 nor honour the person of the mighty3 but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour4 ,thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people3 neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour3 ,i am the ,lord6 ,a plain warning lies here for an increasing class of reformers in our day1 who loudly express their special concern for the poor1 but who in their zeal for social reform and the diminishing of poverty are forgetful of righteousness and equity4 ,it applies1 for instance1 to all who would affirm and teach with ,marx that capital is robbery2 or who1 not yet quite ready for so plain and candid words1 yet would1 in any way1 in order to right the wrongs of the poor1 advocate legislation involving practical confiscation of the estates of the rich4 ,in close connection with the foregoing1 the next precept forbids1 not precisely tale-bearing1 but slander1 as the word is elsewhere rendered1 even in the ,revised ,version4 ,in the court of judgment1 slander is not to be uttered nor listened to4 ,the clause which follows is obscure2 but means either1 ,thou shalt not1 by such slanderous testimony1 seek in the court of judgment thy neighbour's life1 which best suits the parallelism2 or1 perhaps1 as the ,talmud and most modern ,jewish versions interpret1 ,thou shalt not stand silent by1 when thy neighbour's life is in danger in the court of judgment1 and thy testimony might save him4 ,and then again comes in the customary refrain1 reminding the ,israelite that in every court1 noting every act of judgment1 and listening to every witness1 is a ,judge unseen1 omniscient1 absolutely righteous1 under whose final review1 for confirmation or reversal1 shall come all earthly decisions3 ,i1 who thus speak1 am the ,lord6 ,the fifth and last pentad 7vv4 #ag1 #ah7 fitly closes the series1 by its five precepts1 of which1 three1 reaching behind all such outward acts as are required or forbidden in the foregoing1 deal with the state of the heart toward our neighbour which the law of holiness requires1 as the soul and the root of all righteousness4 ,it closes with the familiar words1 so simple that all can understand them1 so comprehensive that in obedience to them is comprehended all morality and righteousness toward man3 ,thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself4 ,the verses read1 ,thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart3 thou shalt surely rebuke thy neighbour1 and not bear sin because of him4 ,thou shalt not take vengeance1 nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people1 but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself3 ,i am the ,lord6 ,most instructive it is to find it suggested by this order1 as the best evidence of the absence of hate1 and the truest expression of love to our neighbour1 that when we see him doing wrong we shall rebuke him4 ,the ,apostle ,paul has enjoined upon ,christians the same duty1 indicating also the spirit in which it is to be performed 7,gal4 vi4 #a73 ,brethren1 even if a man be overtaken in any trespass1 ye which are spiritual1 restore such a one in a spirit of meekness2 looking to thyself1 lest thou also be tempted4 ,thus1 if we will be holy1 it is not to be a matter of no concern to us that our neighbour does wrong1 even though that wrong do not directly affect our personal well-being4 ,instead of this1 we are to remember that if we rebuke him not1 we ourselves bear sin1 because of him2 that is1 we ourselves1 in a degree1 become guilty with him1 because of that wrong-doing of his which we sought not in any way to hinder4 ,but although1 on the one hand1 ,i am to rebuke the wrong-doer1 even when his wrong does not touch me personally1 yet1 the law adds1 ,i am not to take into my own hands the avenging of wrongs1 even when myself injured2 neither am ,i to be envious and grudge any neighbour the good he may have2 no1 not though he be an ill-doer and deserve it not2 but be he friend or foe1 well-doer or ill-doer1 ,i must love him as myself4 ,what an admirable epitome of the whole law of righteousness6 a ,mosaic anticipation of the very spirit of the ,sermon on the ,mount4 ,evidently1 the same mind speaks in both alike2 the law the same1 the object and aim of the law the same1 both in ,leviticus and in the ,gospel4 ,in this law we hear3 ,ye shall be holy3 for ,i the ,lord your ,god am holy2 in the ,sermon on the ,mount3 ,ye shall be perfect1 as your heavenly ,father is perfect4 ,the third division of this chapter 7vv4 #ai-cb7 opens with a general charge to obedience3 ,ye shall keep ,my statutes2 very possibly1 because several of the commands which immediately follow might seem in themselves of little consequence1 and so be lightly disobeyed4 ,the law of ver4 #ai prohibits raising hybrid animals1 as1 for example1 mules2 the next command apparently refers to the chance1 through sowing a field with mingled seed1 of giving rise to hybrid forms in the vegetable kingdom4 ,the last command in this verse is obscure both in meaning and intention4 ,it reads 7,r4,v471 ,neither shall there come upon thee a garment of two kinds of stuff mingled together4 ,most probably the reference is to different materials1 interwoven in the yarn of which the dress was made2 but a difficulty still remains in the fact that such admixture was ordered in the garments of the priests4 ,perhaps the best explanation is that of ,josephus1 that the law here was only intended for the laity2 which1 as no question of intrinsic morality was involved1 might easily have been4 ,but when we inquire as to the reason of these prohibitions1 and especially of this last one1 it must be confessed that it is hard for us now to speak with confidence4 ,most probable it appears that they were intended for an educational purpose1 to cultivate in the mind of the people the sentiment of reverence for the order established in nature by ,god4 ,for what the world calls the order of nature is really an order appointed by ,god1 as the infinitely wise and perfect ,one2 hence1 as nature is thus a manifestation of ,god1 the ,hebrew was forbidden to seek to bring about that which is not according to nature1 unnatural commixtures2 and from this point of view1 the last of the three precepts appears to be a symbolic reminder of the same duty1 namely1 reverence for the order of nature1 as being an order determined by ,god4 ,the law which is laid down in vv4 #bj-bb1 regarding the sin of connection with a bond-woman betrothed to a husband1 apparently refers to such a case as is mentioned in ,exod4 xxi4 #g1 #h1 where the bond-maid is betrothed to her master1 while yet1 because of her condition of bondage1 the marriage has not been consummated4 ,for the same sin in the case of a free woman1 where both were proved guilty1 for each of them the punishment was death 7,deut4 xxii4 #bc1 #bd74 ,in this case1 because the woman's position1 inasmuch as she was not free1 was rather that of a concubine than of a full wife1 the lighter penalty of scourging is ordered for both of the guilty persons4 ,also1 since this was a case of trespass as well1 in which the rights of the master to whom she was espoused were involved1 a guilt-offering was in addition required1 as the condition of pardon4 ,it will be said1 and truly1 that by this law slavery and concubinage are to a certain extent recognised by the law2 and upon this fact has been raised an objection bearing on the holiness of the law-giver1 and1 by consequence1 on the ,divine origin and inspiration of the law4 ,is it conceivable that the holy ,god should have given a law for the regulation of two so evil institutions8 ,the answer has been furnished us1 in principle1 by our ,lord 7,matt4 xix4 #h71 in that which ,he said concerning the analogous case of the law of ,moses touching divorce2 which law1 ,he tells us1 although not according to the perfect ideal of right1 was yet given because of the hardness of men's hearts4 ,that is1 although it was not the best law ideally1 it was the best practically1 in view of the low moral tone of the people to whom it was given4 ,precisely so it was in this case4 ,abstractly1 one might say that the case was in nothing different from the case of a free woman1 mentioned ,deut4 xxii4 #bc1 #bd1 for which death was the appointed punishment2 but practically1 in a community where slavery and concubinage were long-settled institutions1 and the moral standard was still low1 the cases were not parallel4 ,a law which would carry with it the moral support of the people in the one case1 and which it would thus be possible to carry into effect1 would not be in like manner supported and carried into effect in the other2 so that the result of greater strictness in theory would1 in actual practice1 be the removal thereby of all restriction on license4 ,on the other hand1 by thus appointing herein a penalty for both the guilty parties such as the public conscience would approve1 ,god taught the ,hebrews the fundamental lesson that a slave-girl is not regarded by ,god as a mere chattel2 and that if1 because of the hardness of their hearts1 concubinage was tolerated for a time1 still the slave-girl must not be treated as a thing1 but as a person1 and indiscriminate license could not be permitted4 ,and thus1 it is of greatest moment to observe1 a principle was introduced into the legislation1 which in its ultimate logical application would require and effect--as in due time it has--the total abolition of the institution of slavery wherever the authority of the living ,god is truly recognised4 ,the principle of the ,divine government which is here illustrated is one of exceeding practical importance as a model for us4 ,we live in an age when1 everywhere in ,christendom1 the cry is ,reform2 and there are many who think that if once it be proved that a thing is wrong1 it follows by necessary consequence that the immediate and unqualified legal prohibition of that wrong1 under such penalty as the wrong may deserve1 is the only thing that any ,christian man has a right to think of4 ,and yet1 according to the principle illustrated in this legislation1 this conclusion in such cases can by no means be taken for granted4 ,that is not always the best law practically which is the best law abstractly4 ,that law is the best which shall be most effective in diminishing a given evil1 under the existing moral condition of the community2 and it is often a matter of such exceeding difficulty to determine what legislation against admitted sins and evils1 may be the most productive of good in a community whose moral sense is dull concerning them1 that it is not strange that the best of men are often found to differ4 ,remembering this1 we may well commend the duty of a more charitable judgment1 in such cases1 than one often hears from such radical reformers1 who seem to imagine that in order to remove an evil all that is necessary is to pass a law at once and for ever prohibiting it2 and who therefore hold up to obloquy all who doubt as to the wisdom and duty of so doing1 as the enemies of truth and of righteousness4 ,moses1 acting under direct instruction from the ,god of supreme wisdom and of perfect holiness1 was far wiser than such well-meaning but sadly mistaken social reformers1 who would fain be wiser than ,god4 ,next follows a law 7vv4 #bc-be7 directing that when any fruit tree is planted1 the ,israelite shall not eat of its fruit for the first three years2 that the fruit of the fourth year shall be wholly consecrated to the ,lord1 for giving praise unto ,jehovah2 and that only after that1 in the fifth year of its bearing1 shall the husbandman himself first eat of its fruit4 ,the explanation of this peculiar regulation is to be found in a special application of the principle which rules throughout the law2 that the first-fruit1 whether the first-born of man or beast1 or the first-fruits of the field1 shall always be consecrated unto ,god4 ,but in this case the application of the principle is modified by the familiar fact that the fruit of a young tree1 for the first few years of its bearing1 is apt to be imperfect2 it is not yet sufficiently grown to yield its best possible product4 ,because of this1 in those years it could not be given to the ,lord1 for ,he must never be served with any but the best of everything2 and thus until the fruit should reach its best1 so as to be worthy of presentation to the ,lord1 the ,israelite was meanwhile debarred from using it4 ,during these three years the trees are said to be as uncircumcised2 i4e41 they were to be regarded as in a condition analogous to that of the child who has not yet been consecrated1 by the act of circumcision1 to the ,lord4 ,in the fourth year1 however1 the trees were regarded as having now so grown as to yield fruit in perfection2 hence1 the principle of the consecration of the first-fruit now applies1 and all the fourth year's product is given to the ,lord1 as an offering of thankful praise to ,him whose power in nature is the secret of all growth1 fruitfulness1 and increase4 ,the last words of this law1 that it may yield unto you its increase1 evidently refer to all that precedes4 ,israel is to obey this law1 using nothing till first consecrated to the ,lord1 in order to a blessing in these very gifts of ,god4 ,the moral teaching of this law1 when it is thus read in the light of the general principle of the consecration of the first-fruits1 is very plain4 ,it teaches1 as in all analogous cases1 that ,god is always to be served before ourselves2 and that not grudgingly1 as if an irksome tax were to be paid to the ,majesty of heaven1 but in the spirit of thanksgiving and praise to ,him1 as the ,giver of every good and perfect gift4 ,it further instructs us in this particular instance1 that the people of ,god are to recognise this as being true even of all those good things which come to us under the forms of products of nature4 ,the lesson is not an easy one for faith2 for the constant tendency1 never stronger than in our own time1 is to substitute ,nature for the ,god of nature1 as if nature were a power in itself and apart from ,god1 immanent in all nature1 the present and efficient energy in all her manifold operations4 ,very fittingly1 thus1 do we find here again 7ver4 #be7 the sanction affixed to this law1 ,i am the ,lord your ,god6 ,jehovah1 your ,god who redeemed you1 who therefore am worthy of all thanksgiving and praise6 ,jehovah1 your ,god in covenant1 who gives the fruitful seasons1 filling your hearts with joy and gladness6 ,jehovah1 your ,god1 who as the ,lord of ,nature1 and the ,power in nature1 am abundantly able to fulfil the promise affixed to this command6 ,the next six commands are evidently grouped together as referring to various distinctively heathenish customs1 from which ,israel1 as a people holy to the ,lord1 was to abstain4 ,the prohibition of blood 7ver4 #bf7 is repeated again1 not1 as has been said1 in a stronger form than before1 but1 probably1 because the eating of blood was connected with certain heathenish ceremonies1 both among the ,shemitic tribes and others4 ,the next two precepts 7ver4 #bf7 prohibit every kind of divination and augury2 practices notoriously common with the heathen everywhere1 in ancient and in modern times4 ,the two precepts which follow1 forbidding certain fashions of trimming the hair and beard1 may appear trivial to many1 but they will not seem so to any one who will remember how common among heathen peoples has been the custom1 as in those days among the ,arabs1 and in our time among the ,hindoos1 to trim the hair or beard in a particular way1 in order thus visibly to mark a person as of a certain religion1 or as a worshipper of a certain god4 ,the command means that the ,israelite was not only to worship ,god alone1 but he was not to adopt a fashion in dress which1 because commonly associated with idolatry1 might thus misrepresent his real position as a worshipper of the only living and true ,god4 ,cutting the flesh for the dead 7ver4 #bh7 has been very widely practised by heathen peoples in all ages4 ,such immoderate and unseemly expressions of grief were prohibited to the ,israelite1 as unworthy of a people who were in a blessed covenant relation with the ,god of life and of death4 ,rather1 recognising that death is of ,god's ordination1 he was to accept in patience and humility the stroke of ,god's hand2 not1 indeed1 without sorrow1 but yet in meekness and quietness of spirit1 trusting in the ,god of life4 ,the thought is only a less clear expression of the ,new ,testament word 7#a ,thess4 iv4 #ac7 that the believer sorrow not1 even as the rest1 which have no hope4 ,also1 probably1 in this prohibition1 as certainly in the next 7ver4 #bh71 it is suggested that as the ,israelite was to be distinguished from the heathen by full consecration1 not only of the soul1 but also of the body1 to the ,lord1 he was by that fact inhibited from marring or defacing in any way the integrity of his body4 ,in general1 we may say1 then1 that the central thought which binds this group of precepts together1 is the obligation1 not merely to abstain from everything directly idolatrous1 but also from all such customs as are1 in fact1 rooted in or closely associated with idolatry4 ,on the same principle1 the ,christian is to beware of all fashions and practices1 even though they may be in themselves indifferent1 which yet1 as a matter of fact1 are specially characteristic of the worldly and ungodly element in society4 ,the principle assumed in these prohibitions thus imposes upon all who would be holy to the ,lord1 in all ages1 a firm restriction4 ,the thoughtless desire of many1 at any risk1 to be in the fashion1 must be unwaveringly denied4 ,the reason which is so often given by professing ,christians for indulgence in such cases1 that all the world does so1 may often be the strongest possible reason for declining to follow the fashion4 ,no servant of ,god should ever be seen in any part of the livery of ,satan's servants4 ,that ,god does not think these little things always of trifling consequence1 we are reminded by the repetition here1 for the tenth time in this chapter1 of the words1 ,i am the ,lord6 ,next 7ver4 #bi7 follows the prohibition of the horrible custom1 still practised among heathen peoples1 of the prostitution of a daughter by a parent4 ,it is here enforced by the consideration of the public weal3 lest the land fall to whoredom1 and the land become full of wickedness4 ,assuredly1 that a land in which such harlotry as this1 in which all the most sacred relations of life are trampled in the mire1 would be nothing less than a land full of wickedness1 is so evident as to require no comment4 ,herewith now begins the fourth and last division of this chapter 7vv4 #cj-cg71 with a repetition of the injunction to keep the ,sabbaths of the ,lord1 and reverence ,his sanctuary4 ,the emphasis on this command1 shown by its repetition in this chapter1 and the very prominent place which it occupies both in the law and the prophets1 certainly suggests that in the mind of ,god1 reverence for the ,sabbath and for the place where ,god is worshipped1 has much to do with the promotion of holiness of life1 and the maintenance of a high degree of domestic and social morality4 ,nor is it difficult to see why this should be so4 ,for however the day of holy rest may be kept1 and the place of ,divine worship be regarded with only an outward reverence by many1 yet the fact cannot be disputed1 that the observance of a weekly sabbatic rest from ordinary secular occupations1 and the maintenance of a spirit of reverence for sacred places or for sacred times1 has1 and must have1 a certain and most happy tendency to keep the ,god of the ,sabbath and the ,god of the sanctuary before the mind of men1 and thus imposes an effective check upon unrestrained godlessness and reckless excesses of iniquity4 ,the diverse condition of things in various parts of modern ,christendom1 as related to the more or less careful observance of the weekly religious rest1 is full of both instruction and warning to any candid mind upon this subject4 ,there is no restraint on immorality like the frequent remembrance of ,god and the spirit of reverence for ,him4 ,verse #ca prohibits all inquiring of them that have familiar spirits1 and of wizards1 who pretend to make revelations through the help of supernatural powers4 ,according to #a ,sam4 xxviii4 #g-aa1 and ,isa4 viii4 #ai1 the familiar spirit is a supposed spirit of a dead man1 from whom one professes to be able to give communications to the living4 ,this pretended commerce with the spirits of the dead has been common enough in heathenism always1 and it is not strange to find it mentioned here1 when ,israel was to be in so intimate relations with heathen peoples4 ,but it is truly most extraordinary that in ,christian lands1 as especially in the ,united ,states of ,america1 and that in the full light1 religious and intellectual1 of the last half of the nineteenth century1 such a prohibition should be fully as pertinent as in ,israel6 ,for no words could more precisely describe the pretensions of the so-called modern spiritualism1 which within the last half century has led away hundreds of thousands of deluded souls1 and those1 in many cases1 not from the ignorant and degraded1 but from circles which boast of more than average culture and intellectual enlightenment4 ,and inasmuch as experience sadly shows that even those who profess to be disciples of ,christ are in danger of being led away by our modern wizards and traffickers with familiar spirits1 it is by no means unnecessary to observe that there is not the slightest reason to believe that this which was rigidly forbidden by ,god in the fifteenth century ,b4,c41 can now be well-pleasing to ,him in the nineteenth century ,a4,d4 ,and those who have most carefully watched the moral developments of this latter-day delusion1 will most appreciate the added phrase which speaks of this as defiling a man4 ,verse #cb enjoins reverence for the aged1 and closely connects it with the fear of ,god4 ,thou shalt rise up before the hoary head1 and honour the face of the old man1 and thou shalt fear thy ,god3 ,i am the ,lord4 ,a virtue this is which--it must be with shame confessed--although often displayed in an illustrious manner among the heathen1 in many parts of ,christendom has sadly decayed4 ,in many lands one only needs to travel in any crowded conveyance to observe how far it is from the thoughts of many of the young to rise up before the hoary head1 and honour the face of the old man4 ,so manifest are the facts that one hears from competent and thoughtful observers of the tendencies of our times no lamentation more frequently than just this1 for the concurrent decay of reverence for the aged and reverence for ,god4 ,no more beautiful remarks on these words have we found than the words quoted by ,dr4 ,h4 ,bonar1 commenting on this verse3 ,lo6 the shadow of eternity6 for one cometh who is almost in eternity already4 ,his head and his beard1 white as snow1 indicate his speedy appearance before the ,ancient of ,days1 the hair of whose head is as pure wool4 ,in this last command is also1 no doubt1 contained the thought of the comparative weakness and physical infirmity of the aged1 which is thus commended in a special way to our tender regard4 ,and thus this sentiment of kindly sympathy for all who are subject to any kind of disability naturally prepares the way for the injunction 7vv4 #cc1 #cd7 to regard the stranger in the midst of ,israel1 who was debarred from holding land1 and from many privileges1 with special feelings of good-will4 ,if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land1 ye shall not do him wrong4 ,the stranger that sojourneth with you shall be unto you as the home-born among you1 and thou shalt love him as thyself2 for ye were strangers in the land of ,egypt3 ,i am the ,lord your ,god4 ,the ,israelite was not to misinterpret1 then1 the restrictions which the theocratic law imposed upon such4 ,these might be no doubt necessary for a moral reason2 but1 nevertheless1 no man was to argue that the law justified him in dealing hardly with aliens4 ,so far from this1 the ,israelite was to regard the stranger with the same kindly feelings as if he were one of his own people4 ,and it is most instructive to observe that this particular case is made the occasion of repeating that most perfect and comprehensive law of universal love1 ,thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself2 and this the more they were to do that they too had been strangers in the land of ,egypt4 ,last of all the injunctions in this chapter 7vv4 #ce1 #cf7 comes the command to absolute righteousness in the administration of justice1 and in all matters of buying and selling2 followed 7ver4 #cg7 by a concluding charge to obedience1 thus3 ,ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment1 in meteyard1 in weight1 or in measure4 ,just balances1 just weights1 a just ephah1 and a just hin1 shall ye have3 ,i am the ,lord your ,god1 which brought you out of the land of ,egypt4 ,and ye shall observe all ,my statutes1 and all ,my judgments1 and do them3 ,i am the ,lord4 ,the ephah is named here1 of course1 as a standard of dry measure1 and the hin as a standard of liquid measure4 ,these commandments are illustrated in a graphic way by the parallel passage in ,deut4 xxv4 #ac1 #ad1 which reads3 ,thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights1 a great and a small4 ,thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures1 a great and a small2 i4e41 one set for use in buying1 and another set for use in selling4 ,this charge is there enforced by the same promise to honesty in trade which is annexed to the fifth commandment1 namely1 length of days2 and1 furthermore1 by the declaration that all who thus cheat in trade are an abomination unto the ,lord4 ,how much ,israel needed this law all their history has shown4 ,in the days of ,amos it was a part of his charge against the ten tribes 7viii4 #e71 for which the ,lord declares that ,he will make the land to tremble1 and every one in it to mourn1 that they make the ephah small1 and the shekel great1 and deal falsely with balances of deceit4 ,so also ,micah1 a little later1 represents the ,lord as calling ,judah to account for supposing that ,god1 the ,holy ,one1 can be satisfied with burnt-offerings and guilt-offerings2 indignantly asking 7vi4 #aj1 #aa71 ,are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked1 and the scant measure that is abominable8 ,but it is not ,israel alone which has needed1 and still needs1 to hear iterated this command1 for the sin is found in every people1 even in every city1 one might say in every town1 in ,christendom2 and--we have to say it--often with men who make a certain profession of regard for religion4 ,all such1 however religious in certain ways1 have special need to remember that without holiness no man shall see the ,lord2 and that holiness is now exactly what it was when the ,levitical law was given out4 ,as1 on the one side1 it is inspired by reverence and fear toward ,god1 so1 on the other hand1 it requires love to the neighbour as to one's self1 and such conduct as that will secure4 ,it is of no account1 therefore1 to keep the ,sabbath--in a way--and reverence--outwardly--the sanctuary1 and then on the week-day water milk1 adulterate medicines1 sugars1 and other foods1 slip the yard-stick in measuring1 tip the balance in weighing1 and buy with one weight or measure and sell with another1 water stocks and gamble in margins1 as the manner of many is4 ,god hates1 and even honest atheists despise1 religion of this kind4 ,strange notions1 truly1 of religion have men who have not yet discovered that it has to do with just such commonplace1 every-day matters as these1 and have never yet understood how certain it is that a religion which is only used on ,sundays has no holiness in it2 and therefore1 when the day comes1 as it is coming1 that shall try every man's work as by fire1 it will1 in the fierce heat of ,jehovah's judgment1 be shrivelled into ashes as a spider's web in a flame1 and the man and his work shall perish together4 ,and herewith this chapter closes4 ,such is the law of holiness6 ,obligatory1 let us not forget1 in the spirit of all its requirements1 to-day1 unchanged and unchangeable1 because the ,holy ,god1 whose law it is1 is ,himself unchangeable4 ,man may be sinful1 and because of sin be weak2 but there is not a hint of compromise with sin1 on this account1 by any abatement of its claims4 ,at every step of life this law confronts us4 ,whether we be in the ,house of ,god1 in acts of worship1 it challenges us there2 or in the field1 at our work1 it commands us there2 in social intercourse with our fellow-men1 in our business in bank or shop1 with our friends or with strangers and aliens1 at home or abroad1 we are never out of the reach of its requirements4 ,we can no more escape from under its authority than from under the overarching heaven6 ,what sobering thoughts are these for sinners6 ,what self-humiliation should this law cause us1 when we think what we are6 what intensity of aspiration1 when we think of what the ,holy ,one would have us be1 holy like ,himself6 ,the closing words above given 7ver4 #cg7 assert the authority of the ,law-giver1 and1 by their reminder of the great deliverance from ,egypt1 appeal1 as a motive to faithful and holy obedience1 to the purest sentiment of grateful love for undeserved and distinguishing mercy4 ,and this is only the ,old ,testament form of a ,new ,testament argument4 ,for we read1 concerning our deliverance from a worse than ,egyptian bondage 7#a ,peter i4 #ae-ai73 ,like as ,he which called you is holy1 be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living2 because it is written1 ,ye shall be holy2 for ,i am holy4 ,and if ye call on ,him as ,father1 who without respect of persons judgeth according to each man's work1 pass the time of your sojourning in fear3 knowing that ye were redeemed1 not with corruptible things1 as silver or gold1 444 but with precious blood1 as of a lamb without blemish and without spot1 even the blood of ,christ4 ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,,penal ,,sanctions4 ,,lev4 xx4 #a-bg4 ,in no age or community has it been found sufficient1 to secure obedience1 that one should appeal to the conscience of men1 or depend1 as a sufficient motive1 upon the natural painful consequences of violated law4 ,wherever there is civil and criminal law1 there1 in all cases1 human government1 whether in its lowest or in its most highly developed forms1 has found it necessary to declare penalties for various crimes4 ,it is the peculiar interest of this chapter that it gives us certain important sections of the penal code of a people whose government was theocratic1 whose only ,king was the ,most ,holy and ,righteous ,god4 ,in view of the manifold difficulties which are inseparable from the enactment and enforcement of a just and equitable penal code1 it must be to every man who believes that ,israel1 in that period of its history1 was1 in the most literal sense1 a theocracy1 a matter of the highest civil and governmental interest to observe what penalties for crime were ordained by infinite wisdom1 goodness1 and righteousness as the law of that nation4 ,this penal code 7vv4 #a-ba7 is given in two sections4 ,of these1 the first 7vv4 #a-f7 relates to those who give of their seed to ,molech1 or who are accessory to such crime by their concealment of the fact2 and also to those who consult wizards or familiar spirits4 ,under this last head also comes ver4 #bg1 which appears to have become misplaced1 as it follows the formal conclusion of the chapter1 and by its subject--the penalty for the wizard1 or him who claims to have a familiar spirit--evidently belongs immediately after ver4 #f4 ,the second section 7vv4 #i-ba7 enumerates1 first 7vv4 #i-af71 other cases for which capital punishment was ordered2 and then 7vv4 #ag-ba7 certain offences for which a lesser penalty is prescribed4 ,these two sections are separated 7vv4 #g1 #h7 by a command1 in view of these penalties1 to sanctification of life1 and obedience to the ,lord1 as the ,god who has redeemed and consecrated ,israel to be a nation to ,himself4 ,these penal sections are followed 7vv4 #bb-bf7 by a general conclusion to the whole law of holiness1 as contained in these three chapters1 as also to the law concerning clean and unclean meats 7xi472 which would thus appear to have been originally connected more closely than now with these chapters4 ,this closing part of the section consists of an exhortation and argument against disobedience1 in walking after the wicked customs of the ,canaanitish nations2 enforced by the declaration that their impending expulsion was brought about by ,god in punishment for their practice of these crimes2 and1 also1 by the reminder that ,god in ,his special grace had separated them to be a holy nation to ,himself1 and that ,he was about to give them the good land of ,canaan as their possession4 ,it is perhaps hardly necessary to observe that the law of this chapter does not profess to give the penal code of ,israel with completeness4 ,murder1 for example1 is not mentioned here1 though death is expressly denounced against it elsewhere 7,numb4 xxxv4 #ca74 ,so1 again1 in the ,book of ,exodus 7xxi4 #ae7 death is declared as the penalty for smiting father or mother4 ,indeed1 the chapter itself contains evidence that it is essentially a selection of certain parts of a more extended code1 which has been nowhere preserved in its entirety4 ,in this chapter death is ordained as the penalty for the following crimes3 viz41 giving of one's seed to ,molech 7vv4 #b-e72 professing to be a wizard1 or to have dealings with the spirits of the dead 7ver4 #bg72 adultery1 incest with a mother or step-mother1 a daughter-in-law or mother-in-law 7vv4 #aj-ab1 #ad72 and sodomy and bestiality 7ver4 #ac74 ,in a single case--that of incest with a wife's mother--it is added 7ver4 #ad7 that both the guilty parties shall be burnt with fire2 i4e41 after the usual infliction of death by stoning4 ,of him who becomes accessory by concealment to the crime of sacrifice to ,molech1 it is said 7ver4 #e7 that ,god ,himself will set ,his face against that man1 and will cut off both the man himself and his family4 ,the same phraseology is used 7ver4 #f7 of those who consult familiar spirits2 and the cutting off is also threatened1 ver4 #ah4 ,the law concerning incest with a full- or half-sister requires 7ver4 #ag7 that this excision shall be in the sight of the children of their people2 i4e41 that the sentence shall be executed in the most public way1 thus to affix the more certainly to the crime the stigma of an indelible ignominy and disgrace4 ,a lesser grade of penalty is attached to an alliance with the wife of an uncle or of a brother2 in the latter case 7ver4 #ba7 that they shall be childless1 in the former 7ver4 #bj71 that they shall die childless2 that is1 though they have children1 they shall all be prematurely cut off2 none shall outlive their parents4 ,to incest with an aunt by blood no specific penalty is affixed2 it is only said that they shall bear their iniquity1 i4e41 ,god will hold them guilty4 ,the chapter1 directly or indirectly1 casts no little light on some most fundamental and practical questions regarding the administration of justice in dealing with criminals4 ,we may learn here what1 in the mind of the ,king of kings1 is the primary object of the punishment of criminals against society4 ,certainly there is no hint in this code of law that these penalties were specially intended for the reformation of the offender4 ,were this so1 we should not find the death-penalty applied with such unsparing severity4 ,this does not indeed mean that the reformation of the criminal was a matter of no concern to the ,lord2 we know to the contrary4 ,but one cannot resist the conviction in reading this chapter1 as also other similar portions of the law1 that in a governmental point of view this was not the chief object of punishment4 ,even where the penalty was not death1 the reformation of the guilty persons is in no way brought before us as an object of the penal sentence4 ,in the governmental aspect of the case1 this is1 at least1 so far in the background that it does not once come into view4 ,in our day1 however1 an increasing number maintain that the death-penalty ought never to be inflicted1 because1 in the nature of the case1 it precludes the possibility of the criminal being reclaimed and made a useful member of society2 and so1 out of regard to this and other like humanitarian considerations1 in not a few instances1 the death penalty1 even for wilful murder1 has been abrogated4 ,it is thus1 to a ,christian citizen1 of very practical concern to observe that in this theocratic penal code there is not so much as an allusion to the reformation of the criminal1 as one object which by means of punishment it was intended to secure4 ,penalty was to be inflicted1 according to this code1 without any apparent reference to its bearing on this matter4 ,the wisdom of the ,omniscient ,king of ,israel1 therefore1 must certainly have contemplated in the punishment of crime some object or objects of more weighty moment than this4 ,what those objects were1 it does not seem hard to discern4 ,first and supreme in the intention of this law is the satisfaction of outraged justice1 and of the regal majesty