Notes on the Book of Leviticus Part 1

Notes on the Book of Leviticus.

by C. H. Mackintosh.

PREFACE

In the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ there is an infinite fullness, which meets every necessity of man, both as a sinner and as a wors.h.i.+per. The infinite dignity of His Person gives eternal value to His work. In the book of Genesis we have seen "G.o.d's remedy for man's ruin" in the promised seed--the Ark of Salvation, and in the rich unfoldings of divine grace to fallen and sinful man. There we have the _Bud_, the full-blown glories and fragrance of which shall yet fill the heavens and the earth with joy and gladness.

In the book of Exodus we have seen "G.o.d's answer to man's question."

There, man is not only outside of Eden, but he has fallen into the hands of a cruel and powerful enemy,--he is the bond-slave of the world. How is he to be delivered from Pharaoh's thraldom--from Egypt's furnace? How can he be redeemed, justified, and brought into the promised land? G.o.d only could answer such questions, and this He did in the blood of the slain Lamb. In the redemption-power of that blood, every question is settled. It meets Heaven's highest claims, and man's deepest necessities. Through its amazing efficacy, G.o.d is glorified, man is redeemed, saved, justified, and brought to G.o.d's holy habitation; while the enemy is completely overthrown, and his power destroyed.

And now, in our meditations on the book of Leviticus, we find most fully unfolded what we may call, "G.o.d's provision for man's need;" or, a Sacrifice, a Priest, and a Place of Wors.h.i.+p. These are essentially necessary in drawing near unto G.o.d, as this book most abundantly proves. But every thing therewith connected was appointed by G.o.d, and established by His law. Nothing was left to be supplied by man's fertile imagination, or his prudential arrangement.--"So Aaron and his sons did _all things which the Lord commanded_ by the hand of Moses."

(Chap. viii. 36; ix. 6, 7.) Without the word of the Lord, neither priest nor people could take a single step in the right direction. _It is so still._ There is not a single ray of light in this dark world but that which is shed from holy Scripture.--"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Ps. cxix. 105.) It is truly happy when the children of G.o.d so honor His Word as to be guided by it in all things. We need _now_, as much as the Jew did _then_, divine direction and divine guidance for acceptable wors.h.i.+p. "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the _true wors.h.i.+pers_ shall wors.h.i.+p the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to wors.h.i.+p Him." (John iv. 23, 24.) More than sincerity or devoutness of feeling is required in the children's wors.h.i.+p: it must be in the unction of the Spirit, and according to the truth of G.o.d. But we have all (blessed be His name!) in the Person and work of our blessed Lord Jesus. He is both our Sacrifice and Priest, and our right of entrance into the holiest of all. O, to be kept near to His wounded side, and in the abiding sense that He is the ground, the material, and the sweet incense of all our wors.h.i.+p!

Let us now briefly notice the three points already mentioned.

I. In the first place, we would observe that _sacrifice is the basis of wors.h.i.+p_. Acceptable wors.h.i.+p to G.o.d must be based on a sacrifice acceptable to Him. Man being in himself guilty and unclean, he needs a sacrifice to remove his guilt, cleanse him from his defilements, and fit him for the holy presence of G.o.d. "Without shedding of blood is no remission;" and without remission, and the _knowledge_ of remission, there can be no happy wors.h.i.+p,--no real, hearty praise, adoration, and thanksgiving. Going to what is called "a place of wors.h.i.+p," and wors.h.i.+ping G.o.d, are widely different things. G.o.d is holy, and man must approach Him in His own way, and according to what He is. As Moses said unto Aaron on the solemn occasion of the sin of Nadab and Abihu, "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 Lord alone could give directions as to how the people were to draw nigh unto Him: this is the great subject of the book of Leviticus. The "Notes" on the first seven and the sixteenth chapters will give the reader a very full and interesting view of the ordinance of sacrifice, and the character of Jewish wors.h.i.+p.

It was on the ground of offered and accepted sacrifice that the children of Israel were const.i.tuted the wors.h.i.+ping people of G.o.d. It is on the same ground, namely, offered and accepted sacrifice, that believers in Jesus are const.i.tuted the wors.h.i.+ping people of G.o.d now.

