The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 111

'Vers. 13, 14.-C'ollective gui1t unCC'Ttsciously incurred. We learn from the special provision made for the "sin in ignorance" of " the whole congregation of Israel"- I. THAT, THOUGH GoD DEALS PRIMARILY WITH INDIVIDUAL SOULS, HE HAS DIDECT RELATIONS WITH COMMUNITIES. Ordinarily, constantly, God· comes to the individual soul, and says, " Thou shalt" or "Thou shalt not;" "My Son," do this and live, etc. But he has his Divine dealings with societies, with secular and sacred communities also• with (1) nations, (2) Churches, (3) families. • ' II. THAT COMMUNITIES, AS SUCH, MAY INCUR ms CONDEMNATION. A" whole con;i:re- gation," an entire people, may sin (ver. 13). 1. The nation : witness the Jewish people, again and again denounced and punished. 2. The Church : witness the Churches of Galatia ( Epist. to Gal.), the Churches of Asia Minor (Rev. ii., iii.). 3. The family. III. THAT THIS GUILT MAY BE CONTRACTED UNCONSCIOUSLY. "The thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly " ( ver, 13). 1. The Jewish nation," through ignorance, killed the Prince of Life" (Acts iii. 15, 17). Under some of the better and worthier emperors as well as under the viler, Rome martyred the Christians, thinking them injurious to that human race which they were regenerating. 2. The Ohurch of Ohrist has uncon- sciously fallen, at different times and places into (1) error, (2) laxity of conduct, (3) un- spirituality in worship and life, (4) inactivity. 3. Famuies fall into (1) _undevoutness of habit; (2) unneighbourliness and inconsiderateness; (3) ungraciousness of tone, and unkindness of behaviour in the home circle, , IV. THAT RECOGNITION OF WRONG MUST BE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY PENITENCE AND FAITH. ,vhen "the sin was known," the congregation was to "offer a young bullock," etc. (ver. 14). Let every nation, Church, society, family: 1. Remember that it is fallible, and may fall unconsciously into sin. 2. Headily, and with open mind, receive expostulation and warning from others. 3. Upon conviction of wrong, resort fo penitence and faith to the all-sufficient Sacrifice of which the sin offering was the type.-C. Vers. 11, 12.-Fuil acceptance with God. 'rhe carrying away of nll the offered animal (save that part which had been presented to God in sacrifice) ·and the burning of it in "a clean place" (ver. 12), was probably meant to represent the full and perfect acceptance of the offerer by the Holy One of Israel. When the victim had been slain and its blood outpoured on the altar and its richest part accepted in sacrifice, there might seem to have been sufficient indication of Divine mercy. But one sign more WSJ added : the animal which represented the worshipper having shed its blood, and that shed blood having been received as an expiation, it became holy; when, therefore, its flesh was not eaten by the priest (eh. vi. 26) in token of its sanctity, every part of the animal was solemnly and reverently consumed, in "a clean place." Nothing pertaining to that which had become holy through the shed blood should be treated as an unholy thing. Looked at in this light, we gain the valuable thought that when sin has been forgiven through faith in the shed blood of the Redeemer, the sinner is regarded as holy in the sight of God. As everything was thus done by pictorial representation to express the thought of the fulness of Divine forgiveness, so everything was stated in explicit lang':1age throu~? the psalmists an~ prophets to the same effect (Exod. ~x.xiv. G, 7; Ps. lxxxv1. 5, 15; cm. 8; cxlv. 8; Isa. 1. 18; lv. 7). So, also, our Lord, ID the "prince of parables," included everything that could be introduced-the robe, the ring, tbe shoes, the fatted calf-to present in the strongest colouring the precious truth that OB. IV, 1--36.] THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. 67