b Acts xx. 24. c 2 Cor. xii. 15. d Rom. ix. 3. 1 Cor. ix. 22.
e 2 Tim. ii. 10.
" God would speak the word, and that great might be the company of such preachers f !"]
2. The effect of it—
[How wonderful ! No sooner does the cloud of incense arise from Aaron's hands, than the plague is stayed ! On the day before, two hundred and fifty censers full of incense had been offered at the tabernacle, and had brought instantaneous destruction on the offerers : now the incense from one single censer averts destruction from all the congregation of Israel. The plague was spreading its ravages with such rapidity, that already, notwithstanding Aaron's haste, fourteen thousand seven hundred persons had died of it : but the moment he reached the spot, the arm of justice was arrested, and the sword fell from the hand of the destroying angel. It proceeded irresistibly till it came to Aaron ; but could not advance one hair's breadth beyond him. On the one side of him all were dead ; on the other, all remained alive. What a testimony was this to Aaron's divine appointment ! What a refutation was here of the accusations brought against him ! and, above all, what an encouragement was here given to all future generations to abound in prayer and intercession ! O ! what might not be effected for the souls of men, if all ministers were men of prayer, and all who profess themselves the servants of the Lord would interpose between the living and the dead ! O that " a spirit of prayer might be poured out upon us" all ! If only we took our fire from off the altar of burnt-offering, the smoke of our incense should come up with acceptance before God : " We might ask what we would, and it should be done unto us g."]
As a history this passage is instructive: but it is no less so,
II. As an emblematic record —
They who read the Scriptures merely as a history, read them like children. The Old Testament, as well as the New, contains the deepest mysteries : and, to understand it aright, we must consider it not only " in the letter, but in the spirit." Now the passage before us has undoubtedly an emblematic import: it was intended to shadow forth,
1. The means by which God's wrath is to be averted —
[Aaron himself was a type of Christ ; and the atonement which he now made for the people was typical of that great atonement which Christ himself was in due time to make for
f Ps. lxviii. 11. s John xv. 7.
163.1 aaron's intercession. 95
the sins of the whole world. There was indeed no animal slain ; for there was now no time for sacrifice : but the fire taken from off the altar of burnt-offering, whereon the sacrifices were consumed, was considered on this occasion in the same light as " an atonement :" and the incense burnt on this occasion typified the intercession of our great High-Priest. By these two, the sacrifice and intercession of Christ, the whole world is to be saved. To this the whole Scriptures bear witness. What can be clearer than the prediction of the prophet Isaiah ; " He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the trans- gressors11?" What more express than the declaration of the beloved Apostle ; " If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitia- tion for our sins1?" The one intent of the Epistle to the He- brews is to establish and illustrate this glorious truth.
Let us then look beyond Aaron and the rebellious Israelites, to Christ and a rebellious world. Let us see with what eager desire for our welfare he left the bosom of his Father, and came into the midst of us, not at the risk of his life, but on purpose to " make his soul an offering for sink." Let vis hear too with what compassion he interceded for his very murderers ; " Father, forgive them ; for they know not what they do." Let us look through the shadow to the substance. Then shall we have a right understanding of the history when we view it as " a shadow of good things to come."]