of the supreme and holy ,god1 defied2 the vindication of the holiness of the ,most ,high against that wickedness of men which would set at nought the ,holy ,one and overturn that moral order which ,he has established4 ,again and again the crime itself is given as the reason for the penalty1 inasmuch as by such iniquity in the midst of ,israel the holy sanctuary of ,god among them was profaned4 ,we read1 for example1 ,i will cut him off 444 because he hath defiled ,my sanctuary1 and hath profaned ,my holy name2 they have wrought confusion1 i4e41 in the moral and physical order of the family2 their blood shall be upon them2 they have committed abomination2 they shall surely be put to death2 it is a shameful thing2 they shall be cut off4 ,such are the expressions which again and again ring through this chapter2 and they teach with unmistakable clearness that the prime object of the ,divine ,king of ,israel in the punishment was1 not the reformation of the individual sinner1 but the satisfaction of justice and the vindication of the majesty of broken law4 ,and if we have no more explicit statement of the matter here1 we yet have it elsewhere2 as in ,numb4 xxxv4 #cc1 where we are expressly told that the death-penalty to be visited with unrelenting severity on the murderer is of the nature of an expiation4 ,very clear and solemn are the words1 ,blood1 it polluteth the land3 and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed therein1 but by the blood of him that shed it4 ,but if this is set forth as the fundamental reason for the infliction of the punishment1 it is not represented as the only object4 ,if1 as regards the criminal himself1 the punishment is a satisfaction and expiation to justice for his crime1 on the other hand1 as regards the people1 the punishment is intended for their moral good and purification4 ,this is expressly stated1 as in ver4 #ad3 ,they shall be burnt with fire1 that there be no wickedness among you4 ,both of these principles are of such a nature that they must be of perpetual validity4 ,the government or legislative power that loses sight of either of them is certain to go wrong1 and the people will be sure1 sooner or later1 to suffer in morals by the error4 ,in the light we have now1 it is easy to see what are the principles according to which1 in various cases1 the punishments were measured out4 ,evidently1 in the first place1 the penalty was determined1 even as equity demands1 by the intrinsic heinousness of the crime4 ,with the possible exception of a single case1 it is easy to see this4 ,no one will question the horrible iniquity of the sacrifice of innocent children to ,molech2 or of incest with a mother1 or of sodomy1 or bestiality4 ,a second consideration which evidently had place1 was the danger involved in each crime to the moral and spiritual well-being of the community2 and1 we may add1 in the third place1 also the degree to which the people were likely to be exposed to the contagion of certain crimes prevalent in the nations immediately about them4 ,but although these principles are manifestly so equitable and benevolent as to be valid for all ages1 ,christendom seems to be forgetting the fact4 ,the modern penal codes vary as widely from the ,mosaic in respect of their great leniency1 as those of a few centuries ago in respect of their undiscriminating severity4 ,in particular1 the past few generations have seen a great change with regard to the infliction of capital punishment4 ,formerly1 in ,england1 for example1 death was inflicted1 with intolerable injustice1 for a large number of comparatively trivial offences2 the death-penalty is now restricted to high treason and killing with malice aforethought2 while in some parts of ,christendom it is already wholly abolished4 ,in the ,mosaic law1 according to this chapter and other parts of the law1 it was much more extensively inflicted1 though1 it may be noted in passing1 always without torture4 ,in this chapter it is made the penalty for actual or constructive idolatry1 for sorcery1 etc41 for cursing father or mother1 for adultery1 for the grosser degrees of incest1 and for sodomy and bestiality4 ,to this list of capital offences the law elsewhere adds1 not only murder1 but blasphemy1 sabbath-breaking1 unchastity in a betrothed woman when discovered after marriage1 rape1 rebellion against a priest or judge1 and man-stealing4 ,as regards the crimes specified in this particular chapter1 the criminal law of modern ,christendom does not inflict the penalty of death in a single possible case here mentioned2 and1 to the mind of many1 the contrasted severity of the ,mosaic code presents a grave difficulty4 ,and yet1 if one believes1 on the authority of the teaching of ,christ1 that the theocratic government of ,israel is not a fable1 but a historic fact1 although he may still have much difficulty in recognising the righteousness of this code1 he will be slow on this account either to renounce his faith in the ,divine authority of this chapter1 or to impugn the justice of the holy ,king of ,israel in charging ,him with undue severity2 and will rather patiently await some other solution of the problem1 than the denial of the essential equity of these laws4 ,but there are several considerations which1 for many1 will greatly lessen1 if they do not wholly remove1 the difficulty which the case presents4 ,in the first place1 as regards the punishment of idolatry with death1 we have to remember that1 from a theocratic point of view1 idolatry was essentially high treason1 the most formal repudiation possible of the supreme authority of ,israel's ,king4 ,if1 even in our modern states1 the gravity of the issues involved in high treason has led men to believe that death is not too severe a penalty for an offence aimed directly at the subversion of governmental order1 how much more must this be admitted when the government is not of fallible man1 but of the most holy and infallible ,god8 ,and when1 besides this1 we recall the atrocious cruelties and revolting impurities which were inseparably associated with that idolatry1 we shall have still less difficulty in seeing that it was just that the worshipper of ,molech should die4 ,and as decreeing the penalty of death for sorcery and similar practices1 it is probable that the reason for this is to be found in the close connection of these with the prevailing idolatry4 ,but it is in regard to crimes against the integrity and purity of the family that we find the most impressive contrast between this penal code and those of modern times4 ,although1 unhappily1 adultery and1 less commonly1 incest1 and even1 rarely1 the unnatural crimes mentioned in this chapter1 are not unknown in modern ,christendom1 yet1 while the law of ,moses punished all these with death1 modern law treats them with comparative leniency1 or even refuses to regard some forms of these offences as crimes4 ,what then8 ,shall we hasten to the conclusion that we have advanced on ,moses8 that this law was certainly unjust in its severity8 or is it possible that modern law is at fault1 in that it has fallen below those standards of righteousness which rule in the kingdom of ,god8 ,one would think that by any man who believes in the ,divine origin of the theocracy only one answer could be given4 ,assuredly1 one cannot suppose that ,god judged of a crime with undue severity2 and if not1 is not then ,christendom1 as it were1 summoned by this penal code of the theocracy--after making all due allowance for different conditions of society--to revise its estimate of the moral gravity of these and other offences8 ,in these days of continually progressive relaxation of the laws regulating the relations of the sexes1 this seems indeed to be one of the chief lessons from this chapter of ,leviticus2 namely1 that in ,god's sight sins against the seventh commandment are not the comparative trifles which much over-charitable and easy-going morality imagines1 but crimes of the first order of heinousness4 ,we do well to heed this fact1 that not merely unnatural crimes1 such as sodomy1 bestiality1 and the grosser forms of incest1 but adultery1 is by ,god ranked in the same category as murder4 ,is it strange8 ,for what are crimes of this kind but assaults on the very being of the family8 ,where there is incest or adultery1 we may truly say the family is murdered2 what murder is to the individual1 that1 precisely1 are crimes of this class to the family4 ,in the theocratic code these were1 therefore1 made punishable with death2 and1 we venture to believe1 with abundant reason4 ,is it likely that ,god was too severe8 or must we not rather fear that man1 ever lenient to prevailing sins1 in our day has become falsely and unmercifully merciful1 kind with a most perilous and unholy kindness8 ,still harder will it be for most of us to understand why the death-penalty should have been also affixed to cursing or smiting a father or a mother1 an extreme form of rebellion against parental authority4 ,we must1 no doubt1 bear in mind1 as in all these cases1 that a rough people1 like those just emancipated slaves1 required a severity of dealing which with finer natures would not be needed2 and1 also1 that the fact of ,israel's call to be a priestly nation bearing salvation to mankind1 made every disobedience among them the graver crime1 as tending to so disastrous issues1 not for ,israel alone1 but for the whole race of man which ,israel was appointed to bless4 ,on an analogous principle we justify military authority in shooting the sentry found asleep at his post4 ,still1 while allowing for all this1 one can hardly escape the inference that1 in the sight of ,god1 rebellion against parents must be a more serious offence than many in our time have been wont to imagine4 ,and the more that we consider how truly basal to the order of government and of society is both sexual purity and the maintenance of a spirit of reverence and subordination to parents1 the easier we shall find it to recognise the fact that if in this penal code there is doubtless great severity1 it is yet the severity of governmental wisdom and true paternal kindness on the part of the high ,king of ,israel3 who governed that nation with intent1 above all1 that they might become in the highest sense a holy nation in the midst of an ungodly world1 and so become the vehicle of blessing to others4 ,and ,god thus judged that it was better that sinning individuals should die without mercy1 than that family government and family purity should perish1 and ,israel1 instead of being a blessing to the nations1 should sink with them into the mire of universal moral corruption4 ,and it is well to observe that this law1 if severe1 was most equitable and impartial in its application4 ,we have here1 in no instance1 torture2 the scourging which in one case is enjoined1 is limited elsewhere to the forty stripes save one4 ,neither have we discrimination against any class1 or either sex2 nothing like that detestable injustice of modern society which turns the fallen woman into the street with pious scorn1 while it often receives the betrayer and even the adulterer--in most cases the more guilty of the two--into the best society4 ,nothing have we here1 again1 which could justify by example the insistence of many1 through a perverted humanity1 when a murderess is sentenced for her crime to the scaffold1 her sex should purchase a partial immunity from the penalty of crime4 ,the ,levitical law is as impartial as its ,author2 even if death be the penalty1 the guilty one must die1 whether man or woman4 ,quite apart1 then1 from any question of detail1 as to how far this penal code ought to be applied under the different conditions of modern society1 this chapter of ,leviticus assuredly stands as a most impressive testimony from ,god against the humanitarianism of our age4 ,it is more and more the fashion1 in some parts of ,christendom1 to pet criminals2 to lionize murderers and adulterers1 especially if in high social station4 ,we have even heard of bouquets and such-like sentimental attentions bestowed by ladies on blood-red criminals in their cells awaiting the halter2 and a maudlin pity quite too often usurps among us the place of moral horror at crime and intense sympathy with the holy justice and righteousness of ,god4 ,but this ,divine government of old did not deal in flowers and perfumes2 it never indulged criminals1 but punished them with an inexorable righteousness4 ,and yet this was not because ,israel's ,king was hard and cruel4 ,for it was this same law which with equal kindness and equity kept a constant eye of fatherly care upon the poor and the stranger1 and commanded the ,israelite that he love even the stranger as himself4 ,but1 none the less1 the ,lord ,god who declared ,himself as merciful and gracious and of great kindness1 also herein revealed ,himself1 according to ,his word1 as one who would by no means clear the guilty4 ,this fact is luminously witnessed by this penal code2 and1 let us note1 it is witnessed by that penal law of ,god which is revealed in nature also4 ,for this too punishes without mercy the drunkard1 for example1 or the licentious man1 and never diminishes one stroke because by the full execution of penalty the sinner must suffer often so terribly4 ,which is just what we should expect to find1 if indeed the ,god of nature is the ,one who spake in ,leviticus4 ,finally1 as already suggested1 this chapter gives a most weighty testimony against the modern tendency to a relaxation of the laws which regulate the relations of the sexes4 ,that such a tendency is a fact is admitted by all2 by some with gratulation1 by others with regret and grave concern4 ,french law1 for instance1 has explicitly legalised various alliances which in this law ,god explicitly forbids1 under heavy penal sanctions1 as incestuous2 ,german legislation has moved about as far in the same direction2 and the same tendency is to be observed1 more or less1 in all the ,english-speaking world4 ,in some of the ,united ,states1 especially1 the utmost laxity has been reached1 in laws which1 under the name of divorce1 legalize gross adultery1--laws which had been a disgrace to pagan ,rome4 ,so it goes4 ,where ,god denounced the death-penalty1 man first apologises for the crime1 then lightens the penalty1 then abolishes it1 and at last formally legalises the crime4 ,this modern drift bodes no good2 in the end it can only bring disaster alike to the well-being of the family and of the ,state4 ,the maintenance of the family in its integrity and purity is nothing less than essential to the conservation of society and the stability of good government4 ,to meet this growing evil1 the ,church needs to come back to the full recognition of the principles which underlie this ,levitical code2 especially of the fact that marriage and the family are not merely civil arrangements1 but ,divine institutions2 so that ,god has not left it to the caprice of a majority to settle what shall be lawful in these matters4 ,where ,god has declared certain alliances and connections to be criminal1 we shall permit or condone them at our peril4 ,god rules1 whether modern majorities will it or not2 and we must adopt the moral standards of the kingdom of ,god in our legislation1 or we shall suffer4 ,god has declared that not merely the material well-being of man1 but holiness1 is the moral end of government and of life2 and ,he will find ways to enforce ,his will in this respect4 ,the nation that will not serve ,him shall perish4 ,all this is not theology1 merely1 or ethics1 but history4 ,all history witnesses that moral corruption and relaxed legislation1 especially in matters affecting the relations of the sexes1 bring in their train sure retribution1 not in ,hades1 but here on earth4 ,let us not miss of taking the lesson by imagining that this law was for ,israel1 but not for other peoples4 ,the contrary is affirmed in this very chapter 7vv4 #bc1 #bd71 where we are reminded that ,god visited ,his heavy judgments upon the ,canaanitish nations precisely for this very thing1 their doing of these things which are in this law of holiness forbidden4 ,hence the land spued them out4 ,our modern democracies1 ,english1 ,american1 ,french1 ,german1 or whatever they be1 would do well to pause in their progressive repudiation of the law of ,god in many social questions1 and heed this solemn warning4 ,for1 despite the unbelief of multitudes1 the ,holy ,one still governs the world1 and it is certain that ,he will never abdicate ,his throne of righteousness to submit any of ,his laws to the sanction of a popular vote4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,priestly ,,holiness4 ,,lev4 xxi4 #a-xxii4 #cc4 ,the conception of ,israel as a kingdom of priests1 a holy nation1 was concretely represented in a threefold division of the people1--the congregation1 the priesthood1 and the high priest4 ,this corresponded to the threefold division of the tabernacle into the outer court1 the holy place1 and the holy of holies1 each in succession more sacred than the place preceding4 ,so while all ,israel was called to be a priestly nation1 holy to ,jehovah in life and service1 this sanctity was to be represented in degrees successively higher in each of these three divisions of the people1 culminating in the person of the high priest1 who1 in token of this fact1 wore upon his forehead the inscription1 ,,holiness ,,to ,,jehovah4 ,up to this point the law of holiness has dealt only with such obligations as bore upon all the priestly nation alike2 in these two chapters we now have the special requirements of this law in its yet higher demands upon1 first1 the priests1 and1 secondly1 the high priest4 ,abolished as to the letter1 this part of the law still holds good as to the principle which it expresses1 namely1 that special spiritual privilege and honour places him to whom it is given under special obligations to holiness of life4 ,as contrasted with the world without1 it is not then enough that ,christians should be equally correct and moral in life with the best men of the world2 though too many seem to be living under that impression4 ,they must be more than this2 they must be holy3 ,god will wink at things in others which ,he will not deal lightly with in them4 ,and so1 again1 within the ,church1 those who occupy various positions of dignity as teachers and rulers of ,god's flock are just in that degree laid under the more stringent obligation to holiness of life and walk4 ,this most momentous lesson confronts us at the very opening of this new section of the law1 addressed specifically to the priests1 the sons of ,aaron4 ,how much it is needed is sufficiently and most sadly evident from the condition of baptized ,christendom to-day4 ,who is there that will heed it8 ,priestly holiness was to be manifested1 first 7vv4 #a-ae71 in regard to earthly relations of kindred and friendship4 ,this is illustrated under three particulars1 namely1 in mourning for the dead 7vv4 #a-f71 in marriage 7vv4 #g1 #h71 and 7ver4 #i7 in the maintenance of purity in the priest's family4 ,with regard to the first point1 it is ordered that there shall be no defilement for the dead1 except in the case of the priest's own family1--father1 mother1 brother1 unmarried sister1 son1 or daughter4#cg ,that is1 with the exception of these cases1 the priest1 though he may mourn in his heart1 is to take no part in any of those last offices which others render to the dead4 ,this were to profane himself4 ,and while the above exceptions are allowed in the case of members of his immediate household1 even in these cases he is specially charged 7ver4 #e7 to remember1 what was indeed elsewhere forbidden to every ,israelite1 that such excessive demonstrations of grief as shaving the head1 cutting the flesh1 etc41 were most unseemly in a priest4 ,these restrictions are expressly based upon the fact that he is a chief man among his people2 that he is holy unto ,god1 appointed to offer the bread of ,god1 the offerings made by fire4 ,and inasmuch as the high priest1 in the highest degree of all1 represents the priestly idea1 and is thus admitted into a peculiar and exclusive intimacy of relation with ,god1 having on him the crown of the anointing oil of his ,god1 and having been consecrated to put on the garments for glory and for beauty1 worn by none other in ,israel1 with him the prohibition of all public acts of mourning is made absolute 7vv4 #aj-ab74 ,he may not defile himself1 for instance1 by even entering the house where lies the dead body of a father or a mother6 #cg ,the wife is not mentioned1 but that she would also be included in the exception1 in view of her being always regarded in the law as yet nearer to her husband than father or mother1 may be safely taken for granted4 ,these regulations1 at first thought1 to many will seem hard and unnatural4 ,yet this law of holiness elsewhere magnifies and guards with most jealous care the family relation1 and commands that even the neighbour we shall love as ourselves4 ,hence it is certain that these regulations cannot have been intended to condemn the natural feelings of grief at the loss of friends1 but only to place them under certain restrictions4 ,they were given1 not to depreciate the earthly relationships of friendship and kindred1 but only to magnify the more the dignity and significance of the priestly relation to ,god1 as far transcending even the most sacred relations of earth4 ,as priest1 the son of ,aaron was the servant of the ,eternal ,god1 of ,god the ,holy and the ,living ,one1 appointed to mediate from ,him the grace of pardon and life to those condemned to die4 ,hence he must never forget this himself1 nor allow others to forget it4 ,hence he must maintain a special1 visible separation from death1 as everywhere the sign of the presence and operation of sin and unholiness2 and while he is not forbidden to mourn1 he must mourn with a visible moderation2 the more so that if his priesthood had any significance1 it meant that death for the believing and obedient ,israelite was death in hope4 ,and then1 besides all this1 ,god had declared that ,he ,himself would be the portion and inheritance of the priests4 ,for the priest therefore to mourn1 as if in losing even those nearest and dearest on earth he had lost all1 were in outward appearance to fail in witness to the faithfulness of ,god to ,his promises1 and ,his all-sufficiency as his portion4 ,standing here1 will we but listen1 we can now hear the echo of this same law of priestly holiness from the ,new ,testament1 in such words as these1 addressed to the whole priesthood of believers3 ,he that loveth father or mother more than ,me is not worthy of ,me2 ,let those that have wives be as though they had none1 and those that weep as though they wept not2 ,concerning them that fall asleep 444 sorrow not1 even as the rest1 which have no hope4 ,as ,christians1 we are not forbidden to mourn2 but because a royal priesthood to the ,god of life1 who raised up the ,lord ,jesus1 and ourselves looking also for the resurrection1 ever with moderation and self-restraint4 ,extravagant demonstrations of sorrow1 whether in dress or in prolonged separation from the sanctuary and active service of ,god1 as the manner of many is1 are all as contrary to the ,new ,testament law of holiness as to that of the ,old4 ,when bereaved1 we are to call to mind the blessed fact of our priestly relation to ,god1 and in this we shall find a restraint and a remedy for excessive and despairing grief4 ,we are to remember that the law for the ,high ,priest is the law for all ,his priestly house2 like ,him1 they must all be perfected for the priesthood by sufferings2 so that1 in that they themselves suffer1 being tried1 they may be able the better to succour others that are tried in like manner 7#b ,cor4 i4 #d2 ,heb4 ii4 #ah74 ,we are also to remember that as priests to ,god1 this ,god of eternal life and love is ,himself our satisfying portion1 and with holy care take heed that by no immoderate display of grief we even seem before men to traduce ,his faithfulness and belie to unbelievers ,his glorious all-sufficiency4 ,the holiness of the priesthood was also to be represented visibly in the marriage relation4 ,a priest must marry no woman to whose fair fame attaches the slightest possibility of suspicion1--no harlot1 or fallen woman1#ch or a woman divorced 7ver4 #g72 such an alliance were manifestly most unseemly in one holy to his ,god4 ,as in the former instance1 the high priest is still further restricted2 he may not marry a widow1 but only a virgin of his own people 7ver4 #ad72 for virginity is always in ,holy ,scripture the peculiar type of holiness4 ,as a reason it is added that this were to profane his seed among his people2 that is1 it would be inevitable that by neglect of this care the people would come to regard his seed with a diminished reverence as the separated priests of the holy ,god4 ,from observing the practice of many who profess to be ,christians1 one would naturally infer that they can never have suspected that there was anything in this part of the law which concerns the ,new ,testament priesthood of believers4 ,how often we see a young man or a young woman professing to be a disciple of ,christ1 a member of ,christ's royal priesthood1 entering into marriage alliance with a confessed unbeliever in ,him6 ,and yet the law is laid down as explicitly in the ,new ,testament as in the ,old 7#a ,cor4 vii4 #ci71 that marriage shall be only in the ,lord2 so that one principle rules in both dispensations4 ,the priestly line must1 as far as possible1 be kept pure2 the holy man must have a holy wife4 ,many1 indeed1 feel this deeply and marry accordingly2 but the apparent thoughtlessness on the matter of many more is truly astonishing1 and almost incomprehensible4 #ch ,see margin 7,r4,v474 ,and the household of the priest were to remember the holy standing of their father4 ,the sin of the child of a priest was to be punished more severely than that of the children of others2 a single illustration is given 7ver4 #i73 ,the daughter of any priest1 if she profane herself by playing the harlot1 444 shall be burnt with fire4#ci ,and the severity of the penalty is justified by this1 that by her sin she profaneth her father4 ,from which it appears that1 as a principle of the ,divine judgment1 if the children of believers sin1 their guilt will be judged more heavy than that of others2 and that justly1 because to their sin this is added1 over like sin of others1 that they thereby cast dishonour on their believing parents1 and in them soil and defame the honour of ,god4 ,how little is this remembered by many in these days of increasing insubordination even in ,christian families6 #ci ,that is1 not burnt alive1 but after execution4 ,the priestly holiness was to be manifested1 in the second place1 in physical1 bodily perfection4 ,it is written 7ver4 #ag73 ,speak unto ,aaron1 saying1 ,whosoever he be of thy seed throughout their generations that hath a blemish1 let him not approach to offer the bread of his ,god4 ,and then follows 7vv4 #ah-bj7 a list of various cases in illustration of this law1 with the proviso 7vv4 #ba-bc7 that while such a person might not perform any priestly function1 he should not be debarred from the use of the priestly portion1 whether of things holy or most holy1 as his daily food4 ,the material and bodily is ever the type and symbol of the spiritual2 hence1 in this case1 the spiritual purity and perfection required of him who would draw near to ,god in the priests' office must be visibly signified by his physical perfection2 else the sanctity of the tabernacle were profaned4 ,moreover1 the reverence due from the people toward ,jehovah's sanctuary could not well be maintained where a dwarf1 for instance1 or a humpback1 were ministering at the altar4 ,and yet the ,lord has for such a heart of kindness2 in kindly compassion ,he will not exclude them from ,his table4 ,like ,mephibosheth at the table of ,david1 the deformed priest may still eat at the table of ,god4 ,there is a thought here which bears on the administration of the affairs of ,god's house even now4 ,we are reminded that there are those who1 while undoubtedly members of the universal ,christian priesthood1 and thus lawfully entitled to come to the table of the ,lord1 may yet be properly regarded as disabled and debarred by various circumstances1 for which1 in many cases1 they may not be responsible1 from any eminent position in the ,church4 ,in the almost unrestrained insistence of many in this day for equality1 there are indications not a few of a contempt for the holy offices ordained by ,christ for ,his ,church1 which would admit an equal right on the part of almost any who may desire it1 to be allowed to minister in the ,church in holy things4 ,but as there were dwarfed and blinded sons of ,aaron1 so are there not a few ,christians who--evidently1 at least1 to all but themselves--are spiritually dwarfs or deformed2 subject to ineradicable and obtrusive constitutional infirmities1 such as utterly disqualify1 and should preclude1 them from holding any office in the holy ,church of ,christ4 ,the presence of such in her ministry can only now1 as of old1 profane the sanctuaries of the ,lord4 ,the next section of the law of holiness for the priests 7xxii4 #a-af7 requires that the priests1 as holy unto ,jehovah1 treat with most careful reverence all those holy things which are their lawful portion4 ,if1 in any way1 any priest have incurred ceremonial defilement1--as1 for instance1 by an issue1 or by the dead1--he is not to eat until he is clean 7vv4 #b-g74 ,on no account must he defile himself by eating of that which is unclean1 such as that which has died of itself1 or has been torn by beasts 7ver4 #h71 which indeed was forbidden even to the ordinary ,israelite4 ,furthermore1 the priests are charged that they preserve the sanctity of ,god's house by carefully excluding all from participation in the priests' portion who are not of the priestly order4 ,the stranger or sojourner in the priest's house1 or a hired servant1 must not be fed from this bread of ,god2 not even a daughter1 when1 having married1 she has left the father's home to form a family of her own1 can be allowed to partake of it 7ver4 #ab74 ,if1 however 7ver4 #ac71 she be parted from her husband by death or divorce1 and have no child1 and return to her father's house1 she then becomes again a member of the priestly family1 and resumes the privileges of her virginity4 ,all this may seem1 at first1 remote from any present use2 and yet it takes little thought to see that1 in principle1 the ,new ,testament law of holiness requires1 under a changed form1 even the same reverent use of ,god's gifts1 and especially of the ,holy ,supper of the ,lord1 from every member of the ,christian priesthood4 ,it is true that in some parts of the ,church a superstitious dread is felt with regard to approach to the ,lord's ,table1 as if only the conscious attainment of a very high degree of holiness could warrant one in coming4 ,but1 however such a feeling is to be deprecated1 it is certain that it is a less serious wrong1 and argues not so ill as to the spiritual condition of a man as the easy carelessness with which multitudes partake of the ,lord's ,supper1 nothing disturbed1 apparently1 by the recollection that they are living in the habitual practice of known sin1 unconfessed1 unforsaken1 and therefore unforgiven4 ,as it was forbidden to the priest to eat of those holy things which were his rightful portion1 with his defilement or uncleanness on him1 till he should first be cleansed1 no less is it now a violation of the law of holiness for the ,christian to come to the ,holy ,supper having on his conscience unconfessed and unforgiven sin4 ,no less truly than the violation of this ancient law is this a profanation1 and who so desecrates the holy food must bear his sin4 ,and as the sons of ,aaron were charged by this law of holiness that they guard the holy things from the participation of any who were not of the priestly house1 so also is the obligation on every member of the ,new ,testament ,church1 and especially on those who are in official charge of her holy sacraments1 that they be careful to debar from such participation the unholy and profane4 ,it is true that it is possible to go to an extreme in this matter which is unwarranted by the ,word of ,god4 ,although participation in the ,holy ,supper is of right only for the regenerate1 it does not follow1 as in some sections of the ,church has been imagined1 that the ,church is therefore required to satisfy herself as to the undoubted regeneration of those who may apply for membership and fellowship in this privilege4 ,so to read the heart as to be able to decide authoritatively on the regeneration of every applicant for ,church membership is beyond the power of any but the ,omniscient ,lord1 and is not required in the ,word4 ,the ,apostles received and baptized men upon their credible profession of faith and repentance1 and entered into no inquisitorial cross-examination as to the details of the religious experience of the candidate4 ,none the less1 however1 the law of holiness requires that the ,church1 under this limitation1 shall to the uttermost of her power be careful that no one unconverted and profane shall sit at the ,holy ,table of the ,lord4 ,she may admit upon profession of faith and repentance1 but she certainly is bound to see to it that such profession shall be credible2 that is1 such as may be reasonably believed to be sincere and genuine4 ,she is bound1 therefore1 to satisfy herself in such cases1 so far as possible to man1 that the life of the applicant1 at least externally1 witnesses to the genuineness of the profession4 ,if we are to beware of imposing false tests of ,christian character1 as some have done1 for instance1 in the use or disuse of things indifferent1 we are1 on the other hand1 to see to it that we do apply such tests as the ,word warrants1 and firmly exclude all such as insist upon practices which are demonstrably1 in themselves always wrong1 according to the law of ,god4 ,no man who has any just apprehension of ,scriptural truth can well doubt that we have here a lesson which is of the highest present-day importance4 ,when one goes out into the world and observes the practices in which many whom we meet at the ,lord's ,table habitually indulge1 whether in business or in society1--the crookedness in commercial dealings and sharp dealing in trade1 the utter dissipation in amusement1 of many ,church members1--a spiritual man cannot but ask1 ,where is the discipline of the ,lord's house8 ,surely1 this law of holiness applies to a multitude of such cases2 and it must be said that when such eat of the holy things1 they profane them2 and those who1 in responsible charge of the ,lord's ,table1 are careless in this matter1 cause them to bear the iniquity that bringeth guilt1 when they eat their holy things 7ver4 #af74 ,that word of the ,lord ,jesus certainly applies in this case 7,matt4 xviii4 #g73 ,it must needs be that occasions of stumbling come2 but woe to that man through whom the occasion cometh6 ,the last section of the law concerning priestly holiness 7xxii4 #ag-cc7 requires the maintenance of jealous care in the enforcement of the law of offerings4 ,inasmuch as1 in the nature of the case1 while it rested with the sons of ,aaron to enforce this law1 the obligation concerned every offerer1 this section 7vv4 #ag-be7 is addressed also 7ver4 #ah7 unto all the children of ,israel4 ,the first requirement concerned the perfection of the offering2 it must be 7vv4 #ai1 #bj7 without blemish4 ,only one qualification is allowed to this law1 namely1 in the case of the free-will offering 7ver4 #bc71 in which a victim was allowed which1 otherwise perfect1 had something superfluous or lacking in his parts4 ,even this relaxation of the law was not allowed in the case of an offering brought in payment of a vow2 hence ,malachi 7i4 #ad71 in allusion to this law1 sharply denounces the man who voweth1 and sacrificeth unto the ,lord a blemished thing4 ,verse #be provides that this law shall be enforced in the case of the foreigner1 who may wish to present an offering to ,jehovah1 no less than with the ,israelite4 ,a third requirement 7ver4 #bg7 sets a minimum limit to the age of a sacrificial victim2 it must not be less than eight days old4 ,the reason of this law1 apart from any mystic or symbolic meaning1 is probably grounded in considerations of humanity1 requiring the avoidance of giving unnecessary suffering to the dam4 ,a similar intention is probably to be recognised in the additional law 7ver4 #bh7 that the cow1 or ewe1 and its young should not both be killed in one day2 though it must be confessed that the matter is somewhat obscure4 ,finally1 the law closes 7vv4 #bi1 #cj7 with the repetition of the command 7vii4 #ae7 requiring that the flesh of the sacrifice of thanksgiving be eaten on the same day in which it is offered4 ,the slightest possibility of beginning corruption is to be precluded in such cases with peculiar strictness4 ,this closing section of the law of holiness1 which so insists that the regulations of ,god's law in regard to sacrifice shall be scrupulously observed1 in its inner principle forbids all departures in matter of worship from any express ,divine appointment or command4 ,we fully recognise the fact that1 as compared with the old