The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 255

been, Indeed, said that the live bird here is parallel to the live goat on the Day of Atonement, and should rather be supposed to carry the leper's sin away. But, inasmuch as the live bird here receives a similar baptism to the h1per himself, the first interpreta- tion is preferable. Living water and blood, therefore, are the elements of the leper's purification-symbols of the Spirit and the blood of Jesus Christ. The brush of hyssop was the means by which these were applied to the leper, and might fitting1y represent the Word of God, immortal like the cedar, humiliating like the hyssop, and invigorating like the" coccus-wool," by which the atonement and Spirit of Christ are applied to the sinful soul. It is thus by the blood of Jesus and the Spirit of Jesus that the soul, dead through the leprosy of sin, is restored to the society of the living. "And you bath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. ii. 1). 2. Restoration to the society of the sainta. After seven days' sojourn in the camp, but not in his own tent, the leper was allowed to approach the tabernacle with two he-lambs without blemish, one ewe-lamb without blemish of the first year, and three tenth-deals of fine flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil. These were to be used as a trespass offering, a sin offering, and a burnt offering. These suggest respectively a sense of unprofitablene,;s or shortcoming, atonement, and personal con- secration. The blood of the trespass offering is to be applied to the right ear, thumb of right hand, and great toe of the right foot, and the oil of consecration to be added thereto. This corresponds exactly to the consecration of the priests (eh. viii.). H suggests that it is out of a sense of past unprofitableness that future consecration comes (cf. Luke xvii. 5-10). It is when we realize how we have wronged our Lord that we a.re prepared to live, not unto ourselves, but unto him who died for us, as our atoning Sacrifice, and rose again (2 Cor. v. 14, 15). In case of the poverty of the leper, he is instructed to bring one Ie.mb for the trespass offering, with turtle-doves or young pigeons, in place of two additional lambs, for the sin offering and burnt offering, and a smaller meat offering. But the emphasis being laid on the trespass offering is surely to show that a sinner, when quickened by the Lord, is to sincerely lament the profitless, isolated life he lived, and to resolve to dedicate himself with full purpose of heart to the service of the Saviour whose blood has taken away his sin. The saints a.re those who begin in a sense of trespass a life of grateful devotion. III. M.ur's HOME IS TO BE CLEANSED AND RESTORED IN THE SAME 8PIBIT AS HIMSELF. The priest is directed to investigate a plagued house, and if by the use of prompt measures the plague is stayed and extirpated, then the first part of the ritual is to be carried out. One live bird is to be killed over the running water, and the house sprinkled with the blood and water as before, and then the other Ii ve bird liberated. Thus was the restoration of the house to the society of its mates, so to speak, sym- bolized. We have already taken this to indicate the careful purification of our environment, and there is no more important duty attaching to the religious man. Atonement is due, not only for the sin as it affects the person, but for sin in its ravages in the world. '!'his blighted world of ours has need of atoning blood, and purification even by fire, before it can be restored to the favour of God. Christ bas consecrated it through his blood, and his providence and Spirit will yet make the requisite arrangement for its complete purification and restoration to the holy. -R.M.E. Vers. l-20.-Restoration suggestions. The ceremonies here enjoined in the event of leprosy being healed suggest four things. I. AN INTERESTING PASSAGE IN TEE LIFE OF OUR LORD. Our Saviour's experiences may be divided into: (1) his sufferings and death; (2) bis life (and example); (3) his works. Of these the last may be the least important, but they will never be unim- portant. They will always remain one strong, convincing proof of his Godhead. An,! of these works the healing of leprosy-incurable by human art-was one of the most decisive. In this work of mercy, more vividly than in any other, we see him before us as the Divine Healer of the sin-smitten heart of man. Great interest belongs, therefore, to the incident related in Luke v. 12-15. And in the instruction given in ver. 14 we see our Divine Lord: (1) mindful of the Law of Moses, which he ever honoured (Matt. iii. 15; v. 17); (2) while desirous of avoiding a noisy and hurtful notoriety, taking du0 measures to establish the reality of his work. 220 THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS, [ea xrv. 1-82,