The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 356

interm1miages were strictly prohibited (Deut. vii. 3, 4); they were to maintain a studied separateness from all surrounding nations. The conscientious service of God our Saviour involves some separateness on our part-. 1. We have to form ourselves into separate societies1 Christian Churches. From these we are bound, in faithfulness, t-O exclude those who do not profess to love our Lord Jesus Christ. This will produce- resentment on their part, and cause them to ascribe to pride that which is due to- simple loyalty t-0 the Master. 2. We have to separate ourselves from those persons and things whose a,s.qociation would be injurious to the cause of Christ; from (1) unholy friendship..~, (2) institutions and customs which have evil features or evil tendencies (3) the abounding spirit of worldliness and selfishness. We are bound to make it clea; and plain to all that we are "on the Lord's side,n and on the side of all those righteou& and holy principles which he commends to us.-C. Vers. 1-27.-Sin unto rkath. The offences described in this chapter were mentioned before. Such is our obtuseness that we need "line upon line." Adorable is that good- ness of God which takes such pains with us. We have here- I. PRESUMPTUOUS SINS AND THEIR PENALTY. 1. Parents giving their seed to Molech. (1) This infernal god was the King of Tophet (Isa. xxx. 33), and, in malignity, not to- be distinguished from Satan. The sacrifices he demanded were human. By a refine- ment of cruelty he required parents to immolate their own offspring. 'l'hey were offered to him in the horrible torments of fire. Nothing could be more devilish. (2) In de- nouncing death as the penalty for this sin, the reason given is that it " defiled the sanctuary and profaned the holy Name" of God(ver. 3). The temple and the Shechinah were in the land, and to commit this wickedness there was consequently to commit the· highest crime against the most awful sacredness. Also the body of man is the temple of God, and t-0 give that temple to Molech was, in this sense, to defile the temple of God (see 1 Cor. vi. 15; x. 21). (3) The penalty is denounced in order upon the Hebrew first. Having more light, he is in a higher degree responsible, and therefore is the first named to suffer (comp. Hom. ii. 9). Let not Protestant Christians forget their great responsibility. (4) But the" strangers that sojourn in Israel" are amenable to the same punishment. They must not abuse their hospitality by showing an example of wickedness. This consideration should restrain the licentiousness in foreign countries of some of our travellers. 2. Persons having dealings with necromancy. (1) 'l'he principals in this. Those "who have familiar spirits," or demons attendant upon them and obedient to their calls. " Wizards," or wise ones, viz. to pry into the "depths of Satan" (ver. 27). Such persons are accounted guilty of the highest crime, and were doomed to suffer death by stoning, without mercy. (2) Their eustomerll. Those who have recourse to such abandoned persons to discover things which it has not pleased God to reveal. Such pruriency into Divine mysteries is defiling (ver. 6; eh. xix. 31). (3) Those who would be sanctified by God must first sanctify themselves from these abominations. If they refuse to do this, God will sanctify himself of them by cutting them off (vers. 6, 8). 3. Children who curse their parents. (1) Those guilty of this irreverence must be woefully destitute of the fear of God (see eh. xix. 32). Our fathers according to the flesh are to us representatives of our Father in heaven. (2) So heinous is this crime that it must be punil!hed with death. There is no atonement for it. "His blood shall be upon him." He must be made hi~self the sacrifice for ~is sin. What an admonition to the fast youth of modern times I 4. Excesse/l in uncleanness. (1) Death in one form or another, is the penalty for the horrible crimes specified (vers. 10-21 ). '" Their blood shall be upon them ; " " they shall be cut off from among their people •• "they shall bear their iniquity;" "they shall be stoned;" "they shall be burnt;'" "they shall die childless." (2) In t~is_ last the retribution ~rnst come speedily. Their cutting off out of the land of the hvmg must be before any 1Ssue could come of their crime. It may also imply that any issue they may have already should be involved in the punishment of their sin (comp. Numb. xvi. 32; Josh. vii. 24). IL THE BESPONBIDILITY OF WITNESSES. 1. To withhold testimony against sin is to incur its guilt. (I) It is here taken as complicity in the crime. He that "hides his eyes from the man " that giveth his seed to Molech, so as to let him escape the hands of justice, is said to "commit whoredom with M.olech" (vera. 4, 6). What a lesson is here to "peaceable" Christians who let swearers and other public offenders go un- OJI. XXI. 1-24.] THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. 321