(Read carefully Lev. xvi; Heb. ix, x.) They have taken Israel's place, but after a much higher order, whether we look at the sacrifice, the priest, or the place of wors.h.i.+p. The contrast between them is great, and strongly marked in Scripture, especially in the epistle to the Hebrews. The Jewish sacrifices never reached the _conscience_ of the offerer, and the Jewish priest never could p.r.o.nounce him "clean every whit." The gifts and sacrifices which were offered under the law, as the apostle tells us, "could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience." The conscience, observe, always being the _reflection_ of the sacrifice, it could not be perfect, seeing the sacrifice was not perfect; "for it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins." Hence, Jewish wors.h.i.+p was connected with inefficient sacrifices, a burdensome ritual, and an unpurged conscience, which gendered in the wors.h.i.+per a spirit of bondage and fear.

But, now, mark the contrast to all this in the once-offered and accepted sacrifice of Christ. He "put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." All is done. Having "by Himself purged our sins, He sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." When the wors.h.i.+per comes before G.o.d on the ground of this Sacrifice, he finds that he has nothing to do save, as a priest, to show forth the praises of Him "who hath called us out of darkness into His marvelous light." Even Christ has nothing more to do as regards our justification and acceptance, "for by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified." The Jew, by his sacrifice, was merely _ceremonially_ clean, and that only for a moment, as it were; but the Christian, through the sacrifice of Christ, is _really_ so, and that forever. Oh, that sweet word, "FOREVER"! It is the common privilege of all believers to be perfected as wors.h.i.+pers before G.o.d, "through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." On this deeply important point the testimony of Scripture is most full and explicit.

For the wors.h.i.+pers once purged should have _"no more conscience of sins"_.--"The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin."--"And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." (1 John i. 7; Heb. x.) By the work of Christ for _us_, our sins were all put away; and now, by faith in G.o.d's word, we know that they are all forgiven and forgotten. Hence, we can draw near to G.o.d, and stand in His holy presence, in the happy a.s.surance that there is neither sin nor stain upon us. Our Great High-Priest has p.r.o.nounced us "clean every whit." (John xiii.) Believing this, the sense of guilt is taken away,--we have "NO MORE CONSCIENCE OF SINS."

This deeply precious truth, observe, does not mean that there is no more _consciousness_ of sins. Far from it. Or that we may not get a bad conscience through failure; or that we need not be exercised "to have a conscience void of offense toward G.o.d and toward man." Not at all. It simply means that Christ, by the one, perfect, finished sacrifice of Himself, has forever put away all our sins--root and branch. And having been led to know and believe this, how can there be sins on the conscience? Christ has put them all away. The precious blood of our once-offered and accepted Sacrifice has cleansed us from every spot and stain of sin. There may be the deepest sense of indwelling sin, and of many sins and shortcomings in our every-day life, and the painful confession of them all to G.o.d; still there is the full a.s.surance that Christ died for our sins, put them all away, and that not one of them can ever be laid to our charge. This is indeed a most wonderful truth; but it is the great, the needed truth for a wors.h.i.+per. How could we stand in G.o.d's presence, where all is perfection, if we were not as clean as He would have us to be? We must be clean enough for the eye of Infinite Holiness. But, blessed be G.o.d, all who believe in Jesus, and rest on His finished sacrifice, are forgiven and justified; they have eternal life, righteousness, and peace. The first cry for mercy of the guilty sinner is answered by the blood of the Sacrifice. It penetrates to the deepest depths of his need; it raises him to the highest heights of heaven, and fits him to be there, a happy wors.h.i.+per, in the immediate presence of the throne of G.o.d.--"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to G.o.d."--"For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the Eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to G.o.d, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living G.o.d!" (1 Peter iii. 18; Heb. ix. 13, 14.)

II. In the second place, we have in the rich provisions of G.o.d's grace, _the Lord Jesus Christ as our Great High-Priest in the presence of G.o.d for us_. He ministers there for us.--"We have such a High-Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a Minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man." (Heb. viii. 1, 2.) His work of sacrifice having been fully completed, He sat down. Aaron is represented as being always in a standing position. His work was never finished. He stood "daily ministering, and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of G.o.d." Immediately after the law of the Lord had been given as to sacrifice, the priesthood was established. (See "Notes" on chapters viii, ix.) The saints have both in Christ. He is our Sacrifice and our Priest. He appeared once on the cross _for us_: He now appears in heaven _for us_: ere long He will appear in glory _with us_. To know what He accomplished on the cross, and what He is now doing in the sanctuary above, will nourish in our hearts the hope of His coming, and lead us to long for His appearing in glory.

In the New Testament we only read of two orders of priests, namely, Christ as the Great High-Priest in heaven, and the common priesthood of all believers on the earth. "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to G.o.d by Jesus Christ." (1 Peter ii. 5.) And again, "Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto G.o.d and His Father."

