The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 353

V. THE EXCELLENGY OF A REASONABLE FAITH. The children of Israel had auch access to the spiritual world and such knowledge of the future as it was good for men to have. Was not God himself, in manifested presence and in revealing grace, in. their camp? Was he not speaking to them as to the future that was before them? Was he not ready to give them prophets who would not impose on them with shameful lies, but guide them with the word of truth? We, too, have all we need without having recourse to subtle and spiritualistic arts. We have: 1. The Word of God upon. our tables and in our minds. 2. The devout counsels of wise and holy men. 3. The promised guidance of the Spirit of God. Fictitious arts are sinful and delusive. The· wisdom that is from God is not only sound but sufficient. That which is more than this "cometh o! evil."-C. Vers. 7, 8.-&nctity-demand, inducement, promise. Once "a,,c,ain" (ver. 2} :Moses utters the Divin11 will in this great matter of holiness (see chs. ii. 44; iix:. 2}. We have- L Go»'s IMPERATIVE DEMAND OF SANCTITY. "Sanctify yourselves." "Ye shall keep my statutes, and do them." The Creator of the universe, the Author of our being, the Father and Sustainer of our spirits, has sovereign right to speak to us in such decisive tones. He demands of us that we shall be "holy," i.e. (1) that we shall expel from heart and life all those sinful habits by which men have defiled themselves: thus shall we "be severed from other people" (ver. 26), whose spirit and life are hateful; and (2) that we shall approach him, honour him, and pay him the tribute he asks of us, and also act righteously and blamelessly toward our fellows, "keeping. his statutes and doing them." II. THE mou INDUCEMENT HE PRESENTS TO us. " Be ye holy : for I am the Lord yo111 God." We may gird ourselves to good and great things, animated by different motives; of these some may be higher, others lower. God snmmons us to be holy for the highest reason of all, viz. because we shall thus resemble him. " Be ye holy; for I am holy" (1 Pet. i 16). Other reasons abound: holiness (1) is the best thing in itself; (2) saves us from many and great spiritual evils; (3) delivers us from dark and awful penalties; (4) allies us to the noblest created beings, etc.; but the best and loftiest of all considerations is that (5) it n1akes us like God, the Holy One, himself. His spirit is our spirit; bis principles, our principles; his life, our life. We o.re "the children of our Father who is in heaven." III. HIS PROMISED HELP. "I am the Lord which sanctify you.u The action of God upon our souls has been treated, both by the foolish and by the wicked, as a reason for human impassiveness. Foolish men have said," God is working for us and in us, there- fore it would be irreverent for us to attempt to do anything; we should only interfere.'' Wicked men have said, "God works for us, therefore we may safely live in comfortable unconcern and guilt while we wait his time of deliverance.'' '.l'he "children of wisdom" have said, "God is ready to work with us, therefore let us strive with all our energies, for, with his help, we shall not stri,·o in vain.'' This is the apostle's argnment: "Work out your own salvation, .•. for it is God which worketh in you," etc, (Phil. iL 12, 13). All our endeavours might be unavailing; we might contend &gainst the strong current of sin and be baffled and home along its stream, but if God himself is sanctifying us, we shall prevail. Let us go forth unto the struggle, for we shall assuredly suocei;d. God sanctifies us in such wise that he acts with us while he acts in us and/or us. He sanctifies us by (1) the truth of his Word (John. :r.vii. 17): this we are to consult; by (2) the :privileges ff the sanctuary (Ezek. :r.:r.:r.vii. 28): of these we are to avail ourselves; by (3) bis pw,,idential discipline (Heb. xii. 10): to this we are to submit; by (4) the indwelling of his Holy Spirit (Hom. :r.v. 16): for this we are earnestly to pray and expectantly to wait.-C. Ver. 9 (latter clause).-The unforgiv1m. "His blood shall be upon him;" "their blood shall be upon them" (vers. 13, 16, 27). 'l'hese words have a deeper significance than a mere repetition of the sentence, "He shall be put to death.'' They signify this: his sin cannot be forgiven him. It w11s the blood of the animal that "ma.de atonement for the soul" (eh. :r.vii. 11). It was the shed blood, therefore, that was- &tisociated, in thought, with the penalty due to sin. Aud when the legislator BBid.  THE BOOK OF LEVITICCS. [cu. xx. 1-27.