The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 49

Numbeni, were given during the fifty days to the altar, and to strike the inner sides or which intervened between the setting up of the altar with it. 2. To arrange the fire on the tabernacle (Exod. xl. 17) and the de• the altar. 8. To place upon the nltar the pnrture of the children of Israel from the head, and the fat, and the remainder of the neighbourhood of Mount Sinai (Numb. animal, for consumption by the fire. 4. To X. 11). sprinkle or ple.oe a meat offering upon Ver 2.-If any man of you bring. Sacri- them. 5. The next morning, still dressed in flO<'s are not now being instituted for the their priestly garments, to tnke the ashes off first time. Burnt offerings at least, if not the altar, and to place them at the east of the peace offerings, had existed siuce the time altnr (oh. vi. JO). 6. To oarry them outside of the Fall. Tho Leviti~al law lays down the camp to a clean place, the bearer being regulations adapting an already existing dressed in hie ordinary costume (eh. vi. 11). practice for the use of the Israelitish nation.; There were, therefore, four essential parts in it begins, therefore, not with a command, the ritual of the burnt offering-the obla- "Thou shalt bring," but, if any man of you tion of the victim ('l'ers. 8, 4), the immolation (according to cnstom) bring. Any member (ver. 5), the oblation of the blood. repre- of the congregation might bring his volun- senting the life ( ibid.), and the consumption tary offering when he would. The times (ver. 9)-the first two to be performed by at which the public offerings were to be the offerer, the third by the priest, the fourth made, and their number, are afterwards by the fire representing the action of God. designated. An o:frering. This verse is The moral lesson taught by the burnt introductory to the ensuing chapters,, and offering was the necessity of self-surrender speaks of " offerings " in general. " Kor- and of devotion to God, even to the extent ban," which is the word here used for of yielding up life and the very tenement "offering," derived • from karah, meaning of life. As the. offerer could not give up "to draw near for the sake of presentation," his own life and body and still live, the is the generic name including all offerings life of an animal belonging to him, and and sacrifices. It is nsed in speaking of valued by him, was substituted for his own; 11.Ilimal sacrifices of various kinds, including but he knew, and by laying his hand on ita peace offerings and sin offerings (eh.iii. I ; iv. head showed that he knew, that it we.s his 23) and it is applied to vegetable offerings own life and his very self that was repre- (eh. ii. I. 13), and to miscellaneous offerings sented by the animal. The mystical lessons for the servioe of the tabernacle, such as taught to those who could grasp them were wagons and oxen. silver vesse1" for the -1. The doctrine of substitution or vicarious altar, gold. jewels, etc. (Numb. vii. 8, 10; suffering. 2. The fa.et that without the xxxi 50). It is translated by the LXX. shedding of blood there we.s no acceptance. into Greek by the word 6oipov, equivalent to 8. The need of One who, being very man, the Latin donum, and our "gift." These should be able to perform an action of offerings a.re now distinguished into their perfect a.urrender of his will and of his wtrerent kinds. life. The fulfilment of the type is found Ver. 8.-U his offering be a burnt saori- jn the perfect submission of Christ as man, fice. The Hebrew term for" burnt sacrifice" throughout hie ministry, and especially in is olah, meaning "that which ascends; " the Garden of Gethsemane, and in •the ,ometimes kaleel., "whole offering," is found offering made by him, a.a Priest and willing . (Deut. x:niii. 10); the LXX. use the word Victim, of his life upon the altar of the cross.: oAoKa{,,~- " whole burnt offering." The The burnt offering is to be without blemish, eonditions to be fulfilled by an Israelite who for had not the animal been perfect in its effered a burnt saorifice were the following: kind, it would not he.ve served its moral, -I. He must off«r either (1) a young bull its mystical, or its typionl purpose. The without blemish. or (2) a young ram, or (8) word Iiµ~µ••• used by the LXX. as equiva- J. young he-goat, or (4) a turtle-dove, or (5) lent to the Hebrew termJs applied to Christ a young pigeon. 2. In case it were a bull, in Heb. iL 14 and 1 .t'et. i. 19 ; and St. ram, or goat, he must bring it to the door of Paul teaches that it is the purpose of God the tabernacle. tliat is, the en trance of the that those who are adopteJ in Christ should court in front of the brazen altar and of the also be "holy and without blemish " (Eph. dvor of the holy place, and there offer or i. 4). A priest had to certify that the preseut it. 8. In offering it he mubt place victim was free from all defects. Ke shall bis he.nd firmly on ite head, a.e e. ceremonial offer it of hie own voluntary will should act. 4. He muet kill it, either himself or by rather be translated, He ,hall offer it for his the agency of a Levite. 5. He must-fl11y it. own aueptanu, The e.nimnl, representing 6. He must divide it into eeparate portions. the offerer, was presented by the latter in 7. He must we.eh the intestines and legs. order that he might be himself accepted by Meallt(me the priests had their parts to do; thj Lord. This aspect of tl1.e offering is they lul.d 1, 'l'o ca\ch the blood, to c1my it b,ought out more olenrly by the mincllah1 or  ml, I. 1-17.] TIIE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. 3