dispensation1 the ,new ,testament allows in the conduct and order of worship a far larger liberty than then4 ,but1 in our age1 the tendency1 alike in politics and in religion1 is to the confounding of liberty and license4 ,yet they are not the same1 but are most sharply contrasted4 ,liberty is freedom of action within the bounds of ,divine law2 license recognises no limitation to human action1 apart from enforced necessity1--no law save man's own will and pleasure4 ,it is therefore essential lawlessness1#dj and therefore is sin in its most perfect and consummate expression4 ,but there is law in the ,new ,testament as well as in the ,old4 ,because the ,new ,testament lays down but few laws concerning the order of ,divine worship1 it does not follow that these few are of no consequence1 and that men may worship in all respects just as they choose1 and equally please ,god4 #dj ,see #a ,john iii4 #d and #b ,thess4 ii4 #c1 #d1 #g1 #h1--passages which1 in view of this most manifest and characteristic tendency of our times1 are pregnant with very solemn warning4 ,to illustrate this matter4 ,it does not follow1 because the ,new ,testament allows large liberty as regards the details of worship1 that therefore we may look upon the use of images or pictures in connection with worship as a matter of indifference4 ,if told that these are merely used as an aid to devotion1--the very argument which in all ages has been used by all idolaters1--we reply that1 be that as it may1 it is an aid which is expressly prohibited under the heaviest penal sanctions in both ,testaments4 ,we may take another present-day illustration1 which1 especially in the ,american ,church1 is of special pertinence4 ,one would say that it should be self-evident that no ordinance of the ,church should be more jealously guarded from human alteration or modification than the most sacred institution of the sacramental ,supper4 ,surely it should be allowed that the ,lord alone should have the right to designate the symbols of ,his own death in this most holy ordinance4 ,that ,he chose and appointed for this purpose bread and wine1 even the fermented juice of the grape1 has been affirmed by the practically unanimous consensus of ,christendom for almost nineteen hundred years2 and it is not too much to say that this understanding of the ,scripture record is sustained by the no less unanimous judgment of truly authoritative scholarship even to-day4 ,neither can it be denied that ,christ ordained this use of wine in the ,holy ,supper with the most perfect knowledge of the terrible evils connected with its abuse in all ages4 ,all this being so1 how can it but contravene this principle of the law of holiness1 which insists upon the exact observance of the appointments which the ,lord has made for ,his own worship1 when men1 in the imagined interest of moral reform1 presume to attempt improvements in this holy ordinance of the ,lord1 and substitute for the wine which ,he chose to make the symbol of ,his precious blood1 something else1 of different properties1 for the use of which the whole ,new ,testament affords no warrant8 ,we speak with full knowledge of the various plausible arguments which are pressed as reasons why the ,church should authorise this nineteenth-century innovation4 ,no doubt1 in many cases1 the change is urged through a misapprehension as to the historical facts1 which1 however astonishing to scholars1 is at least real and sincere4 ,but whenever any1 admitting the facts as to the original appointment1 yet seriously propose1 as so often of late years1 to improve on the ,lord's arrangements for ,his own ,table1 we are bold to insist that the principle which underlies this part of the priestly law of holiness applies in full force in this case1 and cannot therefore be rightly set aside4 ,strange1 indeed1 it is that men should unthinkingly hope to advance morality by ignoring the primal principle of all holiness1 that ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 is absolute and supreme ,lord over all ,his people1 and especially in all that pertains to the ordering of ,his own house6 ,we have in these days great need to beseech the ,lord that ,he may deliver us1 in all things1 from that malign epidemic of religious lawlessness which is one of the plagues of our age2 and raise up a generation who shall so understand their priestly calling as ,christians1 that1 no less in all that pertains to the offices of public worship1 than in their lives as individuals they shall take heed1 above all things1 to walk according to the principles of this law of priestly holiness4 ,for1 repealed although it be as to the outward form of the letter1 yet in the nature of the case1 as to its spirit and intention1 it abides1 and must abide1 in force unto the end4 ,and the great argument also1 with which1 after the constant manner of this law1 this section closes1 is also1 as to its spirit1 valid still1 and even of greater force in its ,new ,testament form than of old4 ,for we may now justly read it in this wise3 ,ye shall not profane ,my holy name1 but ,i will be hallowed among ,my people3 ,i am the ,lord that hallow you1 that have redeemed you by the cross1 to be your ,god4 ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,,the ,,set ,,feasts ,,of ,,the ,,lord4 ,,lev4 xxiii4 #a-dd4 ,it is even an instinct of natural religion to observe certain set times for special public and united worship4 ,as we should therefore anticipate1 such observances are in this chapter enjoined as a part of the requirement of the law of holiness for ,israel4 ,it is of consequence to observe that the ,revisers have corrected the error of the ,authorised ,version1 which renders two perfectly distinct words alike as feasts2 and have distinguished the one by the translation1 set feasts1 the other by the one word1 feasts4 ,the precise sense of the former word is given in the margin appointed seasons1 and it is naturally applied to all the set times of special religious solemnity which are ordained in this chapter4 ,but the other word translated feast1--derived from a root meaning to dance1 whence feast or festival1--is applied to only three of the former six appointed seasons1 namely1 the feasts of ,unleavened ,bread1 of ,pentecost1 and of ,tabernacles2 as intended to be1 in a special degree1 seasons of gladness and festivity4 ,the indication of this distinction is of importance1 as completely meeting the allegation that there is in this chapter evidence of a later development than in the account of the feasts given in ,exod4 xxxiv41 where the number of the feasts1 besides the weekly ,sabbath1 is given as three1 while here1 as it is asserted1 their number has been increased to six4 ,in reality1 however1 there is nothing here which suggests a later period4 ,for the object of the former law in ,exodus was only to name the feasts 7haggm72 while that of the chapter before us is to indicate not only these1--which here1 as there1 are three1--but1 in addition to these1 all appointed seasons for holy convocations1 which1 although all mo'adim1 were not all haggm4 ,the observance of public religious festivals has been common to all the chief religions of the world1 both ancient and modern4 ,very often1 though not in all cases1 these have been determined by the phases of the moon2 or by the apparent motion of the sun in the heavens1 as in many instances of religious celebrations connected with the period of the spring and autumnal equinoxes2 and thus1 very naturally1 also with the times of harvest and ingathering4 ,it is at once evident that of these appointed seasons of holy convocation1 the three feasts 7haggm7 of the ,hebrews also fell at certain points in the harvest season2 and with each of these1 ceremonies were observed connected with harvest and ingathering2 while two1 the feast of weeks and that of tabernacles1 take alternate names1 directly referring to this their connection with the harvest2 namely1 the feast of firstfruits and that of ingathering4 ,thus we have1 first1 the feast of unleavened bread1 following passover1 which was distinguished by the presentation of a sheaf of the firstfruits of the barley harvest1 in the latter part of ,march1 or early in ,april2 then1 the feast of weeks1 or firstfruits1 seven weeks later1 marking the completion of the grain harvest with the ingathering of the wheat2 and1 finally1 the feast of tabernacles or ingathering1 in the seventh month1 marking the harvesting of the fruits1 especially the oil and the wine1 and therewith the completed ingathering of the whole product of the year4 ,from these facts it is argued that in these ,hebrew feasts we have simply a natural development1 with modifications1 of the ancient and widespread system of harvest feasts among the heathen2 to which the historical element which appears in some of them was only added as an afterthought1 in a later period of history4 ,from this point of view1 the idea that these feasts were a matter of supernatural revelation disappears2 what religious character they have belongs originally to the universal religion of nature4 ,but it is to be remarked1 first1 that even if we admit that in their original character these were simply and only harvest feasts1 it would not follow that therefore their observance1 with certain prescribed ceremonies1 could not have been matter of ,divine revelation4 ,there is a religion of nature2 ,god has not left ,himself without a witness1 in that ,he has given men rains and fruitful seasons1 filling their hearts with food and gladness4 ,and1 as already remarked in regard to sacrifice1 it is no part of the method of ,god in revelation to ignore or reject what in this religion of nature may be true and right2 but rather to use it1 and build on this foundation4 ,but1 again1 the mere fact that the feast of unleavened bread fell at the beginning of barley harvest1 and that one--though only one--ceremony appointed for that festive week had explicit reference to the then beginning harvest1 is not sufficient to disprove the uniform declaration of ,scripture that1 as observed in ,israel1 its original ground was not natural1 but historical2 namely1 in the circumstances attending the birth of the nation in their exodus from ,egypt4 ,but we may say more than this4 ,if the contrary were true1 and the introduction of the historical element was an afterthought1 as insisted by some1 then we should expect to find that in accounts belonging to successive periods1 the reference to the harvest would certainly be more prominent in the earlier1 and the reference of the feast to a historical origin more prominent in the later1 accounts of the feasts4 ,most singular it is then1 upon this hypothesis1 to find that even accepting the analysis1 e4g41 of ,wellhausen1 the facts are the exact reverse4 ,for the only brief reference to the harvest in connection with this feast of unleavened bread is found in this chap4 xxiii4 of ,leviticus1 composed1 it is alleged1 about the time of ,ezekiel2 while1 on the other hand1 the narrative in ,exod4 xii41 regarded by all the critics of this school as the earliest account of the origin of the feast of unleavened bread1 refers only to the historical event of the exodus1 as the occasion of its institution4 ,if we grant the asserted difference in age of these two parts of the ,pentateuch1 one would thus more naturally conclude that the historical events were the original occasion of the institution of the festival1 and that the reference to the harvest1 in the presentation of the sheaf of firstfruits1 was the later introduction into the ceremonies of the week4 ,but the truth is that this naturalistic identification of these ,hebrew feasts with the harvest feasts of other nations is a mistake4 ,in order to make it out1 it is necessary to ignore or pervert most patent facts4 ,these so-called harvest feasts in fact form part of an elaborate system of sacred times1--a system which is based upon the ,sabbath1 and into which the sacred number seven1 the number of the covenant1 enters throughout as a formative element4 ,the weekly ,sabbath1 first of all1 was the seventh day2 the length of the great festivals of unleavened bread and of tabernacles was also1 in each case1 seven days4 ,not only so1 but the entire series of sacred times mentioned in this chapter and in chap4 xxv4 constitutes an ascending series of sacred septenaries1 in which the ruling thought is this3 that the seventh is holy unto the ,lord1 as the number symbolic of rest and redemption2 and that the eighth1 as the first of a new week1 is symbolic of the new creation4 ,thus we have the seventh day1 the weekly ,sabbath1 constantly recurring1 the type of each of the series2 then1 counting from the feast of unleavened bread1--the first of the sacred year1--the fiftieth day1 at the end of the seventh week1 is signalised as sacred by the feast of firstfruits or of weeks2 the seventh month1 again1 is the sabbatic month1 of special sanctity1 containing as it does three of the annual seasons of holy convocation1--the feast of trumpets on its first day1 the great day of atonement on the tenth1 and the last of the three great annual feasts1 that of tabernacles or ingathering1 for seven days from the fifteenth day of the month4 ,beyond this series of sacred festivals recurring annually1 in chap4 xxv41 the seventh year is appointed to be a sabbatic year of rest to the land1 and the series at last culminates at the expiration of seven sevens of years1 in the fiftieth year1--the eighth following the seventh seven1--the great year of jubilee1 the supreme year of rest1 restoration1 and release4 ,all these sacred times1 differing in the details of their observance1 are alike distinguished by their connection with the sacred number seven1 by the informing presence of the idea of the ,sabbath1 and therewith always a new and fuller revelation of ,god as in covenant with ,israel for their redemption4 ,now1 like to this series of sacred times1 in heathenism there is absolutely nothing4 ,it evidently belongs to another realm of thought1 ethics1 and religion4 ,and so1 while it is quite true that in the three great feasts there was a reference to the harvest1 and so to fruitful nature1 yet the fundamental1 unifying idea of the system of sacred times was not the recognition of the fruitful life of nature1 as in the heathen festivals1 but of ,jehovah1 as the ,author and ,sustainer of the life of ,his covenant people ,israel1 as also of every individual in the nation4 ,this1 we repeat1 is the one central thought in all these sacred seasons2 not the life of nature1 but the life of the holy nation1 as created and sustained by a covenant ,god4 ,the annual processes of nature have indeed a place and a necessary recognition in the system1 simply because the personal ,god is active in all nature2 but the place of these is not primary1 but secondary and subordinate4 ,they have a recognition because1 in the first place1 it is through the bounty of ,god in nature that the life of man is sustained2 and1 secondly1 also because nature in her order is a type and shadow of things spiritual4 ,for in the spiritual world1 whether we think of it as made up of nations or individuals1 even as in the natural1 there is a seed-time and a harvest1 a time of firstfruits and a time of the joy and rest of the full ingathering of fruit1 and oil1 and wine4 ,hence it was most fitting that this inspired rubric1 as primarily intended for the celebration of spiritual things1 should be so arranged and timed1 in all its parts1 as that in each returning sacred season1 visible nature should present itself to ,israel as a manifest parable and eloquent suggestion of those spiritual verities2 the more so that thus the ,israelite would be reminded that the ,god of the ,exodus and the ,god of ,sinai was also the supreme ,lord of nature1 the ,god of the seed-time and harvest1 the ,creator and ,sustainer of the heavens and the earth1 and of all that in them is4 ,,the ,,weekly ,,sabbath4 xxiii4 #a-c4 ,and the ,lord spake unto ,moses1 saying1 ,speak unto the children of ,israel1 and say unto them1 ,the set feasts of the ,lord1 which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations1 even these are ,my set feasts4 ,six days shall work be done3 but on the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest1 an holy convocation2 ye shall do no manner of work3 it is a sabbath unto the ,lord in all your dwellings4 ,the first verse of this chapter announces the purpose of the section as1 not to give a complete calendar of sacred times or of seasons of worship1--for the new moons and the sabbatic year and the jubilee are not mentioned1--but to enumerate such sacred times as are to be kept as holy convocations4 ,the reference in this phrase cannot be to an assembling of the people at the central sanctuary1 which is elsewhere ordered 7,exod4 xxxiv4 #bc7 only for the three feasts of passover1 weeks1 and atonement2 but rather1 doubtless1 to local gatherings for purposes of worship1 such as1 at a later day1 took form in the institution of the synagogues4 ,the enumeration of these set times begins with the ,sabbath 7ver4 #c71 as was natural2 for1 as we have seen1 the whole series of sacred times was sabbatic in character4 ,the sanctity of the day is emphasised in the strongest terms1 as a shabbath shabbathon1 a sabbath of sabbatism1--a sabbath of solemn rest1 as it is rendered by the ,revisers4 ,while on some other sacred seasons the usual occupations of the household were permitted1 on the ,sabbath no manner of work was to be done2 not even was it lawful to gather wood or to light a fire4 ,for this sanctity of the ,sabbath two reasons are elsewhere given4 ,the first of these1 which is assigned in the fourth commandment1 makes it a memorial of the rest of ,god1 when having created man in ,eden1 ,he saw ,his work which ,he had finished1 that it was very good1 and rested from all ,his work4 ,as created1 man was participant in this rest of ,god4 ,he was indeed to work in tilling the garden in which he had been placed2 but from such labour as involves unremunerative toil and exhaustion he was exempt4 ,but this sabbatic rest of the creation was interrupted by sin2 ,god's work1 which ,he had declared good1 was marred2 man fell into a condition of wearying toil and unrest of body and soul1 and with him the whole creation also was subjected to vanity 7,gen4 iii4 #ag1 #ah2 ,rom4 viii4 #bj74 ,but in this state of things the ,god of love could not rest2 it thus involved for ,him a work of new creation1 which should have for its object the complete restoration1 both as regards man and nature1 of that sabbatic state of things on earth which had been broken up by sin4 ,and thus it came to pass that the weekly ,sabbath looked not only backward1 but forward2 and spoke not only of the rest that was1 but of the great sabbatism of the future1 to be brought in through a promised redemption4 ,hence1 as a second reason for the observance of the ,sabbath1 it is said 7,exod4 xxxi4 #ac7 to be a sign between ,god and ,israel through all their generations1 that they might know that ,he was ,jehovah which sanctified them1 i4e41 who had set them apart for deliverance from the curse1 that through them the world might be saved4 ,these are thus the two sabbatic ideas2 rest and redemption4 ,they everywhere appear1 in one form or another1 in all this sabbatic series of sacred times4 ,some of them emphasise one phase of the rest and redemption1 and some another2 the weekly ,sabbath1 as the unit of the series1 presents both4 ,for in ,deuteronomy 7v4 #ae7 ,israel was commanded to keep the ,sabbath in commemoration of the exodus1 as the time when ,god undertook to bring them into ,his rest2 a rest of which the beginning and the pledge was their deliverance from ,egyptian bondage2 a rest brought in through a redemption4#da #da ,see the inspired comment in ,heb4 iv4 ,,the ,,feast ,,of ,,passover ,,and ,,unleavened ,,bread4 xxiii4 #d-ad4 ,these are the set feasts of the ,lord1 even holy convocations1 which ye shall proclaim in their appointed season4 ,in the first month1 on the fourteenth day of the month at even1 is the ,lord's passover4 ,and on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the ,lord3 seven days ye shall eat unleavened bread4 ,in the first day ye shall have an holy convocation3 ye shall do no servile work4 ,but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the ,lord seven days3 in the seventh day is an holy convocation2 ye shall do no servile work4 ,and the ,lord spake unto ,moses1 saying1 ,speak unto the children of ,israel1 and say unto them1 ,when ye be come into the land which ,i give unto you1 and shall reap the harvest thereof1 then ye shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest3 and he shall wave the sheaf before the ,lord1 to be accepted for you3 on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it4 ,and in the day when ye wave the sheaf1 ye shall offer a he-lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the ,lord4 ,and the meal offering thereof shall be two tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour mingled with oil1 an offering made by fire unto the ,lord for a sweet savour3 and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine1 the fourth part of an hin4 ,and ye shall eat neither bread1 nor parched corn1 nor fresh ears1 until this selfsame day1 until ye have brought the oblation of your ,god3 it is a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings4 ,verses #e-h give the law for the first of the annual feasts1 the passover and unleavened bread4 ,the passover lamb was to be slain and eaten on the evening of the fourteenth day2 and thereafter1 for seven days1 they were all to eat unleavened bread4 ,the first and seventh days of unleavened bread were to be kept as an holy convocation2 in both of which servile work1 i4e41 the usual occupations in the field or in one's handicraft1 were forbidden4 ,further than this the restriction did not extend4 ,the utter impossibility of making this feast of passover also to have been at first merely a harvest festival is best shown by the signal failure of the many attempts to explain on this theory the name passover as applied to the sacrificial victim1 and the exclusion of leaven for the whole period4 ,admit the statements of the ,pentateuch on this subject1 and all is simple4 ,the feast was a most suitable commemoration by ,israel of the solemn circumstances under which they began their national life3 their exemption from the plague of the death of the first-born1 through the blood of a slain victim2 and their exodus thereafter in such haste that they stopped not to leaven their bread4 ,and there was a deeper spiritual meaning than this4 ,whereas1 secured by the sprinkling of blood1 they then fed in safety on the flesh of the victim1 by which they received strength for their flight from ,egypt1 the same two thoughts were thereby naturally suggested which we have seen represented in the peace-offering2 namely1 friendship and fellowship with ,god secured through sacrifice1 and life sustained by ,his bounty4 ,and the unleavened bread1 also1 had more than a historic reference2 else it had sufficed to eat it only on the anniversary night1 and it had not been commanded also to put away the leaven from their houses4 ,for leaven is the established symbol of moral corruption2 and in that1 the passover lamb having been slain1 ,israel must abstain for a full septenary period of a week from every use of leaven1 it was signified in symbol that the redeemed nation must not live by means of what is evil1 but be a holy people1 according to their calling4 ,and the inseparable connection of this with full consecration of person and service1 and with the expiation of sin1 was daily symbolised 7ver4 #h7 by the offerings made by fire1 burnt-offerings1 meal-offerings1 and sin-offerings1 offerings made by fire unto the ,lord4 ,on the morrow after the ,sabbath 7ver4 #ae7 of this sacred week1 it was ordered 7ver4 #aj7 that the sheaf of the firstfruits of the 7barley7 harvest should be brought unto the priest2 and 7ver4 #aa7 that he should consecrate it unto the ,lord1 by the ceremony of waving it before ,him4 ,this wave-offering of the sheaf of firstfruits was to be accompanied 7vv4 #ab1 #ac7 by a burnt-offering1 a meal-offering1 and a drink-offering of wine4 ,until all this was done 7ver4 #ad7 they were to eat neither bread1 nor parched corn1 nor fresh ears of the new harvest4 ,by the consecration of the firstfruit is ever signified the consecration of the whole1 of which it is the first part1 unto the ,lord4 ,by this act1 ,israel1 at the very beginning of their harvest1 solemnly consecrated the whole harvest to the ,lord2 and are only permitted to use it1 when they receive it thus as a gift from ,him4 ,this ethical reference to the harvest is here expressly taught2 but still more was thereby taught in symbol4 ,for ,israel was declared 7,exod4 iv4 #bb7 to be ,god's first-born2 that is1 in the great redemptive plan of ,god1 which looks forward to the final salvation of all nations1 ,israel ever comes historically first4 ,the ,jew first1 and also the ,greek1 is the ,new ,testament formula of this fundamental dispensational truth4 ,the offering unto ,god1 therefore1 of the sheaf of firstfruits1 at the very beginning of the harvest1--in fullest harmony with the historic reference of this feast1 which commemorated ,israel's deliverance from bondage and separation from the nations1 as a firstfruits of redemption1--symbolically signified the consecration of ,israel unto ,god as the first-born unto ,him from the nations1 the beginning of the world's great harvest4 ,but this is not all4 ,for in these various ceremonies of this first of the feasts1 all who acknowledge the authority of the ,new ,testament will recognise a yet more profound1 and prophetic1 spiritual meaning4 ,passover and unleavened bread not only looked backward1 but forward4 ,for the ,apostle ,paul writes1 addressing all believers 7#a ,cor4 v4 #g1 #h73 ,purge out the old leaven1 that ye may be a new lump1 even as ye are unleavened4 ,for our passover also hath been sacrificed1 even ,christ3 wherefore let us keep the feast1 not with old leaven1 neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness1 but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth2--an exposition so plain that comment is scarcely needed4 ,and as following upon the passover1 on the morrow after the ,sabbath1 the first day of the week1 the sheaf of firstfruits was presented before ,jehovah1 so in type is brought before us that of which the same ,apostle tells us 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #bj71 that ,christ1 in that ,he rose from the dead on the first day after the ,sabbath1 became the firstfruits of them that are asleep2 thus1 for the first time1 finally and exhaustively fulfilling this type1 in full accord also with ,his own representation of ,himself 7,john xii4 #bd7 as a grain of wheat1 which should fall into the earth and die1 and then1 living again1 bear much fruit4 ,,the ,,feast ,,of ,,pentecost4 xxiii4 #ae-ba4 ,and ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath1 from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering2 seven sabbaths shall there be complete3 even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days2 and ye shall offer a new meal offering unto the ,lord4 ,ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth parts of an ephah3 they shall be of fine flour1 they shall be baken with leaven1 for firstfruits unto the ,lord4 ,and ye shall present with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year1 and one young bullock1 and two rams3 they shall be a burnt offering unto the ,lord1 with their meal offering1 and their drink offerings1 even an offering made by fire1 of a sweet savour unto the ,lord4 ,and ye shall offer one he-goat for a sin offering1 and two he-lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings4 ,and the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the ,lord1 with the two lambs3 they shall be holy to the ,lord for the priest4 ,and ye shall make proclamation on the selfsame day2 there shall be an holy convocation unto you3 ye shall do no servile work3 it is a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations4 ,next in order came the feast of firstfruits1 or the feast of weeks1 which1 because celebrated on the fiftieth day after the presentation of the wave-sheaf in passover week1 has come to be known as ,pentecost1 from the ,greek numeral signifying fifty4 ,it was ordered that the fiftieth day after this presentation of the first sheaf of the harvest should be kept as a day of holy convocation1 with abstinence from all servile work4 ,the former festival had marked the absolute beginning of the harvest with the first sheaf of barley2 this marked the completion of the grain harvest with the reaping of the wheat4 ,in the former1 the sheaf was presented as it came from the field2 in this case1 the offering was of the grain as prepared for food4 ,it was ordered 7ver4 #af7 that on this day a new meal offering should be offered4 ,it should be brought out of their habitations and be baken with leaven4 ,in both particulars1 it was unlike the ordinary meal-offerings1 because the offering was to represent the ordinary food of the people4 ,accompanied with a sevenfold burnt-offering1 and a sin-offering1 and two lambs of peace-offerings1 these were to be waved before the ,lord for their acceptance1 after the manner of the wave-sheaf 7vv4 #ah-bj74 ,on the altar they could not come1 because they were baken with leaven4 ,this festival1 as one of the sabbatic series1 celebrated the rest after the labours of the grain harvest1 a symbol of the great sabbatism to follow that harvest which is the end of the age 7,matt4 xiii4 #ci74 ,as a consecration1 it dedicated unto ,god the daily food of the nation for the coming year4 ,as passover reminded them that ,god was the ,creator of ,israel1 so herein1 receiving their daily bread from ,him1 they were reminded that ,he was also the ,sustainer of ,israel2 while the full accompaniment of burnt-offerings and peace-offerings expressed their full consecration and happy state of friendship with ,jehovah1 secured through the expiation of the sin-offering4 ,was this feast also1 like passover1 prophetic8 ,the ,new ,testament is scarcely less clear than in the former case4 ,for after that ,christ1 first having been slain as our ,passover1 had then risen from the dead as the ,firstfruits1 fulfilling the type of the wave-sheaf on the morning of the ,sabbath1 fifty days passed2 and when the day of ,pentecost was fully come1 came that great outpouring of the ,holy ,ghost1 the conversion of three thousand out of many lands 7,acts ii471 and therewith the formation of that ,church of the ,new ,testament whose members the ,apostle ,james declares 7i4 #ah7 to be a kind of firstfruits of ,god's creatures4 ,thus1 as the sheaf had typified ,christ as the ,firstborn from the dead1 the presentation on the day of ,pentecost of the two wave-loaves1 the product of the sheaf of grain1 no less evidently typified the presentation unto ,god of the ,church of the first-born1 the first-fruits of ,christ's death and resurrection1 as constituted on that sacred day4 ,this then was the complete fulfilment of the feast of weeks regarded as a redemptive type1 showing how1 not only rest1 but also redemption was comprehended in the significance of the sabbatic idea4 ,and yet1 that complete redemption was not therewith attained by that ,church of the first-born on ,pentecost was presignified in that the two wave-loaves were to be baken with leaven4 ,the feast of unleavened bread had exhibited the ideal of the ,christian life2 that of firstfruits1 the imperfection of the earthly attainment4 ,on earth the leaven of sin still abides4 ,,the ,,feast ,,of ,,trumpets4 xxiii4 #bc-be4 ,and the ,lord spake unto ,moses1 saying1 ,speak unto the children of ,israel1 saying1 ,in the seventh month1 in the first day of the month1 shall be a solemn rest unto you1 a memorial of blowing of trumpets1 an holy convocation4 ,ye shall do no servile work3 and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the ,lord4 ,by a very natural association of thought1 in ver4 #bb the direction to leave the gleaning of the harvest for the poor and the stranger is repeated verbally from chap4 xix4 #i1 #aj4 ,thereupon we pass from the feast of the seventh week to the solemnities of the seventh month1 in which the series of annual sabbatic seasons ended4 ,it was thus1 by eminence1 the sabbatic season of the year4 ,of the set times of this chapter1 three fell in this month1 and of these1 two--the day of atonement and tabernacles--were of supreme significance3 the former being distinguished by the most august religious solemnity of the year1 the entrance of the high priest into the ,holy of ,holies to make atonement for the sins of the nation2 the latter marking the completion of the ingathering of the products of the year1 with the fruit1 the oil1 and the wine4 ,of this sabbatic month1 it is directed 7vv4 #bc-be7 that the first day be kept as a shabbathon1 a solemn rest1 marked by abstinence from all the ordinary business of life1 and a holy convocation4 ,the special ceremony of the day1 which gave it its name1 is described as a memorial of blowing of trumpets4 ,this blowing of trumpets was a reminder1 not from ,israel to ,god1 as some have fancied1 but from ,god to ,israel4 ,it was an announcement from the ,king of ,israel to ,his people that the glad sabbatic month had begun1 and that the great day of atonement1 and the supreme festivity of the feast of tabernacles1 was now at hand4 ,that the first day of this sabbatic month should be thus sanctified was but according to the ,mosaic principle that the consecration of anything signifies the consecration unto ,god of the whole4 ,if the firstfruit is holy1 so also the lump2 in like manner1 if the first day1 so is the month4 ,trumpets--though not the same probably as used on this occasion--were also blown on other occasions1 and1 in particular1 at the time of each new moon2 but1 according to tradition1 these only by the priests and at the central sanctuary2 while in this feast of trumpets every one blew who would1 and throughout the whole land4 ,,the ,,day ,,of ,,atonement4 xxiii4 #bf-cb4 ,and the ,lord spake unto ,moses1 saying1 ,howbeit on the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement3 it shall be an holy convocation unto you1 and ye shall afflict your souls2 and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the ,lord4 ,and ye shall do no manner of work in that same day3 for it is a day of atonement1 to make atonement for you before the ,lord your ,god4 ,for whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day1 he shall be cut off from his people4 ,and whatsoever soul it be that doeth any manner of work in that same day1 that soul will ,i destroy from among his people4 ,ye shall do no manner of work3 it is a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings4 ,it shall be unto you a sabbath of solemn rest1 and ye shall afflict your souls3 in the ninth day of the month at even1 from even unto even1 shall ye keep your sabbath4 ,after this festival of annunciation1 followed1 on the tenth day of the month1 the great annual day of atonement4 ,this has already come before us 7chap4 xiii47 in its relation to the sacrificial system1 of which the sin-offering of this day was the culmination4 ,but this chapter brings it before us in another aspect1 namely1 in its relation to the annual septenary series of sacred seasons1 the final festival of which it preceded and introduced4 ,its significance1 as thus coming in this final seventh and sabbatic month of the ecclesiastical year1 lay not merely in the strictness of the rest which was commanded 7vv4 #bh-cj7 from every manner of work1 but1 still more1 in that it expressed in a far higher degree than any other festival the other sabbatic idea of complete restoration brought in through expiation for sin4 ,this was indeed the central thought of the whole ceremonial of the day1--the complete removal of all those sins of the nation which stood between them and ,god1 and hindered complete restoration to ,god's favour4 ,and while this restoration was symbolised by the sacrifice of the sin-offering1 and its presentation and acceptance before ,jehovah in the ,holy of ,holies2 yet1 that none might hence argue from the fact of atonement to license to sin1 it was ordained 7ver4 #bg7 that the people should afflict their souls1 namely1 by fasting1#db in token of their penitence for the sins for which atonement was made2 and the absolute necessity of this condition of repentance in order to any benefit from the high-priestly sacrifice and intercession was further emphasised by the solemn threat 7ver4 #bi73 ,whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day1 he shall be cut off from his people4 #db ,compare ,isa4 lviii4 #c-g1 ,zech4 vii4 #e1 where the necessity of the inward sorrow for sin and turning unto ,god1 in connection with this fast of the seventh month1 is solemnly urged upon ,israel4 ,these then were the lessons--lessons of transcendent moment for all people and all ages--which were set forth in the great atonement of the sabbatic month1--the complete removal of sin by an expiatory offering1 conditioned on the part of the worshipper by the obedience of faith and sincere repentance for the sin1 and