The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 2 — Section 125

co•mtrios, assumod to stand on a completely rlifferont footing; from the rest of the CQm- munity in respect of nenrness, e.nd acceptability to God. Anti both under the Jewish and the Christian dispenslltion, there has been in difterent times anrl oountries a vast amount of sacerdotal pretension, e. wide-spread disposition to aRsume thnt official covers and includes personal holiness. But Holy Script•ire abounrls in warnin~;; against any such a~sumption. "Let the priests sanctiry themselves." Na<lab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, were chQsen among the first of the Levitical prie.<t, (eh. xxviii. 1); yet their priestly office did not prevent them from sinning grievously by offering "at.range fire before the Lord," and perishing for their impiety ( :-1 um. x. 1, 2). Eli's sons were "sons of Belia.I" (1 Sam. ii. 12), whose "sin was very grenr. before the Lord" (1b, verse 17). Even among the apostles there Wa8 a "son ,)!· perdition." Priests have to remember- !. 'l'HAT THE PRIESTLY OFf'ICE DOES NOT SECURE THEM AGAINST BEING TEl,IPTET>. Even Christ, our great High Priest-the only true priest that the world has ever deen, was "in all points tempted like a,i we are" (Heb. iv. 15). Eli's sons were tempted by greed and fleshly lusts (1 Sam. ii. 16, 22); .Nadab and Abihu by pride; Judas by covetousness. All r'len have the same nature, like passions, similar appetit,ee. The priest, after all, is a man. Satan watches for him uo less-or rather much more-than for others. It is a greater triumph for him to lead astray the shepherd than the sheep. And the relations of a priest towards his flock are of such a nature-so close, so private sometimes-as to lay him open to special temptations. II. 'l'HAT TllE PRIESTLY OFFICE DOES NOT SECCJRE THEM AGAINST YIELDI:iG TO TEMP• TATION. Jesus alone was" in all points tempted, yet without sin" (Heh. iv.15). "ALL we the rest, although baptised and bom again in Christ, yet offend in many things," yield to t11e temptations which surround us, transgress the Divine law. Ne.dab, Abihu, Eli's sons, Judas, were not only tempted, but fell. The priests of ,Judah, towards the close of the independent kingdom, were among those who provoked God the most (Jer. xxxii. 3'.l; Zeph. iii. 4). <..:hristian ministers, even at the present day, too often disgrace their profession, bring shame upon their church, and even upon religion itself, by acts of sin or sometimes by scandalous lives, no better than those of tl,e sons of 1':li. 'l'hese terrible examples should be a warning to all of their danger, and should render the minister distrustful of himself, circumspect, vigilant, and above all prayerful. Only by God's help can he hope to stand upright. Ill. THAT SIN IS WORSE IN THE PRIEST THAN IN OTHERS, A.ND WILL E~AIL A SORER PUNISHMENT. Ministers of Christ pledge themselves by special vows, over and above their baptismal vows, to lead godly lives. They are bound to be examples to the flock. They have greater opportunities of grace than others. Their offences cause greater scandal than the offences of others, and do greater damage to the cause of religion. There is something shocking, even to the worldly man, in the immorality of one whose business in life is to minister in holy things. The impure minister is a. hypocrite; and hypocrisy is hateful to God, and even in the sight of man con- temptible. IV. THAT THE PRIESTLY PROFESSION BINDS TO HOLI:.ESS. Priests are they whose office it is to "come near the Lord" (Ex. xix. 2~)-to draw closer to him than others -to lead others on to him, by exhortation, by example, by intercessory prayer. Without holiness they are impotent to perform their work-they are of no service either to God or man-they do but help forward the work of the devil. Ministering in a holy pb.ce, in holy things, with holy words continually in their mouths, if they have not holiness in their hearts, their lives must be a perpetual contradiction, a continual profanity. Again, as already observed, they take specia.l vows: they profess ~efore God and the congregation to have an inward call; they spontaneously promise to hve as examples to others; they enter on their position in life on these conditions: they bind thcmseh-es. Not to live holy lives is to fly in the face of these obligations-to break the promises made to man and the vows offered to God-to violate faith-to rlestroy, so far as lies in their power, the great bond of human societ_y. And what_ mus_t not t~e offence be to God which they commit, by continually drawing near to him with their lips when their hearts are far from him? He is "of purer eyes than to behold inir[uity." " Without holiness no one sha.11 see him." "Let the priests sancti.fu tlw,n,.•P.lues." i;; 130 THE BOOK OF EXODlT~. [en. xx. 1-17.