The cloud filleth the tabernacle. 34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 36 And when the cloud was taken up from over the taberna cle, the children of Israel went neys. LECTURE 184. The privilege of living amidst Christian light. "So Moses finished the work." Ver. 33. But see, he is not able to enter into the tent, which his own hands so lately put together; for the glory of the Lord has filled it. It is God's house. It is where He deigns to dwell. It is where He would have his people consider that they may always have access to their King. Moses is not able to enter. It must be signified to the Israelites, that there is another Mediator, and a better covenant; that it is a greater than Moses who must “ appear in the presence of God for us;" Heb. 9. 24; and that it is not till there shall be "a new heaven and a new earth," that "the tabernacle of God" will be "with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God." Rev. 21. 1, 3. But though we may not as yet dwell in the light of God's countenance, He shews enough of his glory to guide "all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys." It is brightness in the midst of cloud. It is the will of God, revealed in the language of men, and by means of ordinances adapted to human infirmity. Whatsoever therein seems dark, is by reason of the weakness of our sight; which could not bear its unveiled brightness. Whatsoever therein is light, this is that truth of God, which shines through the veil of cloud, to signify what glory is within. How great is our advantage in the abundance of the light of truth, in the midst of which we live! How eminent ought to be our faith, and obedience, our love, and holiness, and thankfulness; when we have not only Moses and the prophets for our guidance, but also "the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God"! 2 Cor. 4. 4. Direct us, O Thou gracious Saviour, in all our journeying to the land of promise! Open Thou our eyes, that we may behold the wondrous things of thy Law, the inestimable value of thy Gospel! And incline our hearts that we may love to follow where Thou leadest us, from sin to holiness, from earth to heaven! THE THIRD BOOK OF MOSES, CALLED LEVITICUS. LECTURE 185. The uses of the Levitical ordinances. THIS book is called Leviticus, because it relates for the most part to the duties of the tribe of Levi, and especially to those of Aaron the high priest, and those of the priests, who were Aaron's sons, and their posterity. These duties consisted in ministering about the sacrifices, which were to be offered on various occasions here set down, and with a variety of ceremonies here specified. In our study of this portion of God's word, we must bear in mind the purpose for which it was revealed; and we shall find it well adapted, by divine wisdom, both for the religious ceremonial of the Jewish people, as long as that was intended to last, and for confirming the faith of Christians, ever after, to the end of time. As to the Jews of old, the Levitical priesthood, and their ceremonial ordinances, served to separate this chosen people from the idolatry of a whole heathen world. They were also fitted to maintain, in the minds of the worshippers, a sense of their own sinfulness, which needed such constant mediation, so much purifying, so many sacrifices. And they were calculated to keep the attention of the people fixt on a more effectual intercession, an all sufficient atonement, to be made in after time for sin, and sinners, by One, of whom all other sacrifices, all other priests, were types or spiritual figures. And as for Christians, to us it is most profitable, and it ought to be most interesting, to watch how the many precious uses of our Saviour's death and passion were shadowed forth, in all these particulars, at least fifteen hundred years before the hour of his suffering on the cross. In Him, and by Him, all these things are fulfilled. Nor can any written word of prophecy afford more striking evidence of God's power and wisdom, of his foreknowledge, and overruling providence, than these many prophetic acts, performed for so many centuries in the public worship of a nation, of whose antiquity, and history, and religious observances, there never has been, nor can be, any reasonable doubt. May the God of Israel enable us by faith to see his Son, our Saviour, in all his ordinances, in both his Testaments! And by what we behold of his grace and truth, in the old dispensation, may He confirm our faith in the Gospel! 0. T. VOL. I. PART II. B b The voluntary whole burnt offering. 1 And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock. 3 If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD. 4 And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. 5 And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 6 And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces. 7 And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire: 8 And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar: 9 But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD. 10 And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish. 11 And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar. 12 And he shall cut it into his pieces, with his head and his fat: and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar: 13 But he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water: and the priest shall bring it all, and burn it upon the altar: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD. 14 And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the LORD be of fowls, then he shall bring his of fering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons. 15 And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off his head, and burn it on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be wrung out at the side of the altar: 16 And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes: 17 And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder: and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD. LECTURE 186. We must approach God by a Mediator. We read at the end of the book of Exodus, that when the tabernacle was set up, "Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle." Exod. 40. 35. It was out of that glory that "the Lord called unto Moses," and gave the directions here set down, relating to the burnt sacrifices which any Israelite was to offer," of his own voluntary will." These were in addition to the daily morning and evening sacrifices, see Exod. 29. 38, 39, and in addition to those offered at the great festivals, see ch. 23, by the high priest, or by the priests, in behalf of all the congregation of Israel. They were the free will offerings, made from time to time by individuals, by way of expressing their own reverence, and godly fear, their own love and devotion towards God, their own earnest desire for the atonement of their sins. And they may well remind those amongst Christians, whose religion extends no further than attendance on divine service in the church, that there is a service due to God from every one of us singly and separately; that each has private devotions to perform, besides joining in those that are public; and that unless each his own self worships God in spirit and in truth, unless each loves God heartily, and serves God diligently, his worship is little better than none at all. In these burnt offerings presented by individuals, the priests had to perform the chief part of the service, whether the offering were a bullock, or sheep or goats, or turtle doves or young pigeons, according to the means, or willingness of the worshipper. It was only by the hands of the priests that either the fire or the sacrifice might be laid upon the altar; it was only by their ministering that there went up from the burnt offering, in each instance, "a sweet savour unto the Lord." Let us think of this when we present our bodies, as St. Paul has exhorted us, a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service; see Rom. 12. 1; let us offer them through the mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ; who being both Priest and Sacrifice, gave "himself for us an offering, and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet smelling savour. Eph. 5. 2. Then shall we be "accepted in the Beloved;" Eph. 1.6; and notwithstanding our many remaining infirmities, we shall be counted" without blemish" for his sake. Heavenly Father, accept the willing offering of ourselves, our souls, and bodies, all unworthy as we are, for the worthiness of thy Son our Saviour, Jesus Christ! Look upon Him, who made atonement once for all, in our behalf, by the blood of his cross; and look upon us as now justified through Him! The meat offering of flour with oil and incense. 1 And when any will offer a meat offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon: 2 And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD: 3 And the remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron's and his sons': it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire. 4 And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil. 5 And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in a pan, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil. 6 Thou shalt part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon: it is a meat offering. 7 And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in the fryingpan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil. 8 And thou shalt bring the meat offering that is made of these things unto the LORD: and when it is presented unto the priest, he shall bring it unto the altar. 9 And the priest shall take from the meat offering a memorial thereof, and shall burn it upon the altar: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD. 10 And that which is left of the meat offering shall be Aaron's and his sons': it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire. ye 11 No meat offering, which shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire. 12 As for the oblation of the first fruits, ye shall offer them unto the LORD: but they shall not be burnt on the altar for a sweet savour. 13 And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt. 14 And if thou offer a meat offering of thy firstfruits unto the LORD, thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy firstfruits green ears of corn dried by the fire, even corn beaten out of full ears. 15 And thou shalt put oil upon it, and lay frankincense thereon: it is a meat offering. 16 And the priest shall burn the memorial of it, part of the beaten corn thereof, and part of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD. |