issuing in rest and full establishment in ,god's loving favour4 ,,the ,,feast ,,of ,,tabernacles4 xxiii4 #cc-dc4 ,and the ,lord spake unto ,moses1 saying1 ,speak unto the children of ,israel1 saying1 ,on the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the ,lord4 ,on the first day shall be an holy convocation3 ye shall do no servile work4 ,seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the ,lord3 on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you2 and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the ,lord3 it is a solemn assembly2 ye shall do no servile work4 ,these are the set feasts of the ,lord1 which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations1 to offer an offering made by fire unto the ,lord1 a burnt offering1 and a meal offering1 a sacrifice1 and drink offerings1 each on its own day3 beside the sabbaths of the ,lord1 and beside your gifts1 and beside all your vows1 and beside all your freewill offerings1 which ye give unto the ,lord4 ,howbeit on the fifteenth day of the seventh month1 when ye have gathered in the fruits of the land1 ye shall keep the feast of the ,lord seven days3 on the first day shall be a solemn rest1 and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest4 ,and ye shall take you on the first day the fruit of goodly trees1 branches of palm trees1 and boughs of thick trees1 and willows of the brook2 and ye shall rejoice before the ,lord your ,god seven days4 ,and ye shall keep it a feast unto the ,lord seven days in the year3 it is a statute for ever in your generations3 ye shall keep it in the seventh month4 ,ye shall dwell in booths seven days2 all that are homeborn in ,israel shall dwell in booths3 that your generations may know that ,i made the children of ,israel to dwell in booths1 when ,i brought them out of the land of ,egypt3 ,i am the ,lord your ,god4 ,the sin of ,israel having been thus removed1 the last and the greatest of all the feasts followed--the feast of tabernacles or ingathering4 ,it occupied a full week 7ver4 #cd71 from the fifteenth to the twenty-second of the month1 the first day being signalised by a holy convocation and abstinence from all servile work 7ver4 #ce74 ,two reasons are indicated1 here and elsewhere1 for the observance3 the one1 natural 7ver4 #ci71 the completed ingathering of the products of the year2 the other1 historical 7vv4 #db1 #dc71--;it was to be a memorial of the days when ,israel dwelt in booths in the wilderness4 ,both ideas were represented in the direction 7ver4 #dj7 that they should take on the first day the fruit of goodly trees1 branches of palm trees1 and boughs of thick trees1 and willows of the brook1 fitly symbolising the product of the vine and the fruit-trees which were harvested in this month2 and1 making booths of these1 all were to dwell in these tabernacles1 and rejoice before the ,lord their ,god seven days4 ,and to this the historical reason is added1 that your generations may know that ,i made the children of ,israel to dwell in booths1 when ,i brought them out of the land of ,egypt4 ,no one need feel any difficulty in seeing in this a connection with similar harvest and vintage customs among other peoples of that time4 ,that other nations had festivities of this kind at that time1 was surely no reason why ,god should not order these to be taken up into the ,mosaic law1 elevated in their significance1 and sanctified to higher ends4 ,nothing could be more fitting than that the completion of the ingathering of the products of the year should be celebrated as a time of rejoicing and a thanksgiving day before ,jehovah4 ,indeed1 so natural is such a festivity to religious minds1 that--as is well known--in the first instance1 ,new ,england1 and then1 afterward1 the whole ,united ,states1 and also the ,dominion of ,canada1 have established the observance of an annual ,thanksgiving ,day in the latter part of the autumn1 which is observed by public religious services1 by suspension of public business1 and as a glad day of reunion of kindred and friends4 ,it is interesting to observe how this last feature of the day is also mentioned in the case of this ,hebrew feast1 in the later form of the law 7,deut4 xvi4 #ac-ae73 ,after that thou hast gathered in from thy threshing-floor and from thy winepress 444 thou shalt rejoice in thy feast1 thou1 and thy son1 and thy daughter1 and thy manservant1 and thy maidservant1 and the ,levite1 and the stranger1 and the fatherless1 and the widow1 that are within thy gates1 444 and thou shalt be altogether joyful4 ,the chief sentiment of the feast was thus joy and thanksgiving to ,god as the ,giver of all good4 ,yet the joy was not to be merely natural and earthly1 but spiritual2 they were to rejoice 7ver4 #dj7 before the ,lord4 ,and the thanksgiving was not to be expressed merely in words1 but in deeds4 ,the week1 we are elsewhere told1 was signalised by the largest burnt-offerings of any of the feasts1 consisting of a total of seventy bullocks1 beginning with thirteen on the first day1 and diminishing by one each day2 while these again were accompanied daily by burnt-offerings of fourteen lambs and two rams1 the double of what was enjoined even for the week of unleavened bread1 with meal-offerings and drink-offerings in proportion4 ,nor was this outward ritual expression of thanksgiving enough2 for their gratitude was to be further attested by taking into their glad festivities the ,levite who had no portion1 the fatherless and the widow1 and even the stranger4 ,it is not hard to see the connection of all this with the historical reference to the days of their wilderness journeyings4 ,lest they might forget ,god in nature1 they were to recall to mind1 by their dwelling in booths1 the days when they had no houses1 and no fields nor crops1 when1 notwithstanding1 none the less easily the ,almighty ,god of ,israel fed them with manna which they knew not1 that ,he might make them to know that man doth not live by bread only1 but by every thing that proceedeth out of the mouth of the ,lord 7,deut4 viii4 #c74 ,there is1 indeed1 no better illustration of the intention of this part of the feast than those words with their context as they occur in ,deuteronomy4 ,the ceremonies of the feast of tabernacles having been completed with the appointed seven days1 there followed an eighth day1--an holy convocation1 a festival of solemn rest 7vv4 #cf1 #ci74 ,this last day of holy solemnity and joy1 to which a special name is given1 is properly to be regarded1 not as a part of the feast of tabernacles merely1 but as celebrating the termination of the whole series of sabbatic times from the first to the seventh month4 ,no ceremonial is here enjoined except the holy convocation1 and the offering of an offering made by fire unto the ,lord1 with abstinence from all servile work4 ,,typical ,,meaning ,,of ,,the ,,feasts ,,of ,,the ,,seventh ,,month4 ,we have already seen that the earlier feasts of the year were also prophetic2 that ,passover and ,unleavened ,bread pointed forward to ,christ1 our ,passover1 slain for us2 ,pentecost1 to the spiritual ingathering of the firstfruits of the world's harvest1 fifty days after the presentation of our ,lord in resurrection1 as the wave-sheaf of the firstfruits4 ,we may therefore safely infer that these remaining feasts of the seventh month must be typical also4 ,but1 if so1 typical of what8 ,two things may be safely said in this matter4 ,the significance of the three festivals of this seventh month must be interpreted in harmony with what has already passed into fulfilment2 and1 in the second place1 inasmuch as the feast of trumpets1 the day of atonement1 and the feast of tabernacles all belong to the seventh and last month of the ecclesiastical year1 they must find their fulfilment in connection with what ,scripture calls the last times4 ,keeping the first point in view1 we may then safely say that if ,pentecost typified the firstfruits of the world's harvest in the ingathering of an election from all nations1 the feast of tabernacles must then typify the completion of that harvest in a spiritual ingathering1 final and universal4 ,not only so1 but1 inasmuch as in the antitypical fulfilment of the wave-sheaf in the resurrection of our ,lord1 we were reminded that the consummation of the new creation is in resurrection from the dead1 and that in regeneration is therefore involved resurrection1 hence the feast of tabernacles1 as celebrating the absolute completion of the year's harvest1 must typify also the resurrection season1 when all that are ,christ's shall rise from the dead at ,his coming4 ,and1 finally1 whereas this means for the now burdened earth permanent deliverance from the curse1 and the beginning of a new age thus signalised by glorious life in resurrection1 in which are enjoyed the blessed fruits of life's labours and pains for ,christ1 this was shadowed forth by the ordinance that immediately upon the seven days of tabernacles should follow a feast of the eighth day1 the first day of a new week1 in celebration of the beginning season of rest from all the labours of the field4 ,most beautifully1 thus regarded1 does all else connected with the feast of tabernacles correspond1 as type to antitype1 to the revelation of the last things1 and therein reveal its truest and deepest spiritual significance3 the joy1 the reunion1 the rejoicing with son and with daughter1 the fulness of gladness also for the widow and the fatherless2 and this1 not only for those in ,israel1 but also for the stranger1 not of ,israel1--for ,gentile as well as ,israelite was to have part in the festivity of that day2 and1 again1 the full attainment of the most complete consecration1 signified in the ten-fold burnt-offering2--all finds its place here4 ,and so now we can see why it was that our ,saviour declared 7,matt4 xiii4 #ci7 that the end of this present age should be the time of harvest2 and how ,paul1 looking at the future spiritual ingathering1 places the ingathering of the ,gentiles 7,rom4 xi4 #be7 as one of the last things4 ,in full accord with this interpretation of the typical significance of this feast it is that in ,zech4 xiv4 we find it written that in the predicted day of the ,lord1 when 7ver4 #e7 the ,lord shall come1 and all the holy ones with ,him1 and 7ver4 #i7 the ,lord shall be ,king over all the earth2 444 the ,lord 444 one1 and ,his name one1 then 7ver4 #af7 every one that is left of all the nations 444 shall go up from year to year to worship the ,king1 the ,lord of hosts1 and to keep the feast of tabernacles2 and1 moreover1 that so completely shall consecration be realised in that day that 7ver4 #bj7 even upon the bells of the horses shall the words be inscribed1 ,,holy ,,unto ,,the ,,lord6 ,but before the joyful feast of tabernacles could be celebrated1 the great1 sorrowful day of atonement must be kept1--a season marked1 on the one hand1 by affliction of soul throughout all ,israel2 on the other1 by the complete putting away of the sin of the nation for the whole year1 through the presentation of the blood of the sin-offering by the high priest1 within the veil before the mercy seat4 ,now1 if the feast of tabernacles has been correctly interpreted1 as presignifying in symbol the completion of the great world harvest in the end of the age1 does the prophetic word reveal anything in connection with the last things as preceding that great harvest1 and1 in some sense1 preparing for and ushering in that day1 which should be the antitype of the great day of atonement8 ,one can hardly miss of the answer4 ,for precisely that which the prophets and apostles both represent as the event which shall usher in that great day of final ingathering and of blessed resurrection rest and joy in consummated redemption1 is the national repentance of ,israel1 and the final cleansing of their age-long sin4 ,in the type1 two things are conspicuous3 the great sorrowing of the nation and the great atonement putting away all ,israel's sin4 ,and two things1 in like manner1 are conspicuous in the prophetic pictures of the antitype1 namely1 ,israel's heart-broken repentance1 and the removal thereupon of ,israel's sin2 their cleansing in the fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness4 ,as ,zechariah puts it 7xii4 #aj1 xiii4 #a71 ,i will pour upon the house of ,david1 and upon the inhabitants of ,jerusalem1 the spirit of grace and of supplication2 and they shall look unto me whom they have pierced3 and they shall mourn for him1 as one mourneth for his only son2 and in that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of ,david and to the inhabitants of ,jerusalem1 for sin and for uncleanness4 ,and the relation of this cleansing of ,israel to the days of blessing which follow is most explicitly set forth by the ,apostle ,paul1 in these words concerning ,israel 7,rom4 xi4 #ab1 #ae71 ,if their fall is the riches of the world1 and their loss the riches of the ,gentiles2 how much more their fulness8 ,if the casting away of them is the reconciling of the world1 what shall the receiving of them be1 but life from the dead8 ,so far1 then1 all seems clear4 ,but the feast of trumpets yet remains to be explained4 ,has ,holy ,scripture predicted anything1 falling in the period between ,pentecost and the repentance of ,israel1 but specially belonging to the last things1 which might with reason be regarded as the antitype of this joyful feast of trumpets8 ,here1 again1 it is not easy to go far astray4 ,for the essential idea of the trumpet call is announcement1 proclamation4 ,from time to time all through the year the trumpet-call was heard in ,israel2 but on this occasion it became the feature of the day1 and was universal throughout their land4 ,and1 as we have seen1 its special significance for that time was to announce that the day of atonement and the feast of ingathering1 which typified the full consummation of the kingdom of ,god1 were now at hand4 ,one can thus hardly fail to think at once of that other event which1 according to our ,lord's express word 7,matt4 xxiv4 #ad71 is immediately to precede the end1 namely1 the universal proclamation of the ,gospel3 ,this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations2 and then shall the end come4 ,as throughout the year1 from time to time1 the trumpet call was heard in ,israel1 but only in connection with the central sanctuary2 but now in all the land1 as the chief thing in the celebration of the day which ushered in the final sabbatic month1 precisely so in the antitype4 ,all through the ages has the ,gospel been sounded forth1 but in a partial and limited way2 but at the time of the end the proclamation shall become universal4 ,and thus and then shall the feast of trumpets also1 like ,passover and ,pentecost1 pass into complete fulfilment1 and be swiftly followed by ,israel's repentance and restoration1 and the consequent reappearing1 as ,peter predicts 7,acts iii4 #ai-ba ,r4,v471 of ,israel's ,high ,priest from within the veil1 and thereupon the harvest of the world1 the resurrection of the just1 and the consummation upon earth of the glorified kingdom of ,god4 ,of many thoughts of a practical kind which this chapter suggests1 we may perhaps well dwell especially on one4 ,the ideal of religious life1 which these set times of the ,lord kept before ,israel1 was a religion of joy4 ,again and again is this spoken of in the accounts of these feasts4 ,this is true even of ,passover1 with which we oftener1 though mistakenly1 connect thoughts of sadness and gloom4 ,yet ,passover was a feast of joy2 it celebrated the birthday of the nation1 and a deliverance unparalleled in history4 ,the only exception to this joyful character in all these sacred times is found in the day of atonement2 but it is itself instructive on the same point1 teaching most clearly that in the ,divine order1 as in the necessity of the case1 the joy in the ,lord1 of which the feast of ingathering was the supreme expression1 must be preceded by and grounded in an accepted expiation and true penitence for sin4 ,so it is still with the religion of the ,bible3 it is a religion of joy4 ,god does not wish us to be gloomy and sad4 ,he desires that we should ever be joyful before ,him1 and thus find by blessed experience that the joy of the ,lord is our strength4 ,also1 in particular1 we do well to observe further that1 inasmuch as all these set times were sabbatic seasons1 joyfulness is inseparably connected with the ,biblical conception of the ,sabbath4 ,this has been too often forgotten2 and the weekly day of sabbatic rest has sometimes been made a day of stern repression and forbidding gloom4 ,how utterly astray are such conceptions from the ,divine ideal1 we shall perhaps the more clearly see when we call to mind the thought which appears more or less distinctly in all these sabbatic seasons1 that every ,sabbath points forward to the eternal joy of the consummated kingdom1 the sabbath rest which remaineth for the people of ,god 7,heb4 iv4 #i74 ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,,the ,,holy ,,light ,,and ,,the ,,shew-,,bread3 ,,the ,,blasphemer',s ,,end4 ,,lev4 xxiv4 #a-bc4 ,it is not easy to determine with confidence the association of thought which occasioned the interposition of this chapter1 with its somewhat disconnected contents1 between chap4 xxiii41 on the set times of holy convocation1 and chap4 xxv41 on the sabbatic and jubilee years1 which latter would seem most naturally to have followed the former immediately1 as relating to the same subject of sacred times4 ,perhaps the best explanation of the connection with the previous chapter is that which finds it in the reference to the olive oil for the lamps and the meal for the shew-bread4 ,the feast of tabernacles1 directions for which had just been given1 celebrated the completed ingathering of the harvest of the year1 both of grain and of fruit2 and here ,israel is told what is to be done with a certain portion of each4 ,,the ,,ordering ,,of ,,the ,,light ,,in ,,the ,,holy ,,place4 xxiv4 #a-d4 ,and the ,lord spake unto ,moses1 saying1 ,command the children of ,israel1 that they bring unto thee pure olive oil beaten for the light1 to cause a lamp to burn continually4 ,without the veil of the testimony1 in the tent of meeting1 shall ,aaron order it from evening to morning before the ,lord continually3 it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations4 ,he shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the ,lord continually4 ,first 7vv4 #a-d7 is given the direction for the ordering of the daily light1 which was to burn from evening until morning in the holy place continually4 ,the people themselves are to furnish the oil for the seven-branched candlestick out of the product of their olive yards4 ,the oil is to be pure1 carefully cleansed from leaves and all impurities2 and beaten1 that is1 not extracted by heat and pressure1 as are inferior grades1 but simply by beating and macerating the olives with water1--a process which gives the very best4 ,the point in these specifications is evidently this1 that for this1 as always1 they are to give to ,god's service the very best1--an eternal principle which rules in all acceptable service to ,god4 ,the oil is to come from the people in general1 so that the illuminating of the ,holy ,place1 although specially tended by the high priest1 is yet constituted a service in which all the children of ,israel have some part4 ,the oil was to be used to supply the seven lamps upon the golden candlestick which was placed on the south side of the ,holy ,place1 without the veil of the testimony1 in the tent of meeting4 ,this ,aaron was to order from evening to morning before the ,lord continually4 ,according to ,exod4 xxv4 #ca-dj1 this candlestick--or1 more properly1 lampstand--was made of a single shaft1 with three branches on either side1 each with a cup at the end like an almond blossom2 so that1 with that on the top of the central shaft1 it was a stand of seven lamps1 in a conventional imitation of an almond tree4 ,the significance of the symbol is brought clearly before us in ,zech4 iv4 #a-ad1 where the seven-branched candlestick symbolises ,israel as the congregation of ,god1 the giver of the light of life to the world4 ,and yet a lamp can burn only as it is supplied with oil and trimmed and cared for4 ,and so in the symbol of ,zechariah the prophet sees the golden candlestick supplied with oil conveyed through two golden pipes into which flowed the golden oil1 mysteriously self-distilled from two olive trees on either side the candlestick4 ,and the explanation given is this3 ,not by might1 nor by power1 but by ,my ,spirit1 saith the ,lord4 ,thus we learn that the golden seven-branched lampstand denotes ,israel1 more precious than gold in ,god's sight1 appointed of ,him to be the giver of light to the world4 ,and yet by this requisition of oil for the golden candlestick the nation was reminded that their power to give light was dependent upon the supply of the heavenly grace of ,god's ,spirit1 and the continual ministrations of the priest in the ,holy ,place4 ,and how this ordering of the light might be a symbolic act of worship1 we can at once see1 when we recall the word of ,jesus 7,matt4 v4 #ad1 #af73 ,ye are the light of the world4444 ,let your light shine before men1 that they may see your good works1 and glorify your ,father which is in heaven4 ,how pertinent for instruction still in all its deepest teaching is this ordinance of the lamp continually burning in the presence of the ,lord1 is vividly brought before us in the ,apocalypse 7i4 #ab1 #ac71 where we read that seven candlesticks appeared in vision to the ,apostle ,john2 and ,christ1 in ,his glory1 robed in high-priestly vesture1 was seen walking up and down1 after the manner of ,aaron1 in the midst of the seven candlesticks1 in care and watch of the manner of their burning4 ,and as to the significance of this vision1 the ,apostle was expressly told 7ver4 #bj7 that the seven candlesticks were the seven ,churches of ,asia1--types of the collective ,church in all the centuries4 ,thus1 as in the language of this ,levitical symbol1 we are taught that in the highest sense it is the office of the ,church to give light in darkness2 but that she can only do this as the heavenly oil is supplied1 and each lamp is cared for1 by the high-priestly ministrations of her risen ,lord4 ,,the ,,bread ,,of ,,the ,,presence4 xxiv4 #e-i4 ,and thou shall take fine flour1 and bake twelve cakes thereof3 two tenth parts of an ephah shall be in one cake4 ,and thou shalt set them in two rows1 six on a row1 upon the pure table before the ,lord4 ,and thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row1 that it may be to the bread for a memorial1 even an offering made by fire unto the ,lord4 ,every sabbath day he shall set it in order before the ,lord continually2 it is on the behalf of the children of ,israel1 an everlasting covenant4 ,and it shall be for ,aaron and his sons2 and they shall eat it in a holy place3 for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the ,lord made by fire by a perpetual statute4 ,next follows the ordinance for the preparation and presentation of the shew-bread1 lit41 bread of the ,face1 or ,presence1 sc4 of ,god4 ,this was to consist of twelve cakes1 each to be made of two tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour1 which was to be placed in two rows or piles1 upon the pure table of gold that stood before the ,lord1 in the ,holy ,place1 opposite to the golden candlestick4 ,on each pile was to be placed 7ver4 #g7 pure frankincense1--doubtless1 as tradition says1 placed in the golden spoons1 or little cups 7,exod4 xxxvii4 #af74 ,every sabbath 7vv4 #h1 #i7 fresh bread was to be so placed1 when the old became the food of ,aaron and his sons only1 as belonging to the order of things most holy2 the frankincense which had been its memorial having been first burned1 an offering made by fire unto the ,lord 7ver4 #g74 ,tradition adds that the bread was always unleavened2 a few have called this in question1 but this has been only on theoretic grounds1 and without evidence2 and when we remember how stringent was the prohibition of leaven even in any offerings made by fire upon the altar of the outer court1 much less is it likely that it could have been tolerated here in the ,holy ,place immediately before the veil4 ,this bread of the ,presence must be regarded as in its essential nature a perpetual meal-offering1--the meal-offering of the ,holy ,place1 as the others were of the outer court4#dc ,the material was the same1 cakes of fine flour2 to this frankincense must be added as a memorial1 as in the meal-offerings of the outer court4 ,such part of the offering as was not burned1 as in the case of the others1 was to be eaten by the priests only1 as a thing most holy4 ,it differed from those in that there were always the twelve cakes1 one for each tribe2 and in that while they were repeatedly offered1 this lay before the ,lord continually4 ,the altar of burnt-offering might sometimes be empty of the meal-offering1 but the table of shew-bread1 the table of the ,presence1 never4 #dc ,see ,kurtz1 ,der ,alttestamentliche ,opfercultus1 p4 #bga4 ,in general1 therefore1 the meaning of the offering of the shew-bread must be the same as that of the meal-offerings2 like them it symbolised the consecration unto the ,lord of the product of the labour of the hands1 and especially of the daily food as prepared for use4 ,but in this1 by the twelve cakes for the twelve tribes it was emphasised that ,god requires1 not only such consecration of service and acknowledgment of ,him from individuals1 as in the law of chap4 ii41 but from the nation in its collective and organised capacity2 and that not merely on such occasions as pious impulse might direct1 but continuously4 ,in these days1 when the tendency among us is to an extreme individualism1 and therewith to an ignoring or denial of any claim of ,god upon nations and communities as such1 it is of great need to insist upon this thought thus symbolised4 ,it was not enough in ,god's sight that individual ,israelites should now and then offer their meal-offerings2 the ,lord required a meal-offering on behalf of the children of ,israel as a whole1 and of each particular tribe of the twelve1 each in its corporate capacity4 ,there is no reason to think that in the ,divine government the principle which took this symbolical expression is obsolete4 ,it is not enough that individuals among us consecrate the fruit of their labours to the ,lord4 ,the ,lord requires such consecration of every nation collectively2 and of each of the subdivisions in that nation1 such as cities1 towns1 states1 provinces1 and so on4 ,yet where in the wide world can we see one such consecrated nation8 ,can we find one such consecrated province or state1 or even such a city or town8 ,where then1 from this biblical and spiritual point of view1 is the ground for the religious boasting of the ,christian progress of our day which one sometimes hears8 ,must we not say1 ,it is excluded8 ,typically1 the shew-bread1 like the other meal-offerings with their frankincense1 must foreshadow the work of the ,messiah in holy consecration2 and1 in particular1 as the ,one in whom the ideal of ,israel was perfectly realised1 and who thus represented in ,his person the whole ,israel of ,god4 ,but the bread of the ,presence represents ,his holy obedience in self-consecration1 not merely1 as in the other meal-offerings1 presented in the outer court1 in the sight of men1 as in ,his earthly life2 but here1 rather1 as continually presented before the ,face of ,god1 in the ,holy ,place1 where ,christ appears in the presence of ,god for us4 ,and in this symbolism1 which has been already justified1 we may recognise the element of truth that there is in the view held by ,bhr1#dd apparently1 as by others1 that the shew-bread typified ,christ ,himself regarded as the bread of life to ,his people4 ,not indeed1 precisely1 that ,christ ,himself is brought before us here1 but rather ,his holy obedience1 continually offered unto ,god in the heavenly places1 in behalf of the true ,israel1 and as sealing and confirming the everlasting covenant2--this is what this symbol brings before us4 ,and it is as we by faith appropriate ,him1 as thus ever presenting ,his holy life to ,god for us1 that ,he becomes for us the ,bread of ,life4 #dd ,symbolik des ,mosischen ,cultus1 erster ,band1 pp4 #dbh-dcb4 ,,the ,,penalty ,,of ,,blasphemy4 xxiv4 #aj-bc4 ,and the son of an ,israelitish woman1 whose father was an ,egyptian1 went out among the children of ,israel3 and the son of the ,israelitish woman and a man of ,israel strove together in the camp2 and the son of the ,israelitish woman blasphemed the ,name1 and cursed3 and they brought him unto ,moses4 ,and his mother's name was ,shelomith1 the daughter of ,dibri1 of the tribe of ,dan4 ,and they put him in ward1 that it might be declared unto them at the mouth of the ,lord4 ,and the ,lord spake unto ,moses1 saying1 ,bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp2 and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head1 and let all the congregation stone him4 ,and thou shalt speak unto the children of ,israel1 saying1 ,whosoever curseth his ,god shall bear his sin4 ,and he that blasphemeth the name of the ,lord1 he shall surely be put to death2 all the congregation shall certainly stone him3 as well the stranger1 as the homeborn1 when he blasphemeth the name of the ,lord1 shall be put to death4 ,and he that smiteth any man mortally shall surely be put to death2 and he that smiteth a beast mortally shall make it good3 life for life4 ,and if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour2 as he hath done1 so shall it be done to him2 breach for breach1 eye for eye1 tooth for tooth3 as he hath caused a blemish in a man1 so shall it be rendered unto him4 ,and he that killeth a beast shall make it good3 and he that killeth a man shall be put to death4 ,ye shall have one manner of law1 as well for the stranger1 as for the homeborn3 for ,i am the ,lord your ,god4 ,and ,moses spake to the children of ,israel1 and they brought forth him that had cursed out of the camp1 and stoned him with stones4 ,and the children of ,israel did as the ,lord commanded ,moses4 ,the connection of this section with the preceding context is now impossible to determine4 ,very possibly its insertion here may be due to the occurrence here described having taken place at the time of the delivery of the preceding laws concerning the oil for the golden lampstand and the shew-bread4 ,however1 the purport and intention of the narrative is very plain1 namely1 to record the law delivered by the ,lord for the punishment of blasphemy2 and therewith also ,his command that the penalty of broken law1 both in this case and in others specified1 should be exacted both from native ,israelites and from foreigners alike4 ,the incident which was the occasion of the promulgation of these laws was as follows4 ,the son of an ,israelitish woman by an ,egyptian husband fell into a quarrel in the camp4 ,as often happens in such cases1 the one sin led on to another and yet graver sin2 the half-caste man blasphemed the ,name1 and cursed2 whereupon he was arrested and put into confinement until the will of the ,lord might be ascertained in his case4 ,the ,name is of course the name of ,god2 the meaning is that he used the holy name profanely in cursing4 ,the passage1 together with ver4 #af1 is of special and curious as upon these two the ,jews have based their well-known belief that it is unlawful to utter the ,name which we commonly vocalise as ,jehovah2 whence it has followed that wherever in the ,hebrew text the ,name occurs it is written with the vowels of ,adony1 ,lord1 to indicate to the reader that this word was to be substituted for the proper name1--a usage which is represented in the ,septuagint by the appearance of the ,greek word ,kurios1 ,lord1 in all places where the ,hebrew has ,jehovah 7or ,yhveh72 and which1 in both the authorised and revised versions1 is still maintained in the retention of ,lord in all such cases1--a relic of ,jewish superstition which one could greatly wish that the ,revisers had banished from the ,english version1 especially as in many passages it totally obscures to the ,english reader the exact sense of the text1 wherever it turns upon the choice of this name4 ,it is indeed true that the word rendered blaspheme has the meaning to pronounce1 as the ,targumists and other ,hebrew writers render it2 but that it also means simply to revile1 and in many places cannot possibly be rendered to pronounce1 is perforce admitted even by ,jewish scholars4#de ,to give it the other meaning here were so plainly foreign to the spirit of the ,old ,testament1 debasing reverence to superstition1 that no argument against it will be required with any but a ,jew4 #de ,see1 e4g41 ,rabbi ,dr4 ,j4 ,levy1 ,chaldisches ,wrterbuch1 zweiter ,band1 pp4 #cja1 #cjb2 and compare ,numb4 xxiii4 #h1 ,prov4 xi4 #bf1 xxiv4 #bd1 where the same ,hebrew word is used4 ,and this young man1 in the heat of his passion1 reviled the ,name4 ,the words of the ,lord are not in the ,hebrew2 the name ,jehovah is thus brought before us expressively as ,,the ,,name1 par excellence1 of ,god1 as revealing ,himself in covenant for man's redemption4#df ,horrified at the man's wickedness1 they brought him unto ,moses2 and they put him in ward 7ver4 #ab71 that it might be declared unto them at the mouth of the ,lord what should be done unto him4 ,this was necessary because the case involved two points upon which no revelation had been made3 first1 as to what should be the punishment of blasphemy2 and secondly1 whether the law in such cases applied to a foreigner as well as to the native ,israelite4 ,the answer of ,god decided these points4 ,as to the first 7ver4 #ae71 ,whosoever curseth his ,god shall bear his sin1 i4e41 he shall be held subject to punishment2 and 7ver4 #af71 ,he that blasphemeth the name of the ,lord1 he shall surely be put to death2 all the congregation shall certainly stone him4 ,and as to the second point1 it is added1 as well the stranger1 as the homeborn1 when he blasphemeth the ,name1 shall be put to death4 #df ,cf4 the expression used with reference to ,jesus ,christ1 ,phil4 ii4 #i 7,r4,v471 the name which is above every name4 ,then follows 7vv4 #ag-ba7 a declaration of penalties for murder1 for killing a neighbour's beast1 and for inflicting a bodily injury on one's neighbour4 ,these were to be settled on the principle of the lex talionis1 life for life1 breach for breach1 eye for eye1 tooth for tooth2 in the case of the beast killed1 its value was to be made good to the owner4 ,all these laws had been previously given 7,exod4 xxi4 #ab1 #bc-cf72 but are repeated here plainly for the purpose of expressly ordering that these laws1 like that now declared for blasphemy1 were to be applied alike to the home-born and the stranger 7ver4 #bb74 ,much cavil have these laws occasioned1 the more so that ,christ ,himself is cited as having condemned them in the ,sermon on the ,mount 7,matt4 v4 #ch-db74 ,but how little difficulty really exists here will appear from the following considerations4 ,the ,jews from of old have maintained that the law of an eye for eye1 as here given1 was not intended to authorise private and irresponsible retaliation in kind1 but only after due trial and by legal process4 ,moreover1 even in such cases1 they have justly remarked that the law here given was not meant to be applied always with the most exact literality2 but that it was evidently intended to permit the commutation of the penalty by such a fine as the judges might determine4 ,they justly argue from the explicit prohibition of the acceptance of any such satisfaction in commutation in the case of a murderer 7,numb4 xxxv4 #ca1 #cb7 that this implies the permission of it in the instances here mentioned2--a conclusion the more necessary when it is observed that the literal application of the law in all cases would often result in defeating the very ends of exact justice which it was evidently intended to secure4 ,for instance1 the loss by a one-eyed man of his only eye1 under such an interpretation1 would be much more than an equivalent for the loss of an eye which he had inflicted upon a neighbour who had both eyes4 ,hence1 ,jewish history contains no record of the literal application of the law in such cases2 the principle is applied as often among ourselves1 in the exaction from an offender of a pecuniary satisfaction proportioned to the degree of the disability he has inflicted upon his neighbour4 ,finally1 as regards the words of our ,saviour1 that ,he did not intend ,his words to be taken in their utmost stretch of literality in all cases1 is plain from ,his own conduct when smitten by the order of the high priest 7,john xviii4 #bc71 and from the statement that the magistrate is endowed with the sword1 as a servant of ,god1 to be a terror to evil-doers 7,rom4 xiii4 #d72 from which it is plain that ,christ did not mean to prohibit the resort to judicial process under all circumstances1 but rather the spirit of retaliation and litigation which sought to justify itself by a perverse appeal to this law of an eye for eye2--a law which1 in point of fact1 was given1 as ,augustine has truly observed1 not as an incitement to1 but for the mitigation of wrath4 ,the narrative then ends with the statement 7ver4 #bc7 that ,moses delivered this law to the children of ,israel1 who then1 according to the commandment of the ,lord1 took the blasphemer out of the camp1 when all that heard him blaspheme laid their hands upon his head1 in token that they thus devolved on him the responsibility for his own death2 and then the congregation stoned the criminal with stones that he died 7ver4 #bc74 ,the chief lesson to be learned from this incident and from the law here given is very plain4 ,it is the high criminality in ,god's sight of all irreverent use of ,his holy name4 ,to a great extent in earlier days this was recognised by ,christian governments2 and in the ,middle ,ages the penalty of blasphemy in many states of ,christendom1 as in the ,mosaic code and in many others1 although not death1 was yet exceedingly severe4 ,the present century1 however1 has seen a great relaxation of law1 and still more of public sentiment1 in regard to this crime1--a change which1 from a ,christian point of view1 is a matter for anything but gratulation4 ,reverence for ,god lies at the very foundation of even common morality4 ,our modern atheism and agnosticism may indeed deny this1 and yet1 from the days of the ,french ,revolution to the present1 modern history has been presenting1 in one land and another1 illustrations of the fact which are pregnant with most solemn warning4 ,and while no one could wish that the crime of blasphemy should be punished with torture and cruelty1 as in some instances in the ,middle ,ages1 yet the more deeply one thinks on this subject in the light of the ,scripture and of history1 the more1 if we mistake not1 will it appear that it might be far better for us1 and might argue a far more hopeful and wholesome condition of the public sentiment than that which now exists1 if still1 as in ,mosaic days and sometimes in the ,middle ,ages1 death were made the punishment for this crime2--a crime which not only argues the extreme of depravity in the criminal1 but which1 if overlooked by the ,state1 or expiated with any light penalty1 cannot but operate most fatally by breaking down in the public conscience that profound reverence toward ,god which is the most essential condition of the maintenance of all private and public morality4 ,in this point of view1 not to speak of other considerations1 it is not surprising that the theocratic law here provides that blasphemy shall be punished with death in the case of the foreigner as well as the native ,israelite4 ,this sin1 like those of murder and violence with which it is here conjoined1 is of such a kind that to every conscience which is not hopelessly hardened1 its wickedness must be manifest even from the very light of nature4 ,nature itself is sufficient to teach any one that abuse and calumny of the ,supreme ,god1 the ,maker and ,ruler of the world1--a ,being who1 if ,he exist at all1 must be infinitely good1--must be a sin involving quite peculiar and exceptional guilt4 ,hence1 absolute equity1 no less than governmental wisdom1 demanded that the law regarding blasphemy1 as that with respect to the other crimes here mentioned1 should be impartially enforced upon both the native ,israelite and the foreigner4 ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,,the ,,sabbatic ,,year ,,and ,,the ,,jubilee4 ,,lev4 xxv4 #a-ee4 ,the system of annually recurring sabbatic times1 as given in chap4 xxiii41 culminated in the sabbatic seventh month4 ,but this remarkable system of sabbatisms extended still further1 and1 besides the sacred seventh day1 the seventh week1 and seventh month1 included also a sabbatic seventh year2 and beyond that1 as the ultimate expression of the sabbatic idea1 following the seventh seven of years1 came the hallowed fiftieth year1 known as the jubilee4 ,and the law concerning these two last-named periods is recorded in this twenty-fifth chapter of ,leviticus4 ,first 7vv4 #a-e71 is given the ordinance of the sabbatic seventh year1 in the following words3 ,when ye come into the land which ,i give you1 then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the ,lord4 ,six years thou shalt sow thy field1 and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard1 and gather in the fruits thereof2 but in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land1 a sabbath unto the ,lord3 thou shalt neither sow thy field1 nor prune thy vineyard4 ,that which groweth of itself of thy harvest thou shalt not reap1 and the grapes of thy undressed vine thou shalt not gather3 it shall be a year of solemn rest for the land4 ,this sacred year is thus here described as a sabbath for the land unto the ,lord1--a shabbath shabbathon2 that is1 a sabbath in a special and eminent sense4 ,no public religious gatherings were ordered1 however1 neither was labour of every kind prohibited4 ,it was strictly a year of rest for the land1 and for the people in so far as this was involved in that fact4 ,there was to be no sowing or reaping1 even of what might grow of itself2 no pruning of vineyard or fruit trees1 nor gathering of their fruit4 ,these regulations thus involved the total suspension of agricultural labour for this entire period4 ,it was further ordered 7vv4 #f1 #g7 that during this year the spontaneous produce of the land should be equally free to all1 both man and beast3 ,the sabbath of the land shall be for food for you2 for thee1 and for thy servant and for thy maid1 and for thy hired servant and for thy stranger that sojourn with thee2 and for thy cattle1 and for the beasts that are in thy land1 shall all the increase thereof be for food4 ,that this cannot be regarded as merely a regulation of a communistic character1 designed simply to affirm the absolute equality of all men in right to the product of the soil1 is evident from the fact that the beasts also are included in the terms of the law4 ,the object was quite different1 as we shall shortly see4 ,that it should be regarded as possible for a whole people thus to live off the spontaneous produce of self-sowed grain may seem incredible to us who dwell in less propitious lands2 and yet travellers tell us that in the ,palestine of to-day1 with its rich soil and kindly climate1 the various food grains continuously propagate themselves without cultivation2 and that in ,albania1 also1 two and three successive harvests are sometimes reaped as the result of one sowing4 ,so1 even apart from the special blessing from the ,lord promised to them if they would obey this command1 the supply of at least the necessities of life was possible from the spontaneous product of the sabbath of the land4 ,though less than usual1 it might easily be sufficient4 ,in ,deut4 xv4 #a-aa it is ordered also that the seventh year should be a year of release to the debtor2 not indeed as regards all debts1 but loans only2 nor1 apparently1 that even these should be released absolutely1 but that throughout the seventh year the claim of the creditor was to be in abeyance4 ,the regulation may naturally be regarded as consequent upon this fundamental law regarding the sabbath of the land4 ,the income of the year being much less than usual1 the debtor1 presumably1 might often find it difficult to pay2 whence this restriction on collection of debt during this period4 ,the central thought of this ordinance then is this1 that man's right in the soil and its product1 originally granted from ,god1 during this sabbatic year reverted to the ,giver2 who1 again1 by ordering that all exclusive rights of individuals in the produce of their estates should be suspended for this year1 placed1 for so long1 the rich and the poor on an absolute equality as regards means of sustenance4 ,,the ,,jubilee4 xxv4 #h-ab4 ,and thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee1 seven times seven years2 and there shall be unto thee the days of seven sabbaths of years1 even forty and nine years4 ,then shalt thou send abroad the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month2 in the day of atonement shall ye send abroad the trumpet throughout all your land4 ,and ye shall hallow the fiftieth year1 and proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof3 it shall be a jubilee unto you2 and ye shall return every man unto his possession1 and ye shall return every man unto his family4 ,a jubilee shall that fiftieth year be unto you3 ye shall not sow1 neither reap that which groweth of itself in it1 nor gather the grapes in it of the undressed vines4 ,for it is a jubilee2 it shall be holy unto you3 ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field4 ,the remainder of this chapter1 vv4 #h-ee1 is occupied with this ordinance of the jubilee year2 an observance absolutely without a parallel in any nation1 and which has to do with the solution of some of the most difficult social problems1 not only of that time1 but also of our own4 ,seven weeks of years1 each terminating with the sabbatic year of solemn rest for the land1 were to be numbered1 i4e41 forty-nine full years1 of which the last was a sabbatic year1 beginning1 as always1 with the feast of atonement in the tenth day of the seventh month4 ,and then when1 at its expiration1 the day of atonement came round again1 at the beginning of the fiftieth year of this reckoning1 at the close1 as would appear1 of the solemn expiatory ritual of the day1 throughout all the land of ,israel the loud trumpet was to be sounded1 proclaiming liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof4 ,the ordinance is given in vv4 #h-ab above4 ,it appears that the liberty thus proclaimed was threefold3 7#a7 liberty to the man who1 through the reverses of life1 had become dispossessed from his family inheritance in the land1 to return to it again2 7#b7 liberty to every ,hebrew slave1 so that in the jubilee he became a free man again2 7#c7 the liberty of release from toil in the cultivation of the land1--a feature1 in this case1 even more remarkable than in the sabbatic year1 because already one such sabbatic year had but just closed when the jubilee year immediately succeeded4 ,why this year should be called a jubilee 7,heb4 yobel7 is a vexed question1 on which scholars are far from unanimous2 but as it is of no practical importance1 there is no need to enter on the discussion here4 ,to suppose that these enactments should have originated1 as the radical critics claim1 in post-exilian days1 when1 under the existing social and political conditions1 their observance was impossible1 is utterly absurd4#dg ,not only so1 but in view of the admitted neglect even of the sabbatic year1--an ordinance certainly less difficult to carry out in practice1--during four hundred and ninety years of ,israel's history1 the supposition that the law of the jubilee should have been first promulgated at any earlier post-,mosaic period is scarcely less incredible4 #dg ,thus ,dillmann writes3 ,that the law 7of the jubilee7 in its principal features was already issued by ,moses does not admit of demonstration to him who wills not to believe it2 but that it cannot have been in the first instance the invention of a post-exilian scribe is certain4 ,only in the simpler communal relations of the more ancient time could a law of such an ideal character have seemed practicable2 after the exile1 all the presuppositions involved in its promulgation are wanting 7,die ,bcher ,exodus und ,leviticus1 #b ,aufl41 p4 #fjh74 ,,the ,,jubilee ,,and ,,the ,,land4 xxv4 #ac-bh4 ,in this year of jubilee ye shall return every man unto his possession4 ,and if thou sell aught unto thy neighbour1 or buy of thy neighbour's hand1 ye shall not wrong one another3 according to the number of years after the jubilee thou shalt buy of thy neighbour1 and according unto the number of years of the crops he shall sell unto thee4 ,according to the multitude of the years thou shalt increase the price thereof1 and according to the fewness of the years thou shalt diminish the price of it2 for the number of the crops doth he sell unto thee4 ,and ye shall not wrong one another2 but thou shalt fear thy ,god3 for ,i am the ,lord your ,god4 ,wherefore ye shall do ,my statutes1 and keep ,my judgments and do them2 and ye shall dwell in the land in safety4 ,and the land shall yield her fruit1 and ye shall eat your fill1 and dwell therein in safety4 ,and if ye shall say1 ,what shall we eat the seventh year8 behold1 we shall not sow1 nor gather in our increase3 then ,i will command ,my blessing upon you in the sixth year1 and it shall bring forth fruit for the three years4 ,and ye shall sow the eighth year1 and eat of the fruits1 the old store2 until the ninth year1 until her fruits come in1 ye shall eat the old store4 ,and the land shall not be sold in perpetuity2 for the land is ,mine3 for ye are strangers and sojourners with ,me4 ,and in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land4 ,if thy brother be waxen poor1 and sell some of his possession1 then shall his kinsman that is next unto him come1 and shall redeem that which his brother hath sold4 ,and if a man have no one to redeem it1 and he be waxen rich and find sufficient to redeem it2 then let him count the years of the sale thereof1 and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it2 and he shall return unto his possession4 ,but if he be not able to get it back for himself1 then that which he hath sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until the year of jubilee3 and in the jubilee it shall go out1 and he shall return unto his possession4 ,the remainder of the chapter 7vv4 #ac-ee7 deals with the practical application of this law of the jubilee to various cases4 ,in vv4 #ac-bh we have the application of the law to the case of property in land2 in vv4 #bi-cd1 to sales of dwelling houses2 and the remaining verses 7#ce-ee7 deal with the application of this law to the institution of slavery4 ,as regards the first matter1 the transfers of right in land1 these in all cases were to be governed by the fundamental principle enounced in ver4 #bc3 ,the land shall not be sold in perpetuity2 for the land is ,mine3 for ye are strangers and sojourners with ,me4 ,thus in the theocracy there was no such thing as either private or communal ownership in land4 ,just as in some lands to-day the only owner of the land is the king1 so it was in ,israel2 but in this case the ,king was ,jehovah4 ,from this it follows1 evidently1 that properly speaking1 according to this law1 there could be no such thing in ,israel as a sale or purchase of land4 ,all that any man could buy or sell was the right to its products1 and that1 again1 only for a limited time2 for every fiftieth year the land was to revert to the family to whom its use had been originally assigned4 ,hence the regulations 7vv4 #ad-ai7 regarding such transfers of the right to the use of the land4 ,they are all governed by the simple and equitable principle that the price paid for the usufruct of the land was to be exactly proportioned to the number of years which were to elapse between the date of the sale and the reversion of the land1 which would take place in the jubilee4 ,thus1 the price for such transfer of right in the first year of the jubilee period would be at its maximum1 because the sale covered the right to the produce of the land for forty-nine years2 while1 on the other hand1 in the case of a transfer made in the forty-eighth year1 the price would have fallen to a very small amount1 as only the product of one year's cultivation remained to be sold1 and after the ensuing sabbatic year the land would revert in the jubilee to the original holder4 ,the command to keep in mind this principle1 and not wrong one another1 is enforced 7vv4 #ag-ai7 by the injunction to do this because of the fear of ,god2 and by the promise that if ,israel will obey this law1 they shall dwell in safety1 and have abundance4 ,in vv4 #bd-bh1 after the declaration of the fundamental law that the land belongs only to the ,lord1 and that they are to regard themselves as simply ,his tenants1 sojourners with ,him1 a second application of the law is made4 ,first1 it is ordered that in every case1 and without reference to the year of jubilee1 every landholder who through stress of poverty may be obliged to sell the usufruct of his land shall retain the right to redeem it4 ,three cases are assumed4 ,first 7ver4 #be71 it is ordered that if the poor man have lost his land1 and have a kinsman who is able to redeem it1 he shall do so4 ,secondly 7ver4 #bf71 if he have no such kinsman1 but himself become able to redeem it1 it shall be his privilege to do so4 ,in both cases alike1 the overplus1 i4e41 the value of the land for the years still remaining till the jubilee1 for which the purchaser had paid1 is to be restored to him1 and then the land reverts at once1 without waiting for the jubilee1 to the original proprietor4 ,the third case 7ver4 #bh7 is that of the poor man who has no kinsman to buy back his landholding1 and never becomes able to do so himself4 ,in such a case1 the purchaser was to hold it until the jubilee year1 when the land reverted without compensation to the family of the poor man who had transferred it4 ,that this was strictly equitable is self-evident1 when we remember that1 according to the law previously laid down1 the purchaser had only paid for the value of the product of the land until the jubilee year2 and when he had received its produce for that time1 naturally and in strict equity his right in the land terminated4 ,,the ,,jubilee ,,and ,,dwelling ,,houses4 xxv4 #bi-cd4 ,and if a man sell a dwelling house in a walled city1 then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold2 for a full year shall he have the right of redemption4 ,and if it be not redeemed within the space of a full year1 then the house that is in the walled city shall be made sure in perpetuity to him that bought it1 throughout his generations3 it shall not go out in the jubilee4 ,but the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be reckoned with the fields of the country3 they may be redeemed1 and they shall go out in the jubilee4 ,nevertheless the cities of the ,levites1 the houses of the cities of their possession1 may the ,levites redeem at any time4 ,and if one of the ,levites redeem not1 then the house that was sold1 and the city of his possession1 shall go out in the jubilee3 for the houses of the cities of the ,levites are their possession among the children of ,israel4 ,but the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold2 for it is their perpetual possession4 ,in vv4 #bi-cd is considered the application of the jubilee ordinance to the sale of dwelling houses3 first 7vv4 #bi-ca71 to such sale in case of the people generally2 secondly 7vv4 #cb-cd71 to sales of houses by the ,levites4 ,under the former head we have first the law as regards sales of dwelling houses in walled cities2 to which it is ordered that the law of reversion in the jubilee shall not apply1 and for which the right of redemption was only to hold valid for one year4 ,the obvious reason for exempting houses in cities from the law of reversion is that the law has to do only with land such as may be used in a pastoral or agricultural way for man's support4 ,and this explains why1 on the other hand1 it is next ordered 7ver4 #ca7 that in the case of houses in unwalled villages the law of redemption and reversion in the jubilee shall apply as well as to the land4 ,for the inhabitants of the villages were the herdsmen and cultivators of the soil2 and the house was regarded rightly as a necessary attachment to the land1 without which its use would not be possible4 ,but inasmuch as ,god had assigned no landholding to the ,levites in the original distribution of the land1--and apart from their houses they had no possession 7ver4 #cc71--;in order to secure them in the privilege of a permanent holding1 such as others enjoyed in their lands1 it was ordered that in their case their houses1 as being their only possession in real estate1 should be treated as were the landholdings of members of the other tribes4#dh #dh ,the interpretation of ver4 #cc presents a difficulty which1 if the rendering retained in the text by the ,revisers be accepted1 is hard to resolve4 ,but if we assume that a negative has fallen out of the first clause in the received text1 and read with the ,vulgate1 as given in the margin of the ,revised ,version1 if one of the ,levites redeem not1 all becomes clear4 ,in the exposition we have ventured to assume in this instance the correctness of the ,vulgate4 ,the relation of the jubilee law to personal rights in the land having been thus determined and expounded1 in the next place 7vv4 #ce-ee7 is considered the application of the law to slavery4 ,quite naturally1 this section begins 7vv4 #ce-cg7 with a general injunction to assist and deal mercifully with any brother who has become poor4 ,if thy brother be waxen poor1 and his hand fail with thee2 then thou shalt uphold him3 as a stranger and a sojourner shall he live with thee4 ,take thou no usury of him or increase2 but fear thy ,god3 that thy brother may live with thee4 ,thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury1 nor give him thy victuals for increase4 ,the evident object of this law is to prevent1 as far as possible1 that extreme of poverty which might compel a man to sell himself in order to live4 ,debt is a burden in any case1 to a poor man especially2 but debt is the heavier burden when to the original debt is added the constant payment of interest4 ,hence1 not merely usury in the modern sense of excessive interest1 but it is forbidden to claim or take any interest whatever from any ,hebrew debtor4 ,on the same principle1 it is forbidden to take increase for food which may be lent to a poor brother2 as when one lets a man have twenty bushels of wheat on condition that in due time he shall return for it twenty-two4 ,this command is enforced 7ver4 #ch7 by reminding them from whom they have received what they have1 and on what easy terms1 as a gift2 from their covenant ,god1 who is ,himself their security that by so doing they shall not lose3 ,i am the ,lord your ,god1 which brought you forth out of the land of ,egypt1 to give you the land of ,canaan1 to be your ,god4 ,they need not therefore have recourse to the exaction of interest and increase from their poor brethren in order to make a living1 but are to be merciful1 even as ,jehovah their ,god is merciful4 ,,the ,,jubilee ,,and ,,slavery4 xxv4 #ci-ee4 ,and if thy brother be waxen poor with thee1 and sell himself unto thee2 thou shalt not make him to serve as a bondservant3 as an hired servant1 and as a sojourner1 he shall be with thee2 he shall serve with thee unto the year of jubilee3 then shall he go out from thee1 he and his children with him1 and shall return unto his own family1 and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return4 ,for they are ,my servants1 which ,i brought forth out of the land of ,egypt3 they shall not be sold as bondmen4 ,thou shalt not rule over him with rigour2 but shalt fear thy ,god4 ,and as for thy bondmen1 and thy bondmaids1 which thou shalt have2 of the nations that are round about you1 of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids4 ,moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you1 of them shall ye buy1 and of their families that are with you1 which they have begotten in your land3 and they shall be your possession4 ,and ye shall make them an inheritance for your children after you1 to hold for a possession2 of them shall ye take your bondmen for ever3 but over your brethren the children of ,israel ye shall not rule1 one over another1 with rigour4 ,and if a stranger or sojourner with thee be waxen rich1 and thy brother be waxen poor beside him1 and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner with thee1 or to the stock of the stranger's family3 after that he is sold he may be redeemed2 one of his brethren may redeem him3 or his uncle1 or his uncle's son1 may redeem him1 or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him2 or if he be waxen rich1 he may redeem himself4 ,and he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he sold himself to him unto the year of jubilee3 and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years2 according to the time of an hired servant shall he be with him4 ,if there be yet many years1 according unto them he shall give back the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for4 ,and if there remain but few years unto the year of jubilee1 then he shall reckon with him2 according unto his years shall he give back the price of his redemption4 ,as a servant hired year by year shall he be with him3 he shall not rule with rigour over him in thy sight4 ,and if he be not redeemed by these means1 then he shall go out in the year of jubilee1 he1 and his children with him4 ,for unto ,me the children of ,israel are servants2 they are ,my servants whom ,i brought forth out of the land of ,egypt3 ,i am the ,lord your ,god4 ,even with the burdensomeness of debt lightened as above1 it was yet possible that a man might be reduced to poverty so extreme that he should feel compelled to sell himself as a slave4 ,hence arises the question of slavery1 and its relation to the law of the jubilee4 ,under this head two cases were possible3 the first1 where a man had sold himself to a fellow-,hebrew 7vv4 #ci-df72 the second1 where a man had sold himself to a foreigner resident in the land 7vv4 #dg-ee74 ,with the ,hebrews and all the neighbouring peoples1 slavery was1 and had been from of old1 a settled institution4 ,regarded simply as an abstract question of morals1 it might seem as if the ,lord might once for all have abolished it by an absolute prohibition2 after the manner in which many modern reformers would deal with such evils as the liquor traffic1 etc4 ,but the ,lord was wiser than many such4 ,as has been remarked already1 in connection with the question of concubinage1 that law is not in every case the best which may be the best intrinsically and ideally4 ,that law is the best which can be best enforced in the actual moral status of the people1 and consequent condition of public opinion4 ,so the ,lord did not at once prohibit slavery2 but ,he ordained laws which would restrict it1 and modify and ameliorate the condition of the slave wherever slavery was permitted to exist2 laws1 moreover1 which have had such an educational power as to have banished slavery from the ,hebrew people4 ,in the first place1 slavery1 in the unqualified sense of the word1 is allowed only in the case of non-,israelites4 ,that it was permitted to hold these as bondmen is explicitly declared 7vv4 #dd-df74 ,it is1 however1 important1 in order to form a correct idea of ,hebrew slavery1 to observe that1 according to ,exod4 xxi4 #af1 man-stealing was made a capital offence2 and the law also carefully guarded from violence and tyranny on the part of the master the non-,israelite slave lawfully gotten1 even decreeing his emancipation from his master in extreme cases of this kind 7,exod4 xxi4 #bj1 #ba1 #bf1 #bg74 ,with regard to the ,hebrew bondman1 the law recognises no property of the master in his person2 that a servant of ,jehovah should be a slave of another servant of ,jehovah is denied2 because they are ,his servants1 no other can own them 7vv4 #db1 #ee74 ,thus1 while the case is supposed 7ver4 #ci7 that a man through stress of poverty may sell himself to a fellow-,hebrew as a bondservant1 the sale is held as affecting only the master's right to his service1 but not to his person4 ,thou shalt not make him to serve as a bondservant3 as an hired servant1 and as a sojourner1 he shall be with thee4 ,further1 it is elsewhere provided 7,exod4 xxi4 #b7 that in no case shall such sale hold valid for a longer time than six years2 in the seventh year the man was to have the privilege of going out free for nothing4 ,and in this chapter is added a further alleviation of the bondage 7vv4 #dj1 #da73 ,he shall serve with thee unto the year of jubilee3 then shall he go out from thee1 he and his children with him1 and shall return unto his own family1 and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return4 ,for they are ,my servants1 which ,i brought forth out of the land of ,egypt3 they shall not be sold as bondmen4 ,that is1 if it so happened that before the six years of his prescribed service had been completed the jubilee year came in1 he was to be exempted from the obligation to service for the remainder of that period4 ,the remaining verses of this part of the law 7vv4 #dd-df7 provide that the ,israelite may take to himself bondmen of the children of the strangers that sojourn among them2 and that to such the law of the periodic release shall not be held to apply4 ,such are bondmen for ever4 ,ye shall make them an inheritance for your children after you1 to hold for a possession2 of them shall ye take your bondmen for ever4 ,it is to be borne in mind that even in such cases the law which commanded the kind treatment of all the strangers in the land 7xix4 #cc1 #cd7 would apply2 so that even where permanent slavery was allowed it was placed under humanising restriction4 ,in vv4 #dg-ee is taken up1 finally1 the case where a poor ,israelite should have sold himself as a slave to a foreigner resident in the land4 ,in all such cases it is ordered that the owner of the man must recognise the right of redemption4 ,that is1 it was the privilege of the man himself1 or of any of his near kindred1 to buy him out of bondage4 ,compensation to the owner however1 enjoined in such cases according to the number of the years remaining to the next jubilee1 at which time he would be obliged to release him 7ver4 #ed71 whether redeemed or not4 ,thus we read 7vv4 #ej-eb73 ,he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he sold himself to him unto the year of jubilee3 and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years2 according to the time of an hired servant shall he be with him4 ,if there be yet many years1 according unto them he shall give back the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for4 ,and if there remain but few years unto the year of jubilee1 then he shall reckon with him2 according unto his years shall he give back the price of his redemption4 ,as a servant hired year by year shall he be with him4 ,furthermore1 it is commanded 7ver4 #ec7 that the owner of the ,israelite1 for so long time as he may remain in bondage1 shall not rule over him with rigour2 and by the addition of the words in thy sight it is intimated that ,god would hold the collective nation responsible for seeing that no oppression was exercised by any alien over any of their enslaved brethren4 ,to which it should also be added1 finally1 that the regulations for the release of the slave carefully provided for the maintenance of the family relation4 ,families were not to be parted in the emancipation of the jubilee2 the man who went out free was to take his children with him 7vv4 #da1 #ed74 ,in the case1 however1 where the wife had been given him by his master1 she and her children remained in bondage after his emancipation in the seventh year2 but of course only until she had reached her seventh year of service4 ,but if the slave already had his wife when he became a slave1 then she and their children went out with him in the seventh year 7,exod4 xxi4 #c1 #d74 ,the contrast in the spirit of these laws with that of the institution of slavery as it formerly existed in the ,southern ,states of ,america and elsewhere in ,christendom1 is obvious4 ,these1 then1 were the regulations connected with the application of the ordinance of the jubilee year to rights of property1 whether in real estate or in slaves4 ,in respect to the cessation from the cultivation of the soil which was enjoined for the year1 the law was essentially the same as that for the sabbatic year1 except that1 apparently1 the right of property in the spontaneous produce of the land1 which was in abeyance in the former case1 was in so far recognised in the latter that each man was allowed to eat the increase of the jubilee year out of the field 7ver4 #ab74 ,,practical ,,objects ,,of ,,the ,,sabbatic ,,year ,,and ,,jubilee ,,law4 ,such was this extraordinary legislation1 the like of which will be sought in vain in any other people4 ,it is indeed true that1 in some instances1 ancient lawgivers decreed that land should not be permanently alienated1 or that individuals should not hold more than a certain amount of land4 ,thus1 for example1 the ,lacedemonians were forbidden to sell their lands1 and the ,dalmatians were wont to redistribute their lands every eight years4 ,but laws such as these only present accidental coincidences with single features of the jubilee year2 an agreement to be accounted for by the fact that the aim of such lawgivers was1 in so far1 the same as that of the ,hebrew code1 that they sought thus to guard against excessive accumulations of property in the hands of individuals1 and those consequent great inequalities in the distribution of wealth which1 in all lands and ages1 and never more clearly than in our own1 have been seen to be fraught with the gravest dangers to the highest interests of society4 ,beyond this single point we shall search in vain the history of any other people for an analogy to these laws concerning the sabbatic and the jubilee year4 ,what was the immediate object of this remarkable legislation8 ,it is not irrelevant to observe that in so far as regards the prescription of a periodic rest to the land1 agricultural science recognises that this is an advantage1 especially in places where it may be difficult to obtain fertilisers for the soil in adequate amount4 ,but it cannot be supposed that this was the chief object of these ordinances1 not even in so far as they had respect to the land4 ,we shall not err in regarding them as intended1 like all in the ,levitical system1 to make ,israel to be in reality1 what they were called to be1 a people holy1 i4e41 fully consecrated to the ,lord4 ,the bearing of these laws on this end is not hard to perceive4 ,in the first place1 the law of the sabbatic year and the jubilee was a most impressive lesson as to the relation of ,god to what men call their property2 and1 in particular1 as to ,his relation to man's property in land4 ,by these ordinances every ,israelite was to be reminded in a most impressive way that the land which he tilled1 or on which he fed his flocks and herds1 belonged1 not to himself1 but to ,god4 ,just as ,god taught him that his time belonged to ,him1 by putting in a claim for the absolute consecration to ,himself of every seventh day1 so here ,he reminded ,israel that the land belonged to ,him1 by asserting a similar claim on the land every seventh year1 and twice in a century for two years in succession4 ,no one will pretend that the law of the sabbatic year or the jubilee is binding on communities now4 ,but it is a question for our times as to whether the basal principle regarding the relation of ,god to land1 and by necessary consequence the right of man regarding land1 which is fundamental to these laws1 is not in its very nature of perpetual force4 ,surely1 there is nothing in ,scripture to suggest that ,god's ownership of the land was limited to the land of ,palestine1 or to that land only during ,israel's occupancy of it4 ,instead of this1 ,jehovah everywhere represents ,himself as having given the land to ,israel1 and therefore by necessary implication as having a like right over it while as yet the ,canaanites were dwelling in it4 ,again1 the purpose of ,god's dealing with ,egypt is said to be that ,pharaoh might know this same truth3 that the earth 7or land7 was the ,lord's 7,exod4 ix4 #bi72 and in ,psalm xxiv4 #a it is stated1 as a broad truth1 without qualification or restriction1 that the earth is the ,lord's1 as well as that which fills it4 ,it is true that there is no suggestion in any of these passages that the relation of ,god to the earth or to the land is different from ,his relation to other property2 but it is intended to emphasise the fact that in the use of land1 as of all else1 we are to regard ourselves as ,god's stewards1 and hold and use it as in trust from ,him4 ,the vital relation of this great truth to the burning questions of our day regarding the rights of men in land is self-evident4 ,it does not indeed determine how the land question should be dealt with in any particular country1 but it does settle it that if in these matters we will act in the fear of ,god1 we must keep this principle steadily before us1 that1 primarily1 the land belongs to the ,lord1 and is to be used accordingly4 ,how1 as a matter of fact1 ,god did order that the land should be used1 in the only instance when ,he has condescended ,himself to order the political government of a nation1 we have already seen1 and shall presently consider more fully4 ,it is obvious that the natural and therefore intended effect of these regulations1 if obeyed1 would have been to impose a constant and powerful check upon man's natural covetousness and greed of gain4 ,every seventh year the ,hebrew was to pause in his toil for wealth1 and for one whole year he was to waive even his ordinary right to the spontaneous produce of his fields2 which year of abstinence from sowing and reaping once in fifty years was doubled4 ,add to this the strict prohibition of lending money upon interest to a fellow-,israelite1 and we can see how far-reaching and effective1 if obeyed1 were such regulations