The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 115

which is atoned for. All the details of the ceremony, especially the connection of the blood of the sin offering with the two altars-that of incense and that of burnt offering- pointed to the completeness of the atonement which God provided. In the antitype, the great sacrifice offered by our Lord Jesus Christ, whose soul was made an offering for sin, we must lay great stress on the Divine perfection of the Victim offered, his coming forth from God, his representation in himself of Divine righteousness; for Christ is not a Saviour merely from individual transgressions, but from sin itself as an evil principle at work in the nature of man. Unless we hold firmly to this atonin" per- fection of Christ, we cannot proclaim the regenerating gift of the Holy Spirit, f~r the new life must be founded in a perfect justification; the same faith which admits us into the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ, also admits us into that fellowship and vital union with the living Redeemer, which is the commencement of a new life in the Spirit. The Apostle Peter (1 Pet. i. 2) puts the sanctification of the Spirit and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ in juxtaposition. They are included in the- one Sacrifice of Calvary, whereby atonement is made, and the power of an endless life is revealed in him who, having offered himself through the Spirit without spot, rose again from the dead to become the Captain of salvation, the Firstborn among many brethren, the second Adam, the man who is made, by his Divinti work, a quickening spirit. "Christ is God's," and "ye are Christ's."-R. . Vera. 3-12.-The high priest's burnt offering. The difference between the high priest's offering and that for the whole congregation on the one band, and the offering for an offending ruler or any of the common people on the other, lay in the sprinkling of the blood of the victim seven times before the Lord, before the vail of the sanctuary. This betokened the purifying by this sacrifice of the public worship of the people as distin,,"Wshed from their private and individual life. 'l'he different modes of sprinkling the blood marked successive degrees of consecration, from the altar of burnt offering without to the vail in the sanctuary, which especially represented Jehovah's presence. The high priest was an embodiment of the people's sanctity as a worshipping people. The great truth taught is the necessity of connecting together worship with the revela- tion of Divine righteousness and grace. The only true religion is that which rests on the twofold basis-God's provided atonement for sin ; man's faith and obedience towards God. SHOW THAT THERE IS "INIQUITY IN OUR HOLY THINGS." This was recognized by the Apostle Paul at Athens. "Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you." The want of trae knowledge renders the worship unacceptable. But not ignorance only; indifference, beerllessness, the superstition which proceeds from a corrupt heart, the falsehood which has grown np from the root of sin in human nature and which the individual man may adopt from tradition without perceiving its falsity. The religious leaders of a people may be especially guilty of defiling the popular worship. The priest, by his false theology, or his corrupt ritual, or his lack of spirituality, may involve the congregation in sin. In the house of God itself there may be sinful defect ofreverence, sinful disorder, sinful coldness and dulness, sinful pride and world Iiness, sinful wanderings of thought and self-assertion. Our worship needs to be sprinkled with the blood of our Great Sacrifice before it can be accepted. It is especially incumbent on the religious teachers and ministers of the sanctuary that they be prominent in confessing sin, in urging the necessity of more sanctification, in exalting the merit of Christ that worship be presented through him.-R. 'Vere. 18-21.-The wholll congregation e{nners through ignorance. The sacrifice is very similar to the high priest's. The ruling thought in both cases is that of ~in attaching to those who represent the covenant of God. '!'he people, whether ns a no.t10n or assembly, or as a house of God, a worshipping congregation, whether in its elde~s or rulers, or in its high priest, were in a covenant relation to Jehovah ; therefore m1~h t offend against that relation, and required ntoncment to be mnde. Take up the subJcct of riational line. I. A NATION KAY BE GUILTY. 1. Negatively, violating tho commandments of God. Political unwisdom, producing national disorder, ignorance, division of cle.sses from 0110 11.nother, decay of commerce, and distress. Intcrnci.tional confuijion and war. 2. OH. IV. 1-35.] THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. 71