The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 186

mercy and restoration, hoping to attain it by a substitutionary sacrifice. The want is cleep and wide; how shall it be met? It was met, in the first instance, by the ritual under the Law, by- II. GoD's TE)[POl!ARY PROVISION. "The Lord commanded " Moses to say to Aaron "Go unto the altar," etc. 'l'his act of religious service was done by Divine direction: Elsewhere men were blindly groping after him, and endeavouring to find a way of approach and reconciliation. Here, in the wilderness of Sinai, was a people the nucleus <>fa nation, which "knew what it worshipped" (John iv. 22), which w~s ·taught of God himself. The Hebrew nation had been divinely instructed, and by its sacrifices declared : 1. That God had included all under sin, both priest and people "for thyself and for the people." 2. That sin was deserving of death. 3. That a sin ~:trerino- would be accepted by the merciful and righteous One. 4. That only a separated and h;iy man might approach the altar in sacrifice. 6. That the sin offering, having been presented and accepted, by the Holy One, all who would might, in sacred symbolism (the burnt offering), consecrate themselves to the service of a gracious God. But we must look further to- , III. TBB DIVINE INTENTION WHICH LAY BEHIND. "This commandment of th& Lord" was not final,. It was adequate for the purpose. It was good for a time, for a dispensation; but it did not meet the wants of the race. Nor did it realize "the· eternal purpose which he purposed" (Eph. iii. 11), nor exhaust the possibilities of the Divine wisdom and grace. " It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goa.ts should take awa.y sins" (Heb. x. 4). God would ma.nifest his power and love in a far mightier way than this. 1. The altar should give place to the cross. 2. The victim from the herd and flock to the Lamb of God himself. 3. The fallible, changing priesthood to the holy, ever-living Sa.viour. 4. The many offerings continually repeated to the "one Sacrifice for sins for ever" (Heb. L 12). • 1. With the pa.11:a.n and the Jew, we share the common human consciousness of sin and need. 2. With the Jew, in distinction from the pa.ga.n, we have a divinely sa.nc- tioned method of approach and reconcilia.tion. 3. With immea.sura.hle a.dvantage over· Jew a.nd pa.gan, we all ha.ve access a.tall times through the one Mediator, and ca.n plea.d· Rt every hour the one all-sufficient Sa.crifice for sin. How great and high the privilege I, How serious and solemn the responsibility 1-C. Vers. 8-21.-77.e priest at the altar. ,Aaron now enters on the grea.t a.nd high work to which he is appointed-that of God's chosen high priest. He "went unto the alta.r."· AB we follow him in tha.t first official act (ver. 8) and see him, with the help of his sons (ver. 9), sla.ying the ea.If or the goa.t (vers. 8, 15), putting the blood on the home,' or pouring it et the bottom of the altar (ver. 9), we are reminded of fundamenta.ltruth which does not belong to one dispensa.tion or one· race, but to man everywhere and, always. l. THE BAD ASSUMPTION-UNIVERSAL GUILT. Some truths are rather assumed than enuncia.ted in Scripture: this is one. Not tha.t it is not stated (Rom. iii. 9, 23; Gal. iii. 22, etc.). But it is more often taken for gra.nted. 'l'hus in this scene. Aa.ron and hie sons present sin offerings for themselves. It is assumed that there are not only "sinners of the Gentiles" needing mercy, but that the "holy nation" itself, the priestly family itself, nay, the high priest himself, is numbered among the sinful. This accords with our experience. 1. A la.rge proportion of men are notoriously, presumptuously guilty; their lives procla.im aloud tha.t they are transgressors against God. 2. Of the rest, a very la.rge proportion are confessedly guilty; they allow freely that they have sinned by omission and commission. 3. 'l'he rest a.re evidently mistaken concerning themselves. If not appa.rcnt to human eye, it is obvious to the Divine that their live.s are faulty and their souls stained. There is not one exception in the whole camp, in the entire congregation, in the nation, in the race. .AU have sinned, and need· atonement. IL 'l'HE FIRST DEEP NEED OF THE souL-DIVnra KERCY. The first sacrifice presented by Aa.ron for himself wes "the ea.II of the sin offering" (ver. 8); the first for the people was" the goat which wa.e the sin offering" (ver. 16). Men can do nothing in God's service till he is pardoned a.nd accepted. "Forgiveness of sins" is the first grea.t need of the soul, as it is the first great gift of the gospel (Luke xxi v. 47 ; Acts ii. 38:  ,OH, IX. 1- -24.] TlIE BOOK OF LEYITICl.7S. 1-17