likely to be in restraining that insatiate greed for riches which ever grows the more by that which feeds it4 ,yet again2 the law of the sabbatic year and the jubilee was adapted to serve also as a singularly powerful discipline in that faith toward ,god which is the soul of all true religion4 ,in this practical way every ,hebrew was to be taught that man doth not live by bread alone1 but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of ,god4 ,the lesson is ever hard to learn1 though none the less necessary4 ,this thought is alluded to in ver4 #bj1 where it is supposed that a man might raise the very natural objection to these laws1 ,what shall we eat the seventh year8 ,to which the answer is given1 with reference even to the extreme case of the jubilee year3 ,i will command ,my blessing upon you in the sixth year1 and it shall bring forth fruit for the three years2 until the ninth year 444 ye shall eat the old store4 ,but probably the most prominent and important object of the regulations in this chapter was to secure1 as far as possible1 the equal distribution of wealth1 by preventing excessive accumulations either of land or of capital in the hands of a few1 while the mass should be sunk in poverty4 ,it is certain that these laws1 if carried out1 would have had a marvellous effect in this respect4 ,as for capital1 we all know what an important factor in the production of wealth is accumulation by interest on loans1 especially when the interest is constantly compounded4 ,there can be no doubt of its immense power as an instrument for at once enriching the lender and in proportion impoverishing the borrower4 ,but among the ,israelites1 to receive interest or its equivalent was prohibited4 ,one other chief cause of the excessive wealth of individuals among us1 as in all ages1 is the acquirement in perpetuity by individuals of a disproportionate amount of the public land4 ,the condition of things in the ,united ,kingdom is familiar to all1 with its inevitable effect on the condition of large masses of people2 and in parts of the ,united ,states there are indications of a like tendency working toward the similar disadvantage of many small landholders and cultivators4 ,but in ,israel1 if these laws should be carried into effect1 such a state of things1 so often witnessed among other nations1 was made for ever impossible4 ,individual ownership in the land itself was forbidden2 no man was allowed more than a leasehold right2 nor could he1 even by adding largely to his leaseholds1 increase his wealth indefinitely1 so as to transmit a fortune to his children1 to be still further augmented by a similar process in the next and succeeding generations2 for every fifty years the jubilee came around1 and whatever leaseholds he might have acquired from less fortunate brethren1 reverted unconditionally to the original owner or his legal heirs4 ,however impracticable such arrangements may seem to us under the conditions of modern life1 yet it must be confessed that in the case of a nation just starting on its career in a new country1 as was ,israel at that time1 nothing could well be thought of more likely to be effective toward securing1 along with careful regard to the rights of property1 an equal distribution of wealth among the people1 than the legislation which is placed before us in this chapter4 ,it deserves to be specially noticed by how exact equity the laws are distinguished4 ,while1 on the one hand1 excessive accumulations1 either of capital or of land1 were thus made impossible1 there is here nothing of the destructive communism advocated by many in our day4 ,these laws put no premium on laziness2 for if a man1 through indolence or vice1 was compelled to sell out his right in his land1 he had no security of obtaining it again until the jubilee2 that is to say1 upon an average1 during his working lifetime4 ,on the other hand1 encouragement was given to industry1 as a man who was thrifty might1 by purchase of leaseholds1 materially increase his wealth and comfort in life4 ,and the effect on inheritance is evident4 ,there could1 on the one hand1 be no inheritance of such colossal and overgrown fortunes as are possible in our modern states1--no blessing1 certainly1 in many cases1 to the heirs2 and neither1 on the other hand1 could there be any inheritance of hopeless and degrading poverty4 ,a man might have had an indolent or a vicious father1 who had thus forfeited his landholding2 but while the father would doubtless suffer deserved poverty during his active life1 the young man1 when the jubilee returned1 and the lost paternal inheritance reverted to him1 would have the opportunity to see whether he might not1 with his father's experience before him as a warning1 do better1 and retrieve the fortunes of the family4 ,in any case1 he would not start upon the work of life weighted1 as are multitudes among us1 with a crushing and almost irremovable burden of poverty4 ,it is certain1 no doubt1 that these laws are not morally binding now2 and no less certain1 probably1 that failing1 as they did1 to secure observance in ,israel1 such laws1 even if enacted1 could not in our day be practically carried out any more than then4 ,nevertheless1 so much we may safely say1 that the intention and aim of these laws as regards the equal distribution of wealth in the community ought to be the aim of all wise legislation now4 ,it is certain that all good government ought to seek in all righteous and equitable ways to prevent the formation in the community of classes1 either of the excessively rich or of the excessively poor4 ,absolute equality in this respect is doubtless unattainable1 and in a world intended for purposes of moral training and discipline were even undesirable2 but extreme wealth or extreme poverty are certainly evils to the prevention of which our legislators may well give their minds4 ,only it needs also to be kept in mind that these ,hebrew laws no less distinctly teach us that this end is to be sought only in such a way as shall neither1 on the one hand1 put a premium on laziness and vice1 nor1 on the other1 deny to the virtuous and industrious the advantage which industry and virtue deserve1 of additional wealth1 comfort1 and exemption from toilsome drudgery4 ,in close connection with all this it will be observed that all this legislation1 while guarding the rights of the rich1 is evidently inspired by that same merciful regard for the poor which marks the ,levitical law throughout4 ,for in all these regulations it is assumed that there would still be poor in the land2 but the law secured to the poor great mitigations of poverty4 ,every seventh year the produce of the land was to be free alike to all2 if one were poor his brother was to uphold him2 when lending him1 he was not to add to the debt the burden of interest or increase4 ,and then there was to the poor man the ever-present assurance1 which alone would take off half the bitterness of poverty1 that through the coming of the jubilee the children at least would have a new chance1 and start life on an equality1 in respect of inheritance in land1 with the sons of the richest4 ,and when we remember the close connection between extreme poverty and every variety of crime1 it is plain that the whole legislation is as admirably adapted to the prevention of crime as of abject and hopeless poverty4 ,well might ,asaph use the words which he employs1 with evident allusion to the trumpet sound which ushered in the jubilee3 ,happy the people that know the joyful sound6 i4e41 that have the blessed experience of the jubilee1 that supreme earthly sabbatism of the people of ,god4#di #di ,see ,psalm lxxxix4 #ae4 ,most significant and full of instruction1 no less to us than to ,israel1 was the ordinance that both the sabbatic and the jubilee years should date from the day of ,atonement4 ,it was when1 having completed the solemn ritual of that day1 the high priest put on again his beautiful garments and came forth1 having made atonement for all the transgressions of ,israel1 that the trumpet of the jubilee was to be sounded4 ,thus was ,israel reminded in the most impressive manner possible that all these social1 civil1 and communal blessings were possible only on condition of reconciliation with ,god through atoning blood2 atonement in the highest and fullest sense1 which should reach even to the ,holy of ,holies1 and place the blood on the very mercy-seat of ,jehovah4 ,this is true still1 though the nations have yet to learn it4 ,the salvation of nations1 no less than that of individuals1 is conditioned by national fellowship with ,god1 secured through the great ,atonement of the ,lord4 ,not until the nations learn this lesson may we expect to see the crying evils of the earth removed1 or the questions of property1 of land-holding1 of capital and labour1 justly and happily solved4 ,,typical ,,significance ,,of ,,the ,,sabbatic ,,and ,,jubilee ,,years4 ,but we must not forget that the sabbatic year and the year of jubilee1 following the seventh seven of years1 are the two last members of a sabbatic system of septenary periods1 namely1 the sabbath of the seventh day1 the feast of ,pentecost1 following the expiry of the seventh week from ,passover1 and then the still more sacred seventh month1 with its two great feasts1 and the day of atonement intervening4 ,but1 as we have seen1 we have good scriptural authority for regarding all these as typical4 ,each in succession brings out another stage or aspect of the great ,messianic redemption1 in a progressive revelation historically unfolding4 ,in all of these alike we have been able to trace thoughts connected with the sabbatic idea1 as pointing forward to the final rest1 redemption1 and consummated restoration1 the sabbatism that remaineth to the people of ,god4 ,to these preceding sabbatic periods these last two are closely related4 ,both alike began on the great day of atonement1 in which all ,israel was to afflict their souls in penitence for sin2 and on that day they both began when the high priest came out from within the veil1 where1 from the time of his offering the sin-offering1 he had been hidden from the sight of ,israel for a season2 and both alike were ushered in with a trumpet blast4 ,we shall hardly go amiss if we see in both of these--first in the sabbatic year1 and still more clearly in the year of jubilee--a prophetic foreshadowing in type of that final repentance of the children of ,israel in the latter days1 and their consequent re-establishment in their land1 which the prophets so fully and explicitly predict4 ,in that day they are to return1 as the prophets bear witness1 every man to the land which the ,lord gave for an inheritance to their fathers4 ,indeed1 one might say with truth that even the lesser restoration from ,babylon was prefigured in this ordinance2 but1 without doubt1 its chief and supreme reference must be to that greater restoration still in the future1 of which we read1 for example1 in ,isa4 xi4 #aa1 when the ,lord shall set ,his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of ,his people1 which shall remain1 from ,assyria1 and from ,egypt1 444 and from the islands of the sea4 ,but the typical reference of these sacred years of sabbatism reaches yet beyond what pertains to ,israel alone4 ,for not only1 according to the prophets and apostles1 is there to be a restoration of ,israel1 but also1 as the ,apostle ,peter declared to the ,jews 7,acts iii4 #ai-ba71 closely connected with and consequent on this1 a restoration of all things4 ,and it is in this great1 final1 and exceedingly glorious restoration of the time of the end that we recognise the ultimate antitype of these sabbatic seasons4 ,when read in the light of later predictions they appear to point forward with singular distinctness to what1 according to the ,holy ,word1 shall be when ,jesus ,christ1 the heavenly ,high ,priest1 shall come forth from within the veil2 when the last trumpet shall sound1 and ,he who was once offered to bear the sins of many shall appear a second time1 apart from sin1 to them that wait for ,him1 unto salvation 7,heb4 ix4 #bh74 ,even in the beginning of the ,pentateuch 7,gen4 iii4 #ag-ai7 it is explicitly taught that because of ,adam's sin1 the curse of ,god1 in some mysterious way1 fell even upon the material earthly creation4 ,we read that the ,lord said unto ,adam3 ,cursed is the ground for thy sake2 in toil shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life2 thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee2 and thou shalt eat the herb of the field2 in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread1 till thou return unto the ground4 ,it is because of sin1 then1 that man is doomed to labour1 toilsome and imperfectly requited by an unwilling soil4 ,it lies immediately before us that both the sabbatic year and the year of jubilee1 by the ordinance regarding the rest for the land1 and the special promise of sufficiency without exhausting labour1 involved for ,israel a temporary suspension of the full operation of this curse4 ,the ordinance therefore points unmistakably in a prophetic way to what the ,new ,testament explicitly predicts--the coming of a day when1 with man redeemed1 material nature also shall share the great deliverance4 ,in a word1 in the sabbatic year1 and in a yet higher form in the year of jubilee1 we have in symbol the wonderful truth which in the most didactic language is formally declared by the ,apostle ,paul in these words 7,rom4 viii4 #ai-bb73 ,the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of ,god4 ,for the creation was subjected to vanity1 not of its own will1 but by reason of him who subjected it1 in hope that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of ,god4 ,for we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now4 ,the jubilee year contained in type all this1 and more4 ,where the sabbatic year had typically pointed only to a coming rest of the earth from the primeval curse1 the jubilee1 falling1 not on a seventh1 but on an eighth year1 following immediately on the sabbatic seventh1 pointed also to the permanence of this blessed condition4 ,it is the festival1 by eminence1 of the new creation1 of paradise completely and for ever restored4 ,moreover1 as falling in the fiftieth year1 and therefore on an eighth year of the sabbatic calendar1 the jubilee was to the week of years as the ,lord's day to the week of days4 ,like that1 it is the festival of resurrection4 ,this is as clearly foreshadowed in the type as the other4 ,for in the year of jubilee not only was the land to rest1 but every bond-slave was to be released1 and to return to his inheritance and to his family4 ,in the light of what has preceded1 and of other revelations of ,scripture1 we can hardly miss of perceiving the typical meaning of this4 ,for what is the great event which the ,apostle ,paul1 in the passage just cited1 associates in time with the deliverance of the earthly creation1 but the redemption of the body1 as the final issue of the atoning work of ,christ8 ,for as yet even believers are in bondage to death and the grave2 but the day which is coming1 the day of earth's redemption1 shall bring to all that are ,christ's1 all that are ,israelites indeed1 deliverance from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of ,god4 ,and as the slave who was freed in the year of jubilee therewith also returned to his forfeited inheritance1 so also shall it be in that day4 ,for precisely this is given us by the ,holy ,spirit in the ,new ,testament 7#a ,peter i4 #d1 #e71 as another aspect of the day when the heavenly ,aaron shall come forth from the ,holiest4 ,for we are begotten unto an inheritance1 reserved in heaven for us1 who by the power of ,god are guarded through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time4 ,cast out through death from the inheritance of the earth1 which in the beginning was given by ,god to our first father1 and to his seed in him1 but which was lost to him and to his children through his sin1 the great jubilee of the future shall bring us again1 every man who is in ,christ by faith1 into the lost inheritance1 redeemed and glorified citizens of a redeemed and glorified earth4 ,hence it is that in ,rev4 xxii4 we are shown in vision1 first1 the new earth1 delivered from the curse1 and then the ,new ,jerusalem1 the ,church of the risen and glorified saints of ,god1 descending from ,god out of heaven1 to assume possession of the purchased inheritance4 ,and the law adds also3 ,ye shall return every man unto his family2 which gives the last feature here prefigured of that supreme sabbatism which remaineth for the people of ,god 7,heb4 iv4 #i74 ,it shall bring the reunion of those who had been parted and scattered4 ,the day of resurrection is accordingly spoken of 7#b ,thess4 ii4 #a7 as a day of gathering together of all who1 though one in ,christ1 have been rudely parted by death4 ,and yet more1 it will be the day of our gathering together unto ,him1 even the blessed ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 the ,goel1 the ,kinsman-,redeemer of the ruined bondsmen and their lost inheritance3 ,whom not having seen1 we love1 but then expect to see even as ,he is1 and beholding ,him1 be like ,him1 and be with ,him for ever and for ever4 ,who should not long for the day8--the day when for the first time1 this last type of ,leviticus shall pass into complete fulfilment in the antitype2 the day of the restoration of all things2 the day of the deliverance of the material creation from her present bondage to corruption2 the day also of the release of every true ,israelite from the bondage of death1 and the eternal establishment of all such with the ,elder ,brother1 the ,first-begotten1 in the enjoyment of the inheritance of the saints in light4 ,love1 rest1 and home6 ,sweet hope6 ,lord6 tarry not1 but ,,come6 ,,part ,,iii4 ,,conclusion ,,and ,,appendix4 ,,xxvi41 ,,xxvii4 #a4 ,,conclusion3 ,,promises ,,and ,,threatenings3 xxvi4 #b4 ,,appendix3 ,,concerning ,,vows3 xxvii4 ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,,the ,,promises ,,and ,,threats ,,of ,,the ,,covenant4 ,,lev4 xxvi4 #a-df4 ,one would have expected that this chapter would have been the last in the book of ,leviticus1 for it forms a natural and fitting close to the whole law as hitherto recorded4 ,but whatever may have been the reason of its present literary form1 the fact remains that while this chapter is1 in outward form1 the conclusion of the ,levitical law1 another chapter follows it in the manner of an appendix4 ,chapter xxvi4 opens with these words 7vv4 #a1 #b73 ,ye shall make you no idols1 neither shall ye rear you up a graven image1 or a pillar1 neither shall ye place any figured stone in your land1 to bow down unto it3 for ,i am the ,lord your ,god4 ,ye shall keep ,my sabbaths1 and reverence ,my sanctuary3 ,i am the ,lord4 ,these verses1 as they stand in the ,english versions as a preface to this chapter1 at first sight seem but distantly related to what follows2 and the ,chaldee paraphrast and others have therefore appended them to the preceding chapter4 ,but with that they have even less evident connection4 ,the thought of the editor of this part of the canon1 however1 seems to have been that the three commands which are here repeated might be regarded as presenting a compendious summary1 in its fundamental principles1 of the whole law1 the promises and threatenings attached to which immediately follow4 ,and the more we think upon these commands and what they involve1 the more evident will appear the fitness of their selection from the whole law to introduce this chapter4 ,the commands which are here repeated are three3 namely1 7#a7 a detailed prohibition of idolatry in the forms then chiefly prevalent2 7#b7 an injunction to observe ,god's sabbaths2 and 7#c7 to reverence ,his sanctuary4 ,inasmuch as the various forms of idol-worship1 which are here forbidden1 all involved the recognition of gods other than ,jehovah1 it is plain that ver4 #a is in effect inclusive of the first and second commandments of the decalogue4 ,the injunction to keep ,god's sabbaths1 although in principle including all the sabbatic times previously appointed1 evidently refers especially to the weekly sabbath of the fourth commandment2 while the command to reverence the sanctuary of ,jehovah covers in principle the ground of the third4 ,and thus1 in fact1 these three injunctions essentially include the four commands of the decalogue which have to do with man's duty to ,god1 and are thus fundamental to all other duties1 both to ,god and man4 ,very appropriately1 then1 are these verses given here as a brief summary of the law to which the following promises and threatenings are annexed4 ,and their suitableness to that which follows is the more clear when we remember that the weekly sabbath1 in particular1 is elsewhere 7,exod4 xxxi4 #ab-ag7 declared to be a sign of ,god's covenant with ,israel1 to which these promises and threats belong2 and that the presence of ,jehovah's sanctuary also1 which they are here charged to reverence1 was a continual visible witness among them of the special presence of ,god in ,israel in pursuance of that covenant4 ,after this pertinent summation of the most fundamental commands of the law1 the remainder of the chapter contains1 first 7vv4 #c-ac71 promises of blessing from ,god1 in case they shall obey this law2 secondly 7vv4 #ad-ci71 threats of chastising judgment1 in case they disobey2 and1 thirdly 7vv4 #dj-de71 a prediction of their final repentance1 and promise of their gracious restoration thereupon to the favour of ,god1 and the everlasting endurance of ,god's covenant to preserve them in existence as a nation4 ,the chapter then closes 7ver4 #df7 with the declaration3 ,these are the statutes and judgments and laws1 which the ,lord made between ,him and the children of ,israel in mount ,sinai by the hand of ,moses4 ,,the ,,promises ,,of ,,the ,,covenant4 xxvi4 #c-ac4 ,if ye walk in ,my statutes1 and keep ,my commandments1 and do them2 then ,i will give you rains in their season1 and the land shall yield her increase1 and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit4 ,and your threshing shall reach unto the vintage1 and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time3 and ye shall eat your bread to the full1 and dwell in your land safely4 ,and ,i will give peace in the land1 and ye shall lie down1 and none shall make you afraid3 and ,i will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land1 neither shall the sword go through your land4 ,and ye shall chase your enemies1 and they shall fall before you by the sword4 ,and five of you shall chase an hundred1 and an hundred of you shall chase ten thousand3 and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword4 ,and ,i will have respect unto you1 and make you fruitful1 and multiply you2 and ,i will establish ,my covenant with you4 ,and ye shall eat old store long kept1 and ye shall bring forth the old because of the new4 ,and ,i will set ,my tabernacle among you3 and ,my soul shall not abhor you4 ,and ,i will walk among you1 and will be your ,god1 and ye shall be ,my people4 ,i am the ,lord your ,god1 which brought you forth out of the land of ,egypt1 that ye should not be their bondmen2 and ,i have broken the bars of your yoke1 and made you go upright4 ,the promises of the covenant are thus to the effect that if ,israel shall keep the law1 ,god will give them rain and fruitful seasons1 harvests so abundant that the threshing shall reach unto the vintage1 and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time2 internal security2 deliverance from the wild beasts1 which are still such a scourge in many parts of the ,east2 and such power and spirit1 that no enemy shall be able to stand before them1 but five of them shall chase an hundred1 and an hundred chase ten thousand4 ,then 7ver4 #i7 is renewed the promise1 given long before to ,abraham1 of a great increase in their numbers2 and thereupon1 very naturally1 is repeated the promise of abundant harvests1 so that notwithstanding they shall be so multiplied1 one year's harvest should not be consumed before it would have to be removed from the granaries to make room for the new 7ver4 #aj74 ,and then this section ends with the assurance1 which secures all other blessings1 temporal and spiritual1 that ,god will abide among them in ,his tabernacle1 and will be their ,god1 and they shall be ,his people4 ,and the fulfilment of all this is guaranteed by the person1 the purpose1 and the past dealing of the ,promiser2 ,himself1 ,jehovah2 ,his purpose1 to deliver them from bondage2 and ,his past mercy1 in breaking the bands of their yoke4 ,,the ,,vengeance ,,of ,,the ,,covenant4 xxvi4 #ad-df4 ,but if ye will not hearken unto ,me1 and will not do all these commandments2 and if ye shall reject ,my statutes1 and if your soul abhor ,my judgments1 so that ye will not do all ,my commandments1 but break ,my covenant2 ,i also will do this unto you2 ,i will appoint terror over you1 even consumption and fever1 that shall consume the eyes1 and make the soul to pine away3 and ye shall sow your seed in vain for your enemies shall eat it4 ,and ,i will set ,my face against you and ye shall be smitten before your enemies3 they that hate you shall rule over you2 and ye shall flee when none pursueth you4 ,and if ye will not yet for these things hearken unto me1 then ,i will chastise you seven times more for your sins4 ,and ,i will break the pride of your power2 and ,i will make your heaven as iron1 and your earth as brass3 and your strength shall be spent in vain3 for your land shall not yield her increase1 neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruit4 ,and if ye walk contrary unto ,me1 and will not hearken unto ,me2 ,i will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins4 ,and ,i will send the beast of the field among you1 which shall rob you of your children1 and destroy your cattle1 and make you few in number2 and your ways shall become desolate4 ,and if by these things ye will not be reformed unto ,me1 but will walk contrary unto ,me2 then will ,i also walk contrary unto you2 and ,i will smite you1 even ,i1 seven times for your sins4 ,and ,i will bring a sword upon you1 that shall execute the vengeance of the covenant2 and ye shall be gathered together within your cities3 and ,i will send the pestilence among you2 and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy4 ,when ,i break your staff of bread1 ten women shall bake your bread in one oven1 and they shall deliver your bread again by weight3 and ye shall eat1 and not be satisfied4 ,and if ye will not for all this hearken unto ,me1 but walk contrary unto ,me2 then ,i will walk contrary unto you in fury2 and ,i also will chastise you seven times for your sins4 ,and ye shall eat the flesh of your sons1 and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat4 ,and ,i will destroy your high places1 and cut down your sun-images1 and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols2 and ,my soul shall abhor you4 ,and ,i will make your cities a waste1 and will bring your sanctuaries unto desolation1 and ,i will not smell the savour of your sweet odours4 ,and ,i will bring the land into desolation3 and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it4 ,and you will ,i scatter among the nations1 and ,i will draw out the sword after you3 and your land shall be a desolation1 and your cities shall be a waste4 ,then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths1 as long as it lieth desolate1 and ye be in your enemies' land2 even then shall the land rest1 and enjoy her sabbaths4 ,as long as it lieth desolate it shall have rest2 even the rest which it had not in your sabbaths1 when ye dwelt upon it4 ,and as for them that are left of you ,i will send a faintness into their heart in the lands of their enemies3 and the sound of a driven leaf shall chase them2 and they shall flee1 as one fleeth from the sword2 and they shall fall when none pursueth4 ,and they shall stumble one upon another1 as it were before the sword1 when none pursueth3 and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies4 ,and ye shall perish among the nations1 and the land of your enemies shall eat you up4 ,and they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands2 and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them4 ,and they shall confess their iniquity1 and the iniquity of their fathers1 in their trespass which they trespassed against ,me1 and also that because they have walked contrary unto ,me1 ,i also walked contrary unto them1 and brought them into the land of their enemies3 if then their uncircumcised heart be humbled1 and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity2 then will ,i remember ,my covenant with ,jacob2 and also ,my covenant with ,isaac1 and also ,my covenant with ,abraham will ,i remember2 and ,i will remember the land4 ,the land also shall be left of them1 and shall enjoy her sabbaths1 while she lieth desolate without them2 and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity3 because1 even because they rejected ,my judgments1 and their soul abhorred ,my statutes4 ,and yet for all that1 when they be in the land of their enemies1 ,i will not reject them1 neither will ,i abhor them1 to destroy them utterly1 and to break ,my covenant with them3 for ,i am the ,lord their ,god3 but ,i will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors1 whom ,i brought forth out of the land of ,egypt in the sight of the nations1 that ,i might be their ,god3 ,i am the ,lord4 ,these are the statutes and judgments and laws1 which the ,lord made between ,him and the children of ,israel in mount ,sinai by the hand of ,moses4 ,so1 if ,israel should not obey the commandments of the ,lord1 but break that covenant which they had made with ,him1 when they had said unto the ,lord 7,exod4 xxiv4 #g73 ,all that the ,lord hath spoken will we do1 and be obedient2 then they are threatened1 first in a general way 7vv4 #ad-ag7 with terrible judgments1 which shall reverse1 and more than reverse1 all the blessings4 ,god will appoint over them terror2 disease shall ravage them1 consumption and fever2 their enemies shall lay waste the land1 defeat them in battle1 and rule over them2 and instead of five of them chasing an hundred1 they should flee when none was pursuing 7vv4 #ag1 #ah74 ,then follow four series of threats1 each conditioned by the supposition that through what they should have already experienced of ,jehovah's judgment1 they should not repent2 each also introduced by the formula1 ,i will chastise 7or smite7 you seven times for your sins4 ,in this four times repeated series of denunciations1 thus introduced1 we are not to insist that numerical precision was intended2 neither can we1 with some1 give to the seven times a numerical or temporal reference4 ,the thought which runs through all these denunciations1 and determines the form which they take1 is this3 that the judgments threatened as to follow each new display of hardness and impenitence on the part of ,israel shall be marked by continually increasing severity2 and the phrase seven times1 by the reference to the sacred number seven1 intimates that the vengeance should be the vengeance of the covenant 7ver4 #be71 and also the awful thoroughness and completeness with which the threatened judgments1 in case of their continued obduracy1 would be inflicted4 ,this interpretation is sustained by the details of each section4 ,the first series 7vv4 #ah-bj71 in which the threatenings of vv4 #ad-ag are developed1 adds to what had been previously threatened1 the withholding of harvest for lack of rain4 ,he who had promised to send the rains in their season1 if they were obedient1 now declares that if they will not hearken unto ,him for the other chastisements before denounced1 ,he will make their heaven as iron1 and their earth as brass4 ,the second series threatens in addition their devastation by wild beasts1 which shall rob them of their children and their cattle2 and also1 in consequence of these great judgments1 with a great diminution of their numbers4 ,the third series 7vv4 #bc-bf7 repeats1 under forms still more intense1 the threats of sword1 pestilence1 and famine4 ,the staff of bread shall be broken1 and when1 stricken with pestilence1 they are gathered together in their cities1 one oven shall suffice ten women for their baking1 and bread shall be distributed by rations and in insufficient quantity 7vv4 #be1 #bf74 ,it is intimated that with these extraordinary judgments it shall become increasingly evident that it is ,jehovah who is thus dealing with them for the breach of ,his covenant4 ,this is suggested 7ver4 #bd7 by the emphatic use of the personal pronoun in the ,hebrew1 only to be rendered in ,english by a stress of voice2 and by the declaration 7ver4 #be7 that the sword which should be brought upon them should execute the vengeance of the covenant4 ,the same remark applies with still more emphasis to the next and last of these sub-sections 7vv4 #bg-ci71 the terrific denunciations of which are introduced by these words1 which almost seem to flash with the fire of ,god's avenging wrath3 ,if 444 ye will walk contrary unto ,me2 then ,i will walk contrary unto you in fury 7lit41 ,i will walk with you in fury of opposition72 and ,i also will chastise you seven times for your sins4 ,all that has been threatened before is here repeated with every circumstance which could add terror to the picture4 ,was famine threatened8 it shall be so awful in its severity that they shall eat the flesh of their own sons and daughters4 ,the high places which had been the scenes of their licentious worship should be destroyed1 and the sun-images which they had worshipped1 going after ,baal1 should be cut down2 and1 in visible sign of the ,divine wrath and of ,god's holy contempt for the impotent idols for which they had forsaken the ,lord1 upon the fallen idols should lie the dead corpses of their worshippers4 ,the sanctuaries 7with special1--though1 perhaps1 not exclusive1--reference1 as the following words show1 to the holy places of ,jehovah's tabernacle or temple7 should become a desolation2 the sweet savour of their sacrifices should be rejected4 ,the holy people should be scattered into other lands2 the land should become so desolate that those of their enemies who should dwell in it should themselves be astonished at its transformation4 ,and so1 while they should be scattered in their enemies' land1 the land would enjoy her sabbaths2#ej i4e41 it should thus1 untilled and desolate1 enjoy the rest which ,jehovah had commanded them to give the land each seventh year1 which they had not observed4 ,meanwhile1 the condition of the banished nation in the lands of their captivity should be most pitiful3 minished in number1 those that were left alive should pine away in their iniquities1 and in the iniquity of their fathers2 timid and broken-spirited1 they should flee before the sound of a broken leaf1 and the land of their enemies should eat them up4 #ej ,much has been made of this reference to the neglect of the sabbatic years as evidence of the late composition of the chapter2 but surely in this argument there is little force4 ,for1 even apart from any question of inspiration1 the ordinance of the sabbatic year was of such an extraordinary character1 so opposed alike to human selfishness and eagerness for gain1 and calling for such faith in ,god1 that it would require no great knowledge of human nature to anticipate its probable neglect1 even on natural grounds4 ,but1 even were this not so1 still an argument of this kind against the ,mosaic origin of this minatory section of the covenant can have decisive force for those only who1 for whatsoever reason1 have come to disbelieve that ,god can tell beforehand what free agents will do1 or that1 if ,he know1 ,he can impart that knowledge to ,his servants4 ,and herewith ends the second section of this remarkable prophecy4 ,promising ,israel the highest prosperity in the land of ,canaan1 if they will keep the words of this covenant1 it threatens them with successive judgments of sword1 famine1 and pestilence1 of continually increasing severity1 to culminate1 if they yet persist in disobedience1 in their expulsion from the land for a prolonged period2 and predicts their continued existence1 despite the most distressing conditions1 in the lands of their enemies1 while their own land meanwhile lies desolate and untilled without them4 ,the fundamental importance and instructiveness of this prophecy is evident from the fact that all later predictions concerning the fortunes of ,israel are but its more detailed exposition and application to successive historical conditions4 ,still more evident is its profound significance when we recall to mind the fact1 disputed by none1 that not only is it an epitome of all later prophecy of ,holy ,scripture concerning ,israel1 but1 no less truly1 an epitome of ,israel's history4 ,so strictly true is this that we may accurately describe the history of that nation1 from the days of ,moses until now1 as but the translation of this chapter from the language of prediction into that of history4 ,the facts which illustrate this statement are so familiar that one scarcely needs to refer to them4 ,the numerous visitations in the days of the ,judges1 when again and again the people were given into the hands of their enemies for their sins1 and so