The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 29

the collection of the blood In a silver bowl they gave tho name of lekicha; the applica- tion of the blood so reserved to the altar they called serika; and the pouring out of the superfluous blood at the runnel of the altar, whence it flowed into the brook Kedron, they designated shepicha. 'l'his triple division is useful as showing the stages of the customary procedure. It was the second stage which was manifestly the important one. the first being a mere preliminary, and the third a mere consequent thereto. This seril,a, or sprinkling, varied with the sacrifice, sometimes being a sprinkling of the sur- face of the brazen altar, sometimes a smearing of the horns, and sometimes a general aspersion of all the holy places and their sacred ntensils. It was always, however, a bringing of blood in contact with the altar, and thus before Jehovah. Upon the sig- nificance of this repulsive proceeding to modern eyes we are left in no doubt. The interpretation thereof is given in the passage which has already been quoted (eh. xvii. 11), and concerning which, however interpreters may vary as to its exact purport, all are agreed that it defines the use of blood in the Law. " For the soul of the flesh," it runs, "isfa the blood: and I (the Lord) have given it you upon the altar to be an atone- ment for your souls: for the blood atones by the soul." In other words, this verse asserts that the blood of the animal legally presented has been appointed by God as a means of atonement for human life, because that blood is really the life of the animal sacrificed, or, to put the same thing in other words, the blood or life of an animal has been. graciously accepted by Jehovah (for some reason or other, and by some means or other) as a valid substitute for the life or blood of the sinful offerer. As Kahnis puts it, blood is life in compendio. By the blood manipulation one part of the twofold aim of animal sacrifice was completed, and a legal atonement was made for human sin. The significance of lhe combustion upon the altar. In the blood manipulation, as has just been observed, the atoning aspect of animal sacrifices was complete; the two remain- ing rites were connected with the offerings as gifts to God. There was in every case a burning of the carcase, wholly or in part ; this was the first of the remaining acts. The symbolism of this combustion is manifest. It was a sending of the gift to God. After arranging the divided or the selected portions of the carcase in the heaven-born fire, which had issued forth from the Divine presence at the consecration of the tabernacle, and had never been permitted to altogether expire, they were burned, that is to say, they were etherealized, and they rose to heaven as "a sweet savour." The rit.e bore a similar interpretation when it had reference to any of the bloodless offerings. To buru was to effectually present. The significanre of the concluding meal. In all offerings but the holocausts and certain forms of the sin offerings, the ritul\l ended in a sacrificial meal, enjoyed for the most part by the priesthood, but occasionally-that is to say, in the case of peacu offerings-shared by the laity. Of necessity, when there was a consummating feast, the entire gift was not burnt; part was consumed by fire in symbolical gift to God, and part was retained. That this romnant commonly fell to the priesthood points to the signlftcance of this closing net. The priests were the representatives of Jehovah; consumption by tho priest was as much giving to God as consumption on the altar. There was a mystical union between Jehovah and his priests, and participation by the latter was participation by the former. In the peace offering there was a continuation of the same idea. For a time, the sacrificing family was admitted to the privileges of the priesthood. It consisted for a gracious season of priests unto God. As Kurtz has strikingly said, "Just as the effusion of blood betokened justification, ..• so tho sacrificial meal told its tale of the unio mystica." 3. TA, significance of the several species of sacrifice. It will be convenient to reverse our prev\ous order of exposition, and begin with- LEVITicus. a :s.viii THE LEVITICAL SACRIFICES LITERALLY CONSIDERED.