Moses as at the bush; and having fixed the undivided attention of Moses on him that spake, Jehovah utters his mind. What love is here! The heart of our God, in the midst of all his own joy, yearning to pour itself out to

man!

The date of these laws is probably a few days after the tabernacle had been set up. They are given not from Sinai, though at its foot (see chap. xxvii. 34); but from over the mercy-seat, from between the cherubim, where the glory had so lately found a resting-place. Perhaps this intimated that all these institutions about to be given bear on the same great subject, viz., Atonement and its effects. Sinai and its law, a few weeks before, with the dark apostasy in the matter of the golden calf, had lately taught them the necessity of reconciliation, and made their conscience thirst for that living water. And it is given here. The first clause of this Book declares a reconciled God:-" The Lord called to Moses," as a man to his friend.

Ver. 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."

When the Lord said, "Speak to the children of Israel," instead of himself addressing them, it taught the people their need of a Mediator. It was as if he had said, These things are addressed to sinners who cannot see my face or hear my voice, except through a daysman.

The offerings first spoken of are those that are to be wholly consumed,-types of complete exhaustion of wrath. In these cases, everything about the animal

* The Septuagint render this "πроσоισεтε та dwρa vμov." Hence, perhaps, Heb. viii. 3, gifts and sacrifices."

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was consumed, sinews, horns, bones, hoof, the wool on the sheep's head, and the hair on the goat's beard. (Willet.) Hence they were called Whole burnt-offerings, “ ὁλοκαυτώματα.” God prescribes the symbols of atonement, even as he fixes on the ransom itself. It is a sovereign God that sinners are dealing with; and in so doing, he fixed on the herd and the flock, as the only class of cattle (nan), or four-footed beasts, that he would accept. If we are to inquire into a reason for this beyond his mere sovereignty, there are two that readily present themselves as every way probable. First, oxen, sheep, and goats (the herd and flock), are easily got by men, being at their hand. He did not wish to make them go in pursuit of beasts for offering, for salvation is brought to our hand by our God. Second, the characteristics of these animals fit them to be convenient types of various truths relating to sacrifice. The ox taken from feeding by the river-side, or the sheep from its quiet pastures,—perhaps from among the lilies of Sharon,— was an emblem of the Redeemer leaving the joy and blessedness of his Father's presence, where he had been ever "by the streams that make glad the city of God." Another reason has been assigned,* viz., all these were horned animals. Whether in the East such were reckoned more valuable than other animals we cannot say. It is, at least, worthy of notice, that the horn, which is the symbol of power and honor, is found in them all.

Ver. 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." "A male," representing the second Adam, "without

*See Guild's "Moses Unveiled."

blemish." Christ, by his one offering, makes his church spotless (Ephes. v. 27), and, therefore, he was to be so himself. Of course, therefore, the type of him must be SO. In the peace-offerings it was different: for these typified rather the effects of Christ's atonement on the receiver than himself atoning; and the animal, in that case, might have some defect or blemish, even as the effects of his work may be imperfectly experienced by the sinner, though the work itself is perfect. But whatever speaks of Christ himself must speak of perfection. "" Before the Lord," is an expression ever recurring: it is remarkable that it should occur so often. But perhaps it was because the Lord meant thus to insert a Divine safeguard against the Socinian idea, that sacrifice chiefly had reference to the offerer, not to God. Every sacri

fice is brought before "the great Inhabitant of the sanctuary." So also this expression guards us against Popish error, as if ministers of Christ are priests in the same sense as the line of Aaron. No; ministers of Christ approach men in behalf of God, who sends them as ambassadors, but these priests approached God in behalf of guilty men. "He shall offer it of his own voluntary will." * The Gospel warrant is, "Whosoever will, let him come." There must be a willing soul; none but a soul made willing in the day of his power pays any regard to atonement. The Lord allows all that are willing to come to the atoning provision. "Are you thirsty for the living God? for yonder altar's sacrifice ?" might some son of Aaron say to a fearful soul. The fearful con

+ Some translate this, " He shall offer it in order to be accepted." I do not think this meaning can be proved to be the true one, although the Septuagint generally renders the expression “ δεκτον ἔναντι Κύριου ;” and the Oxford MS. here has “ δεκτον αυτῳ ἐξιλασθαι ἐναντι Κυρίου.”

science replies, "I cannot well tell if I be really thirsty for him." "But are you, then, willing to go to yonder altar?" "Yes, I am." "Then you may come; for read Leviticus i. 3, and see that it is neither riches, nor poverty, moral attainment nor deep experience, but simply a conscience willing to be bathed in atonement, that is spoken of by the God of Israel.”

Come then with the sacrifice to "the door of the tabernacle.” The altar was near the door of the tabernacle; it faced it. It was the first object that met the eye of a worshipper coming in. The priest met him there, and led the offerer with his sacrifice on to the altar. The presenting any sacrifice there was a type of the worshipper's object being to get admission into the presence of God by entrance at that door. ("Access," Eph. ii. 18.) Thus the offerer walked silently and with holy awe to the door of the tabernacle, and there met his God.

As a type of Christ, it would declare Christ's willing offering of himself;-" Lo, I come;"-and how he was, in the fulness of time, led silently as a lamb to the slaughter. For we are to distinguish between the presentation of Christ before he went forth, and the presentation of himself after all was done.

Ver. 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." This action of the offerer gives us a view of faith. The offerer puts his hand on the same head whereon the Lord's hand was laid, and thereby agrees to all that is implied in his choosing that offering. God and the believing soul meet at the same point, and are satisfied by the same display of the Divine attributes.-"He shall

put his hand."* It is yet more forcible in the Hebrew, -"He shall lean his hand" (201), the very word used in Psalm lxxxviii. 7, "Thy wrath leaneth hard upon me." We lean our soul on the same person on whom Jehovah leant his wrath.

When the worshipper had thus simply left his sins, conveyed by the laying on of his hand upon the sacrifice, he stands aside. This is all his part. The treatment of the victim is the Lord's part. The happy Israelite who saw this truth might go home, saying, "I have put my hand on its head; it shall be accepted as an atonement." Faith in the Lord's testimony was the ground of an Israelite's peace of conscience, nothing of it rested on his own frame of mind, character, or conduct.

Ver. 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."

It is interesting to notice here, that Outram, Witsius, and others seem to have proved that, in Patriarchal ages, every man might offer his own sacrifice. Heads of families, and heads of a tribe or nation, often acted for those under them; but the idea that the first-born were the only priests is without foundation. The Patriarchal age was taught that every man must take Christ for himself personally. In the Mosaic economy, however, this is

* We make no reference, here or elsewhere, to Jewish traditions as to the manner in which the thing was done, and the words used. It is strange that Ainsworth, Patrick, Outram, and others, should waste so much time in this department. Are these traditions anything more than human fancy,—often, too, of a somewhat modern date? Augustine judged well when he said, “ Quid scriptura voluerit, non quod illi opinati fuerint, inquirendum."