The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 303

should the feast be dedkated? Homage to the demons of the field could not be sanctioned, it was a breach at once of the first and seventh commandments. It is frequently forgotten that a neutral attitude in respect of God is impossible; we are either on his side or against him. Intellectualism, materialism, scientificism, agnosti- cism, it matters not by what name our rejection of the claims of religion is covered, it really designates the setting up of an idol upon the throne of the heart, and we adore the enemy of God. V. THE PBOBATIONABY CHABACTEB OF MANY OF GoD's REQUIREMENTS IS HERE MADE VISIBLE. In Deut. xii. the precept of the text is repealed as relating to the settled condition of life in Palestine, when it would manifestly be difficult to comply with the law. By that period the precept had served its purpose in training the Israelites to abstain from evil practices, and to honour Jehovah with all their substance. And we to-day have our wilderness system of probation and training, many rules designed to meeten us for the society of just men macle perfect. The injunction of the text pointed to the transitory nature of the Law as a whole. It has been abrogated by the gospel, the dispensation of promise, the land of liberty and rest. Yet, as in their residence in Palestine, the Israelites continued to observe the spirit of the repealed Law, so do we, under the gospel, retain the principles that underlay the Mosaic legislation. To acknowledge God in every meal and mercy, to hallow the secular and to promote it to the sacred, this, as it is the object of Christian endeavour, is the spirit of the command we have been considering in Leviticus. And equally so, the principles and spirit of our Christian earthly life will be recognizable in the higher worship and service of heaven. The accident changes, the essence alters not.-S. R. A. Vers. 1-1.-Features of Christian service. It is open to question whether tbo prohibition (vers. 3, 4) extends to all animals killed for food, or only to those slain in sacrifice. The former view is, in my judgment, the correct one; for (1) the instruction is explicit enough (vers. 3, 4), and without qualification; (2) the limitation is after- wards allowed in consideration of the change of circumstance (Deut. xii. 20, 21); and (3) the difficulty in the case is less on consideration than it at first appears. It is objected that this would be a burdensome prohibition; but (a) it only lasted (see above) while they were in the camp, near to one another, and all near to the tabernacle; and (b) much less flesh was eaten there and then than is eaten here and now. A more largely vegetable diet would probably be wholesome for us; H was undoubtedly so in the desert of Arabia. When we more carefully consider this precept, we see its benefi- cent character; we perceive- !. A FATAL EVIL, FROM WHICH IT WAS DESIGNED TO SAVE THEM. The practices of Egypt clung to them; among these was demon-worship (ver. 7). They had gone after those demons, and offered sacrifices to them. If any animal might be killed anywhere for food, and the blood of it might not be eaten (chs. iii. 17; vii. 26), there would be a strong temptation to the superstitious to pour it out in sacrifice to those demons of whose malignant interposition they were afraid. This temptation must, at all cost, be guarded against. It would introduce or foster that idolatrous usage from which it was the supreme object of all theso statutes to keep Israel free. And if no animal might be slain save at the tabernacle door, there would be no danger of thi~ disastrous lapse into Egyptian superstition. II. THE GOOD IT wAS DESIGNED TO DO THEM. It would confer a threefold boon upon them. 1. It would bring them often to the tabernacle, and so to the near presence and worship of God; it would multiply their sacrifices (vers. 6, 6). 2. It would lead them to associate their material blessings with the Divine hand; presenting them uuto the Lord, they could not fail to be reminded that they were his gifts. 3. It would hcl p them to look on Jehovah as their Divine Friend. These became peace offerings(ver.5), and the essential thought of such offering was human fellowship with God. We detect here some useful suggestions as to the true oharacter of Christian service. 1. We mmt not make our Christian worship too deprecatory in its character. There is something painfully and dangerously like demon-worship in the devotion of some men ; they seldom rise above the deprecatory in their thought, as if God were a being .so stern and so reluctant to forgive that his people should spend all their devotional breath in deprecating his wrath. Surely to tho God and Father of our Lord Jesus 268 THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. [ea. XVIL 1-16.