LEVITICUS, Section 2, (Lev. 5: 14—Lev. 14).
C H Mackintosh.
Leviticus 5: 14—Leviticus 6: 7.
These verses contain the doctrine of the trespass offering, of which there were two
distinct kinds, namely, trespass against God, and trespass against man. "If a soul
commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the Lord, then
shall he bring for his trespass unto the Lord, a ram without blemish out of the flocks,
with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a
trespass offering." Here we have a case in which a positive wrong was done, in the
holy things which pertained unto the Lord; and, albeit this was done "through
ignorance," yet could it not be passed over. God can forgive all manner of trespass,
but He cannot pass over a single jot or tittle. His grace is perfect, and therefore He can
forgive all. His holiness is perfect, and therefore He cannot pass over anything. He
cannot sanction iniquity, but He can blot it out, and that, moreover, according to the
perfection of His grace, and according to the perfect claims of His holiness.
It is a very grave error to suppose that, provided a man acts up to the dictates of his
conscience, he is all right and safe. The peace which rests upon such a foundation as
this will be eternally destroyed when the light of the judgement-seat shines in upon
the conscience. God could never lower His claim to such a level. The balances of the
sanctuary are regulated by a very different scale from that afforded by the most
sensitive conscience. We have had occasion to dwell upon this point before, in the
notes on the sin offering. It cannot be too strongly insisted upon. There are two things
involved in it. First, a just perception of what the holiness of God really is; and,
secondly, a clear sense of the ground of a believer's peace, in the divine presence.
Whether it be a question of my condition or my conduct, my nature or my acts, God
alone can be the Judge of what suits Himself, and of what befits His holy presence.
Can human ignorance furnish a plea, when divine requirements are in question? God
forbid. A wrong has been done "in the holy things of the Lord;" but man's conscience
has not taken cognisance of it. What then? Is there to be nothing more about it? Are
the claims of God to be thus lightly disposed of? Assuredly not. This would be
subversive of every thing Like divine relationship. The righteous are called to give
thanks at the remembrance of God's holiness. (Psalm 97: 12) How can they do this?
Because their peace has been secured on the ground of the full vindication and perfect
establishment of that holiness. Hence, the higher their sense of what that holiness is,
the deeper and more settled must be their peace. This is a truth of the most precious
nature. The unregenerate man could never rejoice in the divine holiness His aim
would be to lower that holiness, if he could not ignore it altogether. Such an one will
console himself with the thought that God is good, God is gracious, God is merciful;
but you will never find him rejoicing in the thought that God is holy. He has unholy
thoughts respecting God's goodness, His grace, and His mercy. He would fain find in
those blessed attributes, an excuse for his continuing in sin.
On the contrary, the renewed man exults in the holiness of God. He sees The full
expression thereof in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is that holiness which has
laid the foundation of his peace; and, not only so, but he is made a partaker of it, and
he delights in it, while he hates sin with a perfect hatred. The instincts of the divine
nature shrink from it, and long after holiness. It would be impossible to enjoy true
peace and liberty of heart, if one did not know that the claims connected with "the
holy things of the Lord" had been perfectly met by our divine Trespass Offering;.
There would ever be, springing up in the heart, the painful sense that those claims had
been slighted, through our manifold infirmities and shortcomings. Our very best
services, our holiest seasons, our most hallowed exercises, may present something of
trespass "in the holy things of the Lord"—"something that ought not to be done." How
often are our seasons of public worship and private devotion infringed upon and
marred by barrenness and distraction! Hence it is that we need the assurance that our
trespasses have all been divinely met by the precious blood of Christ. Thus, in the
ever-blessed Lord Jesus, we find One who has come down to the full measure of our
necessities as sinners by nature, and trespassers in act. We find in Him the perfect
answer to all the cravings of a guilty conscience, and to all the claims of infinite
holiness, in reference to all our sins and all our trespasses; so that the believer can
stand, with an uncondemning conscience and emancipated heart, in the full light of
that holiness which is too pure to behold iniquity or look upon sin.
"And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and shall
add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest: and the priest shall make an
atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him."
(Lev. 5: 16) In the addition of "the fifth part," as here set forth, we have a feature of
the true Trespass Offering, which, it is to be feared, is but little appreciated. When we
think of all the wrong and all the trespass which we have done against the Lord; and,
further, when we remember how God has been wronged of His rights in this wicked
world, with what interest can we contemplate the work of the cross as that wherein
God has not merely received back what was lost, but whereby He is an actual gainer.
He has gained more by redemption than ever He lost by the fall. He reaps a richer
harvest of glory, honour, and praise, in the fields of redemption, than ever He could
have reaped from those of creation. "The sons of God" could raise a loftier song of
praise around the empty tomb of Jesus than ever they raised in view of the Creator's
accomplished work. The wrong has not only been perfectly atoned for, but an eternal
advantage has been gained, by the work of the cross. 'This is a stupendous truth. God
is a gainer by the work of Calvary. Who could have conceived this? When we behold
man, and the creation of which he was Lord, laid is ruins at the feet of the enemy,
How could we conceive that, from amid those ruins, God should gather richer and
nobler spoils than any which our unfallen world could have yielded. Blessed be the
name of Jesus for all this. It is to Him we owe it all. It is by His precious cross that
ever a truth so amazing, so divine, could be enunciated. Assuredly, that cross involves
a mysterious wisdom "which none of the princes of this world knew; for had they
known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." (1 Cor. 2: 8) No marvel,
therefore, that round that cross, and round Him who was crucified thereon, the
affections of patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, and saints, have ever entwined
themselves. No marvel that the Holy Ghost should have given forth that solemn but
just decree, "If any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema
Maranatha." (1 Cor. 16: 22) Heaven and earth shall echo forth a loud and an eternal
amen to this anathema. No marvel that it should be the fixed and immutable purpose
of the divine mind, that "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in
heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2: 10, 11)
The same law in reference to "the fifth part" obtained in the case of a trespass
committed against a man, as we read, "If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the
Lord,* and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in
fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or have deceived his neighbour, or
have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any
of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein: then it shall be, because he hath sinned,
and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing
which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost
thing which he found, or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even
restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto
him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offerings) (Lev. 6: 2-5)
{*There is a fine principle invoked in the expression, "against the Lord." Although the
matter in question was a wrong done to one's neighbour, yet the Lord looked upon it
as a trespass against himself. Everything must be viewed in reference to the Lord. It
matters not who may be affected, Jehovah must get the first place. Thus, when
David's conscience was pierced by the arrow of conviction, in reference to his
treatment of Uriah, he exclaims, "I have sinned against the Lord." (2 Sam. 12: 13)
This principle does not, in the least, interfere with the injured man's claim.}
Man, as well as God, is a positive gainer by the cross. The believer can say, as he
gazes upon that cross, "Well, it matters not how I have been wronged, how I have
been trespassed against, how I have been deceived, what ills have been done to me, I
am a gainer by the cross. I have not merely received back all that was lost, but much
more beside."
Thus, whether we think of the injured, or the injurer, in any given case, we are equally
struck with the glorious triumphs of redemption, and the mighty practical results
which flow from that gospel which fills the soul with the happy assurance, that "all
trespasses" are "forgiven," And that the root from whence those trespasses have
sprung, has been judged "The gospel of the glory of the blessed God" is that which
alone can send forth a man into the midst of a scene which has been the witness of his
sins, his trespasses, and his injurious ways—can send him back to all who, in
anywise, have been sufferers by his evil doings, furnished with grace, not only to
repair the wrongs, but, far more, to allow the full tide of practical benevolence to flow
forth in all his ways, yea, to love his enemies, to do good to them that hate him, and to
pray for them that despitefully use him and persecute him. Such is the precious grace
of God, that acts in confession with our great Trespass Offering.—such are its rich,
rare, and refreshing fruits!
What a triumphant answer to the caviller who could say, "Shall we continue in sin,
that grace may abound?" Grace not merely cuts up sin by the roots, but transforms the
sinner from a curse into a blessing; from a moral plague, into a channel of divine
mercy; from an emissary of Satan, into a messenger of God; from a child of darkness,
into a son of the light; from a self-indulgent pleasure-hunter, into a self-denying lover
of God; from a slave of vile, selfish lusts, into a willing-hearted servant of Christ;
from a cold, narrow-hearted miser, into a benevolent minister to the need of his
fellow-man. Away, then, with the oft repeated taunts, "Are we to do nothing?"—"That
is a marvellously easy way to be saved"—"According to this Gospel we may live as
we list." Let all who utter such language behold yonder thief transformed into a
liberal donor, and let them be silent for ever. (See Eph. 4: 28) They know not what
grace means. They have never felt its sanctifying and elevating influences. They
forget that, while the blood of the trespass offering cleanses the conscience, the law of
that offering sends the trespasser back to the one whom he has wronged, with" the
principal" and "the fifth" in his hand. Noble testimony this, both to the grace and
righteousness of the God of Israel! Beauteous exhibition of the results of that
marvellous scheme of redemption, whereby the injurer is forgiven, and the injured
becomes the actual gainer! The conscience has been set to rights, by the blood of the
cross, in reference to the claims of God, the conduct must be set to rights, by the
holiness of the cross, in reference to the claims of practical righteousness. These
things must never be separated. God has joined them together, and let not man put
them asunder. The hallowed union will never be dissolved by any mind which is
governed by pure gospel morality. Alas! it is easy to profess the principles of grace,
while the practice and power thereof are completely denied. It is easy to talk of
resting in the blood of the trespass offering, while "the principal" and "the fifth" are
not forthcoming. This is vain, and worse than vain. "He that doeth not righteousness is
not of God." (1 John 3: 10)
Nothing can be more dishonouring to the pure grace of the gospel than the
supposition that a man may belong to God, while his conduct and character exhibit
not the fair traces of practical holiness. "known unto God are all his works," no
double; but He has given us, in His holy word, those evidences by which we can
discern those that belong to Him. "The foundation of God standeth sure, having this
seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His: and, Let every one that nameth the name of
Christ depart from iniquity." (2 Tim. 2: 19) We have no right to suppose that an
evildoer belongs to God. The holy instincts of the divine nature are shocked by the
mention of such a thing. People sometimes express much difficulty in accounting for
such and such evil practices on the part of those whom they cannot help regarding in
the light of Christians. The word of God settles the matter so clearly and so
authoritatively, as to leave no possible ground for any such difficulty. "In this the
children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not
righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.' It is well to
remember this, in this day of laxity and self-indulgence. There is a fearful amount of
easy, uninfluential profession abroad, against which the genuine Christian is called
upon to make a firm stand, and bear a severe testimonya testimony resulting from the
steady exhibition of "the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the
glory and praise of God." It is most deplorable to see so many going along the beaten
paththe well-trodden highway of religious profession, and yet manifesting not a trace
of love or holiness in their conduct. Christian reader, let us be faithful. Let us rebuke,
by a life of self-denial and genuine benevolence, the self-indulgence and culpable
inactivity of evangelical yet worldly profession. May God grant unto all His true-
hearted people abundant grace for these things!
Let us now proceed to compare the two classes of trespass offering; namely, the
offering on account of trespass "in the holy things of the Lord," and that which had
reference to a trespass committed in the common transactions and relations of human
life. In so doing, we shall find one or two points which demand our attentive
consideration.
And, first, the expression, "if a soul sin through ignorance," which occurs in the
former, is omitted in the latter. The reason of this is obvious. The claims which stand
connected with the holy things of the Lord, must pass, infinitely, beyond the reach of
the most elevated human sensibility. Those claims may be, continually, interfered
with—continually trespassed upon, and the trespasser not be aware of the fact. A
man's consciousness can never be the regulator in the sanctuary of God. This is an
unspeakable mercy. God's holiness alone must fix the standard, when God's rights are
in question.
Oh the other hand, the human conscience can readily grasp the full amount of a
human claim, and can readily take cognisance of any interference with such claim.
How often may we have wronged God, in His holy things, without ever taking a note
of it in the tablet of conscience—yea without having the competency to detect it. (See
Mal. 3: 8) Not so, however, when man's rights are in question. The wrong which the
human eye can see, and the human heart feel, the human conscience can take notice
of. A man, "through ignorance" of the laws which governed the sanctuary of old,
might commit a trespass against those laws, without being aware of it, until a higher
light had shone in upon his conscience. But a man could not, "through ignorance," tell
a lie, swear falsely, commit an act of violence, deceive his neighbour, or find a lost
thing and deny it. These were all plain and palpable acts, lying within the range of the
most sluggish sensibility. Hence it is that the expression, "through ignorance" is
introduced, in reference to "the holy things of the Lord," and omitted, in reference to
the common affairs of men. How blessed it is to know that the precious blood of
Christ has settled all questions whether with respect to God or manour sins of
ignorance or our known sins! Here lies the deep and settled foundation of the
believer's peace. The cross has divinely met ALL.
