The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 178

mand is given to the people to present their burnt the fo.t of hie own sin offering, e.nd' offerings, and it is he that slays the viotims the flesh of his burnt offering, Firo, there- and offers their blood. His own sin offering fore, wo.s present upon the o.lto.r; ond wo.s is e. young ea.If, or yonng hull oalf, whereas used by Aaron, as by Moses, for eacrifloie.l the sin offering commanded for the high purposes before the fire oe.me out from the- pxiest on ordine.ry oooe.sions was a young Lord as described in ver. 24. bull, further advanced in age (eh. iv. 3); Ver. 2~.-.And Aaron lifted up his hand. and in presenting the blood he does not take or (accordm~ to the more probable reading)- it into the sanctuary according to the regu- hand,. This was the first priestly· bene, lations in eh. iv. 6, but uses it as Moses diction by Aaron, given from the elevated bnd done in the sin offerings of the previous standing-place which he occupied by the- week, the purpose of the difference being to side of the e.lte.r. • ,· , show that .Aaron's full dignity had not yet Ver. 23.-Moses (for the last time) anct devolved upon him. This did not take Aaron ( for the first time) went into the taber- place until he ho.d gone into the taberne.cle nacle in the character of priest. During with Moses (ver. 23). A ram is again taken this visit Moses committed to Aaron the- for the burnt offering, e.s had been the case care of the things within the tabernacle, as. in Moses' sacrifice of the previous week. he had already given him the charge of all The children of Isre.el now present a kid, connected with the sacrifices of the court. the offering generally made by a prince, Not till after this is Aaron fully initiated that for the congregation being a young into his office. "No man taketh this bull. In the words for to day the Lord will honour nnto himself, but he that is called appear unto you, l\Ioses promises the Divine of God, e.s we.s Aaron"· (Heh. v. 4). On appearance afterwards vouchsafed (ver. 23). coming out from the tabernacle, Moses and Ver. 7.-!l:ake an atonement for thysell', .Aaron, standing near the .door, unite: io and for the people. By means of the sin blessing the congregation, in, order to show offering for the high priest, whose sin the harmony between them and the capacity brought gnilt both on himself and upon of blessing in the Nnme of the Lord enjoyed the people (eh. iv. 3). After l,e had (sym- by Aaron as by Moses. The latter has bolu:ally) purified himself and them of this now divested himself of that part of his guilt, he was to offer the offering of the office which me.de him the one media.tor people, which should purify them from the between God and his people. Aaron i& guilt contracted by their own sins, and make henceforth e. type of Christ e.s well as an e.tonement for them. Moses. "While giving the joint blessing,: Vere. S-14. - The high priest's sin· •the glory of the Lord appeared unto e.11 the. offerini:( and burnt offering for himself. The people, proceeding from the ark, and en-' m~at offering does not appear to he.ve accom- '!"eloping the lawgiver and the priest as they panied the burnt offering-the law having stood together. not yet been promulgated which ordered Ver. 24.-And there came a lire out from that the two soori.fices should always be before the Lord. The sacrifices were already, presented together (Numb. xv. 4). The smouldering on the ulto.r, a ram, e. calf, and burnt offering, with the pieces thereof, in e. lamb, besides the internal fat of a young' ver. 13, slwuld re.ther be the burnt offering bull, a kid, a bullock, and a ram, and a, in itA se'Deral piece,. The sinfulness of the handful of flour. They would have con- A.aronic priesthood e.nd the need of B tinued smouldering all the cla.y and the perfect priest is .indicated by this sacrifice night, but a miruculoue fire issued from (see Heh. vii. 24-27). the te.bernacle, and consumed the whole io Vere. 15-2L-The people's sin offering, the sight of the people. So fire fell e.nd burnt offering, meat offering, and peace consumed Solomon's sacrifice at the dedica- offerings follow. The meat offering is eaid tion of the temple. J ewieh tradition re- to he.ve been burnt upon the e.ltar, beside the ports tho.t the fire we.a always kept aliv& burnt sacrifice of the morning. It is until the reign of Manasseh, when it beco.mo probable that, on this occasion, the people's extinguished. When the people uw thia burnt offering, which consisted of a calf and sight, they shouted, and tell on their faoeL a lamb, took the place of the ordinary morn- They had been standing in a state of ing sacrifice of a lamb (Exod. xxix. 38). intense expecto.tion, awaiting the fulfilment Aaron is said to have offered the burnt of the promise tho.t the Lord would appear offering according to the ma.nner, or, as it is unto tl.Jem to-day, e.nd watching the acts ot given in the margin, ordinarn:e, tho.t is, he the two brothers; and their feelings a.re now burnt the flesh on the altar (eh. i 7-9); re.i.se<l to the utmost enthusiasm and awe by he also bumt the handful of the meat offer- the o.ppee.rance of the glory of the Lord and ing, and he burnt the fat of the peace offer- the action of the Di vine fire. Bee 2 Ohron. ing, upon the altar. He had previouoly vii. 3. CIB. IX. 1-24.] TllE BOOK OF LEVITICUS.