The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 95

Iitcrcourse re-establuhed between God and ma11, and expressed in grateful praise and willing dependence. II. Salvation as a/ad ,·esting on continued faith; _the three parts of the sacrifice being the offerer's part, the priest's part, and Jehovah's part,-all essential nnd harmonized in one offering. III. Joy of salvation, both individual and social typified in the sacrificial meal, God, as it were, giving back the victim to be the sourc; of delight both to the priest and the offerer. On each of these points the details of the sacrifice have their significance. I. RECONCll.IATION. Re-established intercourse between God and man grateful praise, willing dependence. Here we may notice the two sides of the sacrifice: that turned towards man-it is willingly brought, it is a valuable gift, it ie brought as a peace offering to give praise or to accompany vows and prayers; that turned towards God, it is a confession of sin, an obedience rendered to the Law, a renewal of the covenant, a confirmation of the promises, a seal of grace. InterCQ1J,rse between man and God. 1. Distinguish between the truth as set forth in Scripture, and man's self-derived ideas. (1) Consider the non-scriptural views: the notions of the mystic or of the tra~sce~dentalist-1:1an1s lifting himself to God,_ or being lif~d up by ecstasy; the rat10nahst1c conceptwn that God and man meet Ill nature, or m human consciousness, and that such intercourse in the mere laws of fact or thought is sufficient. All such reconciliation ignores the fa.lien state of man, can supply no gospel of peace, is contra- dicted by the plain development of righteousness in the course of the world; and there- fore the necessity made evident that man, as going on to meet the future, should be prepared to meet his God in judgment, in the great adjustment of right and wrona. The mere moralist falls into a similar error when he teaches that the partial obedien~e of human life to Divine Law, the recognition practically of an ideal moral standard, is a reconciliation between the highest moral Ileing and his creature. (2) Place opposite to these defective and erroneous views the teaching of Scripture. Out of the original source of all, the will of God, that is, his infinite nature or character, in actual relation to his universe, comes forth the reconciliation. Revelation from the beginning an invi- tation of God to man to intercourse. The Mosaic Law was the development of the preceding covenant, which, under patriarchal ministry, was a gospel of peace. The reconciliation was placed on the foundation of sacrifice, that is, man's surrender, blending with God's promise of forgiveness and life, the preservation of righteousness in the ac- ceptance of man's homage to the Divine character, the assurance of peace in a covenant of friendship and interchange of lo,e. 2. This intercourse between God and man being thus established, it is expressed in grateful praise and willing dependence on man's part, in the bestowment of peace and sanctification on God's part. The peace offering typified the life of man as a continual reciprocation of covenant intercourse: the presentation of gifts to God, the acceptance in return of Divine grace. Thus was religion set forth. It is not separated from the earthly life, but it is its consecration. It is not a meritorious purchase of Divine favour, or turning away of wrath, or covering of the reality of transgression with sacrifice, but a thankful dedication of saved life, a subjection of all to the will of the Father, an appropriation of heavenly gifts, Perhaps the fact that no poor man's offering; is prescribed may indicate that the truth was already implied, though not so distinctly expressed as afterwards in the Psalms and Prophets, that God would have mercy and not sacrifice, that he lo.id no stress upon the actual presentation of a peace offering so long as the man himself and his life were offered in devout obedience and thankful spirit. "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God" {I's. 1. 23). II. SALVATIOIIT AB A FACT RESTS ON CONTINUED FAITH, In every peace offering there were three parts-the offerer's, the priest's, Jehovah's. On each occasion, therefore the main elements of salvation were recognized, which were these: 1. Free grace. z'. Mediation. 3. Self-surrender. In each the offerer's faith makes salvation a fact. 1. In bringing a peace offering; to Jehovah, the worshipper cast himself by faith u11 the free grace which opened the way for him to reconciliation and peace. "We love him because he first loved us." 'l'hc Jew failed to ~ee this freedom of Divine love, and hence became a bond slave under the power of his ritual. 'l'he gospel hM exalted the Divine clement so high above the human in the ad,·ent of the Son of God, that it fa no longer possible to hide it. "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto him- Cll; III, 1-17.] THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS.