The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 94

or two things-the fat and the blood or slain animald: it was to be "a perpetual statute for your generations tbrou;:;hout all your dwellings." The fat thus interdicted was that which was offered in sacrifice (vern. 3, 4, 9, 10), not that which was inter- lined with the lean (Neh. viii. 10). We may look at- I. THE MEANING OF THIS PROIIIBITION IN THEIR CASE. Evidently both the fat and the blood were disallowed as food because they were offered in sacrifice to Jehovah. On this account they were to be preserved sacred. They were not to he treated as ordinary things, vulgarized, lowered in public estimation; a feeling of their sacredness was to be cherished and carefully preserved by daily habit. To he continually using these parts as meat and drink at table would have the effect which was to be de- precated. It was, therefore, an act of religious duty to abstain from them. By such abstinence their feelings of reverence and piety would be guarded and preserved. Was it not for a similar reason, viz. that no violation should be done to the sacred sentiment of maternity, that the law was thrice repeated, "Thou shah not seethe a kid in his mother's milk" (Exod. :xxiii. 19, etc.)? The influence of daily habit on the finer sentiments of the soul is very gradual and imperceptible, but in the end it is very great: it is often decisive for good or evil. IL ITS BEARING ON OUR OWN RELIGIOUS LIFE. We are to guard most sedulously our saered feelings; to "keep our heart above all keeping" (Prov. iv. 23). Among other perils to he avoided is that of allowing sacred things to be vulgarized by too frequent use, to lose their force and virtue by reason of over-familiarity. With this end in view, there will he, on the part of the prudent, a certain measure of: 1. Wise limitation. This will apply to (1) the use of the Divine name (the avoidance of profanity); (2) the employment of pious phraseology in ordinary speech (the avoidanco of offensive and injurious cant); (3) the repetition of sacred formulre (the avoidance of a Pharisaic formalism); (4) the multiplication of holy days (Hom. :xiv. 6). (5) These matters, and such as these, are questions of expediency, to be determined by practical Christian wisdom. Doth extremes arc to he avoided-the neglect of good things and so the loss of spiritual help, and their excessive use resulting in the loss of the sense of sacredness, The latter is a subtle and strong evil, for when sacred things have lost their sanctity to us, there is little left to elevate and restore. "If the salt have lost its savour," etc. But beside wise limitation, there must be: 2. Positive spiritual endeavour. It will by no means suffice to conform to good rules of speech and behaviour: such abstinences will not preserve a reverent and loving spirit; we must think seriously and pray earnestly. (1) Dy serious thought we must be frequently realizing how great is our indebtedness to the heavenly Father; how real is our need, as sinners, of the Divine Saviour; how ucgent is our want, as weak and struggling souls, of the influence of the Holy Spirit! (2) By earnest prayer we must be drawing down from on high that spiritual replenish- ment which God is willing to bestow on all seeking souls, nnd without which all life will languish, all means and methods prove fruitless and vain.-0. Vers. 1-17.-Tliepeace offerings, al~o called thank offerings or salvatiO'II, offerings. The twofold object-to ncknowledg,i salvation received, to supplicate salvation desired. Three kinds-praise offering~, vow offerings, free-will offerings. Considemble freedom permitted in them, though still restrictions observed. Male and female victims, of the herd and flock, but only those without blemish. No pigeons permitted, because a pair of pigeons insufficient for the sacrificial meal, which was so important a constituent of the service. Combination of the burnt sacrifice with the peace offering in the consump- tion by fire of the suet or fat of tho internal organs, and of the fat tail of tho sheep. 'l'he fat and the blood offered to the Lord in a special manner, by fire and sprinkling "on the altar round about." Ver. 1.-The offering distinguished. Oblation denotes its voluntary character; sacrifice its intimate conr .ection with the altar, that is, its participation in tbo atoning significance of all the bloody sacrifices which carried in the_m the idea o~ rec~n~ilia~ion with God through the blood of the covenant. Pence offering, the specific d1strnct10n, rcco"nizing the fact that, whether the prominent feeling expresseu was praise or pra~r, still the offerer was standing on the grou?d of cov~nant fellow~hip with God. We may take these offerings generally to sym~hze salV?'~icm as a r~a_lize1 fact. We find under this general fact these three constituent spiritual realities induded: I. ~nT~U~ ~  50 THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. [cu. m. 1-17.