Again, when it was a question of trespass "in the holy things of the Lord," the
unblemished sacrifice was first introduced; and, afterward "the principal" and "the
fifth." This order was reversed when it was a question of the common affairs of life.
(Comp. Lev. 5: 15, 16 with Lev. 6: 4-7) The reason of this is equally obvious. When
the divine rights were infringed, the blood of atonement was made the great
prominent matter. Whereas, when human rights were interfered with, restitution
would naturally assume the leading place in the mind. But, inasmuch as the latter
involved the question of the soul's relation with God, as well as the former, therefore
the sacrifice is introduced, though it be last in order. If I wrong my fellow man, that
wrong will, undoubtedly, interfere with my communion with God; and that
communion can only be restored on the ground of atonement. Mere restitution would
not avail. It might satisfy the injured man, but it could not form the basis of restored
communion with God. I might restore "the principal" and add "the fifth," ten thousand
times over, and yet my sin remain, for "Without shedding of blood is no remission."
(Heb. 9: 22) Still, if it be a question of injury done to my neighbour, then restitution
must first be made. "If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy
brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way;
first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." (Matt. 5: 23, 24)*
{*From a comparison of Matt. 5.23, 24 with Matt. 18. 21, 22, we may learn a fine
principle, as to the way in which wrongs and injuries are to be settled between two
brothers. The injurer is sent back from the altar, in order to have his matters set
straight with the injured one; for there can be no communion with the Father so long
as my brother "hath ought against me" But, then, mark the beauteous way in which
the injured one is taught to receive the injurer. "Lord, how oft shall my brother sin
against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto
thee, until seven times; but, until seventy times seven." Such is the divine mode of
settling all questions between brethren. "Forbearing one another, and forgiving one
another, if any man have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you, so also do
ye. (Col 3: 13)}
There is far more involved in the divine order prescribed in the trespass offering, than
might, at first sight, appear. The claims which arise out of our human relations must
not be disregarded. They must ever get their proper place in the heart. This is
distinctly taught in the trespass offering. When an Israelite had, by an act of trespass,
deranged his relation with Jehovah, the order was, sacrifice and restitution. When he
had, by an act of trespass, deranged his relation with his neighbour, the order was,
restitution and sacrifice. Will any one undertake to say this is a distinction without a
difference? Does the change of the order not convey its own appropriate, because
divinely appointed, lesson? Unquestionably. Every point is pregnant with meaning, if
we will but allow the Holy Ghost to convey that meaning to our hearts, and not seek
to grasp it by the aid of our poor vain imaginings. Each offering conveys its own
characteristic view of the Lord Jesus, and His work; and each is presented in its own
characteristic order; and we may safely say, it is, at once, the business and the delight
of the spiritual mind to apprehend both the one and the other. The very same
character of mind which would seek to make nothing of the peculiar order of each
offering, would also set aside the idea of a peculiar phase of Christ in each. It would
defy the existence of any difference between the burnt offering and the sin offering ;
and between the sin offering and the trespass offering; and between any or all of these
and the meat offering or the peace offering. Hence, it would follow that the first seven
chapters of the Book of Leviticus are all a vain repetition, each successive chapter
going over the same thing. Who could cede ought so monstrous as this? What
Christian mind could suffer such an insult to be offered to the sacred page? A German
rationalist or theologian may put forth such vain and detestable notions; but those
who have been divinely taught that "all scripture is given by inspiration of God," will
be led to regard the various types, in their specific order, as so many variously-shaped
caskets, in which the Holy Ghost has treasured up, for the people of God, "the
unsearchable riches of Christ." There is no tedious repetition, no redundancy. All is
rich, divine, heavenly variety; and all we need is to be personally acquainted with the
great Antitype, in order to enter into the beauties and seize the delicate touches of
each type. Directly the heart lays hold of the fact that it is Christ we have, in each
type, it can hang, With spiritual interest, over the most minute details. It sees meaning
and beauty in everything—it finds Christ in all. As, in the kingdom of nature, the
telescope and the microscope present to the eye their own special wonders, so with
the word of God. Whether we look at it as a whole, or scrutinise each clause, we find
that which elicits the worship and thanksgiving of our hearts.
Christian reader, may the name of the Lord Jesus ever be more precious to our hearts!
Then shall we value everything that speaks of Him everything that sets Him
fortheverything according a fresh insight into His peculiar excellency and matchless
beauty.
NOTE—The remainder of Lev. 6, together with the whole of Lev. 7, is occupied with
the law of the various offerings to which reference has already been made. There are,
however, some points presented in the law of the sin offering and the trespass offering
which may be noticed ere we leave this copious section of our book.
In none of the offerings is Christ's personal holiness more strikingly presented than in
the sin offering. "Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin
offering. in the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed
before the Lord: it is most holy . . . . . .Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall
be holy...All the males among the priests shall eat thereof: it is most holy." (Lev. 6:
25- 29) So also in speaking of the meat offering, "it is most holy, as is the sin offering,
and as the trespass offering." This is most marked and striking. The Holy Ghost did
not need to guard with such jealousy, the personal holiness of Christ in the burnt
offering; but lest the soul should, by any means, lose sight of that holiness, while
contemplating the place which the Blessed One took in the sin offering, we are, again
and again, reminded of it by the words," it is most holy." Truly edifying and
refreshing it is to behold the divine and essential holiness of the Person of Christ
shining forth in the midst of Calvary's profound and awful gloom The same point is
observable in "the law of the trespass offering. (See Lev. 7: 1, 6) Never was the Lord
Jesus more fully seen to be "the Holy One of God" than when He was "made sin"
upon the cursed tree. The vileness and blackness of that with which He stood
identified on the cross, only served to show out more clearly that He was "most holy."
Though a sin-bearer, He was sinless. Though enduring the wrath of God, He was the
Father's delight. Though deprived of the light of God's countenance, He dwelt in the
Father's bosom. precious mystery! Who can sound its mighty depths How wonderful
to find it so accurately shadowed forth in "the law of the sin offering '"
Again, my reader should seek to apprehend the meaning of the expression, "all the
males among the priests shall eat thereof." The ceremonial act of eating the sin
offering, or the trespass offering, was expressive of full identification. But, to eat the
sin offering—to make another's sin one's own, demanded a higher degree of priestly
energy, such as was expressed in all the males among the priests." "And the Lord
spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings,
of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by
reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever. This shall be thine
of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat
offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of
theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons.
In the most Holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto
thee. and this is thine; the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of
the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons, and to thy
daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: every one that is clean in thy house shall
eat of it." (Num. 18: 8-11)
It demanded a larger measure of priestly energy to eat of the sin or trespass offering,
than merely to partake of the heave and wave offerings of gift. The "daughters" of
Aaron could eat of the latter. None but the "sons" could eat of the former. In general,
"the male," expresses a thing according to the divine Idea: "the female," according to
human development. The former gives you the thing in full energy; the latter, in its
imperfection. How few of us have sufficient priestly energy to enable us to make
another's sin or trespass our own! The blessed Lord Jesus did this perfectly. He made
His people's sins His own, and bore the judgement thereof, on the cross. He fully
identified Himself with us, so that we may know, in full and blessed certainty, that the
whole question of sin and trespass has been divinely settled. If Christ's identification
was perfect, then, the settlement was perfect, likewise; and that it was perfect, the
scene enacted at Calvary declares. All is accomplished. The sin, the trespasses, the
claims of God, the claims of man—all have been eternally settled; and, now, perfect
peace is the portion of all who, by grace, accept as true the record of God. It is as
simple as God could make it, and the soul that believes it is made happy. The peace
and happiness of the believer depend wholly upon the perfection of Christ's sacrifice.
It is not a question of his mode of receiving it, his thoughts about it, or his feelings
respecting it. It is simply a question of his crediting, by faith, the testimony of God, as
to the value of the sacrifice. The Lord be praised for His own simple and perfect way
of peace! May many troubled souls be led by the Holy Spirit into an understanding
thereof!
We shall here close our meditations upon one of the richest sections in the whole
canon of inspiration. It is but little we have been enabled to glean from it. We have
hardly penetrated below the surface of an exhaustless mine. If, however, the reader
has, for the first time, been led to view the offerings as so many varied exhibitions of
the great Sacrifice, and if he is led to cast himself at the feet of the great Teacher, to
learn more of the living depths of these things, I cannot but feel that an end has been
gained for which we may well feel deeply thankful.
Leviticus 8, 9.
Having considered the doctrine of sacrifice, as unfolded in the first seven chapters of
this book, we now approach the subject of priesthood. The two subjects are intimately
connected. The Sinner needs a sacrifice; the believer needs a priest. We have both the
one and the other in Christ, who, having offered Himself, without spot, to God,
entered upon the sphere of His priestly ministry, in the sanctuary above. We need no
other sacrifice, no other priest. Jesus is divinely sufficient. He imparts the dignity and
worth of His own Person to every office He sustains, and to every work He performs.
When we see Him as a sacrifice, we know that we have in Him all that a perfect
sacrifice could be; and, when we see Him as a priest, we know that every function of
the priesthood is perfectly discharged by Him. As a sacrifice, He introduces His
people into a settled relationship with God; and, as a priest, He maintains them
therein, according to the perfectness of what He is. Priesthood is designed for those
who already stand in a certain relationship with God. As sinners, by nature and by
practice, we are all brought nigh to God by the blood of the cross." We are brought
into an established relationship with Him. We stand before Him as the fruit of His
own work. He has put away our sins, in such a manner as suits Himself, so that we
might be before Him, to the praise of His name, as the exhibition of what He can
accomplish through the power of death and resurrection.
But, though so fully delivered from every thing that could be against us; though so
perfectly accepted in the Beloved; though so complete in Christ; though so highly
exalted, yet are we, in ourselves, while down here, poor feeble creatures, ever prone
to wander, ready to stumble, exposed to manifold temptations, trials, and snares. As
such, we need the ceaseless ministry of our "Great High Priest," whose very presence,
in the sanctuary above, maintains us, in the full integrity of that place and relationship
in which, through grace, we stand, "He ever liveth to make intercession for us." (Heb.
7: 25) We could not stand, for a moment, down here, If He were not living for us, up
there. "Because I live, ye shall live also." (John 14: 19) "For if, when we were
enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being
reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." (Rom. 5: 10) The "death" and the "life "are
inseparably connected, in the economy of grace. But, be it observed, the life comes
after the death. It is Christ's life as risen from the dead, and not His life down here,
that the apostle refers to, in the last-quoted passage. This distinction is eminently
worthy of my reader's attention. The life of our blessed Lord Jesus, while down here,
was, I need hardly remark, infinitely precious; but He did not enter upon His sphere of
priestly service until He had accomplished the work of redemption. Nor could He
have done so, inasmuch as "it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah; of which
tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood." (Heb. 7: 14) "For every high priest
is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have
somewhat also to offer. For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that
there are priests that offer gifts according to the law." (Heb. 8: 3, 4) "But Christ being
come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle,
not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats
and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having
obtained eternal redemption . . . . . For Christ is not entered into the holy places made
with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in
the presence of God for us." (Heb. 9: 11, 12, 24)
Heaven, not earth, is the sphere of Christ's Priestly ministry; and on that sphere He
entered when He had offered Himself without spot to God. He never appeared as a
priest in the temple below. He ofttimes went up to the temple to teach, but never to
sacrifice or burn incense. There never was any one ordained of God to discharge the
functions of the priestly office on earth, save Aaron and his sons. "If he were on earth,
he should not be a priest." This is a point of much interest and value, in connection
with the doctrine of priesthood. Heaven is the sphere, and accomplished redemption
the basis, of Christ's priesthood. Save in the sense that all Believers are priests, (1
Peter 2: 5) there is no such thing as a priest upon earth. Unless a man can show his
descent from Aaron, unless he can trace his pedigree up to that ancient source, he has
no right to exercise the priestly office. Apostolic succession itself, could it be proved,
would be of no possible value here, inasmuch as the Apostles themselves were not
priests, save in the sense above referred to. The feeblest member of the household of
faith is as much a priest as the Apostle Peter himself. He is a spiritual priest; he
worships in a spiritual temple; he stands at a spiritual altar; he offers a spiritual
sacrifice; he is clad in spiritual vestments. "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a
spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God
by Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2: 5) "By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to
God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. But to do
good and to communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."