(Rev. i. 5. 6.) These pa.s.sages clearly prove the common standing of all believers as priests unto G.o.d. There is no mention in the New Testament of any peculiar cla.s.s or order of Christians who hold the office of priests, as distinct from other Christians. Christ is the _Great_ High-Priest over the house of G.o.d, and all His people are, in virtue of their connection with Him, priests, and privileged to enter, as once-purged wors.h.i.+pers, into the holiest of all. Even the apostles never took the place of priests, as distinct from or superior to the humblest child of G.o.d. They might know their privileges better than many, and enjoy them more. Their gifts and callings as to the ministry of the Word were distinct and special, but as wors.h.i.+pers, they stood on the same ground as all others, and, together with them, wors.h.i.+ped G.o.d through Jesus Christ, the Great High-Priest of all His people.

In the priestly ministry of our blessed Lord, there are many points of special interest; we only notice the two following:--

1. As our Great High-Priest, He _represents_ us in the sanctuary above. And, oh, what a Representative!--G.o.d's beloved Son, the glorified Man, whose name is above every name!--"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 G.o.d _for us_." (Heb. ix. 24.) Oh, what dignity! what nearness to G.o.d is ours! Oh that our hearts appreciated it more! When Aaron appeared before the Lord in his garments of glory and beauty, he represented the children of Israel. Their names were engraven in precious stones in the beautiful breastplate. Blessed type of our real and everlasting place in the heart of Christ, who appears, not _annually_, like Aaron of old, but _continually_ in the presence of G.o.d _for us_. The name of each believer is kept continually before the eye of G.o.d, in all the glory and beauty of Christ, His well-beloved Son. He is our righteousness, we possess His life, enjoy His peace, are filled with His joy, and radiate His glory. Although without right, t.i.tle, or privilege in ourselves, we have all in Him. He is there _for us_ and _as us_. His name be forever praised.

"He stands in heaven their Great High-Priest, And bears their names upon His breast."

It is by His continual intercession in heaven that saints on earth are succored and sustained in their wilderness journey, and, at the same time, upheld as wors.h.i.+pers within the vail, in all the sweet fragrance of His own divine excellencies; and neither their ignorance nor their lack of enjoyment of these things alters or affects their blessed, glorious, and eternal reality, "seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them." (Heb. vii. 25.)

2. As our Great High-Priest, He presents to G.o.d the gifts and sacrifices of His wors.h.i.+ping people. Under the law, the wors.h.i.+per brought his offering to the priest, and by him it was presented to the Lord, on His own altar. Every thing was arranged by the priest, according to the word of the Lord. How perfectly all this is done for the wors.h.i.+per now by his High-Priest in heaven! Our prayers, praises, and thanksgiving, all pa.s.s through His hands before they reach the throne of G.o.d. What a wonderful mercy this is, when we think of our confused and mixed services! So much that is of the flesh mingles with that which is of the Spirit. But the blessed Lord knows how to divide and separate between them. That which is of the flesh must be rejected, and consumed as wood, hay, and stubble, while that which is of the Spirit is precious, preserved, and presented to G.o.d in the value and sweet savor of His own perfect sacrifice. "_By Him_ therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to G.o.d continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks unto His name." (Heb.

xiii. 15.) The kindness of the Philippians to Paul was "an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to G.o.d." Hence the importance of the exhortation, "Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to G.o.d and the Father by Him." (Col. iii. 17.)

III. In the third place, we observe that _the Christian's only place of wors.h.i.+p is inside the vail_, "whither the Forerunner is for us entered." Outside the camp is his place as a witness; inside the vail is his place as a wors.h.i.+per. In both positions Christ is surely with him. "Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach." "Having therefore, brethren, _boldness to enter into the holiest_ by the blood of Jesus." (Heb. xiii. 13; x. 19.) To know these two positions in communion with Christ Himself, through the teaching of the Spirit, is unspeakable blessedness. The Church has no divinely consecrated place of wors.h.i.+p on earth. Our place is in heaven, in virtue of the sacrifice and of the priestly ministry of Christ there for us. Whatever may be the character of the building in which Christians are gathered together in the name of the Lord Jesus, their true and only sphere of wors.h.i.+p is the heavenly sanctuary. Through faith in G.o.d's word, and by the power of His Holy Spirit, they wors.h.i.+p Him in "the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man."

Israel had "a worldly sanctuary," and accordingly the character of their wors.h.i.+p was worldly; "the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing."