often as then they repented1 were again and again delivered2 the heavier judgments of later days1 first in the days of the earlier kings1 and afterwards culminating in the captivity of the ten tribes1 following the siege and capture of ,samaria1 #gba ,b4,c42 and still later1 the terrible siege and capture of ,jerusalem by ,nebuchadnezzar1 #ehf ,b4,c41 to the horrors of which the ,lamentations of ,jeremiah bear most sorrowful witness2--what were all these events1 with others of lesser importance1 but an historical unfolding of this twenty-sixth chapter of ,leviticus8 ,and how1 since ,old ,testament days1 this prophecy has been continually illustrated in ,israel's history1 is1 or should be1 familiar to all4 ,as apostasy has succeeded to apostasy1 judgment has followed upon judgment4 ,to a ,nebuchadnezzar succeeded an ,antiochus ,epiphanes2 and1 after the ,greco-,syrian judgment1 then1 following the supreme national crime of the rejection and crucifixion of their promised ,messiah1 came the ,roman captivity1 the most terrible of all2 a judgment continued even until now in the eighteen hundred years of ,israel's exile from the land of the covenant1 and their scattering among the nations1--eighteen hundred years of tragic suffering1 such as no other nation has ever known1 or1 knowing1 has yet survived2 sufferings which are still exhibited before the eyes of all the world to-day in the bitter experiences of the four millions of ,jews in the ,empire of the ,czar1 and the persecutions of ,anti-,shemitism in other lands4 ,existing1 rather than living1 under such conditions for centuries1 as a natural result1 the ,jewish people became few in number1 as here predicted2 having been reduced from not less than seven or eight millions in the days of the kingdom1 to a minimum1 about two hundred years ago1 of not more than three millions4#ea ,and1 strangest of all1 throughout this time the once fertile land has lain desolate1 for the ,gentiles have never settled in it in any great number2 and in place of a population of five hundred to the square mile in the days of ,solomon1 we find now only a few hundred thousand miserable people1 and the most of the land1 for lack of cultivation1 in such a condition that nothing can easily exceed its desolation4 ,and when we have said all this1 and much more that might be said without exaggeration1 we have but simply testified that vv4 #ca-cd of this chapter have in the fullest possible sense become historical fact4 ,for it was written 7vv4 #cb-cd73 ,i will bring the land into desolation3 and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it4 ,and you will ,i scatter among the nations1 and ,i will draw out the sword after you3 and your land shall be a desolation1 and your cities shall be a waste4 ,then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths1 as long as it lieth desolate1 and ye be in your enemies' land2 even then shall the land rest1 and enjoy her sabbaths4 #ea ,so ,basnage 7,history of the ,jews1 ,london1 #agjj1 chap4 xxviii41 sec4 #ae7 estimated it in his day4 ,since then1 however1 their number has materially increased1 and is still increasing2 a fact the significance of which has been pointed out by the present writer in ,the ,jews2 or1 ,prediction and ,fulfilment 7,new ,york1 #ahhc1 pp4 #agh-hc74 ,these facts make this chapter to be an apologetic of prime importance4 ,it is this1 because we have here evidence of foreknowledge1 and therefore of the supernatural inspiration of the ,holy ,spirit of ,god in the prophecy here recorded4 ,the facts cannot be adequately explained1 either on the supposition of fortunate guessing or of accidental coincidence4 ,it was not indeed impossible to forecast on natural grounds that ,israel would become corrupt1 or that1 if so1 they should experience disaster in consequence of their moral depravation4 ,for ,god has not one law for ,israel and another for other nations4 ,nor does the argument rest on the details of these threatened judgments1 as consisting in the sword1 famine1 and pestilence2 for other nations have experienced these calamities1 though1 indeed1 few in equal measure with ,israel2 and of these one has a natural dependence on another4 ,but setting aside these elements of the prophecy1 as of less apologetic significance1 two particulars yet remain in which this predicted experience has been unique1 and antecedently to the event in so high degree improbable1 that we can reasonably think here neither of shrewd human forecast nor of chance agreement of prediction and fulfilment4 ,the one is the predicted survival of exiled ,israel as a nation in the land of their enemies1 their indestructibility throughout centuries of unequalled suffering2 the other1 the extraordinary fact that their land1 so rich and fertile1 which was at that time and for centuries afterwards one of the principal highways of the world's commerce and travel1 the coveted possession of many nations from a remote antiquity1 should during the whole period of ,israel's banishment remain comparatively unoccupied and untilled4 ,as regards the former particular1 we may search history in vain for a similar phenomenon4 ,here is a people who1 at their best1 as compared with many other nations1 such as the ,egyptians1 ,babylonians1 and ,romans1 were few in number and in material resources2 who now have been scattered from their land for centuries1 crushed and oppressed always1 in a degree and for a length of time never experienced by any other people2 yet never merging in the nations with whom they were mingled1 or losing in the least their peculiar racial characteristics and distinct national identity4 ,this1 although now for a long time matter of history1 was yet1 priori1 so improbable that all history records no other instance of the kind2 and yet all this had to be if those words of ver4 #dd were to prove true3 ,when they be in the land of their enemies1 ,i will not reject them1 neither will ,i abhor them1 to destroy them utterly4 ,with abundant reason has ,professor ,christlieb referred to this fact as an unanswerable apologetic1 thus3 ,we point to the people of ,israel as a perennial historical miracle4 ,the continued existence of this nation up to the present day1 the preservation of its national peculiarities throughout thousands of years1 in spite of all dispersion and oppression1 remains so unparalleled a phenomenon1 that without the special providential preparation of ,god1 and ,his constant interference and protection1 it would be impossible for us to explain it4 ,for where else is there a people over which such judgments have passed1 and yet not ended in destruction8#eb #eb ,modern ,doubt and ,christian ,belief1 p4 #ccc4 ,no less remarkable and significant is the long-continued depopulation of the land of ,israel4 ,for it was and is by nature a richly fertile land2 and at the time of this prediction--whether it be assigned to an earlier or a later period--it was upon one of the chief commercial and military routes of the world1 and its possession has thus been an object of ambition to all the dominant nations of history4 ,surely1 one would have expected that if ,israel should be cast out of such a land1 it would at once and always be occupied by others who should cultivate its proverbially productive soil4 ,but it was not to be so1 for it had been otherwise written4 ,and yet it seems as if it had scarcely been possible that through all these later centuries of the history of ,christendom1 the land could have thus lain desolate1 except for the so momentous discovery in #adig of the ,cape route to ,india1 by which event--which no one could in so remote days have well anticipated--the tide of commerce with the ,east was turned away from ,egypt1 ,syria1 and ,palestine1 to the ,atlantic and the ,indian ,oceans2 so that the land of ,israel was left1 like a city made to stand solitary in a desert by the shifting of the channel of a river2 and its predicted desolation thus went on to receive its most complete1 consummate1 and now long-realised fulfilment4 ,so1 then1 stands the case4 ,it is truly difficult to understand how one can fairly escape the inference from these facts1 namely1 that they imply in this chapter such a prescience of the future as is not possible to man1 and therefore demonstrate that the ,spirit of ,god must1 in the deepest and truest sense1 have been the author of these predictions of the future of the chosen people and their land4 ,and it is of the very first importance1 with reference to the controversies of our day regarding this question1 that we note the fact that the argument is of such a nature that it is not in the least dependent upon the date that any may have assigned to the origin of this chapter4 ,even though we should1 with ,graf and ,wellhausen1 attribute its composition to exilian or post-exilian times1 it would still remain true that the chapter contained unmistakable predictions regarding the nation and the land2 predictions which1 if fulfilled1 no doubt1 in a degree1 in the days of the ,babylonian exile and the return1 were yet to receive a fulfilment far more minute1 exhaustive1 and impressive1 in centuries which then were still in a far distant future4 ,but if this be granted1 it is plain that these facts impose a limitation upon the conclusions of criticism4 ,that only is true science which takes into view all the facts with respect to any phenomenon for which one seeks to account2 and in this case the facts which are to be explained by any theory1 are not merely peculiarities of style and vocabulary1 etc41 but also this phenomenon of a demonstrably predictive element in the chapter2 a phenomenon which requires for its explanation the assumption of a supernatural inspiration as one of the factors in its authorship4 ,but if this is so1 how can we reconcile with such a ,divine inspiration any theory which makes the last statement of the chapter1 that these are the statutes which the ,lord made 444 in mount ,sinai by the hand of ,moses1 to be untrue1 and the preceding laws to be thus1 in plain language1 a forgery of exilian or post-exilian times8 ,,the ,,promised ,,restoration4 xxvi4 #dj-de4 ,and they shall confess their iniquity1 and the iniquity of their fathers1 in their trespass which they trespassed against ,me1 and also that because they have walked contrary unto ,me1 ,i also walked contrary unto them1 and brought them into the land of their enemies3 if then their uncircumcised heart be humbled1 and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity2 then will ,i remember ,my covenant with ,jacob2 and also ,my covenant with ,isaac1 and also ,my covenant with ,abraham will ,i remember2 and ,i will remember the land4 ,the land also shall be left of them1 and shall enjoy her sabbaths1 while she lieth desolate without them2 and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity3 because1 even because they rejected ,my judgments1 and their soul abhorred ,my statutes4 ,and yet for all that1 when they be in the land of their enemies1 ,i will not reject them1 neither will ,i abhor them1 to destroy them utterly1 and to break ,my covenant with them3 for ,i am the ,lord their ,god3 but ,i will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors1 whom ,i brought forth out of the land of ,egypt in the sight of the nations1 that ,i might be their ,god3 ,i am the ,lord4 ,this closing section of this extraordinary chapter yet remains to be considered4 ,it is the most remarkable of all1 whether from a historical or a religious point of view4 ,it declares that even under so extreme visitations of ,divine wrath1 and howsoever long ,israel's stubborn rebellion and impenitence should continue1 yet the nation should never become extinct and pass away4 ,very impressive are the words 7vv4 #dc-de7 which emphasise this prediction3 ,the land also shall be left of them1 and shall enjoy her sabbaths1 while she lieth desolate without them2 and they shall accept#ec of the punishment of their iniquity3 because1 even because they rejected ,my judgments1 and their soul abhorred ,my statutes4 ,and yet for all that1 when they be in the land of their enemies1 ,i will not reject them1 neither will ,i abhor them1 to destroy them utterly1 and to break ,my covenant with them3 for ,i am the ,lord their ,god3 but ,i will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors1 whom ,i brought forth out of the land of ,egypt in the sight of the nations1 that ,i might be their ,god3 ,i am the ,lord4 #ec ,it is the same ,hebrew word which is rendered enjoy when applied to the land and accept when applied to ,israel3 it might thus be rendered enjoy in the latter case--they shall enjoy the punishment of their iniquity1 when the words would express a severe irony1 a figure of which we have examples elsewhere in the ,scriptures4 ,as to what is included in this promise of everlasting covenant mercy1 we are told explicitly 7ver4 #dj7ed that as the final result of these repeated and long-continued judgments1 the children of ,israel shall confess their iniquity1 and the iniquity of their fathers1 in their trespass which they trespassed against the ,lord4 ,also they will acknowledge 7ver4 #da7 that all these calamities have been sent upon them by the ,lord2 that it is because they have walked contrary unto ,him that ,he has also walked contrary unto them1 and brought them into the land of their enemies4 ,and then follows the great promise 7vv4 #da1 #db73 ,if then their uncircumcised heart be humbled1 and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity2 then will ,i remember ,my covenant with ,jacob2 and also ,my covenant with ,isaac1 and also ,my covenant with ,abraham will ,i remember2 and ,i will remember the land4 #ed ,the if which introduces ver4 #dj in the ,authorised version has no equivalent in the ,hebrew1 and should therefore be omitted1 as in the revision4 ,these words are very full and explicit4 ,that they have had already a partial and inadequate fulfilment in the restoration from ,babylon1 and the spiritual quickening by which it was accompanied1 is not to be denied4 ,but one only needs to refer to the covenants to which reference is made1 and especially the covenant with ,abraham1 as recorded in the book of ,genesis1#ee to see that by no possibility can that ,babylonian restoration be said to have exhausted this prophecy4 ,since those earlier days ,israel has again forsaken the ,lord1 and committed the greatest of all their national sins in the rejection and crucifixion of the promised ,messiah2 and therefore1 again1 according to the threat of the earlier part of this chapter1 they have been cast out of their land and scattered among the nations1 and the land1 again1 for centuries has been left a desolation4 ,but for all this1 ,god's covenant with ,israel has not lapsed1 nor1 as we are here formally assured1 can it ever lapse4 ,to imagine1 with some1 that because of the new dispensation of grace to the ,gentiles which has come in1 therefore the promises of this covenant have become void1 is a mistake which is fatal to all right understanding of the prophetic word4 ,as for the spiritual blessing of true repentance and a national turning unto ,god1 ,zechariah1 after the ,babylonian captivity1 represents the prediction as yet to have a larger and far more blessed fulfilment1 in a day which1 beyond all controversy1 has never yet risen on the world4 ,for it is written 7,zech4 xii4 #h-ad2 xiii4 #a73 ,in that day 444 ,i will pour upon the house of ,david1 and upon the inhabitants of ,jerusalem1 the spirit of grace and of supplication2 and they shall look unto ,me whom they have pierced3 and they shall mourn for ,him1 as one mourneth for his only son1 and shall be in bitterness for ,him1 as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn2 444 all the families that remain1 every family apart1 and their wives apart4 ,in that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of ,david and to the inhabitants of ,jerusalem1 for sin and for uncleanness4 ,and that this great promise1 which implies by its very terms the previous piercing of the ,messiah1 is still valid for the nation in the new dispensation1 is expressly testified by the ,apostle ,paul1 who formally teaches1 with regard to ,israel1 that ,god did not cast off ,his people which ,he foreknew2 that the gifts and calling of ,god are without repentance2 and that therefore the days are surely coming when all ,israel shall be saved 7,rom4 xi4 #b1 #bi1 #bf74 #ee ,see ,gen4 xii4 #a-c2 xiii4 #ad-ag2 xv4 #e-ba2 xvii4 #b-aa2 xxii4 #ae-ah4 ,and while nothing is said in this chapter of ,leviticus as to the relation of this future repentance of ,israel to the establishment of the kingdom of ,god1 we only speak according to the express teaching both of the later prophets and of the apostles1 when we add that we are not to think of this covenant of ,god concerning ,israel as of little consequence to our faith and hope as ,christians4 ,for we are plainly taught1 with regard to the present exclusion and impenitence of ,israel 7,rom4 xi4 #ae71 that the receiving of them again shall be as life from the dead2 which1 again1 is only what long before had been declared in the ,old ,testament 7,psalm cii4 #ac-af72 that when ,god shall arise and have mercy upon ,zion1 and the set time to have pity upon her shall come1 the nations shall fear the name of the ,lord1 and all the kings of the earth ,his glory4 ,and while we may grant that the matter is in itself of less moment1 it is yet of importance to observe that the very covenant which promises spiritual mercy to the people1 as explicitly assures us 7ver4 #db7 that1 when ,israel confesses its sin1 ,god will remember the land as well as the people4 ,all that has been said for the present and unchangeable validity of the former part of this promise1 is of necessity true for this latter part also4 ,to affirm the former1 and on that ground maintain the faith and expectation of the future repentance of ,israel1 and yet deny the latter part of this promise1 which is no less verbally explicit1 regarding the land of ,israel1 is an inconsistency of interpretation which is as astonishing as it is common4 ,for the restoration of the scattered nation to their land is repeatedly promised1 as here1 in connection with1 and yet in clear distinction from1 their conversion1 by both the pre- and post-exilian prophets4 ,and if1 for reasons not hard to discover1 the promise concerning the land is not in so many words repeated in the ,new ,testament1 its future fulfilment is yet1 to say the least1 distinctly assumed in the prediction of ,christ 7,luke xxi4 #bd71 that ,israel1 because of their rejection of ,him1 should be led captive into all the nations1 and ,jerusalem be trodden down of the ,gentiles1--not for ever1 but only--until the times of the ,gentiles be fulfilled4 ,surely these words of our ,lord imply that1 whenever these times of the ,gentiles shall have run their course1 their present domination over the ,holy ,city and the ,holy ,land shall end4 ,nor is such a restoration of ,israel to their land1 with all that it implies1 inconsistent1 as some have urged1 with the spirit and principles of the ,gospel4 ,many a ,gentile nation is greatly favoured of the ,lord1 and1 as one mark of that favour1 is permitted to abide in peace and prosperity in their own land4 ,why should it be any more alien to the spirit of the ,gospel that penitent ,israel should be blessed in like manner1 and1 upon their turning unto the ,lord1 also1 like many other nations1 be permitted to dwell in peace and safety in that land which lies almost empty and desolate for them until this day8 ,and if it be urged that1 admitting this interpretation1 we shall also be obliged to admit that ,israel is in the future to be exalted to a position of pre-eminence among the nations1 which1 again1 is inconsistent1 it is said1 with the principles of the ,gospel dispensation1 we must again deny this last assertion1 and for a similar reason4 ,if not inconsistent with the ,gospel that the ,british nation1 for example1 should to-day hold a position of exceptional eminence and world-wide influence among the nations1 how can it be inconsistent with the ,gospel that ,israel1 when repentant before ,god1 should be in like manner exalted of ,him to national eminence and glory8 ,while in itself this question may be of little consequence1 yet in another aspect it is of no small moment that we steadfastly affirm the permanent validity of this part of the promise of the covenant with ,israel as given in this chapter4 ,for it is not too much to say that the logic and the exegesis which make the promise to have become void with regard to ,israel's land1 if accepted1 would equally justify one in affirming the abrogation of the promise of ,israel's final repentance1 if the exigencies of any eschatological theory should seem to require it4 ,either both parts of this promise in ver4 #db are still valid1 or neither is now valid2 and if either is still in force1 the other is in force also4 ,these two1 the promise concerning the people1 and the promise concerning the land1 stand or fall together4 ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,,concerning ,,vows4 ,,lev4 xxvii4 #a-cd4 ,as already remarked1 the book of ,leviticus certainly seems1 at first sight1 to be properly completed with the previous chapter2 and hence it has been not unnaturally suggested that this chapter has by some editor been transferred1 either of intention or accident1 from an earlier part of the book--as1 e4g41 after chapter ,,xxv4 ,the question is one of no importance2 but it is not hard to perceive a good reason for the position of this chapter after not only the rest of the law1 but also after the words of promise and threatening which conclude and seal its prescriptions4 ,for what has preceded has concerned duties of religion which were obligatory upon all ,israelites2 the regulations of this chapter1 on the contrary1 have to do with special vows1 which were obligatory on no one1 and concerning which it is expressly said 7,deut4 xxiii4 #bb73 ,if thou shalt forbear to vow1 it shall be no sin in thee4 ,to these1 therefore1 the promises and threats of the covenant could not directly apply1 and therefore the law which regulates the making and keeping of vows is not unfitly made to follow1 as an appendix1 the other legislation of the book4 ,howsoever the making of vows be not obligatory as a necessary part of the religious life1 yet1 in all ages and in all religions1 a certain instinct of the heart has often led persons1 either in order to procure something from ,god1 or as a thank-offering for some special favour received1 or else as a spontaneous expression of love to ,god1 to make a special vow4 ,but just in proportion to the sincerity and depth of the devout feeling which suggests such special acts of worship and devotion1 will be the desire to act in the vow1 as in all else1 according to the will of ,god1 so that the vow may be accepted of ,him4 ,what then may one properly dedicate to ,god in a vow8 ,and1 again1 if by any stress of circumstances a man feels compelled to seek release from a vow1 is he at liberty to recall it8 and if so1 then under what conditions8 ,such are the questions which in this chapter were answered for ,israel4 ,as for the matter of a vow1 it is ruled that an ,israelite might thus consecrate unto the ,lord either persons1 or of the beasts of his possession1 or his dwelling1 or the right in any part of his land4 ,on the other hand1 the firstling among beasts 7vv4 #bf1 #bg71 any devoted thing 7vv4 #bh1 #bi71 and the tithe 7vv4 #cj-cc7 might not be made the object of a special vow1 for the simple reason that on various grounds each of these belonged unto the ,lord as ,his due already4 ,under each of these special heads is given a schedule of valuation1 according to which1 if a man should wish for any reason to redeem again for his own use that which1 either by prior ,divine claim or by a special vow1 had been dedicated to the ,lord1 he might be permitted to do so4 ,,of ,,the ,,vowing ,,of ,,persons4 xxvii4 #a-h4 ,and the ,lord spake unto ,moses1 saying1 ,speak unto the children of ,israel1 and say unto them1 ,when a man shall accomplish a vow1 the persons shall be for the ,lord by thy estimation4 ,and thy estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old1 even thy estimation shall be fifty shekels of silver1 after the shekel of the sanctuary4 ,and if it be a female1 then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels4 ,and if it be from five years old even unto twenty years old1 then thy estimation shall be of the male twenty shekels1 and for the female ten shekels4 ,and if it be from a month old even unto five years old1 then thy estimation shall be of the male five shekels of silver1 and for the female thy estimation shall be three shekels of silver4 ,and if it be from sixty years old and upward2 if it be a male1 then thy estimation shall be fifteen shekels1 and for the female ten shekels4 ,but if he be poorer than thy estimation1 then he shall be set before the priest1 and the priest shall value him2 according to the ability of him that vowed shall the priest value him4 ,first1 we have the law 7vv4 #b-h7 concerning the vowing of persons4 ,in this case it does not appear that it was intended that the personal vow should be fulfilled by the actual devotement of the service of the person to the sanctuary4 ,for such service abundant provision was made by the separation of the ,levites1 and it can hardly be imagined that under ordinary conditions it would be possible to find special occupation about the sanctuary for all who might be prompted thus to dedicate themselves by a vow to the ,lord4 ,moreover1 apart from this1 we read here of the vowing to the ,lord of young children1 from five years of age down to one month1 from whom tabernacle service is not to be thought of4 ,the vow which dedicated the person to the ,lord was therefore usually discharged by the simple expedient of a commutation price to be paid into the treasury of the sanctuary1 as the symbolic equivalent of the value of his self-dedication4 ,the persons thus consecrated are said to be for the ,lord1 and this fact was to be recognised and their special dedication to ,him discharged by the payment of a certain sum of money4 ,the amount to be paid in each instance is fixed by the law before us1 with an evident reference to the labour value of the person thus given to the ,lord in the vow1 as determined by two factors--the sex and the age4 ,inasmuch as the woman is inferior in strength to the man1 she is rated lower than he is4 ,as affected by age1 persons vowed are distributed into four classes3 the lowest1 from one month up to five years2 the second1 from five years to twenty2 the third1 from twenty to sixty2 the fourth1 from sixty years of age and upwards4 ,the law takes first 7vv4 #c1 #d7 the case of persons in the prime of their working powers1 from twenty to sixty years old1 for whom the highest commutation rate is fixed2 namely1 fifty shekels for the male and thirty for a female1 after the shekel of the sanctuary1 i4e41 of full standard weight4 ,if younger than this1 obviously the labour value of the persons service would be less2 it is therefore fixed 7ver4 #e7 at twenty shekels for the male and ten for the female1 if the age be from five to twenty2 and if the person be over sixty1 then 7ver4 #g71 as the feebleness of age is coming on1 the rate is fifteen shekels for the male and ten for the female4#ef ,in the case of a child from one month to five years old1 the rate is fixed 7ver4 #f7 at five1 or1 in a female1 then at three shekels4 ,in this last case it will be observed that the rate for the male is the same as that appointed 7,numb4 xviii4 #ae1 #af7 for the redemption of the firstborn1 from a month old1 in all cases4 ,as in that ordinance1 so here1 the payment was merely a symbolic recognition of the special claim of ,god on the person1 without any reference to a labour value4 #ef ,these commutation rates are so low that it is plain that they could not have represented the actual value of the individual's labour4 ,the highest sum which is named--fifty shekels--as the rate for a man from twenty to sixty years of age1 taking the shekel as #bs4 #ccg;d41 or #edgd1 would only amount to #e #ads4 #j-c_/d;d41 or #bgcge4 ,even from this alone it is clear that1 as stated above1 the chief reference in these figures must have been symbolic of a claim of ,god upon the person1 graded according to his capacity for service4 ,but although the sum was so small that even at the most it could not nearly represent the actual value of the labour of such as were able to labour1 yet one can see that cases might occur when a man might be moved to make such a vow of dedication of himself or of a child to the ,lord1 while he was yet too poor to pay even such a small amount4 ,hence the kindly provision 7ver4 #h7 that if any person be poorer than this estimation1 he shall not therefore be excluded from the privilege of self-dedication to the ,lord1 but he shall be set before the priest1 and the priest shall value him2 according to the ability of him that vowed shall the priest value him4 ,,of ,,the ,,vowing ,,of ,,domestic ,,animals4 xxvii4 #i-ac4 ,and if it be a beast1 whereof men offer an oblation unto the ,lord1 all that any man giveth of such unto the ,lord shall be holy4 ,he shall not alter it1 nor change it1 a good for a bad1 or a bad for a good3 and if he shall at all change beast for beast1 then both it and that for which it is changed shall be holy4 ,and if it be any unclean beast1 of which they do not offer an oblation unto the ,lord1 then he shall set the beast before the priest3 and the priest shall value it1 whether it be good or bad3 as thou the priest valuest it1 so shall it be4 ,but if he will indeed redeem it1 then he shall add the fifth part thereof unto thy estimation4 ,this next section concerns the vowing to the ,lord of domestic animals 7vv4 #i-ac74 ,if the animal thus dedicated to the ,lord were such as could be used in sacrifice1 then the animal itself was taken for the sanctuary service1 and the vow was unalterable and irrevocable4 ,if1 however1 the animal vowed was any unclean beast1 then the priest 7ver4 #ab7 was to set a price upon it1 according to its value2 for which1 we may infer1 it was to be sold and the proceeds devoted to the sanctuary4 ,in this case1 the person who had vowed the animal was allowed to redeem it to himself again 7ver4 #ac7 by payment of this estimated price and one-fifth additional1 a provision which was evidently intended to be of the nature of a fine1 and to be a check upon the making of rash vows4 ,,of ,,the ,,vowing ,,of ,,houses ,,and ,,fields4 xxvii4 #ad-be4 ,and when a man shall sanctify his house to be holy unto the ,lord1 then the priest shall estimate it1 whether it be good or bad3 as the priest shall estimate it1 so shall it stand4 ,and if he that sanctified it will redeem his house1 then he shall add the fifth part of the money of thy estimation unto it1 and it shall be his4 ,and if a man shall sanctify unto the ,lord part of the field of his possession1 then thy estimation shall be according to the sowing thereof3 the sowing of a homer of barley shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver4 ,if he sanctify his field from the year of jubilee1 according to thy estimation it shall stand4 ,but if he sanctify his field after the jubilee1 then the priest shall reckon unto him the money according to the years that remain unto the year of jubilee1 and an abatement shall be made from thy estimation4 ,and if he that sanctified the field will indeed redeem it1 then he shall add the fifth part of the money of thy estimation unto it1 and it shall be assured to him4 ,and if he will not redeem the field1 or if he have sold the field to another man1 it shall not be redeemed any more3 but the field1 when it goeth out in the jubilee1 shall be holy unto the ,lord1 as a field devoted2 the possession thereof shall be the priest's4 ,and if he sanctify unto the ,lord a field which he hath bought1 which is not of the field of his possession2 then the priest shall reckon unto him the worth of thy estimation unto the year of jubilee3 and he shall give thine estimation in that day1 as a holy thing unto the ,lord4 ,in the year of jubilee the field shall return unto him of whom it was bought1 even to him to whom the possession of the land belongeth4 ,and all thy estimations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary3 twenty gerahs shall be the shekel4 ,the law regarding the consecration of a man's house unto the ,lord by a vow 7vv4 #ad1 #ae7 is very simple4 ,the priest is to estimate its value1 without right of appeal4 ,apparently1 the man might still live in it1 if he desired1 but only as one living in a house belonging to another2 presumably1 a rental was to be paid1 on the basis of the priest's estimation of value1 into the sanctuary treasury4 ,if the man wished again to redeem it1 then1 as in the case of the beast that was vowed1 he must pay into the treasury the estimated value of the house1 with the addition of one-fifth4 ,in the case of the sanctifying or dedication of a field by a special vow two cases might arise1 which are dealt with in succession4 ,the first case 7vv4 #af-ba7 was the dedication to the ,lord of a field which belonged to the ,israelite by inheritance2 the second 7vv4 #bb-bd71 that of one which had come to him by purchase4 ,in the former case1 the priest was to fix a price upon the field on the basis of fifty shekels for so much land as would be sown with a homer--about eight bushels--of barley4 ,in case the dedication took effect from the year of jubilee1 this full price was to be paid into the ,lord's treasury for the field2 but if from a later year in the cycle1 then the rate was to be diminished in proportion to the number of years of the jubilee period which might have already passed at the date of the vow4 ,inasmuch as in the case of a field which had been purchased1 it was ordered that the price of the estimation should be paid down to the priest in that day 7ver4 #bc7 in which the appraisal was made1 it would appear as if1 in the present case1 the man was allowed to pay it annually1 a shekel for each year of the jubilee period1 or by instalments otherwise1 as he might choose1 as a periodic recognition of the special claim of the ,lord upon that field1 in consequence of his vow4 ,redemption of the field from the obligation of the vow was permitted under the condition of the fifth added to the priest's estimation1 e4g4 on the payment of sixty instead of fifty shekels 7ver4 #ai74 ,if1 however1 without having thus redeemed the field1 the man who vowed should sell it to another man1 it is ordered that the field1 which otherwise would revert to him again in full right of usufruct when the jubilee year came round1 should be forfeited2 so that when the jubilee came the exclusive right of the field would henceforth belong to the priest1 as in the case of a field devoted by the ban4 ,the intention of this regulation is evidently penal2 for the field1 during the time covered by the vow1 was in a special sense the ,lord's2 and the man had the use of it for himself only upon condition of a certain annual payment2 to sell it1 therefore1 during that time1 was1 in fact1 from the legal point of view1 to sell property1 absolute right in which he had by his vow renounced in favour of the ,lord4 ,the case of the dedication in a vow of a field belonging to a man1 not as a paternal inheritance1 but by purchase 7vv4 #bb-bd71 only differed from the former in that1 as already remarked1 immediate payment in full of the sum at which it was estimated was made obligatory2 when the jubilee year came1 the field reverted to the original owner1 according to the law 7xxv4 #bh74 ,the reason for thus insisting on full immediate payment1 in the case of the dedication of a field acquired by purchase1 is plain1 when we refer to the law 7xxv4 #be71 according to which the original owner had the right of redemption guaranteed to him at any time before the jubilee4 ,if1 in the case of such a dedicated field1 any part of the amount due to the sanctuary were still unpaid1 obviously this1 as a lien upon the land1 would stand in the way of such redemption4 ,the regulation of immediate payment is therefore intended to protect the original owner's right to redeem the field4 ,ver4 #be lays down the general principle that in all these estimations and commutations the shekel must be the shekel of the sanctuary1 twenty gerahs to the shekel2--words which are not to be understood as pointing to the existence of two distinct shekels as current1 but simply as meaning that the shekel must be of full weight1 such as only could pass current in transactions with the sanctuary4 ,,the ,,vow ,,in ,,new ,,testament ,,ethics4 ,not without importance is the question whether the vow1 as brought before us here1 in the sense of a voluntary promise to ,god of something not due to ,him by the law1 has1 of right1 a place in ,new ,testament ethics and practical life4 ,it is to be observed in approaching this question1 that the ,mosaic law here simply deals with a religious custom which it found prevailing1 and while it gives it a certain tacit sanction1 yet neither here or elsewhere ever recommends the practice2 nor does the whole ,old ,testament represent ,god as influenced by such a voluntary promise1 to do something which otherwise ,he would not have done4 ,at the same time1 inasmuch as the religious impulse which prompts to the vow1 howsoever liable to lead to an abuse of the practice1 may be in itself right1 ,moses takes the matter in hand1 as in this chapter and elsewhere1 and deals with it simply in an educational way4 ,if a man will vow1 while it is not forbidden1 he is elsewhere 7,deut4 xxii4 #bb7 reminded that there is no special merit in it2 if he forbear1 he is no worse a man4 ,further1 the evident purpose of these regulations is to teach that1 whereas it must in the nature of the case be a very serious thing to enter into a voluntary engagement of anything to the holy ,god1 it is not to be done hastily and rashly2 hence a check is put upon such inconsiderate promising1 by the refusal of the law to release from the voluntary obligation1 in some cases1 upon any terms2 and by its refusal1 in any case1 to release except under the condition of a very material fine for breach of promise4 ,it was thus taught clearly that if men made promises to ,god1 they must keep them4 ,the spirit of these regulations has been precisely expressed by the ,preacher 7,eccl4 v4 #e1 #f73 ,better is it that thou shouldest not vow1 than that thou shouldest vow and not pay4 ,suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin2 neither say thou before the messenger of ,god1#eg that it was an error3 wherefore should ,god be angry at thy voice1 and destroy the work of thine hands8 ,finally1 in the careful guarding of the practice by the penalty attached also to change or substitution in a thing vowed1 or to selling that which had been vowed to ,god1 as if it were one's own2 and1 last of all1 by insisting that the full-weight shekel of the sanctuary should be made the standard in all the appraisals involved in the vow1--the law kept steadily and uncompromisingly before the conscience the absolute necessity of being strictly honest with ,god4 #eg ,so certainly should we render instead of angel1 in accordance with the suggestion of the margin 7,r4,v474 ,the reference is to the priest1 as ,mal4 ii4 #g makes very clear3 ,he the priest is the messenger of the ,lord4 ,but in all this there is nothing which necessarily passes over to the new dispensation1 except the moral principles which are assumed in these regulations4 ,a hasty promise to ,god1 in an inconsiderate spirit1 even of that which ought to be freely promised ,him1 is sin1 as much now as then2 and1 still more1 the breaking of any promise to ,him when once made4 ,so we may take hence to ourselves the lesson of absolute honesty in all our dealing with ,god1--a lesson not less needed now than then4 ,yet this does not touch the central question3 ,has the vow1 in the sense above defined--namely1 the promise to ,god of something not due to ,him in the law--a place in ,new ,testament ethics8 ,it is true that it is nowhere forbidden2 but as little is it approved4 ,the reference of our ,lord 7,matt4 xv4 #e1 #f7 to the abuse of the vow by the ,pharisees to justify neglect of parental claims does not imply the propriety of vows at present2 for the old dispensation was then still in force4 ,the vows of ,paul 7,acts xviii4 #ah2 xxi4 #bd-bf7 apparently refer to the vow of a ,nazarite1 and in no case present a binding example for us1 inasmuch as they are but illustrations of his frequent conformity to ,jewish usages in things involving no sin1 in which he became a ,jew that he might gain the ,jews4 ,on the other hand1 the ,new ,testament conception of ,christian life and duty seems clearly to leave no room for a voluntary promise to ,god of what is not due1 seeing that1 through the transcendent obligation of grateful love to the ,lord for ,his redeeming love1 there is no possible degree of devotement of self or of one's substance which could be regarded as not already ,god's due4 ,he died for all1 that they which live should no longer live unto themselves1 but unto ,him who for their sakes died and rose again4 ,the vow1 in the sense brought before us in this chapter1 is essentially correlated to a legal system such as the ,mosaic1 in which dues to ,god are prescribed by rule4 ,in ,new ,testament ethics1 as distinguished from those of the ,old1 we must therefore conclude that for the vow there is no logical place4 ,the question is not merely speculative and unpractical4 ,in fact1 we here come upon one of the fundamental points of difference between ,romish and ,protestant ethics4 ,for it is the ,romish doctrine that1 besides such works as are essential to a state of salvation1 which are by ,god made obligatory upon all1 there are other works which1 as ,rome regards the matter1 are not commanded1 but are only made matters of ,divine counsel1 in order to the attainment1 by means of their observance1 of a higher type of ,christian life4 ,such works as these1 unlike the former class1 because not of universal obligation1 may properly be made the subject of a vow4 ,these are1 especially1 the voluntary renunciation of all property1 abstinence from marriage1 and the monastic life4 ,but this distinction of precepts and counsels1 and the theory of vows1 and of works of supererogation1 which ,rome has based upon it1 all ,protestants have with one consent rejected1 and that with abundant reason4 ,for not only do we fail to find any justification for these views in the ,new ,testament1 but the history of the ,church has shown1 with what should be convincing clearness1 that1 howsoever we may gladly recognise in the monastic communities of ,rome1 in all ages1 men and women living under special vows of poverty1 obedience1 and chastity1 whose purity of life and motive1 and sincere devotion to the ,lord1 cannot be justly called in question1 it is none the less clear that1 on the whole1 the tendency of the system has been toward either legalism on the one hand1 or a sad licentiousness of life on the other4 ,in this matter of vows1 as in so many things1 it has been the fatal error of the ,roman ,church that1 under the cover of a supposed ,old ,testament warrant1 she has returned to the weak and beggarly elements which1 according to the ,new ,testament1 have only a temporary use in the earliest childhood of religious life4 ,,exclusions ,,from ,,the ,,vow4 xxvii4 #bf-cc4 ,only the firstling among beasts1 which is made a firstling to the ,lord1 no man shall sanctify it2 whether it be ox or sheep1 it is the ,lord's4 ,and if it be of an unclean beast1 then he shall ransom it according to thine estimation1 and shall add unto it the fifth part thereof3 or if it be not redeemed1 then it shall be sold according to thy estimation4 ,notwithstanding1 no devoted thing1 that a man shall devote unto the ,lord of all that he hath1 whether of man or beast1 or of the field of his possession1 shall be sold or redeemed3 every devoted thing is most holy unto the ,lord4 ,none devoted1 which shall be devoted of men1 shall be ransomed2 he shall surely be put to death4 ,and all the tithe of the land1 whether of the seed of the land1 or of the fruit of the tree1 is the ,lord's3 it is holy unto the ,lord4 ,and if a man will redeem aught of his tithe1 he shall add unto it the fifth part thereof4 ,and all the tithe of the herd or the flock1 whatsoever passeth under the rod1 the tenth shall be holy unto the ,lord4 ,he shall not search whether it be good or bad1 neither shall he change it3 and if he change it at all1 then both it and that for which it is changed shall be holy2 it shall not be redeemed4 ,the remaining verses of this chapter specify three classes of property which could not be dedicated by a special vow1 namely1 the firstling among beasts 7ver4 #bf72 any devoted thing 7vv4 #bh1 #bi71 i4e41 anything which had been devoted to the ,lord by the ban--as1 e4g41 all the persons and property in the city of ,jericho by ,joshua 7vii4 #ag72 and1 lastly1 the tithe of the land 7ver4 #cj74 ,the reason for prohibiting the vowing of any of these is in every case one and the same2 either by the law or by a previous personal act they already belonged to the ,lord4 ,to devote them in a vow would therefore be to vow to the ,lord that over which one had no right4 ,as for the firstborn1 the ,lord had declared ,his everlasting claim on these at the time of the ,exodus 7,exod4 xiii4 #ab-ae72 to vow to give the ,lord ,his own1 had been absurd4 ,to the law previously given1 however1 concerning the firstling of unclean beasts 7,exod4 xiii4 #ac71 it is here added that1 if a man wish to redeem such a firstling1 the same law shall apply as in the redemption of what has been vowed2 namely1 the priest was to appraise it1 and then the man whose it had been might redeem it by the payment of the amount thus fixed1 increased by one-fifth4 ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,the ,,ban4 xxvii4 #bh1 #bi4 ,notwithstanding1 no devoted thing1 that a man shall devote unto the ,lord of all that he hath1 whether of man or beast1 or of the field of his possession1 shall be sold or redeemed3 every devoted thing is most holy unto the ,lord4 ,none devoted1 which shall be devoted of men1 shall be ransomed2 he shall surely be put to death4 ,neither could any devoted thing be given to the ,lord by a vow1 and for the same reason--that it belonged to ,him already4 ,but it is added that1 unlike that which has been vowed1 the ,lord's firstlings and the tithes1 that which has been devoted may neither be sold nor redeemed4 ,if it be a person which is thus devoted1 he shall surely be put to death 7ver4 #bi74 ,the reason of this law is found in the nature of the herem or ban4 ,it devoted to the ,lord only such persons and things as were in a condition of irreformable hostility and irreconcilable antagonism to the kingdom of ,god4 ,by the ban such were turned over to ,god1 in order to the total nullification of their power for evil2 by destroying whatever was capable of destruction1 as the persons and all living things that belonged to them2 and by devoting to the ,lord's service in the sanctuary and priesthood such of their property as1 like silver1 gold1 and land1 was in its nature incapable of destruction4 ,in such devoted persons or things no man therefore was allowed to assert any personal claim or interest1 such as the right of sale or of redemption would imply4 ,elsewhere the ,israelite is forbidden even to desire the silver or gold that was on the idols in devoted cities 7,deut4 vii4 #be71 or to bring it into his house or tent1 on penalty of being himself banned or devoted like them2 a threat which was carried out in the case of ,achan 7,josh4 vii471 who1 for appropriating a wedge of gold and a garment which had been devoted1 according to the law here and elsewhere declared1 was summarily put to death4 ,this is not the place to enter fully into a discussion of the very grave questions which arise in connection with this law of the ban1 in which it is ordered that none devoted1 whether of man or beast1 shall be ransomed1 but shall be surely put to death4 ,the most familiar instance of its application is furnished by the case of the ,canaanitish cities1 which ,joshua1 in accordance with this law of ,lev4 xxvii4 #bh1 #bi1 utterly destroyed1 with their inhabitants and every living thing that was in them4 ,there are many sincere believers in ,christ who find it almost impossible to believe that it can be true that ,god commanded such a slaughter as this2 and the difficulty well deserves a brief consideration4 ,it may not indeed be possible wholly to remove it from every mind2 but one may well call attention1 in connection with these verses1 to certain considerations which should at least suffice very greatly to relieve its stress4 ,in the first place1 it is imperative to remember that1 if we accept the teaching of ,scripture1 we have before us in this history1 not the government of man1 but the government of ,god1 a true theocracy4 ,now it is obvious that if even fallible men may be rightly granted power to condemn men to death1 for the sake of the public good1 much more must this right be conceded1 and that without any limitation1 to the infinitely righteous and infallible ,king of kings1 if1 in accord with the ,scripture declarations1 ,he was1 literally and really1 the political ,head 7if we may be allowed the expression7 of the ,israelitish nation4 ,further1 if this absolute right of ,god in matters of life and death be admitted1 as it must be1 it is plain that ,he may rightly delegate the execution of ,his decrees to human agents4 ,if this right is granted to one of our fellow-men1 as to a king or a magistrate1 much more to ,god4 ,granting that the theocratic government of ,israel was a historical fact1 the only question then remaining as to the right of the ban1 concerns the justice of its application in particular cases4 ,with regard to this1 we may concede that it was quite possible that men might sometimes apply this law without ,divine authority2 but we are not required to defend such cases1 if any be shown1 any more than to excuse the infliction of capital punishment in ,america sometimes by lynch law4 ,these cases furnish no argument against its infliction after due legal process1 and by legitimate governmental authority4 ,as to the terrible execution of this law of the ban1 in the destruction of the inhabitants of the ,canaanitish cities1 if the fact of the theocratic authority be granted1 it is not so difficult to justify this as some have imagined4 ,nor1 conversely1 when the actual facts are thoroughly known1 can the truth of the statement of the ,scripture that ,god commanded this terrible destruction1 be regarded as irreconcilable with those moral perfections which ,scripture and reason alike attribute to the ,supreme ,being4 ,the researches and discoveries of recent years have let in a flood of light upon the state of society prevailing among those ,canaanitish tribes at the date of their destruction2 and they warrant us in saying that in the whole history of our race it would be hard to point to any civilized community which has sunken to such a depth of wickedness and moral pollution4 ,as we have already seen1 the book of ,leviticus gives many dark hints of unnamable horrors among the ,canaanitish races3 the fearful cruelties of the worship of ,molech1 and the unmentionable impurities of the cult of ,ashtoreth2 the prohibition among some of these of female chastity1 requiring that all be morally sacrificed#eh--one cannot go into these things4 ,and when now we read in ,holy ,scripture that the infinitely pure1 holy1 and righteous ,god commanded that these utterly depraved and abandoned communities should be extirpated from the face of the earth1 is it1 after all1 so hard to believe that this should be true8 ,nay1 may we not rather with abundant reason say that it would have been far more difficult to reconcile with the character of ,god1 if ,he had suffered them any longer to exist8 #eh ,on this subject1 among other authorities1 see ,ebrard1 ,apologetik1 #b ,theil1 pp4 #afg-ij1 especially p4 #agc4 ,nor have we yet fully stated the case4 ,for we must1 in addition1 recall the fact that these corrupt communities1 which by this law of the ban were devoted to utter destruction1 were in no out-of-the-way corner of the world1 but on one of its chief highways4 ,the ,phoenicians1 for instance1 more than any people of that time1 were the navigators and travellers of the age2 so that from ,canaan as a centre this horrible moral pestilence was inevitably carried by them hither and thither1 a worse than the black death1 to the very extremities of the known world4 ,have we then so certainly good reason to call in question the righteousness of the law which here ordains that no person thus devoted should be ransomed1 but be surely put to death8 ,rather are we inclined to see in this law of the theocratic kingdom1 and its execution in ,canaan--so often held up as an illustration of the awful cruelty of the old theocratic rgime--not only a conspicuous vindication of the righteousness and justice of ,god1 but a no less illustrious manifestation of ,his mercy2--of ,his mercy1 not merely to ,israel1 but to the whole human race of that age1 who because of this deadly infection of moral evil had otherwise again everywhere sunk to such unimaginable depths of depravity as to have required a second flood for the cleansing of the world4 ,this certainly was the way in which the ,psalmist regarded it1 when 7,psalm cxxxvi4 #ag-bb7 he praised ,jehovah as ,one who smote great kings1 and slew famous kings1 and gave their land for an heritage1 even an heritage unto ,israel ,his servant3 for ,,his ,,mercy endureth for ever2 a thought which is again more formally expressed 7,psalm lxii4 #ab7 in the words3 ,unto ,thee1 ,o ,lord1 belongeth mercy3 for ,thou renderest to every man according to his work4 ,nor can we leave this law of the ban without noting the very solemn suggestion which it contains that there may be in the universe persons who1 despite the great redemption1 are morally irredeemable1 hopelessly obdurate2 for whom1 under the government of a ,god infinitely righteous and merciful1 nothing remains but the execution of the ban--the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels 7,matt4 xxv4 #da72 a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries 7,heb4 x4 #bg74 ,and this1 not merely although1 but ,,because ,god's mercy endureth for ever4 ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,the ,,tithe4 xxvi4 #cj-cc4 ,and all the tithe of the land1 whether of the seed of the land1 or of the fruit of the tree1 is the ,lord's3 it is holy unto the ,lord4 ,and if a man will redeem aught of his tithe1 he shall add unto it the fifth part thereof4 ,and all the tithe of the herd or the flock1 whatsoever passeth under the rod1 the tenth shall be holy unto the ,lord4 ,he shall not search whether it be good or bad1 neither shall he change it3 and if he change it at all1 then both it and that for which it is changed shall be holy2 it shall not be redeemed4 ,last of all these exclusions from the vow is mentioned the tithe4 ,whether of the seed of the land1 or of the herd1 or of the flock1 it is declared to be holy unto the ,lord2 it is the ,lord's4 ,that because of this it cannot be given to the ,lord by a special vow1 although not formally stated1 is self-evident4 ,no man can give away what belongs to another1 or give ,god what ,he has already4 ,in ,numb4 xviii4 #ba it is said that this tenth should be given unto the children of ,levi 444 for the service of the tent of meeting4 ,most extraordinary is the contention of ,wellhausen and others1 that since in ,deuteronomy no tithe is mentioned other than of the product of the land1 therefore1 because of the mention here also of a tithe of the herd and the flock1 we must infer that we have here a late interpolation into the priest-code1 marking a time when now the exactions of the priestly caste had been extended to the utmost limit4 ,this is not the place to go into the question of the relation of the law of ,deuteronomy to that which we have here2 but we should rather1 with ,dillmann1#ei from the same premisses argue the exact opposite1 namely1 that we have here the very earliest form of the tithe law4 ,for that an ordinance so extending the rights of the priestly class should have been smuggled into the ,sinaitic laws after the days of ,nehemiah1 as ,wellhausen1 ,reuss1 and ,kuenen suppose1 is simply unthinkable2#fj while1 on the other hand1 when we find already in ,gen4 xxviii4 #bb ,jacob promising unto the ,lord the tenth of all that ,he should give him1 at a time when he was living the life of a nomad herdsman1 it is inconceivable that he should have meant all1 excepting the increase of the flocks and herds1 which were his chief possession4 #ei ,see ,die ,bcher ,exodus und ,leviticus1 pp4 #fce-fch4 #fj ,see ,undenkbar2 so ,dillmann1 op4 cit41 p4 #fch4 ,the truth is that the dedication of a tithe1 in various forms1 as an acknowledgment of dependence upon and reverence to ,god1 is one of the most widely-spread and best-attested practices of the most remote antiquity4 ,we read of it among the ,romans1 the ,greeks1 the ancient ,pelasgians1 the ,carthaginians1 and the ,phoenicians2 and in the ,pentateuch1 in full accord with all this1 we find not only ,jacob1 as in the passage cited1 but1 at a yet earlier time1 ,abraham1 more than four hundred years before ,moses1 giving tithes to ,melchizedek4 ,the law1 in the exact form in which we have it here1 is therefore in perfect harmony with all that we know of the customs both of the ,hebrews and surrounding peoples1 from a time even much earlier than that of the ,exodus4 ,very naturally the reference to the tithe1 as thus from of old belonging to the ,lord1 and therefore incapable of being vowed1 gives occasion to other regulations respecting it4 ,like unclean animals1 houses1 and lands which had been vowed1 so also the tithe1 or any part of it1 might be redeemed by the individual for his own use1 upon payment of the usual mulct of one-fifth additional to its assessed value4 ,so also it is further ordered1 with special regard to the tithe of the herd and the flock1 that whatsoever passeth under the rod1 i4e41 whatever is counted1 as the manner was1 by being made to pass into or out of the fold under the herdsman's staff1 the tenth--that is1 every tenth animal as in its turn it comes--shall be holy to the ,lord4 ,the owner was not to search whether the animal thus selected was good or bad1 nor change it1 so as to give the ,lord a poorer animal1 and keep a better one for himself2 and if he broke this law1 then1 as in the case of the unclean beast vowed1 as the penalty he was to forfeit to the sanctuary both the original and its attempted substitute1 and also lose the right of redemption4 ,a very practical question emerges just here1 as to the continued obligation of this law of the tithe4 ,although we hear nothing of the tithe in the first ,christian centuries1 it began to be advocated in the fourth century by ,jerome1 ,augustine1 and others1 and1 as is well known1 the system of ecclesiastical tithing soon became established as the law of the ,church4 ,although the system by no means disappeared with the ,reformation1 but passed from the ,roman into the ,reformed ,churches1 yet the modern spirit has become more and more adverse to the medival system1 till1 with the progressive hostility in society to all connection of the ,church and the ,state1 and in the ,church the development of a sometimes exaggerated voluntaryism1 tithing as a system seems likely to disappear altogether1 as it has already from the most of ,christendom4 ,but in consequence of this1 and the total severance of the ,church from the ,state1 in the ,united ,states and the ,dominion of ,canada1 the necessity of securing adequate provision for the maintenance and extension of the ,church1 is more and more directing the attention of those concerned in the practical economics of the ,church1 to this venerable institution of the tithe as the solution of many difficulties4 ,among such there are many who1 while quite opposed to any enforcement of a law of tithing for the benefit of the ,church by the civil power1 nevertheless earnestly maintain that the law of the tithe1 as we have it here1 is of permanent obligation and binding on the conscience of every ,christian4 ,what is the truth in the matter8 ,in particular1 what is the teaching of the ,new ,testament8 ,in attempting to settle for ourselves this question1 it is to be observed1 in order to clear thinking on this subject1 that in the law of the tithe as here declared there are two elements--the one moral1 the other legal1--which should be carefully distinguished4 ,first and fundamental is the principle that it is our duty to set apart to ,god a certain fixed proportion of our income4 ,the other and--technically speaking--positive element in the law is that which declares that the proportion to be given to the ,lord is precisely one-tenth4 ,now1 of these two1 the first principle is distinctly recognised and reaffirmed in the ,new ,testament as of continued validity in this dispensation2 while1 on the other hand1 as to the precise proportion of our income to be thus set apart for the ,lord1 the ,new ,testament writers are everywhere silent4 ,as regards the first principle1 the ,apostle ,paul1 writing to the ,corinthians1 orders that on the first day of the week--the day of the primitive ,christian worship--every one shall lay by him in store1 as ,god hath prospered him4 ,he adds that he had given the same command also to the ,churches of ,galatia 7#a ,cor4 xvi4 #a1 #b74 ,this most clearly gives apostolic sanction to the fundamental principle of the tithe1 namely1 that a definite portion of our income should be set apart for ,god4 ,while1 on the other hand1 neither in this connection1 where a mention of the law of the tithe might naturally have been expected1 if it had been still binding as to the letter1 nor in any other place does either the ,apostle ,paul or any other ,new ,testament writer intimate that the ,levitical law1 requiring the precise proportion of a tenth1 was still in force2--a fact which is the more noteworthy that so much is said of the duty of ,christian benevolence4 ,to this general statement with regard to the testimony of the ,new ,testament on this subject1 the words of our ,lord to the ,pharisees 7,matt4 xxiii4 #bc71 regarding their tithing of mint and anise and cummin--these ye ought to have done--cannot be taken as an exception1 or as proving that the law is binding for this dispensation2 for the simple reason that the present dispensation had not at that time yet begun1 and those to whom ,he spoke were still under the ,levitical law1 the authority of which ,he there reaffirms4 ,from these facts we conclude that the law of these verses1 in so far as it requires the setting apart to ,god of a certain definite proportion of our income1 is doubtless of continued and lasting obligation2 but that1 in so far as it requires from all alike the exact proportion of one-tenth1 it is binding on the conscience no longer4 ,nor is it difficult to see why the ,new ,testament should not lay down this or any other precise proportion of giving to income1 as a universal law4 ,it is only according to the characteristic usage of the ,new ,testament law to leave to the individual conscience very much regarding the details of worship and conduct1 which under the ,levitical law was regulated by specific rules2 which the ,apostle ,paul explains 7,gal4 iv4 #a-e7 by reference to the fact that the earlier method was intended for and adapted to a lower and more immature stage of religious development2 even as a child1 during his minority1 is kept under guardians and stewards1 from whose authority1 when he comes of age1 he is free4 ,but1 still further1 it seems to be often forgotten by those who argue for the present and permanent obligation of this law1 that it was here for the first time formally appointed by ,god as a binding law1 in connection with a certain divinely instituted system of theocratic government1 which1 if carried out1 would1 as we have seen1 effectively prevent excessive accumulations of wealth in the hands of individuals1 and thus secure for the ,israelites1 in a degree the world has never seen1 an equal distribution of property4 ,in such a system it is evident that it would be possible to exact a certain fixed and definite proportion of income for sacred purposes1 with the certainty that the requirement would work with perfect justice and fairness to all4 ,but with us1 social and economic conditions are so very different1 wealth is so very unequally distributed1 that no such law as that of the tithe could be made to work otherwise than unequally and unfairly4 ,to the very poor it must often be a heavy burden2 to the very rich1 a proportion so small as to be a practical exemption4 ,while1 for the former1 the law1 if insisted on1 would sometimes require a poor man to take bread out of the mouth of wife and children1 it would still leave the millionaire with thousands to spend on needless luxuries4 ,the latter might often more easily give nine-tenths of his income than the former could give one-twentieth4 ,it is thus no surprising thing that the inspired men who laid the foundations of the ,new ,testament ,church did not reaffirm the law of the tithe as to the letter4 ,and yet1 on the other hand1 let us not forget that the law of the tithe1 as regards the moral element of the law1 is still in force4 ,it forbids the ,christian to leave1 as so often1 the amount he will give for the ,lord's work1 to impulse and caprice4 ,statedly and conscientiously he is to lay by him in store as the ,lord hath prospered him4 ,if any ask how much should the proportion be1 one might say that by fair inference the tenth might safely be taken as an average minimum of giving1 counting rich and poor together4 ,but the ,new ,testament 7#b ,cor4 viii4 #g1 #i7 answers after a different and most characteristic manner3 ,see that ye abound in this grace4444 ,for ye know the grace of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 that1 though ,he was rich1 yet for your sakes ,he became poor1 that ye through ,his poverty might become rich4 ,let there be but regular and systematic giving to the ,lord's work1 under the law of a fixed proportion of gifts to income1 and under the holy inspiration of this sacred remembrance of the grace of our ,lord1 and then the ,lord's treasury will never be empty1 nor the ,lord be robbed of ,his tithe4 ,and so hereupon the book of ,leviticus closes with the formal declaration--referring1 no doubt1 strictly speaking1 to the regulations of this last chapter--that these are the commandments1 which the ,lord commanded ,moses for the children of ,israel in mount ,sinai4 ,the words as explicitly assert ,mosaic origin and authority for these last laws of the book1 as the opening words asserted the same for the law of the offerings with which it begins4 ,the significance of these repeated declarations respecting the origin and authority of the laws contained in this book has been repeatedly pointed out1 and nothing further need be added here4 ,to sum up all3--what the ,lord1 in this book of ,leviticus1 has said1 was not for ,israel alone4 ,the supreme lesson of this law is for men now1 for the ,church of the ,new ,testament as well4 ,for the individual and for the nation1 ,,holiness1 consisting in full consecration of body and soul to the ,lord1 and separation from all that defileth1 is the ,divine ideal1 to the attainment of which ,jew and ,gentile alike are called4 ,and the only way of its attainment is through the atoning ,sacrifice1 and the mediation of the ,high ,priest appointed of ,god2 and the only evidence of its attainment is a joyful obedience1 hearty and unreserved1 to all the commandments of ,god4 ,for us all it stands written3 ,,ye ,,shall ,,be ,,holy2 ,,for ,i1 ,,jehovah1 ,,your ,,god1 ,,am ,,holy4 ,printed by ,hazell1 ,watson ,viney1 ,ld41 ,london and ,aylesbury4 ,,catholicism--,,roman ,,and ,,anglican4 ,by the ,rev4 ,a4 ,m4 ,,fairbairn1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d41 ,,ll4,d41 ,principal of ,mansfield ,college1 ,oxford2 ,author of ,the ,place of ,christ in ,modern ,theology1 etc4 ,fifth ,edition4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,the ,daily ,chronicle1 in a ,leading ,article1 says3 ,such a work cannot but have a deep effect4 ,dr4 ,fairbairn's able and striking volume4444 ,the treatment is throughout so thoughtful and free from narrow polemical bias4--,times4 ,the book is certainly one every theologian must welcome--high-minded in tone1 broad in its outlook1 penetrating in its vision1 and full of luminous apercus on the history of thought and of events4--,literature4 ,,the ,,place ,,of ,,christ ,,in ,,modern ,,theology4 ,eleventh ,edition4 #hvo1 cloth1 #abs4 ,in some respects this is a great book4 ,it strikes out a new and generally a fresh line of argument4 ,the story of the development of thought during the ,christian ages is a brilliant and vivid historical sketch1 and will be a most useful piece of reference to the student4--,,the ,,dean ,,of ,,gloucester1 in the ,pall ,mall ,gazette4 ,his work is1 without doubt1 one of the most valuable and comprehensive contributions to theology that has been made during this generation4--,spectator4 ,dr4 ,fairbairn starts from the principle that ,christian theology must be based on the consciousness of ,christ2 and from the fact that the historical ,christ is only now1 nineteen centuries after ,his appearance on earth1 being recovered for human knowledge and faith4444 ,a more vivid summary of ,church history has never been given4 ,with its swift characterisation of schools and politics1 with its subtle tracings of the development of various tendencies through the influence of their environment1 of reaction1 and of polemic2 with its contrasts of different systems1 philosophies1 and races2 with its portraits of men2 with its sense of progress and revolt--this part of ,dr4 ,fairbairn's book is no mere annal1 but drama1 vivid and full of emotion1 representative of the volume and sweep of ,christianity through the centuries4--,speaker4 ,the volume before us is the most weighty and important which he has yet issued4 ,his treatises entitled ',studies in the ,life of ,christ' and ',a ,city of ,god' contain much of great value2 but in a sense they gave promise of better things to come1 and this promise has been amply fulfilled 444 in this very able and learned and altogether admirable discussion on ',the ,place of ,christ in ,modern ,theology4' 444 ,the book is evidently one for the times1 and doubtless attention will be widely drawn to it on account of the great importance of the subject of which it treats1 the honoured name of its author1 and the conspicuous ability1 the competent learning1 and the gracious spirit which it everywhere displays4--,scotsman4 ,,london3 ,,hodder ,,stoughton1 #bg1 ,,paternoster ,,row4 ,,essays ,,and ,,addresses4 ,by the late ,r4 ,w4 ,,dale1 of ,birmingham4 ,edited by his ,son1 ,a4 ,w4 ,w4 ,,dale1 ,m4,a4 ,third ,edition4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,they are excellent examples of the earnest1 powerful1 and closely reasoned addresses which ,dr4 ,dale was in the habit of giving on important occasions4--,scotsman4 ,dr4 ,dale writes a brisk and vigorous style1 and his blows fall as with the clink of a hammer upon an anvil4--,glasgow ,herald4 ,,by ,,prof4 ,,james ,,orr4 ,,neglected ,,factors in the ,,study of the ,,early ,,progress of ,,christianity4 ,by ,,rev4 ,,james ,,orr1 ,d4,d41 ,professor of ,church ,history in the ,united ,presbyterian ,theological ,college1 ,edinburgh4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #cs4 #f;d4 ,an interesting volume4444 ,the volume is a valuable contribution to the history of the subject4--,scotsman4 ,these lectures deserve publication4 ,they are able1 learned1 and they show that ,dr4 ,orr has the gift of research1 and of looking at things for himself4 ,to each of these themes 7the neglected factors7 he gives earnest attention1 and he discusses them with overflowing learning and with great clearness4 ,the product is solid1 substantial1 and after the thorough pattern set to us by ,german writers4 ,he has abundantly proved his case4--,aberdeen ,free ,press4 ,the volume is valuable for the new light it throws on the progress and influence of ,christianity in the first three centuries1 for the fulness of its details1 and for the ability with which these are handled in working out the conclusions that are sought to be established4--,north ,british ,daily ,mail4 ,,by ,,the ,,same ,,author4 ,,the ,,ritschlian ,,theology ,,and ,,the ,,evangelical ,,faith4 ,third ,edition4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 cloth1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,his volume is not a large one1 but it is packed with matter1 and it embodies the well-considered results of careful and extensive reading4 ,it is the best ,english book we have on the subject4 ,nothing is left unnoticed that is necessary to a proper appreciation of this influential school of theology4--,critical ,review4 ,professor ,orr has done his work well4 ,his treatment of ,ritschlianism is scholarly1 self-contained1 and lucid1 and no ,english student of religion in future can have any difficulty in understanding the position of the ,ritschlian school1 whether at home or abroad4--,church ,times4 ,it is a surprisingly well-written book1 for the subject is supremely difficult4 ,it is the best popular account of the great movement that yet been seen in ,english4--,expository ,times4 ,,the ,,unheeding ,,god1 ,,and ,,other ,,sermons4 ,by the ,,rev4 ,,thomas ,g4 ,,selby4 ,fourth ,edition4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,it is not often1 in the somewhat barren records of pulpit literature1 that such a noble and striking volume of sermons as this is given to the public4 ,the present volume elevates its author to a front rank among the preachers of the time4444 ,no more timely discourses than these could possibly be preached4--,spectator4 ,an excellent volume of sermons4 ,mr4 ,selby writes in a pungent and forcible style1 and has a great command of suggestive illustrations1 taken from history1 literature1 and science4 ,some of the lines of thought opened out by him are very original1 and we especially commend the fine sermon on ',obscure ,service and the ,infinite ,outlook4'--,glasgow ,herald4 ,,london3 ,,hodder ,,stoughton1 #bg1 ,,paternoster ,,row4