(Heb. 13: 15, 16)
If one of the direct descendants of the house of Aaron were converted to Christ, he
would enter upon an entirely new character and ground of priestly service. And be it
observed, that the passages just quoted present the two great classes of spiritual
sacrifice which the spiritual priest is privileged to offer. There is the sacrifice of
praise to God, and the sacrifice of benevolence to man. There is a double stream
continually going forth from the believer who is living in the realisation of his priestly
placea stream of grateful praise ascending to the throne of God, and a stream of active
benevolence flowing forth to a needy world. The spiritual priest stands with one hand
lifted up to God, in the presentation of the incense of grateful praise; and the other
opened wide to minister, in genuine beneficence, to every form of human need. Were
these things more distinctly apprehended, what hallowed elevation, and what moral
grace, would they not impart to the Christian character! Elevation, inasmuch as the
heart would ever be lifted up to the infinite Source of all that is capable of
elevating—moral grace, inasmuch as the heart would ever be kept open to all
demands upon its sympathies. The two things are inseparable. Immediate occupation
of heart with God must, of necessity, elevate and enlarge. But, on the other hand, if
one walks at a distance from God, the heart will become grovelling and contracted.
Intimacy of communion with Godthe habitual realisation of our priestly dignity, is the
only effectual remedy for the downward and selfish tendencies of the old nature.
Having said thus much on the subject of priesthood in general, both as to its primary
and secondary aspects, we shall proceed to examine the contents of the eighth and
ninth chapters of the Book of Leviticus.
"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, take Aaron and his sons with him, and the
garments, and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and two rams, and
a basket of unleavened bread; and gather thou all the congregation together unto the
door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And Moses did as the Lord commanded
him; and the assembly was gathered together unto the door of the tabernacle of the
congregation." There is special grace unfolded here. The whole assembly is convened
at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, in order that all might have the
privilege of beholding the one who was about to be entrusted with the charge of their
most important interests. In Ex 28 and 29 we are taught the same general truth with
respect to the vestments and sacrifices connected with the priestly office; but, in
Leviticus, the congregation is introduced, and allowed to look on at every movement
in the solemn and impressive Service of consecration. The humblest member of the
assembly had his own place. Each one, the lowest as well as the highest, was
permitted to gaze upon the person of the high priest, upon the sacrifice which he
offered, and upon the robes which he wore. Each one had his own peculiar need, and
the God of Israel would have each to see and know that his need was fully provided
for by the varied qualifications of the high priest who stood before him. Of these
qualifications the priestly robes were the apt typical expression. Each portion of the
dress was designed and adapted to put forth some special qualification in which the
assembly as a whole, and each individual member, would, of necessity, be deeply
interested. The coat, the girdle, the robe, the ephod, the breastplate, the Urim and the
Thummim, the mitre, the holy crown—all told out the varied virtues, qualifications,
and functions of the one who was to represent the congregation and maintain the
interests thereof in the divine presence.
Thus it is the believer can, with the eye of faith, behold his great High Priest, in the
heavens, and see in Him the divine realities of which the Aaronic vestments were but
the shadows. The Lord Jesus Christ is the holy One, the anointed One, the mitred
One, the girded One. He is all these, not in virtue of outward garments to be put on or
off, but in virtue of the divine and eternal graces of His Person, the changeless
efficacy of His work, and the imperishable virtue of His sacred offices. This is the
special value of studying the types of the Mosaic economy. The enlightened eye sees
Christ in all. The blood of the sacrifice and the robe of the high priest both point to
Him—both were designed of God to set Him forth. If it be a question of conscience,
the blood of the sacrifice meets it, according to the just claims of the sanctuary. Grace
has met the demand of holiness. And, then, if it be a question of the need connected
with the believer's position down here, he can see it all divinely answered in the
official robes of the high priest.
And, here, let me say, there are two ways in which to contemplate the believer's
position—two ways in which that position is presented in the word, which must be
taken into account ere the true idea of priesthood can be intelligently laid hold of. The
believer is represented as being part of a body of which Christ is the Head. This body,
with Christ its Head, is spoken of as forming one man, complete, in every respect. It
was quickened with Christ, raised with Christ, and seated with Christ, in the heavens.
It is one with Him, complete in Him, accepted in Him, possessing His life, and
standing in His favour, before God. All trespasses are blotted out. There is no spot.
All is fair and lovely beneath the eye of God. (See 1 Cor. 12: 12, 13; Eph. 2: 5-10;
Col. 2: 6-15; 1 John 4: 17)
Then, again, the believer is contemplated as in the place of need, meekness, and
dependence, down here, in this world. He is ever exposed to temptation; prone to
wander, liable to stumble and fall. As such, he, continually, stands in need of the
perfect sympathy and powerful ministrations of the High Priest, who ever appears in
the presence of God, in the full value of His Person and work, and who represents the
believer and maintains His cause before the throne.
Now my reader should ponder both these aspects of the believer, in order that he may
see, not only what a highly exalted and privileged place he occupies with Christ on
high, but also what ample provision there is for him, in reference to his every need
and weakness, here below. This distinction might, further, be developed, in this way.
The believer is represented as being of the church, and in the kingdom. As the former,
heaven is his place, his home, his portion, the seat of his affections. As the latter, he is
on earth, in the place of trial, responsibility, and conflict. Hence, therefore, priesthood
is a divine provision for those who though being of the Church, and belonging to
heaven, are, nevertheless, in the kingdom, and walking on the earth. This distinction
is a very simple one, and, when apprehended, explains a vast number of passages of
Scripture in which many minds encounter considerable difficulty.*
{*A comparison of the Epistle to the Ephesians with the First Epistle of Peter will
furnish the reader with much valuable instruction in reference to the double aspect of
the believer's position, The former shows him as seated in heaven; the latter, as a
pilgrim and a sufferer, on earth.}
In looking into the contents of the chapters which lie open before us, we may remark
three things put prominently forward, namely, the authority of the word, the value of
the blood, the power of the Spirit. These are weighty matters—matters of unspeakable
importance—matters which must be regarded, by every Christian, as, unquestionably,
vital and fundamental.
And, first, as to the authority of the word, it is of the deepest interest to see that, in the
consecration of the priests, as well as in the entire range of the sacrifices, we are
brought immediately under the authority of the word of God. "And Moses said unto
the congregation, This is the thing which the Lord commanded to be done." (Lev. 8: 5)
And, again, "Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord commanded that ye should
do: and the glory of the Lord shall appear unto you." (Lev. 9: 6) Let these words sink
down into our ears. Let them be carefully and prayerfully pondered. They are
priceless words. "This is the thing which the Lord commanded." He did not say, "This
is the thing which is expedient, agreeable, or suitable." Neither did He say, "This is
the thing which has been arranged by the voice of the fathers, the decree of the elders,
or the opinion of the doctors." Moses knew nothing of such sources of authority. To
him there was one holy, elevated, paramount source of authority, and that was, the
word of Jehovah, and he would bring every member of the assembly into direct
contact with that blessed source. This gave assurance to the heart, and fixedness to all
the thoughts. There was no room left for tradition, with its uncertain sound, or for
man, with his doubtful disputations. All was clear, conclusive, and authoritative.
Jehovah had spoken; and all that was needed was to hear what He had said, and obey.
Neither tradition nor expediency has any place in the heart that has learnt to prise, to
reverence, and to obey the word of God.
And what was to be the result of this strict adherence to the word of God? A truly
blessed result, indeed. "The glory of the Lord shall appear unto you." Had the word
been disregarded, the glory would not have appeared. The two things were intimately
connected. The slightest deviation from "thus saith Jehovah" would have prevented
the beams of the divine glory from appearing to the congregation of Israel. Had there
been the introduction of a single rite or ceremony not enjoined by the word, or had
there been the omission of ought which that word commanded, Jehovah would not
have manifested His glory. He could not sanction by the glory of His presence the
neglect or rejection of His word. He can bear with ignorance and infirmity, but He
cannot sanction neglect or disobedience.
Oh! that all this were more solemnly considered, in this day of tradition and
expediency. I would, in earnest affection, and in the deep sense of personal
responsibility to my reader, exhort him to give diligent heed to the importance of
close—I had almost said severe—adherence and reverent subjection to the word of
God. Let him try everything by that standard, and reject all that comes not up to it; let
him weigh everything in that balance, and cast aside all that is not full weight; let him
measure everything by that rule, and refuse all deviation. If I could only be the means
of awakening one soul to a proper sense of the place which belongs to the word of
God, I should feel I had not written my book for nought or in vain.
Reader, pause, and, in the presence of the Searcher of hearts, ask yourself this plain,
pointed question, "Am I sanctioning by my presence, or adopting in my practice, any
departure from, or neglect of, the word of God?" Make this a solemn, personal matter
before the Lord. Be assured of it, it is of the very deepest moment, the very last
importance. If you find that you have been, in any wise, connected with, or involved
in, ought that wears not the distinct stamp of divine sanction, reject it at once and for
ever. Yes, reject it, though arrayed in the imposing vestments of antiquity, accredited
by the voice of tradition, and putting forward the almost irresistible plea of
expediency. If you cannot say, in reference to everything with which you stand
connected, "this is the thing which the Lord hath commanded," then away with it
unhesitatingly, away with it for ever. Remember these words," as he hath done this
day, so the Lord hath commanded to do." Yes, remember the "as" and the "so;" see
that you are connecting them in your ways and associations, and let them never be
separated.
"So Aaron and his sons did all things which the Lord commanded by the hand of
Moses." (Lev. 8: 36) "And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle, of the
congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the Lord
appeared unto all the people. And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and
consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which, when all the people
saw, they shouted and fell on their faces." (Lev. 9: 23, 24) Here we have an "eighth
day" scene—a scene of resurrection-glory. Aaron, having offered the sacrifice, lifted
up his hands in priestly benediction upon the people; and then Moses and Aaron retire
into the tabernacle, and disappear, while the whole assembly is seen in waiting
outside. Finally, Moses and Aaron, representing Christ in His double character as
Priest and King, come forth, and bless the people; the glory appears in all its
splendour, the fire consumes the sacrifice, and the entire congregation falls prostrate
in worship before the presence of the Lord of all the earth.
Now, all this was literally enacted at the consecration of Aaron and his sons. And,
moreover, all this was the result of strict adherence to the word of Jehovah. But, ere I
turn from this branch of the subject, let me remind the reader, that all that these
chapters contain is but the shadow of good things to come." This, indeed, holds good
in reference to the entire Mosaic economy. (Heb 10: 1) Aaron and his sons, together,
represent Christ and His priestly house. Aaron alone represents Christ in His
sacrificial and intercessory functions. Moses and Aaron, together, represent Christ as
King and Priest. "The eighth day" represents the day of resurrection-glory, when the
congregation of Israel shall see the Messiah, seated as Royal Priest upon His throne,
and when the glory of Jehovah shall fill the whole earth, as the waters cover the sea.
these sublime truths are largely unfolded in the word, they glitter like gems of
celestial brilliancy, all along the inspired page; but, lest they should, to any reader,
wear the suspicious aspect of novelty, I shall refer him to the following direct
scripture proofs; viz., Num. 14: 21; Isa. 9: 6, 7; Isa. 11; Isa. 25: 6-12; Isa. 32: 1, 2; Isa.
35; Isa. 37: 31, 32; Isa. 40: 1-5; Isa. 54; Isa. 59: 16-21; Isa. 60—66; passim. Jer. 23: 5-
8; Jer. 30: 10-24; Jer. 33: 6-22; Ezra 48: 35; Dan. 7: 13, 14; Hosea 14: 4-9; Zeph. 3:
14-20; Zech. 3: 8-10; Zech. 6: 12, 13; Zech. 14.