But the way has been opened up by the blood of Jesus. The same stroke that slew the Lamb rent the vail from top to bottom. The way into the holiest of all was then laid open, and Christ, with all His blood-washed ones, entered into the immediate presence of G.o.d, without a vail. There is no _outer_-court-wors.h.i.+p now for the people, and _temple_-wors.h.i.+p for the priest, as under the law. These distinctions are unknown in the Church of the living G.o.d. It is all priestly wors.h.i.+p and temple wors.h.i.+p now. All are equally near, all have equal liberty, all are equally acceptable, through the presence and intervention of the Great High-Priest of His people. The same precious blood that cleansed us from all sin, has brought us near to G.o.d as children, and as wors.h.i.+ping priests. And if we really know the wondrous efficacy and power of that blood in the heavenly places, we shall be at home and happy there in all the liberty and dignity of sons.h.i.+p, and in all the official nearness and standing of once-purged wors.h.i.+pers, in the most holy place.

Oh that our hearts may be kept in the sweet remembrance, knowledge, and power of the rich provisions of G.o.d's grace for all our need! Oh that we may never lose sight of the blood on the mercy-seat, the Minister of the sanctuary, and of our holy, heavenly, and eternal place of wors.h.i.+p!

We must now leave the dear reader, earnestly commending to his most prayerful and diligent study this precious book of Leviticus. The light which it sheds on the Person and work of Christ--the ground and character of our communion with G.o.d, is deeply blessed to the heart that desires to live in the enjoyment of these eternal realities. He will find the "Notes" most helpful in unfolding the text, and in giving an interesting and practical view to many of the ceremonies which we are p.r.o.ne to pa.s.s over as uninteresting and uninstructive to us. See, for example, the eleventh chapter.

And now, may the Lord graciously own, use, and bless this little volume, for the glory of His own name, and for the comfort and blessing of many precious souls.

_A. M._ _London, May, 1860._

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION

The rapid sale of a large edition of this volume evidences an amount of interest in the study of the book of Leviticus for which I unfeignedly bless the Lord. Too many, even of the people of G.o.d, seem to think that this section of inspiration contains nothing of any interest or value to them. They regard it as a detail of rites and ceremonies with which they have nothing to do--a record of by-gone inst.i.tutions, affording no instruction or edification for them. That this is a great mistake, thousands are now discovering. Very many who for years looked upon the book of Leviticus as little more than a dry catalogue of Jewish ordinances, are now discovering in it an exhaustless mine of spiritual wealth, for which they cannot be too thankful. They have brought its marvelous pages under the light of the New Testament scriptures, and they can only wonder at that which is now unfolded to their gaze. That they may discover yet more of the precious treasure, is my earnest desire on their behalf.

I have carefully revised the following pages, and, I may say, I have left them very much as I found them. An expression here and there which seemed likely to be misunderstood, I have slightly touched. I have also added a brief note or two. These trifling matters excepted, the second edition is a reprint of the first, and, as such, it is again committed to the care of Him from whom all blessings flow. May He be graciously pleased to crown it still further with the stamp of His approval. His seal and sanction are all that any book requires to make it useful; and truly, we may say, the book that has not these has nothing.

The Lord grant a more abundant blessing, and His name shall have all the praise.

_C. H. M._

CHAPTER I.

Ere entering upon the details of the chapter before us, there are two things which demand our careful consideration; namely, first, Jehovah's position; and secondly, the order in which the offerings are presented.

"And the Lord called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation." Such was the position from which Jehovah made the communications contained in this book. He had been speaking from Mount Sinai, and His position there gave marked character to the communication. From the fiery mount "went a fiery law;" but here, He speaks "out of the tabernacle of the congregation."

This was an entirely different position. We have seen this tabernacle set up, at the close of the preceding book.--"And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work. Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.... For the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys." (Exod. xl. 33-38.)

Now, the tabernacle was G.o.d's dwelling-place in grace. He could take up His abode there, because He was surrounded on all sides by that which vividly set forth the ground of His relations.h.i.+p with the people. Had He come into their midst in the full display of the character revealed upon Mount Sinai, it could only have been to "consume them in a moment," as "a stiff-necked people;" but He retired within the vail--type of Christ's flesh (Heb. x. 20.), and took His place on the mercy-seat, where the blood of atonement, and not the "stiff-neckedness" of Israel, was that which met His view and satisfied the claims of His nature. The blood which was brought into the sanctuary by the high-priest was the type of that precious blood which cleanses from all sin; and although Israel after the flesh saw nothing of this, it nevertheless justified G.o.d in abiding amongst them--it "sanctified to the purifying of the flesh." (Heb. ix. 13.)

