The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 24

Divine. Origen's dilemma, that this cultus by presentation ls either unworthy of its -Creator, or its Creat-0r is himself unworthy, seems to have some reason on its side. Nor <loes his escape from the dilemma appear at first blush irrational; it may seem better to some to inquire as to what these laws may be made to mean, rather than to investi- gate minutely what they seem to mean. Nevertheless, in real truth, it is needless to constitute one's self a pupil of tho philosophical eunuch of Alexandria. Ascetic rebellion against the actual condition of life providentially arranged for us is not the highest mark of sanctified wisdom, and quite another method of escape than Origen's from the danger of the flesh may be pursued both in morals and in religion. As marriage may afford finer scope for the spiritual culture of life than celibacy, so a patient study of the reputed materialism of the Levitical sacrifices may issue in a more spiritual view of the Divine dealings than spiritualizing falsely so called. A little care and attention best.owed upon the actual teachings of Scripture show an exquisite adaptation ·to the needs of the Jew in the process of discipline to which he was divinely submitted. Indeed, a rational interpretation of the _language of Scripture will elevate the Levitical cultus into so splendid an agent in the religious development of the chosen people, as not to be derogatory to Deity himself. At least, so we hope t-0 show by an examination into the early records of the Pentateuch. By the sacrifice and offering which Jehovah did not for himself desire, he yet satisfactorily educated, as we shall see, a people to whom the higher revelation in the body could be made. Xay, however Judaism may fall short of Christianity, it is beyond all comparison with any other religious system developed during th& world's course. A worship which could train and satisfy a David and an Isaiah, a Jeremiah and an Ezekiel, must be pre-eminent amongst the non-Christian faiths. The task we now place before ourselves, therefore, is to educe from the Old Testament certain general principles which may be applied to the comprehension of the Lcvitical sacrifices. What light the Jew had upon the rites he was bidden to perform, we are now to gather into a focus. If the labour be great, it will not be unremunerative; in this toil, too, there will be profit. The inquiry will conveniently range itself under the following heads: We shall first elicit from Scripture some fundamental ideas co=on t-0 the whole of the Levitical sacrifices; we shall next investigate the significance attached by Scripture t-0 the varied, yet ordained, ritual of those sacrifices ; thirdly, we shall ascertain the mea.ning associated by Scripture with the several varieties of these sacrifices; and lastly, we shall oonsider the significance of the several feasts and fasts t-0 the celebration of which the sacrificial ritual was accommodated. These details settled, it will then be possible to regard the Levitical sacrifices as.a whole. The application of these leading principles to the multitudinous injunctions previously classified will then be easy, and the result, it is believed, will be at once stimulating to faith and evocative of devout thankfulness. Here a caution may be not unwisely interpolated. It possibly calls for explicit statement that, when we speak of scriptural principles of sacrifices and of principles deducible from the Scriptures, we do not refer to proof texts merely. The interpreta- tion and application of Scripture is not so facile. However poorly the writer has succeeded in his aim, that aim itself is to base the interpretation of the Levitical sacri- fices upon a series of complete inductions from the scriptural data, including, as they do, the implications of philology and the suggestions of general usage, possibly the hints derivable from a trained sense, as well as the numerous passages for which chapter and ,·erse can be given. Scriptural arcb.reology is only inexpugnable when it consists of perfect inductions from Scripture, and perfect inductions must summarize tenor in ,additio!l to positive statements of facts. 1. Certain /unda'TMfl,tal idea, common to thf Levitkal sacr(Jices, The idea underlying  THE LEVITICAL SACRIFICES LITEilALLY CO:N'SIDERED. xiii