Let us, now, consider the second point presented in our section, namely, the efficacy
of the blood. This is unfolded with great fullness, and put forward in great
prominence. Whether we contemplate the doctrine of sacrifice or the doctrine of
priesthood, we find the shedding of blood gets the same important place. "And he
brought the bullock for the sin offering; and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon
the head of the bullock for the sin offering. And he slew it; and Moses took the blood,
and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the
altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, to make
reconciliation upon it" (Lev. 8: 14, 15) "And he brought the ram for the burnt offering:
and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram. And he killed it;
and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about." (Ver. 18, 19) "and he
brought the other ram, the ram of consecration; and Aaron and his sons laid their
hands upon the head of the ram. And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood of it,
and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and
upon the great toe of his right foot. And he brought Aaron's sons, and Moses put of
the blood upon the tip of their right ear, and upon the thumbs of their right hands, and
upon the great toes of their right feet: and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar
round about." (Ver. 22-24)
The import of the various sacrifices has been, in some degree, developed in the
opening chapters of this volume; but the passages just quoted serve to show the
prominent place which the blood occupies in the consecration of the priests. A blood-
stained ear was needed to hearken to the divine communications; a blood-stained
hand was needed to execute the services of the sanctuary; and a blood-stained foot
was needed to tread the courts of the Lord's house. All this is perfect in its way. The
shedding of blood was the grand foundation of all sacrifice for sin; and it stood
connected with all the vessels of the ministry, and with all the functions of the
priesthood. Throughout the entire range of Levitical service, we observe the value, the
efficacy, the power, and the wide application of the blood. "Almost all things are by
the law purged with blood." (Heb. 9: 22) Christ has entered, by His own blood, into
heaven itself. He appears on the throne of the majesty in the heavens, in the value of
all that He has accomplished on the cross. His presence on the throne attests the worth
and acceptableness of His atoning blood. He is there for us. Blessed assurance! He
ever liveth. He never changeth; and we are in Him, and as He is. He presents us to the
Father, in His own eternal perfectness; and the Father delights in us, as thus presented,
even as He delights in the One who presents us. This identification is typically set
forth in "Aaron and his sons" laying their hands upon the head of each of the
sacrifices. They all stood before God, in the value of the same sacrifice. Whether it
were the "bullock for the sin offering," "the ram for the burnt offering," or "the ram of
consecration," they jointly laid their hands on all. True, Aaron alone was anointed
before the blood was shed. He was clad in his robes of office, and anointed with the
holy oil, before ever his sons were clothed or anointed. The reason of this is obvious.
Aaron, when spoken of by himself, typifies Christ in His own peerless excellency and
dignity; And, as we know, Christ appeared in all His own personal worth and was
anointed by the Holy Ghost, previous to the accomplishment of His atoning work. In
all things He has the pre-eminence. (Col. 1) Still, there is the fullest identification,
afterwards, between Aaron and his sons, as there is the fullest identification between
Christ and His people. "The sanctifier and the sanctified are all of one." (Heb 2) The
personal distinctness enhances the value of the mystic oneness.
This truth of the distinctness and yet oneness of the Head and members leads us,
naturally, to our third and last point, namely, the power of the Spirit. We may remark
how much takes place between the anointing of Aaron and the anointing of his sons
with him. The blood is shed, the fat consumed on the altar, and the breast waved
before the Lord. In other words, the sacrifice is perfected, the sweet odour thereof
ascends to God, and the One who offered it ascends in the power of resurrection, and
takes His place on high. All this comes in between the anointing of the Head and the
anointing of the members. Let us quote and compare the passages. First, as to Aaron
alone, we read, "And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and
clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the
curious girdle of the ephod, and bound it unto him therewith. And he put the
breastplate upon him: also he put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim. And
he put the mitre upon his head: and upon the mitre, even upon his forefront, did he put
the golden plate, the holy crown; as the Lord commanded Moses. And Moses took the
anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified
them. And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and
all his vessels, both the laver and his foot, to sanctify them. And he poured of the
anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him." (Lev. 8: 7-12)
Here we have Aaron presented alone. The anointing oil is poured upon his head, and
that, too, in immediate connection with the anointing of all the vessels of the
tabernacle. The whole assembly was permitted to behold the high priest clothed in his
official robes, mitred and anointed; and not only so, but as each garment was put on,
as each act was performed, as each ceremony was enacted, it was seen to be
immediately founded upon the authority of the word. There was nothing vague,
nothing arbitrary, nothing imaginative. All was divinely stable. The need of the
congregation was fully met, and met in such a way as that it could be said, "This is the
thing which Jehovah commended to be done."
Now, in Aaron anointed, alone, previous to the shedding of the blood, we have a type
of Christ who, until He offered Himself upon the cross, stood entirely alone. There
could be no union between Him and His people, save on the ground of death and
resurrection. This all-important truth has already been referred to, and, in some
measure, developed in connection with the subject of sacrifice; but it adds force and
interest to it to see it so distinctly presented in connection with the question of
priesthood. Without shedding of blood there was no remission—the sacrifice was not
completed. So, also, without shedding of blood Aaron and his sons could not be
anointed together. Let the reader note this fact. Let him be assured of it, it is worthy of
his deepest attention. We must ever beware of passing lightly over any circumstance
in the Levitical economy. Everything has its own specific voice and meaning; and the
One who designed and developed the order can expound to the heart and
understanding what that order means.
"And Moses took of the anointing oil, and of the blood which was upon the altar, and
sprinkled it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon his sons'
garments with him"; and sanctified Aaron, and his garments, and his sons, and his
sons' garments with Him.' (Lev. 8: 30) Why were not Aaron's sons anointed with him
at verse 12? Simply because the blood had not been shed. When "the blood" and "the
oil" could be connected together, then Aaron and his sons could be "anointed" and
"sanctified" together; but not until then. "And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that
they also might be sanctified through the truth." (John 17: 19) The reader who could
lightly pass over so marked a circumstance, or say it meant nothing, has yet to learn to
value aright the types of the Old Testament Scriptures—"the shadows of good things
to come." And, on the other hand, the one who admits that it does mean something,
but yet refuses to enquire and understand what that something is, is doing serious
damage to his own soul, and manifesting but little interest in the precious oracles of
God.
"And Moses said unto Aaron and to his sons, Boil the flesh at the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation; and there eat it with the bread that is in the basket of
consecrations, as I commanded, saying, Aaron and his sons shall eat it. And that
which remaineth of the flesh and of the bread shall ye burn with fire. And ye shall not
go out of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation in seven days, until the days
of your consecration be at an end: for seven days shall he consecrate you. As he hath
done this day, so the Lord hath commanded to do, to make an atonement for you.
Therefore shall ye abide at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation day and
night seven days, and keep the charge of the Lord, that ye die not: for so I am
commanded." (Ver. 31-35) These verses furnish a fine type of Christ and His people
feeding together upon the results of accomplished atonement. Aaron and his sons,
having been anointed together, on the ground of the shed blood, are here presented to
our view as shut in within the precincts of the tabernacle during "seven days." A
striking figure of the present position of Christ and His members, during the entire of
this dispensation, shut in with God, and waiting for the manifestation of the glory.
Blessed position! Blessed portion! Blessed hope! To be associated with Christ, shut in
with God, waiting for the day of glory, and, while waiting for the glory, feeding upon
the riches of divine grace, in the power of holiness, are blessings of the most precious
nature, privileges of the very highest order. Oh! for a capacity to take them in, a heart
to enjoy them, a deeper sense of their magnitude. May our hearts be withdrawn from
all that pertains to this present evil world, so that we may feed upon the contents of
"the basket of consecrations," which is our proper food as priests in the sanctuary of
God.
"And it came to pass on the eighth day, that Moses called Aaron, and his sons, and the
elders of Israel. And he said unto Aaron, Take thee a young calf for a sin offering,
and a ram for a burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before the Lord. And
unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak, saying, Take ye a kid of the goats for a
sin offering; and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish, for a burnt
offering; also a bullock and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the Lord;
and a meat offering mingled with oil; for TODAY THE LORD WILL APPEAR
UNTO YOU." (Lev. 9: 1-4)
The "seven days" being over, during which Aaron and his sons were shut in in the
retirement of the tabernacle, the whole congregation is now introduced, and the glory
of Jehovah unfolds itself. This gives great completeness to the whole scene. The
shadows of good things to come are here passing before us, in their divine order. "The
eighth day" is a shadow of that bright millennial morning which is about to dawn
upon this earth, when the congregation of Israel shall behold the True Priest coming
forth from the sanctuary-, where He is now, hidden from the eyes of men, and with
Him a company of priests, the companions of His retirement, and the happy
participators of His manifested glory. In short, nothing, as a type or shadow, could be
more complete. In the first place, Aaron and his sons washed with water—a type of
Christ and His people, as viewed in God's eternal decree, sanctified together, in
purpose. (Lev. 8: 6) Then we have the mode and order in which this purpose was to be
carried out. Aaron, in solitude, is robed and anointed—a type of Christ as sanctified
and sent into the world, and anointed by the Holy Ghost. (Ver. 7-12; comp. Luke 3:
21, 22; John 10: 36; John 12: 24) Then, we have the presentation and acceptance of
the sacrifice, in virtue of which Aaron and his sons were anointed and sanctified
together, (ver. 14—29) a type of the cross, in its application to those who now
constitute Christ's priestly household, who are united to Him, anointed with Him,
hidden with Him, and expecting with Him "the eighth day," when He with them shall
be manifested in all the brightness of that glory which belongs to Him in the eternal
purpose of God. (John 14: 19; Acts; 2: 33; 19: 1-7; Col. 3: 1-4.) Finally, we have Israel
brought into the full enjoyment of the results of accomplished atonement. They are
gathered before the Lord:" And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and
blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin offering, and the burnt
offering, and Peace offerings." (See Lev. 9: 1-22.)
What, now, we may legitimately enquire, remains to be done? Simply that the
topstone should be brought forth with shoutings of victory and hymns of praise. "And
Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and
blessed the people: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people. And there
came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering
and the fat: which when all the people saw, THEY SHOUTED, AND FELL ON
THEIR FACES." (ver. 23, 24) This was the shout of victory—the prostration of
worship. All was complete. The sacrifice—the robed and mitred priest—the Priestly
family associated with their Head in priestly benediction—the appearance of the King
and Priest—in short, nothing was lacking, and therefore the divine glory appeared,
and the whole assembly fell prostrate, in adoring worship. It is, altogether, a truly
magnificent scene—a marvellously beautiful shadow of good things to come. And, be
it remembered, that all which is here shadowed forth will, ere long, be fully
actualised. Our great High Priest has passed into the heavens, in the full value and
power of accomplished atonement. He is hidden there, now and, with Him, all the
members of His priestly family but when the "seven days" have run their course, and
"the eighth day" casts its beams upon the earth, then shall the remnant of Israel—a
repentant and an expectant people—hail, with a shout of victory, the manifested
presence of the Royal Priest; and, in immediate association with Him, shall be seen a
company of worshippers occupying the most exalted position. These are "the good
things to come" things, surely, well worth waiting for—things worthy of God to
give—things in which He shall be eternally glorified, and His people eternally
blessed.
Leviticus 10.
The page of human history has ever been a sadly blotted one. It is a record of failure,
from first to last. Amid all the delights of Eden, man hearkened to the tempter's lie.
(Gen. 3) When preserved from judgement, by the hand of electing love, and
introduced into a restored earth, he was guilty of the sin of intemperance. (Gen. 9)
When conducted, by Jehovah's outstretched arm, into the land of Canaan, he "forsook;
the Lord, and served Baal and Ashteroth." (Judges 2: 13) When placed at the very
summit of earthly power and glory, with untold wealth at his feet, and all the
resources of the world at his command, he gave his heart to the uncircumcised
stranger. (1 Kings 11) No sooner had the blessings of the gospel been promulgated
than it became needful for the Holy Ghost to prophesy Concerning "grievous wolves,"
"apostasy," and all manner of failure. (Acts 20: 29; 1 Tim. 4: 1-3; 2 Tim. 3: 1-5; 2
Peter 3; Jude) And, to crown all, we have the prophetic record of human apostasy
from amid all the splendours of millennial glory. (Rev. 20: 7-10)
Thus, man spoils everything. Place him in a position of highest dignity, and he will
degrade himself. Endow him with the most ample privileges, and he will abuse them.
Scatter blessings around him, in richest profusion, and he will prove ungrateful. Place
him in the midst of the most impressive institutions, and he will corrupt them. Such is
man! Such is nature, in its fairest forms, and under the most favourable
circumstances!