Thus much as to Jehovah's position in this book, which must be taken into account in order to a proper understanding of the communications made therein. In them we shall find inflexible holiness united with the purest grace. G.o.d is holy, no matter from whence He speaks. He was holy on Mount Sinai, and holy above the mercy-seat; but in the former case, His holiness stood connected with "a devouring fire," in the latter, it was connected with patient grace. Now the connection of perfect holiness with perfect grace is that which characterizes the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, which redemption is, in various ways, shadowed forth in the book of Leviticus. G.o.d must be holy, even though it should be in the eternal condemnation of impenitent sinners; but the full display of His holiness in the salvation of sinners calls forth Heaven's loudest and loftiest note of praise.--"Glory to G.o.d in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will toward men." (Luke ii. 14.) This doxology could not have been sung in connection with "the fiery law." No doubt there was "glory to G.o.d in the highest," but there was no "peace on earth" nor "good pleasure in men," inasmuch as it was the declaration of what men ought to be ere G.o.d could take pleasure in them. But when "the Son" took His place as a man on the earth, the mind of Heaven could express its entire delight in Him as the One whose Person and work could combine, in the most perfect manner, divine glory with human blessedness.

And now, one word as to the order of the offerings, in the opening chapters of the book of Leviticus. The Lord begins with the burnt-offering, and ends with the trespa.s.s-offering. That is to say, He leaves off where we begin. This order is marked and most instructive. When first the arrow of conviction enters the soul, there are deep searchings of conscience in reference to sins actually committed. Memory casts back its enlightened eye over the page of one's past life, and sees it stained with numberless trespa.s.ses against G.o.d and man. At this point of the soul's history, it is not so much occupied with the question of the root from whence those trespa.s.ses have sprung, as with the stern and palpable fact that such and such things have actually been committed; and hence it needs to know that G.o.d has provided a Sacrifice through which "all trespa.s.ses"

can be "frankly forgiven." This is presented to us in the trespa.s.s-offering.

But, as one advances in the divine life, he becomes conscious that those _sins_ which he has committed are but branches from a root, streams from a fountain; and, moreover, that _sin_ in his nature is that fountain--that root. This leads to far deeper exercise, which can only be met by a deeper insight into the work of the cross. In a word, the cross will need to be apprehended as that in which G.o.d Himself has "condemned _sin in the flesh_." (Rom. viii. 3.) My reader will observe, it does not say, "_sins_ in the _life_," but the root from whence these have sprung, namely, "_sin_ in the _flesh_." This is a truth of immense importance. Christ not merely "died for our _sins_, according to the Scriptures," but He was "made _sin_ for us." (2 Cor.

v. 21.) This is the doctrine of the sin-offering.

Now, it is when the heart and conscience are set at rest, through the knowledge of Christ's work, that we can feed upon Himself as the ground of our peace and joy in the presence of G.o.d. The trespa.s.s-offering and the sin-offering must be known ere the peace-offering, joy-offering, or thanksgiving-offering can be appreciated. Hence, therefore, the order in which the peace-offering stands corresponds with the order of our spiritual apprehension of Christ.

The same perfect order is observable in reference to the meat-offering. When the soul is led to taste the sweetness of spiritual communion with Christ--to feed upon Him, in peace and thankfulness, in the divine presence, it is drawn out in earnest desire to know more of the wondrous mysteries of His Person; and this desire is most blessedly met in the meat-offering, which is the type of Christ's perfect manhood.

Then, in the burnt-offering, we are conducted to a point beyond which it is impossible to go, and that is, the work of the cross, as accomplished under the immediate eye of G.o.d, and as the expression of the unswerving devotion of the heart of Christ. All these things will come before us, in beauteous detail, as we pa.s.s along; we are here only looking at the order of the offerings, which is truly marvelous, whichever way we travel, whether _outward_ from G.o.d to us, or _inward_ from us to G.o.d. In either case, we begin with the cross and end with the cross. If we begin with the burnt-offering, we see Christ, on the cross, doing the will of G.o.d--making atonement according to the measure of His perfect surrender of Himself to G.o.d. If we begin with the trespa.s.s-offering, we see Christ, on the cross, bearing our sins, and putting them away according to the perfection of His atoning sacrifice; while in each and all we behold the excellency, the beauty, and the perfection of His divine and adorable Person. Surely, all this is sufficient to awaken in our hearts the deepest interest in the study of those precious types which we shall now proceed to consider in detail. And may G.o.d the Holy Ghost, who penned the book of Leviticus, expound its contents in living power to our hearts, that so, when we have reached the close, we may have abundant cause to bless His name for many thrilling and soul-stirring views of the Person and work of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom be glory, now, henceforth, and for evermore. Amen.