The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 229

,over, they will be no mort1 (see Matt. xxii. 30; 1 Cor. xv. 50; 2 Cor. v. 2-4; see also Homiletic notes on eh. ix. 1-7). (3) Hence, the "baptism of the Holy Spirit" is •another way for expressing the " circumcision of the heart," l\nd therefore it is called the "circumcision of Christ," or of Christianity (Col. ii. 11, 12). By parity of reasoa, the "baptism of water" corresponds to the "circumcision which is outward in the flesh." (4) Circumcision was proper to express the necessity of a spiritual birth in the dispensation of the covenant before Christ came, as it figured his sacrificial death (the "cutting off" of the" Holy Seed"), through which we claim the blessings of salvation. Now he bas come, the type is fittingly abolished, and the baptismal water introduced, which is the emblem of the purifying spirit of the gospel. II. COLLECTIVELY CONSIDERED. 1. TM Church is tM mother of tM children of God. (1) Every man was intended to be a figure of Christ. The first man was such (Rom. v. 14). This privilege is shared by his male descendants (Gen. i. 26, 27; 1 Cor. xi. 7). So every woman was iatended to be a figure of the Church of God (1 Cor. xi. 7-9). The marriage union, therefore, represents the union between Christ and his .Church (Eph. v. 22-32). .And the fruit of marriage should represent the children of ,God (see Isa. liv.1-8; xlix. 20-23; Gal. iv. 25-31). (2) But all this may be reversed. Men, through perversity, may come to reptesent Belia! rather than Christ. Women may become idolatrous, and represent an anti-Christian rather than a Christian Church. Thus Jezebel, who demoralized Ahab, became a type of those anti-Christian State ()hurches which demoralize the kings of the nations (see Rev. ii. 20-23; xvii.). 2. In her present state she is impure. (1) Under the Law she was far from perfect. The .elaborate system of ceremonial purifications imposed upon her evillced this. Her history and the judgments she suffered go to the same conclusion. The uncleanness of the mother in the text is not au exaggerated picture. (2) Nor is she perfect under the -gospel. The saints are in her. Many of her children have experienced the circumcision of the heart. But many more have only had that which is outward in the flesh. The "tares "-hypocrites and unbelievers-are mingled with the "wheat," a state of things which is destined to continue "until the harvest" (Matt. xiii. 30, 39). 3. But she is in the process of her purification. (1) '!'he first stage in this process was marked by the rite of circumcision. During the time prior to that event, she was in her "separation," viz. from her hnsband and friends, and those in necessary attenda_p.ce upon her were -unclean. '!'his indicates the great difference which the cutting off of the Great Purifier of his people makes to the spiritual liberty of the Church (Rom. vii. 1-4). (2) Still the period of her uncleanness was extended to forty days from the beginning. Her ~•separation" terminated on the eighth day, but during the whole period she must not ,eat the Passover, nor the peace offerings, nor come into the sanctuary (ver. 4). These forty days may be presumed to be similar in typical expression to the forty years of the Church in the wilderness before it was fit to enter Canaan (see Deut. viii. 2, 16). (3) In the case of the biith of a female this period of forty days was doubled. This may 1>e designed to show that under the gospel, where the distinction of male and female is abolished (Gal. iii. 28; Col. iii. 11), still the wilderness state of the Church is con- tinued. Our Lord was forty days upon earth beforo he entered into his glory, and in that state represented the state of the Church that is spiritually risen with him, but .aot yet glorified. (4) '!'he entrance of the mother into the temple when her purifica- tion was perfected represented the state of the Church in heaven (see Eph. v. 27). The offerings with which she entered showed that her happiness is the purchase of the Redeemer's passion. Her fcastiag upon the holy things expressed those joys of the heavenly state elsewhere described as "the marriage supper of the Lamb" (Rev. :a.ix. 7-9).--J. A. M. Born in sin. Cb. xii.; of. Gen. iii. 16 ; Ps. Ii. 5; Luke ii. 21-24; 1 Tim. il. 15. From the division of the animals into clean and unclean, and the sanctity thereby inculcated, we are invited to proceed to those personal liabilities to uncleanness for which due rites were provided. 'l'he first of these takes life at its fountain-hl'ad, and refers to the uncleanness connected with birth. Motherhood involved a longer or shorter period of ceremonial separation-forty days in the case of a son, seventy days in the case of a daughter, after which a burnt offering and a sin offering are to be pre- ,sented to the Lord, and atonement made for her that she may be clean. 192 THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. [ ea. XII. 1-&