Hence, therefore, we are, in a measure, prepared for the words with which our chapter
opens. "And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and
put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord
which he commanded them not." What a contrast to the scene with which our last
section closed! There all was done "as the Lord commanded," and the result was,
manifested glory. Here something is done which the Lord commanded them not," and
the result is judgement, hardly had the echo of the shout of victory died away ere the
elements of a spurious worship were prepared. Hardly had the divine position been
assured ere it was deliberately abandoned, through neglect of the divine
commandment. No sooner were those priests inaugurated, than they grievously failed
in the discharge of their priestly functions.
And in what did their failure consist? Were they spurious priests? Were they mere
pretenders? By no means. They were genuine sons of Aaron—true members of the
priestly family—duly appointed priests. Their vessels of ministry and their priestly
garments, too, would seem to have been alright. What, then, was their sin? Did they
stain the curtains of the tabernacle with human blood, or pollute the sacred precincts
with some crime which shocks the moral sense? We have no proof of their having
done so. Their sin was this:" They offered strange fire before the Lord which he
commanded them not." Here was their sin. They departed in their worship from the
plain word of Jehovah, who had fully and plainly instructed them as to the mode of
their worship. We have already alluded to the divine fullness and sufficiency of the
word of the Lord, in reference to every branch of priestly service. There was no room
left for man to introduce what he might deem desirable or expedient. "This is the
thing which the Lord hath commanded "was quite sufficient. It made all very plain
and very simple. Nothing was needed, on man's part, save a spirit of implicit
obedience to the divine command. But, herein, they failed. Man has always proved
himself ill-disposed to walk in the narrow path of strict adherence to the plain word of
God. The by-path has ever seemed to present resistless charms to the poor human
heart. "Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant." (Prov. 9: 17)
Such is the enemy's language; but the lowly, obedient heart knows full well that the
path of subjection to the word of God is the only one that leads to "waters" that are
really "sweet," or to "bread" that can rightly be called "pleasant." Nadab and Abihu
might have deemed one kind of "fire" as good as another; but it was not their province
to decide as to that. They should have acted according to the word of the Lord; but,
instead of this, they took their own way, and reaped the awful fruits thereof "He
knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell."
"And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them; and they died before the
Lord." How deeply Solemn! Jehovah was dwelling in the midst of His people, to
govern, to judge, and to act, according to the claims of His nature. At the close of Lev.
9 we read, "And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the
altar the burnt offering and the fat." This was Jehovah's acceptance of a true sacrifice.
But, in Lev. 10 it is His judgement upon erring priests. It is a double action of the
same fire. The burnt offering went up as a sweet odour; the "strange fire" was rejected
as an abomination. The Lord was glorified in the former; but it would have been a
dishonour to accept the latter. Divine grace accepted and delighted in that which was
a type of Christ's most precious sacrifice; divine holiness rejected that which was the
fruit of man's corrupt will—a will never more hideous and abominable than when
active in the things of God.
"Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be
sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified."
The dignity and glory of the entire economy depended upon the strict maintenance of
Jehovah's righteous claims. If these were to be trifled with, all was forfeited. If man
were permitted to defile the sanctuary of the divine presence by "strange fire," there
was an end to everything. Nothing could be permitted to ascend from the priestly
censer but the pure fire, kindled from off the altar of God, and fed by the "pure
incense beaten small." Beauteous type of true saintly worship, of which the Father is
the object, Christ the material, and the Holy Ghost the power. Man must not be
allowed to introduce his devices into the worship of God. All his efforts can only
issue in the presentation of "strange fire"—unhallowed incense—false worship. His
very best attempts are an absolute abomination in the sight of God.
I speak not, here, of the honest struggles of earnest spirits searching after peace with
God—of the sincere efforts of upright, though unenlightened, consciences, to attain to
a knowledge of the forgiveness of sins, by works of law or the ordinances of
systematic religion. All such will, doubtless, issue, through the exceeding goodness of
God, in the clear light of a known and an enjoyed salvation. They prove, very clearly,
that peace is earnestly sought; though, at the same time, they prove, just as clearly,
that peace has not yet been found. There never yet was one, who honestly followed
the faintest glimmerings of light which fell upon his understanding, who did not, in
due time, receive more. "To him that hath shall more be given." And again, "The path
of the just is as the shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day."
All this is as plain as it is encouraging; but it leaves wholly untouched the question of
the human will, and its impious workings in connection with the service and worship
of God. All such workings must, inevitably, call down, sooner or later, the solemn
judgement of a righteous God who cannot suffer His claims to be trifled with. "I will
be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified.
Men will be dealt with according to their profession. If men are honestly seeking, they
will, assuredly, find; but, when men approach as worshippers, they are no longer to be
regarded as seekers, but as those who profess to have found; and, then, if their priestly
censer smokes with unhallowed fire, if they offer unto God the elements of a spurious
worship, if they profess to tread His courts, unwashed, unsanctified, unsubdued, if
they place on His altar the workings of their own corrupt will, what must be the
result? Judgement! Yes, sooner or later, judgement must come. It may linger; but it
will come. It could not be otherwise. And not only must judgement come, at last; but
there is, in every case, the immediate rejection, on the part of Heaven, of all worship
which has not the Father for its object, Christ for its material, and the Holy Ghost for
its power. God's holiness is as quick; to reject all "strange fire" as His grace is ready to
accept the faintest, feeblest breathings of a true heart. He must pour out His righteous
judgement upon all false worship, though He will never "quench the smoking flax nor
break the bruised reed," The thought of this is most solemnising, when one calls to
mind the thousands of censers smoking with strange fire throughout the wide domain
of Christendom. May the Lord, in His rich grace, add to the number of true
worshippers who worship the Father in spirit and in truth. (John 4) It is infinitely
happier to think of the true worship ascending, from honest hearts, to the throne of
God, than to contemplate, even for a moment, the spurious worship on which the
divine judgements must, ere long, be poured out. Every one who knows, through
grace, the pardon of his sins, through the atoning blood of Jesus, can worship the
Father, in spirit and in truth. He knows the proper ground, the proper object, the
proper title, the proper capacity of worship. These things can only be known in a
divine way. They do not belong to nature or to earth. They are spiritual and heavenly.
Very much. of that which passes among men for the worship of God is but "strange
fire "after all. There is neither the pure fire nor the pure incense, and, therefore,
Heaven accepts it not; and, albeit the divine judgement is not seen to fall upon those
who present such worship, as it fell upon Nadab and Abihu, of old, this is only
because "God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their
trespasses unto them." It is not because the worship is acceptable to God, but because
God is gracious. The time, however, is rapidly approaching when the strange fire will
be quenched for ever, when the throne of God shall no longer be insulted by clouds of
impure incense ascending from unpurged worshippers; when all that is spurious shall
be abolished, and the whole universe shall be as one vast and magnificent temple, in
which the one true God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, shall be worshipped throughout
the everlasting ages.
Grateful incense this, ascending
Ever to the Father's throne;
Every knee to Jesus bending,
All the mind in heaven is one.
All the Father's counsels claiming
Equal honours to the Son,
All the Son's effulgence beaming,
Makes the Father's glory known.
By the Spirit all pervading,
Hosts unnumbered round the Lamb,
Crowned with light and joy unfading
Hail Him as the great "I AM."
For this the redeemed are waiting; and, blessed be God, it is but a little while when all
their longing desires shall be fully met, and met for everyea met, after such a fashion,
as to elicit from each and all the touching confession of Sheba's queen, that "the half
was not told me." May the Lord hasten the happy time!
We must, now, return to our solemn chapter, and, lingering a little longer over it,
endeavour to gather up and bear away with us some of its salutary teaching, for truly
salutary it is, in an age like the present, when there is so much "strange fire" abroad.
There is something unusually arresting and impressive in the way in which Aaron
received the heavy stroke of divine judgement. "Aaron held his peace." It was a
solemn scene. His two sons struck dead at his aide, smitten down by the fire of divine
judgement.* He had but just seen them clothed in their garments of glory and
beauty—washed, robed, and anointed. They had stood with him, before the Lord, to
be inaugurated into the priestly office. They had offered, in company with him, the
appointed sacrifices. They had seen the beams of the divine glory darting from the
shekinah, they had seen the fire of Jehovah fall upon the sacrifice and consume it.
They had heard the shout of triumph issuing from an assembly of adoring
worshippers. All this had but recently passed before him; and now, alas! his two sons
lie at his side, in the grasp of death. The fire of the Lord which so recently fed upon
an acceptable sacrifice, had, now, fallen in judgement upon them, and what could he
say? Nothing. "Aaron held his peace." "I was dumb and opened not my mouth,
because thou didst it." It was the hand of God; and although it might, in the judgement
of flesh and blood, seem to be a very heavy hand, yet he had only to bow his head, in
silent awe and reverent acquiescence. "I was dumb . . . .because thou didst it." This
was the suited attitude, in the presence of the divine visitation. Aaron, doubtless, felt
that the very pillars of his house were shaken by the thunder of divine judgement; and
he could only stand, in silent amazement, in the midst of the soul subduing scene. A
father bereaved of his two sons, and, in such a manner, and under such circumstances,
was no ordinary case. It furnished a deeply-impressive commentary upon the words of
the Psalmist, "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints; and to be had
in reverence of all them that are about him." (Psalm 89) "Who would not fear thee, O
Lord, and glorify thy name?" May we learn to walk softly in the divine presence—to
tread Jehovah's courts with unshod foot and reverent spirit. May our priestly censer
ever bear upon it the one material, the beaten incense of Christ's manifold perfections,
and may the power of the Spirit kindle up the hallowed flame. All else is not only
worthless, but vile. Everything that springs from nature's energy, everything produced
by the actings of the human will, the most fragrant incense of man's devising, the
most intense ardour of natural devotion, will all issue in "strange fire" and evoke the
solemn judgement of the Lord God Almighty. Oh! for a thoroughly truthful heart, and
worshipping spirit, in the presence of our God and Father, continually!
{*Lest any reader should be troubled with a difficulty in reference to the souls of
Nadab, and Abihu, I would say that no such question ought ever to be raised. In such
cases as Nadab and Abihu, in Leviticus 10; Korah and his company, in Numbers 16;
the whole congregation, Joshua and Caleb excepted, whose carcasses fell in the
wilderness, Numbers 14 and Hebrews 3; Achan and his family, Joshua 7; Ananias and
Sapphira, Acts 5; those who were judged for abuses at the Lord's table, 1 Cor. 11. In
all such cases, the question of the soul's salvation is never raised. We are simply
called to see, in them, the solemn actings of God, in government in the midst of His
people. This relieves the mind from all difficulty. Jehovah dwelt, of old, between the
Cherubim, to judge His people in everything; and God the Holy Ghost dwells, now, in
the church, to order and govern, according to the perfection of His presence. He was
so really and personally present that Ananias and Sapphira could lie to Him, and He
could execute judgement upon them. It was as positive and as immediate an
exhibition of His actings in government as we have in the matter of Nadab and Abihu,
or Achan, or any other.
This is a great truth to get hold of. God is not only for His people, but with them, and
in them. He is to be counted upon, for everything, whether it be great or small. He is
present to comfort and help. He is there to chasten and judge. He is there "for
exigence of every hour. He is sufficient. Let faith count upon Him. "Where two or
three are gathered together in my name there am I." (Matt. 18: 20) And, assuredly,
where He is, we want no more.}
But let not any upright, though timid, heart be discouraged or alarmed. It is too often
the case that those who really ought to be alarmed take no heed; while those for
whom the Spirit of grace would only design a word of comfort and encouragement,
apply to themselves, in a wrong way, the startling warnings of Holy Scripture. No
doubt, the meek and contrite heart that trembles at the word of the Lord, is in a safe
condition; but then we should remember that a father warns his child, not because he
does not regard him as his child, but because he does; and one of the happiest proofs
of the relationship is the disposition to receive and profit by the warning. The parental
voice, even though its tone be that of solemn admonition, will reach the child's heart,
but, certainly, not to raise, in that heart, a question as to its relationship with the one
who speaks. If a son were to question his sonship whenever his father warns, it would
be a poor affair indeed. The judgement which had just fallen upon Aaron's house did
not make him doubt that he was really a priest. It merely had the effect of teaching
him how to conduct himself in that high and holy position.
"And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover
not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the
people; but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the
Lord hath kindled. And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the
congregation lest ye die: for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you. And they did
according to the word of Moses."
