The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 402

would be speaking to them and they to him. Daily sacrifices would be laid on his altar. Special rites would demand peculiar devotion; one of these-the most sacred of all-was close a.t band; privilege and opportunity were a.waiting them, would meet them with the advancing seasons of the new year on which they had entered• the trumpet of the Lord said, "Listen and obey, for God is with you." The Fe;st of Trumpets reminds us of- - III. THE MORE GRAOIOUS ERA TO WHICH WE BELONG. There was no such overwhelm- ing scene at the inauguration of the gospel as that at the giving of the Law. No" voice of the trumpet sounding long, and waxing louder and louder," no " thunders and light- nings." The kingdom of God "came not with observation;" "he did not strive nor cry, nor cause his voice to be heard in the streets." Yet he "spa.ke as never man spake" before, and as man will never speak again, and a.t the beginning of every year we may, without any trumpets sounding, hear a voice from heaven saying to us, " This is my beloved Son ; hear ye him." God summons us to learn of him, a.od know from him (1) how to be related to himself, (2) the spirit in which we should a.et to our fellows, and (3) the way to rule our own spirit and regulate our own life. We may also be reminded of- IV. THE LAST DAY OF THIS DISPENSATION. The day draws on when the "trump of God" shall sound, summoning the dead to life, calling the living and the dead to juda- ment and award (see 1 Cor. xv. 52; l 'l'hess. iv. 16). At any hour of our life, b~t e.specially on any anniversary, when we are reminded of the passage of our probationary life and the oncoming of the day of his appearing, we may well hear the summons of God to prepare for that great day. "Great God, what do I see and hear 1 • • • • The trumpet sounds, the graves restore • The dead which they coutained before. Prepare, my soul, to meet him." o. Vers. 33-43.-Joy before the Lord. The idea that, under the ancient Law, Israel was a peculiarly severe and gloomy nation, is essentially false. Gravity rather than li3ht-heartedness may indeed have characterized them: they may have had much "seriousness of soul;" but they were familiar with joy, and sometimes gave themselves up to great and continued gladness of heart. It was radiant sunshine in Israel during the Feast of Tabernacles. The whole engagements of the sacred festival suggest tow;- I. THAT SORROW 18 OFTEN FOLLOWED BY JOY, AND THAT SACRED BORROW IS THE SOURCE OF PUREST JOY. It is significant that this Feast of 'l'a.berna.cles ea.me only five days after the Day of Atonement, the day on which they were commanded to "afflict their souls" (see vers. 27, 34). How often does a very small interval divide joy and sorrow I so checkered are the scenes of our mortal life, that no man in brightest circum- stances can ensure to himself five days' prosperity, and that no man under the darkest cloud need despair of seeing the sun break speedily and shine serenely on his path. And when sorrow ill hallowed by reflection, submission, prayer, there is laid the foundation of purest joy. The happiness which is born of submission to the will of God is some- thing which "satisfies and sanctifies the mind." It is a joy that lasts. I!. 'l'H.AT PROSPERITY DOES WELL SOMETIMES TO TURN A BAOKWARD LOOK ON TllE ADVERSITY IT RAS LEFT BEHIND. (Vers. 40, 42, 43.) It was well for Israel, dwelling in strong and comfortable how;es, to spend one week in the year in the "booths," which took them back in thought to the tents of the wilderness. When God gives either to a man or to a nation to rise out of obscurity and hardship into prominence and comfort, to pass from spiritual destitution to a stato of abounding privilege and opportunity, nothing is more desirable than that he (or it) should occasionally revert to the old days of toil or want, and have his (its) heart filled with thankfulness to him who plants our feet upon the rock, who lifts us up to the high place of prosperity and power. III. THAT HAPPINESS IS SAFE ONLY WHEN IT IS SANOTIFrnD. The Hebrew nation was to" rejoice before the Lord seven days" (ver. 40). The heart of the people was to be filled with overflowing gladness, but it was to be poured out "before the Lord : " so it OJI, XXIII, 6-44.] THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. 367