The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 258

should be with hearts overflowing with holy gratitu<le and sacred joy that we present ourselves before him. IV. WITH A SEKSE OF GoD'B FULL ACCEPTANCE OF OUR WHOLE HEART AND LIFE, There was one very significant ceremony through which the leper who was being cleansed had to pass : the priest was to put some of the blood of the trespass offerinjl upon the tip of the right ear, and the thumb of the right hand, and the great toe of the right foot (ver. 14). Afterwards the priest did the same thing with the oil pouring the remnant of the oil upon the leper's head (vers. 17, 18). The applicatio~ of the blood of atonement to these bodily extremities indicated God's acceptance of the leper throughout the entire man; every part of him was now holy unto the Lord• even every part of that bodily frame which bad been the very picture and type of all uncleanness. The ·application of the oil denoted that the leper was thenceforth to regard himself as God's accepted servant in every sphere of human action; he wae to be: 1. A reverent waiter and watcher before God, eagerly learning his will. 2. An active, industrious minister, doing his work in every way open to him. 3. A conscientious exemplar, walking in the ways of the Lord blameless. We, too, returning unto God, pleading the blood of the Lamb, offering ourselves unto him, reverently rejoicing in his mercy, are to understand and realize that (1) God accepts us unreservedly as his own, and (2) expects us to be eager to serve him in every open way-learning, labouring, living to his praise.-C. Vers. 21-32.-Divine considerateness. If there had been one parenthetical verse introduced or added intimating that Divine allowance would be made for the poor, we should have thought that sufficient for the purpose. But we have more than that here. We have legislation for the poor fully stated, and the whole body of injunctions restated for their especial benefit (vers. 21-32). This brings out into bold relief God's mindfulness of the peculiar necessities of men-his Divine considerateness. We see illustrations of this in- I. SACRIFICES BROUGHT TO ms ALTAR. Notably this kindly provision for the poor in the case of the healed leper; but not this alone (see eh. v. 7; xii. 8). IL GIFTS BROUGHT TO HIS TREASURY, The widow with her two mites cast in more, weighed in the balances of heaven, than did the rich with their abundance (Mark vii. 41-44; see 2 Cor. viii. 12). III. OUR POWERS IN CHRrsT'B SERVICE. 'l'o him who having received two talents gained two others beside them, was accorded by the Lord, when he returned and reckoned with his servants, approval quite as cordial as that rendered to him who having received five talents gained five talents more (Matt. xxv. 19-23). Equally cordial would have been the welcome to him who had been entrusted with ouly one, if be had gained one talent beside that. IV. Oun STRUGGLE WITH TEMPTATION. When the agonizing Master returned and found those he left to watch and pray "asleep, for their eyes were heavy," he gently rebuked them; but he considerately extenuated their fault by saying, "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Ma.tt. x.xvi. 40, 41). "He knoweth our frame j he remembereth that we are dust." V. Oun ENDURANCE OF EVIL. God sends us privation, sickness, disappointment, perplexity, loss, bereavement, exceeding great sorrows, burdens grievous to be borne; he calls upon us to" endure as seeiug him who is invisible," to be" in subjection to the Father of spirit1:1." He expects that we shall not repine and rebel, but submit and serve. Yet he who knows all men, and who knows" what is in man" (John ii. 25), who created us and made us what we are, understands and weighs our peculiar personal difficulties, temperaments, dispositions; he knows how much we strive to yield and acquiesce, and "judges righteous judr~ment." He is just, yet merciful, we say. We may also say, He is just, and therefore merciful. He has the requisite justice of Divine considerateness. Let us-I. Take heart to serve so gracious and considerate a. Lord. 2. Feel impelled ~ serve him all the more faithfully and devotedly because he is so worthy and ri~hteous a Master. 3. Try to copy hie grace and hie righteousness iD our dealing■ with our fellows (Luke vi. 36).-C, OH, XIV, 1-32.] THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. 223