Aaron, Eleazar, and Ithamar, were to remain unmoved in their elevated place—their
holy dignity—their position of priestly sanctity. Neither the failure, nor yet the
judgement consequent thereon, was to be allowed to interfere with those who wore
the priestly robes, and were anointed with "the oil of the Lord." That holy oil had
placed them in a sacred enclosure where the influences of sin, of death, and of
judgement could not reach them. Those who were outside, who were at a distance
from the sanctuary, who were not in the position of priests, they might "bewail the
burning;" but as for Aaron and his sons, they were to go on in the discharge of their
hallowed functions, as though nothing had happened. Priests in the sanctuary were not
to bewail, but to worship. They were not to weep, as in the presence of death, but to
bow their anointed heads, in presence of the divine visitation. "The fire of the Lord"
might act, and do its solemn work of judgement; but, to a true priest, it mattered not
what that "fire" had come to do, whether to express the divine approval, by
consuming a sacrifice, or the divine displeasure, by consuming the offerers of
"strange fire," he had but to Worship. That "fire was a well-known manifestation of
the divine presence, in Israel of old, and whether it acted in "mercy or in judgement,"
the business of all true priests was to worship. "I will sing of mercy and of judgement;
unto thee, O Lord, will I sing."
There is a deep and holy lesson for the soul in all this. Those who are brought nigh to
God, in the power of the blood, and by the anointing of the Holy Ghost, must move in
a sphere beyond the range of nature's influences. Priestly nearness to God gives the
soul such an insight into all His ways, such a sense of the rightness of all His
dispensations, that one is enabled to worship in His presence, even though the stroke
of His hand has removed from us the object of tender affection. It may be asked, Are
we to be stoics? I ask, were Aaron and his sons stoics? Nay, they were priests. Did
they not feel as men? Yes; but they worshipped as priests. This is profound. It opens
up a region of thought, feeling, and experience, in which nature can never move—a
region of which, with all its boasted refinement and sentimentality, nature knows
absolutely nothing. We must tread the sanctuary of God, in true priestly energy, in
order to enter into the depth, meaning, and power of such holy mysteries.
The Prophet Ezekiel was called, in his duty, to sit down to this difficult lesson. "Also
the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, behold, I take away from
thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep,
neither shall thy tears run down. Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind
the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy
lips, and eat not the bread of men . . . . And I did in the morning as I was
commanded." (Ezek. 24: 16-18) It will be said that all this was as "a sign" to Israel.
True; but it proves that in prophetic testimony, as well as in priestly worship, we must
rise superior to all the claims and influences of nature and of earth. Aaron's sons and
Ezekiel's wife were cut down with a stroke; and, yet, neither the priest nor the prophet
was to uncover his head or shed a tear.
Oh! my reader, how far have you and I progressed in this profound lesson? No doubt,
both reader and writer have to make the same humiliating confession. Too often, alas!
we "Walk as men" and "eat the bread of men." Too often are we robbed of our high
priestly privileges by the workings of nature and the influences of earth. These things
must be watched against. Nothing save realised priestly nearness to God can ever
preserve the heart from the power of evil, or maintain its spiritual tone. All believers
are priests unto God, and nothing can possibly deprive them of their position as such.
But though they cannot lose their position, they may grievously fail in the discharge
of their functions. These things are not sufficiently distinguished. Some there are
who, while looking at the precious truth of the believer's security, forget the
possibility of his failing in the discharge of his priestly functions. Others, on the
contrary, looking at the failure, venture to call in question the security.
Now, I desire that my reader should keep clear of both the above errors. He should be
fully established in the divine doctrine of the eternal security of every member of the
true priestly house; but he should also bear in mind the possibility of failure, and the
constant need of watchfulness and prayer, lest he should fail. May all those who have
been brought to know the hallowed elevation of priests unto God be preserved, by His
heavenly grace, from every species of failure, whether it be personal defilement, or
the presentation of any of the varied forms of" strange fire" which abound so in the
professing church.
"And the Lord spake unto Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou nor
thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it
shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations; and that ye may put difference
between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; and that ye may teach the
children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord hath spoken unto them by the hand of
Moses." (Ver. 8-11)
The effect of wine is to excite nature, and all natural excitement hinders that calm,
well-balanced condition of soul which is essential to the proper discharge of the
priestly office. So far from using any means to excite nature, we should treat it as a
thing having no existence. Thus only shall we be in a moral condition to serve in the
sanctuary, to form a dispassionate judgement between clean and unclean, and to
expound and communicate the mind of God. It devolves upon each one to judge, for
himself, what, in his special case, would act as "wine or strong drink."* The things
which excite mere nature are manifold indeed—wealth, ambition, politics, the varied
objects of emulation around us in the world. All these things act, with exciting power,
upon nature, and entirely unfit us for every department of priestly service. If the heart
be swollen with feelings of pride, covetousness, or emulation, it is utterly impossible
that the pure air of the sanctuary can be enjoyed, or the sacred functions of priestly
ministry discharged. Men speak of the versatility of genius, or a capacity to turn
quickly from one thing to another. But the most versatile genius that was ever
possessed could not enable a man to pass from an unhallowed arena of literary,
commercial, or political competition, into the holy retirement of the sanctuary of the
divine presence; nor could it ever adjust the eye that had become dimmed by the
influence of such scenes, so as to enable it to discern, with priestly accuracy, the
difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean." No, my reader,
God's priests must keep themselves apart from "wine and strong drink." Theirs is a
path of holy separation and abstraction. They are to be raised far above the influence
of earthly joy as well as earthly Sorrow. If they have ought to do with "strong wine," it
is only that it may be poured unto the Lord for a drink offering, in the holy place."
(Num. 28: 7) In other words, the joy of God's priests is not the joy of earth, but the joy
of heaven, the joy of the sanctuary. "The joy of the Lord is their strength."
{*Some have thought that, owing to the special place which this direction about wine
occupies, Nadab and Abihu must have been under the influence of strong drink, when
they offered the "strange fire." But, be this as it may, we have to be thankful for a
most valuable principle, in reference to our conduct, as spiritual priests. We are to
refrain from everything which would produce the same effect upon our spiritual man,
as strong drink produces upon the physical man.
It needs hardly to be remarked that the Christian should be most jealous over himself
as to the use of wine or strong drink. Timothy, as we know, needed an apostolic
recommendation to induce him even to touch it, for his health's sake. (1 Tim. 5) A
beauteous proof of Timothy's habitual self-denial, and of the thoughtful love of the
Spirit, in the apostle. I must confess that one's moral sense is offended by seeing
Christians making use of strong drink in cases where it is, very manifestly, not
medicinal. I rarely, if ever, see a spiritual person indulge in such a thing. One
trembles to see a Christian the mere slave of a habit, whatever that habit may be. It
proves that he is not keeping his body in subjection, and he is in great danger of being
"disapproved." (1 Cor. 9: 27)}
Would that all this holy instruction were more deeply pondered by us! We, surely,
stand much in need of it. If our priestly responsibilities are not duly attended to, all
must be deranged. When we contemplate the camp of Israel, we may observe three
circles, and the innermost of these circles had its centre in the sanctuary. There was
first the circle of men of war. (Num. 1, 2) Then the circle of Levites round about the
tabernacle. (Num. 3, 4) And, lastly, the innermost circle of priests, ministering in the
holy place. Now, let it be remembered that the believer is called to move in all those
circles. He enters into conflict, as a man of war. (Eph. 6: 11-17; 1 Tim. 1: 18; 1 Tim.
6: 12; 2 Tim. 4: 7) He serves, as a Levite, in the midst of his brethren, according to his
measure and sphere. (Matt. 14: 14, 15; Luke 19: 12, 13.) Finally, he sacrifices and
worships, as a priest, in the holy place. (Heb. 13: 15, 16; 1 Peter 2: 5, 9) The last of
these shall endure for ever. And, moreover, it is as we are enabled, now, to move
aright in that holy circle, that all other relations and responsibilities are rightly
discharged. Hence, every thing that incapacitates us for our priestly functions—every
thing that draws us off from the centre of that innermost circle, in which it is our
privilege to move—every thing, in short, that tends to derange our priestly relation, or
dim our priestly vision, must, of necessity, unfit us for the service which we are called
to render, and for the warfare which we are called to wage.
These are weighty considerations. Let us dwell upon them. The heart must be kept
right—the conscience pure—the eye single—the spiritual vision undimmed. The
soul's business in the holy place must be faithfully and diligently attended to, else we
shall go all wrong. Private communion with God must be kept up, else we shall be
fruitless, as servants, and defeated, as men of war. It is vain for us to bustle about, and
run hither and thither, in what we call service, or indulge in vapid words about
Christian armour and Christian warfare. If we are not keeping our priestly garments
unspotted, and if we are not keeping ourselves free from all that would excite nature,
we shall, assuredly, break down. The priest must keep his heart with all diligence,
else the Levite will fail, and the warrior will be defeated.
It is, let me repeat it, the business of each one to be fully aware of what it is that to
him proves to be "wine and strong drink"—what it is that produces excitement—that
blunts his spiritual perception, or dims his priestly vision. It may be an auction mart, a
cattle-show, a newspaper. It may be the merest trifle. But no matter what it is, if it
tends to excite, it will disqualify us for priestly ministry; and if we are disqualified as
priests, we are unfit for everything, inasmuch as our success in every department and
in every sphere must ever depend upon our cultivating a spirit of worship.
Let us, then, exercise a spirit of self-judgement—a spirit of watchfulness over our
habits, our ways, and our associations; and when we, by grace, discover ought that
tends, in the smallest degree, to unfit us for the elevated exercises of the sanctuary, let
us put it away from us, cost what it may. Let us not suffer ourselves to be the slaves of
a habit. Communion with God should be dearer to our hearts than all beside; and just
in proportion as we prize that communion, shall we watch and pray against anything
that would rob us of it—everything that would excite, ruffle, or unhinge.*
{*Some, perhaps, may think that the warning of Lev. 10: 9 affords a warrant for
occasional indulgence in those things which tend to excite the natural mind,
inasmuch as it is said, "Do not drink wine nor strong drink . . . . . when ye go into the
tabernacle of the congregation." To this we may reply, that the sanctuary is not a
place which the Christian is, occasionally, to visit, but a place in which he is,
habitually, to serve and worship. It is the sphere in which he should "live, and more,
and have his being." The more we live in the presence of God, the less can we bear to
be out of it; and no one who knows the deep joy of being there could lightly indulge
in ought that would take or keep him Hence. There is not that object within the
compass of earth which would, in the judgement of 3 spiritual mind, be an equivalent
for one hour's fellowship with God.}
"And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar, and unto Ithamar, his sons that were
left, Take the meat offering that remaineth of the offerings of the Lord made by fire,
and eat it without leaven beside the altar; for it is most holy: and ye shall eat it in the
holy place, because it is thy due, and thy sons' due, of the sacrifices of the Lord made
by fire; for so I am commanded." (Ver. 12, 13)
There are few things in which we are more prone to fail than in the maintenance of
the divine standard, when human failure has set in. Like David, when the Lord made a
breach upon Uzza, because of his failure in putting his hand to the ark, "He was afraid
of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?" (1 Chron. 13:
12) It is exceedingly difficult to bow to the divine judgement, and, at the same time,
to hold fast the divine ground. The temptation is to lower the standard, to come down
from the lofty elevation, to take human ground. We must ever carefully guard against
this evil, which is all the more dangerous as wearing the garb of modesty, self-
distrust, and humility. Aaron and his sons, notwithstanding all that had occurred, were
to eat the meat offering in the holy place. They were to do so, not because all had
gone on in perfect order, but "because it is thy due," and "so I am commanded."
Though there had been failure, yet their place was in the tabernacle; and those who
were there had certain "dues" founded upon the divine commandment. Though man
had failed ten thousand times over, the word of the Lord could not fail; and that word
had secured certain privileges for all true priests, which it was their place to enjoy.
Were God's priests to have nothing to eat, no priestly food, because failure had set in?
Were those that were left to be allowed to starve, because Nadab and Abihu had
offered "strange fire?" This would never do. God is faithful, and He can never allow
any one to be empty in His blessed presence. The prodigal may wander, and squander,
and come to poverty; but it must ever hold good that "in my Father's house is bread
enough and to spare."
