The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 261

purifying Spirit of God. Blood and water together flowed from the opened side of Jesus (see John xix. 34, 35; 1 John v. 6, 8). The infinitely superior virtue of the blood of Christ lay in that, being God as well as man, he was able to offer himself through the eternal Spirit without spot (Heb. ix. 13, 14). (2) The" living bird" was dipped" in the blood of the bird that was killed," to show that our guilt was laid upon the soul of Jesus as well as upon his body. This truth is indeed expressed in the blood shed; for the "blood is the life of the flesh." But to impress it upon us it is here pre- sented under another figure (see Isa, liii. 10-12). 111. ITe APPBOPBIATION. This was: 1. Through the sprinkling of blood. (I) The atonement availed the leper nothing without the application of the blood to his person, So the blood of Christ avails only to those who appropriate its benefits by faith. (2) The blood was sprinkled upon the leper" seven times" to express perfection and sufficiency, and to point to the seventh period or rest of the gospel (Heb. iv. 10), in which the atonement by Christ satisfies all the promises of the types. Then he was pronounced "clean." (3) The next thing was to let the living bird, stained with the blood of that killed in sacrifice, loose in the open field. What a Ii vely picture! As the leper is assured that he is clean he sees his guilt carried away, and loses sight of it as the bird disappears in the wood. So does Christ bear our sins into oblivion. 2. Through the washing of water. (1) The leper was to wash his clothes and appear in clean white linen, the emblem of the "righteousness of the saints." (2) He had also to shave off all his hair, which had been dishonoured by the plague, that a new growth might crown him in purity. (3) He had likewise to wash his flesh; and that too "seven times," to express the thoroughness of his purification ( comp. 2 Kings v.10; also Ps. li. 2). But the true purifier is that sevenfold Spirit of the gospel, issuing as the river of life, from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Rev. v. 6; xxii. 1). 3. By the ministry of the word. (1) The blood was sprinkled upon the leper by means of a whisk composed of" cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop." A branch of hyssop seems to have been tied to a. handle of cedar by a thread of scarlet wool. But the materials used were evidently intended as emblems, else they would not have been so carefully specified. .And we find these very materials on another occasion, thrown into the fire of the altar, to be consumed with the red heifer (see Numb. xix. 6). (2) As to the hyssop and cedar, they seem to be, as it were, at the extremes in the kingdom of trees, and so generally represent that kingdom. For Solomon in his wisdom "spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall" (1 Kings iv. 33). We know that the servants of God are compared to trees (Ps. i. 3; xcii. 12; Isa. Ixi. 3). They are various in their abilities, yet all eerviceable as ministers and instruments of the gospel (1 Cor. xii. 21). (3) As to the wool; it is from the fleece of an animal proper for sacrifice, and its colour is that of blood. A cord of the same colour was hung from her window by Ra.hab, to express faith in the blood of the Passover to protect her and her house from destruction. It would not be lawful in her to sacrifice a lamb and sprinkle its blood; but she did what she might, and expressed her faith by this sign (Josh. iii. 18, 19). The scarlet cord of a common faith in the blood of Christ binds his servants together, and in their unity makes them efficient instruments in carrying his gospel to mankind. (4) If it be asked why should the cedar and scarlet and hyssop be burnt with the red heifer, the answer is that there is a sense in which faithful ministers may be "offered upon the sacrifice and service" of the faith of those they benefit (see Acts ix. 4; 2 Cor. i. 6, 6; iv. 10; Phil. ii.17; ili.10; Col. i. 24; 2 Tim. i. 8; ii.10).-J. A. M. Vers. 10-32.-The cleansing of the leper-ceremony in the tabernacle. The cere- monies for the cleansing of the leper were distributed into two series. The first were conducted "outside the camp." 'l'his suggests that the leper must be ta.ken not only as a type of sinners in general, but of the "sinners of the Gentiles" in particular (comp. Heb. xiii. 10-12). The ceremony in the tabernacle, therefore, must refer to the reception of the Gentiles by the gospel into the fellowship of the saints. We notice- I. THE PBEBENTATION, 1. This took place on the eighth day. (1) The ceremonies in the camp extended over seven days, on the last of which the leper was then pro- nounced clean. He wu now, therefore, eligible to leave his alienation, and mingle LEVITICUS. Q  226 THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. [cH. XIV, 1-32,