VER. 18-22. ] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. B47
[8.] In the dedication of the priests these two sorts of offerings were conjoined, namely, peace-offerings and sin-offerings, or burnt- offerings for sin, as here they were. And therein expressly the blood of goats was used, namely, in the sin-offering, as the blood of bullocks was in the peace-offering, Lev. ix. 8, 4. Neither is there mention anywhere of burnt-offerings or sin-offerings and peace- offerings to be offered together, but that one of them was of goats; and therefore was so infallibly at this time, as the apostle declares.
2. It is affirmed in the text, that he took the blood with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled it; but there is mention of none of these things in the story of Moses, but only that he sprinkled the blood. But the answer hereunto is plain and easy. Blood under the law was sprinkled either in less or greater quantities, Hereon there were two ways of sprinkling. The one was with the finger; when a small quantity of blood, it may be, some few drops of it, were to be sprinkled, it was done with the finger, Lev. viii. 15, xvi. 14. The quantity being small, though the blood were unmixed, and almost congealed, it might be so sprinkled. But there was a sprinkling whereunto a greater proportion of blood was required; as namely, when a. house was to be sprinkled, and thereby purified. This was done by mixing running water with the blood, and then sprinkling it with scarlet wool and hyssop, Lev. xiv. 50-52. For these things were needful thereunto. The water prevented the blood from being so congealed as that it could not be sprinkled in any quantity; the scarlet wool took up a quantity of it out of the vessel wherein it was; and the bunch of hyssop was the sprinkler. Whereupon, when Moses sprinkled the altar, book, and people, he did it by one of these two ways, for other there was none. The first way he could not do it, namely, with his finger, because it was to be done in a great quantity; for Moses took that half of it that was to be sprinkled on the people and put it into basins, Exod. xxiv. 6, 8. It was therefore infallibly done this latter way, according as our apostle declares.
8. It is added by the apostle that he sprinkled the book; which is not expressed in the story. But the design of the apostle is to express at large the whole solemnity of the confirmation of the first covenant, especially not to omit any thing that blood was applied unto; because in the application he refers the purification and dedi- cation of all things belonging unto the new covenant unto the blood of Christ. And this was the order of the things which concerned the book: Moses coming down from the mount, told the people by word of mouth all things which God had spoken unto hin, or the sum and substance of the covenant which he would make with them: Exod. xxiv. 8, “ And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lorp,’—that is, the words spoken on mount Sinai,
348 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. Ix.
the ten commandments; “and all the judgments,’—that is, all the laws contained in chapters Xxi—xxiil, with this title, DDSYBD NDS, “ These are the judgments,” chap. xxi. 1. Upon the oral rehearsal of these words and judgments, the people gave their consent unto the terms of the covenant: “ All the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LorD hath said, will we do,” chap. xxiv. 3. Hereon Moses made a record, or “ wrote all the words of the LoRD” in a book, verse 4. This being done, the altar and pillars were prepared, verse 4, And it is evident that the book which he had written was laid on the altar, though it be not expressed. When this was done, “he sprinkled the blood on the altar,” verse 6. After which, when the book had been sprinkled with blood as it lay on the altar, it is said, “ He took the book,” that is, from off the altar, “and read in the audience of the people,” verse 7. The book being now sprinkled with blood, asthe instrument and record of the cove- nant between God and the people, the very same words which were before spoken unto the people are now recited or read out of the book. And this could be done for no other reason, but that the book itself, being now sprinkled with the blood of the covenant, was dedicated to be the sacred record thereof.
4, In the text of Moses it is said that he sprinkled the people; in explanation whereof the apostle affirms that he sprinkled all the people. And it was necessary that so it should be, and that none of them should be excluded from this sprinkling; for they were all taken into covenant with God, men, women, and children. But it must be granted, that for the blood to be actually sprinkled on all individuals in such a numberless multitude is next unto what is naturally impossible: wherefore it was done in their representa- tives; and what is done towards representatives as such, is done equally towards all whom they do represent. And the whole people had two representatives that day: (1.) The twelve pillars of stone, that were set up to represent their twelve tribes; and, it may be, to signify their hard and stony heart under that covenant, verse 4. Whereas those pillars were placed close by the altar, some suppose that they were sprinkled, as representing the twelve tribes. (2.) ‘There were the heads of their tribes, the chief of the houses of their fathers, and the elders, who drew nigh unto Moses, and were sprinkled with blood in the name and place of all the people, who were that day taken into covenant.