"And the wave breast and the heave shoulder shall ye eat in a clean place; thou, and
thy sons, and thy daughters with thee: for they be thy due, and thy sons' due, which are
given out of the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel . . . . . .by a
statute for ever; as the Lord hath commanded." (Ver. 14, 15.) What strength and
stability we have here! All the members of the priestly family, "daughters" as well as
"sons"—all, whatever be the measure of energy or capacity, are to feed upon "the
breast" and "the shoulder," the affections and the strength of the true Peace Offering,
as raised from the dead, and presented, in resurrection, before God. This precious
privilege is theirs as, "given, by a statute for ever, as the Lord hath commanded." This
makes all "sure and steadfast," come what may. Men may fail, and come short;
strange fire may be offered, but God's priestly family must never be deprived of the
rich and gracious portion which divine love has provided, and divine faithfulness
secured, "by a statute for ever."
However, we must distinguish between those privileges which belonged to all the
members of Aaron's family, "daughters" as well as "sons," and those which could only
be enjoyed by the male portion of the family. This point has already been referred to,
in the notes on the offerings. There are certain blessings which are the common
portion of all believers, simply as such; and there are those which demand a higher
measure of spiritual attainment and priestly energy to apprehend and enjoy. Now, it is
worse than vain, yea, it is impious, to set up for the enjoyment of this higher measure,
when we really have it not. It is one thing to hold fast the privileges which are "given"
of God, and ran never be taken away, and quite another to assume a measure of
spiritual capacity to which we have never attained. No doubt, we ought to desire
earnestly the very highest measure of priestly communion, the most elevated order of
priestly privilege. But, then, desiring a thing, and assuming to have it, are very
different.
This thought will throw light upon the closing paragraph of our chapter. "And Moses
diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was
angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron which were left, saying, Wherefore
have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God
hath given it to you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for
them before the Lord? Behold, the blood of it was not brought in within the holy
place: ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded And Aaron
said unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt
offering before the Lord; and such things have befallen me; and if I had eaten the sin
offering today, should it have been accepted in the sight of the Lord And when Moses
heard that, he was content."
The "daughters" of Aaron were not permitted to eat of "the sin offering." This high
privilege belonged only to the "sons," and it was a type of the most elevated form of
priestly service. To eat of the sin offering was the expression of full identification
with the offerer, and this demanded an amount of priestly capacity and energy which
found its type in "the sons of Aaron." On the occasion before us, however, it is very
evident that Aaron and his sons were not in a condition to rise to this high and holy
ground. They ought to have been, but they were not. "Such things have befallen me,"
said Aaron. This, no doubt, was to be deplored; but, yet, "when Moses heard it, he
was content." It is far better to be real in the confession of our failure and
shortcoming, than to put forth pretensions to spiritual power which are wholly
without foundation.
Thus, then, Leviticus 10 opens with positive sin, and closes with negative failure.
Nadab and Abihu offered "strange fire;" and Eleazar and Ithamar were unable to eat
the sin offering. The former was met by divine judgement; the latter, by divine
forbearance. There could be no allowance for "strange fire." It was positively flying in
the face of God's plain commandment. There is, obviously, a wide difference between
a deliberate rejection of a plain command, and mere inability to rise to the height of a
divine privilege. The former is open dishonour done to God; the latter is a forfeiture
of one's own blessing. There should be neither the one nor the other, but the
difference between the two is easily traced.
May the Lord, in His infinite grace, ever keep us abiding in the secret retirement of
His holy presence, abiding in His love, and feeding upon His truth. Thus shall we be
preserved from "strange fire," and "strong drink"—from false worship of every kind,
and fleshly excitement, in all its forms. Thus, too, shall we be enabled to carry
ourselves aright in every department of priestly ministration, and to enjoy all the
privileges of our priestly position. The communion of a Christian is like a sensitive
plant. It is easily hurt by the rude influences of an evil world. It will expand beneath
the genial action of the air of heaven; but must firmly shut itself up from the chilling
breath of time and sense. Let us remember these things, and ever seek to keep close
within the sacred precincts of the divine presence. There, all is pure, safe, and happy.
Far from a world of grief and sin,
With God eternally shut in.
Leviticus 11.
The Book of Leviticus may be termed "the priest's guide book." This is very much its
character. It is full of principles for the guidance of such as desire to live in the
enjoyment of priestly nearness to God. Had Israel gone on with Jehovah, according to
the grace in which He had brought them up, out of the land of Egypt, they should have
been to Him "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." (Ex. 19: 6) This, however, they
failed to do. They put themselves at a distance. They got under law and failed to keep
it. Hence, Jehovah had to take up a certain tribe, and from that tribe a certain family,
and from that family a certain man, and to him and to his house, was granted the high
privilege of drawing nigh, as priests unto God.
Now, the privileges of such a position were immense; but it had its heavy
responsibilities, likewise. There would be the ever-recurring demand for the exercise
of a discerning mind. "The priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek
the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts." (Mal. 2: 7) The
priest was not only to bear the judgement of the congregation, before the Lord, but
also to expound the ordinances of the Lord to the congregation. He was to be the ever-
ready medium of communication between Jehovah and the assembly. He was not
merely to know the mind of God, for himself, but be able also to interpret that mind
to the people. All this would demand, of necessity, constant watching, constant
waiting, constant hanging over the page of inspiration, that he might drink in, to his
very soul, all the precepts, the judgements, the statutes, the laws, the commandments,
and the ordinances of the God of Israel, so as to be able to instruct the congregation,
in reference to "those things which ought to be done."
There was no room left for the play of fancy, the working of imagination, the
introduction of man's plausible inferences, or the cunning devices of human
expediency. Everything was laid down, with the divine precision and commanding
authority of a "thus saith the Lord." Minute and elaborate as was the detail of
sacrifices, rites, and ceremonies, nothing was left for man's brain to originate. He was
not even permitted to decide upon the kind of sacrifice to be offered, upon any given
occasion; nor yet as to the mode in which such sacrifice was to be presented. Jehovah
took care of everything. Neither the congregation nor the priest had any authority
whatsoever, to decree, enact, or suggest so much as a single item throughout all the
vast array of ordinances in the Mosaic economy. The word of the Lord settled all.
Man had only to obey.
This, to an obedient heart, was nothing short of an unspeakable mercy. It is quite
impossible to overestimate the privilege of being permitted to betake oneself to the
oracles of God, and there find the most ample, guidance as to all the details of one's
faith and service, day by day. All that we need is a broken will, a mortified mind, a
single eye. The divine guide book is as full as we can possibly desire. We want no
more. To imagine, for a moment, that ought is left for man's wisdom to supply, must
be regarded as a flagrant insult offered to the sacred canon. No one can read the Book
of Leviticus, and not be struck with the extraordinary painstaking, on the part of
Israel's God, to furnish His people with the most minute instruction upon every point
connected with His service and worship. The most cursory reader of the book might,
at least, bear away with him this touching and interesting lesson.
And, truly, if ever there was a time when this self-same lesson needed to be read out
in the ears of the professing church, this is the time. On all hands, the divine
sufficiency of Holy Scripture is called in question;. In some cases this is openly and
deliberately done; in others it is, with less frankness, hinted, insinuated, implied, and
inferred. The Christian mariner is told, directly, or indirectly, that the divine chart is
insufficient for all the intricate details of his voyage that such changes have taken
place in the ocean of life, since that chart was made, that, in many cases, it is entirely
deficient for the purposes of modern navigation. He is told that the currents, tides,
coasts, strands, and shores of that ocean are quite different, now, from what they were
from centuries ago, and that, as a necessary consequence, he must have recourse to
the aids which modern navigation supplies, in order to make up for the deficiencies in
the old chart, which is, as a matter of course, admitted to have been perfect at the
time it was made.
Now, I earnestly desire that the Christian reader should be able, with clearness and
decision, to meet this grievous dishonour done to the precious volume of inspiration,
every line of which comes to him fresh from his Father's bosom, through the pen of
God the Holy Ghost. I desire that he should meet it, whether it comes before him in
the shape of a bold and blasphemous statement, or a learned and plausible inference.
Whatever garb it wears, it owes its origin to the enemy of Christ, the enemy of the
Bible, the enemy of the soul. If, indeed, the Word of God be not sufficient, then where
are we? or whither shall we turn? To whom shall we betake ourselves for aid, if our
Father's book be, in any respect, defective? God says that His book can "furnish us
thoroughly to all good works." (2 Tim. 3: 17) Man says, no; there are many things
about which the Bible is silent, which, nevertheless, we need to know. Whom am I to
believe? God or man? Our reply to any one who questions the divine sufficiency of
Scripture, is just this, "either you are not a 'man of God,' or else that for which you
want a warrant is not 'a good work,'" This is plain. No one can possibly think
otherwise, with his eye resting on 2 Timothy 3: 17.
Oh! for a deeper sense of the fullness, majesty, and authority of the Word of God! We
very much need to be braced up on this point. We want such a deep, bold, vigorous,
influential, and abiding sense of the supreme authority of the divine canon, and of its
absolute completeness for every age, every clime, every position, every department—
personal, social, and ecclesiastical, as shall enable us to withstand every attempt of
the enemy to depreciate the value of that inestimable treasure. May our hearts enter
more into the spirit of those words of the Psalmist, "Thy word is true from the
beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgements endureth for ever." (Psalm 119:
160)
The foregoing train of thought is awakened by the perusal of the eleventh chapter of
the Book of Leviticus. Therein we find Jehovah entering, in most marvellous detail,
into a description of beasts, birds, fishes, and reptiles, and furnishing His people with
various marks by which they were to know what was clean and what was unclean. We
have the summing up of the entire contents of this remarkable chapter in the two
closing verses. "This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living
creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth;
to make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that
may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten."
With regard to beasts, two things were essential to render them clean, they should
chew the cud and divide the hoof. "Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is cloven footed,
and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that shall ye eat." Either of these marks would,
of itself, have been wholly insufficient to constitute ceremonial cleanness. The two
should go together. Now, while these two marks were quite sufficient for the
guidance of an Israelite, as to the cleanness or uncleanness of an animal, without any
reference as to why or wherefore such marks were given, or what they meant, yet is
the Christian permitted to enquire into the spiritual truth wrapped up in these
ceremonial enactment's.
What, then, are we to learn from those two features in a clean animal? The chewing
of the cud expresses the natural process of "inwardly digesting" that which one eats;
while the divided hoof sets forth the character of one's outward walk. There is, as we
know, an intimate connection between the two, in the christian life. The one who
feeds upon the green pastures of the Word of God, and inwardly digests what he takes
in—the one who is enabled to combine calm meditation with prayerful study, will,
without doubt, manifest that character of outward walk which is to the praise of Him
who has graciously given us His word to form our habits and govern our ways.
It is to be feared that many who read the Bible do not digest the word. The two things
are widely different. One may read chapter after chapter, book after book, and not
digest so much as a single line. We may read the Bible as part of a dull and profitless
routine; but, through lack of the ruminating powers—the digestive organs, we derive
no profit whatsoever. This should be carefully looked into. The cattle that browse on
the green may teach us a wholesome lesson. They, first, diligently gather up the
refreshing pasture, and then calmly lie down to chew the cud. Striking and beautiful
picture of a Christian feeding upon and inwardly digesting the precious contents of
the volume of inspiration. Would that there were more of this amongst us Were we
more accustomed to betake ourselves to the Word as the necessary pasture of our
souls, we should, assuredly, be in a more vigorous and healthy condition. Let us
beware of reading the Bible as a dead form—a cold duty—a piece of religious
routine.
The same caution is needful in reference to the public exposition of the Word. Let
those who expound Scripture to their fellows, first feed and digest for themselves. Let
them read and ruminate, in private, not merely for others, but for themselves. It is a
poor thing for a man to be continually occupied in procuring food for other people,
And he himself dying of starvation. Then, again, let those who attend upon the public
ministry of the Word, see that they are not doing so mechanically, as by the force of
mere religious habit, but with an earnest desire to "read, mark, learn, and inwardly
digest" what they hear. Then will both teachers and taught be well-conditioned, the
spiritual life nourished and sustained, and the true character of outward walk
exhibited.
