The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 120

itself in the multitude. (2) But in particular, IC that he hath sinned ,n this thing.'' Sin thus carried home hulllbles us into the dust. Such was the confession of Achan (Josh. vii. 20), who, though his sin was IC unto death," may yet have found the mercy of God to his soul. Such was the confession of David (Ps. Ii. 4). 2. It must be accom- panied with sacrifice. (1) "And he shall bring," etc. (ver. 6). Here the "trespass offering" is also called a " sin offering." It is in this case specified to be IC a female from the flock, a lamb or kid of the goats." This was the sin offering for any of the common people. The presumption therefore is that for a ruler a male kid should be brought for a trespass as for a sin offering; and for a priest, a bullock (comp. iv. 4 23 28). (2) Confession without atonement will not be accepted. If Achan found adcep: tance with God in the spirit it must have been immediately throuuh the atonement of Calvary. Atonement without confession will not avail. We ha;e to" work out our own salva~i,m;" ~ean~hile "God worketh in us bo.th to will and to do." 3. The poor have special consideration. (1) Those who may not be able to furnish a lamb may bring either a pair o! turtle;1oves or a b~ace of _young pigeons. The alternative here ap- pears to be because rn cert.am seasons pigeons m the East are hard and unfit for eating. Turtle-doves are then very good. That must not be given to God which would not be acceptable to man. (2) Two are specified, which are to be thus disposed of: one is offered for a sin offering, the other for a burnt offering; and they are offered in this order. The sin offering goes first to make an atonement; then follows the burnt offer- ing, which is a sacrifice of adoration. Before we can properly praise God we must be at peace with him. (3) Those so very poor as not to be able to bring a brace of pigeons may briug a tenth part of an ephah (about three quarts) of flour. A memorial of this is burnt upon the altar. There must be no oil in the flour to render it tasteful; no frankincense with it to give it fragrance: "it is a sin offering," and sin is distasteful and odious. The remnant is the priest's as a "meat offering." The interchanging of these offerings, sin and trespass, sin and burnt, sin and meat, shows how they are intended to represent the same great subject under its various aspects. No one typical sacrifice could sufficiently body forth all the merits of that blessed Person who "made his soul e. (c"'tt, asham) trespass offering" (Isa. lili. 10).- J. A. M. Ver. !.-Fidelity in bearing witness. The sinfolness of withholding evidence in e. court of law is here formally and solemnly incorporated in the divine statutes. We may remind ourselves- I. THAT WE SPEND OUR LIFE IN THE BIGHT OF MAN AB WELL AS UNDER THE EYE OF Goo. That we do everything in God's view is a truth the fulness and the greatness of which we cannot exaggerate. " Thou God seest me" should be as a frontlet for every man to wear between the eyes of his soul. But not unimportant is the truth that we act daily and hourly in the sight of man. 1. A very large proportion of our deeds is done obviously and consciously before man. 2. Many that we think are wrought in secret are seen by some unknown witness. 3. Many leave traces which point unmis- takably to our agency. " Be sure your sin will find you out." Sooner or later, in unsuspected ways, our evil doings come under the eye of human observation, and under the ban of human condemnation. II. THAT IT IS OFTEN OUR DUTY TO SCREEN AN OFFENDER FROM PUBLIO NOTICE. This iB not in the text, but it belongs to the subject. He who would "do what wrong and sorrow claim" must sometimes "conquer sin and cover shame." There are many cases in which public justice does not demand inquiry and reprobation, but private considera- tion does call for tenderness and mercy (John viii. 7). "Of some have compassion, making a difference" (Jude 22). Ill. TIIAT IT IS OFTEN OUR DUTY TO BEAR WITNESS AGAINST A WRONG-DOER, 1. It is our duty to God, for he has ordained human justice. "The powers that be are ordained of God" (Rom. xiii. 1-4). The Jewish judges had the right to adjure a witness to speak the truth in the name of the Supreme Judge(" hear the voice of swearing:" see 1 Kings viii. 31 ; Mitt. xxvi. 63, 64). If, therefore, under an oath we withhold what we know, we are disregarding e. demand that comes indirectly and ulti- mately from God himself. 2. It is also our duty to society. The commonwealth of which we are members has a right to expect that we shall take our share in tho neces-  OR, V, 1-18,] TBE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. 77