But, be it remembered, that the chewing of the cud must never be separated from the
divided hoof. If one but partially acquainted with the priest's guide book—unpractised
in the divine ceremonial, happened to see an animal chewing the cud, he might hastily
pronounce him clean. This would have been a serious error. A more careful reference
to the divine directory would, at once, show that he must mark the animal's walkthat
he must note the impression made by each movement—that he must look for the
result of the divided hoof. "Nevertheless, these shall ye not eat, of them that chew the
cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel because he cheweth the cud, but
divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you," &c., &c. (Ver. 4-6)
In like manner, the divided hoof was insufficient, if not accompanied by the chewing
of the cud. "The swine, though he divide the hoof, and be cloven footed, yet he
cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you." (Ver. 7) In a word, then, the two things
were inseparable in the case of every clean animal; and, as to the spiritual application,
it is of the very last importance, in a practical point of view. The inward life and the
outward walk must go together. A man may profess to love and feed upon—to study
and ruminate over the Word of God—the pasture of the soul; but, if his footprints
along the pathway of life are not such as the Word requires, he is not clean. And, on
the other hand, a man may seem to walk with pharisaic blamelessness; but if his walk
be not the result of the hidden life, it is worse than worthless. There must be the
divine principle within which feeds upon and digests the rich pasture of God's Word,
else the impression of the footstep will be of no avail. The value of each depends
upon its inseparable connection with the other.
We are, here, forcibly reminded of a solemn passage in the First Epistle of John, in
which the apostle furnishes us with the two marks whereby we may know those that
are of God. "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil:
whosoever doeth not righteousness, is not of God, neither he that loveth not his
brother." (1 John 3: 10) Here we have the two grand characteristics of the eternal life,
of which all true believers are possessed, namely, "righteousness" and "love". The
outward and the inward. Both must be combined. Some professing Christians are all
for love, so called; and some for righteousness. Neither can exist, in a divine way,
without the other. If that which is called love exist without practical righteousness, it
will, in reality, be but a lax, soft, easy-going habit of mind, which will tolerate all
manner of error and evil. And, if that which is called righteousness exist without love,
it will be a stern, proud, pharisaic, self-sufficient temper of soul resting upon the
miserable basis of personal reputation. But where the divine life is in energy, there
will ever be the inward charity combined with genuine practical righteousness. The
two elements are essential in the formation of true Christian character. There must be
the love that will express itself in reference to the very feeblest development of that
which is of God; and, at the same time, the holiness that shrinks, with intense
abhorrence, from all that is of Satan.
We shall now pass on to the consideration of that which the Levitical ceremonial
taught with respect to "all that are in the waters." Here again, we find the double
mark. "These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales
in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat. And all that have not
fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any
living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you." (Ver. 9,
10) Two things were necessary to render a fish ceremonially clean, namely, "fins and
scales," which, obviously, set forth a certain fitness for the sphere and element in
which the creature had to move.
But, doubtless, there was more than this. I believe it is our privilege to discern, in the
natural properties with which God has endowed those creatures which move in the
waters, certain spiritual qualities which belong to the Christian life. If a fish needs a
"fin" to enable him to move through the waters and "scales" to resist the action
thereof, so does the believer need that spiritual capacity which enables him to move
onward through the scene with which he is surrounded, and, at the same time, to resist
its influence—to prevent its penetrating—to keep it out. These are precious qualities.
The fin and the scale are pregnant with meaning—full of practical instruction to the
Christian. They exhibit to us, in ceremonial garb, two things which we specially need,
namely, spiritual energy to move onward through the element which surrounds us,
and the power to preserve us from its action. The one will not avail without the other.
It is of no use to possess a capacity to get on, through the world, if we are not proof
against the world's influence; and though we may seem to be able to keep the world
out, yet if He have not the motive power, we are defective. The "fins" would not do
without the "scales," nor the "scales" without the "fins" Both were required, to render
a fish ceremonially clean; and we, in order to be properly equipped, require to be
encased against the penetrating influence of an evil world; and, at the same time, to
be furnished with a capacity to pass rapidly on.
The whole deportment of a Christian should declare him a pilgrim and a stranger
here. "Onward" must be his motto—ever and only, onward. Let his locality and his
circumstances be what they may, he is to have his eye fixed on a home beyond this
perishing, passing world. He is furnished, by grace, with spiritual ability to go
forward—to penetrate, energetically, through all, and carry out the earnest aspirations
of his heaven-born spirit. And, while thus vigorously pushing his way onward—while
"forcing his passage to the skies," he is to keep his inward man fenced round about,
and fast closed up against all external influences.
Oh! for more of the onward bent, the upward tendency! For more holy fixedness of
soul, and profound retirement from this vain world! We shall have reason to bless the
Lord for our meditations amid the ceremonial shadows of the Book of Leviticus, if we
are led, thereby, to long more intensely after those graces which, though so dimly
portrayed there, are, nevertheless, so manifestly needful for us.
From verse 13 to verse 24 of our chapter, we have the law with respect to birds. All of
the carnivorous kind, that is, all that fed on flesh, were unclean. The omnivorous, or
those who could eat anything, were unclean. All those which, though furnished with
power to soar into the heavens, would, nevertheless, grovel upon the earth, were
unclean. As to the latter class, there were some exceptional cases; (ver. 21, 22;) but
the general rule, the fixed principle, the standing ordinance was as distinct as
possible; "all fowls that creep, going upon all fours, shall be an abomination unto
you." (Ver. 20) All this is very simple in its instruction to us. Those fowls that could
feed upon flesh; those that could swallow anything or everything; and all grovelling
fowls, were to be unclean to the Israel of God, because so pronounced by the God of
Israel; nor can the spiritual mind have any difficulty in discerning the fitness of such
an ordinance. We can not only trace in the habits of the above three classes of fowl
the just ground of their being pronounced unclean; but we can also see in them the
striking exhibition of that, in nature, which is to be strenuously guarded against by
every true Christian. Such an one is called to refuse everything of a carnal nature.
Moreover, he cannot feed, promiscuously, upon everything that comes before him. He
must "try the things that differ:" He must "take heed what he hears." He must exercise
a discerning mind, a spiritual judgement, a heavenly taste. Finally, he must use his
wings. He must rise on the pinions of faith, and find his place in the celestial sphere
to which he belongs. In short, there must be nothing grovelling, nothing promiscuous,
nothing unclean, for the Christian.
As to "creeping things," the following was the general rule: "And every creeping thing
that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten." (Ver. 41)
How wonderful to think of the condescending grace of Jehovah! He could stoop to
give directions about a crawling reptile. He would not leave His people at a loss as to
the most trivial affair. The priest's guide book contained the most simple instructions
as to everything. He desired to keep His people free from the defilement consequent
upon touching, tasting, or handling ought that was unclean. They were not their own,
and hence they were not to do as they pleased. They belonged to Jehovah; His name
was called upon them; they were identified with Him. His word was to be their grand
regulating standard, in every case. From it they were to learn the ceremonial status of
beasts, birds, fishes, and creeping things. They were not to think their own thoughts,
to exercise their own reasoning powers, or be guided by their own imaginations, in
such matters. God's Word was to be their sole directory. Other nations might eat what
they pleased; but Israel enjoyed the high privilege of eating that only which was
pleasing to Jehovah.
Nor was it as to the mere matter of eating ought that was unclean that the people of
God were so jealously guarded. Bare contact was forbidden. (See ver. 8, 24, 26-28,
31-41) It was impossible for a member of the Israel of God to touch that which was
unclean without contracting defilement. This is a principle largely unfolded, both in
the law and the prophets. "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, ask ye now the priests
concerning the law, saying, if one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with
his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And
the priests answered and said, No. Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead
body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It
shall be unclean." (Hag. 2: 11-13) Jehovah would have His people holy in all things.
They were neither to eat nor touch ought that was unclean. "Ye shall not make
yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make
yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby." Then follows the
powerful reason for all this careful separation. "For I am The Lord your God: ye shall
therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye
defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. For
I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall
therefore be holy, for I am holy." (Ver. 43-45)
It is well to see that the personal holiness of God's people—their entire separation
from all manner of uncleanness, flows out of their relationship to Him. It is not upon
the principle of "stand by thyself, I am holier than thou;' but simply this, "God is
holy," and therefore all who are brought into association with Him must be holy,
likewise. It is, in every way, worthy of God that His people should be holy. "Thy
testimonies are very sure; holiness becometh thy house, O Lord, for ever." What else
save holiness could become the house of such an One as Jehovah If any one had
asked an Israelite, of old, "Why do you shrink so from that reptile which crawls along
the path?" He would have replied, "Jehovah is holy; and I belong to Him. He has said'
Touch not." So, also, now, if a Christian be asked why he walks apart from the ten
thousand things in which the men of this world participate, his answer is simply to be,
"My Father is holy." This is the true foundation of personal holiness. The more we
contemplate the divine character, and enter into the power of our relationship to God,
in Christ, by the energy of the Holy Ghost, the holier we must, of necessity, be. There
can be no progress in the condition of holiness into which the believer is introduced;
but there is, and ought to be, progress in the apprehension, experience, and practical
exhibition of that holiness. These things should never be confounded. All believers
are in the same condition of holiness or sanctification; but their practical measure
may vary to any conceivable degree. This is easily understood. The condition arises
out of our being brought nigh to God, by the blood of the cross; the practical measure
will depend upon our keeping nigh, by the power of the Spirit. It is not a man setting
up for something superior in himself—for a greater degree of personal sanctity than is
ordinarily possessed—for being, in any wise, better than his; neighbours. All such
pretensions are utterly contemptible, in the judgement of every right-thinking person.
But then, if God, in His exceeding grace, stoop down to our low estate, and lift us into
the holy elevation of His blessed presence, in association with Christ, has He not a
right to prescribe what our character is to be, as thus brought nigh? Who could think
of calling in question a truth so obvious And, further, are we not bound to aim at the
maintenance of that character which He prescribes? Are we to be accused of
presumption for so doing Was it presumption in an Israelite to refuse to touch Nay, it
would have been presumption of the most daring and dangerous character to have
done so. True, he might not have been able to make an uncircumcised stranger
understand or appreciate the reason of his conduct; but this was not his province.
Jehovah had said, "Touch not," not because an Israelite was holier in himself than a
stranger; but because Jehovah was holy, and Israel belonged to Him. It needed the eye
and the heart of a circumcised disciple of the law of God, in order to discern what was
clean and what was not. An alien knew no difference. Thus it must ever be. It is only
Wisdom's children that can justify her and approve her heavenly ways.
Ere turning from Leviticus 11, my reader might, with much spiritual profit, compare it
with the tenth chapter of Acts, ver. 11-16. How strange is must have appeared to one
who had, from his earliest days, been taught in the principles of the Mosaic ritual, to
see a vessel descending from heaven, "wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts
of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air;" and not only
to see such a vessel, so filled, but also to hear a voice, saying, "Rise, Peter; kill, and
eat." How wonderful. No examination of hoofs or habits! There was no need of this.
The vessel and its contents had come from heaven. This was enough. The Jew might
ensconce himself behind the narrow enclosures of the Jewish ritual, and exclaim,
"Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean;" but, then,
the tide of divine grace was rising, majestically, above all such enclosures, in order to
embrace, in its mighty compass, "all manner" of objects, and bear them upward to
heaven, in the power and on the authority of those precious words, "What God hath
cleansed, that call not thou common." It mattered not what was in the vessel, if God
had cleansed it. The Author of the Book of Leviticus was about to raise the thoughts
of His servant above the barriers which that book had erected, into all the
magnificence of heaven's grace. He would teach him that true cleanness—the
cleanness which heaven demanded, was no longer to consist in chewing the cud,
dividing the hoof, or any such ceremonial marks, but in being washed in the blood of
the Lamb, which cleanseth from all sin, and renders the believer clean enough to tread
the sapphire pavement of the heavenly courts.
This was a noble lesson for a Jew to learn. It was a divine lesson, before the light of
which the shadows of the old economy must pass away. The hand of sovereign grace
has thrown open the door of the kingdom; but not to admit ought that is unclean. This
could not be. Nothing unclean can enter heaven. But, then, a cloven hoof was no
longer to be the criterion; but "what God hath cleansed." When God cleanses a man,
he must needs be clean. Peter was about to be sent to open the kingdom to the
Gentiles, as he had already opened it to the Jews; and his Jewish heart needed to be
enlarged. He needed to get above the dark shadows of a by-gone age, into the
meridian light that was shining from an open heaven, in virtue of a completed
sacrifice. He needed to get out of the narrow current of Jewish prejudices, should be
borne upon the bosom of that mighty tide of grace which was about to roll through the
length and breadth of a lost world. He had to learn, too, that the standard by which
true cleanness must be regulated, was no longer carnal, ceremonial, and earthly, but
spiritual, moral, and heavenly. Assuredly, we may say, these were noble lessons for